Guide to the Frank Roney Papers, 1870-1917 (bulk 1878-1886)
Processed by Nicole Waugh
The Bancroft Library.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu
© 2003
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Frank Roney Papers, 1870-1917 (bulk 1878-1886)
Collection number: BANC MSS C-B 366
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Contact Information:
- Collection Processed By:
- Nicole Waugh
- Date Completed:
- August 2004
- Finding Aid written by:
- Nicole Waugh and completed by Alison E. Bridger
© 2003 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: Frank Roney papers,
Date (inclusive): 1870-1917
Date (bulk): (bulk 1878-1886)
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-B 366
Creator:
Roney, Frank, 1841-1925.
Extent:
Number of containers: 2 boxes
Linear feet: 0.8
Repository: The
Bancroft Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Abstract: Contains materials given by Frank Roney to Ira B. Cross to complete his book,
History of the Labor Movement in California, including correspondence, writings, materials relating to Roney's activities with labor organizations in San Francisco,
clippings and ephemera. Writings include Roney's diary when he first arrived in San Francisco, the manuscript of his autobiography
Frank Roney: Irish Rebel and California Labor Leader,
and drafts and articles about the labor movement including anti-Chinese sentiment.
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog
Languages Represented:
English
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts
must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft
Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which
must also be obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Frank Roney papers, BANC MSS C-B 366, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Related Collections
Ira Cross: California Labor Notes, BANC MSS C-R 12
Haskell Family Papers, BANC MSS C-B 364
International Workingmen's Association Records, BANC MSS C-A 306
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Roney, Frank, 1841-1925--Archives.
Cross, Ira B. (Ira Brown), b. 1880. History of the labor movement in California.
Federated Trades Council.
Iron Molders' Union of North America.
Knights of Labor.
Representative Assembly of Trades and Labor Unions of the Pacific Coast.
Workingmen's Party of California.
Pacific Coast League of Deliverance.
Iron Trades Council.
Iron industry and trade--San Francisco (Calif.).
Labor unions--California--San Francisco.
Labor movement--California--San Francisco Bay Area--History.
Chinese--Employment--California--San Francisco.
Manuscripts for publication.
Diaries.
Autobiographies.
Cross, Ira B. (Ira Brown), b. 1880.
Roney, Frank, 1841-1925. Frank Roney: Irish rebel and California labor leader.
Administrative Information
Provenance
The Frank Roney papers were removed from the Ira Cross: California Labor Notes collection (BANC MSS C-R 12), which were given
to The Bancroft Library by Ira B. Cross in 1933.
Biographical Chronology
Frank Roney
| 1841 |
Born in Belfast, Ireland on August 13th |
| 1875 |
Settled in San Francisco, California in April |
| 1877 |
The Workingmen's Party of California is formed |
| 1878 |
Served as chairman of the executive committee of the Workingmen's Party of California |
| 1880 |
Served as president of the Seamen's Protective Association |
| 1882 |
Arrested for anti-Chinese propaganda activity for the League of Deliverance. Roney was tried and declared not guilty for misdemeanor
charges in San Francisco on July 25th.
|
| |
Served as president of the Representative Assembly of Trades and Labor Unions of the Pacific Coast |
| 1885 |
The Representative Council of the Iron Trades is formed. Roney was the organization's secretary in 1885 and president in 1886 |
| ca. 1906 |
Met historian Ira B. Cross and began giving him assistance in writing his book,
History of the Labor Movement in California.
|
| 1915 |
Completed his autobiography. Published in 1931, as
Frank Roney: Irish Rebel and California Labor Leader.
|
| 1925 |
Died in Long Beach, California on January 24th |
Scope and Content of Collection
The Frank Roney Papers, 1870-1917, consist of a selection of correspondence and writings given to Ira B. Cross to complete
his book
History of the Labor Movement in California. A substantial amount of this collection is material devoted to Roney's activities with various labor organizations in San
Francisco. This material contains union meeting reports and printed circulars. There are also documents regarding a strike
of San Francisco iron workers in 1886, led by the Representative Council of the Iron Trades. Roney's documented involvement
with the League of Deliverance reflects the anti-Chinese sentiment apparent in the California labor movement during the late
nineteenth century.
His writings include his diary (1875-1876) and a handwritten draft of his autobiography, later published as
Frank Roney: Irish Rebel and California Labor Leader in 1931.
Box 1, folder 1
SERIES 1:
Correspondence, 1906
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically
Scope and Content Note
Contains 3 incoming letters that focus on Roney's role as president of the Representative Council of the Iron Trades in San
Francisco, and 1 letter from Burnette G. Haskell in 1906, about history of the labor movement and seeking employment.
Box 1, folders 2-11, Box 2
SERIES 2:
Writings, 1875-1917
Arrangement
Arranged hierarchically and chronologically
Scope and Content Note
Contains a diary, drafts and published articles and notes. Roney's diary records his first few years in San Francisco working
in various foundries, from 1875-1876. Drafts include a handwritten manuscript of Roney's autobiography, an unpublished history
of the Workingmen's Party of California and proposed laws against Chinese. Roney's notes to historian Ira B. Cross are for
Cross' book,
History of the Labor Movement in California.
box 1, folder 3
Letter to editor of
Morning Call about greenback issue [incomplete], undated
box 1, folder 4
History of the Workingmen's Party of California, undated
box 1, folder 5
The Relations Socialists Should Bear Towards Other Reforms, undated
box 1, folder 6
Miscellaneous fragments on labor issues, undated
box 1, folder 7
Proposed laws against Chinese, 1882
box 1, folder 8
Letter to editor of
Daily Report about Federated trades, 1885
box 1, folder 9
Letter to Irving M. Scott about Iron Trades wages for unskilled workers, 1886
box 2, folder 1-7
Frank Roney: Irish Rebel and California Labor Leader, 1915
Scope and Content Note
Handwritten autobiography edited by Ira B. Cross.
box 1, folder 10
Published newspaper articles, undated
box 1, folder 11
Notes to Ira B. Cross, 1917
Scope and Content Note
Regarding Cross' book,
History of the Labor Movement in California
Box 1, folders 12-21
SERIES 3:
Labor Organization Activities, 1870-1900
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by organization
Scope and Content Note
Contains materials that document Roney's role with various labor organizations in California given to Ira B. Cross to complete
his book on the California labor movement. Organizations include the League of Deliverance, the Workingmen's Party of California,
and Representative Council of the Iron Trades.
box 1, folder 12
Hook and Ladder Company, 1870
box 1, folder 13
Iron Molders Union, 1884-1885
box 1, folder 15
League of Deliverance, 1882
box 1, folder 16
Representative Assembly of Trades and Labor Unions of the Pacific Coast, 1880-1882
box 1, folder 17-18
Representative Council of the Iron Trades, 1885-1886
box 1, folder 19
Seamen's Protective Association, 1880
box 1, folder 20
Vallejo Trades and Labor Council, 1900
box 1, folder 21
Workingmen's Party of California, 1878
Box 1, folders 22-24
SERIES 4:
Ephemera and clippings, 1875-1906
Arrangement
Arranged hierarchically
Scope and Content Note
Includes a membership certificate to the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Utah, and clippings relating to the
California labor movement collected by Roney from 1878 to 1906.
