Newsletter from the Moravian Archives, Bethlehem PA Voices from the Vault

Issue 26 June 2017

Donation of Recently Discovered Letters Special points of interest: At an antiques market last sum- Hunt in Philadelphia who Kliest to Israel Whelen in Philadel- mer a set of twelve letters was provided the school with books phia in 1794. Technically, the let- discovered that at one point had such as Lindley Murray’s English ter was never part of the records  Tom Bross is New Presi- been part of the records of the grammar, Louis Chambaud’s of the Young Ladies’ Seminary dent of Archives’ Board Moravian Young Ladies’ Seminary Fables Choisies (“very scarce,” but it was written by one of the in Bethlehem. Most of the letters Hunt added), Mary Martha teachers and sent to the father of  Three Projects Receive were dated between 1824 and Sherwood’s Stories Explanatory a student. Kliest (1762-1821) was Vernon Nelson Research 1832 and were addressed to Rev. of the Church Catechism, and un- a teacher at the school from 1788 Grants Charles Seidel, who was principal named children’s books. One let- until 1805. She was a talented of the school at the time. The let- ter was written by Martin van person and later became known  Large Bequest Received ters are mostly from parents of Buren, the later president of the as a botanist. Some of her beauti- by Archives pupils who are attending the . When van Buren ful watercolors at the Moravian school and deal with financial wrote the letter in 1825 he was a Archives document life in the matters. Several letters were re- US Senator from New York. Van school around 1800. Kliest wrote  Moravian History Tour ceived from book publisher Uriah Buren wrote about his niece Sarah the newly found letter to the fa- 2018 announced Ann Limberger who was a student ther of one of her pupils, Jane in the school. Van Buren support- Israel. Although Jane was a good ed his niece in a generous way: student who had “not failed in “Should she want anything for the assiduity to her lessons,” Kliest approaching examination in the called her “a lazy Pen-Woman.” way of dress, I shall be extremely The letters provide wonderful in- obliged if your good lady will have sight into life at the Young Ladies’ it prepared for her. I mention this Seminary around 1800. We thank not knowing whether her Father Dr. Scott Paul Gordon, Bethle- has attended to this matter.” hem, who purchased the letters Inside this issue: One of the donated letters is a and donated them to the Moravi- letter written by Anna Rosina an Archives. New President of 2 Archives’ Board Research Grants Awarded for First Time New Finding Aids 2 For the first time we were able to Chronicle of an Inuit Community” derful way to commemorate Rev. Book Launch 3 award Vernon Nelson Research • Charles Welsko, West Virginia Nelson’s legacy as archivist of the Grants. This year’s awardees are: University: “A World Full of Muta- . Applications for Moravian History tions: Loyalty as a Cultural Pro- 2018 grants are due by February 3 Tour • Mark Dixon, Princeton Theologi- cess in the Civil War Era Mid- 28, 2018. cal Seminary: “Enslaved African Atlantic 1850-1880.” Richard C. Spear 3 Responses to Moravian Pietism in The Rev. Vernon H. Nelson fund We welcome additional dona- Bequest Colonial South Carolina” was established by relatives of the tions in order to continue growing • Mark Turner, Memorial Universi- former archivist in 2011 to encour- this fund. Send us a check or go to Other News and 4 ty of Newfoundland: “Hopedale age research at the Moravian www.moravianchurcharchives.org/ Events Nunatsiavut: Unlocking the Archives. These grants are a won- support Issue 26 Page 2

Tom Bross, New President of Archives’ Board Eight years ago, Tom Bross Tom about the Archives and the they do and how they interact with learned about the Moravian Ar- Board. In 2014, Tom was appointed MAB staff. “I feel like I have to know chives, and, as of January 1, 2017, he by the Provincial Elders’ Conference more about the Archives…to meet is serving as president of the Ar- to serve on the Archives Board. He with volunteers and see what they chives Board. Raised in Lebanon, was confident that his experience do…to effectively represent the , Tom Bross knew a with committees at Moravian Acad- Archives,” he remarks. Relatively number of Moravians growing up. emy would help him serve as a new to the field of historical record He became interested in the Mora- board member, and he was excited preservation, Tom is excited to lead vians as a physics teacher and Sci- about the opportunity—in retire- the MAB Board with a fresh per- ence Department Chair at Moravian ment—to serve on a board for the spective. He wants to increase out- Academy, where he taught for 38 first time. reach and introduce new faces to years. At Moravian Academy, Tom One of the first things Tom noticed the work of the Moravian Archives, learned about Zinzendorf, Benigna, was the variety of expertise on the noting “This is not a quiet, stagnant Comenius, and others; eventually, Board, with members from the institution; there is much activity at Tom Bross, President of the he learned a great deal about the Moravian Church, academia, ac- the Archives!” Board of Directors of the Moravian Archives through conver- counting, law, etc. Tom added, To the Friends and future Friends Moravian Archives sations with his son, a Moravian “These are good people to have on of the Archives, Tom encourages College alumnus, who took a Mora- the Board—a fine and sophisticated everyone to “continue reading vian History course taught by archi- and friendly group on which to rely.” about the Archives activities, and, vist Paul Peucker. Tom has spent time over the past when possible, come out to an Michael Long, past president of few months as Board president event in support of the Archives.” the Archives’ Board, spent time over working with different volunteers at the past few years chatting with the Archives to understand what New Finding Aids The records of First Moravian finding aid under the category: 4. southeastern Pennsylvania and Church of Philadelphia (MC Phila I) Congregations. predecessor to Nicholas Scull, Jr., as are now cataloged. The collection Archives research and digitization Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. spans about 1740-1965 and assistant, Kaitlin Trainor, cataloged One final possibility is that these encompasses approximately 30 a small collection of legal docu- documents ended up in the church linear feet. This collection was ments from Philadelphia (CLDP) records through Charles Brockden, arranged and described by assistant that was once found within the deputy master of the rolls “for the archivist Tom McCullough. “These aforementioned Records of First province of Pennsylvania” and records truly document all of the Moravian Church of Philadelphia. member of the congregation in various ways in which a congrega- This small collection contains over Philadelphia. This collection may be tion forms, grows, rebuilds, moves, 200 copies, drafts, and official accessed in our online finding aid and, unfortunately in the case of documents pertaining to land under the category: 10. Collections. Philadelphia, closes,” says Tom. surveying, legal agreements, and Kaitlin recently received a master’s “Moravians in Philadelphia didn’t other topics. The provenance of this degree in Library Science at Rutgers dispose of much, even the everyday small collection remains unknown; University. receipt or memo, and we are however, it seems likely that these thankful for this today!” documents were drafted by The collection is a great resource Philadelphia native, Nicholas Scull, for anyone studying the church’s Jr. (1687-1761), an American administration, networking, or surveyor and cartographer who worship practices as developed served as the Surveyor General of through their presence and Pennsylvania from 1748 until 1761. establishment in Philadelphia as the Another possibility is that the second oldest Moravian documents were deposited at the congregation in North America. This church by William Parsons, an collection is searchable in our online associate of the Moravians in The Moravian Church on Wood Street, 1856 Issue 26 Page 3

Book Launch at Moravian Archives On April 6 the Moravian Archives hosted the launch of Speaking to Body and Soul: Instructions for the Moravian Choir Helpers, 1785-1786, by Moravian scholar and Archives’ board member Katherine Faull. Speaking to Body and Soul includes Speaking to Body translations of instructions for the and Soul choir helpers who were in charge of the spiritual care of church mem- $17.95 bers. The detailed instructions were (paperback) highly confidential at the time they $63.75 (cloth) were written and were only passed on with the permission of the ad- Order now from ministration of the church. These our website or texts helped the choir helpers pro- call 610.866.3255 vide spiritual guidance on topics as varied as the physical manifesta- tions of puberty, sexual attraction, frequency of intercourse, infant Author Katherine Faull at the book launch care, and bereavement. Moravian History Tour of Europe 2018 Central Travelers and the Moravi- Christiansfeld. This tour will be a an Archives are glad to announce a unique opportunity to visit Moravian trip to Europe to visit Moravian sites sites in four European countries. in 2018. Moravian archivist and Departure date is July 4, 2018; re- historian, Paul Peucker, will travel turn on July 15, 2018. with the group to provide historical If you are interested in receiving a information and insights. Stops and flyer with more details (available in tours include Prague, the Kalich the fall of 2017), please contact Rocks, Herrnhut, Berthelsdorf, Craig Mosebach,610.625.4576, Gross Hennersdorf, Niesky, Klein- [email protected], or the Mora- welka, Herrnhaag, Neuwied, Zeist, vian Archives. Comenius’s grave at Naarden, and The Moravian Church in Herrnhut, Germany Richard C. Spear Bequest The most generous bequest in the was born in 1919 at Newcomers- served as chief-of-staff at Baptist history of the Moravian Archives town, Ohio, as the son of Edward C. Health Hospital and at Methodist For questions was made by Dr. Richard C. Spear Spear and Augusta, née Stocker. His Evangelical Hospital. When Spear regarding leaving from Louisville, Kentucky. Speech- mother’s brother was F. Paul Stock- passed away in 2007 his estate was a legacy to the less but grateful was Moravian Ar- er, who was the president of the placed in a trust. Moravian chivist Paul Peucker when it became Provincial Elders’ Conference of the The bequest will provide an enor- Archives, contact clear that the market value of Moravian Church and served on the mous boost for the work of the the Moravian Spear’s bequest was close to $1.9 Archives’ board for many years. Archives. “We cannot even dream of Ministries million. According to information provided the good things we will be able to Richard Spear was unknown to the by the family, Stocker recommend- do now,” said archivist Peucker. Foundation: members of the current Archives ed his nephew to leave his estate to “Spear’s generosity will certainly www.mmfa.info staff and board and his generosity the archives in Bethlehem. Spear benefit the preservation of Moravi- came as a complete surprise. Spear was a surgeon in Louisville and an history.” Newsletter from the Moravian Archives, Bethlehem PA Upcoming Events

Moravian Archives Free Summer Sundays 41 W. Locust Street Free admission at the Whitefield House Museum in Nazareth, July 2 — August 27, 2017 Bethlehem, PA 18018 Summer Soirée Phone: 610.866.3255 August 22, 2017, 5:00—7:00 pm, at the Moravian Archives e-mail: [email protected] A special event for the Friends of the Moravian Archives www.moravianchurcharchives.org “How to Take Care of Your Family Records” affiliated with the Moravian Historical Society Workshop with Dee Collins at the Moravian Archives www.moravianhistoricalsociety.org | 610.759.5070 Date to be announced

German-English Advent Singstunde December 5, 2017, 7:00 pm Board of Directors In the Old Chapel on the campus of Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, PA Thomas Bross, President Diane Shaw, Vice-President German Script Course Alice Mosebach, Secretary June 4-15, 2018 Karl H. Butz, Treasurer For more details, visit www.moravianchurcharchives.org Katherine Faull Scott Gordon Bethlehem Conference on Moravian History & Music Kevin Kelleher October 11-13, 2018 Michael Long Sponsored by the Moravian Archives, , and the Center for Moravian Studies, Rose Nehring in partnership with the Moravian Music Foundation, Moravian Historical Society, Moravian David S. Parker Theological Seminary, and Historic Bethlehem Partnership Ralph G. Schwarz (emeritus) Marian Shatto Donald Squair

News and Announcements

Restroom Renovations the near future, the records from Archivists (www.archivists.org and mation Resources (CLIR). It is our During the spring of 2017 the the Canadian District will be trans- search for “Archival Spirit”). goal to digitize our holdings from restrooms at the Moravian Ar- ferred to the Moravian Archives in the Caribbean and to make such chives were renovated. Old obso- Bethlehem, PA. Here the records Journal of Moravian History records available in the Digital lete hardware has been removed, will be housed with other records A new issue (vol. 17, no. 1) of the Library of the Caribbean (dLOC). If new towel holders have been in- from the Northern Province. Journal of Moravian History was approved, digitization will com- stalled, and everything has been released in May 2017. Contents are: mence with records from Antigua, freshly painted. We thank the Mo- The Archival Spirit (1) Rachel Wheeler and Sarah Eyer- as outlined in a project we have ravian Theological Seminary for In November 2016, assistant ly, “Songs of the Spirit: Hymnody titled: Archiving Antigua. allowing us to use their restrooms archivist Tom McCullough was in the Moravian Mohican Missions”; during this period. appointed editor of The Archival (2) Kyle Fisher, “After Gnadenhüt- Spirit, an archives newsletter pub- ten: The Moravian Indian Mission in For regular Canadian Records lished three times per year by the the Old Northwest, 1782–1812”; In April of this year archivist Paul Archivists of Religious Collections and (3) Christina Petterson and updates about Peucker visited Edmonton, Alberta, Section (ARCS) of the Society of Katherine M. Faull, “Speaking events at the to meet with the board of the American Archivists. Tom works about Marriage: Notes from the Moravian Canadian Moravian Historical Soci- with fellow archivists and librarians 1744 Married Choir Conferences.” Archives: ety. Paul was impressed with the and the officers of ARCS to share well-organized records of the Mo- news, ideas, and histories as they Caribbean Records subscribe to our ravian churches in the Canadian pertain to religious collections and The MAB recently applied for a email newsletter district of the Moravian Church and archives. Electronic issues of Ar- “Digitizing Hidden Special Collec- (see website for with the great passion of the board chival Spirit can be found on the tions and Archives” grant, funded details) members for their organization. In website of the Society of American by the Council on Library and Infor-