Series II: Sydney Smith portraits, circa 1830s

The collection includes correspondence, two portraits of Sydney Smith and a sonnet, Sonnet to a Friend. The letters are handwritten and most are signed. The bulk of the letters are from Sydney Smith to Francis Wrangham, both Church of England clergymen. Subjects covered in their correspondence include comments on sermons, writings and political topics, namely the Catholic Emancipation Bill which eventually passed in 1829, enabling Catholics to sit in the British Parliament. Another noted correspondent is George Lamb (1784-1834), a politician and writer; Smith references the Edinburgh Review in a letter to Lamb (November 15, 1826). Other correspondents include James Tate, Master of Richmond School and a colleague of Smith’s at St. Paul’s, Christopher Hodgson, also a colleague at St. Paul’s and Lady Copley, later Lady Lyndhurst, wife of John Singleton Copley. Some of the correspondents are unknown. Typed transcriptions of Smith’s letters to Francis Wrangham are included.

The portraits include a lithograph with facsimile autograph and an engraving with facsimile autograph. The lithograph is attributed to history and portrait painter Daniel Maclise (1806-1870). The engraving includes the following notation, Engraved by permission from a miniature ivory in the possession of Miss Holland.