Banister, Zilpah P. Grant
Banister papers,
1803-1971.
Manuscript Collection: MS 0506
6
boxes
Agency History/Biographical note:
Zilpah P. Grant Banister was born on May 30, 1794 in Norfolk,
Connecticut. In 1820 she enrolled in the Byfield Female Seminary in
Masachusetts under Reverend Joseph Emerson. She then taught at
various schools around Norfolk until she began organizing the Adams
Female Academy in Londonderry, New Hampshire, which opened in 1824.
Here she worked as principal with Mary Lyon as her assistant. In
1828 she received an invitation to organize a school in Ipswich,
Massachusetts. She remained at Ipswich Female Seminary until her
retirement in 1839. On September 7, 1841, Grant married William B.
Banister and moved with him to Newburyport, Massachusetts. She
continued to actively promote women's education, and published a
pamphlet entitled "Hints on education" in 1856. Zilpah P. Grant
Banister died on December 3, 1874 in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Scope and Content:
The Zilpah Polly Grant Banister Papers contain correspondences,
1824-1874; writings, 1820-1874; biographical sketches, 1803-1971; and
maps and charts, ca. 1819-1836. Of particular note is the collection
of letters written to and by Banister. Banister's sixty letters to
family members, former students and colleagues reflect her activities
at Adams Female Academy and Ipswich Female Seminary and provide
information about her views on education and religion, her travels,
and her health and financial affairs. Many of the hundred
seventy-two letters are from former Adams and Ipswich students who
describe their work as teachers and often explain their inability to
repay loans from the Society for the Education of Females. Other
correspondents include Mary Lyon, Catherine Beecher, Joseph Emerson,
and Cynthia Farrar and Jane Van Allen, missionaries active in
Ahmadnagar, India and Gabon, Africa. Also of particular interest are
maps and charts composed by Banister. This collection also includes
other writings by Banister, notably a notebook kept as a student at
Byfield Academy in 1820, several essays and notes on teaching
methods, ca. 1828-1856, and two autobiographical sketches. In
addition, these papers contain notes and clippings, assorted
memorabilia, and photographs and a portrait of Banister.
Cite as: Zilpah Grant Banister Papers, Mount Holyoke
College, Archives and Special Collections, South
Hadley, Massachusetts
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
Series List:
- Correspondence
, 1822-1874
, 26 folders
- Writings
, 1820-1874
, 6 folders
- Biographical Material
, 1803-1971
, 2.5 linear inches
- Photographs and Portraits
, 1850-1874
, 2 folders
- Maps and Charts
,
, 18 maps and charts in 4 oversized boxes
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