An Inventory of the John Hunt Papers, 1770-1828
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 by POD, July, 2004.
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
John Hunt Papers
Creation of John Hunt Papers
Time of Creation of John Hunt Papers
Biographical History for: John Hunt Papers
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE John Hunt was born in 1740, the son of Robert and Abigail (Wood) Hunt of New Jersey. His father was a first cousin to the minister, John Woolman (1720-1772). His mother, Abigail, died when John was young, and Robert Hunt remarried. In 1763, John Hunt married Esther Warrington in the Chester meeting house, under the supervision of Evesham Monthly Meeting. They eventually had ten children, three of whom died young. Hunt was a Quaker minister for more than 50 years. He died in 1824, and was buried in the Moorestown Friends burial ground. His memorial, published in 1841 (Memorials Concerning Deceased Friends. Philadelphia: S.B. Chapman & Co., 1842, pp. 12-16), highlighted his public testimony concerning pride and superfluity, and stated that he was particularly concerned with temperance.
SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS John Hunt kept a diary for more than 40 years, citing William Penn's advice to his children to keep a journal: "Mind an inward sense upon doing any thing." This collections consists primarily of the manuscript journal, 1770-1800; fragments of 1805, 1806 & 1808; and 1814-1824. There if also an account book, some correspondence received, and other miscellaneous materials. Hunt documented many significant events in his record: 1771 9moAnn Moores's visit to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting1771 4mo26First appearance in the ministry1772 12mo26News of the deaths of cousins John Woolman and William Hunt1776 12moSoldiers lodged at meeting house1777 1mo22Visit with Joshua Evans to indians at Edgepelick1779 1moYearly meeting committee on the work of "reformation"1779 2moAttended first of many meetings appointed by Friends "for the negroes"1781 9mo22Yearly meeting and the appearance of Jacob Lindley1782 9mo2YM Reformation Committee discusses issues of plainness and alcohol1783 9moYearly meeting concerned with slavery and West India produce as well as plainness1785 1moJacob Lindley on plainness and war taxes1787 10mo24Imprisonment of his son, Samuel, for non-payment of war tax1789 5moVisit to Baltimore Yearly Meeting1791 9moYearly Meeting and the appearance of Robert Nesbit on the subject of plainness of clothing1791 9mo30Death of son, Samuel1793 8mo27Account of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia1796 2mo14Epistle directed to the Black People from the Abolition Society and appearance of Hannah Burrows, a black woman1796 9moReferred request from Rahway to receive a black woman into membership in the Society of Friends and discussion within Yearly Meeting1797 1mo25Visits to Black schools in Philadelphia1797 5moElias Hicks' visits to meetings in New Jersey1797 7mo7Death and burial of Joshua Evans1800 10moJourney to Pelham in Canada1801 4mo18Visit of Elias Hicks to Select Yearly Meeting1804 10moVisits to Redstone et.al.1807 10mo25Death and account of John Parrish1808 9mo2Death of daughter, Esther Conrow1811 9moVisit to Stroudsburg and meetings in western New Jersey1818 8mo18Joseph Clark's meeting to encourage female benevolent societies1818 9moTavern shows and temperance1819 1mo3Remarks on bible societies1822 9moComments on the reading of news and the use of tobacco1822 11mo27Death of son, Benjamin1823 1mo20Preaching of Daniel Pucket, Priscilla Hunt, & Elias Hicks
Quakers -- New Jersey
Society of Friends -- New Jersey
Lay ministry -- Society of Friends
John Hunt, 1740-1824
Asa Matlack, 1783-1851
Joseph Foulke, 1786-1853
John Cox
Elizabeth A. Lippincott
Ann R. Matlack
Jonathan Evans, 1759-1839
Josiah Roberts, 1783-1841
Elias Hicks, 1748-1830
series
Ser. 1 Journals
Journal of John Hunt
Originally bound with 1773-77; front cover (detached) marked Vol 1st of John Hunt’s Diary 1770; all-over treated with silk crepeline.
Originally bound with 1770-73; oversized; all-over treated with silk crepeline.
Originally bound with Account book, 1769-1774; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline.
Originally bound with Account book, 1769-1774; one page, treated at all edges with silk crepeline.
Originally bound with 1792-1800; treated at bound edge and scattered repairs with silk crepeline
Originally bound with 1788-92; leather covers (detached), with “John Hunt His Book” on inside with other inscriptions, alphabets et.al.; treated at all edges with silk crepeline; includes bound-in copy and probate of John Hunt’s will, dated 1824 and 1826 respectively
Bound with account book; includes rough map, probably of a section of Goshen Twp.
Originally MSS003/77, gift of William Bacon Evans, 1/28/56; one page
Originally MSS003/77, gift of William Bacon Evans, 1/28/56; one page folded
Originally bound with account book; bound fragment, with undated mss. of a religious visit to North Wales and Byberry, with an account of his contributions to poor and for meeting purposes, 1810 5mo 9-1813 10mo 8; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline
Originally bound with account book; ms account of Yearly Meeting held at the North Meeting House with comments on the nature of Christ; 1817 citation mentions the visit of Edward Hicks to Chester Meeting; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline
Originally MSS003/77, gift of William Bacon Evans, 1/28/56; originally 10 vols. 1812 7mo 7-1824 10mo 10 (3 with original covers), the first unnumbered, then marked No.3-4, 6-7, unnumbered vol., 8-10, unnumbered vol.
Originally bound with account book; account of meeting at Chester Moorestown with William Foster Jr., Richard Jordan, William Evans, etc.; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline
Includes comments about slavery
Unknown Journalist
Originally bound with account book; Account of religious visits by Abraham Warrington (?); treated at bound edge and folds with silk crepeline.
Originally bound with account book; Account of meeting by Abraham Warrington (?); treated at bound edge with silk crepeline.
Ser.2 Financial Records
Account book
Originally bound with 1776-87; Primarily carpentry work; Includes biblical references
Ser.3 Correspondence
John Hunt to Asa Matlack
Fragment of a note asking for an appointment
Joseph Foulke to John Hunt
Joseph Whitall to John Hunt
John Cox to John Hunt
Elizabeth A. Lippincott to Ann R. Matlack
? to Josiah Roberts
Unsigned note informing on the inappropriate conduct of certain Friends, including John G. Roberts and John Haines.
Ser.4 Miscellaneous
Copy of Joshua Evans' Journal
Two passages from Joshua Evans journal, possibly in John Hunt's hand. Originally included with miscellaneous pages bound at back with account book, but not paginated; treated at all edges with silk crepeline. Includes ms. note on reverse: “on first day afternoon the day of 1mo 1825 I went to Henry Warrington’s house on penshawkin Creek to see Henry’s brother, Abraham Warrington, who intends to set out tomorrow morning for Ohio where he lives when at home: Hinchman Haines & wife, Benjamin Henry Warrington with their wives Susanna Warrington (widow of John, sd Abraham’s brother two of her daughters; Josiah David Roberts with their wives Thomas Warrington & wife with their infant son; all of these were here; also Lydia Lippincott son Charles; having written the names of the company who were assembled here for the purpose of having the company of their dear Abraham Warrington who was to depart on the morrow they having little expectation of ever seeing him in time any more because he was now Ancient; I shewed him this paper which he said was in his own hand writing and that he gave to George Churchman 6 to copy out his father-in-laws manuscripts into the form of a journal of his life which was expected to be printed – but it was not – the said journal of Joshua Evans written out by sd G. Churchman remains with Abraham Warrington who married sd Joshua Evans daughter & now reside in the state of Ohio."
Account of Yearly Meeting
Originally bound with account book; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline
“Angry God”
Originally bound with account book; documentation on the punishments of an angry God; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline
Elias Hicks
Originally bound with account book; including a transcription of a letter from Jonathan Evans to Hicks, dated 1823 4mo 1; treated at bound edge with silk crepeline
Property records
Includes lease John Shute to Rebekah Matlock (1772), property survey (1772), property survey (1817)