SMITH, Josiah, clergyman, born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1704; died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in October, 1781. His grandfather, Thomas, was a landgrave and governor of the province of South Carolina. Josiah was graduated at Harvard in 1725, being the first native of South Carolina to receive a college degree. He was ordained in 1726, returned to Charleston, and was successively pastor of Presbyterian churches in Bermuda, Cainhoy, and Charleston, South Carolina tie maintained a learned disputation with Hugh Fisher in 1730 on the subject of the right of private judgment, and in 1740 espoused the cause of George Whitefield, whom he invited to occupy his pulpit. He was an earnest friend of American independence, and on the surrender of Charleston became a prisoner of war, was taken to Philadelphia, and died there while in confinement. He published numerous discourses, and a volume of sermons (Charleston, 1752).