A family from Utah has travelled more than 5,000 miles to Farnham to learn more about their connection to one of the town’s most famous sons, William Cobbett.

Hobie Smith, from St George in southern Utah, brought his two sons to Surrey as part of a European tour designed to help them understand their family history.

The family’s first stop after arriving at Heathrow Airport was Farnham, where their famous ancestor William Cobbett was born in 1763.

Cobbett's ancestors take a sip at the William Cobbett pub
William Cobbett’s descendants enjoy a drink at the Farnham pub bearing his name. (Hobie Smith)

Mr Smith is married to Meghan Brennan, a sixth-generation descendant of the celebrated journalist, farmer and political reformer. Although Ms Brennan was unable to join the trip, she has previously visited Farnham with a great-aunt.

The visit held particular significance for the couple’s eldest son, 15-year-old Hobie Smith Jr, who won an award from St George City Council while in fourth grade for a school project about William Cobbett.

While many pupils in Farnham learn about Cobbett’s life and legacy, Hobie Jr’s classmates in Utah had never heard of him before his presentation.

The brothers, both keen historians, said they were amazed by the age of buildings in Britain.

“Everything looks so old and we just have nothing anywhere near that old,” they said. “The oldest building in our town dates from 1862.”

One of the family’s biggest takeaways from learning more about their ancestor was the importance Cobbett placed on protecting rural life — something Mr Smith believes remains relevant today.

“Cobbett was fighting to protect rural life in the 1800s and that same way of life is under threat today,” he said.

“My family comes from eastern Texas, where local businesses, farms and ranches once thrived. Many are now under pressure from large corporations.

“In Utah, we are facing the prospect of a major AI data centre being built, which will require large amounts of water and could impact local agriculture.”

After Farnham, the family planned visits to Stonehenge, the Tank Museum at Bovington and Poole, where they will research Mr Smith’s own family history from the Second World War before travelling on to Berlin and returning to the United States.