Rawle family papers

The Rawle family, which produced some of the leading legal minds in early Pennsylvania history, first immigrated to America in 1686 to escape the persecution their Quaker faith invited in England. From his arrival in Pennsylvania, Francis Rawle Jr. (1663-1727) became involved in the religious and l...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rawle family (Creator)
Collection:Rawle Family Papers
Collection Number:0536
Format: Manuscript
Language:English
Subjects and Genres:
Online Access:Link to finding aid
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LEADER 03876ntc a2200265 u 4500
001 ead-0536
008 131002i xx eng d
040 |e dacs 
041 0 |a eng 
099 |a 0536 
100 3 |a Rawle family  |e creator 
245 1 |a Rawle family papers  |f 1682-1921 
300 |a 10.0 Linear feet  |f 14 boxes, 37 volumes, 10 flat files 
520 |a The Rawle family, which produced some of the leading legal minds in early Pennsylvania history, first immigrated to America in 1686 to escape the persecution their Quaker faith invited in England. From his arrival in Pennsylvania, Francis Rawle Jr. (1663-1727) became involved in the religious and legal life of the colony, a position bolstered by his marriage to Robert Turner’s daughter Martha in 1689. Francis’s grandson William (1759-1836) was the first Rawle to rise to prominence in the legal profession, serving as Pennsylvania’s first U.S. attorney and founding a prestigious law office, now known as Rawle and Henderson and recognized as the country’s oldest practice. Rawle was followed in his legal career by a number of subsequent generations of Rawle men, most of whom were also named William. This list includes William Rawle Jr. (1788-1858), his son William Henry Rawle (1823-1889), and William Rawle Brooke (1843-1915), known for most of his life as William Brooke Rawle. In addition to their legal activities, the Rawles served as founding and/or contributing members of a number of Philadelphia institutions, including the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the American Philosophical Society, the University of Pennsylvania, the Library Company of Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. This collection contains legal documents related to the firm of William Rawle and his descendants, personal and professional correspondence, and a substantial amount of genealogical material. The personal material is mostly found in the correspondence of William Rawle Sr., William Rawle Jr., William Brooke Rawle, and Rebecca Rawle Shoemaker, as well as journals kept by William Rawle Sr. and Rebecca Rawle Shoemaker. Professional materials document William Rawle Sr.’s career and term as Pennsylvania’s U.S. Attorney and William Brooke Rawle’s research on the cavalry conflict at Gettysburg. Genealogical material includes numerous newspaper clippings related to the family, a book of family trees, and four large scrapbooks further documenting the family history. A number of related families are also represented in this collection, including the Shoemaker, Brooke, Porter, and Hall families. There are also portraits of various Rawles, as well as a set of portraits produced by the Treasury Department and ostensibly purchased by the Rawles, which includes images of prominent political, military, and literary figures. Extracts from William Rawle's journal published in P.M.H.B., 25 (1901): 114-117, 220-227. 
541 1 |a Gift of the Rawle family and gift of Mrs. Charles Sanderson. (n.d.) Zachariah Poulson letter to William Rawle Sr. (17 August 1791): Gift of Stephen Weissman, 1992 
555 |a Finding Aid Available Online:  
650 7 |a Pennsylvania--Boundaries  |2 Local sources 
650 7 |a Shoemaker Family  |2 Local sources 
650 7 |a Slavery--Abolition--18th and 19th centuries  |2 Local sources 
650 7 |a Social Life and Customs--18th century.  |2 Local sources 
650 7 |a Social life and customs--19th century.  |2 Local sources 
650 7 |a United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863.  |2 Local sources 
650 7 |a United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Regimental Histories--3rd Penna. Cavalry  |2 Local sources 
852 |a The Historical Society of Pennsylvania  |b Rawle Family Papers  |l 0536 
856 4 2 |y Link to finding aid  |u http://hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/findingaid0536rawle.pdf