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The Northern Association of the City and County of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of Poor Women records

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

This Hicksite Quaker women's charity was organized in 1844 and incorporated in 1856. Its mission was to provide employment in sewing for poor women. The Association rented rooms to which women came to sew. Some women who were unable to leave their homes did sewing at home. In 1849 the Association purchased a house to be used as a store and workroom. The Association was incorporated in 1856, and Lucretia Mott served as president until 1866.

A survey made in 1918 by the Bureau for Social Research, Seybert Institution, indicated that the Association was not using its funds to the best advantage. All the women who were aided by the Association found it necessary to supplement their income in some other way.

In 1926 the Association dissolved, and its assets were distributed among five other charitable organizations.

The collection contains legal documents, financial records, membership list (1849-1872), reports, correspondence, and related papers.

The collection is organized into series. The series are:

  1. Constitution
  2. Legal documents
  3. Reports
  4. Correspondence
  5. Financial Records

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Gift of Hannah B. Pettit, 1928

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
FHL staff
Finding Aid Date
2001
Sponsor
Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Note that the bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available in our Digital Library. Explore this collection online.

Use Restrictions

Some of the items in this collection may be protected by copyright. The user is solely responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder or their heirs/assigns to reuse, publish, or reproduce relevant items beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to the law. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/.

Collection Inventory

A00180301. Constitution, 1849.
Scope and Contents

3 pages. The Constitution states that the Association was created by single women residents of Pennsylvania who were looking to help "poor and deserving women." Article 2nd states that all members must be single women but married women may assist in "charitable labors." Article 4th explains that the Association will help poor and deserving women in the county and city of Philadelphia by securing them employment with compensation. The justices of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania signed it and certified it as lawful, and A.L. Russell, Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth, signed it stating that it was enrolled in Charter Book Vol. No. 7, pages 371 and 372.

Subjects: Women--Charities; Charity organization; Quakers--Charities; Women--Economic conditions; Constitutions; Gibson, John Bannister, 1780-1853

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.); Harrisburg (Pa.)

A00180302. Amended Constitution, 1856.
Scope and Contents

7 pages. Amends Article 2nd to no longer include the stipulation that only single women can be members. Amends Article 3rd to include a Vice President as an elected officer. Lucretia Mott is named as the President of the Association on the first page of the document.

Subjects: Women--Charities; Charity organization; Quakers--Charities; Women--Economic conditions; Constitutions

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180303. Draft of the Amended Constitution, 1856.
Scope and Contents

2 pages. The draft has an additional sentence at the end of Article 2nd that reads, "who may be assisted as the charitable labours by such as shall be selected by the Association." The sentence is crossed out.

Subjects: Women--Charities; Charity organization; Quakers--Charities; Women--Economic conditions; Constitutions

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180304. Constitution and by-laws, 1844-1928.
Scope and Contents

23 pages. Amended constitution. Lists the names (and often addresses) of members, including Lucretia Mott. Outlines duties of president, acting committee, etc. Affirms a desire "to admit none but the deserving poor." Provides a set of rules to be followed by women given work by the Association. Also includes 1867 revisions to the by-laws.

Subjects: Quakers--Charities; Social service; Wages; Women employees; Charity organization; Women--Charities; Social classes

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180300. Legal documents, 1841-1902.
Scope and Contents

160 pages. Deeds, mortgages, titles, wills, and searches, including the will of Henry C. Cochran.

Subjects: Charity organization; Legal documents; Deeds; Mortgages; Land titles; Wills; Quakers--Charities; Women--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180305. Resolution for distribution of assets, 1926.
Scope and Contents

6 pages. States that the resolution was unanimously adopted and lists how the assets will be distributed by the Treasurer of the Association "after the payment of the expenses of procuring the dissolution of our Corporation and all other debts of our Corporation."

Subjects: Charity organization; Quakers--Charities; Women--Charities; Finance

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180306. List of donations, 1926-10-20.
Scope and Contents

5 pages. Details the Northern Association's donation of $35,000 worth of assets to other Philadelphia charities after the Association's dissolution.

Subjects: Charity organization; Finance; Women--Charities; Quakers--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180307. Monthly financial reports, 1893-1906.
Scope and Contents

161 pages. Prepared by the Matron of the House of Industry for the treasurer of the Association. Arranged chronologically. Document receipts from the treasurer and expenditures at the House. Common items include salaries, work in and out of the House, dry goods, notions, sundries, gas or coal, bonnets, almanacs, and repairs.

Subjects: Charity organization; Finance; Wages; Textile fabrics; Clothing and dress; Women--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180308. Draft of 5th annual report, 1849.
Scope and Contents

4 pages. The report states that the Association is at its highest degree of prosperity. Also clarifies that they help those whose circumstances prevent their earning a subsistence in any other way. Mentions that they have received donations in the form of money, coal, dry goods, groceries, garments, bed quilts, etc.

Subjects: Charity organization; Women--Charities; Annual reports; Quakers--Charities; Women--Economic conditions

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180309. Seybert Institution report on the Northern Assoc. of Phila., 1918.
Scope and Contents

17 pages. Contains information about most of the women working through the Northern Association (either in the house or at their homes) that was garnered through in-person interviews. The study concludes that the Association should not continue in its present line of work because their funds are not being used constructively.

Subjects: Charity organization; Women--Charities; Women--Economic conditions; Wages; Working class--Housing; Northern Association of the City and County of Philadelphia for the Relief and Employment of Poor Women

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180310. Correspondence and other documents, 1883-1921.
Scope and Contents

67 pages. Various letters covering financial affairs, ground rents, etc. Arranged chronologically.

Subjects: Charity organization; Finance; United States. Bureau of the Census; Women--Charities; Quakers--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.); Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.); Washington (D.C.)

A00180311. Correspondence regarding dissolution, 1925-1929.
Scope and Contents

42 pages. Concerns the legal procedures surrounding the dissolution of the Association and disposition of its assets. Mostly written by attorney Walter C. Longstreth to Caroline S. Jackson (president), Hannah B. Pettit (secretary), and Mary H. Black (treasurer) of the Association. Arranged chronologically.

Subjects: Charity organization; Social service; Finance; Women--Charities; Quakers--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180314. Treasurer's book, 1905-1926.
Scope and Contents

267 pages. Income and expenses of the Northern Association, including donations and salaries. There is a gap in page numbers due to many pages left blank.

Subjects: Charity organization; Social service; Wages; Women employees; Account books; Finance

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180313. Jenkintown National Bank book, 1892-1894.
Scope and Contents

6 pages. Records deposits and withdrawals made by treasurer Elizabeth F. Williams in 1892 and 1894.

Subjects: Banks and banking; Charity organization; Finance; Women--Charities; Quakers--Charities

Relevant locations: Jenkintown (Pa.)

A00180312. Northern Trust Company bank book, 1918-1926.
Scope and Contents

25 pages. Records deposits and checks from 1918 until the closing of the account in 1926.

Subjects: Banks and banking; Charity organization; Finance; Women--Charities; Quakers--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180316. Accounts of stock, 1884-1895.
Scope and Contents

28 pages. Contains yearly inventories of the stock (nightgowns, aprons, needles, wool, etc.) in the House of Industry and the price associated with each item.

Subjects: Clothing and dress; Textile fabrics; Charity organization; Social service; Account books; Women--Charities

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

A00180315. Financial and property records, 1863-1926.
Scope and Contents

156 pages. Miscellaneous property records. Includes rents received from and expenses for the Association's property at 1705 Willington Street; and taxes, insurance policies, etc. for the Association's property at 702 Green Street. Also includes checks written in 1926 to distribute the Association's assets and other financial records related to the dissolution of the Association.

Subjects: Charity organization; Finance; Fire insurance policies

Relevant locations: Philadelphia (Pa.)

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