Rev HAROLD A SMITH
Priest-in-Charge 1934-1936

Rev Harold Arthur Smith was appointed as successor to Rev Nosworthy in 1934. Discovering information about Rev Smith's background and life story has been more challenging than with his predecessors; his place of birth and family background have not been ascertained. His entry in the 1932 edition of Crockford's Clerical Directory identifies that he trained for ministry at Kelham Theological College (home of the Society of the Sacred Mission) and then served his first post as Curate in Mkuzi, Zanzibar - first as a Deacon in 1924, then as a Priest from 1925 to 1927. A passenger list for the SS Llandaff Castle records the arrival in England of a 29-year-old "Harold Arthur Smith, priest of the Society of the Sacred Mission" from Africa in February 1928. Rev Harold then took a curate's post at All Soul's, Leeds.

It appears that Rev Smith remained in Leeds from 1928 until his arrival in Basingstoke in mid-1934 to take on the role of Priest-in-Charge for All Saints'. In his research on All Saints' history, John Pearce found the following written by Rev Harold for the July 1934 issue of the Basingstoke Parish Magazine - thoughts which most priests must feel when taking over a new charge:

“I can only view All Saints people at present as a mass of faces of which I can only give names to but a few, but as Priest-in-charge I will not be able to rest until I know you individually as persons, and so I hope that those who worship at All Saints will not be backward in making themselves known to me or fail in patience if I do not always readily recognise them afterwards.”

Rev Harold went on to encourage people to attend Sunday Evensong as attendance fell off in the summer months. In August, he tried to persuade more people to attend Saints Day Masses, and in September wrote about the importance of the Dedication Festival. In essence, he used the magazine to impart encouragement and teaching of the catholic faith.

Christmas 1934 was a big event for All Saints'. For the first time in the parish, a Midnight Mass was celebrated. It seems to have had a low-key introduction as no mention was made in the December Parish Magazine, but the following appeared in the January 1935 issue:

"Christ - Mass at Midnight For the first time at All Saints following an old custom which was once a custom at St. Michael’s, the first celebration of the Holy Sacrament was at Midnight, between Christmas Eve and Day."

The Parish Vicar, Rev Boustead, announced his resignation in early 1936.  Rev Anthony W Chute was instituted as Parish Vicar of that year. The new Vicar dismissed all the curates in the Parish whom his predecessor had appointed. A Farewell and Presentation to Rev Harold Smith took place in the Church Hall on Monday, 9th November 1936. He and Mrs Smith were wished every happiness in their new surroundings in Luton.

As noted earlier, tracing Rev Smith's life has been difficult, but some references to his career post-Basingstoke have been identified. The July 9th, 1937, edition of the Hampshire Telegraph & Post reported on a garden party and sale of work in West Meon organised on behalf of the Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA). The main speaker at the event was "...the Rev. Harold Smith, of the C.M.S., S.S.M., and formerly of Zanzibar, who gave a most interesting account of the work in that part of the world.  The Rev. H. Smith, who was invalided home is now living in Luton."

Like the Rev Harold A Smith, who was a Priest-in-Charge at All Saints', this Rev Smith is also a member of the Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM), was in Zanzibar, and in 1937 was living in Luton.

Rev Harold continued his missionary work later. "Harold A Smith, priest", whose UK address is recorded as "House of the Sacred Mission, Kelham, Notts" appears on a passenger list in May 1945 sailing from Tanganyika via Port Said (Egypt) to Glasgow, and again in June 1949, he is listed as sailing from Tanganyika to London. A further passenger list for February 1954 shows Rev Harold A Smith of the SSM returning from Tanganyika to London. He then returned to Tanganyika in July of that year. He is unaccompanied on these voyages, so it is unclear what happened to the Mrs Smith he left Basingstoke with, as noted in the 1936 Basingstoke Parish Magazine. No further information on Rev Harold Arthur Smith has been discovered. The date and place of Rev Harold's death have not been identified.

Oxford's Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts catalogue has a record for a collection of material relating to Ferdinand Stephen Joelson and his work as editor of the weekly newspaper, East Africa and Rhodesia and other activities. Amongst the papers are over 80 boxes of biographical entries for an unpublished 'East African and Rhodesian Who's Who' compiled by Joelson between 1947 and 1957.  Box 67 of the collection covers the surnames Singh to Smith. One entry in that box is catalogued as:

Name: Smith, Harold A.; 

Occupation: Reverend; 

Date of Birth: 1898; 

Address at time of submitting biographical data: Tanganyika

One wonders if that document might fill in some of the background of Rev Harold A Smith's early life?