THE FOUNDER: William Alexander Smith
[IDARESIT EDET INYANG CAPT.]
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD
William Alexander Smith was born on 27 of October, 1854 in Pennyland House,
Scotland.
He was the eldest son in the family. He had a sister and two brothers.
CARRIER
He was an army officer before the Lord called him to his vineyard. He was a
Sunday School teacher.
He schooled at Miller institution known as The Thursco Academy. Following the
death of his father he moved to Glasgow in January 1869. He became a pupil in a
private school. The Western Educational Institution widely known as “Burns and
Sutherland” school.
In October 1869, few days before his 15th birthday, he began to work in his uncle’s
business called Alex –Fraser & Co, where he specialized on wholesale of soft
goods. He was the secretary in the business.
He later joined the 1st Lonarkshire Rifle Volunteer part of the local “volunteer
force”. At age 19 he was promoted to the land of lance-corporal. That same year,
he joined the Church of Scotland.
In 1877 he was commissioned into the Rifle Volunteer and was promoted to the
land of lieutenant. As a Sunday school teacher, he combined these two activities
that led him to form The Boys Brigade on 4th October 1883 at the age of 29.
MARRIAGE LIFE
William A Smith got married to Amelia Pearson Southerland in 1884. This
marriage was blessed with two boys: Stanley and Danglass. When they were 10
and 7 years respectively, their mother died.
In 1906, William Smith got married to Miss Hannah Ranken Campbell, a cousin
of the Prime Minister, Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman. The wife also died after
one year. So William Smith continued his Brigade activities with much zeal.
KNIGHTHOOD
In 1909, he was knighted by King Edward VII for his services to children. The
investiture was held during The B.B. Camp in London in July. from there, he was
then addressed as Sir William A. Smith
DEATH
On Friday 8 …………. 1914, Sir William Smith attended The Boys Brigade
executive meeting at the Posterity Row Office, St Paul’s Anglican cathedral
Church London. He collapsed while the meeting was on and was rushed to St.
Bartholomew Hospital London.
On 10 May 1914, he dead in the hospital at the age of 60years.
He was buried in Glasgow Western Necropolis. Sir William Alexander Smith will
be remembered by this words always: “it I am to be rember by posterity , ishould
like to be remember by posterfity , I should like to be remember as a man who
taught people tgo spell boy with capital letter .B.
REFERENCES
Welcome to Western Necropolis – Glasgow City Council 31 July 2021
History of the boys’ brigade
By Mr. Idaresit Edet Inyang Capt.
The Boys Brigade was founded by Sir William Alexander Smith on 4 th October
1883 at Northwood Side Hall Free Church Mission, Glasgow, Scotland. As the
first voluntary movement in the world. The first Company was 1 st Glasgow
Company in Scotland. The main aim of the organization was to develop Christian
manliness through the use of semi-military discipline such as gymnastics, camps
and religious services. A . Smith was an army officer before the Lord called him to
his work. He abandoned his military services and became a Sunday School teacher
at Free Church Mission, Northwood Side Hill in Glasgow, Scotland. It wa
observed that parents left their children uncared for. Therefore children became
wild, indisciplined and were not properly thought the Bible, hence as an
enthusiastic Sunday school teacher, he combined drill and fun activities with
Christian values. He formed what is called THE BOYS’ BRIGADE in order to see
that the children hear the word of God. Though the organization started with many
boys, some boys ran away due to hard training. They were left with only 31 boys
including Sir William. Sir William and these boys were the people that formed
Brigade. Brigade started with 28 boys and 3 officers on 4th October, 1883.
The three officers were:
1. Sir William Smith
2. John R. Hills
3. James R. Hills
Chaplain.
----
Captain
Lieutenant
Lieutenant, While Rev. George Reith was the
The remaining 28boys were shared into 3 groups: Company boys, Senior Boys and
Junior boys.
Following the widespread of the organization in 1886 Sir William A. Smith held
his first camp in 1928 – Amalgamation of the Boys Brigade with the Boys life
Brigade.
1976 – World Conference of the Boys was formed
2022 – World Conference was renamed to Global Fellowship of Christian Youth.
History of B.B in Nigeria
The Boys Brigade came into Nigeria through Dr. Mac-Milliam at Holy Trinity
Anglican Church Onitsha.
During the celebration of Boys Brigade in Eastern Nigeria, one Sir William A.
Smith came to Nigeria named Major General Stanley B. Smith. The Eastern
Central State Council of the B.B was recognized in 1971 with Mr. Sunday Ibeneme
as the organizing secretary.
In 1936, B.B came into Northern region at Kagoro and was accepted by the chief
of Kagoro land. In 1925, B.B. observed the first Founders’ Day.
In 1921, B.B Week started
In 1934, the first training course for Officers was organized.
As at 2018, B.B. claimed 750,000 members in over 60 countries of the world. To
the glory of God, the labour of our Heroes past shall not be in vain.
References
B.B. Gaza, the B.B. Lagos state council magazine.