Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/189

Rh of the University could not make Johnson its President or Provost, it was a fitting gift on the part of the parent of Columbia College to point the way for the first Provost of the University. WILLIAM SMITH, the son of Thomas Smith, the great grandson of Sir William Smith, who died in 1631, was born within a few miles of the city of Aberdeen, 7 September, 1727, and was baptised in the "Old Aberdeenshire Kirk," 19 October. His Mother was Elizabeth the daughter of Alexander Duncan, of the Camperdown family, whose wife was a daughter of Sir Peter Murray of Auchtintyre. Young Smith entered the parish school at seven years of age where he remained a year, when he was taken charge of by the Society for the Education of Parochial Schoolmasters from whose care he passed to the University of Aberdeen in 1741, where he resided some time but did not remain for graduation as there appears no record of this in the annals of either of the Colleges. 1 His biographer places him next in London, in 1750, as Commissioner for the Established or Parochial Schoolmasters in Scotland, addressing a "Memorial on their behalf to the great men in Parliament; " and in the same year he published an Essay on Liberty. 2 1 Life of Rev, William Smith, D.D., by his great-grandson, Horace Wemyss Smith, Philada, 1880, i, 20. The biographer states he graduated in 1747, but his degree of 1759 of Sacrosantse Theologise Doctorem et Magistrem from the University of Aberdeen makes no reference to this earlier degree, i, 202. The official record of the. Doctorate is as follows: "Kings College 7th March, 1759, Convened the Principal and Masters. The said day the University unanimously agreed to conferr the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon the Reverend Mr. William Smith Provost of the College of Philadelphia. Jo'. Chalmers, Prin'U." vide letters of 27 May, 1887, and 3 February, 1888, from P. J. Anderson. LL.B., Librarian of the University of Aberdeen. Had Mr. Smith been an alumnus, the fact would have been here noticed. Mr. Anderson writes in the latter, " The absence of the title ' M. A.' is I think conclusive as to Mr. Smith's not possessing the degree."

2 " The whole of the year 1750 he passed in London and I have every reason to believe that during that time he acted as clerk for the Honorable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. " ibid i, 20. We form some idea of the man and his early record from Archbishop Sherlock's letter testimonial of him to Thomas Penn, dated 19 September, 1753: Sir The bearer of this Mr. William Smith is desirous of being known and recommended to you and I make no difficulty of taking the liberty of complying with his request. He came to me from Scotland about two years ago, with very ample Testimonials of his capacity and morals and affection to the King and our Constitution. Had he stayd here, I should have had my Eye upon him, but a good opportunity offering he went off as Tutor, to some young Lad, to New York. How he behaved there, the enclosed Letters will inform you very fully, and at the same