Smoot, W. M. The Sectarian: Collection of Hymns adapted to the Faith of the Antime'ns Predestinar'n Old School Baptist of America. Occoquan, Va.: Sectarian Building, 1904. First Edition. [9125]
Black cloth, quite worn at the edges and joints, covers still well-attached, 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches. Marbled end papers, viii., 634 pp., text complete. Several printed hymns, a small photo, and other ephemera laid in. "Phanetta Davis, Book June 12th 1904" on one ffep; "This was my Sister Phonetta Davis Old School Baptist Hymn Book and she gave it to me Oct 19, 1945. Mrs. Mary A. Allen" on another. Fair. Hardcover.
The use of the apostrophes in the title may have been due to the size of Elder Smoot's home press. It may have been necessary to use them in place of capital A's to shorten the line, which matches the other longest line on the page.
Not in Starr, but he does list Smoot's Contest of Primitive Baptists, 1886-1889, and Prohibition fanaticism; being an editorial in the Sectarian...May, 1908. Both printed at Occoquan, Virginia. Not in Music & Richardson.
Elder William Middleton Smoot (ca. 1848-1938), for many years a leading Predestinarian Old School Primitive Baptist preacher and writer in Prince William Co., Virginia; his parishioners became known as "Smootites." At the request of the church at Quantico he was ordained in August, 1874 by Elder J. L. Purington at the Corresponding Meeting held at Broad Run, Virginia. He self-published from his home a monthly newsletter - The Sectarian - "devoted to the cause of the Anti-Means, Old School, Predestinarian, or Bible Baptists." He was pastor at Occoquan for sixty-six years, the church being also known as Bacon Race Church or Oak Grove Church. It was founded about 1774 by Elder David Thomas, and Smoot was the last pastor of the congregation; the church building sat empty for many years and finally collapsed in 1987. He is buried in the cemetery along with Confederate soldiers including members of Mosby's Rangers.
There is a history of the Occoquan church online, by Darlene L. Hunter, History of Occoquan Baptist Church, Prince William County Virginia.
With a signed provenance card from the collection of A. Merril Smoak, Jr., DWS.
