Maryland Societies (103 societies)
Baltimore
Association for the Improvement of the condition of the Poor
Founded 1849
See: Records 1849-1907 at Johns Hopkins University MS360. L. Margaretta Culver, 'A History of the Baltimore Association for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor' (MA Thesis, Johns Hopkins, 1923).
Association to Carry on the Manufacture and Sale of Cotton Jeans and Velvets on a Small Scale
Mutual aid society founded in 1789.
Baltimore Almshouse
State funded poorhouse founded in 1773.
See: Minutes 1833-42 in Maryland Historical Society, MS 2474 & 1866; By-Laws of the Trustees and Rules for the Governmnt of the Poor-House of Baltimore County. (Baltimore: P. & R.W.Edes, 1818). Report of the Trustees of the Alms-House for Baltimore city and county, 1827 (Baltimore, 1827)
Baltimore Bethel Society of the Young Men of Color
A male free black mutual aid society founded in 1821
Baltimore Benevolent Society
Founded before 1796 as a mutal aid society providing assistance towards medical care and burial costs under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Baltimore
See: Rules and Orders of the Baltimore Benevolent Society (Baltimore: Samuel Sower, 1796)
Baltimore City Marine Hospital
Founded in 1808 as the successor to the Public Hospital, mainly for the mentally ill. Succeeded by the Maryland Hospital
See: Records 1850 onwards in Maryland State Archives.
Baltimore Carpenter's School
Founded 1815
Baltimore Dispensary
Founded in 1816 to provide medicine to the poor of eastern Baltimore.
Baltimore Economical Soup Society
Founded in 1819 to provide soup and bread to the poor.
Baltimore Female Association for the Relief of Distressed Objects
Founded before 1808.
See: Constitution of the Baltimore Female Association for the Relief of Distressed Objects (Baltimore, 1808)
Baltimore Female Humane Association
Founded in 1798, opens a Charity School in 1800 and incorporated in 1801. School reincorporated as the Orphaline School in 1808, and as the Baltimore Female Orphan Asylum in 1827. Renamed Baltimore Orphan Asylum in 1849.
See: Board Minutes 1819-1857 in Maryland State Archives; A Brief Account of the Female Humane Association, (Baltimore: Warner & Hanna, 1803). Click here for extracts. Click here for the charter of incorporation of the Orphaline School.
Baltimore General Dispensary
Founded in 1801 to provide free medicine to the poor, serving 38,000 people in the first twenty years of operation. Funds were provided by Archbishop John Carroll and Elisha Tyson. Perhaps also known as the Society for Free Medical Relief.
See: One hundred years of history of the Baltimore General Dispensary. (Baltimore, 1901)
Baltimore Infirmary
Founded to provide free medical care in 1830
Baltimore Manual Labor School
Founded on a farm outside Baltimore in 1840 to provide education and training for indigent boys.
See: Fourth Report of the Baltimore Manual Labor School for Indigent Boys (Baltimore: John D. Toy, 1849). Tenth Report of the Baltimore Manual Labor School for Indigent Boys (Baltimore: John W. Woods, 1855).
Baltimore Public Hospital
Founded in 1798, cared to 130 patients in 1800. Successor to the 'Retreat'.
Baltimore Second Almshouse
Founded in 1816, closed in 1866. Housed 800 inmates in 1865.
Baltimore society for the encouragement of industry
Founded in 1822
Baltimore Society to Protect Free Negroes
Founded 1810
Benevolent Society of the City and County of Baltimore
Founded by womenon Feb 26th, 1800 to assist female orphans after an initial proposal by a woman in 1799. Incorporated in 1800 with female managers and male trustees. Main income from sermons and collections, though some stock held in 1811.
Click here for the charter of incorporation.
See: Joseph G L Bend, An address to the members of the Protestant Episcopal Church (Baltimore: Joseph Robinson, 1811); The past history and present condition of the institution of St. Paul's Parish, originally incorporated under the title of the Benevolent Society of the City and County of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1860)
Baptist Orphanage and dispensary of the nursury and child's hospital
Boys School of St Paul's Parish
Founded in 1846
Charitable Marine Society
Founded in 1796
See:Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser, August 15, 1796
Children's Aid Society
Founded in 1860 as an offshoot of the Association for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor.
See: Records from 1860 in Johns Hopkins University Library.
Children's Home of Baltimore
Founded in 1798, linked to the Baltimore Female Orphan Asylum, perhaps another name for the Orphaline Society asylum.
Christchurch Asylum for Female Children
Founded in 1840
Corporation for the relief of the widows and children of the clergy of the protestant episcopal church in Maryland
Founded in 1785
Church Home and Hospital
Ecumenical female benevolent society founded in 1855 for the benefit of the sick, the poor, the unemployed and strangers (in that order). Funding mainly from church collections.
See: The second annual report of the rector and managers of the Church Home. (Baltimore: Joseph Robinson, 1857).
Dorcas Society
Founded in 1840 to provide food, clothing and fuel to the poor. 'The circumstances of distress and moral character' were assessed by a visiting committee.
See: Second Annual Report of the Dorcas Benevolent Society of West Balitmore Station, March 1842. (Baltimore: Richard J. Matchett, 1842)
Female Infirmary
Female Orphan Asylum
Female Penitents Refuge Society
French Benevolent Society
Founded in 1854
German Society of Maryland
Formed in 1783 as a mutual aid organisation. Chartered in 1817
See: Louis P. Henninghausen, History of the German Society of Maryland (Balitmore, 1909)
Handelian Charitable Society
Founded in 1803 it used the proceeds from Oratorio performances to fund the charitable activities of others.
See: Constitution of the Handelian Charitable Society (Baltimore: J. Robinson, 1817)
Hebrew Benevolent Society
Founded in 1856
Hibernian Free School
Founded in 1824.
Hibernian Society of Baltimore aka Benevolent Hibernian Society
Founded by Irish immigrants in 1803 as Benevolent Hibernian Society, incorporated and changed its name in 1818.
See: Harold A. Williams, History of the Hibernian Society of Baltimore, 1803-1957 (Baltimore, 1957). Act of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Hibernian Society of Baltimore (Baltimore: E. John Schmitz, 1960).
House of the Good Shepherd
Founded in 1844.
House of Industry
Founded in Baltimore in 1854 to provide indoor relief for indigent girls, aka Home for the Friendless of Balitmore City and the Home for Friendless Vagrant Girls.
See: Annual Reports 1854-1928; Constitution and By-laws 1859 in Maryland State Archives, Woodbourne Collection SC740, Film No M1166.
House of Refuge
Founded in Balitmore in 1812 as the House of Industry, name changed in 1831 to House of Refuge for Juvenile Delinquents, aiming to reform poor children and then apprentice them.
See: Report and Proceedings on the subject of a House of Refuge. (Baltimore: Benjamin Edes, 1830).
Humane Impartial Society for Poor and Needy Women
Founded in 1802 for the relief of widows. Operates schools for female and male children, helps to find needlework for adult women and founds an aged women's home in 1850. Click here for the charter of incorporation.
See: Republican (Baltimore), Jan.
Humane Society, Baltimore
Founded in 1790 to provide emergency medical treatment, merged with the Baltimore Dispensary in 1804.
Indigent Female Asylum
In existence in 1831
Indigent Widows Aslyum
Founded in 1849
Infant Asylum
Catholic orphanage founded in 1856
Infant School Society
Founded in 1843
Male Free School
Founded in 1802 by male members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Click here for the charter of incorporation of 1807.
See: Isaac Parker Cook, Early history of Methodist Sabbath schools in Baltimore city and vicinity (Baltimore, 1817); Annual Report Daily National Journal, (Washington, DC) Friday, November 26, 1824
Male Free School of St. Peter's Church
Founded in 1817
Maria Marthian Society
Founded by Catholic women in 1827, but offered assistance to all denominations.
Maryland Hospital
Founded in 1834 as successor to the Balitmore City Hospital. Renamed as the Maryland Hospital for the Insane in 1852. Housed 130 patients in 1853
See: Minutes and Registers in Maryland State Archives.
Maryland Institution for the Instruction of the Blind
Free school for the blind established in 1852 by Benjamin F. Newcomer, incorporated in 1853 as Maryland School for the Blind.
McKim's Free School
Opened in 1822
Methodist Preachers' Aid Society of Baltimore
Founded in 1827
See: Constitution of the Methodist Preachers' Aid Society of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1827)
Mutual Instruction Society
Founded in 1845
Oblates Colored Boarding School
Founded by free black nuns c. 1830 for the education of free black children, some of whom were taught gratis.
Oliver Hibernian Free School
Founded in 1830 under the direction of the Hibernian Society and most probably an offshoot of (or the same institution as) the Hibernian Free School founded in 1824.
Protestant Union Infirmary
Founded in 1854
Retreat
Founded in 1794 as a hospital for mariners. Succeeded by Baltimore Public Hospital.
Roman Catholic Free School
Founded in 1817
Seaman's Union Bethel Society
Founded in Baltimore in 1823
Shepherd Insane Asylum
Founded by Moses Shepherd in 1853.
Shepherd Asylum
Founded in 1854 by Moses Shepherd.
Society for the Education of the Hebrew Poor and Orphan Children
Founded in 1852.
Society for the prevention of pauperism in the city of Baltimore
Founded in March 1820 to prevent what it saw as the causes of pauperism such as alcohol abuse and gambling. Failed to gain widespread support and folded in 1822.
See: Views of the Society for the prevention of pauperism in the city of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1822) To the citizens of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1822); A warning to the citizens of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1821)
Society for the relief of aged and infirm ministers
Founded in 1828
Society for the relief of the indigent sick
Founded by women in Baltimore on February 3rd, 1824, incorporated in 1843.
See: Constitution of the Society for the relief of the indigent sick (Baltimore, 1825); Constitution and by-laws of the society for the relief of the indigent sick (Baltimore: J. F. Wiley, 1869).
Society for the relief of the poor of the Methodist Episcopal church of the city and precincts of Baltimore
Founded in January 1815 to provide food and fuel to members.
See: Constitution of the Society for the relief of the poor of the Methodist Episcopal church of the city and precincts of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1815); Act of Incorporation and Constitution of the Society for the Relief of the Poor of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Baltimore City Station. (Baltimore: John W. Woods, 1853)
Society for the relief of widows and orphans of seamen
Founded c. 1823.
Society of St. George in Maryland
Founded in 1799 by English immigrants
Soup Kitchen
Founded by Mrs Thomas Winans in 1837 to provide free food to the poor, and quickly spread to several locations in the city.
St. Andrew's Society
Founded in 1806 by Scottish immigrants
See: The constitution of the St. Andrew's Society of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1825); Constitution and By-laws of the St. Andrew's Society of Baltimore (Baltimore: Sapp Bros, 1904).
St Anthony's German Catholic Orphan Society
Founded in 1854
St Anthony's Orphan Asylum
Founded in 1852
St Barnabus' Industrial School of Baltimore for Half-Orphan Boys
Founded by the City Mission of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1856.
See: First Report of the Industrial School of Baltimore (Baltimore: J. P. de Forges, 1857)
St Francis's Academy for Girls
Catholic school founded by Oblate Sisters of Providence black girls in 1828/9, later it became non-denominational. Income from school and needlework was used to subsidize an attached orphanage.
St Mary's Female Orphan Asylum
Founded in 1816, opened a school in 1818, run by the Sisters of Charity from 1821
St Patrick's Orphan Asylum
Founded in 1857
St Peter's Charity School
Founded in Baltimore in 1805 with a $10,000 bequest from Capt. Jeremiah Yellott.
St Vincent's infant asylum and maternity hospital
Founded in 1855
The Corporation for the Relief of the Poor and Distressed of Every Sect or Religious Denomination Whatsoever
Interdenominational voluntary society founded in 1792 to co-ordinate the distribution of outdoor relief
Tobias Society
Founded by 1829 by Catholics.
Union Female Society
Mutual society for free black women providing sick benefits and paying the funeral costs of subscribing members. Founded in 1821.
Union Protestant Infirmary
Founded by women to provide medical care in 1855.
See: Second Annual Report of the Union Protestant Infirmary of the City of Baltimore (Baltimore: Steam Press of W.M.Innes, 1857).
Walan's Orphan Home
Founded in 1847
Washington Society Charity School
Founded in 1810
See: Constitution of the Washington Society of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1810)
Miscellaneous
Academy of St Joseph
Founded in 1809 by Elizabeth Seton at Emmitsburg, but which originated in Baltimore in 1808, taken over by the Sisters of Charity in 1812.
All Saints Female Benevolent School
Founded in Frederick County in 1836
Benevolent Society of the United Brethren in Christ
Founded in Hagerstown in 1822.
Charitable Society of Easton
Founded in 1814
Charitable Society of the city of Annapolis
Out door relief society founded by men in 1810. Provided soup, clothing and medicine to the poor.
See: Maryland Gazette, (Annapolis, MD) Wednesday, December 19, 1810; Annual Report, Maryland Gazette and Political Intelligencer, (Annapolis, MD) Saturday, January 15, 1814
Charity Working School
Founded c.1750 by Thomas Bacon in Talbot County. See: Thomas Bacon, A sermon preached at the parish church of St. Peter's in Talbot County, Maryland on Sunday the 14th of October 1750, for the benefit of a charity working school to be set up in the said parish for the maintenance and education of orphans and other poor chidlren and Negroes. (London, 1751)
Charity Working School
Founded before 1768 by Thomas Bacon in Frederick County.
Charity School of the Eastern Shore
Founded in 1823
Egenton Female Orphan Asylum
Founded in 1801
Female Orphans' Society of Annapolis
Founded in 1828. Managed an asylum, supported by an annual fair.
See Annual Reports, Maryland Gazette, (Annapolis, MD), November 20, 1828, March 26, 1835, March 31, 1836, March 30, 1837, April 05, 1838
Hager's-Town Female Society for the instruction of poor children
Founded in Hagerstown, Washington County in either 1815 or 1819. Aka Hagerstown Charity School.
McDonough Charity Schools
Founded in 1807 in Charles County
Orphan House and Episcopal Free School Society of All Saints' Church, Fredericktown.
Founded a free school in 1833, followed by an orphanage in 1837. Run by women.
See: A history of the Orphan House and Episcopal Free School Society of All Saints' Church, Fredericktown, Maryland, 1838-1915. (np, nd)
St James Benevolent School
Founded in 1821 in Frederick County.
St John's Female Benevolent School
Sisters of Charity school founded in Frederick County in 1825
St Paul's Chapel Free School
Founded in Charles County in 1834.
Westminster Free School
Founded in 1846 in Frederick County