Guide to the Francis Alison Papers
Open for research.
For preservation reasons, researchers are encouraged to work with the transcripts when possible.
To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.
Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.
Francis Alison was born in Ireland in 1705. He studied at the University of Glasgow before travelling to America in 1735. In 1737 he became pastor of Pennsylvania's New London Presbyterian Church. Ten years later he opened an academy in New London. Students included three signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Secretary of the Second Continental Congress.
In 1752 Alison moved to Philadelphia to take charge of the Philadelphia Academy. He was later appointed Vice-Provost of the newly established University of Pennsylvania, as well as Professor of Moral Philosophy. He was also assistant minister at the First Presbyterian Church. Alison died in 1779.
Record Group 294 consists of Alison's sermons, miscellaneous manuscripts, and miscellaneous items.
SERIES I: SERMONS, 1752-1772, undated
SERIES II: WRITINGS, undated
SERIES III: ALISON FAMILY, 1770-1871, undated
SERIES IV: OTHER PAPERS, 1743-1773, undated
Parts of this collection are also available on microfilm.
Selected papers and documents: MFPOS 807
Sermons 1752-1758: MFPOS 808
To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.
Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.
There is a collection of Francis Alison Papers at Yale University.
Folder 8 contains a photostat of the 1770 certificate. The original is oversized and housed separately in Box 2.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared: August 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist
| Box | Folder | Description | Alternative Formats |
| SERIES I: SERMONS, 1752-1772, UNDATED | |||
| 1 | 1 | Sermons, 1752-1755 | Digital (Philadelphia Congregations Early Records Project) |
| 1 | 2 | Sermon, 1756-1762, 1772 | Digital (Philadelphia Congregations Early Records Project) |
| 1 | 3 | Sermon, 1763 | Digital |
| 1 | 3 | Sermons, 1767-1771 | Digital (Philadelphia Congregations Early Records Project) |
| 1 | 4 | Transcripts of Sermons | |
| 1 | 5 | Catechism, Sermon Notes, Sermon Outline | |
| SERIES II: WRITINGS, UNDATED | |||
| 1 | 6 | "Reasons for Dissenting from the Church of England," manuscript and typed transcript | |
| 1 | 6 | Comments on Chandler's "Church of England in America" | |
| 1 | 7 | "On First Principles of Knowledge," manuscript and photocopy | |
| 1 | 7 | "On Logic" | |
| SERIES III: ALISON FAMILY, 1770-1871, UNDATED | |||
| 1 | 8 | Francis Alison, Jr--Certificate from PA Hospital, 1770 (photostat) | |
| 1 | 8 | Obituary, 1813 | |
| 1 | 8 | Robert H. Alison--Letter from Robert DuBois, 1871 | |
| 1 | 8 | Alison Family--Transcript of Notebook, undated | |
| SERIES IV: OTHER PAPERS, 1743-1773, UNDATED | |||
| 1 | 9 | New London School--Accounts, 1743-1748 | Digital |
| 1 | 10 | Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, 1773 | |
| 1 | 11 | Miscellany | |
| OVERSIZE ITEM | |||
| 2 | 1 | Francis Alison, Jr--Certificate from PA Hospital, 1770 (original) |