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Dutch family of organbuilders. Born to a well-to-do Roman Catholic family, Nicolaas Klaas Smits (b. Reek, North Brabant, 1 April 1791; d. 19 Oct 1831) carried out maintenance work on organs in Maasland, South Holland, from around 1810 on. His brother (Franciscus) Frans Cornelius Smits I (b. 20 Aug 1802; d. 28 March 1876) was appointed organist at Reek, where his brother subsequently built a new organ (1829). In that year, Frans I joined the workshop, continuing it after his brother's death. The brothers were self-taught, having gleaned their knowledge from examining organs in the area and from François BEDOS DE CÉLLES'S 'L'art du facteur d'orgues' (1766-78) and Jan van Heurn's 'De orgelmaaker' (1804-5). Frans I brought the business to prosperity, building a few dozen organs between 1831 and 1865. |
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