The partners were William Hemsworth Smith (1825-1916), who had been born in West Stockwith, near Gainsborough; and William Greaves Hall (c.1836-1904), who was the son of Edward Hall, a cooper.  Established in the mid-1860s, the enterprise was an American merchant and table knife manufacturer, with an office in Carver Street and a New York agency in Beekman Street.  By 1871, the address was Eagle Place, Carver Street (the former haunt of William Parker of Parker Bros).  Smith & Hall marketed table and pocket cutlery, besides saws, files, and edge tools.  According to The Sheffield Independent, 8 November 1876, the firm was ‘vigorously pushing off their stock’ in New York:  ‘it looks as though some new blood has got into the concern, so bright and fresh appears the stock, store, and everyone in it’.  However, the partnership ended in 1877.  William Greaves Hall, who had been the resident New York agent and senior partner, retired.  He lived at Holme Lea, Taptonville Crescent, and died there on 8 November 1904, aged 68.  He left £13,764.  Hall was a prominent Congregationalist and treasurer at Queen Street Congregational Church.  He was also a Liberal, a JP, and temperance worker (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 9 November 1904).  He was buried in the General Cemetery.  Smith soon retired, too, to his home in Plumpton Street.  He died on 21 February 1916, aged 90, leaving £5,370.  The trade mark was ‘FAME’ (see Kitchin).