NOTE BY THE EDITOR The History of the Province of Pennsylvania has been printed from Samuel Smith's manuscript in the library of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. As an examination of his history of New Jersey indicates, this manuscript would have been carefully edited by the author before publication, but it has been deemed best to follow the orthography and punctuation of the original. The author divided his work into two parts, of which this is the first. The second part contains: The introduction, and some account of the religious progress of the people called Quakers therein, [Pennsylvania] including the like account respecting the same people in New Jersey, as constituting one yearly meeting. This second portion was printed by Samuel Hazard in The Register of Pennsylvania, Volumes VI and VII, 1830-1831, with the exception of Chapters XVI and XVII, which were omitted as they contain nothing but a letter from Elizabeth Webb, giving an account of her religious experience, to Dr. Boehm, and his reply, both of which have we understand been published in a pamphlet; and as directions are likewise given to the transcriber of Smith's MS. to omit copying them. Samuel Smith, the author of The History of the Province of Pennsylvania, was of Quaker stock, the great-grandson of Richard Smith of Bramham in the West Riding of Yorkshire, one of the original proprietaries of West Jersey and a signer of The Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Province of West New Jersey, in America, 1676. He had by his wife Anne Yeates, Samuel Smith of Bramham, who settled in West Jersey in 1694, married Elizabeth Lovett, and was a member of the General Assembly for several years. Richard Smith Esquire, of Green Hill, Burlington County, iii New Jersey, son of the last named Samuel, was born in 1699; he represented Burlington County in the General Assembly for nearly twenty years, married Abigail Rapier, and died in 1751. Samuel Smith the historian, son of the last named, was born in Burlington, December 13, 1720, a member of the Religious Society of Friends. He was educated at home, and at an early age served as a member of the Council and of the General Assembly of New Jersey. In 1768 he and his brother John, and Charles Read, were made custodians of the seals of the province, during the absence of Governor William Franklin in England. Samuel Smith was treasurer of the Western Division of New Jersey from 1751 to 1775. He made a collection of materials for histories of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and of the Society of Friends in those provinces. In 1765 he published, The History of The Colony of Nova-Cæsaria, or New Jersey; containing an Account of its First Settlement, Progressive Improvements, The Original and Present Constitution, and Other Events, To the Year 1721, with some Particulars Since; and A Short View of Its Present State. By Samuel Smith. Burlington, in New Jersey: Printed and Sold by James Parker: Sold also by David Hall, in Philadelphia. MDCCLXV. Mr. Smith married in November, 1741, Jane daughter of Joseph Kirkbride, by whom he had children, Joseph, Abigail, Sarah and Richard. He died at his residence, Hickory Grove, near Burlington, July 13, 1776. (Smith, The Burlington Smiths, 1877, pp. 101, 117, 209. Archives of the State of New Jersey. First Series. Volume IX, p. 394. Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1888.) WILLIAM M. MERVINE. |