An Inventory of the New York Female Association Records, 1798-1988
General International Standard for Archival Description
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000.
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Records, 1798-1988
New York Female Association
Biographical History for: Records, 1798-1988
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE Established to give relief to sick poor non-Friends, the New York Female Association first provided aid to sufferers of Yellow Fever. In 1800, following a proposal to open free schools for poor children who lacked other means of obtaining an education, the NYFA opened New York's first public school for female students; Theresa Garvan was employed as the teacher. Until 1845, when it turned its school interests entirely over to the Free School Society, established in 1805 by Quaker men, the NYFA worked in conjunction with the FSS, and by 1825, 750 girls were attending several schools and learning reading, writing, arithmetic, and needle-work. Three years later, however, the schools for girls were dropped due to under-enrollment and the students began attending FSS coeducational schools. The same year, the Association opened a new infant school in the basement a Lutheran church, which it ran until 1845. That year, the association turned over its school affairs entirely to the FSS and since has contented itself with small gifts to public and private charities. In 1853, the Government of the City of New York assumed full responsibility for the educational system. In 1915, the New York Female Association commissioned the Lindley Murray Fund, a charity organization formed to provide aid to black and native Americans, to manage its funds. It continues as of 1988 as a gift- giving committee consisting of six Quaker members. Although the association has never been affiliated strictly with either the Hicksite or Orthodox meetings, in 1828, the committee was primarily if not entirely Orthodox, and by 1901 the organization was composed entirely of Hicksites.
SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS This collection consists primarily of minutes and financial records. In its early years, the Committee met often, concerning itself with the affairs of its public schools. Common entries consist of lists of the numbers of attenders at a particular school and a judgement of the teacher. Also included in the collection are annual reports from 1821 and 1824. In 1889, a proposal was approved to limit meetings to once yearly. Most reports from the twentieth century list simply the names of members and their chosen charities. A useful historical synopsis of the association to 1981 is included in the collection.
Charity Schools -- New York (N.Y.)
Free School Society (New York, N.Y.) -- Archives
Education -- Quakers
New York (N.Y.) -- Quakers
New York (N.Y.) -- Education--Schools
New York (N.Y.)-- Charitable and social work
New York (N.Y.) -- Societies, etc. -- Charities
New York (N.Y.) -- Societies, etc. -- Women
Charitable and social work -- New York
Poor -- Services for -- New York (N.Y.)
Quakers -- Charities
Quakers -- Education -- Schools
Charitable uses, trusts, and foundations
Nonprofit corporations -- New York (N.Y.)
Bowne, Amy, b. 1795
Collins, Sarah, b. 1795
Cromwell, Caroline A., b. 1833
Edwards, Martha
Hoag, May
Ludlam, Sarah, d. 1841
Garvan, Theresa
Minturn, Mary
Murray, Catherine Bowne
Taber, Anna F.
Taber, Elizabeth W.
Underhill, Hannah
Underhill, Sarah F.
Waring, Eileen B.
Wood, M. S. (Mary Sutton), 1805-1894
Lindley Murray Fund
series
Ser. 1. Minutes
Minutes (abstracted copy: gap 1828-1844)
Creation of Minutes (abstracted copy: gap 1828-1844)
Time of Creation of Minutes (abstracted copy: gap 1828-1844)
Minutes
Creation of Minutes
Time of Creation of Minutes
Includes rules for schools and minutes of Trustees of the Chatham St. School
School Committee minutes
Creation of School Committee minutes
Time of Creation of School Committee minutes
Minutes and records of fund distributions
Creation of Minutes and records of fund distributions
Time of Creation of Minutes and records of fund distributions
Ser. 2. Financial Records
Treasurer's Book, with grant recipients
Creation of Treasurer's Book, with grant recipients
Time of Creation of Treasurer's Book, with grant recipients
Subscription book for free school
Includes partial list of members, copied in 1885
Treasurer's book
Creation of Treasurer's book
Time of Creation of Treasurer's book
Accounts (includes minutes 1885-1905)
Creation of Accounts (includes minutes 1885-1905)
Time of Creation of Accounts (includes minutes 1885-1905)
Receipts and miscellaneous papers
Creation of Receipts and miscellaneous papers
Time of Creation of Receipts and miscellaneous papers
Treasurers' book
Creation of Treasurers' book
Time of Creation of Treasurers' book
Treasurer's book: Record of Contributions
Creation of Treasurer's book: Record of Contributions
Time of Creation of Treasurer's book: Record of Contributions
Ser. 3. Miscellaneous
Annual reports
History of New York Female Association and miscellaneous papers
Creation of History of New York Female Association and miscellaneous papers
Time of Creation of History of New York Female Association and miscellaneous papers