1 50 1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA Description An account of the resource Founded in 1695, Christ Church was the first Anglican church to be established in Pennsylvania. This fulfilled the provision outlined by King Charles II in the charter he granted to William Penn in 1681 stipulating that if twenty individuals requested an Anglican clergyman the Bishop of London would appoint one. Accordingly, thirty-nine Philadelphians came together in 1695 to form Christ Church. Located on Second Street, just north of Market Street the Church transitioned from a small frame structure in its early years to the imposing Georgian structure built from 1727-1754 that still stands on the site today. Members of the Continental Congress and early government officials worshipped here and seven signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried on Church property. When the congregation grew too large to be accommodated here the vestry built St. Peter's at the southern edge of the city in 1760 and later St. James. Those United Churches remained a unit until the 1820s and 1830s. Christ Church is an active Episcopal parish today as well as a major historic site. The records consist of vestry minutes, parish records, accounting and financial records, deeds, architectural drawings, photographs, and audiovisual materials. In addition, there are materials from parish organizations and affiliated institutions such as Christ Church Hospital, Episcopal School, Christ Church Burial Ground, and Christ Church Preservation Trust. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Christ Church and St. Peter's Church correspondence and copy of Joseph Dobbins's will, 1804 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context ChristChurch.CorporationCorrespondence_4-2-0-20 Has Format A related resource that is substantially the same as the pre-existing described resource, but in another format. https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/iiif.cfm/ChristChurch.CorporationCorrespondence_4-2-0-20/manifest Has Version A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource. thumb:001:https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/common/get-jpeg-small.cfm/ChristChurch.CorporationCorrespondence_4-2-0-20.001.jpg full:001:https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-images/common/get-jpeg-book.cfm/ChristChurch.CorporationCorrespondence_4-2-0-20.001.jpg Is Referenced By A related resource that references, cites, or otherwise points to the described resource. 4.2.0.20; F508 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Christ Church (Philadelphia, Pa.) Dobbins, Joseph, -1804 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1803/1804 Description An account of the resource Includes copy of Joseph Dobbins's will, and associated correspondence. Dobbins (d. 1804) of Columbia, South Carolina, bequeathed the bulk of his estate to support widows at Christ Church Hospital in Philadelphia. The documents detail the contents of the will and codicil, including his instructions to emancipate two enslaved girls, Matilda and Amey, and the subsequent legal complications under South Carolina law. Correspondence from Rev. David E. Dunlap details Dobbins's death, the securing of his papers, and the refusal of the named executor, Thomas Jones, to serve. Subject The topic of the resource Christ Church (Philadelphia, Pa.) Wills Decedents' estates Slavery Freed persons St. Peter's Church (Philadelphia, Pa.) Probate records Charitable uses, trusts, and foundations Widows Hospitals Enslaved persons Enslaved persons--Emancipation Charities Estates (Law) Liberty Inheritance and succession Spatial Coverage Spatial characteristics of the resource. Pennsylvania--Philadelphia South Carolina--Columbia South Carolina--Richland County Extent The size or duration of the resource. 2 documents (oversize) Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Manuscripts Correspondence Wills Records (Documents) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource tiff Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA Abstract A summary of the resource. This collection contains an authenticated copy of the will and codicil of Joseph Dobbins of Columbia, South Carolina, together with related correspondence to the Vestry and Wardens of Christ and St. Peter's Churches in Philadelphia. In his will, dated July 19, 1803, Dobbins ordered his just debts paid, directed that his enslaved servant girl Matilda, described as “a Mulatta” about eleven years old, be set free at his death, and bequeathed his estate—126 shares in the Bank of South Carolina and other property amounting to about $6,000—to the poor and distressed widows supported by the bounty of Dr. Kearsley in Christ Church Hospital. He appointed Thomas Jones, President of the Bank of South Carolina, as executor in conjunction with the vestry and wardens of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia [p. 1r]. The will was witnessed by Hugh Grant, James Pearle, and Jesse Perry, proven before Sam Taylor, Ordinary of Richland District, on August 7, 1804, and certified as a true copy on August 13, 1804 [p. 1r]. A codicil dated April 11, 1804 gave a silver quart tankard marked “MF” to Rev. John Foster, and bequeathed three lots of land on Taylor Street in Columbia, numbered 20, 21, and 22 and purchased from Thomas H. Wade, along with the remainder of Dobbins's silver plate to Rev. David E. Dunlap and his wife Susanna P. Dunlap. The codicil also appointed the Dunlaps as guardians of Matilda and of the freed girl Amey until the girls reached eighteen years of age or married [p. 1v]. The codicil was witnessed by Benjamin Waring, Robert Hendrick, and Daniel Wade, proven before the Ordinary, and certified as a true copy on August 13, 1804 [p. 1v]. The correspondence includes a September 3, 1804 letter from church warden Thomas Cumpston acknowledging receipt of the authenticated copy of the will and noting that a vestry would shortly be called to determine action [p. 2r]. A lengthy letter from Rev. Dunlap recounts that Dobbins lived with Dunlap's family during his last illness, suffered from gravel and other infirmities, and died on May 29, 1804 in his seventy-second year. Dunlap describes securing Dobbins's keys and trunks after his death, discovering the will with neighbors present, and corresponding with named executor Thomas Jones [p. 2r]. Copied letters follow. Thomas Jones's letter of June 18, 1804 declines the executorship because legal advice indicated that the vestry and wardens could not serve as executors and that responsibility would fall on Jones alone, creating inconvenience and requiring possible Court of Equity involvement [p. 2v]. Henry Baily's legal opinion of the same date advises that the will appeared duly executed, that the codicil formed part of the will, that the Dunlaps could take possession of the land subject to debts, and that dividends from the Bank of South Carolina stock should be remitted to the authorized agent of those administering the trust for poor and distressed widows [p. 2v]. Baily further cautions that the attempted emancipation of Matilda did not conform to a recent South Carolina act and should not proceed without an order from the Court of Equity [p. 2v]. Dunlap concludes by urging prompt action from Philadelphia to relieve him of responsibility for Dobbins's papers and property, noting that Dobbins's debts were few but that he held notes amounting to approximately $2,500 to $3,000, including an $800 or $900 note already in suit [p. 2v].