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James Smithies

1819 – 1869

English co-operator

Wool-stapler
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About James Smithies

Lived 1819 – 1869 (aged 50). James Smithies was a British wool-stapler.

James Smithies (bapt. 14 November 1819 – 27 May 1869) was an English co-operative movement organiser, wool-stapler, and local politician. In 1844 he was a founding member of the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers. In March 1857, David Urquhart's Rochdale Foreign Affairs Committee appointed Smithies as its chairman. It was this connection which led in July 1859 to his being elected secretary of the new Rochdale Subscription Turkish Bath Society, and the opening on 14 November 1859 of the first Victorian Turkish bath to be co-operatively owned by its members.

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Important facts

People in James Smithies's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Smithies's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Smithies?

English co-operator (1819–1869)

When was James Smithies born?

James Smithies was born on 17 January 1819 in Huddersfield.

When did James Smithies die?

James Smithies died on 27 May 1869 in Rochdale.

What was James Smithies's occupation?

James Smithies was a wool-stapler.

What nationality was James Smithies?

James Smithies was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Smithies

· Wikidata: Q18759301

· DBpedia: James Smithies

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Smithies. https://biography.guide/james-smithies/

MLA: "James Smithies." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-smithies/.

Chicago: "James Smithies." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-smithies/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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