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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
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.
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.
- Publisher
- Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
- Finding Aid Date
- 2018
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is available for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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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
A register of all the public Friends that have visited New England since the year 1656
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
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
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
A register of the public Friends who have visited New England since the year 1656 from Old England
An account of ministering Friends that hath Came from England & Ireland to Visit Friends in North America
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.
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.
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.
[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.
"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."
"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.
"An Account of Publick Friends that have Visited Skipton Meeting since the Yearly Meeting at York in the 4th month 1698," 1698-1825
"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
"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