SMITH, William ¹

  General Notes:

According the his mother's parish relief application in 1878, William was aged 44, or 43 years, for both are given, and had been born in Bridge of Weir. He was married and worked as an 'under stevedore' or 'stevedore' at Inman's, Liverpool or Inman Line Company, Liverpool. The assistant inspector who dealt with William's mother's application wrote to William and William's reply, icluded in the file, was as follows:
Liverpool Dec 1878
20 Barry Street
Walton Road
To Andrew Wallace esq
Dear Sir
In reply to yours of the 2nd inst which I did not recieve (sic) for some days though it being addressed Messrs Inmans as I am not employed by them. It caused me great unhappiness for I expected my mother being so near my brothers and sisters would not have been put to such a staright as this for a while. true I have not sent anything towards her support for some time for work has been fearfully slack here and my situation is not constant if there is no work in I am not employed. Though understand this Sir I am not stating this with any view to shirk any share of the responsibility-on the contrary if it was in power (sic) I would provide for her without troubling any of the rest of her family.
Any further word addressed to this address will be at once attended to by
Yours Most
Respectifuly
W Smith
The address on the envelope was
Mr Andrew Wallace
Govan Parochial (rest missed out envelope torn)
7 Carlton Place
Glasgow ²