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Wilson Jewell papers

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Held at: Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia [Contact Us]19 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Wilson Jewell, Philadelphia physician, was born on 12 November 1800, the son of Kenneth Jewell, a tailor and draper. Jewell married Rachel Lyons (1801-1865) on 22 April 1824; they had nine children. Jewell married Charlotte MacMullen on 18 April 1867. He died of heart disease in Philadelphia on 4 November 1867.

Jewell received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1824, then travelled to China. On his return, he married and began his medical practice in Branchtown, Pennsylvania. He came to Philadelphia in 1828.

Wilson Jewell had a keen interest in public health and researched cholera and yellow fever. In 1835, he became Physician to the House of Refuge. He was president of Philadelphia's Board of Health and helped formulate laws for the registration of births, marriages, and deaths. He was also president of the Quarantine and Sanitary Commission in 1867, vice president of the American Medical Association, president of the Philadelphia Medical Society, and a member of the Northern Medical Association and the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania. He became a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1851.

This small collection of Wilson Jewell's letters, marriage certificates, and other items provides documentation of his personal life, 1824-1867, as well as the history of the Jewell family. The collection is divided into three series: letters and documents relating to Wilson Jewell, 1824-1867; a letter of his son, Howard L. Jewell, 1905; and papers relating to the Jewell family, 1821-1977.

Items of note in the collection are, in Series 1, a letter, 1 May 1867, from Jewell to his son, Howard L., and grandson, Harry L., in which he describes his transatlantic voyage and the sights of Paris, France; Charlotte M. Jewell's eulogy of her husband, circa 1867; and, in Series 3, a Jewell family genealogical chart, compiled by Wilson Jewell's great great granddaughter, Alice Jewell Charlton Powell, in 1977.

This collection of Wilson Jewell's personal and family papers was donated to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia by Robert K. and Alice Jewell Charlton Powell of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, in 1977, on four separate occasions: 12 January, 9 March, 13 June, and 20 September.

The collection was processed and catalogued in April 1990. At the time of processing, a printed catalogue from the sale of Jewell's library in 1867 could not be located.

Flat file no. 1, drawer 1

Contents: 2 diplomas/certificates

Publisher
Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Collection Inventory

1. Jewell, Wilson, and Lyons, Rachel Marriage certificate, College Hill, D.C., 22 April 1824.
Folder 1 Item 1
2. Neafus, G. A. Telegram : Clinton, La., to Wilson Jewell, Philadelphia, Pa., 14 September 1860.
Folder 1 Item 2
3. Jewell, Wilson and Charlotte M. Calling card, Philadelphia, Pa., circa 4 January 1865.
Folder 1 Item 3
4. Jewell, Wilson Autograph letter signed: Paris, France, to Howard L. Jewell and Harry L. Jewell, [Philadelphia, Pa.?], 1867 May 1.
Folder 1 Item 4
5. Jewell family bible entries: Copy of marriage certificate for Jewell, Wilson and McMullen, Charlotte M., Philadelphia, Pa.; and Jewell, Charlotte M.: Account of death of Wilson Jewell, circa 18 April 1867; circa 4 November 1867.
Folder 1 Item 5
6. Jewell, Wilson Prescription, undated.
Folder 1 Item 6
7. Jewell, Wilson portrait 1 color print, 3.25" x 3.25, undated.
Folder 1 Item 7
8. College of Physicians of Philadelphia: Certificate of fellowship (signed 1855 May 10) (oversized), 05 August 1851.
Folder 1 Item 8
9. Medical Society of the State of New York: Certificate of honorary membership (oversized), 09 February 1865.
Folder 1 Item 9

1. Jewell, Howard L. Autograph letter signed : Philadelphia, Pa., to Harry L. Jewell, Philadelphia, Pa., 1948.
Folder 1 Item 10

1. Diagram of Jewell family burial lots, Monument Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa., circa 1891.
Folder 1 Item 11
2. Jewell family genealogical information [photocopy], 1821-1951.
Folder 1 Item 12
3. Jewell family genealogy, compiled by Alice Jewell Charlton Powell, 28276.
Folder 1 Item 13

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