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Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 12 |
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Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
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Source: October 1963 Volume 12 Number 4, Pages 82–85, 87 Emmor Kimber "A fund of humor added to the sparkle and zest of a remarkable mental and physical vitality" – so opens an article written October 5, 1895, to the Editor of the "Intelligencer and Journal" and titled "Reminiscences of Emmor Kimber." He was a man of superior intelligence, extensive education, and firm convictions. He was a strict disciplinarian and "recommended minister" of the Society of Friends. He descended from Richard Kimber, born at Wantage, Berkshire, England (died February 15, 1753), who married Mary Preddy. They emigrated from Bristol, England. He was a farmer and settled in West Bradford, Chester County. His will was proved February 26, 1753, and the executors were Thomas Edmonds and Robert Chalfant. One half interest went to his wife, the other half to their children,
1) Isaac died young Richard Preddy Kimber was born in 1737 and died 2nd. month 1822 in his 85th year at Kimberton. On May 16, 1759, he married Gertrude Griffith (born Jan. 21, 1738, and died 1825, daughter of Benoni Griffith of Wales and Catharine Waggoner Griffith from Germany). He was a member of the Society of Friends and his wife was received into membership after their marriage. They lived for many years at the northeast corner of 9th and Filbert Streets, Philadelphia. He was an auctioneer. At one time they lived at East Marlborough Township, Chester County, and it was here that their children were born. In September, 1786, he aspired to be the First Crier of the Court at Turks Head (West Chester) and sent a petition certifying fitness, signed by over one hundred of the best names of the county, to the Honorable Justice of Courts of General Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas. The application was rejected. The children of Richard and Gertrude Kimber were:
Emmor Kimber's wife's people, the Jacksons, were a long settled and well-known Chester County family. She (Susanna) was the daughter of Isaac (b. 7-2-1734; d. 6-27-1807) who married Hannah Jackson (b. 7-27-1741; d. 5-5-1806), a daughter of Joseph and Susanna Jackson and granddaughter of Ephraim and Rachel Jackson of Edgemont Township. Isaac's children were:Joseph, William, Mary, Hannah, Catharine, Catharine 2nd., Susanna, Isaac, Phebe, Alice, Rebecca, and Samuel. Susanna's father, Isaac, was the son of William Jackson who was married 9-9-1733 at New Garden Meeting to Katharine Miller (b. 1-30-1713; d. 4-2-1781), daughter of James and Katharine Lightfoot Miller of Timahoe, County Kildare, Ireland. In 1818 Emmor Kimber established his French Creek Boarding School for girls (later also coeducational) where sewing, reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, geography, delineation of maps, use of globes, history, botany,composition, French, Latin, and Greek languages were taught. Also the students might acquire knowledge of mechanic's tools and their uses, gardening, husbandry, etc., if the pupil so desired. The school was situate on the road from Norristown to Yellow Springs, 27 miles from Philadelphia. The pupils from Philadelphia and environs reached the school by a stage, established by James Elliott of the Shakespeare Hotel at Chestnut Street near 6th. Cross posts were established connecting with Norristown, Downingtown and West Chester every week. A sober careful driver was in charge. A fare of $1.75 round trip, with a charge for a one-way passenger of six cents a mile--baggage at the risk of the owner! The tuition was $50 per quarter, payable in advance, $5 per quarter extra for French. Pupils were entered for a quarter only, and, even if a longer term were paid for, might still at the discretion of the school be dismissed at the end of the shorter term. Vacations were two weeks in the fourth month and two weeks in the tenth month. The original August vacation was dispensed with in 1832. Mr. Kimber found this worked better, as students responded better when their studies were not interrupted for long periods. Parents could visit at any time. Accommodations were for forty scholars year round. Besides the School, Kimber owned a farm of some two hundred acres, a tavern, a store, a grist mill, a clover mill, and buildings suitable for work shops. All of these were rented out, with the understanding that the school would absorb most of the produce, and that the tavern always be run in such condition that the parents of the students would be able to put up there. In 1837 the new school building was completed and used. It had an 80-foot frontage and contained twenty rooms. The basement was well lighted, opening out on falling ground. A large room with three long tables served as the dining room. Over this was a forty-foot-square schoolroom and above this were dormitories of equal size on the third and fourth floors. There were no restrictions as to clothing, or the number of times those were changed. However, washing was charged at fifty cents a dozen. Among the teaching or tutoring staff John Buchanan, A.B., was engaged to teach Greek and Latin; C. T. Taylor, French and practical mathematics. Abigail and Mary Kimber (daughters) were tutors. The former taught Greek and Roman history, geography, chemistry, botany, algebra, water-colors, grammar and composition. One of the other daughters, Pattie, also taught. Her subjects were geography, reading, French and fancy work; daughter Gertrude was a pupil. No music was on the curriculum, but the pagan celebration of Hay Day was held annually. Before 1839 Mary had been married to Thomas Janney of Bucks County and had removed to his home in Newtown. A Miss Kimber, niece of Emmor Kimber, was also employed as a teacher. References for the school were given from as far away as New York City, Baltimore, and of course Philadelphia. (William Kimber of Race Street or his office at 65 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, might be contacted). And locally there were Joshua and Randall Evans of Tredyffrin, both of whom had daughters there - Mary and Susan. Emma Jane Walker of the Great Valley also was a pupil. The Seminary and the Kimbers were proud of a large old bell brought to this country by the Kimbers and dated 1638. The importance of the school to the local meeting can be seen when Kimber asked that the Pikeland Preparative Meeting be moved to be more convenient to the school onto ground given by Kimber. This was built by contributions from the members of the Pikeland Meeting and Friends in Philadelphia. The Kimber family burial ground is adjacent, and here Emmor, his wife Susan (Susanna Jackson), and several children are buried. An unnamed newspaper of January 21, 1933, stated: "Dr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Snyder of Sankanak Farm, Kimberton, sold the old Seminary property to Geoffrey Towers, Waterville, N. Y. Mr. Towers expects to demolish the old square schoolroom and dormitory and make extensive alterations." Aside from his obvious educational interests, Kimber was the first postmaster at Kimberton when that post office was established January 15, 1820. In the "Village Record" of 12- 12-1824 an advertisement announcing the publication by Emmor Kimber of a pamphlet on the knowledge of the Lord, the Only True God, price 25 cents, appears. In 1831 Kimber invented and presented to the House in Harrisburg the specifications for a mechanism which he asserted would aid locomotive engines in developing more power to draw up heavy grades. He received a patent (no number) which was granted to him March 5, 1831, for a locomotive carriage and rail. Emmor Kimber was one of the earliest participants in, and extremely active with, the Underground Railroad movement. Probably the most well known fugitive to come under his roof was "Cunningham's Rache" and she was in the employ of his household for a number of years. It is interesting to note that one of the people in Bucks County to whom slaves were forwarded was Richard Janney, whose son Thomas married Emmor Kimber's daughter Mary. Among those daughters previously mentioned as teachers was Abigail (1804 – 3-22-1871) who taught from the age of fourteen and continued her teaching profession for thirty years. She was an active participant in the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society,an executive of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, and a delegate to the World Convention in London, 1840. Another daughter previously mentioned as a student was Gertrude (6-14-1816 to 8-26-1869), highly intelligent woman of high moral standard who early became an able apostle of the anti-slavery movement. She was a close friend of and greatly admired by William Lloyd Garrison. She was the wife of the well-known and beloved Charles S. Burleigh, though it is thought that her father was not in favor of the match. He felt that Burleigh was rather a drifter and of not much substance financially. Gertrude was seen on several occasions by the pupils peeking from windows, crying on the Seminary steps when her father early opposed the union. She died in the fifty-fourth year of her life at Florance, Massachusetts. I wish to acknowledge at this time the unlimited help in time and information given me by Miss Dorothy B. Lapp of the Chester County Historical Society and Mr. George N. Highley, Malvern. Also to my father, J. Craig Janney, Marshallton, for reading and correcting this paper. TopReferences Smedley's "Underground Railroad." "Kimber Miscellaneous Genealogical File" Cope and Ashmead, "History of Chester and Delaware Counties" Conversations with Emma Crawford Bechtel (Mrs. John C.) Clippings from the following newspapers which are in the files of The Chester County Historical Society: "Village Record," "American Republican", "Daily Record", "Daily Republican", and "West Chester Daily Local". |
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