%eadnotat; ]> 5080kiba An Inventory of the Kite-Bassett Family Papers, 1837-1930 Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1974 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000. ENG Kite-Bassett Family Papers, 1837-1930 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1974 Descriptive Summary Kite-Bassett Family Papers, 1837-1930 RG 5/080 3 boxes; 1.5 linear ft. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. The Kite and Bassett families were Orthodox Quakers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Lynn, Massachusetts, respectively. James Kite was born in 1808, the son of Benjamin and Rebecca Kite of Philadelphia. In 1837 he was granted a certificate to Salem Monthly Meeting in Massachusetts to marry Lydia B. Rodman, widow of Caleb Rodman and daughter of Isaac and Ruth Bassett of Lynn. James and Lydia had eight children, viz. Ruth, James Rodman, Eliza B., Rebecca, Isaac C. Bassett, Hannah B., Lydia and Abby; Eliza and Isaac died young. James died in 1856 at the age of 48. Lydia B., a minister in Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Northern District, died in 1872 at the age of 60 years. Ruth Kite married Jacob Smedley Jr. in 1865. The collection contains correspondence and other papers of the Kite and Bassett families, mainly describing family life but also relating to Quaker activities, especially events at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) and the New England Yearly Meeting and including discussions of the Wilbur-Gurney controversy. Several of the Kite children attended the Westtown School, and some of the letters are between them and their parents. Correspondents include Ruth Bassett, William Bassett, Elizabeth B. Boyce, Eunice B. Boyce, Hannah Bassett, Anna B. Newhall, Lydia B. Kite, James Kite, Ruth K. Smedley, Jacob Smedley, James R. Kite, Rebecca Kite, Abbie Kite, and Ruth MacCollin Hoffman, granddaughter of Lydia B. Kite. Of particular note is the correspondence of the latter, 1918-19, describing Quaker reconstruction work in France while she was a participant in the American Friends Service Committee relief efforts.

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728

BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL

The Kite and Bassett families were Orthodox Quakers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Lynn, Massachusetts, respectively. James Kite was born in 1808, the son of Benjamin and Rebecca Kite of Philadelphia. In 1837 he was granted a certificate to Salem Monthly Meeting in Massachusetts to marry Lydia B. Rodman, widow of Caleb Rodman and daughter of Isaac and Ruth Bassett of Lynn. James and Lydia had eight children, viz. Ruth, James Rodman, Eliza B., Rebecca, Isaac C. Bassett, Hannah B., Lydia and Abby; Eliza and Isaac died young. James died in 1856 at the age of 48. Lydia B., a minister in Philadelphia Monthly Meeting for the Northern District, died in 1872 at the age of 60 years. Ruth Kite married Jacob Smedley Jr. in 1865. Ruth MacCollin, a granddaughter of Lydia B. Kite, was active in Quaker reconstruction work in France. She married Wray Hoffman in France in 1919 while they were participants in the American Friends Service Committee relief efforts.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection contains correspondence and other papers of the Kite and Bassett families, mainly describing family life but also relating to Quaker activities, especially events at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) and the New England Yearly Meeting and including discussions of the Wilbur-Gurney controversy. Several of the Kite children attended the Westtown School, and some of the letters are between them and their parents. Correspondents include Ruth Bassett, William Bassett, Elizabeth B. Boyce, Eunice B. Boyce, Hannah Bassett, Anna B. Newhall, Lydia B. Kite, James Kite, Ruth K. Smedley, Jacob Smedley, James R. Kite, Rebecca Kite, Abbie Kite, and Ruth MacCollin Hoffman, granddaughter of Lydia B. Kite. Of particular note is the correspondence of the latter, 1918-19, describing Quaker reconstruction work in France while she was a participant in the American Friends Service Committee relief efforts.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into four series:

Bassett family correspondence Kite family correspondence Other correspondence Miscellaneous ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Donor: Gift of Donald and Ruth MacCollin Hoffman

Date: 1974

Provenance

The collection was given by Donald and Ruth Hoffman; Ruth MacCollin Hoffman is a granddaughter of Lydia Bassett Rodman Kite.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], Kite-Bassett Family Papers, RG5/080, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

Processing information

Letters and papers of Kite and Bassett families received unprocessed. Papers sorted and filed in documents boxes and placed in Record Group 5.

SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings: Researchers are advised to search by subject and author, when applicable.

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (Orthodox: 1827-1955) Americans Friends Service Committee- Relief work Quakers -- Massachusetts Quakers -- Pennsylvania Quakers --Social life and customs Society of Friends -- Relief Work -- World War, 1914-1918 Society of Friends -- Controversy Reconstruction (1914-1939) -- France World War, 1914-1918-- Civilian relief Boyce, Eunice B. (Eunice Bassett), 1811-1864 Kite, James R. (James Rodman), 1840-1908 Kite, Abbie, 1851-1919 Hoffman, Ruth McCollin, b. 1890 Newhall, Anna G. (Anna Greene), fld 1824-1863 Smedley, Jacob, 1835-1893 Smedley, Ruth K. (Ruth Kite), 1838-1914 Kite, James, 1808-1856 Boyce, Eliza B. (Eliza Bassett), 1807-1882 Bassett, William, 1803-1871 Bassett, Ruth, d. 1860 Kite, Lydia B. (Lydia Bassett), 1813-1872 Bassett, Hannah, 1815-1855 Masters, Rebecca K. (Rebecca Kite), 1843-1895 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

Ser. 1. Correspondence of the Bassett family, 1837-1878, n.d. Ruth Bassett 1837-1857, n.d. 1 Children of Isaac and Ruth Bassett: William Bassett 1864-1867 1 Elizabeth Bassett Boyce 1837-1872, n.d. 1 Mary Boyce Breed (daughter of E.B.B.) 1841-1878, n.d. 1 Eunice Bassett Boyce 1835-1860, n.d. 2 folders 1 Hannah Basset 1837-1867, n.d. 3 folders 1 Lydia Bassett Rodman Kite 1836-1869, n.d. 3 folders 2 Anna Bassett Newhall 1837-1857, n.d. 2 Miscellaneous correspondence 1865-1873, n.d. 2 Ser. 2. Correspondence of the Kite family, 1837-1885, n.d. James Kite 1837-1858 2 Children of James and Lydia Bassett Rodman Kite: 2 Ruth Kite Smedley 1846-1878, n.d. 2 Jacob Smedley 1863-1878, n.d. 2 James Rodman Kite 1847-1877, n.d. 2 Rebecca Kite1860-1873, n.d. 2 Abbie Kite 1864-1885, n.d. 2 Ser. 3. Correspondence of other family members, 1918-1967 Ruth MacCollin Hoffman 1918-1919, n.d. 3

Ruth Hoffman was the granddaughter of James and Lydia Kite.

American Friends Service Committee 50th Anniversary material 1967 3 Ser. 4. Other material, 1836-1930, n.d. Family documents: mortgages, deeds, and marriage certificates 1836-1930 3 Miscellaneous written material 1846-1860, n.d. 3 Poetry by various family authors n.d. 3 Memorabilia of Ruth Kite Smedley n.d. 3