Leitch and Smith (later J & A Smith)

An account of the firm's activities in the slave-economy is given by Stephen Mullen, 'The Glasgow West India interest: integration, collaboration and exploitation in the British Atlantic World, 1776-1846. (University of Glasgow, PhD thesis 2015) Chapter 6 'The Glasgow West India Merchant house of Archibald Smith of Jordanhill' pp. 147-170.

1. James Stewart of Williamwood near Glasgow ceased to be a partner in James Finlay & Company of Glasgow and Finlay Hodgson of St Helens Place London 31/12/1816 and the Company or firm of Leitch and Smith (John Guthrie, John Ryburn, James Smith, James Smith jun., Andrew Rankin [sic] and Archibald Smith) ceased to be partners in James Finlay & Company and Finlay Hodgson 31/12/1823.  Signatories = K. Hodgson, John Gordon, Archibald Buchanan, Wm Finlay, Jno Hodgson, James Finlay, W.W. Finlay, James Stewart, John Finlay and the Leitch and Smith partners ('Rankin' as Ranken)

1. Grenada June 30 1818 - The co-partnership hitherto carried on in this island by the subscribers under the firm Guthrie and Ryburn dissolved by mutual consent. Archd. Smith; Adam Crooks; John Guthrie; John Ryburn; James Smith; Andrew Ranken; James Smith jun.; Archd. Smith jun.; Archd Smith y[ounge]st; John Lindsay.  By their attorney William Kirkland.

1. Glasgow 31/3/1824 The business carried on in this City, in Kingston Jamaica and in the town of St George Grenada [by the subscribers John Guthrie, John Ryburn, Jas. Smith, Andrew Ranken, Jas. Smith jun., Arch. Smith] under the firm of Leitch and Smith is terminated by expiration of the contract: John Ryburn, Andrew Ranken and Archibald Smith to administer the settlement of debts etc.

1. Glasgow 31/3/1837 The business carried on in City of Glasgow by James Smith, Archibald Smith and Robert M'Cunn under firm of James and Archibald Smith and Company is dissolved by as far as concerns Robert M'Cunn who retires, the business continued by James and Archibald Smith

1. Archibald Smith, James Smith (of Jordanhill) and William Smith, all of George Street, together with John Guthrie and John Ryburn, head the list of subscribers in the Glasgow Provident Bank on its winding-up in 1851

  NB it has not yet been fully resolved which were the 'James Smith' and 'James Smith junior' shown among the partners in Leitch & Smith in 1807 and again in 1818 and 1823. James Smith of Craighead had died in 1815: the likely candidates for the later references thus appear to be James Smith (d. c. 1836), son of John Smith of Craigend, although nothing else to date has suggested he was a partner, and James Smith of Jordanhill, son of Archibald Smith of Jordanhll, and known to have been partner in the firm.

1. London Gazette 17999 7/12/1824 p. 217

1. London Gazette 17398 15/9/1818 p. 1648

1. London Gazette 18017 10/4/1824 p. 588

1. London Gazette 19484 14/4/1837 p. 986 (reprinted from Edinburgh Gazette 4/4/1837)

1. Edinburgh Gazette 6104 2/9/1851 p. 690