USA > Pennsylvania > Delaware County > Concordville > Two-hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary of Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends : Concordville, Delaware Co., Pa > Part 1
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GC 974.802 C74f 1822023
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02223 8148
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/twohundredtwenty00soci
1686
1911
Two-hundred and twenty-fifth 225 th Anniversary of
Concord Monthly Meeting
of Friends
Concordville, Delaware Co., Pa.
Fourth day, Eighth mo. Sixteenth
WALTER H. JENKINS PRINTER 140 North 15th St., Philadelphia
1822023
CONCORD MEETING HOUSE PREVIOUS TO 1872
Contents
Page
General Committee
3
Preface
4
Program
7
Officers
9
Invocation
IO
Address of Welcome
13
Response
17
History of Meeting
23
Poem-In Ye Olden Time
44
Woman: What the Society of Friends has done for her development and advancement
49
Present Day Questions
56
The Meeting at Work
60
Afternoon Session
65
Poem-Old Concord
66
The Influence of Friends' in Public Affairs
69
The Educated Man and Social Problems
81
Are Our Principles Worth While?
85
Reminiscences 89
IOI
Antiques
List of first members of Monthly Meeting of Chichester and Concord 103
List of Taxables in Jurisdiction of Concord Monthty Meeting 108
Appendix 115
Illustrations
Old Meeting House
Fronticepiece Facing Page 5
Badge
Deed
20
Birmingham Meeting House
31
Chichester Meeting House
32
New Concord Meeting House
65
Interior
85
Graveyard
99
Map Chester Co.
23
Map Concord and vicinity
41
Pierce Marriage Certificate
¥35
Opening Meeting
.
2
General Committee
Lewis Palmer Ralph M. Harvey Jacob J. Styer
Katharine R. Styer
Hannah L. Bunting Mary P. Harvey
Mary Baldwin Temple
Horace Darlington Bertha L. C. Darlington J. Chauncey Shortlidge Edward L. Palmer
George H. Bartram Ruth H. Bartram Dr. H. Darlington
Katharine Darlington
Elizabeth P. Styer
Margaret C. Wilson Laura M. Paschall Eliza J. Hill Isabel G. Shortlidge
Joseph Shortlidge
Mary D. Hannum
Mary G. Hill
Benj. F. Leggett Florence B. Passmore
Loretta Hill
Charles E. Harvey
Joseph M. Bunting Hannah H. Palmer
Anna D. Pennock Edith L. Painter
Philena M. Temple Rebecca E. Horner P. E. Sharpless Edmund Harvey
Jacob P. Temple
William P. Temple Samuel H. Painter Bartram R. Harvey Harry G. Fairlamb Alban Harvey
Ada H. Temple
Hanna B. Hannum
Wm. P. Thatcher
Elsie P. Harvey
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Preface
On Second month, Twenty-third, 1911, Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends was informed by Lewis Palmer that in this year would occur the 225th anniversary of the estab- lishment of the monthly meeting at this place.
The meeting taking the matter into consideration approved of holding an anniversary meeting in commemoration of this important historical and religious event, and appointed Lewis Palmer, Rolph M. Harvey, Jacob J. Styer, Katharine R. Styer, Hannah T. Bunting, Mary P. Harvey and Mary B. Temple a committee to have the matter in charge, with liberty to add to their number as they might see best to further the object in view.
This conunittee (with the additions made to it) in pur- suance of its appointment found that the first monthly meet- ing was held at Concord ye 5th of ye 6th month, 1686, O. S., and after due calculation it was concluded that according to the present calendar that Eighth month 16th, N. S., would be as nearly a suitable time as could be found for the meet- ing, and it was so fixed as the date.
The committee then proceeded to a full consideration of the matter committed to it, and concluded to appoint sub- committees on such subjects as was thought necessary to con- duct the anniversary in a proper manner and to a successful issue. The titles of these committees were Program, Finance, Transportation, Printing and Publishing, and Hospitality. Each committee then entered into the labor assigned respec- tively to it, with much interest nearly as the following details will illustrate :
The Program Committtee met with considerable difficulty in that the Eighth month is largely a time of vacation and absence from home of those desirable to have take part in the proceedings; letters of regret were received from Isaac
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Doncoro Monthly Meeting
Two hundred and Twenty Fifth Anniversary
Eighth Month Sixteenth- 1686 1911
The Badge
CORRECTIONS
Page 3 Read Rolph M. Harvey Hannah T. Bunting, and Mary M, Hill
Page 8 Read Philena M. Temple instead of Philina
Page 20 The last paragraph beginning By deed should be pre- ceeded by heading at top of page 21
Page 90 20th line from botton read data for date
Page 103 Read Thomas Bowater for Bomater
Page 115 3rd line from bottom read 1692 for 1892
Page 117 roth line from. top read when for where
Page 119 16th line from top read 1839 for 1829
Page 121 16th line from bottom read 1729 for 1927
Page 122 Insert 1716 after 14, Mary born 11th month 16th
Page 125 3rd line from bottom read 1769 for 1669
Page 129 Insert 223 after pp. in 3rd line from bottom
Page 131 Read q. r. instead of g. v. where it occurs
Page 133 8th line from bottom read 1774 for 1711 Page 134 15th line from bottom read Southery for Southern
Page 139 6th line from bottom read 1789 for 1889
Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends
Sharpless, of Haverford College; Francis H. Green, of West Chester Normal School; Joseph S. Watson, of George School ; Joseph Elkinton, of Moylan; Robert Pyle, of West Grove, and others. A program was, however, made up with names of those prominent in the parts assigned to them which gave promise of giving peculiar satisfaction and which we now feel sure fulfilled in a high degree our brightest anticipations. We are, therefore, profoundly thankful for their eminent services.
The Finance Committee met with a liberal response to their application for funds and were able to collect a sufficiency for all expenses and have a surplus that may be needed to advance for the publication of the proceedings ; special thanks are due to some, not of this vicinity, for liberal offerings.
The Transportation Committee were enabled to secure a special train in both forenoon and afternoon which added greatly to the convenience of visitors and in no small degree made for the success of the meeting; the generous response of those having automobiles in this vicinity in transporting persons from and to the station at Concordville was greatly appreciated, and they are entitled to our warmest thanks.
The Printing and Publishing Committee were fortunate in inducing most of those participating in the proceedings to present them in writing; they were also favored in having the cards of invitation, the programs and souvenir badges, all made in an attractive style, all adding in fair measure to our success.
In this connection we are glad to voice our thanks to Anna S. Hicks, of Kennett Square, for the fine pen and ink sketch from which the plate for the badge was made.
The large Committee on Hospitality met the demands upon it in a most commendable manner and by their manage- ment secured a liberal surplus for our expense funds. Under their direction the noon recess of two hours was spent in a manner to give a greatly added zest and pleasure to the many assembled guests; so while enjoying ample lunches there was also many social greetings and reminiscences indulged in, and to some an opportunity to visit the adjacent burial grounds, bringing up stirring memories of the past.
Quite a number of old relies and antiques were exhibited in one corner of the Meeting House which were viewed with
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Two hundred and twenty-fifth Anniversary
interest by those concerned in those matters, and several took a seat on the old school set of seats in the yard, now only remembered by the aged, when to their youthful bodies was given discomfort for want of backs to these antiquated seats.
To those not of our membership who assisted in various ways to carry forward, with interest not second to our own, the labors needed on this eventful day, we feel no little indebted, and can only hope that their future spiritual interest may in like way be mingled in our future work.
In conclusion it may be stated that amidst unpropitious weather we were favored with an ideal day, seeming almost as gift of Divine favor, and the parting salutations abounded in sayings that our 225th aniversary was a commendable success.
6
Program
MORNING SESSION
10.00 a. m. Opening the meeting General Chairman Silence-Invocation
10.10 a. m. Welcome
J. Chauncey Shortlidge, Chairman
10.15 a. m. Response Dr. Edward L. Palmer
10.25 a. m. History of the Meeting and its early members Gilbert Cope
10.55 a. m. Poem --- In Ye Olden Time Dr. B. F. Leggett 11.10 a. m. Woman: What the Society of Friends has done for her development and advancement Emma Speakman Webster
11.25 a. m. Present Day Questions Isabel G. Shortlidge
11.35 a. m. The Meeting at Work Watson W. Dewees
AFTERNOON SESSION
2.00 p. m. Opening of Session Norris J. Scott, Chairman
2.10 p. m. Poem --- Old Concord J. Russell Hayes
2.25 p. m. The Influence of Friends' in Public Affairs Hon. Thomas S. Butler
2.55 p. m. Address Hon. William C. Sproul
3.15 p. m. The Educated Man and Social Problems Dr. Joseph Swain
3.45 p. m. Reminiscences Lewis Palmer
4.00 p. m. Are Our Principles Worth While? Henry W. Wilbur
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Officers
Chairmen.
General-Lewis Palmer, Concordville, Pa.
Morning Session-J. C. Shortlidge, Concordville, Pa.
Afternoon Session-Norris J. Scott, Moylan, Pa. Vice-Rolph M. Harvey, Ward, Pa. Philina M. Temple, Ward, Pa. Jacob J. Styer, Concordville, Pa. J. C. Shortlidge, Concordville, Pa. Mary Baldwin Temple, Ward, Pa. Israel R. Scott, Ward, Pa.
Committees.
Program-Philina M. Temple, Ward, Pa.
Finance-Pennock E. Sharpless, Ward, Pa.
Transportation-Jacob J. Styer, Concordville, Pa.
Printing and Publishing-Florence Baldwin Passmore, Chadds Ford, Pa.
Hospitality-Mary P. Harvey, Brandywine Summit, Pa.,
Secretary. Bertha L. C. Darlington, Darling, Pa.,
Treasurer. Bartram K. Harvey, Ward, Pa.
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Opening of the Meeting By the General Chairman
At 10 a. m. the General Chairman, Lewis Palmer, opened the meeting with the remarks:
"It is with a feeling of great pleasure that I now call you to order. I do so that we may enter into a commemoration of the greatest religious event that ever occurred in this neighborhood-being that of no less than establishing a place of worship and an effective church discipline. It was dedicated to the proposition of the Divine right of all man- kind to worship the Lord according to their conscientious sense of propriety, preferably, as they saw it, in devotional silence, with individual freedom for audible invocation and sermon, and all to be without dictation by king, priest or parliament.
"I therefor ask you now, after the order of Friends, to observe a few minutes of devotional silence."
During this brief period Caroline J. Worth, of West Chester, arose and read the following invocation written for the occasion be Elizabeth Lloyd, of Lansdowne, Pa., one of the editors of Priends' Intelligencer:
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Two hundred and twenty-fifth Anniversary
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INVOCATION.
Our fathers gathered here long years ago To hold communion with the Power divine That is within, and over, and around; And as they were obedient to the voice That spoke unto their inmost souls, they found Sweet peace, and strength to do the things they ought, Leaving behind a priceless heritage Of courage, patience, faithfulness and love. This heritage is for us to enrich And magnify, not merely to enjoy ;
And that we may be wise to know the right, And strong to do the work that lies at hand, From the unfailing Source to which they turned In prayer, we seek for wisdom, vision, power.
Around us here are happy homes, where peace And plenty and the simple life are found; But to our ears there comes the cry of pain From brothers in distress through human greed. Man battles with his fellowman to gain Some selfish end, and leaves behind a trail Of vice and ignorance and wretchedness. May it be ours to lessen sin and woe, To let the light in where it now is dark, To break the chains and bid the oppressed go free; May we be brave to speak the words of truth, Kind in our thoughts, in action prompt and just ; Let us so live that we may be indeed The "Friends of God" and "Children of the Light."
--- ELIZABETH LLOYD.
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Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends
After which Sarah B. Flitcraft, of Chester, Pa., offered vocal supplication.
SARAH B. FLITCRAFT .- Holy Father, we have come into thy presence this morning, in this sacred place, as children of the light, still bearing forth the banner of love and light,. as we feel called, to the present generation.
We thank thee for the faithful ones of 225 years ago, that they came under the same banner, with neighborly love, and blessings resting upon them from thine own holy hand. And so, to-day, our Father, as the generations have come and gone, thou, who hast been with us in great measure, according to the faithfulness and the obedience that we have rendered unto thee-we ask that thy blessing shall rest upon this gathering to-day. As the light shines in the outward, and the sun of the day, we thank thee for the glory and the blessedness of another day, that will be filled, perhaps, with that which is joyous and powerful. We thank thee, Father, and invoke thy blessing upon the exercises to-day, that all may be done in thy honor and thy glory, O blessed Father ; and in humility we seek thee this morning, remembering the blessed heritage of the days gone by ; we come to-day to thank thee for the continued blessings of hope and love and that which will cheer us, if we live close to the Power that makes our lives shine better and brighter even unto the perfect day.
O Lord, we ask thee that these blessings that thou hast given without number may be with us and rest with us in our day and generation, so that we may hear the song, so that we may see the beautiful vision, and know the still small voice and the light within. And, Father, we ask these bless- ings in humility ; we thank thee that thou wilt grant them, more than even asked. Bless each one, each family repre- sented; thy will direct us, not only this day, in all our deliberations, but in the days to come ; and, finally, our Lord, accept us into the blessed kingdom that is prepared for us, and already here and now, and unto thee, our Father, unto the blessed Christ and the Holy Spirit shall we give all honor, all praise, world without end. Amen.
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Two hundred and twenty-fifth Anniversary
LEWIS PALMER .-- Before proceeding with the regular pro- gram, we have a little matter to call your attention to that was not known at the time the program was formed. It is a greeting from far-off California. I will read it.
At a special meeting of Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends of Pasadena, California, held Eighth month, Sixth, 1911.
The youngest meeting sends loving greetings to one of the oldest. May the good that for so many years has emanated from Concord Meeting continue to spread until all the world shall live in peace and harmony.
Very truly, your friends, SUSANNA D. YEO, Clerk for the Day.
ELLA M. HUNT, Assistant Clerk.
It is proposed to send them the following response, pro- vided there is no objection.
MARY MCALLISTER .- I would be very glad.
(General unanimity expressed.)
LEWIS PALMER .- It shall be done. It is as follows :
To Orange Grove Monthly Meeting of Friends, Pasadena, Cal .:
We acknowledge your cordial greeting of Eighth month, Sixth inst., with the most sincere feelings of love and kindred fellowship. We both owe allegiance to the Quarterly Meet- ing to which our Monthly Meeting, by its former influential position, gave its name of "Concord."
We are, therefore, glad to be able to join hands across the continent in a mutual desire to encourage each other in the maintenance of the fundamental principles to which we devote our spiritual energies.
LEWIS PALMER, General Chairman.
Eighth month, Sixteenth, 1911.
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Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends
The anniversary meeting will now be turned over to our friend, J Chauncey Shortlidge, to act as chairman for the morning meeting.
J. CHAUNCEY SHORTLIDGE .- My friends, it is one of the pleasures of hospitality to welcome the coming and speed the parting guest ; and I am sure it gives me a great deal - of pleasure to welcome you here this morning to the 225th anni- versary of the founding of Concord Meeting.
We have endeavored to prepare a program which shall prove both interesting and instructive; and I trust that you will feel repaid for having attended these exercises.
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I suppose that it is on account of the deep religious feeling of the seventeenth century that the early pioneers who founded this meeting did not attach any tremendous im- portance to their actions. They probably felt the need of some religious center in this community; and yet I feel that if they could be with us to-day and could look back over the intervening years, see the good that this meeting has accomplished in the community, I feel sure that they would feel amply repaid for their efforts in those long years ago.
I am a believer in the theory that we should not despise the day of small things; because, in a way, we can sum up the great truths of the universe in a single sentence. Ten- nyson, the poet, as he plucks the flower out of the crannied wall and examines its life-story in relation to the universe, says :
A
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"Flower in the crannied wall, I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand, Little flower -- but if I could understand What you are, root and all, and all in all, I should know what God and man is."
This is more or less of a historical gathering; and, as a student of history, it may be permitted me to refer briefly to some of the conditions that existed in England and in the other countries of Europe at the time that this meeting was founded ; and, curiously enough, we shall find that the condi- tions were very similar to those conditions which exist to- day: the problems which we see about us now are very
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Two hundred and twenty-fifth Anniversary
similar to the problems that existed at that time in Europe.
We believe that the paramount issue of this country to- day is the question of special privilege, the theoretical right which a few claim for themselves of ruling over the many. You know, I think it was Abraham Lincoln that said "The Lord must love the common people, because he made so many " of them;" and surely, this is the day of the common people, if we can solve the question rightly at all points. We shall find, in examining the history of Europe in and about the latter part of the seventeenth century, that this same question was pressing heavily upon the people for solution. It was dis- pressing heavily upon the people for solution. It was dis- cussed, at that time, under the doctrine of the divine right of kings; but it was special privilege, pure and simple, nevertheless. As we examine the history of Russia at this time, we find that country striving to emerge from the dark night of mediæval barbarism with which it had been en- veloped, and under the guidance of that heroic figure, Peter the Great of Russia, it was striving to become like the other civilized nations of northeastern Europe; but we shall find that special privilege was resting heavily upon it-a con- dition which even yet it has not succeeded in overcoming.
In the same way, as we turn to England, we find that this question of the divine right of kings was the ever pressing question at that time. Under the rule of the tyrant James II, who arrogantly claimed that he was the state and that all the revenues of the country flowed necessarily to him, and that as the vice-regent of the Lord he was not subject to correction by human power : his laws, I say, were so tyrannical that two years after the founding of this meeting, or in 1688, the common classes of the British Empire drove the king bodily from the kingdom and invited his daughter Mary, a woman of great breadth of mind and common sense, who had married Prince William of Orange- they invited that couple to come over to England and rule over them; first, however, drawing up what is called the Declaration of Rights, which was a brief summary of the rights which they had succeeded in wresting from the pre- vious kings; and they put William and Mary over them, on the promise that they would rule according to their constitu- tion, and would leave to parliament the question of revenues and the conduet of the army and navy.
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Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends
When we turn to France, we shall find this question of the divine right of kings carried to its extreme limit under the guidance of Louis XIV of France, often called the Grand Monarch. The arrogance of Louis XIV knew no bounds. He proudly styled himself the state. "I am the state," was his proud boast ; and as a concrete illustration of the intol- erable conditions of the time it is only necessary to remind you that 15,000 of the nobility of France at that time were living under the roof of the palaces of Louis XIV doing nothing but pandering to the idleness and luxury of the king, while the people were starving for bread; and this it was which burst forth into the French Revolution. In this brief summary of conditions as they existed at that time I think we can draw a lesson; and while I would not have any body attempt, as the Commonwealth did, to behead any- one, nor have any of the scenes of the French Revolution enacted at this time, I believe, from what we can study of these conditions, that we can find a way of solving the present questions that lie before us.
It seems to me only fair to the Society of Friends to say that they are more free from the grinding, crushing power of special privilege than almost any other religious denomina- tion. As a concrete illustration of this I need only men- tion their attitude toward the social and intellectual equality of women. I am sorry that I cannot speak so strongly in regard to the political equality of women, because as a body the Friends have not gone on record in regard to this question; but, as individuals, I believe that they are as far advanced and as liberal toward the question of woman suffrage as any other religious body; and so I feel, as I say, that we are as free from this question, and are as able to help intelligently in solving it, as any other religious body.
Fortunately for us, we have far greater intelligence-far greater average intelligence-to-day than in the early days of the seventeenth century. We have, as an additional asset, the editorials of the press, especially of the monthly maga- zines, which do not hesitate to explain in plain, unvarnished terms the social and political evils that surround us. I believe that these questions, with earnestness and with more deliberation, will be properly solved; but it seems proper at this time to refer to them.
Now, I want to show you another attitude in regard to the
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Two hundred and twenty-fifth Anniversary
solving of these questions-that of the poet Lowell in the Crisis. You can say that it is the function of history so to guide our footsteps that we may steer clear between the Scylla and Charybdis of the follies of the time that are now upon us; but, in closing, I will quote a few lines from Lowell showing an entirely different sort of advice; and then you can select the method which you prefer for your question. He says, in the "Present Crisis":
"Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne,- Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.
"New occasions teach new duties: Time makes ancient good uncouth ;
They must upward still, and onward, who would keep abreast of Truth ;
Lo, before us gleam her camp-fires! we ourselves must Pilgrims be,
Launch our Mayflower, and steer boldly through the desperate winter sea,
Nor attempt the Future's portal with Past's blood-rusted key."
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Concord Monthly Meeting of Friends
RESPONSE.
DR. EDWARD L. PALMER .-- I appreciate with feelings of pleasure and gratitude the privilege I to-day enjoy of respond- ing on behalf of my friends and kindred members to the heartfelt greeting of our chairman as he welcomes us to this memorial gathering, designed to commemorate the two hun- dred and twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of this meeting, whose long and uninterrupted career has served to raise the standard of morality and Christianity in this com- munity, vindicated the doctrine of non-resistance, maintained the tenet of God's direct revelation and insured an enviable reputation for the followers of Fox throughout the state named for Penn.
Two and a quarter centuries ago some of our ancestors, then pioneers in a new country, were animated by a sense of religious and philanthropic duty to establish and maintain a home for worship here.
Conditions then were vastly different from now, different politically, socially, morally, intellectually and financially- their environment was not nearly so good as ours; but a deep sense of obligation to God and humanity prompted them to be active to maintain civil and religious liberty while they developed a country and promoted civilization. This, with a deep-seated spiritual desire, animated them to lav the cornerstone and rear the superstructure of this old building. The occasion emphatically appeals to us indi- vidually and collectively as opportune to express gratitude and approval to our noble hearted ancestry and progenitors.
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