author
J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
1798–1881
A lively 19th-century man of letters, he moved easily between books, gardens, and civic life in Philadelphia. His writing ranges from travel and history to practical works on trees, cemeteries, and notable American families.
23 Audiobooks
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 12. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 10
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 20
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 19. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 22. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 13. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 17. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 08
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 02
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 03
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 21. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 04
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 18. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 11. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 16. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 15. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 14. Second Series
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 09
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 01
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities: Second Series, Complete
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 07
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 05
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 06
by J. Jay (John Jay) Smith, John F. (John Fanning) Watson
About the author
Born in 1798 into a Quaker family from Burlington County, New Jersey, he began his working life as a pharmacist before building a much broader literary and civic career in Philadelphia. He served for years as librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia, where he became known as a collector of manuscripts and local historical material.
He also wrote and edited widely. Library records and bibliographic listings connect his name with works on American history and genealogy, travel, criminal trials, and horticulture, as well as a translation of The North American Sylva. He was closely associated with the early development of Laurel Hill Cemetery and published books connected with its design and history.
That mix of practical curiosity and cultural energy gives his work its character. Whether he was writing about families, landscapes, or public memory, he seems to have brought the same collector's eye and strong sense of place. He died in 1881.