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Fothergill Family 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
John Fothergill (1712-1780) was an esteemed Quaker physician who was born at Carr-end in Yorkshire, England, the son of John and Margaret (Hough) Fothergill. His brother, Alexander (1710-1788), farmed the family property at Carr-end, and sister, Ann, remained single and lived in her brother John's household at Warrington. Alexander married twice, the second time to Margaret Thistlewaite (1710-1798) of Harborgill, Dent Dale, Yorkshire. Their son, William (b.1748) married Hannah Robinson; William and Hannah had five children: John, Thomas, Alexander, Margaret, and Jane. Their youngest son, Alexander, married twice, Eliza Howarth and Jane Robinson.
Alexander had at least eleven children: Hannah (b.1816), Thomas (b.1817), Sarah (b.1819), Susanna (b.1821), Eliza (b.1824), Alice Haworth (b.1826), Ann (b.1830), Mary (b.1831), Margaret (b.1835), William (b.1835), and Henry (b.1837). In 1843, the couple and their minor children were granted a certificate of removal from Marsden Monthly Meeting in England to Chester Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) in the United States, but Alexander died the same year and was buried in Wilmington, Delaware. Jane died in 1874. Ann Fothergill became a school teacher in Wilmington, Delaware. Her youngest brother, Henry, was disowned by Friends in 1860; he married Rachel Poinsett in Wilmington, in 1868, and eventually moved to Steelton, Pennsylvania.
Henry and Rachel had several children including Henry Robinson Fothergill (1873-1917), Alexander Poinsett Fothergill, and William Greenwood Fothergill. Henry Robinson was wed to Eliza Groves Quigley. After her husband died prematurely in 1917, "Bessie" married Valentine Buford Mott, an actor. Henry and Bessie had three children: Elizabeth Fothergill Graves (1899-1974), Henry Robinson Fothergill Jr. (1903-1984), and Winifred Quigley Fothergill-Quinlan (1915-2006).
Papers of the Fothergill and related families of Yorkshire, England, and Wilmington, Delaware. Manuscripts include eighteenth and ninteenth century letters, essays, and genealogical documents. Some of the early correspondence, 1673-1842, was once bound together with linen edges. Of particular interest among these is a letter which describes the Duke of Cumberland's battles with Bonnie Prince Charlie (1745) and two anecdotes concering Quaker minister, David Sands (late 18th century). There is also a manuscript recipe book, with entries in at least two hands and dating from the mid 18th to the mid 19th centuries.
A large part of the collection is made up of original sketches and watercolors. They include works by Alexander Fothergill, his daughter, Ann, her siblings and cousins.
Gift of David G. Quinlan Jr.
The bulk of this collection was given by Alexander Poinsett Fothergill ("Uncle Bo") to Winifred Quigley Fothergill-Quinlan in the 1950s, and after her death donated by her husband to Friends Historical Library.
A number of printed books were received with the collection. Volumes written by Jesse Fothergill, a distant cousin, and by Bessie Q. Mott (Eliza Quigley Fothergill) have been added to Series 3. The following works were not retained:
- A Collection of Short Stories. Ed. L.A. Pittenger. The Macmillan Company: New York. 1927.
- A Concordance to the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Reverend George Coles. Lane and Tippett: New York. 1847.
- Abraham Lincoln: His Story. Samuel Scoville Jr. American Sunday School Union: Philadelphia. 1918.
- Ambition. Sir John Lubbock. H.M. Caldwell Company: New York.
- An Exposition of the Controverted Doctrines of the Catholic Church.
- Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family. Dodd, Mead, and Company: New York.
- Daily Help. Reverend Charles H. Spurgeon. Grosset and Dunlap Publishers: New York.
- Eminent Women of the Age. S.M. Betts and Co: Hartford, Connecticut. 1868.
- English Grammar. Lindley Murray-H. and E. Phinney. 1825.
- Essays of Phrenology. George Combe. Philadelphia. 1822.
- Friendly Lines. Sanford Prep School and Sunny Hills Lower School: Delaware. 1956.
- Friendship and Love. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Grossett and Dunlap: New York.
- Gerty and May; or The Sayings and Doing of Little Girls Known to the Writer: A Story for Young Children. Carlton and Porter: New York.
- Historic Notes on the Scenic Papers of A.L. Diament and Co.
- History of Ackworth School. Henry Thompson. The Centenary Committee of Ackworth School: London. 1879.
- Just Among Friends: The Quaker Way of Life. William Wister Comfort. The Blakiston Co.: Philadelphia. 1945.
- Little Journeys to the Homes of Eminent Painters. Elbert Hubbard. G.P. Putnam's Sons: New York. 1899.
- Love. William Phelps. E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc.: New York. 1928.
- Narrative of Ackworth Centenary. 1879.
- New Testament: Army and Navy Edition. American Bible Society: New York. 1917.
- On Going to Church. Bernard Shaw. Little Leather Library Corporation: New York.
- Once Upon a Time in Delaware. Katherine Pyle. E.P. Dulton and Co.
- Prayers of Hope and Gladness. Elinor C. Stewart. Edwin S. Gorham Inc: New York. 1926.
- Proceedings of the Ackworth Old Scholars' Association, Part 27. Headley Brothers: London. 1899.
- Promises of Hope and Gladness. Elinor C. Stewart. 1927.
- Representative Men. Ralph Waldo Emerson.
- Salome. Oscar Wilde. Dodge Publishing Company: New York. 1907.
- The Autobiography of Ben Franklin. American Book Company: New York. 1896.
- The Devotional Harmonists: A Collection of Sacred Music. Ed. Charles Dingley. T. Carlton and Z. Phillips: New York. 1853.
- The Greatest Thing in the World. Henry Drummond. Collins Clear-Type Press: London.
- The Holy Bible. American Bible Society: New York. 1854.
- The New Testament. American Bible Society: New York. 1864.
- The Quaker Approach. ed. John Kavanaugh. G.P. Putnam's Sons: New York. 1953.
- The Spiritual Combat. Laurence Scupoli. Longmans, Green, and Co: New York. 1909.
- The Story of My Heart. Richard Jefferies. Longmans Green and Co: London. 1930.
- The Treble Almanack for the Year 1810. John Watson Stewart: Dublin. 1810.
- Visits with Laura Alberta. Lela M. Gibbs. The Village Printer: New York. 1967.
People
Subject
- Publisher
- Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff
- Finding Aid Date
- 2010
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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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
Detailed description of the Duke of Cumberland's efforts to subdue the Scottish rebels in 1745.
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Relates his trip to attend quarterly meeting and comments on the awful weather.
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Biblical references.
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Writer is concerned because he has not heard from Alexander Fothergill
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Concerning the gift of a comb.
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Draft? of letter written to Charles [Fothergill] by his uncle concerning Alexander [Fothergill] and drawing birds.
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One of the signatories is John Fothergill.
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Genealogical manuscript with births, deaths and marriages of the descendants of John Fothergill of Carrend, written at least in part by Tho. Fothergill [Ravenstonedale]
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Transcribed in 1813; concerns the peace testimony.
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Essay on the causes of headache.
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Copy of note sent to Empress Josephine; signed with three et.c.
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Report on a Public Meeting (of Friends) called by David Sands which prevented a suicide.
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Concerning William Steeton who had 247 descendants.
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18th century anecdote about Dr. John Fothergill who asked a sea captain to bring him soil from Bornea after the doctor had nursed him through yellow fever; the captain fufilled his pledge, and Fothergill used it to propagate new flowers.
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Copied by A.F.
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Anecdote about D[avid] Sands whose house was plundered druing the American Revolution; Sands forgave the robbers, at least one of whom joined the Society of Friends.
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Journal accounts, recipes, births of children, and miscellaneous notations. Some references to Wilmington [De.].
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First page marked Samuel Fothergill's Book in ye year of Christ 1729, Thomas Fothergill his Book 1723, Ann Fothergill her book 1738. Back page: John Fothergill 1727 and Ann Fothergill Her Book." Includes recipes in at least two different hands. Also contains notations of the births of John and Samuel Fothergill, 1712 and 1715, with following pages removed, and some accounts.
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Alexander Fothergill (1788-1843) was educated in England. His daughter, Ann (b.1830), was a schoolteacher in Wilmington, Delaware. She was educated at least in part at (Dupre) Knight's School for Young Ladies (1850 Census). Many of the images in this series are labelled with her name on the back, but it is apparent that not all are her work. It is possible either that she taught some of the artists, or that the works were given to her by other family members. Ann lived with her mother until the death of the latter in 1874, then spent time in the households of her sisters, Alice Howarth and Margaret, who kept boarding houses in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and her brother, Henry, who was a pattern-maker in Steelton, Pennsylvania.
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Finished and unfinished watercolors of birds, a few with dates and some labelled Ann Fothergill. According to the donor, most of the unlabeled bird watercolors were done by Alexander Fothergill (1788-1843). Many of the works are numbered.
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Samuel Fothergill was a cousin of Ann Fothergill Most if not all of the work is of English scenes.
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These works are either signed by the artist or have been attributed to her on the basis of style.
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Includes work by Samuel Robinson, Margaret Fothergill, Alice Haworth Fothergill, W. Greenwood, and unattributed works.
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Album with watercolors of plants. Initialled "AF" [Ann Fothergill], many named in latin with location and date.
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Includes drawings of the Jersey shore, unsigned but in the style of Ann Fothergill
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Original pencil drawings and watercolors, many dated and initialled "AF" [Ann Fothergill]
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This subseries contains copies or later biographical materials. Some additional biographical and genealogical manuscripts may be found in Series 1.
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Photocopy of program entitled A Celebration of the Wonderful World of Winifred Quigley Fothergill Quinlan, held on March 16 at the Calvary Baptist Church in Washington D.C. Contains much biographical material.
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Includes genealogical chart and photocopies made in the process of cataloguing the collection by FHL staff.
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Enclosed instruction sheet: Characteristics of Distinguished Persons, Male and Female; An Orignal and Amusing Game. By a Lady, Author of the Young Lady's Home etc etc. Published by W. & S.B. Ives, Salem, Mass [1843].
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Jessie Fothergill, a female Victorian novelist, was born in Manchester, England in 1851, and died in Switzerland in 1891. She was the daughter of textile merchant, Thomas Fothergill of Carr End, and his wife, Ann Coultate. Bessie Mott was Winifred Quigley Fothergill Quinlan's mother.
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