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Smith family papers
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...
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| Corporate Author: | |
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| Collection: | Smith Family Papers |
| Collection Number: | LCP.in.HSP33 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Physical Description: |
19.0 Linear feet , 14 boxes, 82 volumes |
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| Access: |
Collection is open for research. |
| Summary: |
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. 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. |