An Inventory of the Rodman-Rotch Families Family Papers, 1763-1865
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
Family Papers, 1763-1865
Rodman-Rotch Families
Biographical History for: Family Papers, 1763-1865
BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL The Rodman and Rotch families were New England Quakers. Samuel Rodman (1753-1835) married Elizabeth Rotch (1757-1856) in 1780. He was a successful Nantucket and New Bedford, Mass., whaling merchant and clerk of New England Yearly Meeting. Elizabeth (Rotch) Rodman was a birthright member of the Society of Friends, also from a family involved in the whaling business, and active in philanthropic and reform causes. They had nine children. The Rodmans and Rotches were closely intertwined by marriage; three of the Rodman siblings married three of the Rotch siblings. The families also had links to Philadelphia and English mercantile families and were related to the Fisher, Waln, Morgan, Hussey and other families.
SCOPE AND CONTENT The collection contains chiefly personal correspondence (1763-1865) of the extended Rodman and Rotch families, along with travel journals (1805, 1807, 1809) and a manuscript copy of the autobiographical memoir of William Rotch (1734-1828), the father of Elizabeth Rotch Rodman, and some related material. The families had links to Philadelphia and English mercantile families. Some of the letters have been transcribed into typed copies. There are also a small number of Quaker manuscripts, including accounts of Priscilla Cadwallader's sermon delivered at Newport, R.I., in 1824; Samuel Spavold's Prophesy or Testimony in 1749; and Robert Barrow's testimony at the funeral of George Fox.
Quakers - Social life and customs
Whaling
Quakers - New England - Nantucket, Mass.
Quakers - New England - New Bedford, Mass.
Nantucket (Mass.) -- History
Society of Friends -- Massachusetts -- Nantucket
Barrow, Robert, d. 1697 - The testimony of Robert Barrow, 11 month 16, 1691, at George Fox's burial, where were supposed to be four thousand Friends, besides other people.
Cadwallader, Priscilla, 1786-1859 - A Sketch of Priscilla Hunt's discourse delivered at New Bedford April 25th 1824.
Spavold, Samuel - Sam'l Spavold's Prophesy or Testimony, which he gave forth at Sauterforth the 3rd of the 10 mo. 1749.
Rodman, Elizabeth Rotch, 1757-1856
Rotch, William, 1734-1828
Rodman, Samuel, 1753-1835
Rodman family
Rotch family
series
Ser. 1. Biographical and genealogical, 1803-1809, n.d.
Journals
[Rodman, Eliza?] Phila. 1803
[Rodman, Eliza?] 1805
Includes visit to Stafford Springs, Conn. and visit to Shakers.
[Rodman, Eliza?] 1807
Includes visit to Boston, Plymoth, and Sandwich.
Rotch, Joseph: “Journal of a Southern Tour” 1809
Rotch, William: "An autobiographical Memoir of William Rotch written in the eightieth year of his age"
Genealogical material, dealing with ancestors of Julia W. Rodman
Material on Rotch, Starbuck, Rodman, Prior, Haydock
Chart of Robert & Susanna Heath's family
Chart of Tristram Coffin descendants
Memo of Mary Prior to her children
Memorial for Mary Prior
An exile from Home: Elizabeth Rotch.
An address by Alfred Rodman Hussey
Newspaper clippings
Ser. 2. Family Correspondence, 1763-1915
Dean and Lydia Rotch (1770-1822) on death of Mother Rodman
Dean and Lydia Rotch on death of Thomas Rodman
Fisher, Hannah Rodman (1764-1819) correspondence
Creation of Fisher, Hannah Rodman (1764-1819) correspondence
Time of Creation of Fisher, Hannah Rodman (1764-1819) correspondence
Includes 1 letter by Samuel Fisher on death of Hannah.
Fisher, Mary Rodman (1781-1813) correspondence from Wakefield, [Mass.]
Creation of Fisher, Mary Rodman (1781-1813) correspondence from Wakefield, [Mass.]
Time of Creation of Fisher, Mary Rodman (1781-1813) correspondence from Wakefield, [Mass.]
Hazard, Anna Rodman (1761-1845) correspondence
Creation of Hazard, Anna Rodman (1761-1845) correspondence
Time of Creation of Hazard, Anna Rodman (1761-1845) correspondence
Robeson, Anna Rodman (1787-1848) correspondence
Creation of Robeson, Anna Rodman (1787-1848) correspondence
Time of Creation of Robeson, Anna Rodman (1787-1848) correspondence
Rodman, Benjamin (1794-1876) correspondence
Creation of Rodman, Benjamin (1794-1876) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rodman, Benjamin (1794-1876) correspondence
Includes “Salutatory oration pronounced before the trustees of the “Friends Academy”, New Bedford “...being the second anniversary of the establishment of the Institution...” 5/21/1813.
Rodman, Mary Borden (1729-1798) correspondence
Creation of Rodman, Mary Borden (1729-1798) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rodman, Mary Borden (1729-1798) correspondence
Rodman, Samuel (1753-1835) correspondence
Creation of Rodman, Samuel (1753-1835) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rodman, Samuel (1753-1835) correspondence
Mostly to his wife, Elizabeth Rotch Rodman.
Rodman, Samuel, Jr. (1792-1876) correspondence
Creation of Rodman, Samuel, Jr. (1792-1876) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rodman, Samuel, Jr. (1792-1876) correspondence
Also typed extracts of letters written to S.R., Jr. while at school.
Rodman, Sarah (1764-1793) correspondence
Creation of Rodman, Sarah (1764-1793) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rodman, Sarah (1764-1793) correspondence
Rodman, William Rotch (1786-1855) correspondence
Creation of Rodman, William Rotch (1786-1855) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rodman, William Rotch (1786-1855) correspondence
Mostly concerning business.
Rotch, Benjamin (1762-1839) correspondence
Creation of Rotch, Benjamin (1762-1839) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rotch, Benjamin (1762-1839) correspondence
Rotch, Charity Rodman (1766-1834) correspondence
Creation of Rotch, Charity Rodman (1766-1834) correspondence
Time of Creation of Rotch, Charity Rodman (1766-1834) correspondence
Rotch, Elizabeth Barker (1764-858) correspondence
Written from Dunkirk, Islington, Milford, Lowlands.
Rotch, Elizabeth Rodman (1759-1828)
Creation of Rotch, Elizabeth Rodman (1759-1828)
Time of Creation of Rotch, Elizabeth Rodman (1759-1828)
Rotch, Mary (1777-1848)
Creation of Rotch, Mary (1777-1848)
Time of Creation of Rotch, Mary (1777-1848)
Also includes copy of Epistle from New England Y.M. (Women) to Philadelphia YM (Women) 1817, Mary Rotch, clerk.
Rotch, William (1734-1828)
Creation of Rotch, William (1734-1828)
Time of Creation of Rotch, William (1734-1828)
Rotch, William, Jr. (1759-1850)
Creation of Rotch, William, Jr. (1759-1850)
Time of Creation of Rotch, William, Jr. (1759-1850)
Miscellaneous correspondence 1763-1830
Filed chronologically.
Bowne, Hannah to Elizabeth Rodman [1805?] 12mo. 10, 1806 3mo. 10
Emlen, Susannah to Hannah Prior 11 7mo. 12, 1815 1mo. 1. 1819 2mo. 14
Fillers, Felix 1809-1815
Fisher, William L. to Samuel Rodman, Jr. 1814 3mo. 1
Haydock, Hannah and/or Henry
[Attached to letter by Eleanor Moode(?)]
Haydock, Mary to Samuel Emlen 1791 7mo. 6
Moode(?), Eleanor 1763 5mo. 31
Newhall, Mary-Lynn, Troy 1817 6mo. 26, 1827 3mo. 25
To Samuel & Elizabeth Rodman re religious controversy.
Rodman, Eliza to Rodman, Samuel, Philadelphia, 1811 1mo. 11
Rodman, H.H. to Elizabeth Rodman 1820 5mo. 20
Rodman, Julia, Correspondence on meteorological records 1915
Includes Rodman, T.P. to Harriet Amanda Holt, 1830 1mo. 24
Shober, Samuel L. to Charles --, Philadelphia, 1820 12mo. 27
A theological discussion.
Ser. 3. Quaker Manuscripts, 1691-1824
Fothergill, Samuel, testimony
Hints for my Government externally & internally (Rules of Conduct)
Lines on the Death of -- by M.W.C. to Miss Lydia Rodman
Mary Newhall's testimony at Rochester 1818 1mo. 4
Mrs. Mary Newell (?)
[Pine Street Meeting] Account of a sermon by M.M. n.d.
Samuel Spavold's Prophesy or testimony at Sauterforth "the 3d of ye 10th mo 1749"
A Sketch of Priscilla Hunt's Discourse Delivered at New Bedford 5/15/1824.
Cadwallader Priscilla 1786 1859)
The testimony of Robert Barrow 1691 11mo. 16 at George Fox's burial