Smith, Samuel Francis

D.D. (Waterville College, now Colby University, Waterville, Me., 1854), Baptist; b. in Boston, Ma ., Oct. 21, 1808; educated at Boston Latin School, 1820-25; graduated at Harvard University, Cambridge, Ma ., 1829, and at And over Theological Seminary, Ma ., 1832; was pastor of the First Baptist Church, Waterville, Me., 1834-42, and during the same period profe or of modern languages in Waterville College; pastor of First Baptist Church, Newton, Ma ., January, 1842, to July 1, 1854 editor of The Christian Review, Boston, January, 1842-48, and of the publications of the American Baptist Mi ionary Union, 1854-69. He spent a year in Europe, from July, 1875, to July, 1876; also over two years in Europe and Asia, visiting mi ionary stations of various denominations, from September, 1880, to October, 1882. He resides at Newton Centre, Ma . He is the | author of the national hymn, My country, 'tis of! thee (written at And over, Ma ., in February, 1832, while a student in the theological seminary), and the mi ionary hymn, The morning light is breaking (in same year and place), and many others. Most of the pieces included in Lowell Mason's Juvenile Lyre (Boston, 1832), the first book of children's music, were his trans is composed of his translations from the German Conversations-Lexicon of Brockhaus. He was editor of Lyric Gems (selections of poetry, with several original pieces), Boston, 1843; The Psalmist (chiefly his work, with twenty-seven of his hymns the hymn-book of the Baptist Churches of the United States for thirty years), 1843; Rock of Ages (selections of poetry, with several original pieces), 1866, new ed. 1877; several volumes for D. Lothrop & Co., Boston; etc.; author of Life of Rev. Joseph Grafton, 1848; Mi ionary Sketches, 1879, last ed. 1883; History of Newton, Ma ., 1880; Rambles in Mi ion fields, 1884; contributions to many periodicals. See America: our National Hymn, Boston [1880].