Cox-Parrish-Wharton Papers 0154 Finding Aid Prepared by Cary Majewicz
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Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers 0154 Finding aid prepared by Cary Majewicz.. Last updated on November 09, 2018. Second edition Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2011 Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 5 Overview of arrangment................................................................................................................................5 Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 6 Related Materials........................................................................................................................................... 7 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................7 Bibliography...................................................................................................................................................9 Collection Inventory.................................................................................................................................... 10 John Parrish............................................................................................................................................10 John and Ann Cox.................................................................................................................................11 Dr. Joseph and Susan Parrish................................................................................................................12 Alphabetical papers................................................................................................................................13 Printed materials.................................................................................................................................... 43 Graphics, parchments, and clippings.....................................................................................................45 Friendly Association papers.................................................................................................................. 46 Volumes................................................................................................................................................. 47 - Page 2 - Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers Summary Information Repository Historical Society of Pennsylvania Creator Cox family. Creator Parrish family. Title Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers Call number 0154 Date [bulk] 1740-1870 Date [inclusive] 1700-1900 Extent 9.3 linear feet (; 19 boxes, 40 volumes) Language English Mixed materials [Volume] 1-32 Mixed materials [Box] 1-19 Abstract This collection of papers that originated mostly from the Cox family of Oxmead, Burlington County, New Jersey, and the Parrish family of Maryland and Philadelphia, contains information on the religious, humanitarian, social, and economic influence of the Quakers in American life. Spanning two centuries from 1700 to 1900, the collection contains family and some business correspondence, personal and financial volumes, petitions, deeds, publications, prints and photographs, and materials from the Friends Association of Philadelphia. - Page 3 - Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers Cite as: Cite as: [Indicate cited item or series here], Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers (Collection 154), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Biography/History The Cox family of Burlington County, New Jersey, originated from one John Cox (circa 1641-circa 1724), thought to be from Gloucester, England, who immigrated to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the late 1680s. He later settled in Rancocous, New Jersey with his family. Cox's great-great grandson, John Cox (1755-1847), was a member of and preacher for the Society of Friends. Like many Quakers, he devoted much of his time to civil service and was particularly interested in helping maintain peaceful relations with the local Native American tribes. He married Ann Dillwyn (1755-1797) and they lived at a home in Burlington County that Ann had inherited from her father called "Oxmead." John and Ann had one daughter, Susan (or Susannah). John remarried after Ann died in 1797 and had one more daughter, Hannah. Susan Cox (1788-1851) went on to marry Philadelphia physician Dr. Joseph Parrish (1779-1840). The Parrishes were a prominent Quaker family in Philadelphia, and many members were involved in relief or service organizations, such as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. Joseph Parrish, son of Isaac Parrish of Baltimore, Maryland, and Sarah Mitchell of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received a classical education in Philadelphia. He studied medicine under Dr. Caspar Wistar in 1800 and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a medical degree in 1805. He worked as a physician and surgeon at a number of local medical institutions and was a member of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He was also a member of the Society of Friends, as well as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, of which he later was named president. He authored several publications on medical topics and contributed to the North American Medical and Surgical Journal. Joseph and Susan Parrish had a large family of three daughters and eight sons (one of whom died as a child). Among their progeny were Dillwyn Parrish (1809-1889), great-grandfather of celebrated artist Maxfield Parrish; Joseph Parrish (1811-1891), a physician who worked mosly in New Jersey and served with the United States Sanitary Commission during the Civil War; and Edward Parrish (1822-1872) who, most notably, helped establish Swarthmore College. One of their daughters, Susanna Dillwyn Parrish (1827-1915), married into another old Philadelphia family, the Whartons. Her husband, Rodman Wharton (1820-1854), worked as a merchant and for a time was in business with his brother Joseph. - Page 4 - Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers Scope and Contents The Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers span two centuries and are housed in nineteen boxes and thirty-two volumes. The collection primarily highlights the religious, humanitarian, social, and economic influence of the Quakers in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Included are numerous documents and correspondence pertaining to Indian relations and the abolition of slavery. Of particular interest are the founding documents of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, which include early minutes of the 1770s that contain details on which members of the community were still holding illegal African- American and Indian slaves and indentured servants. Much of the correspondence is personal in nature and provides some insight into Quaker family life. Papers of the Cox and Parrish families dominate the collection; however, there are also scattered, mainly late nineteenth century letters to and from members of the Wharton family. The collection is arranged into eight series. The first three series are devoted to papers and correspondence of John Parrish (circa 1689-1745) of Maryland; John and Ann Cox of Oxmead, New Jersey; and Dr. Joseph and Susan (Susannah) Parrish of Philadelphia, respectively. Series 4 is a collection of alphabetically arranged papers and letters, the majority of which are addressed to John Cox or members of the Pemberton family. Series 5 and 6 contain a variety of printed documents, images, old deeds and certificates on parchment, and clippings. Series 7 contains a small assortment of papers from the Friendly Association of Philadelphia. The final series is made up of bound volumes from members of the Cox, Parrish, and Dillwyn families. There are also number of miscellaneous volumes such as school books and scrapbooks on Quaker history. Overview of arrangment I. John Parrish, 1704-1807, undated; 2 boxes II. John and Ann Cox, 1781-1844; 4 boxes III. Dr. Joseph and Susan Parrish, 1769-circa 1879; 2 boxes IV. Alphabetical papers, 1700-1900; 7.5 boxes V. Printed materials, 1738-1864; 0.5 boxes - Page 5 - Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers VI. Graphics, 1764-1899; 1 box VII. Friendly Association papers, 1751-1776; 1 box VIII. Volumes; circa 1719-1879; 1 box, 32 volumes (some volumes in box) Administrative Information Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2011 Finding aid prepared by Cary Majewicz.. Sponsor Processing made possible by generous donations from Shelia Bodine, Mary Dugan, and Donna J. Rilling. Access Restrictions The collection is open for research. Immediate Source of Acquisition note Gift of Mrs. Rodman Wharton and Miss Susan Wharton, 1914. Processing Information note The Quaker scrapbooks (Volume 27, numbers 1-3) were formerly catalogued under the number Am .12780. Some folder titles in the lists that follow contain references to the "A. A. Guide" -- these numbers correlate to those found in the guide Afro-Americana, 1553-1906: author catalog of the Library Company of Philadelphia and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (call number INDEX Z 1361.N39 P48 1973), copies of which are available in HSP's library. - Page 6 - Cox-Parrish-Wharton papers Related Materials Related Archival Materials note At the