Call Number:

3398

Repository:

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Extent:

0.6 linear feet (; 2 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Joshua Francis Fisher correspondence (Collection 3398), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Date:

1806-1856

Creator:

Fisher, Joshua Francis, 1807-1873.

Abstract:

Joshua Francis Fisher (1807-1878) was a prominent Philadelphia citizen and member of its upper class throughout much of the nineteenth century. He obtained a law degree but never practiced, and he was an instrumental advocate of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. This collection is primarily comprised of letters addressed to Fisher from his college friends Allyne Otis and Paul Trapier, but there are also typed transcriptions of many of these letters, as well as a few miscellaneous items. While the collection spans from 1806 to 1861, the letters of Otis and Trapier cover 1825 to 1856. The letters are cordial in nature and discuss current events along with personal matters.

Joshua F. Fisher was born February 17, 1807, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was a well-known Philadelphia citizen from a prominant family. Fisher graduated from Harvard in 1825, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1829 but never practiced. Early in his life Fisher became intrigued by historical studies, especially related to America and Pennsylvania. He was one of the earliest and most productive members of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and later became its vice president. In 1829, at only twenty-two years of age, he conveyed in front of the society "An Account of the Early Poets and Poetry of Pennsylvania," which was published in the Memoirs of the Society. The most important was his address on the "Private Life and Domestic Habits of William Penn" in 1836. Joshua F. Fisher died on January 21, 1873 in Philadelphia.

This collection of Joshua Francis Fisher's correspondence consists of personal letters written to Fisher by his former college friends from Harvard University, Reverend Paul Trapier and Allyne Otis. All the letters are handwritten and some of the letters from Allyne Otis have been transcribed. The letters span from 1825 to 1856 or are undated. Additionally, there are a few miscellaneous letters, including a typescript letter dated 1806 from a G.H. Otis, a typescript letter from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's sister describing his wedding to Frances Appleton dated 1843, a letter and corresponding transcript from one “Williams” dated 1849, and letter from Harrison White dated 1861.

The letters in the collection have been arranged by author and then chronologically. They provide insight into the daily lives of upper class individuals of nineteenth century Philadelphia. The use of casual, colloquial, and personal language is also evident.

The letters concern the everyday lives of Otis and Trapier. Trapier's letters begin in 1825 and contain details on his and Fisher's college days. After college, Trapier's letters discuss his education at a seminary and later his life as an Episcopal minister in Charleston, South Carolina. His later letters contain information on current events and family matters, such as the death of his young daughter, Francis Dehon Trapier, in 1855. (With the letter is her obituary.)

Otis's letters are also personal, and they begin in the spring of 1828 with his engagement announcement. His letters are almost exclusively addressed from Boston. Otis speaks of private matters and travels, particularly his travels with Fisher. In 1840, Otis comments on Fisher’s travel habits while his wife was expecting a child. While the majority of the letters were sent to Fisher at his Philadelphia address, 170 Chestnut Street, a few letters were addressed to London, England; New Orleans, Louisiana; or Newport, Rhode Island.