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Richard Thomas Jones papers
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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
Richard Thomas Jones (1844-1868) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Jacob Paul Jones and Mary Thomas. He entered Haverford College in 1859 and graduated in 1863. During his time at Haverford, Jones was the vice president of the Loganian Society and president of the Athenaeum. He gave an address to the Loganian Society about "The Literary Genius of America" in 1863. After graduation, Jones entered the counting house of Morris and Jones, and married Marie Louise Bailey, the daughter of Joseph T. and Marie Louise Bailey of Philadelphia, on April 29, 1868. He died in Philadelphia on June 6, 1868.
This collection contains an envelope, two stereoscope cards, a notebook, and letters from Richard T. Jones to his cousins and sisters.
Materials are arranged chronologically when possible.
Unknown
Processed by Cullen Worth, completed June, 2024
- Publisher
- Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Cullen Worth
- Finding Aid Date
- June, 2024
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use
- Use Restrictions
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Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17)
Collection Inventory
This file includes an envelope, two stereoscope cards, and the notebook of Richard T. Jones. The envelope, dated July 7, 1863, is addressed to Mrs. Richard H. Downing and contains the 1863 Haverford College commencement bulletin. Neither a location nor date is present on the stereoscope cards, which depict domestic scenes of a parlor and study respectively. The notebook is also undated and includes a wide range of entries such as mathematical notes and geometric sketches, autographs of Haverford students from 1855-56, multiple hymns in Latin and English, an excerpt from the Haverford Collegian (a publication of the Loganian Society), and the lyrics for a variety of other songs.
This file of numerous letters from Richard T. Jones to his cousin, Sallie W. Paul. The letters cover a two year span from March 31, 1861 to June 28, 1863, with those from May 1, 1861 to January 12, 1862, transcribed from their original cursive format to typescripts. The letters range in topics, however, most are centered around the culture at Haverford College and the successes and difficulties of college life. Jones describes feelings of homesickness, excitement towards various events on campus, anxiety going into semester exams and, by the final letters, thoughts on graduation. The correspondence ranges from the end of Jones's sophomore year, to the end of his senior year. One letter, dated June 15, 1862, contains a small photograph of Jones, while two others, dated June 21 and June 28, 1863, show Founders Hall with cricket players in the foreground. Many of the letters are signed "Cousin Dick" and all are addressed to "Cousin Sallie."
This collection features five letters dated from December 23, 1861 to November 30, 1862. One is addressed to Richard Jones's cousin, Mary F. Paul, while the remaining four are addressed to his sister Elizabeth F. Paul. In Jones's letter to his cousin, he congratulates her on turning 18 and presents her with a gift. The letters to his sister cover a variety of topics from wild turkeys running amok on Founders Green to Jones's desire to learn French in order to keep up with his studious sister.