John Wilbur papers
Scope and Contents
Primarily letters of John Wilbur giving in great detail his position relative to the views of Joseph John Gurney and the separation of New England Yearly Meeting. His trip to Great Britain in 1853-54 along with several letters relating to family matters are documented here as well.
Dates
- Creation: 1831-1873
Creator
- Wilbur, John, 1774-1856 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17)
Biographical / Historical
John Wilbur (1774-1856) of Hopkinton, R.I., m. Lydia Collins in 1793. He was an Elder in his meeting at age 28 and was a Minister ten years later in 1812. He was a staunch supporter of conservative (primitive) Quaker principles and was the chief opponent to Joseph John Gurney's evangelical view of the Truth. He made two religious visits to Great Britain, the first in 1831-33, the second in 1853-54. His lifelong opposition to Gurney led to his disownment in 1843 and the separation in 1845 of New England Yearly Meeting into Gurneyites and Wilburites.
Extent
.5 linear ft. (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Primarily letters of John Wilbur giving in great detail his position relative to the views of Joseph John Gurney and rhe separation of New England Yearly Meeting. His trip to Great Britain in 1853-54 is documented as well.
Arrangement
Five folders arranged as follows. Folder 1: 9 letters of John Wilbur to his family, 1831-1848, which discuss family matters; his trip to Great Britain in 1831-32; his view of the crisis approaching the Society of Friends and his arguments with the Gurneyites; his visit to N.Y. to supervise publication of his book [A narrativecand exposition of the late proceedings of New England Yearly Meeting] in 1845 and the separation of New England Yearly Meeting. Folder 2: 16 letters of Wilbur to his family, 1853-55 relating to his trip to Great Britain, giving in detail his reception and experiences there, including the reaction to him by London Yearly Meeting. Also includes 2 letters from Amos C. Wilbur relating to the trip. Folder 3: 10 letters to Peleg Mitchell (d. 1831) of Nantucket, 1838-53, with detailed discussions of Wilbur's attitude toward Gurney and the separation. Folder 4: 2 ms. transcripts of letters by Wilbur dealing with his views of the Society of Friends and Gurney, as well as his trip to Great Britain. Folder 5: Letters (1853-54) of those sympathetic to Wilbur; misc. papers, (1847-70) re: to Wilbur, and letters (1844-1873) of other Wilbur family members chiefly containing family news; also 2 drawings of JW.
Other Finding Aids
Subject
- Wilbur, John, 1774-1856 (Person)
- Gurney, Joseph John, 1788-1847 (Person)
- Title
- John Wilbur papers, 1831-1873
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- June 2022: by Nathaniel Rehm-Daly, Harmful Language Revision Project
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