David Smith Papers

The David Smith Papers consist of a selection of his personal papers and a library of his autograph sermons dating from 1796 to 1859. The personal papers in Series I are autograph manuscripts that include ten volumes of his journals, his school notes, speeches and addresses, and keys to the abbreviations he used in his writings. Also present is Smith's manuscript song book containing compositions on themes such as Bunker Hill and the death of General James Wolfe, an autograph sermon by Rev. Alexander Gillet (1749-1826), and an autograph "Articles of Faith" by Rev. Humphrey Mount Perrine (1785-1849).

Series II holds Smith's sermons, and they comprise the bulk of the papers. The manuscripts are arranged by consecutive numbers that Smith assigned, falling roughly in chronological order. Nearly all of the sermons follow the same structure and are divided into two sections. The first begins with a Bible verse as a headline; occasionally the verse is superseded by a more formal title. The section, which generally runs to ten pages, follows an interpretation of the verse. The second section (of about the same length) is introduced with a headline such as “Improvement,” “Application,” “Reflection,” “Inferences,” or “Remarks,” and all sermons conclude with “Amen.” Each sermon was annotated at the end with the date and place it was written, as well as where and when it was delivered; some of the sermons were delivered more than a dozen times over several decades. In addition to dates, some later sermons include a reference to Smith’s own age. Many sermons also have notations on hymns or psalms on their first page or on the inside of the booklet’s cover.

Theologically, David Smith was likely influenced by the Second Great Awakening. As is to be expected in a collection covering a lifetime of preaching, there is a wide variety of themes to be found in his sermons but some of those appearing with regularity are divine magnitude and providence, the frailty of human life, human iniquity and sin, divine law and judgment, and personal sanctification. Other categories include Thanksgiving, singing, church discipline, sacraments, and events in American history such as “the landing of our Fore-Fathers at Plymouth Dec. 22, 1620” (no. 773) and the death of George Washington (nos. 78 and 123).

Smith copied most of his sermons into small blank books bound with assorted of marbled, silvered, and tinted papers used as wrappers. Thirteen of the volumes bear rose-colored brocade-patterned “Dutch gilt” paper signed by Paul Reimund (or Reymund, 1763/4-1815) of Nürnberg, Germany; they are booklets beginning with sermons 547, 594, 652 (printed in brown), 663, 720 (single unlined sheet, not attached), 852, 862, 901, 931, 958, 1080, 1114, and 1842. Several binding techniques were employed, including a variety of turn-ins and a range of papers used as liners or stiffeners for the covers. In two cases the "endpapers" are repurposed illustrated ream wrappers from the paper mills of David Ames in Springfield, Massachusetts (no. 781) and William Coles in Middletown, Connecticut (no. 958). The latter features an Alexander Anderson wood engraving of a mill which was also used by Coles' contemporary, George Cox & Company of Hallowell, Maine, on a wrapper in 1826 (see John Bidwell, American Paper Mills, 1690–1832, 2013, page 160).