Ann Parrish

Anne Parrish (1760–1800) was an American Quaker philanthropist. Following the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, she devoted herself to philanthropy and co-founded a women's relief society for the poor. The Female Society for the Relief of the Distressed, founded in 1795, was one of the first charitable women's organizations in the United States. Parrish also establish a free school for girls in her home in 1796. The school expanded over the years, later becoming the Aimwell School which lasted until 1923. Early life Anne Parrish was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 17, 1760. Her family was prominent in the Philadephia Quaker community. Her mother, Sarah Mitchell, would later attend meetings of her organization, and her father Isaac Parrish was a hatmaker. Parrish's brother Joseph (1779–1840) went on to become a physician. Yellow fever and philanthropy Parrish was 33 years old during the 1793 Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic, which claimed the lives of 5,000 Philadelphians (then one-tenth of the population). Her parents were among those who fell ill during the epidemic and she made a vow to devote her life to philanthropy should they recover. While two of her younger brothers did not survive, her parents did. Parrish started providing assistance to Philadelphians who had been impacted by the epidemic. On November 9, 1795, Parrish met with 23 other young Quaker women in a private home and formed the Female Society for the Relief of the Distressed. They kept records of their proceedings and in their first meeting it was recorded: