HISTORICAL NOTE

The Mary Byers Smith Papers are mainly concerned with her poetry during her lifetime. The granddaughter of John Smith (1796-1886) (See MsS Inventory), Mary Byers Smith was the sixth of nine children of Joseph Warren Smith and Frances (Fannie) Smart Donald (daughter of Scottish immigrants). The children were: Helen Ferguson (who died at age 1 ½); George Ferguson; William Donald; Agnes Gleason; (who married Markham W. Stackpole); John Duke (1876-1941); Joseph Warren, Jr. (1879-1900); Winnifred; mary Byers, and Norman (b. 1887)

Mary Byers Smith was born in Andover in 1885. She was educated at Smith College (class of 1908) and studied English at Radcliffe College for one year.

In 1916 Miss Smith and Marion E. Dodd founded the Hampshire Bookshop in Northampton, which was staffed by women, as well as owned by women. The book shop ran lectures and discussions with authors, including Robert Frost.

In the 1920’s Miss Smith was the first woman to be elected a member of the Andover School Committee. She was also a trustee of the Memorial Library, which had been founded by her grandfather, John Smith.

Moving to Boston in the 1940’s, Miss Smith became a trustee of the New England Hospital for Women and Children, and treasurer of the Orchard Home for Girls. She also worked as a volunteer with the state Department of Social Services, helping establish libraries in hospitals and prisons.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The papers consist mainly of printed materials; the type-script copy of “family Sketches” with criticism, and photocopied copies of poems, the originals of which have been donated to Smith College.

Divided in five sections, called sub-groups, the subjects are: typescript, miscellaneous, unpublished poetry, House Beautiful and published poetry.

The first sections contains nine chapters of ‘Family Sketches” with pencilled critical remakrs in the margins. Included in the chapters are storiesof Biddeford Pool, Maine, (“A Map of Our World”); “Boss John”, about Smith’s grandfather, and Joseph Warren, her father; “Miss Donald”, the story of courtship of her parents; “Bella”, a childhood recollection of a neighbor; “Helen”, a story of a sister who died at age 1 ½; and “Norman”, her brother.

Section two consists of printed papers, such as the lease of land to Joseph W. Smith, a programme from the Free Church, and a page autobiographical note from the Smith College Catalogue, c. 1918. Also included in this group is a letter from William Lloyd Garrison to John Smith.

The third section contains pages of several House Beautiful magazines, dated September, 1928, and October, 1928.

Section four is published poetry which appeared in such magazines as the Saturday Review of Literature, (January 6, 1934) and The Family.

Processed by Susan E. Keats, November 1985.