Main content
Vaux collection of correspondence, documents and graphics
Notifications
Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. 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
George Vaux VIII (1832-1915) was the son of George and Eliza Head Sansom Vaux. He was educated at Friends Select School in Philadelphia. In 1859, he married Sarah H. Morris with whom he had three children. He lived in Philadelphia, Pa., had a house in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and spent many summers in the Canadian Rockies. His business life centered around the Swatara Coal Company of which he was Secretary and Treasurer. He was for 45 years a manager of the Institute for Colored Youth, for more than 30 years a manager of Friends Select School, Philadelphia, and for many years, a manager of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia; also, President of the Bible Association of Friends in America and Treasurer of The Emlen Institution for the Benefit of Persons of African and Indian Descent. He had a great concern for Quaker records and the history of Philadelphia Friends and served for many years as correspondent for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting with London Yearly Meeting.
George Vaux IX (1863-1927) was born in Philadelphia. He graduated from Haverford College in 1884 and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the law firm of P. Pemberton Morris, giving much time to prison reform. He was a manager of the board of the Eastern State Penitentiary. He was also on the board of the Academy of Natural Sciences from 1894 until his death. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him to the Board of Indian Commissioners, a post he retained until his death. In 1907, GV Jr. married Mary W. James with whom he had two sons. GV Jr. had a great interest in mineralogy and was a student of glacial activity. He was active in Friends' education, serving on the boards of Friends' Select School, Westtown School, Haverford College and the Institute for Colored Youth (Cheyney University).
George Vaux X (1908-1996) graduated from Haverford College in 1930, then studied at Cambridge and London Universities; he excelled in research of crystals. In 1941, he married Anne Hawks. Among other jobs, he was a manufacturer's representative for scientific equipment. He was a member of the boards of Bryn Mawr College, Ludwick Foundation, Richard Humphreys Foundation and others, and president of the Athenaeum (Philadelphia) for over 30 years.
The original accession of Vaux family papers includes letters and documents from Jonathan Backhouse, Anthony Benezet, Thomas Clarkson, Stephen Grellet, Elias Hicks, Abel James, Rebecca Jones, Deborah Logan, James Logan, Margaret Morris, William Penn, William Robinson, Marmaduke Stevenson and others. Their topics include African Americans; Westtown School; the Quaker separation of 1827-28; Daniel Wheeler, Elizabeth Fry; a memorial for Anne Parrish (Female Society for Relief and Employment of the Poor); the Virginia Exiles during the American Revolution(including the protest of the prisoners); manumission; early Quaker publishing; the will of Thomas Lloyd; Quakers and Native Americans; and women's property rights.
The addition to the Vaux family papers of correspondence, documents, and graphics most prominently reflects the research interests of George Vaux VIII and the photographic work of George Vaux Jr. and George Vaux X.
The correspondence and documents relate to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, including the Forrest Trust, Lewis Legacy for Poor Children, Richardson Trust, Josiah White Schools, and the constituent meetings of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Western District, Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Northern District and Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Southern District. Also included are topics such as Quakers in Tortola and Barbados, Quakers in Charleston, S.C., the Bible Association of Friends in America, The Emlen Institution for the Benefit of Persons of African and Indian Descent, Friends Historical Society, and Haverford College.
The graphics include glass slides of American travel views and Native American sites, and of Haverford College, especially those taken by George Vaux Jr., but also by William S. Vaux and M.M. Vaux, and photographs and other art media of Quakers and places with Quaker connections, such as meetinghouses, burial grounds, Tortola, and Barbados. There are also 2 albums of 35mm and stereoscopic slides by George Vaux X, including of meetinghouses and Quaker sites on Barbados and Tortola.
Especially prominent in the collection addition are George Vaux VIII, George Vaux IX and George Vaux X. Correspondents include: Joel Cadbury, Richard Cadbury, Harriet Durham, Amelia Mott Gummere, Henry Hartshorne, Rufus Jones, Albert Cook Myers, Norman Penney, James E. Rhoads, Charles Roberts, and Isaac Sharp.
The original materials in this collection (series 1 and 2) were donated by George Vaux and Henry J. Vaux in 1991. Subsequent materials were donated in 1999.
Processing history is unknown
Two items removed to Phillips collection: - Manuscript address of William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson, the Boston Martyrs, [6th month 1659] (https://tripod.haverford.edu/permalink/01TRI_INST/ndg42k/alma991004587659704921)
- Letter, [16]91 June 14, England to T[homas] L[loyd] (https://tripod.haverford.edu/permalink/01TRI_INST/ndg42k/alma991002752589704921)
People
Organization
- Haverford College -- History
- Emlen Institution for the Benefit of Children of African and Indian Descent (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Subject
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Diana Franzusoff Peterson
- Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
-
Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).
Collection Inventory
Correspondents include: William Achell, Stafford Allen, Samuel Allinson, Rebecca Archer, H.C. Backhouse, Jonathan Backhouse, Hannah Barnard, Bernard Barton, Elisha Bates, Gertrude Baxter, J.A. Bedford, Anthony Benezet, William Benson, William Blakey, George Brown, John Brahm
Correspondents include: Anna Braithwaite, Isaac Braithwaite, John Brown, Joshua Brown, Moses Brown, Phineas Buckley, Thomas Budd
Correspondents include: C.S., Hannah Cathrall, E.C. Chavanne, George Churchman, Thomas Clarkson, Lydia Coates, Sallie Collins, John Comly, Henry Cox, John Cox, David Cumming
Correspondents include: John Dillingham, George Dillwyn, Susannah Dillywn, William Dillwyn, Joseph Drinker, Henry Drinker, William Ellis, Samuel Emlen, Elliu Evans
Correspondents include: John Field, Thomas Fisher, Robert Foster, Elizabeth Foulke, Francis Fry, John Fry, Benjamin Gilbert, Stephen Grellet, John Griffith
Correspondents include: William Hartshorne, Elias Hicks, Benjamin Holme, John Hopkins, Samuel Hopkins, Susanna Horne
Correspondents include: Ann James, John Janney, Joseph Janney, John Jones, Hugh Judge
Correspondents include: John Kendall, Thomas Ladd, Richard Lawrence, Jourdan Le Compte, Jacob Lindley, John Lloyd, Deborah Logan
Correspondents include: James Logan, Thomas Lower, George Massey, George Matthews, Warner Mifflin, Daniel Mildred, Caspar Morris, Isaac Morris, Israel Morris, Margaret Morris, John Morton, Richard Mott, John Murray, Tim Nevins, Richard Nisbet
Correspondents include: John Parrish, Samuel Parsons, Oliver Paxson, Israel Pemberton, James Pemberton, John Pemberton, William Penn, Norman Penney, Edmund Prior
Correspondents include: William Rathbone, Richard Reynolds, Isaac Robertson, William Robertson, Joseph Sandwith, Beulah Sansom, William Savery, Isaac Sharp, Thomas Shillitoe, William Shotwell, T. Shreve, John Simpson, Edward Stabler, George Stacy, William Stephens, Thomas Stewardson, Dan Stroud
Correspondents include: Jacob Taylor, Allen Thomas, James Thornton, Joseph Thornton, A.E. Townsend, Joseph Trimble
Correspondents include: George Vaux, W.S. Vaux
Correspondents include: Josiah White, George Whitehead, Alexander Wilson, William Wilson, Charles Woolverton, Hannah Yarnall
Includes: William Achell, Arch Street Meeting, Hannah Backhouse, Hannah Bean, William Bradford
Includes: Isaac Childs, James Claypool, Lydia Coates, Jeremiah Elfreth, Female Society for Relief and Employment of the Poor, E. Floyd, N. Fothergill, George Fox, Friends rules on marriage
Includes: Geneological notes, Thomas Gilpin, George Gray, Joseph Gurney, Nathan Hall, Inventories of household goods
Includes: Abel James, Rebecca, Jones, Richard Jordan, Keithian Controversy, Jesse Kersey, Susanna Kripner
Includes: Lloyd family, London Yearly Meeting
Includes: Minister's sermons, Pheobe Mendenhall, Deborah Morris, Mortimer
Includes: New York Yearly Meeting, John Pease, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Clement Plumsted, Robert Proud
Includes: Samuel Richardson, Charles Roberts, David Sands, T. Scattergood, Thomas Shillitoe, John Shoemaker, Slavery, Joseph Smith, William Southebe, S. Stanton, John Stewardson, Surveying
Includes: C. Thompson, George Vaux, Nicholas Waln, John Weale, D. Wheeler, Alexander White, William Williams, Thomas Worrilaw, Sarah Zane
Correspondents include: William Beck, Joseph Green, Lloyd E.Griscom, Sarah P.F. Hallowell, Haverford College (Edwin Bronner), Rufus M. Jones, John Letchworth, William Littleboy, Charles Robey
Corespondents include: A.P. Sharp, Isaac Sharp, Joseph P. Tustin
correspondents include: Eliza Varney, GV VIII, Anna B. Warrington, G.S. Wetherill, Bill Worth. Topics include: Women speaking in Meeting; Institute of Colored Youth; Vaux pedigree; symbolism of the lily; scions of the William Penn treaty elm; Quaker Meeting Houses.
Correspondents include: Rufus M. Jones, Albert Cook Myers, NormanPenney, Isaac Sharp, Allen C. Thomas and GVVIII. Topics include Establishment of the Friends Historical Society (Eng.) and the establishment of its Journal; details of the supplement "The First Publishers of Truth" or "The First Breaking Forth of Truth"; centennial celebration of the building of Arch St. Meeting House (Phila.) being planned people serving in various capacities for F.H.S. in 1904-5; books sent to be added to the Friends' Library in Philadelphia and items, such as epistles, to be added to GV VIII's personal collection.
Correspondents include: Norman Penney and GV VIII. Topics include: GV VIII's acceptance of the position of vice president of the Friends Historical Society (Eng.) George Fox and Margaret Fell Fox's ancestry and other genealogical issues; continuing pursuit of the publication of "The First Publishers of Truth"; GV VIII's acceptance of the position of president of F.H.S. extracts of minutes relating to the captivity of John Hanson among Native Americans in the 18th century; epistles to be added to GV VIII's personal collection; contents for future issues of Journal of F.H.S; distribution of "The First Publishers of Truth".
Correspondents include: Norman Penney and GV VIII; also Allen C. Thomas and Jane Wylie. Topics include: Quaker research topics; writing by Vaux, especially his work on Quakers in Charleston, S.C., submitted for publication in the Journalof F.H.S.; historical facts; resignation of GV VIII as president of F.H.S. the proposed publication of George Fox's Journal; death of Vaux's son, William; introduction of penny postage between England and U.S.; portraits of George Fox and Thomas Story; reports of the Institute for Colored Youth and other institutions
Correspondents include: Norman Penney and GVVIII. Topics include: Quaker research topics; writing by Vaux, especially his work on Friends in S.C., submitted for publication in the Journal of F.H.S.; Penney's editing of George Fox's Journal
Two items. Indicating payments by the Emlen Institution to such organizations as Friends Freedmen's Association, Institute for Colored Youth, Hampton and Tuskegee Normal Schools and the Moorestown Colored Kindergarten. (GV VIII was treasurer of the Emlen Institution in the 1890s and 1910s)
Miscellaneous receipts and other financial accounts, accounts and reports re property in Kansas and Missouri, report on Campbell estate in which Emlen Institution was named a legatee.
Correspondents include: Samuel Bines, David Brown, J.F. Corrigan, W.S. Elkinton, Farmers' Loan and Trust Co. of Kansas, First National Bank of Anthony, Isaac Forsythe, William H. Haines, Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Institute for Colored Youth, Josiah Leeds, John J. Lytle. Topics include: Financial issues, including investments, income, expenses, mortgages; farms owned by the Institution
Correspondents include: Charles Roberts, GV VIII.
Warner, Dean, & Hagerman
Correspondents include: GV X, John Silver, John R. Coleman, John Whitehead, Edward Rich, Richard Wistar, Joseph Taylor, J. Morris Evans, William Brinton, and Arthur Silver. GV X appears to have been a member of Haverford's Joint Cooperation Committee and a member of Bryn Mawr College's Board.
Investments and securities (including Livezey Trust), mortgages and other financial issues; donating Bibles to the Girls' House of Refuge; minutes proposed amendment to by-laws; issues relation to property. Letter writers include: William Biddle, J. Snowden Rhoads, William E.Rhoads, J.M. Steere and GV VIII
Plan, history, original occupants and notes by GV VIII re history of the property, Copy of the 1791 act to convey Bank St. Meeting to Samuel Carpenter; financial account by Joseph Crukshank of 2nd and High St. Meeting House property, copy of William Penn deed of Mulberry St. property; copy of purchase agreement by James Vaux for property at 4th and Kunckel; copy of 1739 land indenture for Mulberry St. property. Geographical descriptions of Arch Street Meetinghouse; statements of cost of erecting Meetinghouse at 4th and Arch St. and the westernmost Meeting house on Mulberry St. and, 1803 and 1812 respectively. Notes re Meeting House construction, Razing Market Street Meeting House, Statement from Lee H. Nelson identifying Arch St. Meeting House privy as dating to 1804, the oldest surviving example known to the writer in Philadelphia.
The first 2 papers clipped together and drafts of papers found in this same group of papers. The next 2 papers are copies of papers found in the group.
The Lewis Legacy was established by bequest of Samuel Lewis to be used for the "schooling of poor children within the limits of Muncy Monthly Meeting" (a constituent Meeting of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting) and other Meetings within Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting. Account book, Indicates support provided by the Lewis Legacy. Minutes of the committee dealing with appropriations and other financial matters relating to the Samuel Lewis Legacy, Correspondence, Requests and acknowledgments of the Legacy's funds; also descriptions of schools and teachers making requests. Accounts, deed and will
Wood distributed to poor by Comm. inc. James Vaux, 1805 (may be PMMND)
H.H. Allen, Richard Allen, Benjamin W. Anderson, Harrison Barrow, James Bean, Samuel Biddle, J. Bevan Braithwaite, E.A. Brayshaw, Joel Cadbury, Richard Cadbury, S.M. Collins, Edward Comfort, John Dillingham, Davis Forsythe, Girard Life Insurance (John B. Garrett), Mary H. Griscom, George Grubb, Amelia Mott Gummere, Henry Hartshorne, Mabel Hopkins
Richard Jones, Sophia Jones, William Kinsey, Charles Kirscht, Charles Lawrence, Edward Marsh, R.K. Masters, Asahel Moore, William Newhall, Justin Peters, Caroline Phoebus, Rahway and Plainfield M.M. (John Dalziel), Charles Rhoads, James E. Rhoads, Charles Roberts
Charles Sayre, Isaac Sharp, Smedley Construction Co., Walter Smedley, Ephirim Smith, Stacy Reeves & Sons, Samuel Stanley, Daniel D. Test, J. Preston Thomas
GV VIII, Vulcanite Paving Co. (A.H. Bromley, Jr.), W. Clarkson Wallis, James Whitall, Samuel Williams, Asa Wing, Josiah Wistar, Charles H. Wood, Henry Wood.
Includes information on selected deaths, memberships, minutes, obituary; also proposition to allow marriages between Quaker and non-Quaker, 1891; copies of letters relating to Charles Varney of Providence, R.I.
GV VIII to Mrs. M.E.A. Seale. 1905 [Vaux explains his interest in Barbados in that 200 years earlier the Society of Friends was "a considerable body of Christian professors in the Island, having 5 places of worship, and its members being among the most respected citizens of the place" and that some of his ancestors were inhabitants]
Includes: Notes by GV X on Tortola; memorandum of a visit to Tortola in 1969 by GV X, noting research by Harriet Durham on Friends in the Caribbean; notes on a trip to Tortola in 1970 by GV X; miscellaneous information about Quakers in Tortola; copy of The Friend with article by GV VIII on Tortola, 1902.
G.M. Comfort, W. Crewdson, Amelia Mott Gummere, C.F. Hanckel, George J. Scattergood, D.E. Huger Smith, GV VIII, Thomas Wistar.
Unidentified silhouettes changed to Morris family silhouettes
Contains supplemental sketches, photographs, and index of sketched individuals
Barton, Bernard; Barrow, George W.; Booth, Maud B.; Bellows, John and family; Braithwaite, Anna; Braithwaite, Isaac; Cartland, Gertrude W.; Chase, Pliny Earle; Dickinson, John; Dillingham, John H.; Dixon, George; Ditzler, William M.; Elkinton, Thomas; Emlen, Samuel; Fayle, Susanna; Fothergill, John; Hoag, Joseph; Horton, John; Horton, Maria; Jordan, Richard
Engraving from painting by Honthorst, engraving by Thompson, photo of Lely painting and others; also information on portraits of George Fox, especially by Honthorst and Charles Willson Peale.
Many undated; Lay, Benjamin; Lewes, William; Morris, Catharine W.; Murray, Lindley; Normart, Anna R.; Passmore, Benjamin; Pemberton, James; Penn, William; Perot, Elliston; Phoebus, Caroline; Proud, Robert; Reynolds, Richard; Roberts, Charles and Lucy Branson Roberts; Scattergood, Thomas; Sharp, Isaac; Sturge, Joseph; Toby, Samuel B.; Waldemeyer, Theophilus and wife; Waln, Nicholas; Wheeler, Daniel; Woolman, John
All taken by George Vaux
Also includes Tortola and Barbados Map Microfilms
(4 of Fenny Drayton, 5 of Swarthmoor Hall, therefore 8 photos, 2 published)
Positives and negatives included
Contains the book "List of Etechings by Robert Spence, R.E."
Contains a section of untitled glass slides of people and backgrounds. Ranges from only buildings and backgrounds to individuals and their possessions.
Contains glass slides from New Mexico, Kansas, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, New York, and South Dakota. Includes reservations of the Cherokee Nation, the Osage Nation, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, the Oneida Nation, the Acoma Pueblo, and the Inapaw (sp?) and Chipiwa River Reservations. Significant materials from Tunesassa School (Quaker Native American boarding school) and surrounding areas in New York. One slide of Isaac Sharp.
Almost entirely glass slides of landscape including the Grand Canon of Yellowstone, Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful, Grand Falls, Riverside Geyser, Lone Star Geyser, Obsidian Cliffs.
Glass slides from George Vaux Jr.'s room at Haverford College, Haverford Observatory, and Ice on Trees of Haverford
Glass slides of Barclay Hall, Haverford Track, Haverford Founder's Hall, Mill Pond, Elm Avenue, Cricket Pavilion, and Cricket Shed
Glycerin negatives; untitled item images, portraits, US towns (many in New Mexico and California), churches, mountain range
Buildings, coins, wax, churches, Warrington Meeting, Lancaster Meeting, Delaware Meetings, North Carolina Meetings
Marmalade Ranney animals, Garth James, Margaret Vaux, St. Thomas, Marina Key, Little Plantation, Cruz Bay