William Auger Smith was born in Chelsea, London, England on 22 June 1872 and was articled to John Russell Smith in 1888-89. He then worked as an assistant to Herbert Duncan Searles-Wood (1853-1936) from 1889 to 1891; to Sidney Robert James Smith (1858-1913) from 1891 to 1896; and to Arthur Marshall (1858-1915) from 1896 to 1907. He commenced practice as an architect in Nottingham in 1908 and from 1911 was architect in City Engineer's Department in Coventry; and later Housing Architect for the Corporation of Stockton-on-Tees for whom he designed over 300 houses.
He was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA) in 1910. His address was given as 2 Belvoir Road, Nottingham in 1901; Russell Chambers, 2 King Street, Nottingham and 21 Colwick Road, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire in 1910; The Cottage, Tile Lane, Coventry, Warwickshire in 1914; 69, Station Road, Norton-on- Tees in 1923 and 1926; 13 Greek Street, Stockport, Cheshire in 1930; and 24 Mayfield Road, Derby in 1939. He died in Darlington, Durham on 15 May 1963.
The Tate Gallery, London whilst with (late) Sidney R J. Smith, F.R.I.B.A.; workhouses at Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, Newark, and Dudley, whilst with Arthur Marshall, A.R.I.B.A., at Nottingham ; three branch public libraries at Coventry. [Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001