Smith, Hannah Whitall, 1832-1911

Variant names

Hide Profile

Religious leader and author.

Hannah Whitall Smith preached and wrote on religious subjects and became involved in the temperance and suffrage movements. When her daughter Mary married English barrister Frank Costelloe in 1888, Hannah, her husband Robert and their children, Alys and Logan, joined Mary in England. Alys married philosopher Bertrand Russell and worked for women's rights as well as other political issues. When Mary's marriage failed soon after the birth of their second daughter Karin, she left England to tour the museums and cathedrals of Europe with her future husband, art critic Bernard Berenson. Her older daughter Ray dedicated herself to women's issues, while Karin became a pioneer in Freudian psychoanalysis and one of Britain's first psychoanalysts. Ray married into the Strachey family and Karin wed Virginia Woolf's brother Adrian Stephen.

From the description of Papers, 1817-1987. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 27155573

H.W.S. was an American Quaker philanthropist and author of many tracts and books about holiness and other religious subjects.

Born in 1832, she married Robert Pearsall Smith in 1851, and subsequently had several children. In 1858 she was converted to Christianity, but in 1867 underwent a deeper spiritual life experience. She and her husband taught Bible classes and undertook many religious projects in Philadelphia. In 1873-1874 Hannah and Robert held a series of religious meetings in England, and in 1888 they moved to London to continue their religious work there.

From the description of Papers, 1847-1928. (Asbury Theological Seminary). WorldCat record id: 12689860

Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911), American evangelist, writer, and reformer, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a strict Quaker home and from childhood had a passion for religion and introspection. Hannah married Robert Pearsall Smith (1827-1899) in 1851 and settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania. In 1864 they moved to Millville, New Jersey, where they joined the Wesleyan-based Holiness movement. They had two daughters, Mary (1864-1945) and Alys (1867-1951), and one son, Logan Pearsall (1865-1946). In the late 1860's Hannah began preaching and writing on religious subjects, and later became involved in the temperance and suffrage movements, founding the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in 1874. When Mary married English barrister Frank Costelloe in 1888, the family moved to England where Hannah continued her work. It was there that Alys married philosopher Bertrand Russell. Alys joined her mother in working for women's rights and had a keen interest in political issues.

Meanwhile Mary's marriage to Frank Costelloe failed soon after the birth of their second daughter Karin. Mary left England to tour the museums and cathedrals of Europe with her future husband, art critic Bernard Berenson. Mary's daughters Ray and Karin stayed in England with their father and thrived under the influence of their grandmother Hannah. Ray became the third generation of "Whitall" women to devote her life to women's issues, while Karin became a pioneer in Freudian psychoanalysis and one of Britain's first psychoanalysts. The circle of friends and relatives broadened further when Ray married into the Strachey family and Karin wed Virginia Woolf's brother Adrian Stephen.

From the guide to the Smith, H.W. mss., 1817-1987, (Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Whitall-Smith family papers. 1830-1959 (bulk 1887-1894). Biblioteca Berenson, Villa I Tatti - The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies
creatorOf Leeds, Josiah W. (Josiah Woodward). Scrapbooks, 1872-1907. Haverford College Library
creatorOf Clifford, W. K., Mrs., d. 1929. Letter : Shulbrede Priory, to "Mrs. Pearsall Smith" (Hannah Whitall Smith), undated. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
creatorOf Smith, Hannah Whitall, 1832-1911. Letter : Germantown, Pa., to "My dear Mary," 1856 May 27. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
creatorOf Smith, Hannah Whitall, 1832-1911. Papers, 1817-1987. Indiana University
creatorOf Smith, Hannah Whitall, 1832-1911. Letters of Hannah Whitall Smith, 1899-1911. Haverford College Library
referencedIn Whitall-Smith family papers, 1825-1897. Library of Congress
creatorOf Smith, Hannah Whitall, 1832-1911. Papers, 1847-1928. Asbury Theological Seminary, B.L. Fisher Library
creatorOf Cobbe, Frances Powers, 1822-1904. Letter : Dolgelly, N. Wales, to "Mrs. Pearsall Smith"(Hannah Whitall Smith), July 22. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
creatorOf Whitall family. Papers, 1815-1912. Haverford College Library
creatorOf Smith, H.W. mss., 1817-1987 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906. person
associatedWith Barton, Clara, 1821-1912. person
associatedWith Berenson, Bernard, 1865-1959. person
associatedWith Berenson, Mary, 1864-1945. person
associatedWith Boddy, A. A. person
associatedWith Booth-Clibborn, Arthur Sidney. person
associatedWith Brotherhood of the New Life. corporateBody
associatedWith Browning, Robert, 1812-1889. person
associatedWith Bussy, Dorothy. person
associatedWith Church of the Agapemone. corporateBody
associatedWith Clifford, W. K., Mrs., d. 1929. person
associatedWith Cobbe, Frances Powers, 1822-1904. person
associatedWith Costelloe, Frank, 1855-1899. person
associatedWith Dowie, John Alexander, 1847-1907. person
associatedWith Eddy, Mary Baker, 1821-1910. person
associatedWith Folwell, Abby. person
associatedWith Harrison, Jane Ellen, 1850-1928. person
associatedWith Holland, Constance. person
associatedWith James, William, 1842-1910. person
associatedWith Jukes, Andrew John, 1815-1900. person
associatedWith Leeds, Josiah W. (Josiah Woodward) person
associatedWith McDonald, George, 1862-1940. person
associatedWith Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max), 1823-1900. person
associatedWith Penn-Lewis, Jessie, 1861-1927. person
associatedWith Piggot, J. H. person
associatedWith Pillars of Fire. corporateBody
associatedWith Revell, Fleming H. person
associatedWith Russell, Alys Whitall Pearsall, 1867-1951. person
associatedWith Russell, Bertrand, 1872-1970. person
associatedWith Scott, Geoffrey, 1885-1929. person
associatedWith Shipley, Ann. person
associatedWith Smith, Logan Pearsall, 1865-1946. person
associatedWith Smith, Robert Pearsall, 1827-1898. person
associatedWith Somerset, Henry, Lady, 1851-1921. person
associatedWith Stephen, Adrian. person
associatedWith Stephen, Karin. person
associatedWith Strachey, Alix, 1892-1973. person
associatedWith Strachey, Barbara, 1912- person
associatedWith Strachey, Julia Frances, 1901-1979. person
associatedWith Strachey, Oliver, 1874-1960. person
associatedWith Strachey, Ray, 1887-1940. person
associatedWith Strachey, Ray (Rachel Conn Costelloe), 1887-1940. person
associatedWith Thomas, M. Carey (Martha Carey), 1857-1935. person
associatedWith Whitall family. family
associatedWith Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892. person
associatedWith Wilberforce, Basil (Albert Basil Orme), 1841-1916. person
associatedWith Willard, Frances Elizabeth, 1839-1898. person
associatedWith Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Wales
Great Britain
United States
Subject
Christian Science
Fanaticism
Society of Friends
Glossolalia
Higher Life movement
Revivals
Temperance
Women
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1832-02-07

Death 1911-05-01

Britons

English

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6th8w8t

Ark ID: w6th8w8t

SNAC ID: 66804853