Metadata
Title
Vestry correspondence, 1803-1821
Date
1803/1821
Digital Identifier
ChristChurch.VestryCorrespondence1803-1821_1-7-0-2
Call Number
1.7.0.2; F61(b)
Description
Letters, petitions, and associated documents addressed to or concerning the vestry of the United Churches of Christ Church, St. Peter's Church, and St. James' Church in Philadelphia, dated 1803-1821. The documents concern church music and worship practices, including objections to reportedly "offensive" music at St. Peter's Church, Isaac P. Cole's resignation as clerk over limits placed on sacred music, and compensation for organ repair at Christ Church; financial and estate matters, including ground rents, charitable funds, the Dobbins estate, and the Mary Stephens estate; proposed property acquisition for a new Episcopal church; appointments and duties of church officers; library access for ministerial education; and requested improvements to the St. Peter's vestry room and Sunday school facilities.
Noteworthy items include an 1803 petition criticizing "Light airy and Unseemly Musick & play House Tunes" introduced at St. Peter's Church; correspondence relating to a South Carolina bequest for a Philadelphia charitable institution; a proposal by the Female Sunday School Society of St. Peter's Church to help fund an addition for school use; and documents reflecting early nineteenth-century debates over sacred music, church administration, charitable education, and institutional finance in Philadelphia Episcopal congregations.
Noteworthy items include an 1803 petition criticizing "Light airy and Unseemly Musick & play House Tunes" introduced at St. Peter's Church; correspondence relating to a South Carolina bequest for a Philadelphia charitable institution; a proposal by the Female Sunday School Society of St. Peter's Church to help fund an addition for school use; and documents reflecting early nineteenth-century debates over sacred music, church administration, charitable education, and institutional finance in Philadelphia Episcopal congregations.
Subject
Place
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Congregation
Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA
Extent
13 documents
Format (Digital)
tiff
Rights
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Language
eng
Type
Text
Abstract
This collection of thirteen documents comprises correspondence and related records received by the Vestry of the United Episcopal Churches of Philadelphia between 1803 and 1821. The earliest item is a petition dated April 15, 1803, in which members of St. Peter's Church protest the introduction of "Light airy and Unseemly Musick & play House Tunes" by the church's clerk, arguing that such tunes "defile the Service of the Sanctuary," and requesting a return to solemn, traditional psalmody sung in "our Good old Tenor" [p.1r-1v].
Several documents concern the settlement of the estate of Mr. Dobbins, who left his property to a charitable institution in Philadelphia. A letter from Thomas Jones of Charleston dated August 19, 1805 conveys the legal opinion of Henry Bailey, Esq. regarding the transfer of bank stock and the residuary estate [p.2]. A copy of the Vestry's reply of May 6, 1806 to Jones references a power of attorney sent to Judge William Johnson Jr. and Henry William DeSaussure to make releases and acquittances [p.3r-3v], and further correspondence discusses executor's commissions and the assignment of outstanding debts [p.4v].
A January 1, 1807 letter from George Sheaff conveys his sister Mrs. Muhlenberg's terms for the sale of a lot on Seventh Street near Market for erecting an Episcopal church, offered at $8,500 [p.5r-5v]. Hugh Still (or Hill) applies for the position of sexton of St. Peter's Church on April 6, 1807, supported by a list of recommending subscribers [p.6r-6v].
A March 26, 1813 letter from a committee of the Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church (William Tilghman, James Milnor, and William Meredith) proposes to deposit newly purchased modern divinity books in the churches' library to support the education of ministerial candidates [p.7]. Paul Beck Jr., appointed treasurer of Christ Church Hospital, writes on June 2, 1813 recommending the sale of 22 small, taxable ground rents (totaling $294.28) to purchase non-taxable ones, saving the institution about $60 per annum, and includes an itemized list [p.8r-8v].
Isaac P. Cole submits his resignation as clerk of St. Peter's Church on June 24, 1815, expressing discouragement that his efforts to promote "the Science of Sacred Music" and to establish a choir met with "almost uniform disaprobation" [p.9r-9v]. A memorandum dated April 18, 1819 concerns Samuel Volans's administration of the estate of Mary Stephens and the discharge of a bond and mortgage of $266.66 [p.10].
A petition dated June 19, 1820 from the Managers of the Female Sunday School Society of St. Peter's Church (signed by Thomas Clifford, First Vice, and A. Keasbey, Secretary) reports on their school of about sixty children and requests that the Vestry authorize the enlargement of the vestry room—for which they obtained a plan and estimate not exceeding $700, offering to contribute $200 themselves [p.11r-11v]. Thomas Loud, organist of Christ and St. Peter's, writes on April 30, 1821 requesting compensation of about $40 for Mr. W. Hall, who spent nearly three weeks repairing the Christ Church organ [p.12]. Finally, Francis Cooper, clerk of St. Peter's, protests in a letter of June 20, 1821 a reduction of forty dollars in his annual salary plus the loss of a perquisite for recording baptisms, amounting to a "dead Loss" of fifty dollars [p.13].
Several documents concern the settlement of the estate of Mr. Dobbins, who left his property to a charitable institution in Philadelphia. A letter from Thomas Jones of Charleston dated August 19, 1805 conveys the legal opinion of Henry Bailey, Esq. regarding the transfer of bank stock and the residuary estate [p.2]. A copy of the Vestry's reply of May 6, 1806 to Jones references a power of attorney sent to Judge William Johnson Jr. and Henry William DeSaussure to make releases and acquittances [p.3r-3v], and further correspondence discusses executor's commissions and the assignment of outstanding debts [p.4v].
A January 1, 1807 letter from George Sheaff conveys his sister Mrs. Muhlenberg's terms for the sale of a lot on Seventh Street near Market for erecting an Episcopal church, offered at $8,500 [p.5r-5v]. Hugh Still (or Hill) applies for the position of sexton of St. Peter's Church on April 6, 1807, supported by a list of recommending subscribers [p.6r-6v].
A March 26, 1813 letter from a committee of the Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church (William Tilghman, James Milnor, and William Meredith) proposes to deposit newly purchased modern divinity books in the churches' library to support the education of ministerial candidates [p.7]. Paul Beck Jr., appointed treasurer of Christ Church Hospital, writes on June 2, 1813 recommending the sale of 22 small, taxable ground rents (totaling $294.28) to purchase non-taxable ones, saving the institution about $60 per annum, and includes an itemized list [p.8r-8v].
Isaac P. Cole submits his resignation as clerk of St. Peter's Church on June 24, 1815, expressing discouragement that his efforts to promote "the Science of Sacred Music" and to establish a choir met with "almost uniform disaprobation" [p.9r-9v]. A memorandum dated April 18, 1819 concerns Samuel Volans's administration of the estate of Mary Stephens and the discharge of a bond and mortgage of $266.66 [p.10].
A petition dated June 19, 1820 from the Managers of the Female Sunday School Society of St. Peter's Church (signed by Thomas Clifford, First Vice, and A. Keasbey, Secretary) reports on their school of about sixty children and requests that the Vestry authorize the enlargement of the vestry room—for which they obtained a plan and estimate not exceeding $700, offering to contribute $200 themselves [p.11r-11v]. Thomas Loud, organist of Christ and St. Peter's, writes on April 30, 1821 requesting compensation of about $40 for Mr. W. Hall, who spent nearly three weeks repairing the Christ Church organ [p.12]. Finally, Francis Cooper, clerk of St. Peter's, protests in a letter of June 20, 1821 a reduction of forty dollars in his annual salary plus the loss of a perquisite for recording baptisms, amounting to a "dead Loss" of fifty dollars [p.13].
Thumbnail
IIIF Manifest
https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/ChristChurch.VestryCorrespondence1803-1821_1-7-0-2/manifest
