The Important Governor Jeremiah Smith Very Fine and Rare George II Parcel Gilt and Figured Mahogany Looking Glass, England, circa 1750

In excellent condition and retains its original mirror plate.

Governor Jeremiah Smith (1759-1842), New Hampshire;
Ffrost family, Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Auction, August 7-8, 1999, lot 349 sold for $60,800;
Sumpter Priddy, Alexandria, Virginia

David Hewett, "Bourgeault's Biggest Summer Sale Ever," Maine Antique Digest, October 1999

In excelent condition throughout.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A very closely related looking glass was owned by Woodbury Langley (1738-1805), Portsmouth, New Hampshire and is now in the collection of the Portsmouth Historical society (Brock Jobe, Portsmouth Furniture: Masterworks from the New Hampshire Seacoast, (Boston, MA: Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, 1993), p. 409-11, no. 116).

Jeremiah Smith (1759 –1842) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician from Exeter, New Hampshire.  Born in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Smith attended Harvard University before graduating from Queens College, New Brunswick (now Rutgers University) in 1780.  He served in the Continental Army, and entered the bar in 1786.  He was a member, of the New Hampshire State Legislature from 1798 to 1791, and represented the state in the United States House of Representatives from 1791 to 1797.  He was a United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire from 1797 to 1800 and a probate judge of Rockingham County, New Hampshire from 1800 to 1801.

In 1802, Smith became Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire, serving to 1809.  Smith was elected Governor of New Hampshire in 1809, defeating incumbent Governor John Langdon by only 319 votes.  In 1813 he again became Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire until 1816 . He had a private practice New Hampshire from 1816 to 1820 and died in 1842 in Dover, New Hampshire.  He is buried at the Winter Street Cemetery in Exeter, New Hampshire