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06/03/1771 He was born. at Woodford, Essex, the son of Robert Smith. Sydney was the second of four brothers and one sister 1789 Sydney Smith became a scholar of New College, Oxford 1792 received a BA from New College 1796 received a MA from New College 1796 He planned to read for the bar, but his father disagreed, and he was reluctantly compelled to take holy orders. He was ordained at Oxford, England 1796 became curate of the village of Nether Avon, near Amesbury, in Salisbury Plain. 1800 Smith published his first book, Six Sermons, preached in Charlotte Street Chapel, Edinburgh 1800 married Catharine Amelia Pybus, They settled at 46 George Street, Edinburgh. 1802 remained long enough in Edinburgh to edit the first number of the Edinburgh Review. "The motto I proposed for the Review was Tenui musam meditamur avena. `We cultivate literature on a little oatmeal.` But this was too near the truth to be admitted, and so we took our present grave motto from Publius Syrus, of whom, none of us, I am sure, had ever read a single line." 1803 He left Edinburgh for good, and settled in London 1804 He lectured on moral philosophy at the Royal Institution for three seasons, from 1804 to 1806: and treated his subject with such vigour and liveliness that the London world crowded to Albemarle Street to hear him. 1807 Smith published the first instalment of his most famous work, Peter Plymley`s Letters, on the subject of Catholic emancipation, ridiculing the opposition of the country clergy. 1826 One of his most vigorous and effective polemics was A Letter to the Electors upon the Catholic Question Approx 1837 Three Letters to Archdeacon Singleton on the Ecclesiastical Commission The first was published in 1837, the second 1838, and the third 1839) 1843 Petition and Letters on the repudiation of debts by the state of Pennsylvania 02/22/1845 He died at his house in Green Street, London and was buried at Kensal Green. 1850 When Smith was done with his lectures from the Royal Institute, he threw them in the fire. His wife rescued them and they were published under the title Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy |