Sprague, William B. (William Buell), 1795-1876

Clergyman and autograph collector from Albany, N.Y.

American pastor, collector, and biographer.

William Buell Sprague (1795-1876) was an American Presbyterian clergyman and author. A graduate of Yale and of Princeton Theological seminary, he was installed as pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, Albany, New York in 1829. He is the author of the nine-volume work Annals of the Pulpit of All Denominations, a comprehensive biographical dictionary of American Protestant ministers up to 1850. Sprague was also an avid collector of autorgraphs, particularly those of important American statesmen.

American Presbyterian Divine and autograph collector.

William Buell Sprague was born in Andover, Connecticut, and educated at Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary, being ordained a minister in 1819. He became pastor at the Congregational Church in West Springfield, Massachusetts; in 1829, he moved to the Second Presbyterian Church in Albany, New York, where he served for forty years. Sprague was also a prolific writer and published many of his serrmons and tracts; he also compiled or wrote biographies of hundreds of United States clergymen, collecting them into The Annals of the American Pulpit, a nine-volume set that continues to be a valuable source. He was also an eminent collector of American books, manuscripts, and autographs.

William Buell Sprague was a Albany, New York Congregational clergyman, author and autograph collector.

Rev. William Buell Sprague was a Albany, New York Congregational clergyman, author and an autograph collector.

Author of book, ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN PULPIT.

Clergyman, antiquarian, and collector.

American clergyman, biographer and collector.

Clergyman, author, and autograph collector.

William Buell Sprague (1795-1876), clergyman and autograph collector. He was born in Andover, Conn, a son of Benjamin Sprague and Sybil Buell. William Sprague's great grand uncle, John Buell, was one of the original proprietors of Litchfield. After graduation from Yale in 1815, Sprague was a private tutor, studied two years at Princeton theological seminary. In 1819, he was ordained pastor of the First Congregational Church in West Springfield, Mass., remaining there until 1829, when he was installed as pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Albany, N.Y. He held this charge until 1869, when he resigned and moved to Flushing, N.Y. In 1828 and 1836 he visited Europe. Sprague was an enthusiastic collector of religious pamphlets and autographs. He gave his autographs, numbering nearly 100,000, to his son. Sprague was the author of more than 100 published sermons, memoirs, addresses, and essays, and wrote many introductions to books. His principal work was "Annals of the American Pulpit."