Metadata
Title
Correspondence and records concerning assistant ministers, 1832
Date
1832
Digital Identifier
ChristChurch.CorporationCorrespondence_4-2-0-43
Call Number
4.2.0.43; F531
Description
File contains correspondence regarding the election of Reverend John W. James to the position of Assistant Minister of Christ Church, as well as the resignation of Reverend Dr. James Abercrombie. Records include letters discussing James's $1700 salary and his acceptance, noting delays in his arrival due to his wife's illness. Further documents outline Abercrombie's formal resignation as Assistant Minister to Bishop William White, and the vestry's agreement to provide Abercrombie with a $600 annual pension.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Pennsylvania--Meadville (Crawford County)
Congregation
Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA
Extent
6 documents
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
This file documents the 1832 election of Reverend John W. James as Assistant Minister of Christ Church, Philadelphia, and the concurrent resignation of Reverend Dr. James Abercrombie from that office. Writing from Meadville on June 20, 1832, James responds to a committee (Charles Wheeler, Philip H. Nicklin, and John White) appointed by the Vestry, expressing initial repugnance at answering whether he would accept before election, but ultimately authorizing an affirmative answer and deferring to the Vestry's judgment on the proposed salary of seventeen hundred dollars per annum [p. 1r-1v]. On June 27, 1832, Charles Wheeler, Philip H. Nicklin, and Horace Binney request accounting warden Henry J. Hutchins to call a special Vestry meeting for the election of the assistant minister [p. 2].
A copy of the June 30, 1832 letter from the church wardens (Horace Binney and Henry J. Hutchins) informs James of his election at the meeting held the previous evening, noting that all such elections are subject to a negative by a majority of the Congregation within one month [p. 3]. In his acceptance letter of July 25, 1832, James reflects humbly on the honor and duties of the office, quoting scripture ("Who is sufficient for these things?" and "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me"), and explains that his wife's poor health and the assistant Bishop's visitation delay his arrival in Philadelphia until about the middle of September [p. 4, p. 5-6].
The file also contains correspondence relating to the resignation of Reverend Dr. James Abercrombie. On November 7, 1832, Abercrombie writes to Henry J. Hutchins agreeing to place his resignation in the hands of the Rector, understanding that his salary will be paid to that day and an annuity will commence [p. 8]. His formal letter of resignation, addressed to the Right Reverend William White, tenders his resignation as Assistant Minister [p. 9r-9v]. A copy of the extract from the Vestry minutes of November 5, 1832 records the resolution granting Abercrombie six hundred dollars per annum for life in quarterly payments, provided he resign before the ninth of the month [p. 10].
A copy of the June 30, 1832 letter from the church wardens (Horace Binney and Henry J. Hutchins) informs James of his election at the meeting held the previous evening, noting that all such elections are subject to a negative by a majority of the Congregation within one month [p. 3]. In his acceptance letter of July 25, 1832, James reflects humbly on the honor and duties of the office, quoting scripture ("Who is sufficient for these things?" and "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me"), and explains that his wife's poor health and the assistant Bishop's visitation delay his arrival in Philadelphia until about the middle of September [p. 4, p. 5-6].
The file also contains correspondence relating to the resignation of Reverend Dr. James Abercrombie. On November 7, 1832, Abercrombie writes to Henry J. Hutchins agreeing to place his resignation in the hands of the Rector, understanding that his salary will be paid to that day and an annuity will commence [p. 8]. His formal letter of resignation, addressed to the Right Reverend William White, tenders his resignation as Assistant Minister [p. 9r-9v]. A copy of the extract from the Vestry minutes of November 5, 1832 records the resolution granting Abercrombie six hundred dollars per annum for life in quarterly payments, provided he resign before the ninth of the month [p. 10].
Thumbnail
IIIF Manifest
https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/ChristChurch.CorporationCorrespondence_4-2-0-43/manifest
