The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Coxe, John Redman, 1773-1864                                 

Title:               Papers

Dates:             1747-1800

Call No.:         Col. 616

Acc. No.:         69x222.21-.33

Quantity:        13 items (1 box)

Location:        3 J 4

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

John Redman Coxe (1773-1864) was born in Trenton, New Jersey, the son of Daniel and Sarah Redman Coxe, and the grandson of Philadelphia physician John Redman.  Coxe received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1794 and after additional study in Europe, established his practice in Philadelphia.  He also taught at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote on medical topics, and edited medical journals and books.  He was married to Sarah Cox; they had ten children. 

 

John Redman (1722-1808) was born in Philadelphia, the son of Joseph Redman, a merchant.  He began his study of medicine under John Kearsley of Philadelphia before he moved to Europe to study in Edinburgh, Leyden, and London.  He returned to Philadelphia where he established a successful practice.  He taught such eminent Philadelphia physicians as Benjamin Rush and Caspar Wistar, as well as his grandson John Redman Coxe.  He was the first president of the Philadelphia College of Physicians.  He retired from active medical practice around 1785.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

The collection includes items relating to the medical education of John Redman Coxe and his grandfather John Redman.  Items relating to Coxe include a diploma, certificates of membership in the Grand Lodge of Scotland (dated 1795) and in the American Philosophical Society (1799, signed by the society’s president Thomas Jefferson); a passport issued to Coxe in France in 1796 (signed by James Monroe as minister plenipotentiary); and certificates of attendance at medical classes taken in London in 1791.

 

Coxe's diploma, handwritten in Latin, was awarded by the Pennsylvania Academy (i.e. University of Pennsylvania); it granted him a degree in Medical Arts, May 19, 1794.  The diploma is signed by nine professors, including William Shippen, Benjamin Rush, Samuel P. Griffitts, Caspar Wistar, John Ewing, J. Andrews, and Jac. Davidson.  (The other two names are difficult to read.)  A blue silk ribbon is attached to the diploma.             

 

Items relating to John Redman are certificates for study in Edinburgh, Leydon, and London, and a certificate of a donation made to the Pennsylvania Hospital. 

 

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The items are in accession number order.

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Found in the study of Henry Francis du Pont.

 

 

RELATED MATERIALS

 

A book by John Redman Coxe and magazines edited by him are in the Printed Books and Periodicals section of the Winterthur Library.

 

Winterthur Museum has an etching from a drawing by Coxe, museum accession 1970.118.1-.3.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813.

            Wistar, Caspar, 1761-1818.

            Redman, John, 1722-1808..

            Monroe, James, 1758-1831.

            Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826.

 

Topics:

            University of Pennsylvania.

            American Philosophical Society.

            Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia, Pa.)

            Medical education.

            Freemasonry - Scotland.

            Diplomas.

            Passports.

            Physicians.

           

           

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location:  3 J 4

 

All accession numbers begin with 69x222:

 

Folder 1: John Redman materials

 

.21       certificate (in Latin) attesting that John Redman had studied medicine in Edinburgh, signed Jo. Rutherford, Edinburgh, September 5, 1747.

 

.22       certificate (in Latin) attesting that John Redman had studied medicine in Leyden, signed P. V. Musschenbroek, Leyden, October 26, 1747.

 

.23       printed certificate attesting that John Redman had attend lectures on midwifery in London, signed W. Smellie, February 1, 1748.

            Certificate illustrated with bust of a bearded man

 

.24       certificate attesting that John Redman had attended at Guys Hospital, signed W.(?) Clarke, Charles Feake, and N.(?) Munckley, February 21, 1748/9.

            The certificate mentions that the University of Leyden conferred the degree of Doctor of Physic on Redman.

 

.25       printed certificate, John Redman contributed money t o Pennsylvania Hospital, signed by Joseph Lewis, treasurer, June 30, 1800.

            Certificate printed by John Ward Fenno of Philadelphia.

 

 

Folder 2: Diploma of John Redman Coxe

 

.26       diploma (handwritten in Latin) awarded by the Pennsylvania Academy (i.e. University of Pennsylvania) to Coxe,  granting him a degree in Medical Arts, May 19, 1794. 

The diploma is signed by nine professors: William Shippen, Adam [illegible,] Benjamin Rush, Samuel Powel Griffitts, Caspar Wistar, John Ewing, J. Andrews, James Davidson, and Robert [illegible.]  Some of the names are in Latin.

Diploma written on vellum, which has been flattened.  A blue silk ribbon is attached to the diploma.   

 

 

Folder 3: Certificates of class attendance

 

.27       certificate that Coxe attended chemistry lectures delivered by W. Hamilton, M.D., physician to the London Hospital, London, 1791.

            The certificate is written on paper printed with a border.

 

.33       certificate that Coxe attended two courses of lectures in anatomy physiology and surgery.  Signed by Wm. Blizzard and S. Wayne [or Orange], [London,] May 9, 1791.  With seals of London Hospital.

            The certificate is written on paper printed with a border, and with a vignette of a woman caring for a sick person outside a hospital, printed by Delegal, Winchester St.

 

 

Folder 4: Diplomas

 

.28       Diploma of the American Medical Society (Soietas Medica Americana), awarded to John Redman Coxe, Philadelphia, May 22, 1794.  Signed by William Shippen, president, and James Woodhouse, secretary.  In Latin (including first names).

            On vellum, with blue silk ribbon, flattened and encapsulated.

 

.29       Diploma of the Chemical Society of Philadelphia, awarded to John Redman Coxe, May 28, 1794.  Signed by Caspar Wistar, John Harrison, Edward Cutbush(?), William Bache, Samuel Cooper, John C. Otto, Ebenezer Huhling(?), and Nathaniel Potter.  In Latin (including most of the first names).

            On vellum, flattened and encapsulated.

 

 

Folder 5: membership certificate

 

.30       certificate of membership for John Redman Coxe in the Cannongate Killivinning Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Scotland; Coxe entered an apprentice, passed a fellow craft, and was raised to the degree of master mason.  Signed May 8, 1795; signed by Wm. Farquharson, George Spankie, Charles Cunningham, Th. Spens.

 

 

Folder 6: passport

 

.31       passport, in French, on printed form, for John Redman Coxe, issued and signed by James Monroe, minister plenipotentiary, August 28, 1796.  Also signed by Ch. Delacroix and others.  Endorsements on back.

 

 

Folder 7: membership certificate

 

.32       certificate of election to membership in the American Philosophical Society, issued to John Redman Coxe, Philadelphia, July 19, 1799.  Signed by Thomas Jefferson as president, also by R.[illegible,] Adam Seybert, and Samuel Smith.  Printed form, with blue silk ribbon.