Collection ID: 0034 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Vestry minutes, Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, v. 2, 1761-1784

Authors

• United Churches of Christ-Church and St. Peter's (Philadelphia, Pa.) (http://viaf.org/viaf/139662090)

Funders

• Council on Library and Information Resources

Call number

ChristChurch.MinuteBooks_v2
(Philadelphia, United States, Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA)

Alternate identifiers

• https://philadelphiacongregations.org/records/item/ChristChurch.MinuteBooks_v2
• local-identifier: 1.1.0.2, v2

Publisher

Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA

Language

English

Origin

Place

United States

Summary

Vestry minutes of the United Congregations of Christ Church and St. Peter's from 1761 to 1784. Each entry records the date and place of the meeting, members present and business discussed. Regular business includes elections of church leaders and hiring and payment of church staff; fundraising and the ongoing settlement of various financial accounts; establishment and collection of pew rents; and maintenance and repair of church buildings and grounds. Other important events and topics include: The opening of St. Peter's and the establishment of the United Churches of Christ-Church and St. Peter's in 1761, with shared government and finances. Minutes include draft and final versions of the charter for the United Churches. The response of the United Churches to the 1763 "Indian invasion" of the "back provinces" of Pennsylvania and subsequent correspondence with church officials from York and Cumberland Counties on behalf of "families on the frontier." The 1763 review and approval of Reverend William Sturgeon's fulfillment of his duty as the "Catechist to the Negroe Children for the Society for Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." The 1772 bequest from Dr. John Kearsley that funded the development of the Christ Church Hospital for poor women and widows. The American Revolution. Minutes from the Vestry meeting of July 4, 1776, when the Vestry resolved at the onset of the American Revolution: "Whereas the Honorable Continental Congress have resolved to declare the American Colonies to be free and independent States, In consequence of which it will be proper to omit those Petitions in the Liturgy wherein the King of Great Britain is prayed for, as inconsistent with the said Declaration. Therefore Resolved, that it appears to this Vestry to be necessary for the peace and well-being of the Churches to omit the said Petitions, and the Rector and Assistant Ministers of the United Churches are requested in the Name of the Vestry and their Constituents to omit such petitions as are above mentioned." (p. 338) Subsequent minutes reveal effects of the war, including the loss of pew rents after many parishioners fled the city during the British occupation, the damage to church property caused by the British army, and the departure of Reverend Coombe, who could not tolerate the conflict of serving revolutionary subjects while ordained and governed by the Church of England.

Extent

461 pages;

Support

Paper

Related resources

• Philadelphia Congregations Early Records Project (https://philadelphiacongregations.org)
• ATLA Digital Library (https://dl.atla.com/collections/philadelphia-congregations-early-records-project)

Subjects topical

• Parish elections
• Church records and registers
• Church finance
• American Revolution (1775-1783)
• Church buildings
• Church committees
• Church discipline
• Church fund raising
• Church management
• American Revolution (United States : 1775-1783)
• Corporate minutes
• Episcopalians
• Frontier and pioneer life
• Indians of North America
• Charters
• Pews and pew rights
• Poor
• Charity
• African Americans
• Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
• Christ Church (Philadelphia, Pa.)
• St. Peter's Church (Philadelphia, Pa.)
• Church of England
• United Churches of Christ-Church and St. Peter's (Philadelphia, Pa.)
• Kearsley, John, 1684-1772
• Episcopal Church

Genres

• Minutes (Records)
• Manuscripts

Keywords

• 18th century

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA ChristChurch.MinuteBooks_v2: Vestry minutes, Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, v. 2, 1761-1784 are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  To the extent possible under law, Christ Church Philadelphia has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this metadata about Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA ChristChurch.MinuteBooks_v2: Vestry minutes, Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, v. 2, 1761-1784. This work is published from: United States. For a summary of CC0, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode