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Gathered Leaves: Miscellaneous Papers from New York Yearly Meeting
Notifications
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
William Wood, the son of Samuel and Mary Wood, was born 5 month 6, 1797, a birthright member of New York Monthly Meeting. In 1835, he married Mary S. Underhill, daughter of Joshua and Mary Underhill. William Wood was a New York City publisher and lifelong devout Quaker. He worked in the publishing house which his father had established 1806, specializing in children's' books. Under William's leadership, the firm became known for its medical publications. He was a longtime Clerk for New York Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) and an Elder. His special concerns were the abolition of slavery, the welfare of freedmen and Indians, peace, and Quaker education. William Wood died 4 month 9, 1877.
This is an artificial collection compiled by William Wood, long time Clerk of New York Yearly Meeting. Circa 1872, he selected interesting documents to mount in two large scrapbooks. The title is inspired by a verse from John vi:12 -- Gather up the fragments . . . that nothing be lost. The bulk of the collection is epistles, sorted roughly by topic. Wood was particularly interested in the issues of slavery, freedmen, peace testimony, and religious education. Also included are correspondence, Quaker documents, and miscellaneous papers. Correspondents include Moses Brown, William Rickman, John Pemberton.
Organized in four series:
- Correspondence
- Quaker documents
- Epistles, Circulars
- Miscellaneous
Most of the epistles also can be found in meeting records.
Donor: New York Yearly Meeting
Date: 1997
Circa 1872, documents compiled by William Wood, long time Clerk of New York Yearly Meeting, were glued into large albums, roughly by topic. In some cases, he annotated the items. In 1937, John Cox, then Keeper of the Records, pasted in additional loose items and created an alphabetical index. Because the scrapbooks were badly deteriorated and the documents not easily accessed or preserved, they were dismantled after their transfer to Friends Historical Library. In some cases, documents could not be separated. They were removed as best as possible, sorted into basic categories and described. An engraved portrait of Stephen Grellet and a political cartoon of 1848 The Birthday Banquet 1869 were removed to FHL Art.
An engraved portrait of Stephen Grellet and a political cartoon, 1848-The Birthday Banquet-1869, stored with FHL Art
People
Organization
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
- Finding Aid Author
- FHL staff
- Finding Aid Date
- 2007
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- 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
Against lightness and airyness
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Regarding shipment of books and general news.
Physical Description2 ALsS in 1 folder
Letter of 3mo, 3 1793 addressed to Edmund Prior, addressee removed from the others.
Physical Description3 ALsS in 1 folder
Includes update of news in London Yearly Meeting and his taking on a school position in Kent.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Concerns request to include Quakers in Southern France under plan for religious toleration.
Physical DescriptionAL copy in 1 folder
Protesting sale of free Negroes back into slavery.
Physical DescriptionAL copy in 1 folder
1 ALS, Shipment of Gough's History
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
1 ALS in 1 folder
9 ALsS in 1 folder
Mentions religious visits, mail opened.
Physical Description6 ALsS in 1 folder
Mentions Collins Bible.
Physical Description4 ALsS in 1 folder
Re: Gough History.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
1 ALS in 1 folder
Translation of extracts of a letter.
Physical Description1 folder
Mentions religious visits of Deborah Darby and Rebeccah Young, Mary Dudley and S. Shacklton, etc.
Physical Description2 ALsS in 1 folder
Discussing Quaker ministers, travels.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
5 ALsS in 1 folder
Religious message on the return from his visit.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Richard Mott's visit, glued together with Moses Brown letters,
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
1 ALS in 1 folder
Concerning Franklin's ministry in New England.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
1 ALS in 1 folder
Discusses his reservations about the Scriptures. Worries that those who put Scripture above all else will cause a division in the Society.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Author of Celestial Magnet.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Describing the state of the Society in New York State, influence of Elias Hicks.
Physical Description1 AL copy in 1 folder
2 ALsS in 1 folder
Religious travels.
Physical Description2 ALsS in 1 folder
Correspondence concerning property.
Physical Description1 AD in 1 folder
Discusses his hesitation to affiliate with the abolitionists.
Physical Description1 folder
Concerning problems in New England Yearly Meeting.
Physical DescriptionAL copy in 1 folder
Concerning revision of his enclosed draft on the separation in Scipio Quarterly Meeting.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Asked to be read at New York Monthly Meeting, with religious exhortations.
Physical Description1 AL copy in 1 folder
In response to a recent epistle.
Physical Description1 folder
Mentions tensions between them
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Urging their resumption of communications between yearly meetings.
Physical DescriptionAL copy in 1 folder
Also includes 1 ALS reply from Thomas Evans, 1858.
Physical Description3 ALsS copies in 1 folder
Mentions attempt to raise funds for boarding school in N.C. and written on a printed notice of a visit from an unwelcome visit from some Philadelphia Hicksite, Rachel Wilson Moore and her husband.
Physical Description1 folder
Concerning his effort to find old records of Virginia Yearly Meeting. Describes some of the early meetings in Virginia
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Suggesting Friends in NYC work to stop the War and copy of an ALS from Dr. Thomas Hodgkin to Cherokee Principal Chief John Ross, urging Cherokees not to become involved in the Civl War
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
2 ALsS in 1 folder
2 ALsS in 1 folder
Concerning funds raised for Freedmen and forwarding certificate for Thomas Grubb and wife.
Physical Description1 ALS in 1 folder
Draft, signed The Vindicator, objecting to an article based on Samuel H. Cox's Quakerism not Christianity : or, Reasons for renouncing the doctrine of Friends
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Glued on reverse is printed epistle by Charles Osborn to Springfield Monthly Meeting, Indiana, 1832.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Concerning Sarah Stevenson of London who died during her ministry in the U.S.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Notice that Rachel Wilson Moore is not a member of the Society of Friends (Orthodox) and ALS to Philadelphia and New York Yearly Meetings informing that Matilda Rickman, Grant Sargent, and Louisa Gilkes were not traveling in approved ministry
Physical Description1 folder
Endorsements and return minutes.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
With a note from Amy Thurston to Mary Pemberton and enclosure of an earlier epistle (1769).
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Concerning suffering consequent of War.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
Expressing concern about slavery.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Concerning marriage of cousins.
Physical Description1 folder
Concerning the scriptures, education, minutes of advice, etc.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Concerning anti-slavery secession.
Physical Description1 folder
Against admitting Texas to the Union as a slave state.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Pasted on reverse: printed 1846 Memorial to the N.Y. Legislature on rights of conscience and 1861 minute concerning the distress in Kansas due to the drought. 1854 Memorial concerning slavery.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Concerning the American Civil War, distress in cotton mills in Lancashire.
Physical Description1 folder
Regarding the War and conscription.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes New York Yearly Meeting Advice to Friends who are conscripted, 1863.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Copied for Almy Thurston; glued on reverse are copied poems.
Physical Description1 folder
Includes families from N.J., Pa.
Physical Description1 folder
London Yearly Meeting's petition for the suppression of the slave trade.
Physical Description1 folder
Ms copy from a Baltimore newspaper.
Physical Description1 folder
Also copy of a letter from B. Franklin to B. Fox, 1753.
Physical Description1 folder
On reverse are listed the constituent meetings of the quarterly meetings.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Prepared for the Committee for Sufferings and a copy kept with the Meeting, duplicate copy in Minutes.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
Certified as a faithful account by William Wood.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
1 folder
To be held at the home of James Mott Mamaroneck, Ann Shipley and Lydia P. Mott.
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
1 folder