Orthodox Quakers and Slavery: Baltimore, 1828-1900

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In 1828 a small group of Friends (Quakers) left the Lombard Street Quaker meeting in Baltimore, and went across the street to form their own meeting. In time among them would be six future trustees of twelve entrusted with the dispersal of a remarkable gift (announced in 1867) of Johns Hopkins, that he intended for the care of destitute African American children, medical care for all without regard to color, and an institution of higher education that the Black community thought at its implementation would not exclude them.

The research objective here is to determine whether Johns Hopkins adopted the Orthodox Friends views on slavery, and whether or not he put into practice those views during the years in which he accumulated his considerable fortune.

A history of the Friends in Baltimore City, Minute by Minute A History of the Baltimore Monthly Meetings of Friends Homewood and Stony Run (1992), reviews some of the surviving records of the Baltimore Orthodox Friends and provides an excellent introduction to the history of the Friends in Maryland. The authors' chapters on the Homewood Meeting, the descendant Meeting of the Orthodox Friends who withdrew from the Hicksite Lombard Street Meeting in 1828, are particularly illuminating, as are the introductions to the records provided by Phebe R. Jacobsen's Quaker Records in Maryland (1966). Phebe Jacobsen derives her account of the departure of the Orthodox Friends of Baltimore to form their own meeting from "A Narrative of the Principal part of the events which transpired at Baltimore Yearly Meeting in the year 1828 with imperfect reports from some speeches made by different individuals," owned by Florence Wetherald in 1935 and transcribed that year for the Homewood Meeting. See also: Johns Hopkins: Orthodox Quaker and Emancipationist?

The surviving records of the Orthodox meeting prior to 1900 were well-catalogued by Phebe Jacobsen, and microfilmed by the Maryland State Archives. Subsequently the original records relating to the Orthodox meeting in Baltimore were sent to Haverford College and a limited selection can be found on Ancestry.com. As Phebe Jacobsen points out (p. 95) "Unfortunately, Mens Minutes of the Baltimore Preparative Meeting for the Eastern and Western districts (Orthodox) between 1828 and 1856, were destroyed in a warehouse fire." This loss restricts the degree to which Johns Hopkins and his trustees involvement in the affairs of the Baltimore Orthodox Meeting can be measured, but several reels of microfilm images remain to be explored that include relevant minutes and documents that apparently were not encompassed in Minute by Minute, at least to the degree that they may document Johns Hopkins's commitment to the Friends Discipline first published in Baltimore in 1821, supplemented in 1834, reprinted in 1844 and again in 1860. Several copies of the 1821 and the 1834 Discipline survive in the library of Homewood Meeting. The first was published before the break with the Lombard Street Meeting and the others after the influential visit of the wealthy English Friend, Joseph John Gurney who was instrumental in persuading the English Parliament to abolish slavery in the British West Indies and published extensively on the values of the Orthodox Friends as well as an open letter to Henry Clay on the evils of slavery (New York, 1839). The library at Homewood contains many volumes of his works, one set of which was owned by Dr. Richard Thomas the elder, another friend of Johns Hopkins.

From the Library of Homewood Meeting

The following is taken from a copy of the 1821 Discipline owned by Joseph King, Jr. who left the Lombard Street Meeting to remain an Orthodox Friend. Joseph King was the father of Francis T. King, later clerk of the Orthodox meeting and a close friend of Johns Hopkins. This language did not change through the Baltimore editions of 1844 and 186o. All three are available from http://archive.org.

Negroes and Slaves

Testimony against slavery

As a religious society we have found it to be our indispensable duty to declare to the world, our belief of the repugnancy of slavery to the Christian religion. It therefore remains to be our continued concern to prohibit our members from holding in bondage our fellow-men. And at the present time, we apprehend it to be incumbent on every individual, deeply to consider his own particular share in this testimony. The slow progress in the emancipation of this part of the human family we lament; but nevertheless do not despair of their ultimate enlargement. And we desire that Friends my not suffer the deplorable condition of these, our enslaved fellow-beings to lose its force upon their minds, through the delay, which the opposition of the interested my occasion, in this work of justice and mercy; but rather be animated to consider, that the longer the opposition remains, the greater is the necessity on the side of righteousness and benevolence, for our steady perseverance in pleading their cause.

Let us also amidst our sympathy for the sufferers, not forget to cultivate those sensations which direct the mind in pity towards the deplorable state of those men, whether in foreign countries or our own, who promote, procure and execute the tearing away from their native land; as well as for those who detain them in bondage. Let us, therefor, seek for and cherish that disposition of mind, which can pray for these enemies of humanity, and fervently breathe for their restoration to soundness of judgment and purity of principle.

In relation to the descendants of the African race, we earnestly desire, that those who may be under the care of any of our members, may be treated with kindness; and as objects of the common salvation, instructed in the principles of the Christian religion, as well as in such branches of school-learning as may fit them for freedom, and to become useful members of civil society. Also that Friends in their respective neighbourhoods, advise and assist those who are at liberty, in the education of their children, and common worldly concerns.

If any in membership with us should hire slaves, or should take as apprentices or servants slaves, who are to be returned to their alleged owners, after a term of years, or limited time; or shall purchase slaves to be liberated at any time after the ages of eighteen for females and twenty-one years for males ; or act as executors or administrators to estates where slaves are thus bequeathed; or be accessory to any step whereby their bondage may be continued, beyond the term above limited; however they may be induced thereto from an apparent motive of contributing to the cause of humanity, it is our judgment, that such countenance the injustice of slavery, and oppose our testimony against it: they ought, therefore, to be speedily treated with, in the spirit of love and wisdom, in order to convince them of the iniquity of their conduct, and if, after Christian labour, they cannot be brought to such a sense of their injustice as to whatever the Monthly Meeting shall judge right in the case, and condemn their deviation from the law of righteousness and equity, to the satisfaction of the said meeting; they ought to be disowned, as other transgressors are, for immoral, unjust and reproachful conduct.

The situation of those of the African race, who have been held as slaves by any of us or our predecessors, calls for our serious examination and inquiry, how far we are clear of withholding from them what, under such an exercise, may be opened to our view, as their just right; and we earnestly affectionately intreat those in particular, who have released any of them, to attend to the further manifestations of duty. Even if no such obligations to this people existed amongst us, it is worthy of our consideration whether any object of beneficence is more deserving of our regard than that of training up their youth in such virtuous principles and habits, as may render them useful and respected members of the community.

By 1834 the Discipline published by the English Friends and found among the books of the Orthodox meeting, was more succinct with regard to the behavior of Friends towards slavery:

It is the sense and judgment of this meeting, that if any in membership with us are in any wise concerned in purchasing, disposing of, or holding mankind as slaves, or shall by any means encourage or countenance a traffic in slaves, they should be treated with as for any other immoral, unjust, or reproachful conduct; and if they are not brought to such a sense of their deviation from the law of righteousness and Christian equity, as to condemn the same ot the satisfaction of the monthly meeting, they should be disowned. ---1774, 1834.

As Francis T. King, future Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Johns Hopkins Hospital recorded in 1856 as Clerk of the Orthodox Meeting :

Francis T. King, clerk of the Baltimore Orthodox Quaker Meeting, 1853 from Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/42483_1821100519_3958-00019?ssrc=&backlabel=Return


See below for the records that require careful examination for any references to Johns Hopkins and his family. They are linked to the images of the Maryland State Archives microfilm and to the images on Ancestry.com. See also the OCR pdf copy of Phebe R. Jacobsen's Quaker Records in Maryland from which the following entries are taken. Her introductions to the records are thorough, instructive, and deserve careful reading. Note that the other records filmed by the Maryland State Archives and not accessed here (see Phebe R. Jacobsen's Quaker Records in Maryland for a listing of those reels of film) may also contain records relating to the Baltimore Orthodox meeting. While not accurately described and at time missing facing pages, the records of the Friends on Ancestry.com may also contain records not filmed by the Maryland State Archives but are in the collections of Swarthmore and Haverford. For example, the record book entry for Samuel Hopkins's disownment (minus the detail of the facing page) is found on Ancestry.com), while the original clerk's minute of Samuel's disownment is also found on Ancestry, neither of which can be located on the Maryland State Archives film.


Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends in Maryland and adjacent areas of Pennsylvania and Virginia in unity with the Ancient society of Friends

Memorials to Deceased Friends, 1780-1842, MdSA M775

Minutes, 1828-1868, MdSA M775

Minutes, 1869-1890, MdSA M775

Minutes, 1869-1890, MdSA M776

Minutes, Women Friends, 1828-1837, MdSA M776

Minutes, Women Friends, 1838-1854, MdSA M776

Minutes, Women Friends, 1855-1876, MdSA M776

Minutes, Ministers and Elders, 1829-1883, MdSA M777

Minutes, Meeting for Sufferings, 1829-1877, MdSA M781

Minutes, Committee on Indian Concerns, Loose Papers, 1810-1852, MdSA M779

Minutes, Loose Papers, Committee on Indian Concerns, 1810-1852

John Nicholson, "Friends Work for Indians" 1800-1869, MdSA M779

Minutes, Friends Association to Advise and Assist Friends of Southern States, 1864-66, MdSA M779

Friends Association to advise and assist Friends of the Southern States, Letter Book of Francis King, 1865-1875, MdSA M780

Minutes, Meetings for Sufferings, 1829-1877, MdSA M781

Treasurers Book, 1802-1885, MdSA M781

Memorials on Francis T. King, 1819-1892, MdSA M781

Events transpiring at the Yearly Meeting, 1828, MdSA M781

Establishment of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting, MdSA M781

Extracts of Letters and Statements of Friends Regarding Elias Hicks, 1822-1829, MdSA M781


Baltimore Quarterly Meeting, Orthodox

Minutes, 1807-1823, MdSA M783

Minutes, 1856-1899, MdSA M783

Minutes, Women Friends, 1855-1887, MdSA M786

Minutes, Ministers and Elders, 1852-1876, MdSA M786

Minutes, Ministers and Elders, 1867-68, MdSA M780

Baltimore Monthly Meeting (reunited)

Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Deceased Members, 1647-1890, MdSA M579



Baltimore Monthly Meeting, Orthodox

Minutes and Proceedings pertaining to Eastern and Western District Properties, 1792-1819; also Western District Membership for 1819, MdSA M788

Register, Births, Burials, Membership, 1828-1846, MdSA M788; Ancestry.com color images

Marriages, 1830-1953, MdSA M789

Certificates of Removal, 1829-1867, MdSA M789

Certificates of Removal, 1828-1846, MdSA M790

Membership, 1848-1882 (includes Register, 1769-1878), MdSA M789

Membership, 1854-1928, Mdsa M789

Beginnings of the Baltimore Monthly Meeting for Easter and Western Districts (Includes explanation of property transfer, Acts of Assembly, Reports of Yearly Meeting from Monthly Meeting Minutes, Reports on Burying Ground controversy, 1812-1819), papers relating to Controversy over Eastern and Western District Property, 1773-1822, MdSA M790 Note: his whole reel needs to be carefully examined. This hyperlink is to the beginning of the reel of microfilm. Below are a few links to records within the reel.

Reports to the Monthly Meeting, 1832-1836, MdSA M790

Reports to the Monthly Meeting, 1837-1840, MdSA M790

"Minutes" 1829-1832, MdSA M790

"Minutes" 1832-33, MdSA M790

"Minutes" 1834-1835, MdSA M790

"Minutes" 1836-1840, MdSA M790

Loose Papers, 1829-1832, MdSA M790

Loose Papers, 1831-1840, MdSA M794

Minutes, Women Friends, 1828-1884, MdSA M794

Trustees Account Book, 1842-1887, MdSA M795

Minutes Friends Library Committee,1831-1855, MdSA M796

Carey Family Records, 1783-1906, from bible of Margaret Carey Thomas, MdSA M801

Baltimore Preparative Meeting for the Eastern and Western Districts, Orthodox

Minutes, 1856-1873, MdSA M797

Minutes, Women Friends, 1828-1854, MdSA M797


Gunpowder Preparative Meeting, Orthodox

Minutes, 1829-1852 [Includes loose paper minutes of the Baltimore Monthly Meeting for Eastern and Western Districts, 1849-1852], MdSA M798


Note: There may be other records relating to the Orthodox meeting at Courtland Street and Eutaw Street scattered among the reels of film not accessed here.