Description
William White (1748-1836) was born and educated in Philadelphia, and served as Rector of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church for 57 years. He also served as Chaplain of the Continental Congress, Chaplain of the Senate, the first presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States, and a long-time trustee for the University of Pennsylvania.
Dismissorial letters are testimonials written by a bishop or other qualified religious superior in support of individuals requesting to be ordained by another bishop. In this text, White provides his reasons for refusing to supply dismissorial letters to two deacons in his diocese. The bound manuscript also contains an 1829 draft letter to Bishop Hobart and an 1830 draft letter to the Standing Committee of Maryland regarding the issue