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Ladies Benevolent Association of New Brighton (Pa.)

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

In 1846, a group of women, most of whom were Quakers, founded the Female Benevolent Association of New Brighton to "procure clothing and other articles of convenience for the destitute poor." The small group (whose name was changed to the Ladies Benevolent Association before 1856) met monthly (except during July and August) in each others homes to sew clothing for the needy in the village. They formed a Visiting Committee to investigate cases and to determine the level of support. Financial records indicate that the Ladies Benevolent Association also supplied coal, milk, shoes, and other articles which were purchased through the contributions of the members.

As time passed, their activities expanded to include keeping a room at the hospital and aiding other local charities. In 1907, the Ladies Benevolent Association cooperated with other organizations to engage a visiting nurse; this organization, known as the District Nurse Association (see Series 5), was disbanded five years later due to the difficulties of obtaining continuing funding. After World War II, the need for sewing declined, and the Ladies Benevolent Association began to meet quarterly and then semiannually to support the Beaver Valley General Hospital. The group was dissolved in 1977.

Contains the records of the Ladies Benevolent Association of New Brighton, including minutes, financial records, correspondence, and other related papers, including minutes of the District Nurse Association of New Brighton, 1907-1912.

The collection is divided into six series:

  1. Historical background
  2. Minutes, 1846 and 1856-1977
  3. Financial and other administrative records
  4. Correspondence, 1896-1977
  5. District Nurse Association of New Brighton, Pa., 1907-1912
  6. Miscellaneous

Donor: Mrs. Roland Kenah, 1987

A leather purse from the collection was catalogued as Relic #372, then removed and transferred to Cabinet 6.

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
FHL staff
Finding Aid Date
1987
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.

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

Archival Resource Key. Background material.
Scope and Contents

Includes various manuscript and printed histories, newspaper articles, etc.

Scope and Contents

Minute books include financial reports, lists of contributors of cash and goods, officers and committee members

Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1846-1848.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Includes Constitution and By-Laws, Minutes from 1/6/1848

Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1856-1867.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1868-1885.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1886-1888.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Includes attendance lists to 1894.

Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1894-1899.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1900-1909.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1909-1924.
Box 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1924-1939.
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1939-1977.
Box 2

Archival Resource Key. Treasurer's book, 1894-1960.
Box 2
Archival Resource Key. Roll Book, 1911-1937.
Box 2
Scope and Contents

Includes attendance and dues payments.

Archival Resource Key. Roll Book, 1937-1961.
Box 2
Scope and Contents

Includes attendance and dues payments.

Archival Resource Key. Check Stub Book, 1930-1939.
Box 2

Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1896-1977.
Box 2
Scope and Contents

Primarily letters accepting or declining invitations to the various anniversary celebrations as well as some material concerning the dissolution of the Assoc.

Archival Resource Key. Records, 1907-1912.
Box 3
Scope and Contents

Formed by a consortium of charitable organizations in the New Brighton area, this organization was disbanded after five years due to the lack of continuing funding. The remaining funds were transferred to the Ladies Benevolent Association for their use.

Archival Resource Key. "Registrar" (Guest book for Anniversary Parties), 1896-1936.
Box 3
Archival Resource Key. Photographs.
Box 3
Archival Resource Key. Invitations.
Box 3
Archival Resource Key. Relics.
Box 3
Scope and Contents

Includes name tapes. Original leather purse, used to hold petty cash, catalogued as Relic #372 and transferred to Cabinet 6.

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