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Rogerenes of New England Collection

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-MSS-053

Scope and Contents

The Rogerenes of New England Collection primarily contains research materials and some original manuscript and published works by the Rogerenes which were collected by Ellen Starr Brinton during her tenure as Curator of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 1935-1951. She wrote several articles on the sect and compiled an extensive bibiiography of sources.

Dates

  • Creation: 1817 - 1991

Creator

Limitations on Accessing the Collection

This collection is available for research use.

Biographical / Historical

The Rogerenes were a religious sect founded by John Rogers, Sr., (1648-1721) in New England in the late 1670s. They settled around New London County, Connecticut. Sometimes called Rogerene-Quakers, they were not members of the Society of Friends. However, their pacifist religious doctrines and worship practices were strongly influenced by Quakers, especially William Edmundson, a Friend from Ireland who visited in 1675. During the early New England period, the sect was persecuted because it denounced the limitations placed on freedoms of worship and conscience. The Rogerenes were active in the abolition movement and in founding the Universal Peace Union. In the 1880s, the group called itself the Quaker Society of New London. Their numbers dwindled by the end of the L9th century. Prominent Connecticut family names associated with the Rogerenes include Waterhouse/Watrous, Rogers, Crouch, Bollet, Wñipple, and Chapman.

Extent

.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Language

English

Overview

The Rogerenes of New England collection contains research materials and some original manuscript and published works by the Rogerenes which were collected by Ellen Starr Brinton during her tenure as Curator of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 1935-1951. She wrote several articles on the sect and compiled an extensive bibliography of sources.

Arrangement

Organized into five series: 1. Correspondence and papers relating to Ellen Starr Brinton's Rogerene bibliography; 2. Rogerene reference material; 3. Ida Whipple Benham; 4. Rogerene writings; 5. Pictures [transferred to photographs, PA 90].

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transfer from Swarthmore College Peace Collection, 1998.

Separated Materials

30 photographs were removed to SFHL/PA/90 Rogerenes of New England photographs.

Five maps were removed to Friends Historical Library Maps, Rogerenes of New England map collection.

Materials pertaining to the Whipple Home School for the Deaf, later the Mystic Oral School, were deaccssioned from the SCPC in 1991 and transferred to the Mystic River Historical Association.

Three books were transferred to FHL and SCPC book collections.

Transferred to Mystic River Historical Association.

  1. Promotion calendar
  2. The Whipple School Alphabet by Daisy M. Wey, 1897, two copies
  3. Biennial reports, 1884, 1896-1908, 1912-1914
  4. The Home School Weekly, Feb. 25, 1874
  5. Whipple's Home School Journal, March 1874
  6. Newspaper clippings
  7. Crouch, Julia. Three Successful Girls. NY, Hurd and Houghton, 1871, inscribed "Mystic Oral School, no. 127, Gift of Dr. Clara H. McGuigan, July 1943".
  8. Branch, Mary L. B., The Old Hempstead House, New London, 1931.

Transferred to book collections

  1. Rogers, John. The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ Which God gave unto Him 2nd New London edition. (Originally collection contained 3 copies, but only 1 retained by SCPC. the volume that was a gif t of Dr. Clara H. McGuigan, 1939.) Transferred to FHL books.
  2. Blake, Rev. S. Leroy, D.D., The Early History of the First Church of Christ, New London, Conn., 1897. In 1991, transferred to SCPC Books: F 104 N7 B6
  3. Bolles, John R. and William, Anna B. The Rogerenes, with appendix of Rogerene writing. Boston, 1904. In 1991, transferred to SCPC Books: F 97 B69. See also FHL Books.

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Ellen Starr Brinton, and her original order has been preserved as much as possible. In 1991, Swarthmore College Peace Collection staff consolidated some of the material, and the papers relating to Mystic Oral School for the Deaf, which was operated by the Whipple family, were removed from the collection and transferred to the Mystic River Historical Association. Ida Whipple Benham's temperance and peace poetry were retained as a reflection of Rogerene values. In 1998, the Collection was transferred to Friends Historical Library because of the strong Quaker influence on the sect. Photographs have been removed to Friends Historical Library Picture Collection. Maps (photostatic copies) were moved to the Map Collection.

Author
Susanna K. Morikawa
Date
1999
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library

Contact:
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore Pennsylvania 19081 USA