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Huguenot Society of Pennsylvania records
In 1918 in Reading, Pennsylvania, approximately ten men and women of known Huguenot descent founded The Huguenot Society of Pennsylvania, one of the first societies for the descendants of Huguenots established in the United States. They settled on April 13, 1918 (the 320th anniversary of the Edict...
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| Corporate Author: | |
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| Collection: | Huguenot Society of Pennsylvania Records |
| Collection Number: | 3009 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Physical Description: |
7.8 Linear feet 7.8 linear feet, 20 boxes, 6 volumes |
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| Summary: |
In 1918 in Reading, Pennsylvania, approximately ten men and women of known Huguenot descent founded The Huguenot Society of Pennsylvania, one of the first societies for the descendants of Huguenots established in the United States. They settled on April 13, 1918 (the 320th anniversary of the Edict of Nantes) for their first official meeting, and set out to write a charter, find interested members, and decide upon the organization's structure. At this meeting, they developed a set of objectives for the organization, which included perpetuating and maintaining the history, principles, and beliefs of the Huguenots; "publicly commemorating at stated times the principal events in the history of the Huguenot;" maintaining a library and museum of materials pertaining to Huguenots in America and specifically in Pennsylvania; promoting scholarly study of their history; and above all, celebrating and preserving the spirit of a people who withstood persecution and intolerance "because of their adherence to the basic tenets of the Protestant faith and their devotion to liberty.”
The collection consists primarily of membership applications, organized numerically by membership number assigned by the Society. The forms provide information on the member, such as spouse's name, occupation, educational history, and religious affiliation, as well as genealogical information on the member's family and connection to an established Huguenot line. The remainder of the collection consists of newspaper clippings and magazine articles about Huguenot communities in the United States and South Africa, other printed material, genealogical research notes, and a small number of administrative files and artifacts. The artifacts are all items used for Society publications and include metal printing plates and woodblocks. |