Smith, Samuel

Smith, Samuel, an English clergyman and popular writer of tracts, was born in or near Dudley, Worcestershire, in 1588, and studied for some time at St. Mary's Hall, Oxford. He left without taking a degree, and became beneficed at Prittlewell, Essex, and afterwards, as Wood says, in his own county; but, according to Calamy, he had the perpetual curacy of Cressedge and Cound, Shropshire. On the breaking out of the Rebellion he went to London, and sided with the Presbyterians. On his return to the country he was appointed an assistant to the commissioners for the ejection of scandalous and ignorant ministers and schoolmasters." At the Restoration he was ejected from Cressedge. The time of his death is unknown, but, according to Wood, he was living near Dudley in 1663. Smith's works are, David's Blessed Man (Lond. 8vo): — The Great Assize (12mo; thirty-one editions of which appeared before 1684): — A Fold for Christ's Sheep (printed thirty-two times): — The Christian's Guide: — besides other tracts and sermons. See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. s.v.; Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.