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John Parrish diaries

 Collection
Identifier: HC.MC-975-01-053

Scope and Contents

This collection is comprised of the original, handwritten diaries of John Parrish, a member and minister of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. The diaries describe Parrish's travels to Quaker families, including those disowned by their Meeting, throughout Rhode Island, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Included with the diaries are a photocopy of a silhouette of John Parrish and an article about the diaries published in The Friend on March 30, 1957.

Dates

  • 1796-1805

Creator

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

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

Biographical Note

John Parrish (1729-1807) was a Quaker abolitionist and a proponent of Native American rights. He was born in Baltimore in 1729, to John Parrish and Elizabeth Roberts. He married Elizabeth Durrant in Philadelphia in 1753. In his adult years, he lived with his wife and daughter in Philadelphia, although as a young man he resided in Maryland. It is also known that he suffered from a stroke in 1807, while in Philadelphia, and is thought to have died as a result.

Parrish is best remembered for authoring "Remarks on the Slavery of the Black People." Published in 1806, Parrish's pamphlet ran to nearly 70 pages and ranged over such issues as Biblical antislavery, constitutional rationales for emancipation, colonization, and African-American political protest. Parrish believed that Americans needed to redouble their antislavery efforts to avert either eternal damnation or massive slave rebellion- or both.

Extent

0.14 Linear Feet (7 volumes)

Language

English

Overview

John Parrish was a member and minister of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. His diaries describe his travels to Quaker families, including those disowned by their Meeting, throughout Rhode Island, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Acquisition

The John Parrish diaries were donated to Special Collections, Haverford College in 1957 by The Archives and Historical Committee of Merion Friends Meeting, with the cooperation of Reverend Bartholomew Fair, Librarian of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Related Materials

  • HC.MC.954 Richard T. Cadbury papers
  • HC.MC.966 Nicholas Waln family papers
  • HC.MC.975.01.003 David Bacon journal
  • HC.MC.975.01.061 William Savery diaries
  • HC.MC.975.01.021 James Emlen journal
  • HC.MC.975.07.071 "Thoughts on Slavery"
  • HC.MC.1121 Henry Joel Cadbury papers

Processing Information

Processed by Kara Flynn; completed July, 2015.

Title
John Parrish diaries, 1796-1805
Author
Kara Flynn
Date
July, 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

Contact:
370 Lancaster Ave
Haverford PA 19041 USA US