MenuGuide to the Charles Gilpin Papers, 1832-1875
Collection Overview
The collection consists of letters written to Gilpin by numerous persons - a glittering array of mid-nineteenth century reformers. Quakers are prominent, but the Society of Friends was not discussed. The content is varied and represents his social and political interests. The publishing business rarely appears in the correspondence.
Two indexes to the collection have been compiled. The first is a listing of known correspondents. Their letters are itemized in the Autograph File. Several signatures could not be identified. The second is a selective index of references to persons, places, and topics that are mentioned in the collection, with references to the dates of the letters in which those references may be found.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Charles Gilpin Papers, 1832-1875
- Creator
- Gilpin, Charles, 1815-1874
- Extent
- 336 Items, .5 Linear Feet
- Repository
- Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Language
- English.
Administrative Information
Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the Gilpin Papers have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information consult the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
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Expand AllHistorical Note
Charles Gilpin (1815-1874), British publisher and reform member of Parliament, belonged to a Quaker family. His father was a Bristol tradesman, and his mother was the sister of Joseph Sturge, the noted Quaker philanthropist. Gilpin was a publisher and bookseller in London until 1853. He became a common councilman for London in 1848. After unsuccessfully contesting the parliamentary seat for Perth in 1852, he won election for Northampton in 1857 and represented it for the rest of his life. He served as secretary of the Poor Law Board, 1859-1865. He was a member of the Anti-Slavery Society, the Hungarian Relief Committee, the Peace Congress Committee, and the National Freehold Land Society. A few letters indicate his involvement in railway management. Richard Cobden and Lajos Kossuth were among his friends. Gilpin married Anna Crouch of Falmouth. Biographical information appears in his obituary in The Times, Sept. 9, 1874, p. 7, and in Frederic Boase, Modern English Biography, I, 1152.
Subject Headings
- Gilpin, Charles, 1815-1874
- Capital punishment--Great Britain.
- Great Britain--Foreign relations 19th century.
- Great Britain.--Parliament--Reform.
- Great Britain--Social conditions 19th century.
- Poor laws--Great Britain.
- Prison reformers--Great Britain.
- Publishers and publishing--Great Britain--Political activity.
- Slavery--Great Britain--Anti-slavery movements.
- Social reformers--Great Britain.
- England--London.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], The Charles Gilpin Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Provenance
The Charles Gilpin Papers were purchased by Duke University in 1968.
Processing Information
Processed by: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Staff
Completed ca. 1968
Encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.