Smith family letters and manuscripts
Biographical / Historical note
Sidney Smith (1799-1869) grew up in Poplar Ridge of Cayuga County in New York where he kept a general store with his brother, Thomas. His mother was Polly Smith, and his father, Dr. Barnabas Smith (1769-1855), was the first physician of the town and served as postmaster and representative of the state Assembly in Albany. After 1820, Smith lived in an area of Lockport, New York called the “Burned-Over District,” a frontier area of religious ferment and fervor. Smith worked in the general mercantile business on the newly built Erie Canal. He had three children. The Smith family lived around Lockport, Union Springs, and Venice, New York. Sidney Smith died of a heart disease at the age of 70 in 1869.
Scope and Contents
The Smith family letters and manuscripts (1827-1836) is comprised of two series containing handwritten documents transcribed by Sidney Smith, though one letter is signed by William Smith and two others are by Polly Smith, yet the word “copied” appears on the documents in Sidney’s hand.
Creator
- Smith (Family : Smith, Sidney, 1799-1869) (Family)
- Smith, Sidney, 1799-1869 (Person)
- Smith, Polly (Person)
Dates
- Creation: 1827-1836
Language of Materials
English
Extent
0.23 cubic feet (1 box)
Access
The Smith Family Letters and Manuscripts is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.
Use
Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.edu
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired through the generosity of the John A. Waters Book endowment, 2019.
Preferred Citation
[Item title, item date], Smith Family Letters and Manuscripts, D.551, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Arrangement
The collection has been organized into two series:
Series I: Letters to family members
Series II: Sermons and poetry
Genre / Form
Geographic
Subject
- Smith (Family : Smith, Sidney, 1799-1869) (Family)
- Smith, Sidney, 1799-1869 (Person)
- Smith, Polly (Person)
- Title
- Smith family letters and manuscripts
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Emilee Brecht
- Date
- 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Library Details
Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library
