Arthur was born in 1889, the son of George Smith.
Arthur was 21 years old and working as a fettler (iron foundry) when he married Gertrude Annie Wright, a lace worker, at Sneinton St Alban on 1 August 1910. Both were living at 5 North Street, Gertrude's family home. Arthur's father George, a carter, had died by the time of Arthur's marriage.
Gertrude Annie was born in 1892, the daughter of James Wright (d. 1913) and Miriam Wright, and baptised at Nottingham St Ann in 1900. In 1901 James, a lace maker, his wife and their four children, James, Lilian, Gertrude and Albert, were living at 3 Norland Street, Nottingham. At the time of the 1911 Census, James and Miriam were living at 5 North Street, Sneinton. Also in the home were their son Albert and daughter Eva, who was born after 1901, and their married daughter Lilian Lees, her husband Frederick and their young son.
The year after their marriage in 1910, Arthur, an iron dresser (iron foundry) and Gertrude were living at 73 Henry Street, Nottingham.
The later CWGC record gave Gertrude's address as 36 Lower Eldon Street, Sneinton, Nottingham.
The family notices placed in the local newspaper by Gertrude include 'children.' However, the WW1 Pension Ledger record only names his widow. There are two children whose registrations of birth in Nottingham, surname Smith mother's maiden name Wright, were in the right period and who might have been Arthur and Gertrude's children: Arthur birth registered 1913 (J/F/M) and Lilian birth registered 1916 (J/F/M).