Samuel was the son of Samuel Smith and his wife Ann (née Burditt or Burdett).
Samuel snr. was born in Kettlebrook, Warwickshire, in about 1850 and Ann in Warwickshire also in about 1850. They were married at Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staffordshire in 1868 and had at least ten children; the eldest of whom, James, died in infancy: James b. 1869 d. 1869, Joseph b. 1870, Catherine b. 1872, Sarah Jane b. 1875 and Mary birth registered 1877 (J/F/M) who were born in Kettlebrook, and Ada birth registered 1882 (J/F/M), Janet b. 1883 and Esther b. abt 1886 (d. 1905) who were born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, and Samuel birth registered 1887 (J/F/M) and Charles b. 1889 who were born in Bulwell.
Samuel and Ann were living in Kettlebrook with their son Joseph (under 1 year) in 1871 but had moved to Orchard Street, Hucknall, by 1881; Samuel was working as a coal miner. Their two youngest sons, Samuel and Charles, were born in Bulwell in 1887 and 1889 respectively, but by 1891 the family was living on Sydenham Street, Radford. Only the eldest son Joseph was not in the home on the night of the census.
In 1901 Ann was living at 7 Redoubt Street, Radford, and described as head of household. Also in the home on the night of the census were six of her children, Sarah, Ada, Janet, Esther, Samuel, a general labourer, and Charles, together with her granddaughter Mary Bicknell (3), the daughter of Catherine (Smith) and her husband John Thomas Bicknell (m. 1891).
Ann probably died in 1904 (reg. Atherstone Warwickshire buried Polesworth December).
Samuel snr., a coal miner hewer, was living at 20 Redoubt Street, Radford, in 1907 when his youngest son Charles enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters (see below). He was still at the same address in 1911 but described on the census as a boarder in the household of his married daughter Catherine Bicknell, her husband and their six children.
Samuel snr. probably died in March 1916 (reg. Mansfield).
Samuel jnr. enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters in 1905 and in 1911 was serving with the 1st Bn. in India. (See 'Military History')
His younger brother Charles attested in the Sherwood Foresters on 29 August 1907; he was then serving in the 1st Bn Notts Rifles Volunteers. Charles served at home until 6 October 1909 (2y 39d) then in India from 7 October to 11 November 1913 (4y 26d) but was invalided home (Netley) and discharged medically unfit for further service on 26 December 1913 having served for 6 years 120 days. The period from 12 November to 26 December was allowed to count as service in India.
Samuel jnr. married Ada Miller (b. 1888) in 1913 (reg. A/M/J Nottingham) and they had one child, Samuel William, who was born on 5 September 1914, just days before his father landed in France.
Ada was living on Denman Street, Radford, in 1914 when her husband died, but the later CWGC record gave her address as 5 Forsters Grove, Old Basford.