Canadian Friends Historical Association

Author: CFHA

  • Register for the Second Lecture in CFHA’s Series, Quakerism in the Atlantic World, with Betsy Cazden

    Join us Saturday, January 29th, for the second lecture in CFHA’s Quakerism in the Atlantic World series. Our speaker is Quaker scholar Betsy Cazden who will discuss her chapter, “‘Within the Bounds of their Circumstances:’ The Testimony of Inequality among Eighteenth-Century New England Friends.”

    The virtual series began Saturday, January 15th, and runs every second Saturday. All lectures will take place at 0900 Pacific / 1200 Eastern / 1700 UK on Zoom. Following the chapters of the volume, each short lecture will run for thirty minutes and include a discussion period at the end. All are welcome to attend the lectures and are we encourage you to share the registration link with friends and colleagues who will find the series of interest.

    Register for the second lecture here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cfha-lecture-series-quakerism-in-the-atlantic-world-tickets-241366051357

    Photo of Betsy Cazden

    Betsy’s chapter examines the hierarchal structures that eighteenth-century New England Quakers adhered to, dictating how Friends viewed the role of women and enslavement. Her chapter details how Friends dealt with social and political inequalities within the broader practices of the Quaker Atlantic.

    Betsy Cazden, an independent scholar based in Providence, Rhode Island, USA, holds degrees from Oberlin College, Harvard Law School, and Andover Newton Theological School. Her publications include a biography of nineteenth-century feminist minister Antoinette Brown Blackwell; articles in both scholarly and general publications; and the chapter on “Quakers, Slavery, Anti-Slavery and Race” in the Oxford Handbook of Quaker Studies (2013). She has presented her work at the American Society of Church History, the Quaker Studies Research Association, and the Conference of Quaker Historians and Archivists, among others. Her current project focuses on Rhode Island Quakers and slavery.

    CFHA is dedicating this lecture series to Gordon Thompson in recognition of his enthusiasm for sharing Quaker history as a way to keep us connected during the pandemic. We rejoice in Gord’s tremendous contributions to CFHA. Always mentioning the great accomplishments and potential for CFHA, our Association is so much stronger because of Gord’s leadership and many contributions.

  • Lecture Series Registration and Update

    Lecture Series Registration and Update

    Registration for CFHA’s lecture series, Quakerism in the Atlantic World, is now open. All are welcome to attend the lectures, and we encourage you to share this link with friends and colleagues who will find the series of interest.

    https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cfha-lecture-series-quakerism-in-the-atlantic-world-tickets-241366051357

    CFHA is dedicating this lecture series to Gordon Thompson in recognition of his enthusiasm for sharing Quaker history as a way to keep us connected during the pandemic. We rejoice in Gord’s tremendous contributions to CFHA. Always mentioning the great accomplishments and potential for CFHA, our Association is so much stronger because of Gord’s leadership and many contributions.

     

  • Upcoming Lecture Series – Quakerism in the Atlantic World

    Happy New Year!

    The Canadian Friends Historical Association is excited to announce our upcoming lecture series. Given the success of the keynote presentation at our last AGM by the authors of Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830, we have invited each author back to share their findings in a series of ten online lectures.

    The virtual series begins Saturday, January 15th, and will run every second Saturday. All lectures will take place at 0900 Pacific / 1200 Eastern / 1700 UK on Zoom. Following the chapters of the volume, each short lecture will run for thirty minutes and include a question and answer period at the end.

    Quakerism in the Atlantic World is the third volume in Penn State University Press’s New History of Quakerism series. Catered towards a broad readership, this book examines experiences and facets of Quakerism in the long eighteenth century.

    We are thankful to each author for agreeing to generously share their time and research with us, and we welcome you to join us for this excellent new series.

    Watch for information regarding registration in the coming days!

    The lectures dates are as follows:

    1. January 15 — Robynne Healey and Sydney Harker, “A Complex Faith: Strategies of Marriage, Family and Community among Upper Canadian Quakers.”
    2.  January 29 — Betsy Cazden, “’Within the Bounds of their Circumstances’: The Testimony of Inequality among Eighteenth Century New England Friends.”
    3. February 12 — Andrew Fincham, “Friendly Advice: The Making and Shaping of Quaker Discipline.”
    4. February 26 — Emma Lapsansky-Werner, “Family, Unity, and Identity-Formation: Eighteenth-Century Quaker Community-Building.”
    5. March 12 — Richard C. Allen, “Industrial Development and Community Responsibility: The Harford Family and South Wales, c.1768-1842.”
    6. March 26 — Geoffrey Plank, “Quakers, Indigenous Americans, and the Landscape of Peace.”
    7. April 9 — Jon Mitchell, “Three Methods of Quaker Worship in Eighteenth-Century Quakerism.”
    8. April 23 — Erin Bell, “’Mrs Weaver being a Quaker, would not swear’: Representations of Quakers and Crime in the Metropolis, c.1696-1815.”
    9. May 7 — Rosalind Johnson, “Quakers and Marriage Legislation in England in the Long Eighteenth Century.”
    10. May 28 — Robynne Healey and Erica Canela, “’Our dear Friend has departed this life’: Testimony Writing in the Long Eighteenth Century.”

     

  • New Resource: Maps and Charts of Quaker Meetings in Upper Canada, NY, and PA

    We’ve updated our Digital Archive with a new upload: Maps and Charts of Quaker Meetings in Canada, New York, and Pennsylvania.

    This resource includes a map and two charts from Arthur G. Dorland’s 1927 book, A History of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Canada. The map shows townships in Upper Canada where Friends settled, the first chart shows meetings established by the Society of Friends in Canada prior to the 1828 Hicksite-Orthodox schism, and the second chart lists meetings after the schism.

    This is a great resource and visual aid for better understanding the establishment of communities and some of the smaller meetings in Upper Canada.

    Map showing townships in Upper Canada where Friends settled. Arthur G. Dorland, 1927.

  • Elma Starr in 1974

    This photo of Elma Starr, taken 29 June 1974 by Keith Beaty for the Toronto Star, shows Elma in front of the Yonge Street meeting house. The photo was taken in anticipation of the 1810 meeting house getting central heating, electric lights, and running water. In the photo, Elma is holding Dylan Horvath in her arms, and Jennifer Horvath is on the left.

    “The 1810 Quaker meeting hall in Newmarket…” by Keith Beaty, 1974. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library.

    Elma McGrew Starr (1890-1985) was a well-known member of the Canadian Yearly Meeting. You can read more about Elma’s life in an article written by David Newlands in our Founders and Builders series, and in Elma’s autobiography, Contented.

    More information on the updates and work done on the meeting house in 1974 can be found in Jane Zavitz Bond’s article, “The Quakers of Yonge Street: Address to the 24th Annual Meeting,” CQHJ 60 (1996): 24-34.

     

  • AGM 2021 Highlights

    Thank you to everyone who participated in our Annual General Meeting this year! This was our second virtual gathering, allowing for a number of attendees from a distance to participate.

    Our thanks and appreciation also go to the keynote presentation panelists who shared about their research from Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830, including Robynne Rogers Healey, Richard C. Allen, Erica Canela, Elizabeth Cazden, Andrew Fincham, Sydney Harker, Rosalind Johnson, Emma Lapsansky-Werner, and Geoffrey Plank. Their insight contributed to rich discussions about Quaker history and touched on a range of topics including memorial testimony writing, inequalities among Friends, the shaping of Quaker discipline, marriage legislation, family and community formation, Quakers and Indigenous Americans, and industrial development. Their work demonstrates the importance of decentralizing the narrative of Quaker history from the centres of Quakerism and exploring the diversity of Quaker thought and lived experience in the eighteenth century.

    “Sketch of the Quaker Meeting House in Sparta” by F.D. Poole, 1980. Courtesy of the Elgin County Archives.

    Thank you as well to everyone who came to listen and to those of you who stayed for the business portion.

    From the business session, updates were shared on the development of the CFHA Digital Archive, the success of our Friendly Fridays series, and many new and exciting proposals for the year to come.

    If you’re interested in becoming a member of CFHA, you can do so on our membership page.

     

     

  • Upcoming Keynote Presentation & AGM

    A reminder that CFHA’s Annual General Meeting is fast approaching! Our meeting will take place online this Saturday, September 18th (beginning at 0800 Pacific, 1100 Eastern, 1600 UK).

    We’re thrilled to have a Keynote Presentation beforehand by the authors of Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830.

    The authors of the recently released Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830 will share their findings and reflect on the role of Canadian Quaker history in the larger history of Quakerism. Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830 is the third volume in Penn State University Press’s New History of Quakerism series.

    Registration is free and we’ll be giving away a free copy of the book and the press has provided a 40% discount code for the book.

    Please RSVP here to receive a confirmation notification and the AGM Zoom link. Note that the Zoom details will only be available through the registration page.

    Individuals not currently in membership are welcome to become members before the meeting, or to attend as guests. Please contact [email protected] if you wish to attend as a guest, or if you require additional information.

  • 1954 Half-Yearly Meeting Photos at Yarmouth

    This week on the blog, we’re featuring two photos from the Elgin County Archives. The photos, taken in 1954, depict Friends after the 1954 Half-Yearly Meeting at Yarmouth meetinghouse in Sparta, Ontario. The photos were originally taken for an article in the St. Thomas Times.

    The current meetinghouse was built on Quaker Road in 1865 to replace the former log structure.

    Photo courtesy of the Elgin County Archives, Archives Storage Rm. 105, C1 Sh2 B3 F11 1.
    Photo courtesy of the Elgin County Archives, Archives Storage Rm. 105, C1 Sh2 B3 F11 1.
  • Annual General Meeting & Panel Discussion 2021

    Annual General Meeting & Panel Discussion 2021

    The 2021 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Friends Historical Association (CFHA) will be held virtually on Seventh Day, the 18th of Ninth Month (Saturday, September, 18th) 2021. Depending on your personal location and time zone, the Annual General Meeting will commence at a different time as follows:

    Newfoundland and Labrador Time: 12:30 PM

    Atlantic Time: 12:00 PM

    Eastern Daylight Savings Time (Toronto): 11:00 AM

    Central Time: 10:00 AM

    Mountain Time: 9:00 AM

    Pacific Time: 8:00 AM

    All members are encouraged to attend. Let us make a virtue of meekness and include members from coast to coast!

    To accommodate our keynote panel speakers we will follow the same sequence as last year, commencing with our keynote panel discussion led by Robynne Rogers Healey at the start of the AGM at the times indicated above. The keynote panel discussion will last 40-60 minutes including a Q&A followed by a 45-minute break. The formal business session will convene following the 45-minute break period; it is expected to be completed in approximately two hours. The documents-in-advance package including minutes of last year’s meeting, officer’s reports, etc. will be circulated later this month or in early September. Please review these documents when you receive them in order to facilitate the business meeting discernment and decisions.

    Keynote Panel

    The authors of the recently released Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830 will share their findings and reflect on the role of Canadian Quaker history in the larger history of Quakerism. Quakerism in the Atlantic World, 1690-1830 is the third volume in Penn State University Press’s New History of Quakerism series.

    A 40% discount for this volume as well as others in the New History of Quakerism series will be available for those attending the AGM. Those attending the Keynote Panel will also have their names entered for a draw for a free copy of the book.

    CFHA has been adapting to new technologies and is in a period of transition. We encourage all members to attend and take advantage of this opportunity to review activities of the past year and those proposed for the current and coming years.

    Please RSVP here to receive a confirmation notification and the AGM Zoom link. Note that the Zoom details will only be available through the registration page.

    Individuals not currently in membership are welcome to become members before the meeting, or to attend as guests subject to permission. Please contact [email protected] if you wish to attend as a guest, or if you require additional information.

  • Collective Founders and Builders Series

    Have you had the chance to read through our Founders and Builders series? It’s hard to believe that last July we began our series where we introduced, month by month, eleven individuals who have played an important role in creating or maintaining the CFHA over the years. Our series finished this June, and we’ve gathered together each entry from the series below. We hope you’ve enjoyed the stories and memories of these dedicated members who have all worked towards preserving and communicating the on-going history and faith of Friends in Canada.

    Kathleen Schmitz-Hertzberg
    Grace Pincoe
    Elma McGrew Starr
    Fred Haslam
    Peter Brock
    Norman Jolly
    Jane Zavitz-Bond
    David L. Newlands
    Albert Schrauwers
    Sandra Fuller
    Gordon Thompson

    Photo of Kathleen Hertzberg (right) and Sherita Clark. Photo taken by Diana Nethercott in 1987, courtesy of the Toronto Public Library.