Vestry correspondence, 1827-1832, 1849

Vestry correspondence, 1827-1832, 1849

1827/1849

ChristChurch.VestryCorrespondence1827-1832_1-7-0-4

1.7.0.4; F62(a)

This collection of correspondence addressed to the Vestry of the United Churches (Christ Church, St. Peter's, and St. James) covers various administrative and congregational matters from 1827 to 1832. Subjects pertain to a burial ground commemoration and a dispute over headstones; a gift to Saint Thomas Church of the crystal chandeliers from Saint Peter's Church; rights to church pews, most notably the complex legal transmission of the pew associated with Samuel and Elizabeth Powel; and a request of the Male Sunday School to take up a collection in aid of their services.

Notable events documented include Harriet Keatting's remonstrance to protect her parents' gravestone, a formal petition from St. James' Church members to separate from the union due to financial difficulties, and Rev. W. H. Delancey declining a permanent pastoral connection due to his University duties. Additionally, the Male Sunday School's request for a church collection was formally denied, though members of the Vestry personally raised funds for them.

Pennsylvania--Philadelphia

Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA

8 documents

tiff

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

eng

Text

This collection of vestry correspondence for the United Churches of Christ Church, St. Peter's, and St. James in Philadelphia covers the years 1827 to 1832, with one later letter from 1849. In an April 1827 remonstrance, Harriet Keatting objects to the anticipated removal of the headstone marking the grave of her parents, George and Margaret Fudge, who died in 1793 and 1797 and were interred in the burying ground at the corner of Fifth and Arch Streets; she opposes a plan by the family of her sister, Mrs. Fougeray, to replace the stone [p.1r-1v]. A May 1827 letter from wardens John Bowers and James Johnson of St. Thomas Church conveys thanks for the gift of the crystal chandeliers formerly belonging to St. Peter's Church [p.2].

An October 1828 petition, signed by members including John Markland, Thomas Hale, J. Read, and William Rawle Jr., requests that the vestry consider erecting St. James' Church into a separate corporation, attributing the churches' financial embarrassment to their union; it was read in vestry October 17, 1828, and referred to a committee [p.3].

Several items concern pew rights. An 1849 letter from William Watson to Joseph R. Ingersoll disputes the number of sittings in a pew held by his mother for 25 years [p.4r-4v]. An April 1831 letter from Mrs. Francis inquires about the terms for two seats formerly held by the late Mrs. Powel [p.5]. The most substantial correspondence, dated July 6, 1830 (with related dockets from February 1830), is from executor Edward Shippen Burd to the committee of vestry regarding two sittings in Pew No. 41 at St. Peter's Church held by the late Elizabeth Powel. Burd quotes at length the residuary clauses of Powel's will and includes a legal opinion by Horace Binney dated April 6, 1830, concluding that the pew interest should vest in John Hare Powel, whom Elizabeth Powel treated in loco parentis and who had adopted her name at her request [p.8-22].

A letter from Rev. William H. Delancey, dated April 16, 1832, declines the vestry committee's overture for a permanent connection with Christ Church, citing his obligations to the University [p.6]. Finally, an April 20, 1832 request from Clement English and Eliza C. Souder, a committee of the Male Sunday School of Christ Church, asks permission to take up a collection to address a debt of thirty-five dollars contracted in May 1831; the vestry declined to permit another collection but some individual members collected ten dollars, given to Mr. English on April 29, 1832 [p.7].

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