Call Number:

MC.1216

Repository:

Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections

Extent:

1.5 linear ft. (9 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Reinhardt, Hawley and Hewes family papers (HC.MC.1216), Quaker & Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA

Date:

1762-1955 (inclusive)

Creator:

Hawley family, Hewes family, and Reinhardt family

Form:

Sketches, Account books, clippings (information artifacts), Deeds, Correspondence, family papers, Diaries, Genealogical tables, Marriage certificates, Photograph albums, and Photographs

Abstract:

The Reinhardt, Hawley, Hewes and Meredith families are tied together through marriage and their Quaker faith across multiple generations. William Dell Reinhardt, a University of Pennsylvania graduate and doctor, married Rebecca Hawley, a teacher. They had six children: Jesse Hawley Reinhardt, Mary Bailey Reinhardt, Esther Meredith Reinhardt, Lydia Ludwig Reinhardt, Elizabeth Christina Reinhardt, and David Jones Reinhardt. David Jones Reinhardt married Anna Margaret Hewes in 1896. These individuals created the bulk of the material contained within this collection. This collection consists of correspondence; account books; certificates; diaries and household information lists; friendship books; land and insurance records; marriage certificates; miscellaneous family records; wills and estates; genealogical research; photographs; Quaker tracts and poetry; newspaper clippings; and Acts of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania. Before looking into the collection, a researcher should take advantage of the book, The Reinhardts and Hawleys of Chester County, PA: Lives and Letters, Also Including Related Families of Meredith, Mendenhall, Pugh, Etc. and the Hewes of Salem County, NJ, by Ann M. P. McCormack, which includes duplicated copies of much of this collection with family interpretation. Most of the letters have been transcribed which is extremely helpful as the handwriting of the Reinhardts, Hawleys, Hewes, Mendenhalls and Merediths is frequently difficult to read. This collection will be of great interest to researchers interested in Quaker families, specifically in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The collection includes a wealth of documentation of family life for over a hundred years from the late 1700s to the early 1900s.

The Reinhardt, Hawley, Hewes and Meredith families are tied together through marriage and their Quaker faith across multiple generations. The Reinhardt branch of the family became involved with the Hawley, Hewes, and Merediths with the marriage of William Dell Reinhardt and Rebecca Hawley. William Dell Reinhardt was born on July 13, 1830, the son of Isaac Reinhardt, a miller, and Lydia Ludwig Reinhardt of Marietta, Lancaster County, PA. He was one of 10 children.

William Dell Reinhardt graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and lived in Harrisburg, PA. With financial problems always on the horizon, he travelled to Brazil, where his brother John Cooper Reinhardt worked as a doctor and botanist, and practiced medicine there. He returned to Pennsylvania in the spring of 1866 and on December 24, 1866, he married Rebecca Hawley. According to Ann P. McCormack, his medical practice was not always successful and financial security was constantly a concern.

The Hawley family's earliest ties to this collection are Joseph Hawley (1760-1856) and his wife Rebecca Meredith Hawley (1766-1851). Their son Jesse Hawley (1806-1887) married Esther Meredith Hawley (1807-1900), the daughter of John Meredith (1776-1825) and Ann Mendenhall Meredith (1776-1871) and became the parents of Rebecca Hawley Reinhardt. Jesse and Esther Meredith Hawley ran the Pughtown School for Girls, also known as Ivy Hall, in Pughtown, PA. Rebecca taught at their school at the age of 24. Rebecca's sister Annie graduated from Hahnemann College in 1873 with a degree in medicine and established a practice in Pughtown.

William Dell and Rebecca Hawley Reinhardt had six children: David Jones Reinhardt (1867-1935), Jesse Hawley Reinhardt (1869-1938), Mary Bailey Reinhardt (1870-1962), Esther Meredith Reinhardt (1872-1950), Lydia Ludwig Reinhardt (1875(6)-1967), and Elizabeth Christina Reinhardt (1878-1969). Between 1873 and 1874, the family moved to Jefferson Furnace in Clarion County. They also lived in Marlboro and Salem, NJ where Rebecca taught at a Friends' School after the death of William on May 25, 1880.

Their eldest son, David Jones Reinhardt married Anna Margaret Hewes of Salem, New Jersey (1867-1955) on June 30, 1896. Her parents were Thomas Hewes and Elizabeth Miller. Anna Margaret Hewes attended Salem High School, followed Froebel courses, taught kindergarten and primary school, and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. David Jones Reinhardt graduated from Haverford College in 1889 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He read law in Wilmington under Colonel Benjamin Nields and, on June 3, 1896, was admittted to the Bar of Delaware. He served as Solicitor for Wilmington from 1901 to 1903; as Senator in the Delaware State Senate from 1913 to 1915; Attorney General of Delaware from 1917 to 1921; United States Attorney for District of Delaware from 1924 to 1927; and Resident Judge of New Castle County. In March 1933, he became Associate Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and Lecturer on Delaware procedure at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. David Jones Reinhardt's son, David, Jr. and his grandson, Joseph, also graduated from Haverford College and were admitted to the Bar.

This collection consists of fourteen series: "Correspondence," "Account Books," "Certificates," "Diaries and Household Information Lists," "Friendship Books," "Land and Insurance Records," "Marriage Certificates," "Miscellaneous Family Records," "Wills and Estates," "Genealogical Research," "Photographs," "Quaker Tracts and Poetry," "Newspaper Clippings," and Acts of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania. Before looking into the collection, a researcher should take advantage of the book, The Reinhardts and Hawleys of Chester County, PA: Lives and Letters, Also Including Related Families of Meredith, Mendenhall, Pugh, Etc. and the Hewes of Salem County, NJ, by Ann M. P. McCormack, which includes duplicated copies of much of this collection with family interpretation. Most of the letters have been transcribed which is extremely helpful as the handwriting of the Reinhardts, Hawleys, Hewes, Mendenhalls and Merediths is frequently difficult to read.

Series were largely determined from the original order created by Ann M. P. McCormack.

The "Correspondence" series is arranged alphabetically by family name. Although this list is not comprehensive, the bulk of the correspondents include: Esther T. M. Hawley, Jesse Hawley, Jesse G. Hawley, Anna Margaret Reinhardt, David Jones Reinhardt, Rebecca Hawley Reinhardt, and William Dell Reinhardt. One folder of Meredith family correspondence also exists. This correspondence is mostly related to family matters.

"Account Books," were kept by Isaac Meredith, the Hawley store (attributed to the Hawley store by Ann M. P. McCormack), and Jesse and Joel Hawley. These account books are arranged chronologically.

The "Certificates" series includes travel and church certificates of the Reinhardt family. There is also a certificate of membership in the National Washington Monument Society.

Many of the Reinhardts kept diaries and they may be found in the "Diaries and Household Information Lists." Household information lists were included in this series because, in some cases, they are an almost daily record of household work. Diary keepers include Rebecca Hawley Reinhardt, Esther T. M. Reinhardt, David Jones Reinhardt, Chrissie Reinhardt Hamar, Elizabeth Christina Reinhardt and Mary Bailey Reinhardt. These diaries are arranged in chronological order.

"Friendship Books" were kept by Chrissie Jones and Rebecca Meredith Hawley.

The "Land and Insurance Records" include deeds, mortgages and fire insurance records for land sold or purchased by the Pughs, Mendenhalls, Hawleys and Reinhardts. This series is organized in chronological order.

The collection contains "Marriage Certificates" for John Meredith and Ann Mendenhall, Thomas Hewes and Elizabeth Miller, and John Miller and Mary Test Andrews; and they are arranged in chronological order.

"Miscellanous family records" include financial agreements, a Quaker calendar, passports of David Jones and Margaret Hawley Reinhardt, and a sketchbook of Rebecca Hawley. Rebecca Hawley's sketchbook includes drawings of Kennett Square, Pughtown, General Wayne's residence, and studies of horse hooves.

Included in the collection is the will of Isaac Meredith, estate information for Jesse G. Hawley and Esther Hawley. These materials in "Wills and Estates," are arranged chronologically.

David Jones Reinhardt and his family performed a great deal of genealogical research on the Reinhardt, Hawley, Hewes and related families. This research is included in "Genealogical Research performed by the Reinhardts," and includes family trees, newspaper clippings, and information on the Hawleys, Hewes, Mendenhalls, Merediths, Moores, Reinhardts and Thomases. These materials are organized alphabetically by family name.

The "Photographs" in this collection are particularly rich and almost all are identified by Ann M. P. McCormack. They are arranged alphabetically by family name.

The last three series are less family centered and include "Quaker Tracts and Poetry," "Newspaper Clippings," and the " Acts of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania." Included newspaper clippings are from the National Anti-Slavery Standard, the Press, and the Village Record or the Chester and Delaware Federalist. The Acts of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania are contained in one volume (the first 18 pages are missing) running from 1682 to 1765. This volume is extremely fragile.

This collection will be of great interest to researchers interested in Quaker families, specifically in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The collection includes a wealth of documentation of family life for over a hundred years from the late 1700s to the early 1900s.