Bernard Barton Correspondence
Abstract
The collection contains primarily the corrrespondence of Bernard Barton, English Quaker poet and bank clerk. Most of the letters are to William S. Fitch, a chemist and druggist, and other correspondents include R. Ackerman and Edward Moxon. Many of the letters concern Barton's poetry. Also included are few poems and other papers. All items in the collection were written by Bernard Barton; most were written from the location of Woodbridge (Suffolk, England).
Dates
- Creation: 1818 - 1848
Creator
- Barton, Bernard, 1784-1849 (Person)
- Fitch, William Stevenson, 1792-1859 (Correspondent, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Friends Historical Library believes all of the items in this collection to be in the Public Domain in the United States, and is not aware of any restrictions on their use. However, the user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status before reproducing. See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/.
Biographical / Historical
Known as the Quaker Poet, Bernard Barton was born at Carlisle, England, on 31 January 1784, the son of Quaker parents, John Barton (1755–1789) and his wife, Mary Done Barton (1752–1784). he married Lucy Jesup (1781–1808) in 1807. She died at the end of their first year of marriage, while giving birth to their daughter Lucy. For most part his life, he was employed as a clerk in Messrs Alexander's Bank in Woodbridge, Suffolk.
His best known work is The Convict's Appeal (1818), in which he protested against the death penalty and the severity of the criminal code. He was well known in his day for his books of poetry and hymns.
Extent
.2 linear ft. (1 box) : 95 items
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The eighty-eight letters, mostly to William Stevenson Fitch, which were purchased in 1940 are arranged chronologically in a bound volume. Miscellaneous letters and some other papers purchased in the 1960s or from other sources are separately foldered and arranged in chronological order.
Note that several items included in this inventory are not actually part of this collection, but are instead part of the Charles F. Jenkins Autograph Collection (MSS 031) or Friends Historical Library Collection of Miscellaneous Manuscripts (MSS 004), as indicated.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase, 1940, 1963, 1967, 1968.
Gift of Jesse Merritt, 1939.
Gift of Charles F. Jenkins.
Existence and Location of Copies
This collection is available on microfilm: see MS-B.
Processing Information
The letters were cataloged on index cards in the FHL Manscript collection and microfilmed.
In 2018 the information from the catalog cards was input into ArchivesSpace.
- Status
- Needs Final Processing
- 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 repoductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library
