Metadata
Title
Vestry minutes, 1813-1821
Date
1813/1821
Digital Identifier
StThomas.VestryMinutes1813-1821
Description
The vestry is the governing body of an Episcopal church; it is comprised of the rector and members of the congregation elected by other congregants.
This bound volume contains the St. Thomas vestry meeting minutes from 1813 to 1821, including date, time of day (morning, afternoon, or evening), members and Reverend present, and a brief description of each meeting. Topics include church lotteries, overdue "seat money," building repairs, burials, elections, resignations, committee assignments, and parishioners in financial need.
This bound volume contains the St. Thomas vestry meeting minutes from 1813 to 1821, including date, time of day (morning, afternoon, or evening), members and Reverend present, and a brief description of each meeting. Topics include church lotteries, overdue "seat money," building repairs, burials, elections, resignations, committee assignments, and parishioners in financial need.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia, PA
Holding Institution
African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas
Extent
168 pages
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
Bound volume of vestry minutes for the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas (Philadelphia) documenting governance, finances, property, and parish life from 1813 through 1821. Entries record meeting dates and attendance and detail management of church lotteries (including the third class lottery and release/indemnification of commissioners) [p.1-2, p.31], purchase and oversight of Mount Sion/Mount Zion burial ground and related payments [p.2, p.4-6], collection of seat/pew money and arrears policies (including voting eligibility tied to arrears and later repeal and replacement of election bylaws) [p.9, p.70-71, p.107-108], interment fees and burial ground administration [p.5, p.69, p.162], loans and mortgages on the parsonage house (including ratification of the 1814 mortgage to Gulielma Evans) [p.14, p.36], repairs and improvements (painting, privies, stoves, fences/walls, insurance) [p.30, p.32, p.129-130, p.155], elections of vestrymen and officers [p.11, p.34, p.111, p.133-134], establishment of Sunday school and support for ten scholars [p.27-28, p.37], and disputes and legal matters (including lawsuits involving church governance and finances) [p.90, p.105-106, p.120-121]. Notable events include arrangements for the funeral and burial of the Rev. Absalom Jones in St. Thomas churchyard (February 1818) [p.73-74] and extended controversy over Prince Saunders serving as reader/minister, including action to remove his reader’s license (July 1820) [p.130, p.146-147].
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IIIF Manifest
https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/StThomas.VestryMinutes1813-1821/manifest
