Main content
Byberry Library local history collection
Notifications
Held at: Byberry Library [Contact Us]3001 Byberry Road, Philadelphia, PA, 19154
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Byberry Library. 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
In 1675, Byberry was settled by four brothers--Nathaniel, Thomas, Daniel and William Walton--who named the town after Bibury, their home town in England. The brothers were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), and after they settled in the area, more Friends soon joined them. Byberry Monthly Meeting was formally established in 1810. The area was originally part of Byberry Township in the county of Philadelphia. Byberry Township was officially abolished and absorbed into the city of Philadelphia in the 1854 city/county consolidation. Since 1854 Byberry has been a neighborhood of northeast Philadelphia.
Byberry has been home to several notable residents. Dr. Benjamin Rush, Founding Father and a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, was born in Byberry in 1746. Robert Purvis, a wealthy African-American abolitionist, who lived in Byberry from the 1840's to the 1870's. Purvis built Byberry Hall, a community hall and abolitionist meeting space that was later placed under the care of Byberry Monthly Meeting.
At the heart of the Byberry Library local history collection are several dozen scrapbooks in binders, filled with newspaper clippings, facsimiles of original materials, a small amount of original photographs, and historical essays. Most were compiled by Beatrice Walton, a longtime Byberry Meeting member who served as librarian at the Byberry Library. The topics covered in these binders include, but are not limited to: regions in and around Byberry, Lower Bucks County, Benjamin Rush, Robert Purvis, George Fox and William Penn, Stephen Decatur, local homes and barns, the Red Lion Inn, and Isaac Comly. There is also a binder by William E. Tyson of all the Somerton landowners since William Penn.
The collection includes a number of deeds and real estate records, 1752-1889; marriage certificates, 1801-1906; and two copies of letters from William Penn, 1682-1698. A highlight of the collection is an original volume of Byberry Township Tax Assessments, 1853. Framed photographs on the walls of the Library feature photographs of prominent local families and homes.
Numerous maps of Byberry and the surrounding area, circa 1820-1950, are in the local history collection. Most are plates removed from atlases, but there are also some blueprints and copies of maps. There are also two complete atlases: Bromley Atlas of Philadelphia, 35th Ward, 1927 and Franklin's Property Atlas of "Greater Northeast" Philadelphia, 1953.
The Byberry Library houses numerous genealogies of varying length relating to families in the area. These genealogies, like the local history binders, consist mainly of photocopies and secondary materials, although there are some photographs and primary source materials interspersed in some genealogies. Some families also donated small amounts of family papers to the Byberry Library. The largest amount of material was donated by the Walton family (about 3 linear feet), and contains genealogical research and documentation of Byberry Walton family reunions, circa 1970s-2000. Small donations, consisting mostly of original family photographs and manuscript volumes, were made by the Bonner family, Comly family, Wildman family, Worthington family, Richardson family, Irvin family, Carter family, Knight family, Hallowell family, and Dyer family.
The local history collection also includes records from several local businesses: the Bensalem Horse Company (member records, circa 1868-1915 and minutes, 1906-1921); Heritage Carriage Company, financial records, undated; Byberry Andalusia Turnpike Road Company, facsimiles of legal records, 1849-1884; Willow Run School, 2 volumes of attendance records, 1866-1875; and Independent Mutual Fire Insurance Company, portraits of officers, circa 1860-1950.
**Internal note: This information is the rough notes from the surveyors and includes a more detailed inventory of the collection.** At the heart of the Byberry Library local history collection are several dozen scrapbooks in binders, filled with newspaper clippings, facsimiles of original materials, a small amount of original photographs, and historical essays. Most were compiled by Bea Walton. The topics covered by these binders include, but are not limited to: regions in and around Byberry, Lower Bucks County, Benjamin Rush, Robert Purvis, George Fox and William Penn, Stephen Decatur, barns, the Red Lion Inn, and Isaac Comly. There is also a binder by William E. Tyson of all the Somerton landowners since William Penn.
The Byberry Library houses numerous genealogies of varying length relating to families in the area. These genealogies, like the local history binders, consist mainly of photocopies and secondary materials, although there are some photographs and primary source materials interspersed in many genealogies.
Some families also donated small amounts of family papers to the Byberry Library. The largest amount of material was donated by the Walton family (about 3 linear feet). Their papers include genealogical files, photocopies of original documents, notes, and photographs; correspondence regarding family reunions in 1980s-2000s, 7 videocassettes and about a dozen audiocassettes of reunion activities; and newsletters of Byberry Walton Family Association.
A sizeable amount of materials were also donated by the Bonner family, including Lizzie P. Bonner’s photograph album, circa 1880; James Bonner Jr. photograph album, 1898-1904; Alma Bonner scrapbook, Alaska 1935; Bonner family photos, circa 1950; Edwin J Bonner Sr. (1879-1959) manuscript, notes on the history of literature, circa 1890; and Bonner family certificates, including Overseers of Poor Tax certificates, 1889-1933.
Comly family papers at the Byberry Library include a marriage certificate and deed, 1897 and 1804; S. A. Comly’s arithmetic workbook from Bustelon Academy; and a transcribed letter book of outgoing letters, 1798-1808.
Wildman family papers at the Byberry Library include a scrapbook by Catherine Wildman, 1876-circa 1960, and expense book of Anna Wildman, 1868-1871.
The Byberry Library houses some records from local businesses, including the Bensalem Horse Company (member records, circa 1868-1915 and minutes, 1906-1921)
The collection includes numerous maps of Byberry and the surrounding area, circa 1820-1950. Most are plates removed from atlases, but there are also some blueprints and copies of maps.
There are a fair number of deeds and real estate records, 1752-1889; marriage certificates, 1801-1906; and two copies of letters from William Penn, 1682-1698.
Loose photographs, circa 1860-1910 Copies of Byberry Andalusia turnpike road company, 1849-1884 Geometry lesson book MSS, undated Arithmetic lesson book MSS, William J Hallowell, 1969 (Friends Central School) Volumes 1 and 2, not in great condition, bindings loose Philadelphia County Fair Ephemera circa 1924 Poetry MSS, Rebecca Knight 1860, very poor condition, bindings loose Late 18th c. chart of the Arabian Gulf on linen, rolled Richardson Family Photographs, circa 1870-1920 Ephemera scrapbook including Temperance cards, circa 1910 Byberry Township Tax assessment record, 1853 (volume) Portraits of Independence Mutual Association officers, circa 1860-1950 Willow Run School attendance record, 1866-1875 (2 volumes) Heritage Carriage Company financial record volume, undated Anna K Irvin autograph book, 1880 Photograph album with identified individuals, undated Genealogy scrapbooks complied by unknown, undated Worthington family papers and photographs, circa 1860-1920 Charles W Carter family photographs, circa 1890-1920 Ella Dyer autograph album, 1884 Family bibles with some genealogical information
Framed photographs on walls: family photographs, photographs of Quaker homes, paintings of local landscapes and architecture,
Original materials in this collection were donated at various times, mostly from members of Byberry Monthly Meeting. Binders on local history topics were compiled by Beatrice Y. Walton.
People
- Comly, Isaac, 1779-1847
- Comly, John, 1773-1850
- Decatur, Stephen, 1752-1808
- Purvis, Robert, 1810-1898
- Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813
- Walton family
- Walton, Beatrice Y.
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Byberry Library
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories
- Sponsor
- This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
- Access Restrictions
-
Contact Byberry Library for information about accessing collection.