Jack Smith has lived in Lancashire most of his life, his family roots being in the railway town of Horwich near Bolton, where he served an engineering apprenticeship at the famous Horwich Locomotive Works. His interest in archaeology and history saw him as one of three founders of the Chorley and District Historical and Archaeological Society in 1953. He is also a U3A committee member, and programme organiser for the BAE Warton, 'Industrial Archaeology and Railway Society'. He is an established author who has written a number of local history titles for Amberley.