NASMITH, DAVID, the founder of city missions, was born in Glasgow in 1799, and was early placed in a mercantile house. From the age of fourteen onwards, his life was devoted to the welfare of his fellow-men. He began his philanthropic career by imparting religious instruction to prisoners, and exerting himself to establish schools and Bible associations. The next undertaking that engaged his attention was the establishment of young men's societies. So successfully did he execute this project, that between 1823 and 1826 he had been the means of instituting seventy of these associations in Great Britain, France, and America. He then addressed himself to the great work of his life, the converting of the irreligious of large towns. The Glasgow city mission, established in 1826, was the first result of his zeal. Stimulated by this success, he resolved in 1828 to devote himself entirely to his great enterprise, and accordingly resigned his situation of clerk to the Institution House in his native town, an office which he had held for seven years. On a scanty pittance, supplied by some friends, Nasmith travelled through Ireland, the United States, and Canada, founding missions in all the large towns which he visited. The British capital was the next great field of his labour. Taking up his abode there in 1835, the unwearied philanthropist was engaged for the remainder of his life in establishing the London city missions. Meanwhile the rest of the country was frequently visited, and similar institutions were founded in the large towns of England, and in Edinburgh and the other principal towns
Nasmyth of Scotland. He was abroad on his great errand when he died at Guildford in November 1839. Memoirs of Nasmyth, by Dr John Campbell, were published in 8vo, London, 1844.