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Anna C. Betts and Lettie K. Betts Correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: HC.MC-1029

Scope and Contents Note

The correspondence is split into three groups: Anna C. Betts to Lettie K. Betts, Others to Lettie K. Betts, and Invitations and Calling Cards. Anna C. Betts’ letters to Lettie K. Betts include information about daily life on the Betts family farm, Quaker social life, and Anna C. Betts’ thoughts on religion. Occasionally, letters from Howard Betts, Lettie’s father, are enclosed in the same envelope as Anna C. Betts’ letters. The letters from Anna C. Betts comprise the main part of the collection. The letters from others include letters to Lettie Betts from her brother Jacob, her cousin Walter M. Eastburn, and her friend Arabella Morley, among others. Invitations and Calling Cards includes several invitations to weddings, a filled-out dance card, and calling cards from various friends.

Dates

  • 1898-1903
  • Majority of material found within 1898-1900

Use Restrictions

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical Note

Anna Cadwallader Betts was born in 1845 to Mary Leland and Jacob Cadwallader. She married the farmer Howard Betts, who lived in Solebury, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Betts had three children, Jacob Betts (b. 1872), Letitia Kinsey Betts (b. 1874), and Frank Betts (b. 1876). Anna Betts was involved in her Hicksite Quaker community, and volunteered with the George School. She died in 1919. Letitia (Lettie) Kinsey Betts was born on October 3, 1874 to Anna Cadwallader Betts and Howard Betts in Solebury, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She was a member of the first class at the George School. In 1898, Betts went West to Lexington, Illinois where she taught school for the next two years. While she was there, her mother wrote her almost daily letters about life at home in Bucks County. After Betts returned to Pennsylvania, she lived with her parents, and helped to raise her niece and nephew, Miriam and J. Howard Betts. Lettie Betts died on September 15, 1954. (Information from internal evidence, US Census Data, and Pennsylvania Death Certificates).

Extent

0.75 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Language

English

Overview

Letters from Hicksite Quaker Anna Betts to members of her family. Topics include religion, wedding invitations, and daily life.

Arrangement Note

The correspondence is split into three groups: Anna C. Betts to Lettie K. Betts, Others to Lettie K. Betts, and Invitations and Calling Cards. Within these groups, correspondence is organized chronologically.

Acquisition Note

The Anna C. Betts and Lettie K. Betts Letters were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College, in March, 1992 by Nellie Shoe.

Related Materials

  • HC.MC 1019 Emma Cadbury Jr. papers
  • HC.MC 950.177 Esther Willits Thomas correspondence
  • HC.MC 975.07.008 "Teacher Willa"

Processing Information

Processed by Abigail Corcoran; completed July, 2016.

Title
Anna C. Betts and Lettie K. Betts Correspondence, 1898-1903
Author
Abigail Corcoran
Date
July, 2016
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

Contact:
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Haverford PA 19041 USA US