Year: <span class="from" data-blrl-begin="1650">1650</span> to <span class="to" data-blrl-end="1699">1699</span> - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Copy Books and Commonplace Books, 1500-1929 (inclusive)

Extent:: 14 volumes
Abstract:

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Melanie Atherton Updegraff Collection, 1910s-1980s (bulk) 1685-2020 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4 linear ft. (4 boxes and 10 folders)
Abstract:: Melanie Atherton Updegraff (1886-1973) was a 1908 graduate of Bryn Mawr who went on to do missionary work for the Presbyterian Mission Board alongside her husband, Reverend David Benjamin Updegraff. The two were primarily stationed in Kolhapur and later Nipani, in West India. The collection includes correspondence between Updegraff and her sisters, children, and sister-in-law, among other family members, photographs of the Atherton and Updegraff families, an autograph collection, and brochures, pamphlets, and official documentation pertaining to Updegraff's missionary work. Updegraff's four sisters and three daughters all went to Bryn Mawr, and we hear about entrance exams, musical productions, and other campus activities in their letters.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Joshua Humphreys papers, 1660-1931, undated; bulk circa 1770 - 1931

Extent:: 4.0 linear feet (; 19 volumes, 5 boxes)
Abstract:: In 1751, Joshua Humphreys was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and became the nation's most important naval architect in the post-Revolutionary era concerned with building and retrofitting military fleets. His most well-known ship is the Constitution, which is known as "Old Ironsides" and is the oldest commissioned U.S. naval vessel still afloat. In 1803, Humphreys retired, and his son Samuel continued the business. This collection consists of volumes, including daybooks and financial records; correspondence; family papers; and legal documents.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Logan family papers, 1670-1872 (bulk) 1638-1964 (bulk 1670-1872) (inclusive)

Extent:: 34.8 linear feet (65 boxes, 79 volumes, 12 flat files)
Abstract:: The Logan family was a prominent Philadelphia family dating back to 1699, when James Logan, the family patriarch, arrived in Philadelphia to serve as the first secretary of the Pennsylvania colony. Through work in agriculture and politics, Logan and his descendants were intimately involved in the development of the Pennsylvania colony and, later, the fledging United States. James Logan's prominence resulted in connections, both professional and familial, with other prominent colonial families, including the Norris and Dickinson families. The Logan family papers, 1638-1964 (bulk 1670-1872), documents James Logan’s personal and professional life, as well as that of several generations of his descendents. There are papers documenting the lives of his son William, his grandson George Logan, his great-grandsons Albanus Charles Logan and Algernon Sydney Logan, and the subsequent relationships with the Dickinson and Norris families. John Dickinson, who married one of James Logan's...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Francis Daniel Pastorius papers, 1693-1719 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet (; 10 volumes, 1 folder)
Abstract:: This collection contains the personal papers of Francis Daniel Pastorius, a German immigrant who founded the settlement of Germantown, which would later be incorporated into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pastorius was trained as a lawyer, and in 1683 purchased land in Pennsylvania on behalf of members of the German Frankfort Company. He is also known for his anti-slavery stance, joining the Pennsylvania Quakers in signing a protest against slavery in 1688 (the first anti-slavery document written in the United States). This collection dates from 1683-1719 and contains ten bound volumes and one folder of loose manuscripts of Pastorius’ personal papers. This includes his writings on farming and beekeeping, poetry, the beginnings of a German dictionary, a commonplace book, letters, and a book of medical ailments and remedies.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Claude W. Unger collection, 1790-1870 (bulk) 1647-1921 (inclusive)

Extent:: 34.0 linear feet (; 40 boxes, 112 volumes)
Abstract:: Most of the Claude W. Unger collection at HSP once formed part of the extensive stock of Unger, a book and manuscript dealer in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, who was most active between 1925 and 1937. The collection contains letters and documents representing some 2,000 individuals connected to a wide range of subjects. People from the 19th century such as abolitionists, women’s suffragists, scientists, and politicians (particularly Pennsylvania politicians) are the most commonly represented individuals in the collection. In addition to the 40 document boxes, there are 112 volumes in the collection. The volumes consist of account books, court dockets, and school exercise books representing a variety of Pennsylvania Germans covering from the the late 18th to 19th centuries.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form, 1792-1820 (bulk) 1682-1844 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.2 linear feet (; 3 boxes; 9 flat files)
Abstract:: In 1816 and 1820, Scottish author John Galt produced a two-volume biography of Benjamin West entitled The Life, Works, and Studies of Benjamin West, Esq. This collection consists of pages from seven disbound extra-illustrated volumes of Galt's book comprising numerous original letters to and from Benjamin West, some pieces of original art by West, and many other engravings, documents, and prints.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Montgomery, Scott, and Wheeler families papers, 1675-2018, bulk 1840-1995

Extent:: 60.6 linear feet (; 103 boxes, 142 volumes, 11 flat files)
Abstract:: This collection from the Montgomery, Scott, and Wheeler families, spanning 60 linear feet, documents the history of Ardrossan, an estate in Villanova, Pennsylvania -- one of the largest on Philadelphia's Main Line -- and its residents over the course of more than two centuries. In 1911, local investment banker Colonel Robert Leaming Montgomery (1879-1949) hired Horace Trumbauer to design the residence on the family's 800-acre plot, complete with a dairy farm and horse stables. The son of William Woodrow Montgomery and Rebecca Waln Leaming, Robert L. Montgomery would go onto to establish what is now the investment firm of Janney Montgomery Scott. He married Charlotte Hope Binney Tyler (1881-1970) in 1902, and the couple had four children: Helen Hope, Mary Binney, Robert Alexander, and Charlotte Ives. Their eldest daughter, Helen Hope Montgomery (1904-1995), became well known in Philadelphia's social circles, and she went on to marry Edgar Scott (1899-1995), grandson of Thomas A....(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.) general court records, 1691-1707 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.2 linear feet (; 2 volumes)
Abstract:: This collection contains the records of the Germantown (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) town council or General Court and the civil court or Court of Record, dating from 1691 to 1707. The matters addressed by these court sessions include property disputes and transfers, apprenticeships, deeds of sale for goods and land, assault and battery, violations of liquor laws, and other matters.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Smith family papers, 1680-1880 (bulk) 1660-1941 (inclusive)

Extent:: 19.0 linear feet (, 14 boxes, 82 volumes)
Abstract:: The Smith family papers contain materials compiled and authored by John Jay Smith as well as several of his descendants. John Jay Smith (1798-1881) was librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia from 1829 to 1851 and founder of Laurel Hill Cemetery. As a member of an influential Quaker family, Smith was the descendant of several prominent early Philadelphians including James Logan and Richard Hill. Much of the collection consists of deeds and other land transactions as well as correspondence and diaries originating with these ancestors. Smith’s own papers document his wide range of interests as well as his personal and professional relationships through correspondence, financial records, and memorabilia. The collection also contains materials originating from the families of two of Smith’s sons: Lloyd Pearsall Smith (1822-1886) and Horace John Smith (1832-1906). This collection is particularly rich in documenting the history of two prominent Philadelphia institutions, the...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

George B. Jackson (George Bement) Family Papers, 1694-1986 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.5 linear ft. (6 boxes)
Abstract:: George B. Jackson, Swarthmore College Class of 1921, was a New York Quaker businessman. A member of New York Monthly Meeting, he was interested in family history and compiled the collection which contains farm daybooks of his great grandfather James M. Jackson of Quakertown and the memoirs of his grandfather, William Morris Jackson, Quaker businessman, reformer, and Trustee of Swarthmore College. The collection also contains genealogical information on the Jackson, Bacon, Chapin and Morris families, as well as personal correspondence and other papers.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Albert Cook Myers Historical Collection: William Penn papers, 1645-1960 (inclusive)

Extent:: 81.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Albert Cook Myers (1874-1960) was a Pennsylvania historian, who dedicated his life’s work to the identification, study and organization of William Penn’s published writings and personal papers. Beginning in 1910, after securing an endorsement from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, he set out to publish: “The Complete Works of William Penn.” All told, Myers devoted fifty years of his life to this project. Though his publication goals were never realized, he assembled a massive and notable body of information about William Penn. To complete his studies, Myers travelled abroad and throughout the United States. As a result of his efforts, he came to be regarded as an expert on the topic and often spoke publicly on the life and times of William Penn. The Albert Cook Myers research collection of William Penn materials contains the information gathered by Myers in his pursuit to thoroughly research and publish a volume documenting the complete writings of William Penn. Researchers...(see more)

Held at: Chester County Historical Society [Contact Us]

Taylor, Harris, Roman, Frazer, and Smith families papers, 1683-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:: 8.0 boxes
Abstract:: The families in the Taylor, Harris, Roman, Frazer, and Smith family papers, 1633 to 1980 (bulk 1685 to 1851) are all related by the marriage of Marianne Smith to Dr. Stephen Harris on April 14, 1833. Both sides of the lineage represented in this collection immigrated to Pennsylvania because of religious persecution in England and Ireland. As Presbyterians and Quakers, they no longer wished to live under a series of laws which forced non-Anglicans out of public office, schools and the church as well as prohibiting meetings for non-Anglican worship. These newcomers contributed to the establishment of the government and religious expression in early Chester County. The documents, covering topics such as land surveying, Native Americans, the Revolutionary War, astronomy, publishing, the iron industry, and religious persecution, provide a broad picture of early Chester County and its residents as they interacted with each other at home and in Philadelphia through business, religious, and...(see more)

Held at: Chester County Historical Society [Contact Us]

Reference collection, 1874-2000 (bulk) 1690-2010 (inclusive)

Extent:: 86.0 linear feet
Abstract:: In the early part of the nineteenth century, Philadelphia City Council took action to protect the purity of public water. This involved the acquisition of property on the banks of the Schuylkill River in order to eliminate polluting waste that had previously been generated by various industrial sites along the river. The City’s newly acquired property was dedicated to the health and enjoyment of the citizens of Philadelphia, and became known as Fairmount Park. The Fairmount Park Commission (FPC) was established by Act of the Assembly, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, March 26, 1867. Over the course of this organization’s history (1867 to 2010) the FPC continued to acquire land for the people of Philadelphia, and operated with a single continuous mission: to preserve and protect its open space; provide opportunities for recreation; maintain the landscapes and structures, streams and woodlands that exist within the Fairmount Park System. This collection contains various materials that...(see more)

Held at: Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives [Contact Us]

Gloria Dei records, 1636-1927 (inclusive)

Extent:: 14 manuscripts
Abstract:: Gloria Dei, founded by 17th century Swedish settlers, is Pennsylvania’s oldest congregation. The archives of Gloria Dei include journal entries, correspondence, financial records, vestry minutes, and records of marriages, births and deaths.

Held at: Gloria Dei Church (Philadelphia, Pa.) [Contact Us]

Barclay letters, 1688-1794

Extent:: 0.5 linear ft. (1 document box)
Abstract:: Primarily letters of Robert Barclay, a Quaker of the 18th and early 19th century, who established a brewery in England, on topics ranging from financial affairs and land transactions to personal matters.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Yearly Meeting Epistles and Extracts, 1668-1944 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.1 linear ft. (5 boxes)
Abstract:: Contemporary copies of epistles and extracts of Yearly Meeting minutes, of Meeting for Sufferings, and of Women Friends, of London, Dublin, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Virginia, Rhode Island from 1698-1944.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Scattergood Family papers, 1681-1909 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.5 linear ft. (1 box, 9 volumes)
Abstract:: Chiefly the correspondence of Thomas Scattergood (1748-1814) with family and friends discussing spiritual matters and his travels in Great Britain, New England, North and South Carolina, Virginia, etc. Correspondents include Jonathan Binns, Josiah Bunting, John Cox, William Dillwyn, Henry Drinker, William Forster, Susanna Horne, Rebecca Jones, John Pemberton, Joseph Scattergood, Rebecca Scattergood, Rachel Smith, and others.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Sheppard Family papers, 1656-1887 (inclusive)

Extent:: .8 linear ft. (2 boxes)
Abstract:: The collection particularly provides connections between the Irish and Philadelphia Friends in the 18th century, especially by the Sheppard and Wansborough families who intermarried. Included are letters of John Wilbur, central in the Gurney-Wilbur controversy.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Vaux collection of correspondence, documents and graphics, 1659-1978 (inclusive)

Extent:: 7.5 linear ft. (18 boxes and 2 volumes)
Abstract:: The collection provides insights into several issues important within the history of Quakerism, such as the abolition of slavery, education and Native American rights, as well as graphics depicting American travel views, Native American sites, Haverford College, Quaker individuals and places associated with Quakers.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Cope-Evans Family papers, 1683-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:: 7.5 linear ft. (18 boxes)
Abstract:: The Cope-Evans papers cover the years 1683 to 2012, and detail the history of the inter-related Cope and Evans families, important Philadelphia-area Quakers. The papers are divided into four series: Personal and Family papers, Business papers, J. Morris Evans papers, and Miscellaneous.

Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]

Swarthmore College property records, 1687-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:: 65 linear ft.
Abstract:: The Swarthmore College property records include real estate and building appraisals; deeds, mortgages, and leases; reports by Swarthmore committees and external consultants; administrative documents such as budgets and correspondence; blueprints, maps, and plans; and other records pertaining to college buildings and grounds, construction and maintenance, and utilities and resource use.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

John Whiting Severall Book and Papers, 1679-1695 (bulk) (bulk) 1679-1695, 1955 (inclusive)

Extent:: .1 linear ft. (.1 linear feet (1 folder.))
Abstract:: This collection contains a bound volume of manuscript essays by early English Quaker John Whiting, most written during his imprisonment for failing to pay tithes. These essays include accounts of his confinement, testimonies on tiths, and accounts of Mary Whiting and of William Penn. Also included is typescript of a 1955 article written for the Journal of the Friends Historical Society by Frederick B. Tolles which describes the contents and significance of the volume.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Thomas Bissell family papers, 1640-1835 (inclusive)

Extent:: .1 linear ft. (.1 linear feet (2 folders.))
Abstract:: Includes genealogical data on the Bissell Family in the 17th century as well as two apprenticeship indentures, to patton ringmaking in Worcester County, England, dated 1704, and to farming in New Jersey, dated 1835.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Charles F. Jenkins Autograph Collection, 1656-1940 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6 linear ft.
Abstract:: Collection consists of over 450 original letters, documents, and photographs collected by Charles Francis Jenkins (1865-1951) of personalities distinguished in American history, politics, international and cultural affairs, and in the Society of Friends in Britain and the US.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Friends Historical Library album collection, 1656-1957 (inclusive)

Extent:: 13 linear ft.
Abstract:: This collection consists of scrapbooks, commonplace books, class notebooks, autograph albums, piecebooks, and other albums that were received by the Friends Historical Library as individual volumes and not as part of a larger collection.,

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Friends Historical Library Collection of miscellaneous manuscripts, 1547-1994 (inclusive)

Extent:: 40 linear ft.
Abstract:: The Society of Friends or Quakers (today the terms are synonymous) was founded in the middle of the seventeenth century in England by George Fox and others. The Friends Historical Library Miscellaneous Manuscripts is an artificial collection, established in the middle of the 20th century to store single and very small groups of manuscripts and documents, both originals and copies. The collection includes holdings relevant to antislavery, temperance, women's rights, penal reform, and other social concerns of Quakers in the United States and in England.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Friends Historical Library manuscript epistles collection, 1688-1973 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.67 linear ft. (5 document boxes)
Abstract:: The term "epistle" is used to refer to letters exchanged between Quaker organizations, especially from one yearly meeting to another. Epistles are often used to articulate Quaker doctrine and discipline. This collection of various manuscript (handwritten) epistles was compiled from the Friends Historical Library from different sources.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Horsham Preservation and Historical Association manuscript collection, 1684-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Welsh Strawbridge (1878-1969) and his new wife Margaret E. Marhsall Strawbridge (1898-1969) moved to Graeme Park, the estate of colonial Governor Sir William Keith, in 1922. They raised thoroughbred horses on the land before donating it to Horsham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1958. The Horsham Preservation and Historical Association manuscript collection, 1684-1975, is comprised of Strawbridge family papers, township records, Graeme Park property records, and various other documents.

Held at: Horsham Preservation and Historical Association [Contact Us]

Holme family papers, circa 1685-1920, 2008-2009

Extent:: 0.83 linear feet
Abstract:: The Holme family in the United States can be traced to John Holme (1632-1702), who came to America in 1686 from England. The Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, PA, is named after the Holme family, who resided there until 1928. The Holme family papers, circa 1685-1920, 2008-2009, is a collection of some 200 digital scans of documents pertaining to the Holme and related families of the Holmesburg area of Northeast Philadelphia, as well as 55 physical documents and photographs. The digital files in the collection include scans of loose papers – receipts and financial accounts, deeds, petitions, letters, wills, indentures, legal papers, and various other notes and writings – as well as some maps, broadsides, newspapers, loose photographs, photograph albums, and bound volumes.

Held at: Historical Society of Frankford [Contact Us]

Historical Society of Frankford deed collection, 1681-1936 (inclusive)

Extent:: 8.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is located in the lower northeast section of the city and is bordered by the Frankford Creek on the south, Castor Avenue on the west, Cheltenham Avenue on the north, and roughly the I-95 expressway on the east. Originally a village, Frankford was incorporated as a borough in 1800 and was later absorbed into the City of Philadelphia in the 1854 Philadelphia city/county consolidation. As of 2015, Frankford is a working-class neighborhood with a diverse population, including a large number of African Americans, Asian Americans, Polish Americans, Italian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and West Indian Americans. The Historical Society of Frankford deed collection, 1681-1936, consists of deeds, patents, indentures, and other related property documents pertaining to properties and/or lands in and around the Northeast Philadelphia area, especially Frankford.

Held at: Historical Society of Frankford [Contact Us]

Historical Society of Frankford map and atlas collection, circa 1684-2000s

Extent:: 9.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is located in the lower northeast section of the city and is bordered by the Frankford Creek on the south, Castor Avenue on the west, Cheltenham Avenue on the north, and roughly the I-95 expressway on the east. Originally a village, Frankford was incorporated as a borough in 1800 and was later absorbed into the City of Philadelphia in the 1854 Philadelphia city/county consolidation. As of 2015, Frankford is a working-class neighborhood with a diverse population, including a large number of African Americans, Asian Americans, Polish Americans, Italian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and West Indian Americans. The Historical Society of Frankford map and atlas collection, circa 1684-2000s, consists of approximately 90 maps of the greater Philadelphia region, as well as state, national, and international maps.

Held at: Historical Society of Frankford [Contact Us]

Malin family papers, 1684-1880 (bulk) 1684-1992 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Borough of Media, the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, was settled by Europeans beginning in the 1680s. The area remained largely rural until the end of the 19th century. The Malin family was one of the first English Quaker families to settle in Pennsylvania when Randal Malin (1652-1729), a Quaker minister, emigrated from Cheshire, England upon purchasing 250 acres of land from William Penn in 1681. The Malin family papers, 1684-1992 (bulk, 1684-1880), include mostly estate records such as deeds, indentures, wills, bond and mortgages, and estate inventories with some financial papers such as a receipt book, miscellaneous receipts, and shilling notes. There is also a photocopy of a manuscript genealogy of Malin and Edwards families by Phyillis Centman.

Held at: Media Historic Archives Commission [Contact Us]

Marple Historical Society local history collection, 1685-circa 2000

Extent:: 5.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Marple Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania was settled by English members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1683. It was primarily agrarian for most of its history, until after World War II when improvement to roads, public transportation and the availability of the automobile made Marple Township a suburban community. The Marple Historical Society local history collection, 1685-circa 2000, consists of various primary- and secondary-source materials that document the history of Marple Township and the people, businesses, and organizations in the township and vicinity. Featured in the collection are 17th century deeds, ledgers from the Bonsall Brothers general store (1873-1918), and 1930s military photographs.

Held at: Marple Historical Society [Contact Us]

Newtown Historic Association legal documents collection, circa 1690-1964

Extent:: 10.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Newtown, the county seat of Bucks County from 1726 to 1813, is one of the most historic areas in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Newtown Historic Association legal documents, circa 1690-1964, consist of original deeds, leases and releases and other legal documents. Particular properties and buildings are significantly documented, including Allen's Mill, 1787-1964. Of special interest is a 1692 deed on rag paper with an original 17th century jester watermark.

Held at: Newtown Historic Association [Contact Us]

Cox-Robinson-Ross family papers, 1669-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Cox, Ross, and Robinson families were important Pennsylvania families active in early Philadelphia and Bucks Counties, and later in the development of Hatboro in Montgomery County. The Cox-Robinson-Ross family papers, 1669-1980, include letters, financial and property records, business papers, photographs, scrapbooks, architectural drawings, and research materials documenting several generations.

Held at: Old York Road Historical Society [Contact Us]