Repository: Historical Society of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Morris family papers, 1676-1930 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.2 linear feet (; 6 boxes)
Abstract:: The Morris family papers (Collection 2000E) contain the genealogical and estate records of the Morris family of Philadelphia, prominent Quaker businessmen, brewers, and later iron manufacturers, who were also active in the political and civic life of the city. The collection follows several generations beginning with Anthony Morris (1654-1721) and his descendants through Anthony Saunders Morris (1803-1885) and Henry Morris (1802-1881). Included are early original documents pertaining to Anthony Morris and his immediate descendants, including marriage certificates, deeds, wills, and various business and personal papers. The collection also contains significant genealogical correspondence and documentation, including a manuscript of the Morris family history.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Abraham H. Cassel collection, 1680-1893 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.75 linear feet (48 volumes)
Abstract:: This collection contains printed material from the library of Abraham Harley Cassel, a book collector and historian who acquired over 50,000 books, pamphlets, and documents about early Pennsylvania history. Cassel was a member of the Dunkard Brethren who wrote about and collected books on early Pennsylvania German religious history. His library attracted scholars and historians of Pennsylvania and German American history, and at his death was divided among archives, libraries, and private collectors. The portion of Cassel’s collection that is housed at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania contains forty-seven items which range in date from 1680 to 1893. Items are arranged in alphabetical order, with volumes relating to the Ephrata religious community and the Schwenkfelder Church grouped together. This collection includes hymn books, religious tracts and catechism, diaries, letters, genealogical records, and examples of Pennsylvania German folk art and fraktur.

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Robert Proud collection, 1681-1811 (bulk) 1681-1903 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.8 linear feet (; 7 boxes and 1 flat file)
Abstract:: Robert Proud was born on May 10, 1728 in Yorkshire England, and was trained formally in a Quaker school in classical studies. He moved to Philadelphia in 1759, and by 1761 was teaching Latin at the Friends School. Proud was a staunch Loyalist. From 1775 to 1780, Proud left his teaching post and went into seclusion, where he began writing on various subjects. Most of his writings were never published. Also during these years, he worked extensively on what became his most best-known work, The History of Pennsylvania in North America. The book was highly unsuccessful, due to its Loyalist leanings, and some very strong inaccuracies. Robert Proud died in 1813 at the age of 85. The collection is arranged into two series, the first consisting mostly of handwritten copies and drafts of The History of Pennsylvania in North America, and primary source materials used in the book. The second series consists of memoranda, poetry, and other personal papers.

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The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq., by John Galt, in extra-illustrated form, 1792-1820 (bulk) 1682-1844 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.2 linear feet (; 3 boxes; 9 flat files)
Abstract:: In 1816 and 1820, Scottish author John Galt produced a two-volume biography of Benjamin West entitled The Life, Works, and Studies of Benjamin West, Esq. This collection consists of pages from seven disbound extra-illustrated volumes of Galt's book comprising numerous original letters to and from Benjamin West, some pieces of original art by West, and many other engravings, documents, and prints.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Francis Daniel Pastorius papers, 1693-1719 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet (; 10 volumes, 1 folder)
Abstract:: This collection contains the personal papers of Francis Daniel Pastorius, a German immigrant who founded the settlement of Germantown, which would later be incorporated into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pastorius was trained as a lawyer, and in 1683 purchased land in Pennsylvania on behalf of members of the German Frankfort Company. He is also known for his anti-slavery stance, joining the Pennsylvania Quakers in signing a protest against slavery in 1688 (the first anti-slavery document written in the United States). This collection dates from 1683-1719 and contains ten bound volumes and one folder of loose manuscripts of Pastorius’ personal papers. This includes his writings on farming and beekeeping, poetry, the beginnings of a German dictionary, a commonplace book, letters, and a book of medical ailments and remedies.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Francis Daniel Pastorius records, 1689-1910 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.6 linear feet (; 2 volumes)
Abstract:: This collection contains the Grund und Lager Buch begun by Francis Daniel Pastorius to document the founding of the Germantown area of Philadelphia and its settlement. This volume includes "Rules and regulations for settlers" (1689-1697) and a copy of the charter for Germantown granted to Pastorius. This collection also contains an English translation of the German and Latin entries in the Grund und Lager Buch made by Marion Dexter Learned for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1910.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.) general court records, 1691-1707 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.2 linear feet (; 2 volumes)
Abstract:: This collection contains the records of the Germantown (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) town council or General Court and the civil court or Court of Record, dating from 1691 to 1707. The matters addressed by these court sessions include property disputes and transfers, apprenticeships, deeds of sale for goods and land, assault and battery, violations of liquor laws, and other matters.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Bank of North America records, 1782-1929 (bulk) 1694-1939 (inclusive)

Extent:: 145.8 linear feet (; 29 boxes, 672 volumes)
Abstract:: The Bank of North America was the first chartered bank in the United States, created by the Second Continental Congress in 1781. It was established primarily to aid Congress in providing supplies and money for the continuation of the Revolutionary War. In 1916 the bank bought the assets of the National Bank of the Northern Liberties; in 1923 it merged with the Commercial Trust Company to form the Bank of North America and Trust Company; six years later the merged institution was itself absorbed by the Pennsylvania Company. The minute books are a complete run from the very beginning of the bank until its merger with the Commercial Trust Company in 1923, with brief records of meetings of the Board of Directors and some of meetings of stockholders. The loose documents (housed in boxes, as opposed to bound in volumes) include formal bank communications, memoranda, announcements, and copies of letters, financial statements, and the like. One of the most interesting documents is a long...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Carpenter Family Papers, 1780-1870 (bulk) 1695-1915, undated (inclusive)

Extent:: 5.3 linear feet (; 5 boxes, 18 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:: The Carpenter family papers include Brigadier General Louis Henry Carpenter's military papers and Civil War-era correspondence, as well as more than 200 years of correspondence, genealogical material, and other papers related to the Carpenter family of New Jersey. The Carpenter family was among the first settlers of the Philadelphia area and established several towns in Salem and Gloucester counties, New Jersey. They also had ties to numerous prominent families in the Philadelphia and Mid-Atlantic region during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The collection offers insights into a variety of topics, including the Revolutionary War in the Philadelphia region; the early history of Haddon Township, N.J.; medicine in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries; and life as a Union soldier during the Civil War.

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Richard Peters papers, 1730-1820 (bulk) 1697-1871 (inclusive)

Extent:: 7.0 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 49 volumes )
Abstract:: Reverend Richard Peters (1704-1776), in addition to serving in various capacities with Christ Church, also held two important colonial offices: secretary of the Land Office and secretary and clerk of the Provincial Council. In these roles, Peters helped manage the growing government of the colony of Pennsylvania through the access he had to members of the Penn family. He also worked closely with notable statesmen such as Benjamin Franklin and James Logan. Peters was appointed a Council member in 1749; he also served as a state commissioner to the 1754 Albany Congress. This collection is comprised of letters and documents from Reverend Richard Peters (1704-1776), with a few folders of papers from Peters's nephew, Judge Richard Peters (1743/4-1828), and his son, attorney Richard Peters (1780-1848). The papers primarily relate to Peters's public work rather than his private life (the same is true of the papers from the other two Richard Peters.) and they especially highlight early...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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