Guide to the Dames of Malta Puritan Sisterhood No. 58 Records c.1913-1953-
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Dames of Malta Puritan Sisterhood No. 58 Records
- Creator
- Dames of Malta
- Collection Number
- MSS 1019
- Extent
- 0.5 linear feet (1 box)
- Date
- c.1913-1953
- Abstract
- The Wilkinsburg chapter, No. 58, of the Dames of Malta was established in 1913. The Puritan Sisterhood, dedicated to providing financial support to members and their families during periods of illness, was a local chapter of a larger organization, the Ladies of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Dames of Malta Puritan Sisterhood No. 58 Records includes correspondence and other records, in addition to bound volumes of meeting minutes, which serve to document the organization's activities from inception through 1953.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
The Dames of Malta, a group of the Ladies of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, was established in the early part of the twentieth century, and was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wilkinsburg Sisterhood, chapter no. 58, was founded in 1913. This chapter met in the Malta Temple at the corner of Coal and South Avenue in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. The Protestant society was dedicated to the principles of "Hospitality, Charity, and Devotion." According to their membership application, "the order is established on the Continent of America as a Protestant ladies' organization to perpetuate the olden achievements, the religious fervor and charitable deeds of the Hospitaller Nuns of St. John of Jerusalem; to promote the unity of Protestant Christianity; to visit and care for our sick and distressed members, and give them Christian burial." A central function of the Dames of Malta was to provide financial benefits to members and their families during times of illness and upon their death. They also facilitated and participated in meetings of the Grand Lodge, as well as organizing social engagements like the Malta Field Day. The Wilkinsburg Sisterhood is known to have been active through 1953.
Scope and Content Notes
The records of the Dames of Malta Puritan Sisterhood No. 58 include correspondence and documentation of the organization's functions. Financial information, eulogies for Sisters, notes from doctors regarding members' health conditions, applications for admission, and form letters from the Zenodacia--the Philadelphia-based governing body of the entire organization--are among the records that comprise this collection. In addition to these documents, four bound volumes of meeting minutes (February 13, 1913-June 7, 1921; June 7, 1932-April 6, 1936; April 20, 1936-March 1, 1943; and August 16, 1948-September 21, 1953) provide a detailed account of the activities and membership of the Wilkinsburg chapter of the Dames of Malta.
Conditions Governing Access
None
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift from Joel D. Minnigh in 1994.
Archives accession # 1994.0267
Preferred Citation
Dames of Malta Puritan Sisterhood No. 58 Records, c.1913-1953, MSS 1019, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
Preliminary processing by Liz Schaller on 01/30/2014.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Subjects
- Dames of Malta
- Wilkinsburg (Pa.)
- Charities--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Fraternal organizations--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
- Women--Societies and clubs--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh