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Rogerenes of New England 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.053
Repository:
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Extent:
.75 linear ft. (2 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited folder and series here], MSS/053, Rogerenes of New England Collection, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.
Date:
1817-1991 (inclusive)
Creator:
Brinton, Ellen Starr, 1886-1954 and Benham, Ida Whipple
Abstract:
The Rogerenes of New England collection contains research materials and some original manuscript and published works by the Rogerenes which were collected by Ellen Starr Brinton during her tenure as Curator of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 1935-1951. She wrote several articles on the sect and compiled an extensive bibliography of sources.

The Rogerenes were a religious sect founded by John Rogers, Sr., (1648-1721) in New England in the late 1670s. They settled around New London County, Connecticut. Sometimes called Rogerene-Quakers, they were not members of the Society of Friends. However, their pacifist religious doctrines and worship practices were strongly influenced by Quakers, especially William Edmundson, a Friend from Ireland who visited in 1675. During the early New England period, the sect was persecuted because it denounced the limitations placed on freedoms of worship and conscience. The Rogerenes were active in the abolition movement and in founding the Universal Peace Union. In the 1880s, the group called itself the Quaker Society of New London. Their numbers dwindled by the end of the L9th century. Prominent Connecticut family names associated with the Rogerenes include Waterhouse/Watrous, Rogers, Crouch, Bollet, Wñipple, and Chapman.

The Rogerenes of New England Collection primarily contains research materials and some original manuscript and published works by the Rogerenes which were collected by Ellen Starr Brinton during her tenure as Curator of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 1935-1951. She wrote several articles on the sect and compiled an extensive bibiiography of sources.

Organized into five series: 1. Correspondence and papers relating to Ellen Starr Brinton's Rogerene bibliography; 2. Rogerene reference material; 3. Ida Whipple Benham; 4. Rogerene writings; 5. Pictures [transferred to photographs, PA 90].

Transfer from Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 1998.

The collection was processed by Ellen Starr Brinton, and her original order has been preserved as much as possible. In 1991, Swarthmore College Peace Collection staff consolidated some of the material, and the papers relating to Mystic Oral School for the Deaf, which was operated by the Whipple family, were removed from the collection and transferred to the Mystic River Historical Association. Ida Whipple Benham's temperance and peace poetry were retained as a reflection of Rogerene values. In 1998, the Collection was transferred to Friends Historical Library because of the strong Quaker influence on the sect. Photographs have been removed to Friends Historical Library Picture Collection. Maps (photostatic copies) were moved to the Map Collection.

30 photographs were removed to SFHL/PA/90 Rogerenes of New England photographs.

Five maps were removed to Friends Historical Library Maps, Rogerenes of New England map collection.

Materials pertaining to the Whipple Home School for the Deaf, later the Mystic Oral School, were deaccssioned from the SCPC in 1991 and transferred to the Mystic River Historical Association.

Three books were transferred to FHL and SCPC book collections.

    Transferred to Mystic River Historical Association.
  1. Promotion calendar
  2. The Whipple School Alphabet by Daisy M. Wey, 1897, two copies
  3. Biennial reports, 1884, 1896-1908, 1912-1914
  4. The Home School Weekly, Feb. 25, 1874
  5. Whipple's Home School Journal, March 1874
  6. Newspaper clippings
  7. Crouch, Julia. Three Successful Girls. NY, Hurd and Houghton, 1871, inscribed "Mystic Oral School, no. 127, Gift of Dr. Clara H. McGuigan, July 1943".
  8. Branch, Mary L. B., The Old Hempstead House, New London, 1931.
    Transferred to book collections
  1. Rogers, John. The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ Which God gave unto Him 2nd New London edition. (Originally collection contained 3 copies, but only 1 retained by SCPC. the volume that was a gif t of Dr. Clara H. McGuigan, 1939.) Transferred to FHL books.
  2. Blake, Rev. S. Leroy, D.D., The Early History of the First Church of Christ, New London, Conn., 1897. In 1991, transferred to SCPC Books: F 104 N7 B6
  3. Bolles, John R. and William, Anna B. The Rogerenes, with appendix of Rogerene writing. Boston, 1904. In 1991, transferred to SCPC Books: F 97 B69. See also FHL Books.

People
Subject

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
Susanna K. Morikawa
Finding Aid Date
1999
Access Restrictions

This collection is available for research use.

Collection Inventory

Checklists by E.S. Brinton and Kate Myers, with correspondence regarding transfer of items to the Mystic River Historical Society, 1955, 1991.
Box 1 Folder 1
"The Rogerene-Quakers", by Ellen Starr Brinton. The Friend, Vol. 113, No.1., July 13, 1939.
Box 1 Folder 2
"The Rogerenes", by Ellen Starr Brinton, New England Quarterly, Vol.16, no.1. 2 copies, March, 1943.
Box 1 Folder 3
"Books By and About the Rogerenes", by Ellen Starr Brinton, Bulletin of the New York Public Library, Vol. 49, no.9, and review., September 1945.
Box 1 Folder 4
Correspondence between Ellen Starr Brinton and the New England Quarterly about "references consulted" for her article, 1942.
Box 1 Folder 5
Correspondence between Ellen Starr Brinton and various libraries about Rogerene material, 1942-43.
Box 1 Folder 6
Correspondence between Ellen Starr Brinton and Clarence Brigham, Director, American Antiquarian Society, 1942-43.
Box 1 Folder 7
Correspondence between Ellen Starr Brinton and Gerald McDonald of the New York Public Library, and related items, 1942-43.
Box 1 Folder 8

Rogerenes, Quakertown, General Descriptions and history.
Box 1 Folder 9
Rogerene marriage certificate (copy).
Box 1 Folder 10
Rogerene Cemeteries ("Old" and "New"), the Ancient Paint Mill on Old Quaker Meeting House Farm.
Box 1 Folder 11
Genealogies of Rogers, Waterhouse, Whipple, and Crouch families.
Box 1 Folder 12
Photograph of 1773 deed involving John and Timothy Watrous, and related corresspondence.
Box 1 Folder 13
"The Rogerenes of Ledyard", by Vintson Ackley. Typed manuscript, undated.
Box 1 Folder 14
"The House of Seven Gables in Ledyard," House built by Timothy Watrous, used by Rogerenes. Newspaper photograph and pencil drawings of floor plans.
Box 1 Folder 15
Photocopies of Photostat maps of Quakertown area of Connecticut; Photostats removed to FHL Maps.
Box 1 Folder 16
Peace meetings at Mystic, CT, newspaper clippings, 1869-1911.
Box 1 Folder 17
Poem, author unknown (a Whipple?), read at Yearly Peace Meeting, August 1879.
Box 1 Folder 18
Whipple Home School for the Deaf, later Mystic Oral School. Letter of January 9, 1991 listing the items transferred from the Peace Collection to the Historical Society. Photocopies of title pages of items transferred and newspaper articles.
Box 1 Folder 19

Poetry and related correspondence, 1886-1897.
Box 1 Folder 20
Temperance writings, autograph manuscript, undated.
Box 1 Folder 21
Memorabilia, notes on trip to London, 1897-1898.
Box 1 Folder 22

Minute book, "Quaker Society of New London," Bound manuscript volume. Includes mission statement, "Regulations," membership list, and minutes. This item was transferred separately to FHL in 1991 and was reunited with the collection in 1999., Feb. 15, 1880 -Oct. 1884.
Box 2 Folder 23
"The Star of Evening," four issues of manuscript periodical: Vol. 1, no.3, December 3, 1866. ed. Jennie Turner; Vol. 1, no.6, December 27, 1866. ed.C.Whipple; Vol. 1, no.10, February 6, 1867. (no editor given); Vol. 2, no.3, undated (circa January, 1868),C.Whipple, Editor, 1866-1868.
Box 2 Folder 24
"Battle Axe Weapons of War," 8 pp. published pamphlet, Vol. 4, no. 4, August 1840.
Box 2 Folder 25
"Battle-Axe, and Weapons of War...being a Treatise" by Timothy Waterous, Timothy Waterous, Jr., and Zachariah Waterous," Second Edition. Published by Silas Waterous. Photocopy of the cover of "Effects of the Battle-Ax of War Operation," January 1812., 1841.
Box 2 Folder 26
"The Battle Axe," Third Edition. Published by Daniel W. Waterous., 1927.
Box 2 Folder 27
"A Handle for the Battle-Axe, &c., by "Myself". 1842., 1842.
Box 2 Folder 28
"Songof Faith," a small pamphlet of poems by JohnR.Bolles, and miscellaneous poems, undated.
Box 2 Folder 29
"The Voice of Peace," Official Organ of the Universal Peace Union, two issues: Vol. 2, no.8 and Vol. 2. no.10. Note by Ellen Starr Brinton, August 1873,October 1873.
Box 2 Folder 30
"Benham's Living Era, A monthly journal devoted to literature, science, and the arts." Edited by Ida Whipple Benham. Correspondence between ESB and Florence Whipple Simmons, 8/1939, regarding the journal., July 1880.
Box 2 Folder 31
"Bond of Peace," partial issue, Sept.1869.
Box 2 Folder 32
Rogerene photographs - transferred to PA 90.
Box PA 90

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