Smith family papers


Collection LCP.in.HSP33

( Bulk, 1680-1880 ) 1660-1941
(19.0 Linear feet , 14 boxes, 82 volumes)
© The Historical Society of Pennsylvania1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Summary Information

Repository
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Creator
Smith Family.
Title
Smith family papers
ID
LCP.in.HSP33
Date [bulk]
Bulk, 1680-1880
Date [inclusive]
1660-1941
Extent
19.0 Linear feet , 14 boxes, 82 volumes
Author
Finding aid prepared by Megan Evans.
Sponsor
Processing made possible by a generous donation from Maxine and Howard Lewis.
Language
English
Abstract
The Smith family papers contain materials compiled and authored by John Jay Smith as well as several of his descendants. John Jay Smith (1798-1881) was librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia from 1829 to 1851 and founder of Laurel Hill Cemetery. As a member of an influential Quaker family, Smith was the descendant of several prominent early Philadelphians including James Logan and Richard Hill. Much of the collection consists of deeds and other land transactions as well as correspondence and diaries originating with these ancestors. Smith’s own papers document his wide range of interests as well as his personal and professional relationships through correspondence, financial records, and memorabilia. The collection also contains materials originating from the families of two of Smith’s sons: Lloyd Pearsall Smith (1822-1886) and Horace John Smith (1832-1906). This collection is particularly rich in documenting the history of two prominent Philadelphia institutions, the Library Company and Laurel Hill Cemetery. Additionally, materials from early Smith family ancestors which document early Philadelphia landownership and the Quaker community may be of particular interest to researchers. This collection may also be of interest for its numerous diaries and albums containing original illustrations, botanical specimens, and other ephemera.

Preferred Citation note

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number] or [volume number], Rush family papers, 1748-1876, Library Company of Philadelphia.

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Biographical/Historical note

John Jay Smith (1798-1881) was librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia from 1829 to 1851 and a member of a prominent Philadelphia Quaker family. Smith is also noted as the founder and promoter of Laurel Hill Cemetery as well as one of the original organizers of the Athenian Institute. Among his many scholarly pursuits, Smith was also a keen genealogist, collecting family materials going back several generations to the founding of the colony.

John Jay’s paternal grandmother was Hannah Logan, daughter of James Logan who served as William Penn’s colonial secretary and later as mayor of Philadelphia, chief justice of the colony, and acting governor in Penn’s absence. Logan was also an influential member of Benjamin Franklin’s “junto” and was chosen to select the first 43 books for the Library Company of Philadelphia. Logan’s own extensive personal library, at one time one of the three largest private libraries in colonial America, was later absorbed into the Library Company. John Jay saw himself as the hereditary steward of this collection, caring for and building upon his great-grandfather’s legacy.

John Jay’s maternal grandmother was born Margaret Hill and it was through her that he inherited and collected materials pertaining to her father, Richard Hill, brother, Henry Hill, and brother-in-law, physician Samuel Preston Moore (who was married to Margaret’s sister, Hannah). Richard Hill owned extensive lands in the colony and operated a wine and commission business in Madeira, Portugal. Henry Hill and his other brothers-in law, Robert Bisset and Thomas Lamar, took over the business upon his father’s death.

John Jay’s grandfather was John Smith (1722-1771), a member of a Quaker family of Burlington, New Jersey. He came to Philadelphia in 1743 where he soon became a successful merchant in trade with the West Indies and London. During his residence in the city, he was active in civic affairs and served in the Pennsylvania Assembly, 1750-1752. In 1756 he retired to the family residence in Burlington. John Jay’s father, who was also named John Smith (1761-1803), was orphaned at a fairly young age and raised by family friend Grace Buchanan. As an adult, he managed the family trade business as well as administering various properties in the Philadelphia region. John Jr. married Gulielma Maria Morris in 1784 and together they had seven children, five of whom lived to adulthood. He died of consumption when his son John Jay was only five.

John Jay Smith first entered into business in 1818 with Solomon Temple as a wholesale drug merchant. The partnership ended in 1821, and after some further small efforts in commercial ventures, Smith focused on the scholarly and literary fields. He married Rachel C. Pearsall from Flushing, New York in 1821. Together they had seven children, only four of whom lived to adulthood. He published the Pennsylvania Gazette from 1827 to 1829, edited  Waldie's Circulating Library from 1832 to 1845 as well as  Horticulturist from 1855 to 1860, in addition to a variety of other literary, historical, and horticultural periodicals and books. Smith was elected librarian of the Library Company in 1829. His administration saw the number of volumes at that institution more than double but also witnessed the only fire in the Library Company’s history. The few books that were totally lost were covered by insurance while 1,403 volumes had to be rebound. Smith retired after nearly two decades in 1851 and was succeeded by his son Lloyd.

Smith was also an organizer and treasurer of the Athenian Institute, a local group that arranged a series of public lectures. In 1850, Smith led an unsuccessful effort to bring portions of the London Exposition of Art and Industry to the United States. After the death of his young daughter in 1835, he became horrified by the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions of Philadelphia’s burial grounds and subsequently founded and promoted Laurel Hill Cemetery. Through this project, Smith developed an avid interest in landscape gardening. He died aged eighty-three at his home Ivy Lodge in Germantown, Philadelphia.

John Jay’s daughter, Elizabeth Pearsall Smith (1825-1914), never married but led an active life as a prominent member of the Quaker community in Philadelphia and Germantown, in addition to preserving and editing many of her father’s works and papers.

Lloyd Pearsall Smith (1822-1886), John Jay’s eldest son, succeeded him as librarian of the Library Company in 1852. During the Civil War he joined the Germantown Volunteers when General Robert E. Lee invaded Pennsylvania, leaving his retired father in charge of the library for a time. Lloyd’s tenure as librarian saw the expansion of the organization with two additional facilities (mostly funded by the estate of Dr. James Rush, son of Benjamin Rush) as well as the first female librarian hired by the company. Lloyd was one of the founding members of the American Library Association and an early proponent of librarianship as a career. He maintained friendships and correspondence with several notable Philadelphians of his day, especially the author Anne Hampton Brewster. Lloyd was also responsible for the Library Company’s extensive pamphlet holdings, donating 400 volumes in 1885. Nearly the same amount were sold to the company for 300 dollars by his widow after his death in 1886.

Horace John Smith (1832-1906), John Jay's youngest son, was a man with irregular careers. During the Civil War, he was a member of the U.S. Christian Commission. He was a partner in a China business through the 1860's and in the following decade he was a general manager and treasurer of West Laurel Hill Cemetery. Much of his time was spent traveling in the American West and Europe. In 1857, he married Margaret Longstreth and together they had four children. In later years, Horace and his wife settled in England. He died in 1906.

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Scope and Contents note

The Smith family papers contain materials compiled and authored by John Jay Smith as well as several of his descendants. John Jay Smith (1798-1881) was Librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia from 1829-1851 and a member of a prominent Quaker family, originally from Burlington, New Jersey. Smith is also noted as the founder and promoter of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Among his many scholarly pursuits, Smith was also a keen genealogist, collecting family materials going back several generations to the founding of the colony. Smith was the descendant of several prominent early Philadelphians including James Logan and Richard Hill. Much of the collection consists of deeds and other land transactions as well as correspondence and diaries originating with these ancestors. Smith’s own papers document his wide range of interests, including landscape gardening, printing, publishing, and history as well as his personal and professional relationships through correspondence, financial records, and memorabilia. The collection also contains materials originating from the families of two of Smith’s sons: Lloyd Pearsall Smith (1822-1886), who followed his father as Librarian of the Library Company, and Horace John Smith (1832-1906), who held numerous careers throughout his life.

This collection is particularly rich in documenting the history of two prominent Philadelphia institutions, the Library Company and Laurel Hill Cemetery. Additionally, materials from early Smith family ancestors documenting early Philadelphia landownership and the Quaker community may be of particular interest to researchers. This collection may also be of interest for its graphic materials, including numerous diaries and albums containing original illustrations, botanical specimens, and other ephemera.

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Arrangement note

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 The Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2015.

1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
215-732-6200

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

This collection was gifted to the Library Company of Philadelphia in three separate acquisitions: First by Elizabeth Pearsall Smith, Robert Pearsall Smith, Horace John Smith, and Lloyd Pearsall Smith in 1882, secondly by Elizabeth Pearsall Smith at an unknown date and thirdly by Arnold C. Satterthwait in 1945.

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Related Materials

Related Archival Materials note

James Logan papers 1670-1749, collection 2011 Samuel Preston Moore account books 1745-1787, collection LCP.in.HSP 235

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Controlled Access Headings

Occupation(s)

  • Merchants--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Finance, Personal.

Subject(s)

  • Great Exhibition (1851: London, England)
  • Hill, Richard, 1673-1729
  • Laurel Hill Cemetary (Philadelphia, Pa.)
  • Library Company of Philadelphia--History.
  • Logan, James 1674-1751
  • Moore, Samuel Preston, 1710-1785
  • Quakers--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Genealogy.
  • Quakers--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--Social life and customs.
  • Real property--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--History--18th century.
  • Smith, J. Jay (John Jay), 1798-1881
  • Smith, Lloyd Pearsall, 1822-1886
  • Women's History--Social Life and Customs--18th century

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Collection Inventory

Box Folder

Photocopies of printed material removed from collection undated 

 1 1

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 Series I. Early Smith family 1660-circa 1935; bulk 1678-1790 
Volume

Logan, Pemberton, and Read family materials Yi2.7301 1660-1810s 

 13

Manuscripts (Yi2.7287.5) 1678-1743 

 1

Manuscripts (Yi2.7288) 1743-1747 

 2

Manuscripts (Yi2.7289) 1747-1751 

 3

Manuscripts (Yi2.7290) 1751-1756 

 4

Manuscripts (Yi2.7291) 1756-1762 

 5

Manuscripts (Yi2.7292) 1762-1765 

 6

Manuscripts (Yi2.7293) 1765-1770 

 7

Manuscripts (Yi2.7294) 1770-1783 

 8

Manuscripts (Yi2.7295) 1783-1787 

 9

Manuscripts (Yi2.7296) 1787-1792, 1800 

 10

Manuscripts (Yi2.7297) 1792-1797 

 11

Manuscripts (Yi2.7298) 1797-1808 

 12
Box Folder

Manuscripts volume I index (Yi2.7287.5F) circa 1935 

 1 2

Manuscripts volume 2 index (Yi2.7288F) circa 1935 

 1 3

Manuscripts volume 3 index (Yi2.7289F) circa 1935 

 1 4

Manuscripts volume 4 index (Yi2.7290F) circa 1935 

 1 5

Manuscripts volume 5 index (Yi2.7291F) circa 1935 

 1 6

Manuscripts volume 6 index (Yi2.7292F) circa 1935 

 1 7

Manuscripts volume 7 index (Yi2.7293F) circa 1935 

 1 8

Manuscripts volume 8 index (Yi2.7294F) circa 1935 

 1 9

Manuscripts volume 9 index (Yi2.7295F) circa 1935 

 2 1

Manuscripts volume 10 index (Yi2.7296F) circa 1935 

 2 2

Manuscripts volume 11 index (Yi2.7297F) circa 1935 

 2 3

Manuscripts volume 12 index (Yi2.7298F) circa 1935 

 2 4

 Subseries a. Correspondence 1681-1822 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries consists of letters to and from John Jay Smith’s ancestors, including his father, John Smith, and grandparents, John Smith and Hannah Logan Smith, as well as great-grandfather, James Logan. Also of note are letters from influential Quaker Robert Barclay and Deputy Governor William Markham. Most of the letters in this subseries concern either religion or business, but there is also some personal family correspondence. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
Box Folder

Letters from Robert Barclay and William Markham 1681, 1697 

 2 5

Assorted correspondence, prayers, and sermons, copied letter, mostly James Logan 1703, 1748, undated 

 2 6
Volume

Assorted letters A-E (Yi2.7287) 1733, 1740-1770, 1780s-1790s, 1800-1801, 1807, 1817 

 14
Box Folder

Letters to John Smith, Sr. and Hannah Logan Smith, mostly from William Logan, with note by Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1750s, 1760s, 1911 

 2 7

Assorted letters from John Smith, Jr. and others, mostly family 1794, 1796, 1808, 1810s, 1821, undated 

 2 8

Copy of letter to Maj. Garden from Deborah Logan 1822 

 2 9

 I b. Legal and financial materials 1681-1805 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries largely consists of indentures, deeds, leases, quitclaims, and other land transactions involving several generations of Smith family members and relations. A smaller but still significant portion of this subseries consists of the business and financial records kept by John Jay Smith’s grandfather, John Smith. The materials found here illustrate how the Smith family and their relations were prominent land owners, going back to the very beginnings of the colony. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
Box Folder

Joane Dixon lease indenture from William Penn for 500 acres in Pennsylvania (Yi2.7414.F2) 1681 September 26-27 

 2 10

Thomas Pagitt indenture for lease of 500 acres in Pennsylvania from William Penn (Yi2.7414.F3) 1681 October 11 

 2 11

Samuel Barker lease indenture for 1000 acres in Pennsylvania from William Penn (Yi2.7414.F4) 1682 November 21-22 

 2 12

Samuel Barker quitclaim indenture for 1000 acres in Pennsylvania from William Penn (Yi2.7414.F5) 1682 November 24 

 2 13

George Randal lease indenture from William Penn (Yi2.7414.F6) 1684 May 22 

 2 14

Patent issued to William Harmer (Yi2.7414.F7) 1686 February 26 

 2 15

Thomas Harris lease from Markham and Goodson (Yi2.7414.F8) 1687 March 25 

 2 16

Daniel and Margaret Mcarharty deed to Richard Halliwell (Yi2.7414.F9) 1689 November 11 

 2 17

Thomas Wollaston and Thomas Jenner sale of land to William Bolding (Yi2.7414.F10) 1698 October 20 

 2 18

Jeremiah Powell and Thomas Jenner sale to William Bolding (Yi2.7414.F11) 1698 October 20 

 2 19

Richard Rhodes deed to John Vachan [?] for 60 acres (Yi2.7414.F13) 1703 September 22 

 2 20

John Streiper deed (Yi2.7414.F14) 1705 June 24 

 2 21

Thomas Paschall deed to James Poulter (Yi2.7414.F15) 1705 June 26 

 2 22

Richard Halliwell deed to James Poulter (Yi2.7414.F16) 1707 June 12 

 2 23

Charles Mutell and others deed to Solomon Gandonett and others, and copy (Yi2.7414.F17) 1707 November 4 

 2 24

Edward Bolton deed to Henry Ward (Yi2.7414.F20) 1708 October 11 

 2 25

Andrew and John Haney deed to Thomas Eldridge (Yi2.7414.F21) 1709 February 10 

 3 1

Andrew Sandel and wife deed to Moses Cocks (Yi2.7414.F22) 1709 March 9 

 3 2

Ellin Roberts deed to Thomas Miller (Yi2.7414.F23) 1710 December 20 

 3 3

Nicholas Moore deed to William Trent (Yi2.7414.F24) 1711 May 2 

 3 4

Moses Cocks deed to Hugh Lowdon (Yi2.7414.F4) 1714 May 31 

 3 5

Benjamin Shurmer patent (Yi2.7415.F5) 1714 October 15 

 3 6

Hugh Lowdon lease and deed to John Bird (Yi2.7415.F9) 1716 March 20-21 

 3 7

Dying words of William Haig, Mary Haig, and Joseph Glaister (Yi2.7415.F15) 1718 November 6, 13, 31 

 3 8

Bridget Boulding re-lease to William Boulding and Joseph Elgar (Yi2.7415.F20) 1726 September 4 

 3 9

William Boulding deed to Joseph and Mary Elgar (Yi2.7415.F21) 1726 November 30 

 3 10

Thomas and William Palmer lease and re-lease to Lloyd Zachary (Yi2.7415.F22) 1726 June 16-17 

 3 11

James Lewis lease and re-lease to Samuel Preston (Yi2.7415.F23) 1727 April 30 and Mar 1 

 3 12

Alexander Gandonett et al quitclaim indenture to Francis Gandonett and sons (Yi2.7416.F3) 1730 March 28 

 3 13

Samuel and Mary Johnson deed to John Shippard (Yi2.7416.F5) 1731 February 18 

 3 14

Francis Gandonett deed to Mary Gandonett (Yi2.7416.F6) 1732 January 15 

 3 15

Samuel and Margaret Preston deed to Alexander Woodrop (Yi2.7416.F7) 1739 June 27 

 3 16
Volume

John Smith book of land transactions 1743-1744 

 15

John Smith ledger 1743-1744 

 16

John Smith wastebook 1743-1744 

 17

John Smith invoice book 1743-1746 

 18
Box Folder

Joseph and Hannah Whaerton re-lease to Alexander Parker (Yi2.7417.F4) 1748 November 15 

 3 17
Volume

John Smith wastebook 1748-1752 

 19
Box Folder

The heirs of Samuel Spencer, son of James Spencer deed to Joseph Fox (Yi2.7417.F7) 1750 July 9 

 3 18
Volume

John Smith invoice book 1751-1753 

 20

John Smith wastebook 1752-1754 

 21

John Smith journal 1753-1756 

 22

John Smith ledger 1753-1756 

 23

John Smith wastebook 1754-1777 

 24
Box Folder

John Smith expence book (Yi2.7418.F3) 1755-1760 

 3 19

Provincial accounts of Pennsylvania (Yi2.7418.F10) 1758-1764 

 3 20
Volume

Account book April-June circa 1760 

 25

John Smith account with John Pole (1 of 2) 1763-1777 

 26

John Smith account with John Pole (2 of 2) 1763-1777 

 27
Box Folder

John Smith and Abel James accounts and settlements (Yi2.7418.F11) 1764 May 11 

 3 21

John Heathcoat and Ann Bullas marriage certificate 1758 November 28 (Yi2.7418.F13) 1765 April 30 

 3 22

Strawberry Hill Plantation account of sales (Yi2.7418.F14) 1769 March 20 

 3 23

Samuel Bullas, John and Ann Heathcoat deed to Peter Vickers, Joseph Thomas, Thomas Dyer, and Peter and Ann Vickers deed to Richard Wells (Yi2.7418.F15) 1765 September 28, 1769 August 25 

 3 24

Copy of James Logan's will and William Logan "Catalogue of my books" (Yi2.7417.F5) 1768 June, undated 

 3 25

Deborah Morris deed to John and Mary Morris (Yi2.7418.F16) 1769 November 15 

 3 26

List of securities belonging to John Pole's estate (Yi2.7419.F1) 1770-1771 

 3 27
Volume

John Smith vendu sales 1771 

 28
Box Folder

Indenture, Wells to Jackson (Yi2.7419.F6) 1782 January 24 

 3 28

Court and common pleas, Banks and Burnet vs Miller (Yi2.7419.F8) 1783 October 16 

 3 29

Affidants - Alexander Johnston and Hugh Moore Merchants (Yi2.7419.F9) 1785 

 3 30

Power of attorney, Harriet Scott to Richard Wells (Yi2.7419.F12) 1786 August 29 

 3 31

Cold Spring Club account book (Yi2.7419.F16) 1797 June-September 

 3 32

Copy of indenture, 1681 Penn and Bacon (Yi2.7419.F20) 1802 February 25 

 4 1

Copy of indenture, 1713 Shattick and Pauling (Yi2.7419.F22) 1802 February 25 

 4 2

Copy of indenture, 1718 Bacon to Morrey and Budd (Yi2.7419.F21) 1802 February 25 

 4 3

Assorted notes and letters regarding Smith family property 1805, 1809-1812, undated 

 4 4
Volume

Index to unidentified ledger undated 

 29

John Smith receiptbook 1785-1792 (photocopy) undated 

 30

 I c. Diaries and albums 1738-1810 

Scope and Contents note

This series consists of diaries, commonplace books, and other writings and memorabilia penned by early Smith family members, but especially those of John Jay Smith’s grandfather, John Smith. Included among these materials is a diary kept by John Smith’s sister, Hannah Smith Cox. A fair portion of this subseries consists of John Smith’s writings about prominent Quakers and other religious figures. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
Volume

John Smith diaries 1738-1747 

 31
Box Folder

John Smith "Lives and Travels of Public Ministers" (Yi2.7416.F8) 1739-1740 

 4 5
Volume

John Smith diaries 1747-1752 

 32
Box Folder

"The Life of Richard Hubberthorne" (Yi2.7418.F1) circa 1760 

 4 6
Volume

Hannah Smith Cox diary 1768-1776 

 33

John Smith, Jr. commonplace book 1782-1783 

 34
Box Folder

Van Ness, Peter "Notes on the Mediterranean Trade" (Yi2.7419.F28) 1810 October 24 

 4 7
Volume

John Smith commonplace book (1 of 3) undated 

 35

John Smith commonplace book (2 of 3) undated 

 36

John Smith commonplace book (3 of 3) undated 

 37
Box Folder

John Smith, Sr. diary 1748 undated 

 4 8

List of Friends who visited Nantucket 1664-1759 (Yi2.7417.F15) undated 

 4 9

List of Public Friends and bibliography of "books and pages where Public Friends are mentioned" (Yi2.7418.F2) undated 

 4 10

 I d. Hill family materials 1681-1811 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries consists of material originating with John Jay Smith’s maternal grandmother’s family, the Hills. Family members prominently featured in this subseries include John Jay’s great-grandfather, Richard Hill, and great uncles Henry Hill and Samuel Preston Moore (married to Hannah Hill). A number of the deeds and other indentures in this subseries are signed by William Penn. The majority of the materials are land transactions which attest to the Hill family’s great wealth and influence in the early days of Philadelphia. The series is arranged chronologically.
Box Folder

James Hill land indenture from William Penn for 500 acres in Pennsylvania (Yi2.7414.F1) 1681 July 26 

 4 11
Volume

"Hill and Streiper papers" documenting land deeds and disputes 1688, 1696, 1716-1740, 1760s-1780s 

 38
Box Folder

Richard Hill indenture to Caleb Ransted (Yi2.7414.F18) 1707 December 17 

 4 12

William Boulding indenture to Richard Hill (Yi2.7414.F19) 1708 March 11 

 4 13

Nicholas Moore deed to Richard Hill (Yi2.7414.F25) 1711 May 9 

 4 14

Richard Hill of Bristol deed to Richard Hill of Philadelphia and 13 related papers (Yi2.7415.F1) 1712 March 7 

 4 15

Nicholas Moore lease indenture to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F2) 1713 March 30 

 4 16

James Hill deed to James Moore (copy) (Yi2.7415.F3) 1714 February 1 

 4 17

Thomas Eldridge lease to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F6) 1715 October 8 

 4 18

Benjamin Soames lease and deed to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F7) 1715 December 30-31 

 4 19

Richard Hill Sheriff's deed to Peter Evans, signed by Owen Roberts (Yi2.7415.F8) 1716 March 6 

 4 20

Richard Dunckley deed to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F10) 1716 May 16 

 4 21

John Bird lease and re-lease to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F11) 1716 May 28-29 

 4 22

Theodorus and Mary Lord deed and lease to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F12) 1716 December 6-7 

 4 23

Richard Hill deeds to William Robins (Yi2.7415.F13) 1717 June 21 

 5 1

Leonard Streiper et al deed to James Logan, duplicate copies, and Leonard and John Streiper deed to Richard Hill (Yi2.7415.F19) 1718, 1725, 1760 

 5 2

Sapionro [?] Harris deeds to William Robins (Yi2.7415.F14) 1717 August 6-7 

 5 3

Andrew Robeson deed to Thomas Rutter (Yi2.7415.F16) 1717 June 24 

 5 4

Richard Hill deed to William Richards (Yi2.7417.F1) 1720 October 1 and 1745 March 30 

 5 5

William Betridge deed to Richard Hill and note (Yi2.7415.F17) 1723 September 10 and December 8 

 5 6

Richard Hill deed to William Walton (Yi2.7415.F18) 1726 March 6 

 5 7

Richard Hill deed copy of original 1698 July 19 (Yi2.7414.F12) 1726 July 9 

 5 8

Davis Powell lease and re-lease to Richard Hill and note (Yi2.7415.F24) 1728 July 2-3, 1789 

 5 9

George Palmer and Richard Hill deed to Lloyd Zachary (Yi2.7416.F) 1728 October 1 

 5 10

Lloyd Zachary lease and re-lease to Richard Hill (Yi2.7416.F2) 1728 October 29-30 

 5 11

Anthony and Phebe Morris lease and re-lease to Samuel Preston (Yi2.7416.F4) 1730 December 9-10 

 5 12

Receipt signed by Richard Hill 1739 

 5 13

Thomas and Elizabeth Sugar deed to Samuel Preston Moore and Richard Hill (Yi2.7416.F9) 1740 May 20 

 5 14
Volume

Richard Hill's rent accounts 1742-1763 

 39
Box Folder

Richard Hill, Samuel Preston Moore, and Hannah Moore deed to James Caldwell and counterpart (Yi2.7416.F10) 1743 September 20 

 5 15

Richard Hill letter of attorney to Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7416.F11) 1743 October 20 

 5 16

Richard Hill, Samuel Preston Moore, and Hannah Moore deed counterpart to John Coats (Yi2.7416.F12) 1743 November 16 

 5 17

Leases between William Allen and Richard Hill (Yi2.7416.F13) 1743 November 25-28 

 5 18

Samuel Preston Moore and Hannah Moore indenture of assignment to Charles Norris (Yi2.7416.F14) 1744 March 18 

 5 19

Samuel Preston Moore and Hannah Moore deeds to Charles Norris (Yi2.7416.F15) 1744 March 18 

 5 20

Charles Norris deed and indenture of assignment to Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7416.F16) 1744 March 19 

 5 21

Richard Hill, Jr., Samuel Preston Moore, and Hannah Moore counterpart of a deed of annuity to Daniel Dawson (Yi2.7416.F17) 1744 October 20 

 6 1

Indenture of Covenants between Samuel Preston Moore and Hannah Moore and Israel Pemberton and Reese Meredith (Yi2.7417.F2) 1745 May 14 

 6 2

Thomas White deed and defeasance to Richard Hill and Samuel Preston Moore, Richard Hill and Samuel Preston Moore cancelled deed to Thomas White (Yi2.7417.F3) 1745 October 12 

 6 3

Samuel Preston Moore receipt books (Yi2.7417.F14) 1745-1758 

 6 4

Joseph and Elizabeth Fox deed to Richard Hill, Jr. and Samuel Preston Moore and note (Yi2.7417.F6) 1750 February 22 and 1750 April 28 

 6 5

Samuel Preston Moore and Hannah Moore deed to Richard Hill, Jr. and copy of Henry Elfreth deed to Andrew Rudeman 1701 (Yi2.7417.F8) 1750 November 20, 1770 

 6 6

Deed of partition between Richard Hill and Samuel Preston Moore, list of rents and debts (Yi2.7417.F9 and F10) 1751 March 26, 1755-1756 

 6 7

Patent to Richard Hill and Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7417.F11) 1753 March 8 

 6 8

Thomas White release to Richard Hill, Jr. (Yi2.7417.F12) 1753 June 19 

 6 9

Peter Hagner release to Richard Hill, Jr. and Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7417.F13) 1755 May 7 

 6 10

Samuel Preston Moore receipt books (Yi2.7418.F17) 1758-1771 

 6 11

Richard Hill, Samuel Preston Moore, and Hannah Moore deed to Nathan Cook; Nathan and Mary Cook to Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7418.F4) 1759 October 1 and 1760 April 28 

 6 12

Peter Hendrickson et al release to Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7418.F5) 1761 April 20 

 6 13

Act of Parliament relating to Richard Hill and property (Yi2.7418.F6) 1761 June 25 

 6 14

David Caldwell et al deed to Samuel Preston Moore and Hannah Moore (Yi2.7418.F7) 1762 February 8 

 6 15

John and Harriot Scott letter of attorney to Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7418.F8) 1763 February 4 

 6 16

Samuel Preston Moore and Hannah Moore release to Henry Hill et al (Yi2.7418.F9) 1763 September 1 

 7 1
Volume

Henry Hill account book 1763 

 40
Box Folder

George and Sarah Dillwyn deed to Samuel Preston Moore (Yi2.7418.F12) 1764 June 1 

 7 2
Volume

Henry Hill rent roll book 1766-1797 

 41

Henry Hill wastebook 1768-1772 

 42
Box Folder

Samuel Preston Moore's receipt books (Yi2.7419.F7) 1771-1781 

 7 3

Indenture, Moore to Hill (Yi2.7419.F2) 1777 April 17 

 7 4

Indenture, Lee to Hill (Yi2.7419.F3) 1778 December 2 

 7 5

Indenture, Smith to Hill (Yi2.7419.F4) 1778 December 2 

 7 6

John Dickinson's vendue sale (Yi2.7419.F5) 1781 

 7 7

Indenture, Hannah Moore to Lamar et al (Yi2.7419.F10) 1785 December 1 

 7 8
Volume

Henry Hill receiptbook 1788-1793 

 43
Box Folder

Receipt from John Keble for Chester County land (Yi2.7419.F14) 1790 March 12 

 7 9

College of Pennsylvania account book and receipts kept by Henry Hill (Yi2.7419.F15) 1790-1791 

 7 10
Volume

Henry Hill receiptbook 1793-1802 

 44

Henry Hill account book for Samuel Ashmead's estate 1794 

 45
Box Folder

Moore/Hill/Wells petitions re: land (Yi2.7419.F13) 1795 

 7 11

Dillwyn/Hill deed/release (Yi2.7419.F17) 1798 December 22 

 7 12

Moore/Hill deed with George Dillwyn (Yi2.7419.F18) 1799 August 9 

 7 13

Bankruptcy papers - Gideon Hill Wells and John Dorsa (Yi2.7419.F23) 1803 February 19 

 7 14

Ordinances, Rules, and By Laws for the Alms House and House of Employment (Yi2.7419.F25) 1803 

 7 15

Inventory of John Smith, Grace Buchanan and Gulielma Smith Estates (Yi2.7419.F24) 1803, 1810 

 7 16

Logan - Share in Library Co. of Germantown (Yi2.7419.F26) 1807 

 7 17

R. Smith/Hill - Court and common pleas documents (Yi2.7419.F27) 1809 

 7 18

R. Hill Morris/Biddle - Indenture, Clement Briddle and James Vaux (Yi2.7419.F29) 1811 February 27 

 7 19

Hill - Claims to city lots by heirs of Richard Hill (Yi2.7419.F11) undated 

 7 20

Moore - List of ground rents (Yi2.74193F19) undated 

 7 21

Henry Hill - Richard Well's Observations on William Turnbull's account (Yi2.7419.F33) undated 

 7 22
Volume

Richard Hill estate deeds and other titles 1680s-1750s undated 

 46

Return to Table of Contents »

 Series II. John Jay Smith papers 1808-circa 1900 

 II a. General correspondence 1822-1879 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries contains correspondence both to and from John Jay Smith on a variety of subjects, speaking to his wide range of interests, including but not limited to genealogy, horticulture and landscaping, printing, and publishing.

Notably, this subseries holds seventeen letters to John Jay Smith from Andrew Jackson Downing (1815-1852), the noted architect, landscape designer, and editor of the Horticulturist. Downing drowned in the Hudson River on July 18, 1852, and after his death, his brother Charles, wife Caroline, and business partner Calvert Vaux (1824-1895) wrote reminiscences of Downing for Marshall P. Wilder. Also filed with this material is a letter from Asa Gray to Wilder about Downing.

Three folders in this subseries document the involvement that Smith had with George A. Shyrock (1799-1867) to manufacture paper from common straw. There are twenty-seven letters from Shyrock, many written from his Hollywell Mill, near Chambersburg, PA. The third folder holds a draft of a partnership agreement between the two men, which is written in Smith’s hand, and an essay, possibly a preface to an unidentified book which was printed on straw paper.

This subseries also contains seven letters each from collectors William Buell Sprague and Israel Keech Tefft.

This subseries is arranged alphabetically by correspondent with miscellaneous correspondents arranged chronologically at the end of the subseries.
Box Folder

John Fisk Allen to John Jay Smith 1856 April 12 

 7 24

Lewis J. Allen to John Jay Smith 1856 

 7 25

S. Austin Allibone to John Jay Smith 1862 November 12 

 7 26

American Library Association to and from John Jay Smith 1879 

 7 27

N.B. Atwood to John Jay Smith 1829 May 8 

 7 28

Purent to Mr. Berckmans 1854 March 4 

 7 29

George W. Bethune to John Jay Smith 1841-1844 

 7 30

Samuel Bispham to John Jay Smith 1842 March 28 

 7 31

Samuel Breck to John Jay Smith 1847 April 19 

 7 32

Henry Ellis, British Museum to John Jay Smith 1851 February 12 

 7 33

Brooklyn Horticultural Society to John Jay Smith 1856 May 20 

 7 34

R. Buchanan to John Jay Smith 1859 December 30 

 7 35

Burlington County Lyceum to John Jay Smith 1860 April 6  

 7 36

William J. Cardwell to John Jay Smith 1840 December 10 

 7 37

Joseph P. Casey to John Jay Smith 1827 June 9 

 7 38

Robert Chambers to John Jay Smith 1845 May 7 

 7 39

Mellen Chamberlain to John Jay Smith 1847 September 4 

 7 40

William Charlton to John Jay Smith 1856 January 9 

 7 41

George W. Childs to John Jay Smith 1859 September 24 

 7 42

Henry Fothergill Chorley to John Jay Smith 1846 May 26 

 7 43

Mrs. Isaac Clement to John Jay Smith 1856 January 10 

 7 44

Elliot Cresson to John Jay Smith 1827 February 27 

 7 45

A.P. Cummings to John Jay Smith 1850 April 25 

 7 46
Volume

Compilation of letters from Dr. William Darlington to John Jay Smith and Elizabeth Smith 1850-1862 undated 

 48
Box Folder

William Darlington to John Jay Smith 1855-1857 

 7 47

Edward Decker to John Jay Smith 1856 March 12 

 7 48

S. N. Dickinson to John Jay Smith undated 

 7 49

Alexander J. Downing to John Jay Smith 1841-1847 

 7 50

Robley Dunglison to John Jay Smith 1849 October 18 

 7 51

Nathan Dunn letter to Isaac Jones 1825 December 14 

 7 52

John Jay Smith invitations from N. Dunn and Edward Coles 1835, 1839, 1840 

 7 53

A.M. Eastman to John Jay Smith 1850 November 16 

 7 54

Ellwanger and Barry to John Jay Smith 1853-1859 

 7 55

Fairmount Park Commission to the Estate of Howell Hopkins 1867 

 7 56

William Firmage to John Jay Smith 1856 

 7 57

George Folsom to John Jay Smith 1858 December 13 

 7 58

Peter Force to John Jay Smith 1859 February 22 

 7 59

William Frazier to John Jay Smith 1856 March 21 

 7 60

George Getz to John Jay Smith 1827 June 7 

 7 61

Robert Gilmor to John Jay Smith 1842, 1847 

 7 62

Henry D. Gilpin to John Jay Smith 1839, 1857, 1859 

 7 63

Girard Life Insurance Co. Yi2.7420.F52 1840 December 5 

 7 64

W. Alexander Gordon to John Jay Smith 1856, 1875 

 7 65

Asa Gray to John Jay Smith 1857 

 7 66

William Graydon to John Jay Smith 1833 January 12 

 7 67

Amos Delos Grindley to John Jay Smith 1856 

 7 68

Rufus Griswold to John Jay Smith 1854 December 13 

 7 69

H.M. Alden, Harper's Magazine to John Jay Smith 1875 November 23 

 8 1

A. Hart to John Jay Smith 1856 June 30 

 8 2

Jacob Harvey to John Jay Smith 1849 

 8 3

Historical Society of Pennsylvania to John Jay Smith 1853 October 22 

 8 4

Joshua Hoopes to John Jay Smith 1857 January 19 

 8 5

Charles Mason Hovey to John Jay Smith 1856 May 1 

 8 6

Thomas P. Jones to John Jay Smith 1846 

 8 7

Oliver de Lancey Kane to John Jay Smith 1856-1857 

 8 8

William S. King to John Jay Smith 1859 

 8 9

Michael Lafferty to John Jay Smith 1875 November 30 

 8 10

Dionysius Lardner and Mary Lardner to John Jay Smith 1841-1845 

 8 11

Eliakim Littell to John Jay Smith 1847 June 22 

 8 12

Lloyd Watson to John Jay Smith 1865 August 9 

 8 13

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to John Jay Smith 1859 March 29 

 8 14

S.M. to John Jay Smith 1859 June 15 

 8 15

John McAllister, Jr. to John Jay Smith 1859, 1867 

 8 16

J. Madeira to John Jay Smith 1822 February 25 

 8 17

Matthew Fontaine Maury to John Jay Smith 1850-1856 

 8 18

Peter B. Mead to John Jay Smith 1859 November 12 

 8 19

Davis Miller to John Jay Smith 1859 

 8 20

Musical Fund Society Yi2.7420.F103 undated 

 8 21

John Ward Dean, New England Genealogical Society to John Jay Smith 1861 January 16 

 8 22

Mr. Whitehead, New Jersey Historical Society to John Jay Smith 1860 May 9 

 8 23

John Pringle Nichol to John Jay Smith 1856 July 20 

 8 24

Mr. Norbon to Robert Pearsall Smith 1856 September 24 

 8 25

John Norvall to John Jay Smith 1828 March 28 

 8 26

Edward Owen Parry to John Jay Smith 1840 

 8 27
Volume

Granville John Penn letters to John Jay Smith and related ephemera, compiled by Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1846-1858, 1864-1867, 1871 

 47
Box Folder

Granville J. Penn to John Jay Smith 1857 February 17 

 8 28

Letters of introduction for John Jay Smith and Granville John Penn during Western trip 1852 

 8 29

L. Penn-Gaskell to John Jay Smith 1868 February 8 

 8 30

Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane to John Jay Smith 1856 September 29 

 8 31

Philadelphia Museum Company to John Jay Smith 1840 

 8 32

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to John Jay Smith 1851 

 8 33

H. Petriken, Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth to John Jay Smith 1840 August 31 

 8 34

Philip M. Price to John Jay Smith 1840 October 12 

 8 35

George P. Putnam, Putnam's Magazine to John Jay Smith 1869 May 24 

 8 36

Gerard Ralston to John Jay Smith 1827, 1865 

 8 37

William H. Read to [John Jay Smith] 1867 

 8 38

E. Reagle to John Jay Smith 1856 February 8 

 8 39

Henry Reed to John Jay Smith 1840 December 14 

 8 40

Letters to William B. Reed 1870, 1873 

 8 41

Charles B. Richardson to John Jay Smith 1859 

 8 42

John Ridgely to [John Jay Smith] 1859 August 6 

 8 43

W.H. Robertson to John Jay Smith 1840 December 13 

 8 44

Robert Hutchinson Rose to John Jay Smith 1834 March 16 

 8 45

William Samuel Waithman Ruschenberger to John Jay Smith 1843 November 4 

 8 46

Benjamin Rush to John Jay Smith 1866 January 26 

 8 47

Henry Winthrop Sargent to John Jay Smith 1856-1858 

 8 48

John Sartain to John Jay Smith 1844 May 2 

 8 49

John Saul to John Jay Smith 1858-1859 

 8 50

William Saunders to John Jay Smith 1856, 1860 

 8 51

Francisco A. Sauvalle to John Jay Smith 1857 June 14 

 8 52

Charles Maurice Saxton to John Jay Smith 1856-1859 

 8 53

Nathaniel Bradstreet Shurtleff to John Jay Smith 1858 December 15 

 8 54

George A. Shyrock to John Jay Smith 1830 March - December 

 8 55

George A. Shyrock to John Jay Smith 1830 January - March  

 8 56

George A. Shyrock - Draft agreement with John Jay Smith [1829] Essay- book preface? undated 

 8 57

Benjamin Silliman to John Jay Smith 1838 November 19 

 8 58

J.S. Silver to John Jay Smith 1848 October 16 

 8 59

S.H. Simpson to John Jay Smith 1856 March 12 

 8 60

Russell Smith to John Jay Smith 1856 August 4 

 8 61

Thomas Smith to John Jay Smith 1829 December 18 

 8 62

Joseph Henry, Smithsonian Institute to John Jay Smith 1855 August 20 

 8 63

Jacob Snider to John Jay Smith Yi2.7420.F84 1840 

 8 64

Society for Supplying the Poor with Soup to John Jay Smith 1840 December 21 

 8 65

William Buell Sprague to John Jay Smith 1837-1838 

 8 66

State Historical Society of Wisconsin to John Jay Smith 1861 June 10 

 8 67

Jacob Stauffer to John Jay Smith 1858 January 6 

 8 68

Thomas J. Stelle to John Jay Smith 1846 

 8 69

George Taylor and Co. Correspondence with George Taylor and others 1827-1829 

 8 70

George Taylor and Co. financial records 1828 

 8 71

George Taylor and Co. financial records 1829 

 8 72

George Taylor and Co. financial records, accounts with William Brown 1828-1829 

 8 73

George Taylor and Co. financial records, accounts with Thomas Newcomb 1829 

 8 74

George Taylor and Company proposals and subscription form 1827, 1829 

 8 75

Israel Keech Tefft to John Jay Smith 1838-1846 

 8 76

R.E. Thompson to John Jay Smith 1856 December 19 

 8 77

J. Wingate Thornton to John Jay Smith 1859-1860 

 8 78

Frank Orray Ticknor to John Jay Smith 1859 March 3 

 8 79

John Torrey to John Jay Smith 1859 May 14 

 8 80

United States Centennial Commission to John Jay Smith 1876 February 10 

 9 1

J. Vaughan to John Jay Smith 1840 September 21 

 9 2

Calvert Vaux to John Jay Smith 1856 July 8 

 9 3

James Veiten to John Jay Smith Yi2.7420.F105 1874 October 28 

 9 4

George Viner to John Jay Smith 1846 August 31 

 9 5

Letters to and from Adam Waldie and others 1830s, 1852, undated 

 9 6

W.J. Walter to John Jay Smith 1843 

 9 7

Thomas U. Walters to John Jay Smith 1859, 1863 

 9 8

John Fanning Watson to John Jay Smith 1826-1830 

 9 9

John Fanning Watson to John Jay Smith 1831-1851 

 9 10

Thompson Westcott to John Jay Smith 1858 December 15 

 9 11

William A. White to John Jay Smith 1858 June 11 

 9 12

Letter to Dr. William M. [Whler] from Fredrick Steitz 1859 July 30 

 9 13

Marshall Wilder, letter from Calvert Vaux re: A.J. Downing 1852 August 18 

 9 14

Marshall P. Wilder to John Jay Smith 1855 

 9 15

Marshall Wilder, letter from Charles Downing re: A.J. Downing 1852 September 24 

 9 16

Marshall Wilder, letter from Asa Gray re: A.J. Downing 1852 August 23 

 9 17

Newsletter advertisement for Hop trees circa 1855 

 9 18

Robert Winthrop to John Jay Smith 1858 December 17 

 9 19

Wistar Association announcement of arrangements 1839 

 9 20

Wistar party responses A-L 1840 December 

 9 21

Wistar party responses M-Z 1840 December 

 9 22

S. Wood to John Jay Smith 1838 January 1 

 9 23

William B. Wood to John Jay Smith 1840, 1854 

 9 24

Thomas Hicks Wynne to John Jay Smith 1859 

 9 25

Assorted letters to John Jay Smith 1826, 1829, undated 

 9 26

Assorted funeral invitations to John Jay Smith 1835, 1842, 1853, 1873 

 9 27

Assorted letters circa 1830s 

 9 28

Letters to John Jay Smith 1840, 1847-1849 

 9 29

Assorted letters and notes including Frederick Douglass to J.A. Parson 1840, 1879, 1882-1884, undated 

 9 30

Assorted letters regarding John Jay Smith 1841-1842 

 9 31

Letter to John Jay Smith 1856 September 11 

 9 32

Assorted letters to John Jay Smith 1856, 1859 

 9 33

Letters to and regarding John Jay Smith 1863, 1865 

 9 34

 II b. Family correspondence 1816-1927  (Bulk, 1816-1870)

subseries note

This subseries consists of letters and correspondence to and from members of John Jay Smith’s immediate family and extended family, especially his Pearsall in-laws. Of particular interest may be John Jay and Rachel Pearsall’s early courtship letters. This subseries is arranged in approximate alphabetical order by correspondent.
Box Folder

Margaret Smith Hilles to John Jay Smith 1875 October 6 

 9 35

Morris C. Jones to Charles Perrin Smith 1872 June 29 

 9 36

Margaretta Morris to John Jay Smith 1855 June 10 

 9 37

Hannah Murray to Robert and Elizabeth Pearsall 1818-1828 

 9 38

Letter to Hannah Murray 1824 

 9 39

Elijah Coffin to Robert Pearsall 1823 

 9 40

Letters to and from Robert and Elizabeth Pearsall and others 1820s, 1830 

 9 41

Letters to and from Robert Pearsall Smith, Elizabeth Pearsall Smith, Horace John Smith and others, including copy of letter by Robert E. Lee 1840s, 1853, 1865, 1875, 1881, 1890, 1895 

 9 42

Albanus Smith - letters to and from family 1834-1837, undated 

 9 43

John Jay and Rachel Pearsall Smith to Albanus and Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1835, 1837-1838, undated 

 9 44

Albanus Smith to John Jay and Rachel Smith, with note by Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1840 

 9 45

Various to Albanus Smith 1841-1842 

 9 46

John Jay Smith to Margaret Smith Hilles and Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1870-1871, 1880 

 9 47

Robert Pearsall Smith to Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1873, 1875, 1895 

 9 48

Letter to Elizabeth Pearsall Smith from W.V. Huntington 1896 April 30 

 9 49

Letters to and from Elizabeth Pearsall Smith and others 1906, 1907, 1912, 1914, 1919, 1927, undated 

 9 50

Horace John Smith to Elizabeth Pearsall Smith undated 

 9 51

Horace John Smith to John Jay and Rachel Smith 1855-1857 

 9 52

Lloyd P. Smith to John Jay Smith undated 

 9 53

John Jay Smith to Rachel Collins Pearsall [Smith] 1820 

 9 54

John Jay Smith to Rachel Collins Pearsall [Smith] 1821 

 10 1

Elizabeth Collins Pearsall to Rachel Pearsall Smith 1821, undated 

 10 2

John Jay Smith to Rachel Pearsall Smith 1822-1825 

 10 3

Gulielma Maria Smith and John Jay Smith to Rachel Pearsall Smith 1825 

 10 4

Rachel Pearsall Smith to various 1833, 1850, undated 

 10 5

John Jay Smith to various 1849, undated 

 10 6

Rachel Pearsall Smith to John Jay Smith, with note by Elizabeth Pearsall Smith undated 

 10 7

Richard Smith to John Jay Smith 1816 May 15 

 10 8

John Jay, Rachel Pearsall, and Elizabeth Pearsall Smith to various family members, European grand tour 1865 May-October 

 10 9

 II c. American Exhibition 1850-1852 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries holds correspondence and memorabilia relating to John Jay Smith’s failed project to bring a version of London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 to the United States. According to Smith’s Recollections, when the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations was announced in 1849, he began to immediately think that it, or parts of it, should be brought to the United States. Smith went to Washington to meet with the president and other officials, and there received contacts with diplomats abroad. When early promises of financial support from the New York firm of Grinnell, Minturn & Co. fell through, Smith gained assistance from Philadelphia merchants Myers, Claghorn & Co. He made a goodwill trip to England and Europe, meeting with heads of state and various dignitaries, and receiving pledges of support for the New York exposition. Smith’s partner in arrangements was William B. Draper (1804-1885), a wealthy New York-based dry goods merchant and textile importer with offices in Paris. When Draper’s proposed funding fell through, Smith gave up his plans to bring the exposition to the U.S.

Many of the folders hold single letters from correspondents, and six have Smith’s copies of his own outgoing letters. A few relationships have more extensive documentation, most notably Smith’s partner in the endeavor, William Draper. His file contains seventy letters to Smith and two in return, spanning the years 1850 and 1851. Myers, Claghorn & Company’s file has five letters from the firm to Smith, three from Smith to the firm, and three agreements between the two. Another one of the larger files is that of Robert Bowne Minturn (1805-1866), the New York shipping magnate whose firm was to fund Smith’s project; it holds fifteen letters from him and three from Smith. Hamilton Fish (1808-1893) was the governor of New York State during the period, and his file has three letters to and three from Smith.The subseries has a folder of letters from unidentified correspondents, including one each in English and French, two in German, and one in an unidentified script.

This subseries also contains a variety of other materials related to the project, including three passports issued to Smith, one each from the United States, England, and France; the latter two functioned as visas for Smith’s travel in their countries.

The final folder holds the cover of a contemporary album that once held some of the material in the subseries. It was already partially disassembled prior to 2005, and was completely disassembled when the collection was processed in 2006.

This subseries is arranged alphabetically by correspondent followed by miscellaneous correspondents and memorabilia.
Box Folder

Baring Brothers and Co. 1851 April 4 

 10 10

R. Beale 1850 December 4 

 10 11

Micheal Chevalier 1850 

 10 12

Thomas G. Clemson 1850 

 10 13

Richard Cobden 1850 

 10 14

Commercial Industrial Association of the Central Hall at Leipzig 1851 

 10 15

Simeon Draper 1850 

 10 16

William B. Draper 1850 

 10 17

William Draper 1851 

 10 18

R.G. Fairbanks 1851 February 13 

 10 19

Theodore Sedgwick Fay 1850 

 10 20

Hamilton Fish 1850 

 10 21

Johann Gottfried Flugel 1851 February 3 

 10 22

Henry D. Gilpin 1850 June 1 

 10 23

George Granville - Leveson - Gower 

 10 24

Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations 1851 

 10 25

John James Greenough 1850 

 10 26

Samuel C. Hall 1850 

 10 27

Robert Harry Inglis undated 

 10 28

Abbott Lawrence 1850 

 10 29

Charles F. Legentil (president, Paris Chamber of Commerce) undated 

 10 30

Robert B. Minturn 1850 

 10 31

Myers and Claghorn 1850-1851 

 10 32

William Peters 1850 June 

 10 33

Charles Beaumont Phipps 1850 

 10 34

Charles Edward Rawlins 1850 

 10 35

Edward Riddle 1851 

 10 36

William Cabell Rives 1850 

 10 37

Charles Latour Rogier 1850 August 9 

 10 38

Henry Shelton Sanford 1850 

 10 39

William W. Stone 1850 

 10 40

Lewis Tappan 1851 

 10 41

Pishey Thompson 1850-1851 

 10 42

United States Government 1850 

 10 43
Volume

John Jay Smith, copybook of letters of introduction 1850 

 49
Box Folder

Letters of introduction 1850 

 10 44

Circular letter to governors and states 1850 September 

 10 45

Railroad, steamboat and ferry companies 1851 

 10 46

Unidentified correspondence 1850, undated 

 10 47

Pass to see competing designs for medal prizes 1851 

 10 48

Proposal for the transfer to America, in 1852... 1850 

 10 49

John Jay Smith passports 1850 

 10 50

Notes - meetings of merchants and citizens of New York undated 

 10 51

John Jay Smith's speech at the meeting in New York undated 

 10 52

Permission to travel 1850 March 13 

 10 53

John Jay Smith's report to Hamilton Fish 1850 

 10 54

Translation of an article in Journal des Debats 1850 August 19 

 10 55

Report of Committee on Ferries 1851 January 22 

 10 56

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - certificate of appointment undated 

 10 57

Newspaper clippings 1851, undated 

 10 58

Petitions of financial support 1851 

 10 59

John Jay Smith - memoir re: American Exhibition undated 

 10 60

Executive committee envelopes 1852 

 10 61

Cover of Smith's album undated 

 10 62

 II d. Athenian Institute 1837-1842 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries contains correspondence and other materials related to the foundation and administration of the Athenian Institute or Association. This organization was founded by John Jay Smith and several friends for the purpose of organizing weekly lectures on a variety of topics, mostly dealing with the classics. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by subject file and correspondent.
Box Folder

Charter 1838 

 10 63

Minutes of general meetings 1841 

 10 64

Committee on compensation 1838 

 10 65

Finance committees 1837-1846 

 11 1

Membership committee undated 

 11 2

Program Committees 1839, 1842 

 11 3

Committee on rooms 1837-1838 

 11 4

Joseph Jill esq. 1841 

 11 5

American Philosophical Society 1846 May 30 

 11 6

Rufus Babcock, Jr. 1838 

 11 7

Alexander D. Bache 1839 

 11 8

Rev. A. Barnes 1838 

 11 9

John Bell 1839 

 11 10

George W. Bethune 1842-1843 

 11 11

Nicholas Biddle 1838 

 11 12

R.M. Bird 1838 

 11 13

P.M. Call 1839 

 11 14

J.R. Chandler 1838 

 11 15

H.W. Ducachet 1838 

 11 16

Robley Duglinson 1838 

 11 17

Joseph H. Dulles 1836-1837 

 11 18

George Folsom 1839 

 11 19

William H. Furness undated 

 11 20

B. Gerhard 1839 June 3 

 11 21

Historical Society of Pennsylvania 1846 

 11 22

Joseph Hopkinson 1837-1839 

 11 23

F.W. Hubbell 1839 

 11 24

C.J. Ingersoll 1838 

 11 25

Joseph R. Ingersoll 1837, 1839 

 11 26

John K. Kane 1838-1839 

 11 27

Edward E. Law 1838-1839 

 11 28

John Ludlow 1839, 1842 

 11 29

Charles D. Meigs 1839, undated 

 11 30

Mercantile Library Co. 1838-1839 

 11 31

W.M. Meredith 1838 

 11 32

Henry J. Morton undated 

 11 33

J. Pancoast 1838 

 11 34

R.M. Patterson 1839 

 11 35

William Rawle 1838 

 11 36

John Meredith Read 1839 

 11 37

Henry Reed 1842 September 29 

 11 38

William B. Reed 1838-1839 

 11 39

Henry D. Rogers 1838 

 11 40

John Sauderson 1841 

 11 41

John Sergeant 1838 

 11 42

J. Todd 1838 

 11 43

J.R. Tyson 1838 March 19 

 11 44

R.M. Walsh 1838 

 11 45

Thomas J. Wharton 1838 

 11 46

George B. Wood 1838-1839 

 11 47

 II e. Laurel Hill Cemetary and Library Company of Philadelphia 1829-1885 

Scope and Contents note

The Laurel Hill Cemetary and Library Company of Philadelphia subseries contains correspondence to John Jay Smith and well as his son Lloyd Pearsall Smith and is arranged by correspondent. The materials concerning Laurel Hill are at the beginning of the subseries. Notable are fifteen letters from John Thomson who was the nephew of Charles Thomson (1729-1824), secretary to the Continental Congress, concerning the moving of his uncle’s body from Harriton, the family estate in Bryn Mawr, to Laurel Hill in 1838. Additional letters discussing the project can be found in the folder for John Fanning Watson, including letters from John Thomson to Watson which Watson forwarded to Smith. The materials concerning the Library Company of Philadelphia compose the second portion of the subseries.
Box Folder

Laurel Hill 1885 

 11 48

Frederick Brown 1849-1851 

 11 49

Nathan Dunn 1843 April 1 

 11 50

Green-wood Cemetary 1869 March 13 

 11 51

John Norris 1838 November 6 

 11 52

George Pond 1838 

 11 53

John Thomson 1838-1839 

 11 54

John Fanning Watson 1838 

 11 55

J.P. Morris, Towne and Co. 1862 February 11 

 11 56

Woodlawn Cemetary 1875 January 27 

 11 57

Newspaper clipping 1872 

 11 58

Miscellaneous notes undated 

 11 59

Managers of Laurel Hill undated 

 11 60

Library Company of Philadelphia 1829, 1833, 1835, 1840, 1885 

 11 61

Miscellaneous correspondence 1885 

 11 62

Publishers 1885 

 11 63

Book dealers 1885 

 11 64

Organizations, authors, and governments 1885 

 11 65

Horace Binney 1840 

 11 66

McAllister 1885 

 11 67

Miscellaneous 1844-1847 

 11 68

Lorin Blodget 1885 

 11 69

Henry C. Cameron 1885 

 11 70

Duncan and Gaines 1885 

 11 71

Wilber D. Eames 1885 

 11 72

Montgomery D. Evans 1885, undated 

 11 73

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1885 

 11 74

William John Potts 1885 

 11 75

Miscellaneous notes 1885, undated 

 11 76

Lyman C. Draper 1837 

 11 77

Maria Logan 1837 

 11 78

Titian R. Peale 1845 

 11 79

A.D. Bache 1840-1841 

 11 80

Richard Pearsall Smith 1874 

 11 81

 II f. Genealogy circa 1846-circa 1860s 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries is relatively small but contains materials compiled and written by John Jay Smith regarding several branches of his own family tree. These materials may be of particular interest to those interested in the history of genealogy as a discipline and well as those researching their own genealogy. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
Volume

Hill family history and genealogy circa 1846 

 50

John Jay Smith family notes circa 1860s 

 51
Box Folder

Assorted historical notes undated 

 11 82
Volume

A Family History by John Jay Smith undated 

 52
Oversize

Hill family tree undated 

 1
Volume

"Index of Names in the History of New Jersey" undated 

 53

 II g. Business and financial materials 1808-1881 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries contains business and financial documents created by or concerning John Jay Smith. These materials include various account books, ledgers, daybooks, and receipts, particularly regarding John Jay’s brief career as a druggist. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Box Folder

Letters and notes regarding the estate of James Logan, including William Allinson letters of guardianship for John, Morris, and Rachel Smith 1808 

 12 1

Accounts of William Allison on behalf of Rachel, John, and Morris Smith 1808-1822 

 12 2

Assorted real estate records 1809 

 12 3
Volume

Temple and Smith druggists daybook 1818-1820 

 54

Temple and Smith invoice book 1818-1821 

 55

Temple and Smith ledger 1818-1822 

 56

Temple and Smith letterbook 1818-1822 

 57
Box Folder

Assorted legal documents 1819 

 12 5

Temple and Smith assorted accounts 1819-1821, undated 

 12 6

Bond and warrant between John Jay Smith and Gulielma Smith 1820, 1823 

 12 7

John Jay Smith assorted accounts 1820-1822 

 12 8
Volume

John Smith accounts with Temple and Smith 1822-1823 

 58
Box Folder

Aquilla Jones's passport 1823 December 17 

 12 4

Joseph Woods, Charles W. and Ernst Werner Siemens printing contract with John Jay Smith 1844-1845 

 12 9

Insurance coverage policy for foreign travel 1845 March 31 

 12 10

Agreement with T.U. Walter 1846 

 12 11

Assorted receipts to and from John Jay Smith 1850, 1859, 1874, 1878, undated 

 12 12

Charity paid to Thomas Lloyd 1860 March 30 

 12 13
Volume

Wright, Smith, and Pearsall receiptbook 1860-1865 

 59
Box Folder

Inventory and appraisal of John Jay Smith 1881 

 12 14

Committee for cheap periodical undated 

 12 15

 II h. Diaries, albums, and memorabilia 1765-1900s 

Scope and Contents note

This subseries consists of diaries, albums, and other memorabilia compiled or written by John Jay Smith and members of his immediate family. This subseries is particularly rich in graphic materials, containing pressed botanical specimens, original illustrations and paintings, clippings, and ephemera. Also of particular interest may be John Jay’s diaries and other narrative accounts documenting his journey to the Ohio Valley and Midwest as well as excursions in the Philadelphia area. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Box Folder

Assorted notes, poems, legal documents, drafts of "The Museum" journal, and other materials 1765, 1836, 1839, 1879, 1880, 1897, undated 

 12 16

Assorted Smith family memorabilia and ephemera 1794, 1821, 1843, 1848, 1850s, 1860, 1864, 1870s, undated 

 12 17

John Quincy Adams letter to Shelton Jones, with autobiographical details 1809 April 17 

 12 18

Assorted notes, legal documents, and poems 1813-1819, undated 

 12 19
Volume

John Jay Smith diary of western trip 1818 

 60

Rachel Pearsall Smith sentiment album 1820s-1840s 

 61
Box Folder

Testimony of Norwich monthly meetings re: Priscilla 1821 November 22 

 12 20

Zaccheus Collins Lecture in Mineralogy admission tickets and receipt to John Jay Smith 1822-1823 

 12 21
Volume

John Jay Smith reminiscences and Smith and Pearsall bank records 1826 

 62
Box Folder

Subscription list for Pennsylvania Gazette 1828 

 12 22

Assorted stanzas and essays 1820s, undated 

 12 23
Volume

Albanus Smith scrapbook 1836-1838 

 63

" Index Rerum or Index of Subjects" by Reverend John Todd, compiled by Albanus Smith and Lloyd Smith 1837-1838 

 64

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith sentiment album 1838-1847, 1860-1870s 

 65
Box Folder

Invitation list 1839 

 12 24

John Jay Smith "May Day Excursion" and "North American" op-ed clipping 1840, 1850 

 12 25
Volume

John Jay Smith pressed plants album 1845 

 66

Rachel Pearsall Smith "In Memoriam" album 1860 

 67

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith Bible class minutes 1871-1877 

 68

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith Bible class lesson notes 1872, 1880, undated 

 69

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith Bible class lesson notes 1872-1875 

 70

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith Bible class minutes 1877-1881 

 71
Box Folder

John Jay Smith profile in "Progress" in honor of 80th Birthday 1879 January 4 

 7 23
Volume

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith poetry album 1880s-1900s 

 72
Box Folder

John Jay Smith assorted notes undated 

 12 26
Volume

John Jay Smith copybook of John Smith's letters and journals, 1740s and 1770s undated 

 73
Box Folder

Notes by John McAllister, Jr. undated 

 12 27

Notes on a visit to Chester undated 

 12 28

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 Series III. Lloyd Pearsall Smith papers 1859-1886 

Scope and Contents note

This series holds correspondence from colleagues and friends; some of his correspondence relating to his positions with the Library Company of Philadelphia and Laurel Hill Cemetery are filed in Subseries IIe. Correspondents in this series include Lizzie Blake, who illustrated her three letters with pencil drawings. There is one letter from James A. Bliss, a charlatan spiritualist medium who was incarcerated under charges of conspiracy to defraud the public and for adultery for his relationship with his partner Christina Bliss, who was not his wife. In his ten-page letter to Smith, Bliss indicates that he had received financial support from his friend Smith, and had been “the means in the spirit world to give you hundreds of tests of its reality.” One of the three letters from W. Stainton Moses (1839-1892), a British spiritualist, mentions Bliss and his trial, as does that from Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907). There are six letters from library patrons Laura and Lucy Hooper that discuss books, but the bulk of the series is the 111 letters to Smith from author and journalist Anne Hampton Brewster (1819-1892). Spanning 1860 to 1867, and mostly written from her home in Bridgeton, NJ, they provide great detail about the books she was reading (which were regularly shipped to her from the Library Company) and her thoughts on the Civil War, daily life, and local matters. Additional war letters are filed at the end of the series: two from Lloyd Smith to his wife Hannah, written from Chambersburg and Hagerstown while he was serving in the army, one from Hannah to him, and a two-day military pass for Lloyd Smith “& a lady” to cross bridges in Washington, DC. This series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent, with folders of miscellaneous correspondence at the front.
Box Folder

Other correspondents 1860s, undated 

 12 29

Various correspondence and receipts 1885-1886 

 12 30

Lizzie Blake 1860-1865 

 12 31

James A. Bliss 1877 October 11 

 12 32

Anne H. Brewster 1860-1863 

 12 33-36

Anne H. Brewster 1864-67, undated 

 13 1-5

D.L. Colson 1862 

 13 6

Henry D. Gilpin 1859 

 13 7

Laura Hooper and Lucy Hooper 1860, undated 

 13 8

John Morley 1878 December 18 

 13 9

William Stainton Moses 1877, undated 

 13 10

Henry S. Olcott 1877 November 10 

 13 11

Hannah Jones Smith 1861-1862, undated 

 13 12

Rebecca D. Smith 1861 August 2 

 13 13

Return to Table of Contents »

 Series IV. Horace John Smith papers 1824-1941  (Bulk, 1850-1910)

 IV a. Correspondence 1848-1941  (Bulk, 1848-1900)

Scope and Contents note

This subseries contains both personal and professional correspondence originating with Horace John Smith and members of his immediate family, as well as his Longstreth in-laws. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by correspondent, with miscellaneous materials at the end.
Box Folder

Robert Applegarth 1903 

 13 15

Rachel Barrett 1883 June 6 

 13 16

B.M. Boyer to Horace John Smith 1871 

 13 17

James Constable to Horace John Smith 1871 

 13 18

Elizabeth A. Duck to Horace John Smith 1883 June 2 

 13 19

Earthenware Dealers' Board of Trade to Horace John Smith 1857 June 11 

 13 20

William Logan Fisher to Horace John Smith 1850 December 15 

 13 21

Income tax returns 1865-1868 

 13 22

Robert Johnston to Horace John Smith 1873 October 8 

 13 23

G.B. Lloyd to Horace John Smith 1895 September 11 

 13 24

Howard Lloyd to Horace John Smith 1895 September 2 

 13 25

C.H. Longstreth to Horace John Smith 1878 March 29 

 13 26

C.H. Longstreth 1874 February 6 

 13 27

Margaret Smith Matino Oberamergau trip 1934 

 13 28

William Mellor 1899 September 

 13 29

Helen Morton to Horace John Smith 1896 November 2 

 13 30

P.W. Pearsall to Horace John Smith 1901 November 2 

 13 31

Granville Penn 1852 June 21 

 13 32

Arnold C. Satterthwait from Thomas F. Drake 1941 October 3 

 13 33

J.C. Sidney to Horace John Smith 1873 October 25 

 13 34

Albanus Longstreth Smith to and from various 1915, 1917, 1937-1938 

 13 35

Albanus Longstreth Smith to Horace John and Margaret Longstreth Smith undated 

 13 36

Elizabeth Pearsall Smith to Margaret Longstreth Smith undated 

 13 37

Letters to and from Horace John Smith 1848, 1853, 1856-1857, 1863-1867, undated 

 13 38

Letters from Horace John Smith to his wife and others 1859-1865 

 13 39

Letters to and from Horace John Smith, especially regarding West Laurel Hill Cemetary and the Centennial International Exhibition 1870s, 1892, undated 

 13 40

Letters to and from Horace John Smith, especially to family 1870s, 1898, 1900-1902, undated 

 13 41

John Jay Smith to Horace John Smith 1850, 1870-1871, undated 

 13 42

Lloyd Pearsall Smith to Horace John Smith 1884, undated 

 13 43

Margaret Longstreth Smith to Albanus Longstreth Smith 1900, undated 

 13 44

Richard Morris Smith to Horace John Smith 1894-1895 

 13 45

Horace John Smith to Rachel Pearsall Smith 1858 March 4 

 13 46

Robert Pearsall Smith to Horace John Smith undated 

 13 47

Wilson Longstreth Smith to Horace John Smith undated 

 13 48

Thompson Westcott to Horace John Smith 1884 November 10 

 13 49

Phoebe Wright 1895-1896 

 13 50

Invoices for outfitting house of Margaret Longstreth and Horace John Smith 1857 July-December 

 13 51
Volume

Scrapbook of letters to and from Horace John Smith and Margaret Longstreth Smith and others 1888-1902 

 74

 IV b. Diaries, albums, and memorabilia 1824-1941  (Bulk, 1824-1878)

Scope and Contents note

This subseries contains diaries, albums, and other memorabilia compiled by Horace John Smith and his immediate and extended family. Of particular interest may be the European grand tour diary of Albanus Longstreth Smith (Horace John’s son), documenting the itinerary of this rite of passage for many upper and upper-middle class boys of the era. This subseries contains another portion of the rich graphic materials found in this collection, including botanical specimens, illustrations, clippings, and other ephemera. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
Volume

Mary Bringhurst sentiment album 1824-1833, 1857 

 75
Box Folder

Assorted letters, notes, cards, legal documents, and seaweed pressings 1827-1828, 1865, 1874, 1879, 1902, 1926, 1939, undated 

 14 1
Volume

William W. Longstreth daybook and notebook 1841-1845 

 76
Box Folder

Assorted clippings, tickets, pamphlets, and other ephemera, especially regarding the United States Centennial 1857, 1870s, undated 

 14 2
Volume

Horace John Smith account book and farm activity diary 1869-1871 

 77
Box Folder

Horace J. Smith assorted business and financial papers 1860s, 1873, 1877, 1892, undated 

 13 14
Volume

Horace John Smith account book 1871-1879 

 78

Albanus Longstreth Smith European grand tour diary 1874-1875 

 79

Horace John Smith clippings scrapbook 1880-1893 

 80

Horace John Smith clippings scrapbook (materials loose) circa 1870s-1880s 
Volume

Emma B. Mellor poetry album 1878 

 82
Box Folder

Arnold C. Satterthwait statement regarding his refusal to register for military service 1941 November 26 

 14 3

 IV c. Genealogy 1836-1932  (Bulk, 1850-1903)

Scope and Contents note

This subseries consists of genealogical material composed of notes, family trees, narratives, and letters, mostly compiled by Horace John Smith. The material is grouped according to family name into subject files. These subject files are arranged alphabetically.
Box Folder

Bowne family note undated 

 14 4

Bringhurst family tress and letter from W.H. Bringhurst 1873, 1879, undated 

 14 5

Brooks family note and silhouette portraits of John Brooks undated 

 14 6

Budd family tree undated 

 14 7

Bullock family tree and letter from Rachel Collins 1877, undated 

 14 8

Head family notes and clippings 1908, undated 

 14 9

Hughes-Allinson family tree undated 

 14 10

Lloyd family notes and letters to Horace John Smith 1883, undated 

 14 11

Logan family notes, biographical account of Hannah Logan Smith (copy), James Logan's parentage (copy), and history of Stenton by Robert Morris Smith undated 

 14 12

Longstreth family tree, notes and William Longstreth pamphlet 1923, undated 

 14 13

Mellor family notes undated 

 14 14

Pearsall family tree, notes, and assorted letters, especially Randall Davies 1894-1895, undated 

 14 15

Preston-Moore family notes undated 

 14 16

Shinn family tree, notes and narrative by Isaac D. Harbert 1898-1899, undated 

 14 17

Shinn, Bancroft, and Mellor family notes, Budd family tree 1884, 1914, undated 

 14 18

Smith family trees and notes 1890, 1917, 1932, undated 

 14 19

Stacy, Ely, and Revell family trees, notes, and letters from Daniel B. Ely 1905-1906, undated 

 14 20

Assorted notes by Horace John Smith and others, including Elizabeth Pearsall Smith 1836, 1871, 1886, 1890s, 1901, 1905, 1928, 1930, undated 

 14 21

Smith family obituaries and funeral notices 1842, 1881, 1901, 1906, 1928 

 14 22

Assorted letters and notes regarding Smith family heraldry 1861, 1894-1895, 1899, 1905, undated 

 14 23
Volume

The Burlington Smiths: a Family History by R. Morris Smith 1877 

 83
Box Folder

"The Burlington Smiths" with annotations by [Albanus Longstreth Smith] 1877 

 14 24

Bancroft family notes 1899, undated 

 14 25

Horace John Smith biographical profile and photograph 1903 

 14 26

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