Download or read book From Ship's Cook to Baronet written by David Jenkins and published by University of Wales Press. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sir William Reardon Smith (1856-1935) was one of the foremost figures in south Wales in the early twentieth century. His was a classic story of 'rags to riches' - starting life as a deck-hand and ship's cook, he made a fortune in the shipping industry at the zenith of the Welsh coal trade.