Smith, William (2)

Smith, William (2), a learned English divine, was born in Worcester in 1711, and educated at the grammar school of that city, and afterwards at New College, Oxford, from which he graduated in 1732. In 1735 he was presented by James, earl of Derby, to the rectory of Trinity Church; Chester, and by his son to the deanery of Chester in 1758. He held the mastership of Brentwood School, Essex, for one year, 1748; and in 1758 was nominated one of the ministers of St. George's Church, Liverpool, which he resigned in 1767. With his deanery he held the parish churches of Handley and Trinity, but in 1780 resigned the last for the rectory of West Kirkby. He died Jan. 12, 1787. He is known in the literary world chiefly by his valuable translation of Longinus on the Sublime (1738, 8vo): — -Thucydides (1753, 2 vols. 4to; reprinted in 1781, 8vo): — Xenophon's History of the Affairs of Greece (1770, 4to): — Nine Sermons on the Beatitudes (1782, 8vo). See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. s.v.; Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 61; Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.