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Jemima Wilkinson papers

 Collection
Identifier: 357

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Includes papers of the "Universal Friend," her followers, and their descendants, relating largely to the migration of Wilkinson and her followers from Rhode Island to what is now Yates County, New York, the development of their settlements, their conflict and litigation over land, and their religious life. Included are minutes of meetings, deeds, the last will of the "Universal Friend" and others, journals, sermons, accounts, documents covering the Boston and Massachusetts Pre-emptions, the Gore Land Case, the Yates County Bank, the Second National Bank, President Jackson, temperance, and other subjects; and letters to and from Jemima Wilkinson, Sarah Richards, Ruth Richards, Rachel Malin, the Malin family, Alice Hazzard, James Parker, Arnold Potter, Thomas Hathaway, William Carter, Ruth Spencer, William Turpin, and others.

Dates

  • 1772-1849.

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Religious leader.

Originally a Rhode Island Quaker, Jemima Wilkinson believed that she had died following an illness in 1776, and later arose as the "Publick Universal Friend," who was sent by God to preach against sin. After preaching in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, she established a colony (1790) on Keuka Lake in Western New York for herself and her followers. Soon after the Friend's death in 1819, the community disintegrated entirely.

Extent

2 microfilm reels. (2 microfilm reels.)

Abstract

Includes papers of the "Universal Friend," her followers, and their descendants, relating largely to the migration of Wilkinson and her followers from Rhode Island to what is now Yates County, New York, the development of their settlements, their conflict and litigation over land, and their religious life. Included are minutes of meetings, deeds, the last will of the "Universal Friend" and others, journals, sermons, accounts, documents covering the Boston and Massachusetts Pre-emptions, the Gore Land Case, the Yates County Bank, the Second National Bank, President Jackson, temperance, and other subjects; and letters to and from Jemima Wilkinson, Sarah Richards, Ruth Richards, Rachel Malin, the Malin family, Alice Hazzard, James Parker, Arnold Potter, Thomas Hathaway, William Carter, Ruth Spencer, William Turpin, and others.

RELATED MATERIALS

Microfilm only, originals returned to donor.

More items of Jemina Wilkinison, including some originals as well as microfilm, are available in collection #621.

Physical Description

Correspondence

General

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Date completed:
August 1987
EAD encoding:
Evan Fay Earle, July 2007
Status
Completed
Author
Compiled by
Date
July 2007
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Repository

Contact:
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853
607-255-3530
607-255-9524 (Fax)