Guide to the Pearl Edith Palmer Papers
Prepared by Sarah E. Minegar, Graduate Student Assistant, and L. Dale Patterson,
Archvist
United Methodist Archives and History Center
General Commission on Archives
and History, Madison, New Jersey
(Published for Drew University Methodist Library)
12/2/2008
Overview of Records
Biographical Note
Pearl Edith Palmer (April 6, 1898- August 1980?), native of Cornwallville, New York
served as a Methodist missionary to India from 1927-1963. She served for the Woman's
Division of Christian Service, supported by the New York Conference.
Palmer was one of seven children born to Gideon and Bertha Palmer of Cornwallville,
New York. Following in the footsteps of her missionary ancestors, Palmer made the
decision to pursue a service vocation at the age of seventeen. Her schooling
included training at New York Deaconess Training School, Tilton Seminary, Boston
University, Columbia University, and Cornell University. She received her bachelors
degree in Religious Education from Boston University, in 1927, and her masters
degree from the Teacher's College at Columbia University, in 1941. Prior to her
missionary service, Palmer worked as a public school teacher for some years. Palmer
was commissioned by the Woman's Foreign Misssionary Society in 1926, and began her
missionary service to India in 1927. Her Service of Commission Ceremony was held by
the Kingston District W.F.M.S., at Walton, New York., on October 26, 1927.
While in India, Palmer completed teaching appointments at the Louisa Soule Girls'
School, Aligarh (1928-1933) and Bible Training School, Muttra (1934-1936). She
served as principal of Burgess Day School from 1936 to 1940 and during this
assignment worked as the district evangelist in Ghaziabad District. From 1942 to
1963 she continued evangelistic work in Bulandshahr and Aligarh. Palmer returned to
the United States in 1955 on furlough, but continued serving in India until 1963.
Palmer seems to have continued mission work stateside in some capacity upon her
permanent return to the United States.
Scope Note
This collection contains the papers, diaries, devotionals, lessons, Bibles,
scrapbooks, photographs, and family papers of Methodist missionary to India, Pearl
Edith Palmer (April 6, 1898- August 1980?)
Dairies and devotional books make up the bulk of this collection.
Palmer's diaries include her personal notes and reminders, her reflective writing,
information about her daily experiences, and her religious meditations. Many of her
diaries originally contained small tokens of her missionary experiences, such a bulletins,
photographs, and pressed flora and fauna, and the images of many these items have been preserved by photocopy. One impressive field journal (listed under the subseries "diaries") in this
collection contained over twenty labeled plant samples, presumably from India. In
addition to other organic souvenirs, which includes animal quills, feathers, and
pressed butterflies (all of which have been removed and photocopied), this journal also contains whimsical drawings, poems, and a
small water color painting--revealing an immensely creative and pensive
individual.
Approximately one-third of this collection is comprised of photographs, both from the
field and of Palmer's family and friends stateside (1870s-1970s). Among these
photographs are bound family albums containing nineteenth-century images, including
several tintypes. Many of these photographs are labeled, and one of these
books contain a register of names, which may prove valuable to those interested in
genealogical research. While the majority of the photographs in this collection are
unlabeled, a number of the field photos and large group photos are annotated.
Palmer's collection includes several professional photographs of outgoing
missionaries. One photograph, labeled 'New Outgoing Missionaries, Greencastle,
Indiana, 1948, June 21-29" lists each new missionary by name and commission. Another
photograph, taken in 1942, is of the Bulandshahr District Conference, India. Among
those pictured are Reverend and Mrs. Budden. Resources like these provide missionary
and church historians with valuable information. While these professional photos are
certainly historical treasures, the photographs Palmer took personally are also
rather impressive. Many of Palmer's field photographs reveal an artistic
eye--capturing poignant moments during her time of service.
This collection also includes several scrapbooks. Many of the scrapbooks appear to be
conventional collections of memorabilia, but others are more unusual. One scrapbook
in this collection is comprised entirely of printed poems and quotations, and
another entirely of nativity images. A separate collection of loose nativity images
suggests that Palmer may have used these images as a tool for witnessing her
Christian beliefs.
A small but not insignificant portion of this collection contains Palmer's
correspondence, family papers, and classroom notes. The majority of the letters date
from 1928 to 1963. These letters include those written to Palmer by individuals as
well as numerous 'dear friends' letters written by Palmer. Family papers include the
Bible of Wilber G. Palmer (brother), and the funeral registers of Gideon Palmer
(father), Jennie C. Palmer (sister), and Celia D. Palmer (sister).
Among these personal papers is a historical paper entitled Women's Foreign
Missionary Society of the Methodist Church and a program from Palmer's Service of
Commission Ceremony (1927).
Only two small notebooks are labeled 'class notes', but Palmer's diaries reveal that
she may have done most of her spiritual reflecting as part of her daily
rumination.
Arrangement
Materials have been arranged in the following manner.
Diaries and Scrapbooks
Diaries
Calendars
Scrapbooks
Bible Studies
Devotionals
Hindi Bibles
Correspondence
"Dear Friends" Letters
Personal Letters
Mission Photographs
Family Records
Funeral Registers
Family Bible
Family Photographs
Classroom Notes
Lessons and Books
Class Notes
Artifacts
Preferred Citation
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct
reference to the item or its file folder, Pearl Edith Palmer Papers, Methodist
Collection - Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's
call number as that is not a stable descriptor.
Access Restrictions
Copyright still owned by Drew. Permissions to publish must be directed to Drew.
Restrictions on Use
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the
office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History.
Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before
using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for
permission to publish is expected and required.
Related Material
Papers of Anne Elizabeth Lawson.
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Subject Terms
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Subject Topics
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Missionaries |
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Missions - India |
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Women. |
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Subject Geographic
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India |
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Genre
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Correspondence |
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Journals |
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Pins (Jewelry) |
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Scrapbooks |
Series: Diaries and Scrapbooks
Sub-series: Diaries
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2140-5-4:
4 |
Diary |
c. 1931 |
| 2140-5-4:
5 |
Diary |
c. 1933 |
| 2140-5-5:
1 |
Diary |
1948-1951 |
| 2140-5-5:
3 |
Diary Scrapbook |
1954-1964 |
| 2140-5-5:
4 |
Diary |
1957-1961 |
| 2140-5-5:
5 |
Diary |
early 1960s |
| 2140-5-5:
6 |
Diary |
1974-1975 |
| 2140-5-5:
8 |
Poetry Diary |
Undated |
Sub-series: Calendars
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2140-5-5:
9 |
Annotated Calendar |
1918 |
| 2140-5-5:
10 |
Diary Calendar |
1961-1962 |
Sub-series: Scrapbooks
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2140-5-6:
1 |
Scrapbook |
1896-1902 |
| 2140-5-6:
2 |
Scrapbook Nativity Clippings |
1928-1973 |
| 2140-5-6:
3 |
Scrapbook Nativity Clippings |
c. 1938 |
| 2140-5-6:
4 |
Jennie C. Palmer Scrapbook |
Undated |
| 2140-5-6:
5 |
M. Buckwaller Scrapbook |
Undated |
Series: Bible Studies
Sub-series: Devotionals
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2140-5-7:
1 |
Devotional |
1928 |
| 2140-5-7:
2 |
Devotional |
1929 |
| 2140-5-7:
3 |
Devotional |
1930 |
| 2140-5-7:
4 |
Devotional |
1931 |
| 2140-5-7:
5 |
Devotional |
1933-1934 |
| 2140-5-7:
6 |
Devotional |
c. 1934 |
| 2140-5-7:
7 |
Devotional |
1935-1938 |
| 2140-5-8:
1 |
Devotional |
1938 |
| 2140-5-8:
2 |
Devotional |
1941-1942 |
| 2140-5-8:
3 |
Devotional |
c. 1946 |
| 2140-5-8:
4 |
Devotional |
1949 |
| 2140-5-8:
5 |
Devotional |
1955 |
| 2140-5-8:
6 |
Devotional |
1965-1966 |
| 2140-5-8:
7 |
Devotional |
1966 |
| 2140-5-8:
8 |
Devotional (Sunday School) |
1966 |
Sub-series: Hindi Bibles
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Call Number
|
Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2140-5-8:
9 |
Hindi Bible- New Testament |
1930 |
| 2139-6-1:
1 |
Hindi Bible |
1950 |
Series: Correspondence
Sub-series: "Dear Friends" Letters
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Call Number
|
Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2139-6-1:
2 |
"Dear friends" letters |
1935-1963 |
Sub-series: Personal Letters
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Call Number
|
Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2139-6-1:
3 |
Personal Letters |
1935-1963 |
Sub-series: Mission Photographs
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2139-6-1:
4 |
Photograph Album |
c. 1920-1948 |
| 2139-6-1:
5 |
Photograph Album |
1927-1957 |
| 2139-6-6:
2 |
Photograph |
c. 1930s-1940s |
| 2139-6-6:
3 |
Bulandshahr District Conference Photograph [Rev. and Mrs.
Budden pictured] |
1942 |
Series: Family Records
Sub-series: Funeral Registers
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Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2139-6-2:
1 |
Palmer Family Funeral Registers |
1937-1963 |
Sub-series: Family Bible
|
Call Number
|
Folder Title
|
Date(s)
|
| 2139-6-2:
2 |
Family Bible |
1924 |
Sub-series: Family Photographs
|
Call Number
|
Folder Title
|
Date(s)
|
| 2139-6-2:
3 |
Photograph Album Ledger |
1800s |
| 2139-6-2:
4 |
Family Photographs (1) |
1880s |
| 2139-6-2:
5 |
Family Photographs (2) |
1880s |
| 2139-6-2:
6 |
Family Photographs |
c. 1880s-1890s |
| 2139-6-2:
7 |
Family Photographs (1) |
c. 1880s-1910 and 1923-1964 |
| 2139-6-2:
8 |
Family Photographs (2) |
c. 1880s-1910 and 1923-1964 |
| 2139-6-2:
9 |
Family Photographs (3) |
c. 1880s-1910 and 1923-1964 |
| 2139-6-3:
1 |
Family Photographs (4) |
c. 1880s-1910 and 1923-1964 |
| 2139-6-3:
2 |
Family Photographs |
1880s and 1926-1960 |
| 2139-6-3:
3 |
Family Photographs (1) |
1880s and 1926-1976 |
| 2139-6-3:
4 |
Family Photographs (2) |
1880s and 1926-1976 |
| 2139-6-3:
5 |
Family Photographs |
1880s and 1930-1940 |
| 2139-6-3:
6 |
Family Photographs (1) |
1912-1970 |
| 2139-6-3:
7 |
Family Photographs (2) |
1912-1970 |
| 2139-6-3:
8 |
Family Photographs (1) |
1918-1941 |
| 2139-6-3:
9 |
Family Photographs (2) |
1918-1941 |
| 2139-6-3:
10 |
Family Photographs (1) |
1918-1964 |
| 2139-6-3:
11 |
Family Photographs (2) |
1918-1964 |
| 2139-6-3:
12 |
Family Photographs (3) |
1918-1964 |
| 2139-6-3:
13 |
Photograph Album |
1922 |
| 2139-6-3:
14 |
Photograph Album/Scrapbook |
1933-1934 |
| 2139-6-6:
1 |
Photograph |
1910s |
Series: Classroom Notes
Sub-series: Lessons and Books
|
Call Number
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Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2139-6-4:
1 |
Lesson Materials |
c. 1920- 1960 |
| 2139-6-4:
2 |
First Year Hindi Textbook |
1951 |
| 2139-6-4:
3 |
Lessons |
c. 1966 |
| 2139-6-4:
4 |
Hindi Book |
Undated |
| 2139-6-4:
5 |
Lessons |
Undated |
Sub-series: Class Notes
|
Call Number
|
Folder Title
|
Date(s)
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| 2139-6-4:
6 |
Sermons/ Notes |
1968-1969 |
Series: Artifacts
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Call Number
|
Folder Title
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Date(s)
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| 2139-6-5:
1 |
Beaded Coinpurse |
c. 1930-1970 |
| 2139-6-5:
2 |
Water Color Painting by D. Sillimon Nicoll |
1931 |
| 2139-6-5:
3 |
Autograph Book |
1948 |
| 2139-6-5:
4 |
Academic Paper "Women's Foreign Missionary Society of the
Methodist Church" |
Undated |
| 2139-6-5:
5 |
Photograph |
Undated |
| 2139-6-5:
6 |
Hand Stitched Quilt Piece |
Undated |
| 2139-6-5:
7 |
Glass Print |
Undated |
