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Ann Paschall Jackson Family Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SFHL-RG5-186

Scope and Contents

The collection contains diaries, ledgers, and albums of Ann Price Gibson Paschall Jackson (1792-1874) and her family. Related to many Pennsylvania Quaker families including Price, Sharples/Sharpless, Paschall, and Townsend, Ann P. Paschall (later Ann P. Jackson) was recorded as a minister of Darby Monthly Meeting (Hicksite) in 1831. Series 1 is composed of her diaries, 1814 to 1874. The detailed entries concern religious and practical matters. Series 2 contains diaries, ledgers, and albums of related family members including the journals of her first husband, Thomas J. Paschall. Of special interest is the small number of miscellaneous manuscripts in Series 3, particularly a 1709 bill of sale for an enslaved woman to Thomas Paschall, Jr.

Dates

  • Creation: 1709 - 1936
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1810 - 1874

Creator

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

Ann Price Gibson Paschall Jackson (1792-1874) was the daughter of Samuel Gibson (1762-1836) and Mary Price Gibson of Darby, Pennsylvania. In 1811 she married Thomas Jacob Paschall, a farmer. He died in 1819, leaving her with two young children, Mary Ann and Stephen. Her children married another set of siblings, Philip Price Sharples and Ann Sharples, children of Nathan and Martha (Price) Sharples of Chester County. In 1831, Ann P. Paschall was recorded as a minister by Darby Monthly Meeting (Hicksite). In 1833 she married Halliday Jackson, prominent Quaker minister and member of New Garden and Darby Monthly Meetings. He died in 1835. In 1849, Ann P. Jackson removed to Birmingham Monthly Meeting where her children were members.

Thomas J. Paschall was descended from Thomas Paschall (1635-1718), a Penn purchaser. The senior Thomas Paschall emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1682 with his family. Son, Thomas Paschall, Jr. (ca. 1668-1743) served on the Pennsylvania Assembly and married Margaret Jenkins. They had ten children including William, Stephen (1714-1800), and Jonathan (1718-1782). Thomas Jacob Paschall (1786-1819) was the grandson of Stephen.

Nathan H. Sharples (1779-1828) married Martha Price (1785-1852) in 1804 under the care of Birmingham Monthly Meeting. They had six children born in West Chester, Pennsylvania: Hannah married Edward B. Darlington in 1831; William P. married Anne G. Pennell in 1848 and secondly Sarah J. Leedon in 1850; Philip Price Sharples married Mary A. Paschall; Henry P. married first Harriett Price and second Hannah Martin; Ann (1816-1883) married Stephen Paschall; Alfred married Elizabeth Cope Sharples; and Samuel Emlen Sharples married Martha Serrill Ash. Family members variously spelled the surname Sharples or Sharpless.

William P. Sharpless (1808-1879), the oldest son of Nathan and Martha Sharples, was a Quaker minister and successful Philadelphia businessman. He first operated general store in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in partnership with John W. Townsend. He subsequently moved to Philadelphia where he became a manager of the Philadelphia-West Chester Railroad.

His brother, Philip Price Sharples (1810-1902), was a superintendent of the West Chester Railroad and a major supporter of the Borough of West Chester and High Street Friends Meeting. He was involved with peace concerns and prohibition as well as the Price School in West Chester. He married Mary A. Paschall (1815-1885), daughter of Thomas and Anne Price Gibson Paschall of Darby Monthly Meeting.

Philip P. and Mary A. Sharples' children included Stephen Paschall Sharples who married Abbie M. Hall, Alfred D. Sharples who married Rachel Roberts, and Ann Price Sharples (1846-1925). Alfred Roberts Sharpless (1888-1955) was an electrical engineer and physicist. He married Clara V. Broadbent and resided in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. His brother, Henry R. Sharples, married Esther B. Foulke and was active in Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

Henry P. Sharples (1813-1890), brother of William and Philip, was a successful West Chester merchant and builder, active in civic affairs and a member of Birmingham Monthly Meeting. His son, William Penn Sharpless married three times, Sallie A. Marshall, Frances Linton, and Elizabeth Black. He was a banker, a founder of Chester County Hospital, travelled widely and was an active member of West Chester Friends Meeting.

Ann Sharples (1816-1883) married Stephen Paschall, son of Thomas and Ann Price Gibson Paschall. She was the author of children's books and in late life returned to West Chester. Their son Alfred Paschall graduated from Swarthmore College, and his son, Irvin Francis Paschall, married Edith Lane Verlenden. Another son, S. Edward Paschall married Elizabeth Roberts.

Extent

4 linear ft. (9 boxes) : 7 lettersize, 1 slim, 1 oversize.

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection contains diaries, ledgers, and albums of Ann Price Gibson Paschall Jackson (1792-1874) and her family. Related to many Pennsylvania Quaker families including Price, Sharples/Sharpless, Paschall, and Townsend, Ann P. Paschall (later Ann P. Jackson) was recorded as a minister of Darby Monthly Meeting (Hicksite) in 1831. Series 1 is composed of her diaries, 1814 to 1874. The detailed entries concern religious and practical matters. Series 2 contains diaries, ledgers, and albums of related family members including the journals of her first husband, Thomas J. Paschall. Of special interest is the small number of miscellaneous manuscripts in Series 3, particularly a 1709 bill of sale for an enslaved woman to Thomas Paschall, Jr.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into three series. Series 1. Ann P. Jackson Journals; Series 2. Family Papers: Diaries, ledgers, albums; Series 3. Miscellaneous

Custodial History

The original items in the collection were donated by Elizabeth Foulke Sharples Pusey, a descendent of the Sharples and Paschall families. Notes in various manuscript journals indicate it probably descended through the line of Alfred D. Sharples, son of Philip and Mary (Paschall) Sharples and grandson of Ann P. Jackson. Elizabeth Pusey was his granddaughter and the great-great granddaughter of Ann P. Jackson (Ann Price Gibson Paschall Jackson), Quaker minister of Darby Monthly Meeting.

In 2021 and 2022, Philadelphia-area collectors donated related family items and the bulk of Anna P. Jackson diaries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Elizabeth Sharples Pusey, 1978.

Gift of Caroline Cherry, Acc. 2021.032, 2022.053.

Related Materials

Sharples-Paschall Family Papers, RG 5/324

Processing Information

Four of the Ann Jackson journals, the extracts, Townsend and Gibson journals, and some miscellaneous papers were preserved and donated by Elizabeth Foulke Sharples Pusey who was a descendant of Ann Price Gibson Paschall. These papers were partially processed in 1978 and cited as Ann P. Paschall Papers. In November 2000, the collection was recatalogued as Ann Price Gibson Paschall Jackson Family Papers. In 2021 seventeen additional journals were given to FHL. The organization was simplified and a new finding aid created.

In 2022, one additional Ann Paschall journal together with family diaries, ledgers, and albums were donated to FHL from the source. This material was integrated with the collection and a new finding aid created.

Title
Ann Paschall Jackson Family Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Susanna Morikawa
Date
2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Revision Statements

  • May 2024: Updated by Susanna Morikawa with integration of FHL Acc. 2022-053, Family Papers

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