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Nancy P. (Nancy Peel) Speers Genealogical Papers

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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:
RG5.194
Repository:
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Extent:
4 linear ft. (8 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item or series here], RG5/194, Nancy Speers Genealogical Papers, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Date:
1906-1995 [bulk 1972-1995] (inclusive)
Creator:
Nancy P. (Nancy Peel) Speers (1925-1995)
Abstract:
Nancy Peel Speers (1925-1995) was a leading expert on Quaker genealogy. Married to David Speers (1919-1968), she was a lifelong resident of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. She was employed as an archivist and staff genealogist at Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. The Speers' Genealogical Research Papers consist of personal research on the Peel, Speers, and Olmsted families, research on Quaker families, including extensive work done on Cox, Kester, Griffith, and Lloyd families, and miscellaneous Quaker genealogical research.

Nancy Peel Speers (1925-1995) was a leading expert on Quaker genealogy. She was employed by Friends Historical Library as an archivist and staff genealogist, and she also worked as a private genealogist during her employment and after retirement from the Library.

She was the daughter of H. Lindley and Edna L. Peel and raised in the Borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Nancy Speers entered the College of Wooster in Ohio at the end of her junior year at Swarthmore High School, returning to graduate from Swarthmore High School with the class of 1943. She then transferred to Middlebury College in Vermont where she spent her sophomore and junior years. In August 1945 she married David Speers (Adam David McKinstry Speers) of Indianapolis, a Swarthmore College alumnus. They settled in Swarthmore. David Speers (1919-1968) was a partner in the law firm of Duane, Morris, and Heckscher in Philadelphia.

After her husband's death, Nancy Speers began to work at Friends Historical Library as an archivist and staff genealogist. She retired in 1992, and her genealogical papers were donated to the Library after her death by her three children.

The Speers' Genealogical Research Papers consist of personal research on the Peel, Speers, and Olmsted families, research on Quaker families, including extensive work done on Cox, Kester, Griffith, and Lloyd families, and miscellaneous Quaker genealogical research.

The collection is divided into two series:

  1. Research on Nancy Peel Speers's family genealogy
  2. Quaker family files, with an alphabetized checklist of names

Accession information

Donor: David M. Speers, Jonathan O. Speers, Lindley B. Speers, 1996; Accession number 96.016 & 96.028

The collection was given by the children of Nancy Speers.

Ten cartons of genealogical research papers and publications were given to FHL by Nancy Speers's children. A preliminary sort was done as the material was received, with personal letters and photographs returned to the family and books and other publications added to FHL duplicates.

The papers were sorted into three groups: Nancy Peel Speers genealogical research on her family lines; Quaker family genealogical files; and miscellaneous Quaker research. The materials within the groups were arranged alphabetically and stored temporarily in eight document boxes and three large cartons. Series 1 contains personal genealogical research on the Peel and Speers families; Series 2, containing Quaker family files, is stored in the FHL Reading Room for ease of access; and the third group, containing three cartons of miscellaneous Quaker research, has been checked for duplication and added to the Library's PG 7 files (genealogical/ biographical reference.)

Miscellaneous Quaker research has been added to FHL PG 7, Biographical and genealogical reference, for ease of access.

People
Subject

Publisher
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
Finding Aid Author
SKM
Finding Aid Date
1997
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce items in this collection beyond the bounds of Fair Use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder or their heirs/assigns. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-RUU/1.0/.

Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Includes research on Speers, Peel, Lippincott, Russell, McKinstry, Olmsted, and other collateral family lines.

Folders have not been entirely sorted and contain rough notes, correspondence, and charts.

Typescript, "Lineal Descent of Nancy Peel Speers".
Box 1 Folder 1
Typed transcription, "Diary of Trip to England, 1860" kept by Henry Clarke Peel, Sr.
Box 1 Folder 2
Lippincott family.
Box 1 Folder 3
Peel family.
Box 1 Folder 4
Lippincott/Peel lines.
Box 1 Folder 5
Typescript "Lineal Descent of Adam David McKinstry Speers".
Box 1 Folder 6
Mimeograph mss "Spear Family History".
Box 1 Folder 7
Peel/Speers research notes.
Box 1 Folder 8
McKinstry family lines.
Box 1 Folder 9
Speers.
Box 1 Folder 10
Speers lineal descent.
Box 1 Folder 11
Speers, with LeFevre, Bevier, Etting, etc. notes.
Box 1 Folder 12
Speir line.
Box 2 Folder 13
Mary Beare's correspondence regarding Speers family.
Box 2 Folder 14
Nathaniel Bernard's correspondence.
Box 2 Folder 15
Adam Speers/Nancy Ellen Speers Bernard correspondence, etc.
Box 2 Folder 16
Olmstead/Browning lines.
Box 2 Folder 17
Russell/Olmsted.
Box 2 Folder 18
Olmsted family charts.
Box 2 Folder 19
Olmsted family group charts.
Box 2 Folder 20
Olmsted correspondence.
Box 2 Folder 21
Olmsted family association.
Box 2 Folder 22
Olmsted family reunion, notes.
Box 2 Folder 23

Ashead.
Box 3 Folder 1
Atkinson.
Box 3 Folder 2
Baker.
Box 3 Folder 3
Beales: see Hunt.
Beals.
Box 3 Folder 4
Bevan.
Box 3 Folder 5
Birdsall.
Box 3 Folder 6
Bonsall.
Box 3 Folder 7
Borton: see Lippincott.
Bowater: see Beals.
Brindley: see Lukens.
Brown.
Box 3 Folder 8
Burrough: see Lippincott.
Burson: see Griffith.
Bye: see Brown.
Canby.
Box 3 Folder 9
Canby: see Heston.
Carver: see Reeves.
Chaffin/Chalfant.
Box 3 Folder 10
Clayton.
Box 3 Folder 11
Clendennon.
Box 3 Folder 12
Cloud.
Box 3 Folder 13
Coales: see Truman.
Cooper: see Truman.
Coppock: also, see Tucker.
Box 3 Folder 14
Cowgill.
Box 3 Folder 15
Cox (2 folders).
Box 4 Folder 16-17
Crawford.
Box 4 Folder 18
Crew: see Stanley.
Day: see Hussey.
Dickinson: see Hallock.
Dixon: see Hutton.
Doane: see Phillips.
Doors: see Lukens.
Durham.
Box 4 Folder 19
Elliott.
Box 4 Folder 20
Endicott: see Gaskill.
Evans.
Box 4 Folder 21
Fayle.
Box 4 Folder 22
Fisher: also, see Kirk.
Box 4 Folder 23
Foulke: see Lippincott.
Franzier: see Coppock.
Gaskill.
Box 4 Folder 24
Griffith.
Box 4 Folder 25
Haines: see Lippincott.
Hallock.
Box 4 Folder 26
Halloway: see Pharo.
Hammer.
Box 4 Folder 27
Hanson.
Box 4 Folder 28
Harvey: see Hollingsworth.
Heacock: see John.
Hester.
Box 5 Folder 29
Heston.
Box 5 Folder 30
Hibbs.
Box 5 Folder 31
Hill: see Cox and Phillips.
Hinshaw.
Box 5 Folder 32
Hoag: see Narramore.
Hodson: see Cox.
Hollingsworth; also, see Hinshaw.
Box 5 Folder 33
Hooten: see Langstaff.
Hunt: also, see Beals, Hinshaw, and Jones.
Box 5 Folder 34
Hussey.
Box 5 Folder 35
Hutton.
Box 5 Folder 36
James.
Box 5 Folder 37
John.
Box 5 Folder 38
Jones.
Box 5 Folder 39
Kester/Kuster.
Box 5 Folder 40
Scope and Contents

Includes extensive correspondence

Donald Kester.
Kirk.
Box 5 Folder 41
Langstaff (NJ).
Box 6 Folder 42
Lightfoot: see Hutton.
Lippincott: also, see Brown.
Box 6 Folder 43
Llewellyn: see Hunt.
Lloyd (7 folders).
Box 6 Folder 44
Scope and Contents

Includes extensive correspondence

R.Douglas Lloyd (2 folders).
Box 6 Folder 45-46
Lloyd.
Box 6 Folder 47
Lloyd.
Box 6 Folder 48
Lloyd.
Box 6 Folder 49
Lloyd.
Box 6 Folder 50
Lownes: see Heston.
Lukens.
Box 7 Folder 51
Lupton.
Box 7 Folder 52
Malone: see Brown.
McCarty.
Box 7 Folder 53
Mendenhall: see Griffith.
Michener: see Scarborough.
Middletown: see Ashead.
Moore, Ann.
Box 7 Folder 54
Morlan: see Richardson.
Narramore.
Box 7 Folder 55
Neill.
Box 7 Folder 56
Newlin: see Hinshaw.
Owen: see Griffith.
Parson: see Lukens.
Patterson: see Phillips.
Paxson: see Roberts.
Pearson.
Box 7 Folder 57
Pedrick: see Hunt.
Pennington: see Brown.
Penrose.
Box 7 Folder 58
Pharo.
Box 7 Folder 59
Phillips.
Box 7 Folder 60
Plumley: see Roberts.
Preston: see Scarborough.
Price.
Box 7 Folder 61
Price: see Jones.
Reeves.
Box 7 Folder 62
Richardson.
Box 7 Folder 63
Roberts.
Box 7 Folder 64
Robeson: see Elliott.
Rutter: see Elliott.
Sanders: see Woodrow.
Sanders: see Wright.
Scarborough: also, see Pearson.
Box 7 Folder 65
Scull: see Reeves.
Shinn: see Atkinson.
Shreve: see Atkinson.
Smith.
Box 7 Folder 66
Stanfield: see Tucker.
Stanley.
Box 7 Folder 67
Starbuck: see Hester.
Box 7 Folder 68
Taber.
Box 8 Folder 69
Truman.
Box 8 Folder 70
Tucker.
Box 8 Folder 71
Tyson.
Box 8 Folder 72
Underwood: see Kirk.
Varney: see John.
Wells: see Woodrow.
Wells: see Wright.
Wierman: see Cox.
Woodrow.
Box 8 Folder 73
Woolman: see Lippincott.
Woolston: see Heston.
Worrall.
Box 8 Folder 74
Wright.
Box 8 Folder 75

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