1894-1940 W and H Smith Almanack

W and H Smith’s Household Almanack was a local publication published by brothers, William and Henry Smith of Evesham (no relation to the famous newsagents, W H Smith), who had begun publishing The Evesham Journal in 1860. The Almanack relates to Evesham and the various villages in the neighbourhood. It gives a brief description of the town or village, together with a list of the principal residents. Copies of Smith’s Almanack may be viewed at Evesham Library.

Smith’s Almanack tended to have a better coverage of people living in the village than Kelly’s Directory. For example, Smith’s for 1912 for Badsey and Aldington gives 239 people, whereas only 169 are listed in Kelly’s. Even though there was better coverage in Smith’s, there were still many people who had always lived in the village who did not necessarily appear in the early years.

Names appearing in Smith’s Almanack for the years 1894-1940 are given below. The Almanack was published annually, but a few years are missing. For the period 1894-1940, the following years are not available: 1895, 1896, 1908, 1917, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1932, 1935.