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Public Friends manuscripts collection

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Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 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

Call Number:
MSS.045
Repository:
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Extent:
.3 linear ft. (1 document box)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item here], MSS/045, Public Friends manuscripts collection, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.
Date:
1656-1899 (inclusive)
Abstract:
While the Society of Friends is a "ministry of all believers," historically certain members have been recognized for their spiritual gifts. Those who undertake to travel and preach with the approbation of their home meeting are known as Public Friends. Especially in the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, traveling ministers served a key role in forming Quaker social and theological networks, fostering unity within the Society of Friends, and providing spiritual enrichment to Quakers across the world. Ministers who felt a spiritual opening directing them to travel would tell their Monthly Meeting, and if approved, the meeting would write a minute for the minister to carry on their journey and present to the Meeting(s) they visited. Quaker Meetings would often keep records of the Public Friends who visited them. This collection consists of lists of Public Friends, as well as minutes from Quaker meetings approving ministers to travel. Items were written by various Quaker meetings or individuals, and accumulated by the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College over time. Most of the lists features Public Friends who visited New England or Pennsylvania, but there are also lists of Public Friends visiting parts of the United Kingdom.

See also: JOURNALS(MS.), Foulke, Samuel et al. and MEETING PAPERS(MS.)(MISC): Visiting minutes.

Subject

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Date
2018
Access Restrictions

This collection is available for research use.

Use Restrictions

Friends Historical Library believes all of the items in this collection to be in the Public Domain in the United States, and is not aware of any restrictions on their use. However, the user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status before reproducing. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/.

Collection Inventory

Public Friends visiting New England, 1656-1698.
Box 1 Folder 1
Scope and Contents

A register of all the public Friends that have visited New England since the year 1656

Public Friends visiting New England, 1656-1792.
Box 1 Folder 2
Scope and Contents

A list of the names of publick men & women Friends that have visited New England since the year 1656 from various parts of the world

Public Friends visiting New England, 1656-1802.
Box 1 Folder 3
Scope and Contents

Register of the names of public Friends that have visited New England since the year 1656 from Old England, Ireland, Barbadoes, Antigua, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Long Island

Public Friends visiting New England, 1656-1819.
Box 1 Folder 4A
Scope and Contents

A register of the names of the public Friends that have visited New England since the year 1656 from Old England from Ireland, Barbadoes, Antigua, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the Jerseys, and Long Island. The first part of this account was kept at Rhode Island

Public Friends visiting New England, 1656-1824.
Box 1 Folder 4B
Scope and Contents

A register of the public Friends who have visited New England since the year 1656 from Old England

Public Friends visiting Pennsylvania, 1656-1789.
Box 1 Folder 5
Scope and Contents

An account of ministering Friends that hath Came from England & Ireland to Visit Friends in North America

Public Friends visiting Pennsylvania, 1656-1794.
Box 1 Folder 6
Scope and Contents

The Names of Friends in the Ministry who came from England, Ireland, &c. to visit America before Pennsylvania was settled, as also since it was so named.

Public Friends visiting Pennsylvania, 1656-1801.
Box 1 Folder 7
Scope and Contents

The Names of Friends in the Ministry who came from England, Ireland, &c. to visit America before Pennsylvania was settled, as also since it was so named.

Public Friends visiting Pennsylvania, 1656-1803.
Box 1 Folder 8
Scope and Contents

The Names of Friends in the Ministry who came from England, Ireland, &c. to visit America before Pennsylvania was settled, as also since it was so named.

Public Friends visiting Pennsylvania, 1656-1811.
Box 1 Folder 9
Scope and Contents

[Gwynedd Monthlyl Meeting?] The Names of Friends in the Ministry who came from England, Ireland, &c. to visit America before Pennsylvania was settled, as also since it was so named.

Volume describing Public Friends visiting New England and Pennsylvania, with lists of Meetings in Wales and near London, 1656-1782.
Box 1 Folder 10
Scope and Contents

"Register of the Names of Public Friends that have visited New England since he Year 1656 from Old England, Ireland, Barbadoes, Antigua, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New-Jersey, and Long Island," 1656-1782. "The Names of Friends in the Ministry who came from England, Ireland, &c. to visit America before Pennsylvania was settled, as also since it was so named," 1656-1767. List of meetings in Wales. List of "Meetings in Several Counties, Outset from London."

Public Friends travelling from Europe to America, and from America to England and Ireland, 1656-1840.
Box 1 Folder 11
Scope and Contents

"An account of Friends in the Ministry who came from Europe to America," 1656-1840. "A list of ministering Friends who went from America to visit England and Ireland," 1693-1832.

Public Friends visiting Skipton Meeting, 1698-1825.
Box 1 Folder 12
Scope and Contents

"An Account of Publick Friends that have Visited Skipton Meeting since the Yearly Meeting at York in the 4th month 1698," 1698-1825

Public Friends visiting Horsham Preparative Meeting, 1794-1818.
Box 1 Folder 13
Scope and Contents

"To commemorate the visits and Gosple labours of our valued Friends amongst us [Horsham Preparative Meeting?], is a tribute due to thire memory...," 1794-1818

Public Friends visiting Galloway, 1796-1863.
Box 1 Folder 14
Scope and Contents

"An account of the Meetings that Ministering or Traveling Friends have held or attended at Galloway [Leeds Point] from the beginning of the year 1796," 1796-1863

List of Friends in the Ministry from Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Southern District and Northern District, 1800-1812.
Box 1 Folder 15

Traveling minute for Ann Dillworth from Dublin Monthly Meeting (Abington) to Friends in England & elsewhere (photostat-neg.), 1698/9 1mo 26.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for William Penn from Bristol (England) Monthly Meeting to "The American Countries and particularly his own province of Pennsylvania" (ms. copy), 1699 5mo 31.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Winson Cardwell from Newark Monthly Meeting to Maryland, Virginia, Carolina, 1711 6mo 1.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Giles Knight from Byberry Particular Meeting to Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, England, 1717 7mo 5.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Rose Tebbets from General Meeting of Ministers held at Philadephia to Dover Monthly Meeting, 1719/20 1mo 19-21.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for John Husey from Rhode Island Monthly Meeting to Newcastle Monthly Meeting, 1725 11mo 25.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Rose Tebbets from Quarterly Meeting of Ministers & Elders held at Concord to Dover Monthly Meeting, 1729 3mo 10.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Elizabeth Beaker from Abington Monthly Meeting to Middletown Monthly Meeting, 1731 5mo 25.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Mary Sanns from Abington Monthly Meeting to Middletown Monthly Meeting, 1734 8mo 28.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Dinah James from Nottingham Monthly Meeting to Friends on Eastern Shore, 1742 9mo 5.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minutes for Dinah James from east Nottingham Monthly Meeting to Friends on Long Island, 1743 2mo 16.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Dinah James from Flushing Monthly Meeting to East Nottingham Monthly Meeting, 1743 6mo 4.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Ann Moore from Quarterly Meeting held at Herring Creek to Middletown Monthly Meeting, 1745 9mo 6.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Ann Moore from Meeting at Menoquesey, Prince George Co., Md. to Middletown Monthly Meeting, 1745 9mo 16.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Sarah Massey from Nottingham Monthly Meeting to Great Britain and Ireland, 1760 7mo 26.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for James Rigbie from West River Monthly Meeting to East Nottingham Monthly Meeting, 1760 8mo 29.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for James Rigbie from East Nottingham Monthly Meeting to Friends on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, 1760 11mo 29.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for Daniel Brown from Monthly Meeting held at Plainfield, 1763 6mo 15.
Box 1 Folder 16
Traveling minute for William Jones from Burlington Monthly Meeting to provinces of Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1774 12mo 5.
Box 1 Folder 16

Traveling minute for Susanna Horne from Baltimore Monthly Meeting for Eastern District To Tottingham Monthly Meeting, Great Britain (manuscript copy), 1811 5mo 9.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Elizabeth Barker from Nantucket Monthly Meeting to Great Britain & Ireland, 1815 12mo 2.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Elizabeth Barker from Sandwich Quarterly Meeting to Great Britain & Ireland, 1816 4mo 4.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Elizabeth Barker from New England Yearly Meeting to Great Britain & Ireland, 1816 6mo.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minutes for Hannah Field, Patience Haverland and Elizabeth Allinson from N.E. Yearly Meeting to Purchase Monthly Meeting and to Burlington Monthly Meeting, 1821 6mo.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Priscilla Cadwallader from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to Blue River Quarterly & Yearly Meetings, 1832 4mo 9-14.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Stephen Grellet from Yearly Meeting of Ministers & Eiders in London to: Burlington Monthly Meeting; Burlington Quarterly Meeting; Yearly Meeting of Ministers & Elders in Philadelphia, 1834 5mo 31.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Elisha Dawson from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting to inhabitants of Great Britain & Ireland (2), 1835 4mo 11, 13, 15, 17.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Ebenezer Roberts from Chester Monthly Meeting (N.J.) to Ohio Yearly Meeting, 1846 8mo 11.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Mary H. Royers from Vermilion Monthly Meeting (Illinois) to London & Dublin Yearly Meeting's & others to whom this may come., 1872 8mo 3.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Simon Gillam from Mlddletown Monthly Meeting to Baltimore Yearly Meeting, 1882 10mo 5.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Simon Gillam from Middletown Monthly Meeting to New York Yearly Meeting, 1883 5mo 11.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Sarah R. Matthews from Gunpowder Monthly Meeting, 1899 12mo 3.
Box 1 Folder 17
Traveling minute for Huldah Sears from Providence Monthly Meeting (Anna Braithwaite, Clerk), undated.
Box 1 Folder 17

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