| 678 CHAPTER 40.
WILLIAM H. KELLEY's biography we are obliged to omit for the reason that up to the time of going to press we have not received the manuscript from him nor his authority to write it.
T. W. SMITH.
Thomas Wood Smith, son of Henry and Mary Ann Boyer Smith, was born on the 7th of March, 1838, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of five years he was sent to school; and having a fine, retentive memory, he made rapid progress. He attended the schools of Philadelphia about eight years.
In 1853 he joined the Independent Christian Church, of Philadelphia. This church was connected with what is known as the Christian Connection, or New Light; but as it did not belong to any conference of that body, it was called the Independent Christian Church.
He studied theology under a Mr. Wilson, who was pastor of the above-named church; but having an independent mind he did not agree entirely with his instructor nor with others with whom he had the privilege of communing.
At the age of nineteen he began to preach; but later hearing of the doctrine of the Disciples, or Christian Church, he became convinced that baptism for the remission of sins was a scriptural doctrine, but could not find any one whom he felt was authorized to baptize him. But finally after convincing a fellow minister by the name of Joseph S. Smith of
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