Tom Smith (confectioner) facts for kids
Thomas Smith (born October 18, 1823 – died March 13, 1869) was a British baker and candy maker. He is known as the inventor of the Christmas cracker in 1847.
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Early Life and Sweet Beginnings
Thomas Smith was born in Newington, London in 1823. His father was a grocer. At just seven years old, Tom started working in a bakery in London. He learned how to bake and make fancy sweets. Over the years, he became very skilled. He also liked to try out new ideas in his free time.
In the 1840s, Smith opened his first shop. It was in Goswell Road in Clerkenwell, London. He baked wedding cakes and other sweets there. In 1846, Smith visited Paris, France. There, he saw French 'bonbons'. These were sugared almonds wrapped in twisted tissue paper. He brought this idea back to London. His version of the bonbon became very popular. People especially loved them at Christmas.
The Invention of the Christmas Cracker
After a while, people started buying fewer bonbons. So, Smith needed new ideas to keep sales high. First, he put small "love messages" inside the wrappers. This was similar to what you find in fortune cookies. By 1849, Smith replaced the bonbons with small gifts. These gifts included things like fans, jewelry, and little trinkets.
In 1860, Smith added the famous "snap" sound. The story says he got the idea from a crackling log fire. However, "crackers" with a snap had existed for a while. Smith bought the design for the "snap" from a chemist named Tom Brown. Brown had worked for a fireworks company.
The paper wrapper had to be bigger to hold the snap strip. At first, Smith called his invention the Bangs of Expectation. Later, he named it the Cosaque, which means "Cossack" in French. But the sound-like word "cracker" quickly became the most popular name. It also helped his product stand out from others. In 1861, records show Tom Smith was a "manufacturing confectioner." He employed 7 men and 16 women.
Walter Smith was one of Thomas Smith's three sons. He took over the company after his father died. Walter came up with the idea for the cracker we know today. He decided to include the gifts and paper hats. This made Tom Smith crackers unique. Walter traveled to Europe, America, and Japan to find gifts. By the 1890s, crackers were so popular. The company had 2,000 employees, many of them women. They moved to a bigger building in Finsbury Square. In 1953, Tom Smith & Company joined with Caley Crackers.
Family Life
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Thomas Smith married Martha Hunt in 1848. They had seven children together. His three sons, Walter, Henry, and Thomas Jr., continued his business.
Thomas Smith passed away in 1869 at age 46. He died from stomach cancer. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.
Lasting Legacy
A special water fountain stands in Finsbury Square, London. It is a memorial to Thomas Smith and his family.
