William C. Allen diaries
Scope and Contents
This collection is composed of six volumes of William C. Allen's religious visits around the world from 1904 to 1937. Three volumes of the collection are handwritten, and the remaining three have been typed by Allen. While the diaries in this collection cover a wide range of topics, entries generally describe the customs, manners, language, transportation, food, and religious beliefs in each location Allen visited. In addition, Allen describes Quaker meetings he lead and religious and political leaders he met with in each place he visited.
Only one volume of the collection does not record a religious visit- volume 4 of the collection is a record of Allen's thoughts on World War I, which he kept during 1917 while living in San Jose, California.
Dates
- Creation: 1904-1937
Creator
- Allen, William Charles, 1857-1938 (Person)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research use.
Use Restrictions
Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).
Biographical Note
William Charles Allen (1857-1938) was born in Westtown, Pennsylania, on March 9, 1857, the son of Richard Allen and Mary Dutten. Allen was often ill as a child, and received little schooling after age 14. He married Elizabeth C Bromley in Burlington, New Jersey, on September 10, 1883, and the couple had one daughter. Due to Allen's health, the family moved from New Jersey to Colorado, and later to California.
Allen was a recorded minister of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and made multiple religious visits to Japan, China, Australia, and South Africa, as well as England and Ireland. Allen also founded the Peace Committee of Churches of the Pacific Coast. Allen was a conscientious objector, and wrote a number of books related to this topic, including "Real war: as seen in South Africa, 1899-1900 (1910), "War! Behind the Smoke Screen" (1929), and "A Quaker diary in the Orient," among other publications.
Allen died on March 14, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 81.
Extent
0.33 Linear Feet (6 volumes)
Language
English
Overview
Diaries of William C. Allen's religious visits around the world from 1904 to 1937. Entries generally describe the customs, manners, language, transportation, food, and religious beliefs of each location Allen visited, as well as Quaker meetings he lead and religious and political leaders he met with in each place he visited. One volume of the collection does not record a religious visit, but is a record of Allen's thoughts on World War I, which he kept during 1917.
Acquisition
The William C. Allen diaries were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College in 1939 by Elizabeth C.B. Allen.
Processing Information
Processed by Kara Flynn; completed August, 2015.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- William C. Allen diaries, 1904-1937
- Author
- Kara Flynn
- Date
- August, 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
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 Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections Library
