Emlen Institution for the Benefit of Children of African and Indian Descent 1765-1956

Ms. Coll. 999
Records, 1765-1956 (bulk 1838-1956)
ca. 1200 items (4 boxes)

Table of contents

• Background
• Using links
• Links to images
• Summary of collection
• Related collections
• Arrangement and description of collection

Background

The Emlen Institution for the Benefit of Children of African and Indian descent was the result of a bequest from Samuel Emlen, Jr., a Burlington, N.J. Friend who died in 1837. Emlen left money ($20,000) for the "education, maintenance and instruction in school learning and in agriculture and mechanical trades or arts, of free male orphan children of African or Indian descent..." Augustus Wattles and his wife, Susan Perley Wattles operated a manual labor school in Carthagena, Ohio for blacks. They sold their property to Emlen's trustees in 1841 and continued as superintendents of the school. In 1857 the trustees sold the property in Ohio and chose another site which was closer (Solebury Twp., Bucks Co., Pa.). The soil proving poor, in 1873 the school was moved again, this time to Warminster Twp., Bucks Co.

[See: Red, black and white, n.p., n.d. at Haverford College BX7640 .R26, for information on Augustus Wattles and Emlen Institution.]

Trustees of the Institute named at the first meeting in 1838 were Philip Physick, William Smith, Dr. H.L. Hodge, Daniel B. Smith, William White, Nathaniel Chauncey, Dr. Casper Morris and Dr. William Shippen.

[Note: The Emlen Institution was merged into the Fiduciary Corporation of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends, 12/31/1977 - actual effective date of merger 1/3/1978, according to a letter from Alan Reeve Hunt to Dorothy Hallowell in the papers of the Female Association of Philadelphia, Swarthmore College, Friends Historical Library .]

Using links

In order to aid navigation within this finding aid, links have been provided at the beginning of each box description: to the table of contents, collection summary and to all other boxes in the collection .

Links to images

The following list brings together all of the image links found throughout this finding aid.

Sketch of Wagon House (approximately 59K).

Student application and statement of health for George Adams (approximately 59K).

Summary of collection

Includes business correspondence (chiefly on financial matters), treasurer's accounts and reports, receipts, bills, inventories, trustees minutes. Also a printed copy of will of Samuel Emlen and deed to land in Warminster, Bucks Co., 1765 (recorded 17[8]7).

Related collections

Papers on the Emlen Institution are directly related to the Emlen Institution papers in the Edward Wanton Smith Collection (see Ms. Coll. 955; box 3, 45 items, ca. 1837-1848) of Haverford College.

Arrangement and description of collection

Box 1 | Table of contents | Summary | Box 1 | Box 2 | Box 3 | Box 4

(7 folders)

1. Deed
   John Gilbert and wife to James Rankin, for 92 acres, 12 perches in Warminster, Bucks Co., 1765 (recorded 17[8]7) (draft of land on back of deed)
2. Extract from will
   An extract from the will of Samuel Emlen, of Burlington, N.J., who died 12th month 29th, 1837, creating a trust for the benefit of persons of Indian and African descent. Philadelphia, J. Richards, Printer, No. 130 N. Third St., 1839.
3. Emlen Institution - Treasurer's Account Book, 1/1/1912 to 12/31/1940
   • - treasurer's accounts kept by George Vaux, Jr. from 1912 to 1927; kept by A.G. Scattergood from 1928 to 1940
   • - a loose account "Investments Emlen Institution 1879"
   • - small account book labeled "Emlen Institution Account Book - S.M. Bines, Treasurer" 1879-1883 (Samuel M. Bines)
4. Emlen Institution, Summary of accounts, 1896, 1902, 1908, 1913-1922
   (13 items: typescript)
5. Emlen Institution, Alfred G. Scattergood, Treasurer, Treasurer's reports and relevant correspondence, 1928-1950
   (ca. 75 items: chiefly typescript)
6. Emlen Institution, Alfred G. Scattergood, Treasurer, Treasurer's reports and relevant correspondence, 1951-1956
   (ca. 100 items: chiefly typescript)
7. Emlen Institution, Papers, miscellaneous, mainly re: disbursements, 1891-1932
   (ca. 101 items: chiefly business correspondence related to financial matters (ALS, TLS, TL, ms. and typed copies), accounts, receipts, checks)

Box 2 | Table of contents | Summary | Box 1 | Box 2 | Box 3 | Box 4

(4 folders)

1. Emlen Institution, Papers, miscellaneous, mainly re: disbursements, 1933-1943
   (ca. 109 items: chiefly business correspondence related to financial matters (TLS, TL, ALS), accounts, minutes)
2. Emlen Institution, Papers, miscellaneous, mainly re: disbursements, 1944-1954
   (ca. 85 items: chiefly business correspondence related to financial matters (TLS, TL, ALS), accounts, minutes)
3. Emlen Institution, Papers, re: investments, 1924-1935
   (ca. 116 items: chiefly business correspondence (TLS, ALS) related to finances of Emlen Institution)
4. Emlen Institution, Papers, re: investments, 1936-1942
   (ca. 109 items: chiefly business correspondence (TLS, TL) related to finances of Emlen Institution)

Box 3 | Table of contents | Summary | Box 1 | Box 2 | Box 3 | Box 4

(3 folders)

1. Emlen Institution, Papers, re: investments, 1943-1947
   (ca. 100 items: chiefly business correspondence (TLS, TL) related to finances of Emlen Institution)
2. Emlen Institution, Papers, re: Investments, 1948-1954
   (ca. 71 items: chiefly business correspondence (TLS, TL, ALS) related to finances of Emlen Institution)
3. Emlen Institution, Papers, re: holdings, 1928-1955
   (ca. 78 items: includes bank statements, business correspondence (TLS, TL), etc.)

Box 4 | Table of contents | Summary | Box 1 | Box 2 | Box 3 | Box 4

(9 folders)

1. Trustees minute book, 1838-1884
   inscribed "Minutes of the Trustees of the Emlen Institution for the Education of Children of African & of Indian Descent"
2. Emlen Institution, Papers: correspondence, 1876-1892
   (ca. 17 items)
   • students, superintendent's reports, trustees meetings, applications [for employment], receipts, case of [attempted?] arson of barn [1892]
3. Emlen Institution, Papers: inventories, 1886, 1892
   (3 items) includes:
   • notebook inscribed "Inventory of personal property of Emlen Institute for the year 1892" lists items room by room
   • "Inventory and appraisement personal property at Emlen Institution Warminster Township, Bucks Co. 1 mo. 1892" gives items and assigned value
   • "Inventory of personal property of Emlen Institute for the year 1886 taken on February 2, 1886" lists items room by room
4. Emlen Institution, Papers: school reports, student applications, superintendent's report, 1862-1892
   (15 items)
   Student application and statement of health for George Adams (approximately 59K).
5. Emlen Institution, Papers: reference
   (4 items: 2 postcards, clipping, and sketch of wagon house)
   Sketch of Wagon House (approximately 59K).
6. Emlen Institution, Financial records: Treasurer's records, 1891-1895
   (ca. 15 items)
   • Josiah W. Leeds, treasurer
7. Emlen Institution, Financial records: receipts, bills, 1890
   (ca. 16 items)
8. Emlen Institution, Financial records: receipts, bills, 1891
   (ca. 64 items)
9. Emlen Institution, Financial records: receipts, bills, 1892
   (ca. 65 items)

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Contact Diana Franzusoff Peterson (dfpeters@haverford.edu or 610-896-1284) for more information about this collection. Please include the manuscript collection number in your request.

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