Bartholomew Fussell
Bartholomew Fussell | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | January 14, 1871 Chester County, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 77)
Occupation | Physician |
Known for | Participant in the Underground Railroad Advocate for women's careers in medicine |
Spouses | Lydia Morris
(m. 1826; died 1840)Rebecca Churchman Hewes
(m. 1841) |
Children | 6, including Susan Fussell |
Bartholomew Fussell (1794–1871) was an American
Early life and education
Fussell was born to a
Personal life and family
After completing his education, Fussell returned to Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he established a medical practice. Shortly thereafter, on May 26, 1826, he married Lydia Morris and established a home in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, that came to be known as "The Pines" and was used as a safe house for the Underground Railroad.[1] He purchased The Pines from Jonathan and Ann Thomas who were already active in the Underground Railroad, having used the home as a refuge for runaway slaves from 1805 to 1830.[4]
Susan Fussell was a daughter of Bartholomew Fussell and Lydia Morris. She was notable as an educator, nurse in the United States Civil War, and a philanthropist. As a young woman, she was woman of the house at a young age following the early death of her mother.[5] Their other children were Joshua Longstreth Fussell, Morris Fussell, Lydia Ada Fussell, and Benjamin Lundy Fussell.[citation needed]
Fussell's wife Lydia died in 1840. On September 2, 1841, he married Rebecca Churchman Hewes, with whom he had one child Edward Churchman Fussell.[1]
Participation in the Underground Railroad
In Pennsylvania, Fussell developed a working relationship with local abolitionist Thomas Garrett. At that time, Fussell began sheltering fugitive slaves brought to his home from prior refuge with Garrett.[1] Besides sheltering, he used his home, The Pines, to provide medical services to sick or injured runaway slaves.[4] His home was approximately 1 mile east of the historical village of Kennett Square, which was a center point of the abolitionist movement in southeast Pennsylvania.[3] The Pines had a root cellar that was used as a hiding place for runaway slaves, and it also had a second exit for rapid escape.[6] Fussell and his wife Lydia frequently hosted other abolitionists at The Pines.[6]
In 1833, Fussell was an original signer of the Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Society, a manifesto that stated anti-slavery principles of the organization. The signing occurred at the first meeting of this organization, which was held in
In the late 1830s, Fussell moved approximately 20 miles north of Kennett Square to West Vincent, Pennsylvania, to a farm neighboring his sister Ester Lewis. At that location, he collaborated with Lewis, her daughters, in addition to Garrett and abolitionists John Vickers and Elijah Pennypacker in furthering the work of the Underground Railroad.[1] Fussell's activities were complementary to those of Elijah F. Pennypacker elsewhere in Chester County.[citation needed]
In 1841, Fussell and his new wife moved to York, Pennsylvania. At that time, his brother and nephew moved into the Fussell home in West Vincent to continue the work on the Underground Railroad at the Fussell and Lewis homes.[1]
Activities of the Underground Railroad increased after the 1850 passage of the
As a safe house operator, he is an example of a conductor and of a stationmaster in the Underground Railroad,
Fussell's involvement in the Underground Railroad is documented in an early treatise on the subject,
Influence on careers for women as physicians
Fussell recognized the limited opportunities that women of his time faced in the field of medicine because of his sister Ester's stymied efforts to pursue a career in medicine. In 1840, Fussell began classes to teach women the basics of medicine. He subsequently began a campaign to advance the cause of women as physicians. In 1846, Fussell organized a meeting of five local physicians and his niece Graceanna Lewis to discuss the desirability of women's careers in medicine. Attendees included the five other physicians: Dr. Ezra Mitchener, Dr.Edwin Fussell (the husband of Graceanna's sister, Rebecca Lewis; nephew of Dr. Bartholomew Fussell), Dr, Franklin Taylor, Dr. Ellwood Harvey, and Dr. Sylvester Birdsall, in addition to Fussell's niece.[3] This meeting eventually led to the founding of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (later changed to Women's in 1867) in 1850, although he did not play a direct role in its creation.[1][11]
Later years and death
After the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery, Fussell spent much of his time in Pendleton, Indiana, at the home of his son Joshua Fussell. However, he died in West Pikeland Township, Pennsylvania, at the home of his son Dr. Morris Fussell. Fussell is buried alongside his wife Lydia at the Pikeland Friends Burial Ground in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.[1][2]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0313339240.
- ^ a b c d Lewis, Graceanna (1896). "Recollections of Anti-Slavery Times". Friends' Intelligencer and Journal. 53 (1): 220.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8117-3189-8.
- ^ a b "Bryn Coed and the Underground Railroad". natlands.org. Natural Lands. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ISBN 0365105627. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
- ^ a b Taylor, Frances Cloud (1976). The Trackless Trail. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania: KNA Press. pp. 21–23.
- ^ "Dr. Fussell". thefussellhouse.weebly.com. Save the Fussell House. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ "The Underground Railroad". pbs.org. Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Still, William (1872). The Underground Railroad Records. Philadelphia: Porter & Coates.
- ^ Gaw, Richard. "Kennett Township Purchases Historic Home". chestercounty.com. Chester County Press. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ^ "Female Medical College". ExplorePAHistory.com. WITF, Inc. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
External links and further reading
- The Fussell House
- Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Society
- Smedley, Robert Clemens. History of the Underground Railroad in Chester and the Neighboring Counties of Pennsylvania. Office of the Journal, 1883. Print.