%eadnotat; ]> 5173cofa Collins Family Papers, 1797-1937 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1994 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, May 2002. ENG Collins Family Papers, 1797-1937 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1994 Descriptive Summary Papers, 1797-1937 RG 5/173 Collins 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 For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog The Collins family was a Quaker family of New England and New York City. Abel Collins (1770-1834) was a birthright Quaker and a minister recorded by Hopkinton Monthly Meeting. He married Mary A. Wilbur (d. 1858) of Hopkinton in 1790 and they had eight children. One of their sons, Abel Francis, was clerk of South Kingston Monthly Meeting. He had three sons who attended Friends Boarding School in Providence, Rhode Island, and continued their studies at Brown University. The collection contains extensive family correspondence (1812-1903) which covers a variety of topics, including schools and education, Quaker concerns, topical events of the day, and family life; journals of Francis W. Collins, including descriptions of his student days at Friends Boarding School in Providence; family business and financial papers; miscellaneous papers, photographs, and genealogical material on the Collins and Burdick families. BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL

Abel Collins (1770-1834) was born in Hopkinton, Rhode Island, one of the eleven children of Amos and Thankful (Clark) Collins. Other children were John (b. 1781) and Hannah Earle (1786-1819). Abel was a birthright Quaker and a minister recorded by Hopkinton Monthly Meeting. He married Mary A. Wilbur (d. 1858) of Hopkinton in 1790. Between 1794-1809, Abel and Mary Collins had eight children who survived to adulthood: Deborah, Mary W., Phebe, Timothy Clark, Abigail, twins Amos Wilbur and Thankful, and Abel Francis.

Abel Francis Collins (b. 1809) lived on the Collins farmstead, which he named Prospect Vale, in North Stonington, Connecticut. In 1844 he married Electa Jane Collins (1818-1896), the daughter of Job Scott and Ruth Hall Collins of Utica, New York. Electa Collins had two brother, both medical doctors, Chalkley Collins, who died in his twenties, and Clarkson Thomas Collins (1821-1881). Clarkson T. Collins married Lydia Coffin in 1844 and established a medical practice in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where he founded the Invalid's Hotel for the treatment of chronic diseased.

Abel F. and Electa J. Collins had three sons, Francis Wendell (1845-1887), Clarkson Abel (b. 1853), and Abel Chalkley (b. 1857). All three sons attends Friends Boarding School in Providence, Rhode Island, and continued their studies at Brown University. Chalkley Collins practiced as an attorney in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and Clarkson was a lawyer in New York City. Francis W. Collins moved to Narragansett Pier, Rhode Island, where he taught elementary school. In 1877 he married Alice V. Burdick. They moved to Woodland, California, where Francis operated a nursery business, "Ornamental Trees." They had one son, Francis Winfield Collins.

 SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection contains correspondence, journals of Francis W. Collins, including descriptions of his student days at Friends Boarding School in Providence; family business and financial papers; miscellaneous papers, photographs, and genealogical material on the Collins and Burdick families.

 Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series:

Biographical and genealogical Correspondence Journals Business and Financial Miscellaneous ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Accession information:

Donor: Purchase, Tolles Fund, 1993; Accession number: 93.056

The collection was purchased in 1993. Apparently the collection was preserved by Francis Winfield Collins; he compiled much of the genealogical information and identified individuals in the family album in 1954, according to a pencil notation.

 Access

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], RG5/173, Collins Family Papers, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

 Processing information

Received unprocessed, but sorted into general topics.

The following materials have been removed from the collection:

2 volumes of genealogy transferred to book stacks; genealogical charts photocopied from the back of these volumes and included in folder 1: Noyes Genealogy, descendants of Rev. James Noyes, Vol. I and II, collected by Henry E. and Harriet E. Noyes (Boston, Mass, 1904.) SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

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:

Quakers -- Rhode Island Quakers -- Connecticut Quakers - New York Quakers - California Quakers -- Social life and customs Quakers -- Diaries -- 19th century Diaries Providence Friends Boarding School Moses Brown School (Providence, R.I.) Collins family Burdick family Collins, Francis W., 1845-1887 Collins, Abel, 1770-1834 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

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

 Ser. 1. Biographical and Genealogical, 1858-1932, n.d. Genealogical charts and records: Collins, Burdick, Durfee, Lamb, Hall, Wilbur, Hoxsie 1 1 Biographical information, wills, marriage certificates: 2 1

Includes biopgraphical sketches of Amos M. Collins, Mary A. Collins, Abel Collins, and Charles Coffin; biographical sketches of Francis W. Collins, and of the Burdock family. Also includes marriage certificate of Francis W. Collins and Alice Burdick; will of Mary A. Collins.

 Genealogical correspondence 1858-1931 3 1 Genealogical forms, Burdick family 4 1 Typescript of genealogical research, Capt. George K. Collins. 5 1 F. W[infield] Collins, Genealogy, bound typescript 5 1 Miscellaneous, Collins family 6 1 George Sherwood correspondence 1931-32 7 1 Ser. 2. Personal Correspondence, 1801-1903 Abel Collins (1770-1834) & contemporaries, 1801-1856 Abel and Mary A. Collins (1796-1861) from John and Elizabeth Collins 1807-1831 8 1

re: family news, move to Chatam, Quaker issues, hope to found a new school.

 Abel and Mary A. Collins from Lewis Clark 1823-1824 9 1

re: Quaker testimony and discipline

 Abel and Mary A. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1801-1856, n.d. 10 1 Mary W. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1812-1819 11 1 Mary W. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1820-1829 12 1

re: descriptions of school life from both a student's (Lydia Wilbur, 1821) and a teacher's (Timothy Clark Collins, 1821) perspective. From Lewis Clark (5mo. 5, 1822) re: "Philadelphia Friends" and Quaker Testimony; from Charles D. Longworthy (April 19, 1825) re: Scriptures and Quaker Testimony.

 Mary W. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1830-1856, n.d. 13 1

re: opening colored school in Plainfield, Phebe C. Monroe (6mo. 9, 1833); re: ode to "life and character of grandfather Collins" from T. Monroe (11mo. 22, 1840).

 Abel F[rancis] Collins (b. 1809) & contemporaries, 1832-1886 Abel F. Collins from G[eorge] F[ox] Collins 1835-1841 14 1

re: observed changes in society after returning to upstate NY from 9 yrs. at sea, including the visit of Lindly M. Hoag, slavery and abolition, tensions between North and South, and the details of establishing a medical practice.

 Abel F. Collins from Electa J. Collins 1843-1880 15 2

Includes one letter from before they were married, and then on several occasions when she was visiting her family (includes some letters from Abel to Electa during the same period, re: conscription in Utica).

 Abel F. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1832-1869, n.d. 16 2

From miscellaneous family, includes criticism of Virgile (sic) by G. Foster, 1836; an account of the state of the Society in Indiana, and of a visit to Quaker Meetings (H) in New York by William Morris, 1861; an account of teaching school, medical practice; and the situation of the Society by Emmeline Collins, 1837-41.

 Electa J. Collins (1818-1896) from Job Scott and Ruth Collins 1844-1871, n.d 17 2

Includes some letters from Chalkley Collins, while he lived at home with his parents, re: Mexican American War, 3mo. 1847

 Electa J. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1848-1883, n.d. 18 2 Abel F. and Electa J. Collins from Clarkson and Lydia Collins 1845-1864 19 2

Includes some letters written by Rebecca A. Coffin, who was a part of their household.

 Abel F. and Electa J. Collins from Francis W. Collins 1860-1872 20 2 Abel F. and Electa J. Collins from Francis W. Collins 1873-1877, n.d. 21 2 Abel F. and Electa J. Collins from Francis W. Collins 1877-1886, n.d. 22 2

Written at the time of Francis's marriage and subsequent move to California. Includes letters from Alice V. Collins

 Abel F. and Electa J. Collins from Clarkson A. and A. Chalkey Collins 1867--1880 23 2 Family letters to Clarkson A[bel] Collins (b. 1853) 1856-1876, n.d. 24 3

Includes letters addressed jointly to A. Chalkley Collins, while the brothers attended Providence Friends Boarding School and later Brown University.

 Clarkson A. Collins from Francis W. Collins 1868-1880, n.d. 25 3 Clarkson A. Collins from Abel and Electa Collins 1869-1873 26 3 Clarkson A. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 27 3 A. Chalkley Collins (b. 1857) from Clarkson A. Collins 1869-1879 28 3 A. Chalkley Collins (b. 1857) from Francis W. Collins 1870-1881 29 3

Includes letters from Alice V. Collins

 A. Chalkley Collins from Abel and Electa Collins 1872-1880 30 3 A. Chalkley Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 31 3 Job Scott and Ruth H. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd Clarkson T. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1843-1880 33 3 Francis W[endell] Collins (b. 1845) & contemporaries, 1857-1903

Note: Francis W. Collins refers to Francis Wendell Collins, and Francis W[infield] Collins refers to his son.

 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1857-1862 34 3

Letters written while he attended Friends Boarding School, Providence

 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1863-1868 35 4

re: visit to Washington, D.C. including meeting President, touring White House; visit to War Dept.; news about warl; fire at Smithsonian Institute (Feb. 4-5, 1865)

 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1869 36 4 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1870-1872 37 4 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1873 38 4 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1874 39 4 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1875-1877 40 4

re: visit to Columbia S.C.; speech of Secretary of State Hayne; meeting of Negro Assembly (March 12, 1875)

 Francis W. Collins from Abel F. and Electa J. Collins 1878-1886, n.d. 41 4

Includes letters to Alice V. Collins.

 Francis W. Collins from Clarkson A. and A. Chalkley Collins 1866-1869 42 5 Francis W. Collins from Clarkson A. and A. Chalkley Collins 1870-1871 43 5

re: visit from Sojourner Truth at age 80; her account of being forbidden to ride a rail car in Washington, D.C.; her views on women's rights (Sept. 18, 1820)

 Francis W. Collins from Clarkson A. and A. Chalkley Collins 1872 44 5 Francis W. Collins from A. Chalkley Collins 1873 45 5

re: lecture by suffragist Anna Dickinson, (Nov. 9, 1873); reading by Wilkie Collins, (Dec. 14, 1873).

 Francis W. Collins from A. Chalkley Collins 1874, n.d. 46 5 Francis W. Collins from A. Chalkley Collins 1875-1884 47 5 Francis W. Collins from Clarkson A. Collins 1873 48 5 Francis W. Collins from Clarkson A. Collins 1874-1878 49 5 Francis W. Collins from Clarkson T. Collins 1873-1881 50 5 Francis W. Collins from Alvin H. Wright 1863-1864 51 6

Written while he was a soldier in the Union army; re: Great Dismal Swamp, NC; Battle of Fredricksburg; army life.

 Alice V. Collins (1855-1937), miscellaneous rec'd 1877, n.d. 52 6 Alice V. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 1877-1884, n.d. 53 6 Francis W[infield] Collins (b. 1878) from Sarah Collins 1902-1903 54 6 Francis W[infield] Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 55 6 Francis W. Collins, miscellaneous rec'd 56 6 Ser. 3. Journals, 1862-1886 Francis W[endell] Collins journal 1862-63 57 6

Consists of short passages describing daily routine at Friends Boarding School in Providence

 Francis W[endell] Collins commonplace book 1877, 1879, 1886 57 6

3 journal entries describing his wedding trip in 1877, and New Year's observation in 1879 and 1886. Volume also includes commonplace items, poetry, newspaper clippings, lecture notes, etc.

 Ser. 4. Business and Financial, 1795-1886, n.d. Abel F. Collins, 1842-1875, n.d. 58 6 Receipts 58 6 Business correspondence and papers 1842-1875 59 6 Francis W. Collins, 1866-1886, n.d. 60 6 Business papers re: Ornamental Trees 1866-1881 60 6 Receipts and misc. papers 1864-1886, n.d. 61 6 Account book n.d. 62 7 Misc. business correspondence 1867-1886, n.d. 63 7 Miscellaneous Business, 1795-1875, n.d. Receipts 1795-1875, n.d. 64 7

Reciepts of Isaac, Abel, Mary A., and Amos Collins, and others.

 Index to account book n.d. 65 7 Ser. 5. Miscellaneous, 1804-1881, n.d. School and Teaching, 1840-1881 Correspondence regarding school and teaching 1867-1881 66 7

Primarily associated with Francis W. Collins, including job offers and his teaching certificate.

 School attendance record for schools in North Stonington 1881 67 7 Connecticut school registers 1880-81 68 7 Misc. school materials 1840-1874 69 7

Includes examination schedules, notices of meetings, program for school, undated list of rules from Nine Partners Boarding School, essays and lectures, report cards.

 Meeting Papers 1804-1863 70 7

Letters addressed to New England Quarterly Meeting by George Churchman, 1804, Extract "On Spiritual Silence" from the journal of Jesse Kersey, copied for Abel Collins by Job Munroe, 1817. Minutes and correspondence from South Kingstown Monthly Meeting, and Hopkinton Preperative Meeting (these papers are primarily associated with Abel F. Collins)

 Poems and Essays 71 7

Some copied and some original poems, including several by Francis W. Collins, one by Electa J. Collins, a sewn volume entitled "Rosy the Wreath" compiled by Clarkson Collins, an anonymous poem "On the death of A.M. Collins," and several signed "Rustic Bard" in the handwriting of Francis W. Collins

 Recipes 72 7 Album of photographs 73 7

Album belonged to Francis Wendell Collins, and depicted members of the Collins family (as identified in 1954 by Francis Winfield Collins): Electa J. and Abel F., Ruth H. and Job S., Clarkson T. and Chalkley C., Francis Wendell and Alice V., and A. Chalkley Collins, as well as many other unidentified photographs.

 Miscellaneous 74 7

Clippings, wedding invitations, birth announcements, an index to biblical passages, unidentified photographs, and a ribbon