1825 DOCTRINE OF FRIENDS ELISA BATES 1st ED QUAKER BOOK with UNUSUAL PROVENANCE

Small 8vo; Full leather binding, 320 pages.

The author Elisha Bates (1781-1861,) whose family arrived in the “New World” in 1623, was born in Virginia, and with his family moved to Mount Pleasant, Ohio about 1817 where Bates became the publisher of The Philanthropist, from 1818 to 1822.  The Philanthropist was the first anti-slavery newspaper in the United States and also supported temperance and the fair treatment of Native Americans.  Bates began publishing another periodical, The Moral Advocate, in March 1821.

Bates also became the leader of the Mount Pleasant Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers.)  Bates’ only book, this volume, was self-published in 1825.

Author Donald Good in his 1969 article “Elisha Bates and Social Reform” states that Bates’ Doctrine of Friends was “judged to be one of the best brief accounts of Friends’ view in existence.”

After the publication of his book, dramatic changes began to foment within the Quakers religion with what became known as the Hicksite – Orthodox Schism.  Bates, who favored Orthodoxy, was a staunch opponent of Elias Hicks (the Hicks in Hicksite) who favored liberalism.  More than this schism made Bates controversial:

“When Elisha Bates apostatized from the doctrines and testimonies of the religious Society of Friends, it caused great excitement particularly in the minds of many of the young people who were strongly attached to him. It was at our meeting at Flushing, that he made his first public avowal of the unsound doctrine which he had embraced, touching the resurrection of the dead, viz: That these material bodies of ours will rise from the dead, &c...

Friends were generally surprised and startled at this unscriptural and anti-Quaker doctrine.

(Bates) made a second (visit) to England without the consent of the Society; and while there, was baptized with water, which set the minds of many Friends at rest concerning him who before were disposed to advocate his cause; but now he was taken under dealing and disowned...

He wrote and published much against early Friends,... endeavoring to render their principles and religious views odious in the eyes of the world, but he had but few followers, though he sought honor and popularity amongst men by forsaking and writing against the Society of which he had been a useful member, and an anointed minister while he abode in the Truth; but when he forsook the Truth and went after his own devices the Lord dealt with him as He did with Balaam. For the society with whom he joined in religious profession after he was disowned by Friends, never promoted him to honor.

Soon after E. Bates was disowned, Joseph John Gurney came to America on a religious visit and there was another division within the Quakers.”

Elisha Bates converted to Methodist and became a Methodist preacher, but returned to Quakerism.

There are three signatures and a personal library stamp on flyleaf - this book has a historical provenance:  the first signature is that of Wyman Chamberlain (1772-1838) followed by "his book."  Chamberlain was the son of a Revolutionary war soldier and a prominent member of the Friends congregation of Grand Isle, Vermont. 

The next signer (in pencil) was Mary Chamberlain (1808-1887). Genealogy research suggests that Mary was likely Wyman's daughter-in-law, the wife of his only son William.

The last signer (in ink) was Reba B. Hoag.  Reba was the sister of Mary, the sister-in-law of William and the step-daughter of Wyman.  She lived with her sister and brother-in-law.

(Two of Wyman's daughters and his son William married into the Hoag family, and Mercy (Briggs) Hoag, was Wyman’s third wife and the mother of Mary and Reba mentioned above.  Perhaps the book passed to Mary upon the death of her mother in 1847.) 

The Hoags were another prominent name in Grand Isle, Vermont at that time.  The Hoag name was also extremely prominent in the Quaker faith.  At the time this book was being read by Mary and Reba, Joseph Hoag, living in Vermont, was a leading Quaker evangelist, although we don’t know if he was their relative.

We can confirm the Chamberlain and Hoag information in the 1850 census.  We have been told by the family that other genealogy research produces slightly different name variations for Reba B. Hoag.) 

Lastly, there is also a personal library stamp of Jed P. Clark.  Mr. Clark (1825-1906) was the son of Joseph Clark, a very prominent man in Milton, Vermont who is still revered today as one of its founding fathers.  Jed P. Clark succeeded his father as the owner of the largest town industry - a saw mill and grist mill in Milton Falls, Vermont and a director of the Vermont & Canada and Central Vermont railroads.  Items related to Jed P. Clark's mercantile store, such as its script, are still collectible today.   Clark was also briefly one of Milton’s postmasters.

Jed P. Clark's family home was deeded by his daughter to the Town of Milton to use for as long as it was needed.  It became the Clark Memorial Building, and was used by the town until the early 1990s when new town offices were built and the property reverted back to the family. 

Since we first listed this item in our store, we have been contacted by descendants of both the author Elisha Bates and the original owner Wyman Chamberlain.  (Perhaps we’ll hear from the Hoag family or Jed P. Clark’s relatives now who might identify any relationship between the two families.) 

Mr. Chamberlain’s great granddaughter five times removed was helpful in identifying the complex family interrelationships and shared additional genealogical information.  While she suggested that the signature of Mary Chamberlain may have been Mary Elizabeth Chamberlain (1852-1904,) Wyman’s granddaughter, Mary’s daughter and Reba’s niece, we felt that assumption didn’t fit with the timeline of the signatures in the book, although Mary Elizabeth may have been the last familial owner of the volume, her signature is not one of those listed.

We did not find a familial or religious connection between the Chamberlains, Hoags and Clarks. We can speculate along with Chamberlain descendants that Clark may have purchased the book after the death of Mary Elizabeth Chamberlain (granddaughter of Wyman, daughter of Mary and niece of Reba) in 1904.

We contacted one of the Quaker libraries and were told that it was ""interesting that someone at Grand Isle had Bates' book, because Bates was not in agreement with the kind of Quakerism that was practiced there.""  Of course, that statement is very contextual; one has to compare it to what was happening in the Quaker religion in 1825, 1840 and later.  In broad strokes, Grand Isle, Vermont Quakers were liberal; Bates was Orthodox.

The Bates and Chamberlain families do share an unusual commonality.  Although both families were Quakers, and Quakers are usually conscientious objectors, each family had members who served in the Revolutionary War.  (Wyman Chamberlain’s father and Elisha Bates antecedent James Bates.)

The book has wear commensurate with age:  the leather is worn; binding is split at outside back seam with the hinge held on by one stitch. Bumped corners. Dark tanning and foxing to pages. A leaf or flower was pressed into the back of the book and has left its imprint on the last several (blank) pages. Penciled price notes on inside cover and fep. Number penciled at top of Preface page.

This is a very interesting and culturally important book, particularly for the history of the author and owners.

***E*B*I*D***

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