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Friends Instruction Association records

 Collection — othertype: RG4-028
Identifier: SFHL-RG4-028

Scope and Contents

Contains the records of the Friends Instruction Association including minutes and financial records, receipts from stores, and published bylaws.

Organized in two series:

  1. Minutes
  2. Financial Records

Dates

  • Creation: 1843-1894

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Explore Digitized Content

Note that this collection has been digitized and is available in our Digital Library. Explore this collection online.

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

Friends Instruction Association was organized in 1873 by Philadelphia Quaker women as A Mothers Meeting. Originally part of the Penn Sewing School, the group incorporated in 1876 as Friends Instruction Association, and Philadelphia Monthly Meeting provided a meeting space in the Race Street meeting house. Its purpose was to provide poor women regardless of race, religion or nationality with the life skills to improve their condition and to furnish them with clothing. By providing sewing and tailoring instruction and discounted prices on cloth, these women assembled garments for themselves and their families. The material provided to the women was donated to them for their first garment, and thereafter it was provided to them at half price. The group was disbanded in December 1891 because of declining numbers and because its mission was being fulfilled by other charitable organizations.

The meetings consisted of many women sewing together under supervision of a sewing instructor and a superintendent. The superintendent's job was to make sure supplies were paid for and distributed accordingly and to enforce several rules of courtesy in the meetings. The meetings also served a social purpose in these women's lives. The minutes detail how the superintendent would read to the women at a designated time during the meeting. Holidays were celebrated with refreshments and songs. Prayers and Bible readings from the superintendent would open and close each meeting.

Extent

0.42 linear ft. (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Contains the records of the Friends Instruction Association including minutes and financial records, receipts from stores, and published bylaws. Friends Instruction Association was organized in 1873 by Philadelphia Quaker women as A Mothers Meeting. Originally part of the Penn Sewing School, the group incorporated in 1876 as Friends Instruction Association. Philadelphia Monthly Meeting provided a meeting space in the Race Street meeting house. Its purpose was to provide poor women regardless of race, religion or nationality with the life skills to improve their condition and to furnish them with clothing. The group was disbanded in December 1891 because of declining numbers and because its mission was being fulfilled by other charitable organizations.

Physical Location

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donor: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Processing Information

Transferred from Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Records, RG 2, in 2005 and processed as a separate collection.

Title
Finding aid for Friends Instruction Association (Philadelphia, Pa.) Records, 1873-1894
Author
Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff
Date
2007
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 repoductions from Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Library

Contact:
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore Pennsylvania 19081 USA