Biographical/historical information

Mary Jordan White, Born on December 12, 1859 was a teacher who taught at the Belvidere Academy for fourteen years. She was a devout Quaker who influenced many lives in Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina. She first attended Belvidere Academy for her primary school; later Mary attended Westtown Boarding School, a Quaker school in Pennsylvania, and graduated with honors in 1881. Mary and her sister began teaching at Belvidere Academy in 1884. Mary obtained her teachers first grade certificate in 1889. After her sister was married, Mary spent five years teaching in Western North Carolina. After returning to Belvidere in 1896, Mary taught at the Belvidere Academy until her death in December 1909.

Scope and arrangement

The Belvidere Academy Papers is arranged in original order in a single series of printed materials and photocopied and mimeographed manuscript materials.

The collection is devoted entirely to the history of the Society of Friends in Eastern North Carolina and its schools. The focus of the articles is Belvidere, town located in Perquimans County, N.C., which was the point of origin of the Friends of North Carolina. The Perquimans County "Meeting" of the Society of Friends was for a time the largest Friends community in North Carolina.

The article, by Catherine Albertson, entitled Belvidere: A Quaker Stronghold, traces the development of the Friends Society in Perquimans County from 1672 through 1954. The article traces the history of the Belvidere Academy, a Friends school, 1833 until its transfer to the North Carolina Public School System in 1914.

The "History of Piney Woods Meeting, 1794-1954" and Belvidere present less detailed accounts of the Friends of Perquimans County and the Belvidere Academy.

The "List of Teachers" is a list of all the teachers who taught at the Belvidere Academy between 1833 and 1909.

A "List of students" from 1903 is appended to the end of the document.

The "Piney Woods Meeting Bulletin" is a photocopy of the pamphlet given out at the 160th anniversary of the Piney Woods Monthly Meeting of Friends on October 3, 1954. The pamphlet includes a picture of the Piney Woods Meeting House and a schedule of the events for that day.

The "School Records of Belvidere Academy" contains the attendance records of students from 1895 to 1901. The "Biography of Mary Jordan White is an account of Mary Jordan's life and the impressions she had left on her family and many of the students she taught.

Administrative information

Custodial History

September 19, 1967, 3 items (photocopies); History of Belvidere, N.C., an article entitled Belvidere: A Quaker Stronghold by Catherine Albertson and a "History of Piney Woods Meeting, 1794-1954." Loaned for copying by Rev. Harold White, Belvidere, N.C. Originals at Guilford College, Greensboro.

October 22, 1968(Addition #1), 6 items (photocopies); Piney Woods Meeting Bulletin (1954); "Historical Account of Friend's School, Now Known as Belvidere Academy," by Josiah Nicholson; school record (1895-1901); lists of faculty, and a clipping. Loaned for copying by Rev. Harold White, Belvidere, N.C. Originals at Guilford College, Greensboro, N.C.

June 14, 1999(Addition #2), 1 item, 16 p., 0.010 cubic feet; Mary Jordan White 1859-1909: a biography of a beloved student, teacher, and principal, 1896-1909, of Belvidere Academy, a Quaker School, in the predominantly Quaker village of Belvidere, near Hertford in Perquimans County, North Carolina; also including excerpts from the scores of letters received after her death, by Anonymous. [1910] Printed pamphlet. Recd. 6/14/1999. Donor: William E. "Mickey" Elmore.

Source of acquisition

Loaned for copying by Rev. Harold White, September 19, 1967 & October 22, 1968 Gift of William "Mickey" Elmore, June 14, 1999

Processing information

Processing, container list, finding aid by HIST 5910 student John G. Leche, III, April 24, 2016; revised by Jonathan Dembo, May 5, 2016

Processed by D. Lennon; M. Elmore, September 1984

Encoded by Apex Data Services, May 2002

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Key terms

Corporate Names

Belvidere Academy (Perquimans County, N.C.)--History

Topical

Private schools--North Carolina--Perquimans County--History
Quakers--Education--North Carolina--Perquimans County
Society of Friends--North Carolina--Perquimans County--History

Places

Perquimans County (N.C.)--Religion

Container list