Mary Grew

GREW, MARY, b. Conn., 1813; daughter of Henry Grew, a Baptist clergyman; educated in Catherine E. Beecher's seminary in Hartford. In her youth, when New England was greatly agitated by the controversy between the old-school and new school theology, she received a training in metaphysics which made her a skillful logician. In childhood she was deeply interested in the condition of the colored people, both free and slave, and was therefore prepared to adopt the fundamental principle of immediate emancipation of slaves as the duty of the master and the right of the slave. Her public addresses combined the skill of the trained logician with the warmth of womanly sympathy, and she was therefore highly popular as a speaker. She was not less skillful with the pen. As corresponding secretary of the Philadelphia female anti-slavery society, she wrote its annual reports for nearly or quite 30 years in succession, and so unique were they in their impressiveness that they excited a degree of public attention rarely awarded to such documents. At different times also, she was the editor of the Pennsylvania Freeman, the organ of the Pennsylvania anti-slavery society. She was educated a Baptist, but is now connected with the Unitarians, in whose pulpits she occasionally preaches. She is an earnest advocate of woman suffrage. She has resided in Philadelphia since 1834. -- Library of Universal Knowledge: American Additions, Volume 2, 1881

1910 Baptism

 

Indianapolis, Indiana, News, July 15, 1899

 

Acquisitions Funding.

 I need to raise an additional eighty dollars to purchase two scarce to rare booklets that I cannot find to download. Can you help?

New to my Research Library

Die Sekte der Ernsten Bibelforscher by Trarsicius. Paffrath, 1925. This is a Catholic response to German Bible Students. 

What happened to it?

 Some considerable time past I posted images of Maria Russell's sermon notebook. A seller of antiquarian diaries and ledgers had it. A faithful blog reader helped me acquire it. It now has a new home, has been de-acidified and conserved. It was part of the history display at the annual meeting.

Another postcard

 

Below is a nice postcard reproduction of an official issue by the British branch of the Bible Students, The headquarters address of Eversholt Street predate the more familiar Craven Terrace, and the date of the postcard being sent is February 24, 1911.

A  previous article on this blog (The Channel Islands, posted on February 24 this year) showed what can be gained historically from studying the messages sent in this way. Alas, this card was not so productive, but nonetheless, a little history was gleaned. The message side of the card is below.

The actual message provides very little actual Bible Student information, other than the use of the abbreviation “Sis” for “sister.”

The recipient was a Mrs Ferguson of 131 Elgin Road, Seven Kings (in the UK county of Esses). The 1911 census identifies this as being a Catherine Ferguson, originally from Ireland. She is 35 with four living children. These include Lily (who is eight and is mentioned on the postcard) and a son, Dugold, who is four and probably the “dear Boy” mentioned on the card. There is no husband at the address and Catherine is down as the “head.” However, when husband Colin died in 1921 the probate registers give the Elgin Road address and list Katherine Ferguson (variant spelling) as the widow. Colin left not far short of two thousand GBP in his estate. That they were reasonably well off is shown back in the 1911 census when the household included a live-in domestic servant.

And there the trail goes cold.

All we know about the sender, who obviously chose a Society postcard to send, is that she is “your loving Sister Ainslee” (or possibly “Ainstee”). Without a forename or address the search for her is pretty hopeless, although an independent Bible Student magazine in its “Gone from Us” feature did list a “Sis. J. Ainsley” of Wallsend who died in May 1948. Maybe the writer? Maybe not.

This therefore is one of those cases where the graphic on the front of the card is of the greater interest.

Needs - Watch Tower

Hi everyone,

I need originals of the following Watch Towers:

Jan. 1, 15; Feb. 1, 15; Mar. 1, 15; April 1, 15, and May 1,  Sep. 15, 1921. 

July 1, 15, 1922.

I have usable scans. Originals are easier on my old eyes. Can you help?