Charles James Smith Jnr
Born 1873 (Circa)
Died 31 August 1951 (Presumed)
Active: 1891 - 1951
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor's moulder
Born in St. Pancras, London. He was the son of Charles James Smith Senior (1848-1918), who established a successful firm of plaster figure makers and sculptor's moulders. The business operated from Kentish Town and Tufnell Park from about 1900-51. Between c.1900-12 the firm expanded into the sale of scholastic casts. Their stock was predominantly casts of architectural sculpture but also included some statues and statuettes. This side of the business lasted until the mid-1920s after which Charles James Junior and his brother, George Henry, worked for sculptors as plaster moulders until their deaths. Charles' clients included the sculptor, Charles Wheeler and he cast the death mask of George Bernard Shaw, 1950 (in the collection of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London). The details of his death and the information from the probate calendar given here are presumed to be correct.
There is a detailed account of the Smith family business by Peter Malone entitled 'How the Smiths made a living' in Rune Frederiksen and Eckart Marchand, 'Plaster Casts: Making, Collecting and Displaying from Classical Antiquity to the Present', De Gruyter, Berlin and New York, 2010, pp. 163-77.
Wealth at death: £5,295 4s. 5d.
Probate date: 18 February 1952
Locations
Address 24 Williams' Mews Stanhope Street London England | View on map
1890 (Circa)
Address 72 Little Albany Street St Pancras London England | View on map
1891 (Circa)
Address 15 Kentish Town London England | View on map
1900 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Address 47 Friern Barnet Lane Friern Barnet London England | View on map
1951
This is presumed to be his address at the time of his death.
Conducted a business at 1 Southcote Road Tufnell Park London England | View on map
1913 (Circa) - 1951
For the dates the Smiths were associated with this address, see Peter Malone (2010), p. 175.
Personal and Professional Connections
Daughter/son/child of Charles James Smith Snr
Sister/sibling of George Henry Smith
Descriptions of Practice
Listed in Post Office London Directory, 1890 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1890
p.1924
Listed as 'Plaster Cast Figure Maker'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Sculptor's moulder' and a worker
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Learner'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Sculptor's moulder' working at home
Occupation given in England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Granted probate on his father's estate jointly with his brother, both sons described as 'sculptors' moulders'
Sources
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 117 folio 67 page 40
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
RG13 piece 147 folio 11 page 13
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
RG14PN672 RD9 SD1 ED21 SN68
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Charles James Smith
Probate Date: 23 Oct 1918
Death Date: 13 Sep 1918
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: London
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Charles James Smith
Probate Date: 18 Feb 1952
Death Date: 31 Aug 1951
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: London, England
Eric Gill
1998
pp. 14, 65, 79-80, 88, 105, 128
Post Office London Directory, 1890 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1890
p.1924
Citing this record
'Charles James Smith Jnr', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib1_1271968537, accessed 21 Sep 2023]
