%eadnotat; ]> 5177bifa Biddle Family Papers, 1793-1951 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1988 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, May 2002. ENG Biddle Family Papers, 1793-1951 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1988 Descriptive Summary Papers, 1793-1951 RG 5/ 177 Biddle family 8 boxes; 4 linear ft. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728 This collection contains the papers of Philadelphia Quaker Owen Biddle (1737-1799), his son, Clement Biddle (1778-1856), and numerous descendants. Owen Biddle, a scientist and merchant, was a member of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and helped in the establishment of Westtown School (1799). Owen Biddle's papers, 1772-1793, (Series 1) include correspondence, and journals, some of which relate to his Revolutionary War activities. Three of his letterbooks, 1778-1779, have been microfilmed. The collection contains correspondence, journals, letterbooks, and account books, together with other manuscript material reflecting the social and cultural life and religious activities of a prominent Quaker family of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Papers of Lucy Biddle Lewis (1861-1941) are important for association with the women's suffrage movement and for early activities of the American Friends Service Committee. Other names represented in the collection are Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, Clement Biddle, Clement Miller Biddle, William C. Biddle, Dorothy Biddle James, Henry Hollingsworth, Thomas Mifflin, Thomas Parke, Thomas Richardson, Lydia Lewis Rickman, and Ann Biddle Stirling. BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL

This collection contains the papers of Philadelphia Quaker Owen Biddle (1737-1799), his son, Clement Biddle (1778-1856), and numerous descendants in six generations. The Biddles, who aligned themselves with the Hicksites following the separation of Philadelphia Quakers in 1827, were active in various causes, including Quaker education, public health, and the peace movement. Clement M. Biddle (1838-1902), Clement Miller Biddle (1878-1959), and Lucy Biddle served on the Board of Managers at Swarthmore College. Additionally, Lucy Biddle was responsible for the gift that was the basis of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Lydia Lewis Rickman's notes on the family genealogy are included in the collection.

For more detailed information, see the collection summary (below).

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection contains correspondence, journal, letterbooks, and account books, together with other manuscript material reflecting the social and cultural life and religious activities of a prominent Quaker family of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Owen Biddle (1737-1799) was assistant forage master for the army of the American Revolution and some of the papers relate to that work. Papers of Lucy Biddle Lewis (1861-1941) are important for association with the women's suffrage movement and for early activities of the American Friends Service Committee. Other names represented in the collection are Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch, Clement Biddle, Clement Miller Biddle, William C. Biddle, Dorothy Biddle James, Henry Hollingsworth, Thomas Mifflin, Thomas Parke, Thomas Richardson, Lydia Lewis Rickman, and Ann Biddle Stirling.

Item level checklist available in repository.

The collection is divided into five series:

Owen Biddle Clement Biddle (1778-1856), his wife Mary Canby Biddle, their children, relatives and friends Clement Biddle (1838-1902), and his son, William C. Biddle Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959) Lucy Biddle Lewis and Lydia Lewis Rickman ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Accession information:

Donor: Anne Biddle Stirling (Series 2), 1928

Donors: Clement Biddle and Lydia Lewis Rickman (Series 4 and 5), 1947

Donor: Dorothy Biddle James (Series 1), 1949

Donor: Estate of William C. Biddle (Series 3), ca. 1959

The Biddle Manuscripts are arranged in five series according to provenance, distinguishing the five different donors. The papers of Owen Biddle [Series 1, formerly Biddle Manuscripts (J)] were donated by Dorothy Biddle James; those of Clement Biddle (1778-1856) and his family [Series 2, formerly Biddle Manuscripts (S)] were donated by Anne Biddle Stirling, his granddaughter; those of Clement M. Biddle (1838-1902) [Series 3, formerly Biddle Manuscripts (W)] came from the estate of his son, William C. Biddle; Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959) gave his papers and those of other in the Biddle family [Series 4, formerly Biddle Manuscripts (C)]; and Lydia Lewis Rickman donated her papers, those of her mother, Lucy Biddle Lewis, and other Biddle family papers [Series 5, formerly Biddle Manuscripts (C).]

Access

Use restricted to microfilm when available (Series 1). Collection is open for research

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], RG 5/177, Biddle Family Papers, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.

Processing information

Biddle manuscripts (C) were catalogued fully in the FHL manuscript card catalogue before 1950, and there is a detailed checklist of the correspondence available in the Library. Biddle Manuscripts (J) were arranged chronologically. They include correspondence and diary of Owen Biddle, 1737-1799, and also were fully catalogued. (S) and (W) were catalogued briefly. Owen Biddle Letterbook, 1778-1 month 1779 were microfilmed in 1978 by the Presbyterian Historical Society.

Biddle Manuscripts were reviewed, reorganized, refoldered, and a revised checklist was prepared in 1988, and the collection was transferred to Record Group 5. Papers of Owen Biddle [formerly designated as Biddle Manuscripts (C)] became Series 1, Boxes 1-3. Papers of Clement Biddle (1778-1856) and his wife Mary Canby Biddle, their children, relatives and friends [formerly Biddle Manuscripts (S)] became Series 2 (Boxes 4-5). Papers of Clement Biddle (1838-1902) and his son, William C. Biddle [formerly Biddle Manuscripts (W)] became Series 3 (Box 6). Papers of Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959), Lucy Biddle Lewis, and Lydia Lewis Rickman [formerly Biddle Manuscripts (C)] became: Series 4 Clement Miller Biddle (Box 7) and Series 5 Lucy Biddle Lewis and Lydia Lewis Rickman (Box 8).

Formerly cited at Biddle Manuscripts.

Related Material

See also:

Other papers of Lucy Biddle Lewis can be found in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.

The following materials, originally part of the collection, have been removed to the Swarthmore College Archives (RG6):

Grace Anna Brosius Biddle, papers concerning Swarthmore College, Class of 1897 SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings: Researchers are advised to search by subject and author, when applicable.

Quakers -- Pennsylvania Quakers -- Delaware Quakers -- Social life and customs Quakers -- Social Service Quakers -- Diaries -- 18th century Pennsylvania -- Quakers Delaware -- Quakers Social Service -- Quakers Suffrage - Quakers Charities -- Quakers War relief --Quakers Reconstruction (1914-1939) -- Austria Reconstruction (1914-1939) --France Friends' Relief Mission Austria - Quakers Society of Friends -- War relief and reconstruction. Woolman School (Swarthmore, Pa.) Westtown School Swarthmore College Society of Friends -- Pennsylvania United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 United States-- History-- Revolution, 1775-1783 Quaker businesspeople Biddle family Women's International League for Peace and Freedom Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Congress (1st: 1915: Hague, Netherlands) Women and peace -- History Biddle, Owen, 1737-1799 Biddle, Clement M. (Clement Miller), 1876-1959 Biddle, William Canby, 1864- Lewis, Lucy Biddle, b. 1861 Rickman, Lydia Cooper Lewis, 1885- Addams, Jane, 1860-1935 Balch, Emily Greene, 1867-1961 James, Dorothy Biddle Hollingsworth, H. (Henry), 1737-1803 Mifflin, Thomas, 1744-1800 Parke, Thomas, 1749-1835 Richardson, Thomas, 1816-1867 Stirling, Anne Biddle, 1857- American Friends Service Committee COLLECTION SUMMARY 1-3 1. Owen Biddle 1711-1887

Owen Biddle, a scientist and merchant, served as Deputy Forage Master General during the American Revolution. He became a member of the Free Quakers during the Revolutionary War, but in 1783 he was reinstated in Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and helped in the establishment of Westtown School (1799). Owen Biddle's papers, 1772-1793, (Series 1) include correspondence, and journals, some of which relate to his Revolutionary War activities. Three of his letterbooks, 1778-1779, have been microfilmed.

3-5 2. Clement Biddle (1778-1856), his wife Mary Canby Biddle, their children, relatives and friends 1792-1860

Clement Biddle (1778-1856), a sugar refiner in Philadelphia who was active in Quaker philanthropic work such as helping to establish Friends Asylum in Frankford in 1813 (now Friends Hospital), aligned with the Hicksites following the separation of Philadelphia Quakers in 1827. His papers (Series 2) contain mostly family correspondence, 1792-1860, of Clement Biddle, his wife, Mary Canby Biddle (1780-1849), their children, Martha C. Biddle (1811-1833), Robert Biddle (1814-1902), William Canby Biddle (1816-1887), Clement Biddle (1819-1895), Anne Biddle (1822-1901), relatives, and friends

6 3. Clement Biddle (1838-1902), and his son, William C. Biddle 1747-1929

Clement M. Biddle (1838-1902), grandson of Clement Biddle (1778-1856), was the son of William Canby Biddle, who founded with his brother Robert the R. and W. C. Biddle Company, a hardware firm in Philadelphia. Clement was involved in the hardware firm until 1873, when he became involved with the Centennial Exposition of 1876, serving on the Centennial Board of Finance. He had a special interest in Quaker education, serving on the Swarthmore College Board of Managers from 1874-1894 (his father also served on the Board), supporting Friends' Central School, participating in the Committee on Education of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Hicksite). His correspondence is in Series 3 along with papers relating to the Centennial Board of Finance. Also included in this series are papers of William C. Biddle (1864-1942), oldest son of Clement M. Biddle (1838-1902). William Biddle's papers pertain to war relief work in France with the American Friends Service Committee, 1918-1920, and to Quaker adult education at the Woolman School, 1928-1929.

7 4. Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959) 1787-1921

Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959) was the youngest son of Clement M. Biddle (1838-1902). Active in civic and philanthropic affairs in New York where he lived, Biddle was president of Biddle Manufacturing Company and served on the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College from 1927-1950. His papers (Series 4) include material on the Friends' Relief Mission in Vienna, 1920-1921, operated jointly by American and British Quakers. Biddle was involved in the child feeding program and other war relief efforts in Austria and Poland which were based at the Mission in Vienna. Also in the collection are an account book, 1835-1856, of Clement Biddle (1778-1856), and an account book, 1855-1871, of William Canby Biddle (1816-1887), other Biddle family papers, and papers of his wife, Grace Anna Brosius Biddle (b. 1877), which relate to her family and to her Swarthmore College Class (1897).

8 5. Lucy Biddle Lewis and her daughter, Lydia Lewis Rickman 1593-1951

Lucy Biddle Lewis (1861-1941) was the oldest child of Clement Biddle (1838-1902). A resident of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, she was active in Quaker postwar reliefwork and the peace movement, serving on the American Friends Service Committee, as National Chairman of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, and for over thirty years, 1908-1941, on the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College. Her papers in Series 5 are letters, mostly to her family, about the International Congresses of Women held in the Hague in 1915 and in Zurich in 1919 and war relief work. While a member of the Swarthmore College Board of Managers, Lewis in 1930 persuaded Jane Addams of Hull House to donate her papers relating to peace and social justice to Swarthmore College. With this gift the Swarthmore College Peace Collection was established. Other papers of Lucy Biddle Lewis can be found in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection (see Guide to Sources on Women in the Swarthmore College Peace Collection). Also in this series are papers of Lydia Lewis Rickman, daughter of Lucy Biddle Lewis, pertaining to her trip to Russia, 1917-1918, with the American Friends Service Committee for war relief work there and papers she collected about the Biddle family's English ancestry, 1593-1711.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

Item level checklist available in Library

Ser. 1. Papers of Owen Biddle, 1711-1887

Full inventory available in repository.

Correspondence 1772-1793 1 Letterbooks of Owen Biddle 1771-1775 2 Letterbooks of Owen Biddle [access is through microfilm] 1778-1779 Film MS-B5 Letterbooks of Owen Biddle 1779-1781 2 Journals: Diaries of Owen Biddle 6 vols. 1779-1782 3 Family correspondence. Letters of the descendants of Owen Biddle 1822-1887, n.d. 3 Miscellaneous Biddle family papers 1711-1831 3 Ser. 2. Papers of Clement Biddle (1778-856); wife, Mary Canby Biddle (1780-1849), and family and friends; 1792-1860

Approx. 1,000 letters and related papers, arranged alphabetically by author and/or recipient.

Biddle, Anna Miller (1823-1891), wife of Robert Biddle 3 letters 1842, 1847, n.d. 4 Biddle, Anne (1801-1850) 2 letters 7mo 1843 4 Biddle, Anne (1822-1901), to Clement Biddle (1819- 1895) and others 1834-1892 4 25 letters Biddle, Clement (1740-1814), letter to W. James Lapeire (1798) and other business papers 1788-1798 4 5 items Biddle, Clement (1778-1856), to Clement Biddle (1819- 1895) and others 1826-1851 4 26 letters Biddle, Clement (1778-1856) to wife Mary Canby Biddle, 16 letters, Includes accounts of visits to New York and Ohio. 1830-1833. 4 16 letters

Includes accounts of visits to New York and Ohio.

Biddle, Clement (1778-1856) to Clement Biddle (1819- 1895) and other family members 26 letters 1826-1851 4 Biddle, Clement (1778-1856) business and other papers 5 items 1809-1829 4 Biddle, Clement (1778-1856) received by Clement Biddle 2 letters 11mo 1835 undated 4 Biddle, Clement (1819-1895) to Clement Biddle (1778-1856) and other family members 19 letters 1832-1850 4 Biddle, John (1773-1815) to brother Clement Biddle (1778-1856) 3 letters 1803-1809 4 Biddle, Martha C. (1811-1833) to mother Mary Canby Biddle and other family members 1826-1832 4 32 letters

Includes description life at Westtown School.

Biddle, Mary Canby (1780-1849) to husband Clement Biddle (1778-1856) and others, mostly family 35 letters 1829-1844 4 Biddle, Owen (1737-1799) 2 letters 10mo 10, 1789. n.d. 4 Biddle, Rachel (wife of William Canby Biddle), to family 1842-1854 4 3 letters Biddle, Rebecca Owen 2 items 1792, 1794 4 Biddle, Robert (1814-1902) 2 letters 8mo 17 1837, 8mo 21 1841 4 Biddle, Robert (1814-1902) and other family members to Clement Biddle (1819- 1895) 1842-1892 4 21 items Biddle, William C. (1816-1887) to Clement Biddle (1819- 1895) 9 letters 1834-1870 and n.d. 4 Biddle, William Walton (1842-1900) to father Clement Biddle (1819-1895), 14 items 1858-1859 4

Letters and grade reports from Westtown school

Cadwallader, S.T. letter to sister 4mo 19 1857. 4 Canby, Frances (later Ferris) to mother Martha Canby and other family members 6 letters 1798-1811 4 Canby, Mary receipts and miscellaneous business papers 1810 4 10 items Canby, Merrit 3 letters 1806-1847 4 Canby, William (1748-1830), letters sent 1802, 1813, n.d. 4 4 letters

Includes an 1802 letter to John Dickinson and a copy of an 1813 letter to Thomas Jefferson.

Comly, John (1773-1850) letter to Martha Biddle (1811-1833) 10mo 15 1831 4 Ferris, Fanny Canby to sister Mary Canby Biddle (1780-1849) 146 letters. 1798- 1833. 5 Field, Hannah and others to Mary Canby Biddle 10 letters 1808-1849 5 Ferris, Benjamin to Mary Canby Biddle and her father, William Canby 22 items 1804-1825 5 Garrigues, Mary R. to Mary Canby Biddle 5 letters 1802-1808 5 Gibbons, Mary to Mary Canby Biddle 13 letters 1830-1834 5 Hartshorne, Isabel, will 1792. 5 Kimber, Emmor, and others to Clement Biddle (1778-1856) 9 letters 1828-1849 5 Pugh, Sarah to Martha Biddle. 7mo 23 1832 5 Ralston, Robert to Clement Biddle (1778-1856) 1 letter 6mo 30 1804 5 Smyth, Anna Canby and others to Mary Canby Biddle and others 19 letters 1830-1844, undated 5 Stirling, William miscellaneous papers 4 items 1793-1828 5 Tatum, Anna Biddle to Clement Biddle (1778-1856), Mary Canby Biddle, and others 44 letters 1802-1864 5 Townsend, Ezra, to daughters Grace and Susanna Townsend at Westtown School 1 letter 7mo 12, 1809 5 Walton, James to Walton, Susan T. 1 letter 2mo 2 1837 5 Walton, Susan M. to Clement Biddle (1819-1895) and others 8 letters 1842-1845. 5 Walton, Susan? to Susan Walton Cadwallader Biddle (1823-1892) 1 letter 1mo 12 1848 5 Walton, William to Clement Biddle (1819-1895) and wife Susan Townsend Biddle 12 items 1841-1843 5 Webb, Jane to Owen Biddle (1737-1799) 1 letter 4 mo 28 1772 5 Webb, William to Clement Biddle (1778-1856) 2 letters 1805, 1815 5 Williams, Hannah to Clement and Mary Biddle 1 letter 1mo 28 1833 5 Ser. 3. Clement Biddle (1838-1902) and his son, William C. Biddle (1864-1942); 1747-1929 Biddle, Clement M. (1838-1902) papers relating to the Centennial Board of Finance 1873-1890 6 Biddle, William C., and others certificates of membership in organizations, receipts, and other documents 1800-1891 6 Biddle, William C. papers relating to war relief work in France with the Friends Reconstruction Unit of the American Friends Service Committee 1918-1920 6 Middleton Family papers 1747-1835 6 Woolman School 1928-1929 Correspondence, mostly received by Clement Biddle 1882-1899, n.d. 6

Full inventory available in repository

Ser. 4. Clement Miller Biddle (1876-1959); 1787-1921

Includes family papers collected by him in addition to his personal papers.

Clement Biddle (1740-1814) Order received from F. Hopkinson to return sloop (Photocopy) April 3, 1787 7 Clement Biddle (1778-1856) Account book 1835-1856 7 Clement M. Biddle (1838-1902) Notification to C. M. Biddle of his liability for military duty 1862 7 Clement M. Biddle (1876-1959) Papers pertaining to Quaker war relief 1920-1921 7

In Austria, fresh milk plan for Vienna. In Poland, forms for office use in European relief centers.

Clement M. Biddle (1876-1959), Biddle family papers 7 Grace Anna Brosius Biddle (b. 1877), wife of Clement M. Biddle (1876-1959), family papers 7 Grace Anna Brosius Biddle (b. 1877), Swarthmore College Class of 1897 (removed to College Archives) 7 Ser. 5. Lucy Biddle Lewis (1861-1914) and her daughter, Lydia Lewis Rickman; 1593-1951.

Also includes Biddle family papers collected by Lydia Lewis Rickman. Papers are fully cataloged on cards in Repository.

Lucy Biddle Lewis (1861-1914), letters, mostly to her family 1915-1922 8 24 letters

Includes letters pertaining to the International Congresses of Women held in the Hague in 1915 and Zurich in 1919. Also includes letters concerning her association with Jane Addams, Emily Greene Balch and other women, and her efforts to support war relief work. See list in Repository.

Biddle and related family papers, collected in England by Lydia Lewis Rickman. 1593-1711 n.d. 8 mostly photocopies Genealogical chart 1951 8 Invitation to Clement M. Biddle from John Wels 187- 8 Lydia C. Lewis (later Rickman) passport to visit Russia 1917 8 copy of marriage certificate, Lydia C. Lewis to Richard Rickman, Buzuluk, Soviet Union, March 19, 1918. 8 "Picture of Russian peasant life in the period August, 1916-Sept. 1918," by John and Lydia Rickman and other papers about Russia. 8