Steam engine maker Smith, Witty & Company was established about 1812 in Kingston-upon-Hull (commonly called just "Hull") in Yorkshire. The identity of Smith is uncertain, but "Witty" was Richard Witty, an engineer and inventor who had, around 1799, had an earlier business making steam engines in partnership with John Todd. This "Smith, Witty" incarnation seems to have lasted until at least 1818 but data is exceedingly sparse.

Information Sources

• 1813-09-06 Leeds Intelligencer (via Grace's Guide; see the link below).

  Patent Rotary Steam Engines. THESE Engines are now brought to a State of Perfection, and are submitted to the Notice of the Public. They will be found to possess peculiar Advantages.— In SIMPLICITY of CONSTRUCTION,— Comparative INCREASE of POWER— ECONOMY in ERECTION, and in OCCUPYING but LITTLE SPACE. The chief Obstacles to the more general Application of Steam as an Agent of Power, have been the Expence of Erection, and the Wear and Tear arising from a Complexity of Apparatus. These Objections are by this Invention in a great Measure obviated. Engines upon this Construction may be extended to any required Power. The Patentees propose to make Engines themselves, and to treat upon liberal Terms with Engineers and Iron Founders, whose particular Attention they wish to draw to the Consideration of the Improved Principle of this Engine, and to whom they will give every requisite Information. An Engine of Thirteen Inches Cylinder, is now erected, and may be seen at Work, at Mr. Henry Blundell's, Colour Manufactory, Hodgson-Street, Groves, Hull, where Reference is made to prove the Superior Power and other Advantage, above stated. Application addressed to Smith, Witty and Co. or Personally, to Richard Witty, Exchange Alley, Hull. Hull, 12th. August, 1813.

• J. Pigot & Co.'s The Commercial Directory for 1818-19-20 lists "Smith Witty & Co., Exchange-alley" as an engine maker in Hull.
• Elijah Gallowy's 1832 book, History and Progress of the Steam Engine.

  Mr. Richard Witty, of Hull, procured a patent, in 1810, for an engine, the revolution of which was effected by weights being alternately drawn to and driven from a centre, round which a working cylinder or cylinders revolved, there being attached to the piston rod or rods a number of weights. These weights were drawn as near as possible to the centre on the ascending side, and are projected outwards on the descending side, as far as possible from the axis.

  In the following year, Mr. Witty took out a second patent for improvements on the former plan, which improvements consisted in making the piston draw or force round the machinery, whilst itself moved both in a rectilinear and rotary motion in a cylinder; which revolved upon an axis. The mechanical contrivances by which this was effected were of various kinds, which caused the gower of the piston to draw or force the cylinder round. We here give those which we conceive to be most deserving of notice.

  See the book for the detailed description.
• The 1972 book Hull in the Eighteenth Century: a study in economic and social history, by Gordon Jackson.

  [John] Todd and his fellow citizens must have been aware of the town's dependence on the steam engine as one after another trundled through the gates in bits and pieces and blackened the sky with the smoke of a chalder of coals a day. ... Already before the end of the century Hull men had began to experiment with steam. Todd joined in 1799 with a local inventor, Richard Witty, to make steam engines, and although the firm does not appear to have lasted for long Witty continued to experiment and take out patents. In 1912 or 1813 he was again in business—Smith, Witty & Company—and one of his engines was installed in the Blundell paint works...

• Grace's Guide page on Richard Witty.