Trinity Episcopal Church of Geneva records, 1805-1874.
Collection Number: 6013

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Trinity Episcopal Church of Geneva records, 1805-1874.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
6013
Abstract:
Two volumes (1805-1836 and 1836-1855) listing marriages, baptisms, confirmations, burials, communicants, individual parishioners and some financial records. Two volumes of vestry minutes (1806-1836 and 1836-1874) contain detailed entries concerning official church functions and brief notes on elections for various officers, pew allocation, construction of the church building, acquisition or sale of vaious accroutrements, and various functionary resolutions.
Creator:
Trinity Episcopal Church of Geneva (Geneva, N.Y.)
Quanitities:
1 microfilm reels.
Language:
Collection material in English

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The records of Trinity Episcopal Church of Geneva document the activities of the church administration and give membership information, including two volumes (1805-1836 and 1836-1855) listing marriages, baptisms, confirmations, burials, communicants, individual parishioners and some financial records. Two volumes of vestry minutes (1806-1836 and 1836-1874) contain detailed entries concerning official church functions and brief notes on elections for various officers, pew allocation, construction of the church building, acquisition or sale of various accoutrements, and various functionary resolutions.
Because of the nature of these records there is no direct narrative of community or congregational dynamics.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:

Trinity Episcopal Church of Geneva records, #6013. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

SUBJECTS

Places:
Ontario County (N.Y.) -- Religious life and customs.
Geneva (N.Y.) -- Religious life and customs.
Subjects:
Episcopal Church -- New York (State) -- Geneva.
Form and Genre Terms:
Baptismal certificates.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Item 1
Parish Records, Vol. I,
1805-1836
Baptisms, pp. l-6l,
Feb. 12, 1805 - Dec. 24, 1829
Scope and Contents
In numbered list on page. Includes: date, child's name, parent's names, sponsors. Listings are not consistently complete.
Note on page 58 concerning commencement of Richard S. Mason's duties as rector after death of Orris Clark, followed by index, as follows:
p. 58, Index
p. 59, Baptisms
p. 147 Confirmations
p. 171, Communicants
p. 271, Marriages and Burials
p. 341, Families
Names of communicants,
August l8l(4?)-l827
Scope and Contents
on unnumbered page, apparently 114 - p. 131 includes names and disposition (date of death or removal).
Confirmations
September 21, 1828
Scope and Contents
page 149, September 21, 1828. Thirteen names listed (12 women, 1 man).
Marriages
Feb. 5, 1829 - May 16, 1830
Scope and Contents
page 211,Feb. 5, 1829 - May 16, 1830, titled "Marriages in 1829," includes date and names for four marriages.
Burials
Aug. 13, 1828 - Feb. 11, 1830
Scope and Contents
p. 271, titled "Burials in 1828", Aug. 13, 1828 - Feb. 11, 1830, includes names, dates and age (in some cases).
Baptisms (new volume or loose pages?)
(Jan. 1, 1832(?) - Jan. 5, 1834)
Scope and Contents
pp. 3-4, (Jan. 1, 1832(?) - Jan. 5, 1834), and p. 10 and (March 16, 1834 - Aug. 28, 1836) includes date, name and parents (where applicable).
Marriages
(January 8, 1832 - Sept. 10, 1832)
Scope and Contents
p. 5 (January 8, 1832 - Sept. 10, 1832) (See page 9 January 28, 1834 - Dec. 5, 1834) includes names, dates and presiding rector in some cases, (note July 30, 1832 - "Married colored John Sweeny to Miss Caroline Dobbin both of this place.")
Church monies
Scope and Contents
pp. 6 & 7 - p. 6 "Collections for charitable purposes in 1832." One entry, Jan. 1, 1832, p. 7, "account of moneys dispersed in 1832." One entry, Jan. 7, 1832.
Burials
(January 7, 1832 - January 31, 1835)
Scope and Contents
pp. 8 & 12, (January 7, 1832 - January 31, 1835), includes name, date and occupation (in some cases).
Collections
Scope and Contents
Unnumbered left hand page (April 1815), titled "Collected (?) at the communion." List, vith corresponding figures includes various months: 1815, 1816, 1817 and unspecified year. On next page - dated April 18l6 -lists, in various months, dates of disbursement.
Item 2
Parish Records,
1836-1855
Includes annual printed statements of collections (by month) and disbursement (1837-1842).
List of rectors on the title page, from Orris Clark DD l8l4-l828 through William Stevens Perry DD 1869-1876.
Baptisms
December 11, 1836 - April 13, 1853
Scope and Contents
pp. 2-31, December 11, 1836 - April 13, 1853. Baptisms run across two pages with the headings: Date, Number, Child's Name, Parents, Sponsors, Date of Birth, Where performed, Witnesses, and Remarks.
Marriages
November 27, 1836 - March 29, 1855
Scope and Contents
pp. 32-53, November 27, 1836 - March 29, 1855. Marriages run across two pages, with the headings: Date, Number, Names, Residence, Where Performed, Witnesses, and Remarks.
Confirmations
May 28, 1837 - April 7, 1855
Scope and Contents
pp. 54-71, May 28, 1837 - April 7, 1855. Confirmations run across two pages, with no named headings, but included are: dates, number, names, remarks (all on left hand page), certification by rector on right hand page.
Communicants
November 13, 1836 - April 8, 1855
Scope and Contents
pp. 72-119, November 13, 1836 - April 8, 1855. Included are: Date, Number, Name, and Date "When First Mentioned in Old Register," all on left hand page; Disposition - Date of Death, Removal, Change to Different Church, etc. - on right hand page.
List of Parishioners
Scope and Contents
pp. 121-126. Names are sporadically marked as to frequency of attendance; also noted are disposition (died or removed), number of communicants from specific households and addresses.
Misc. papers in back of this volume:
1 sheet with various names, years and other numbers.
1 small sheet titled "Offerings Reported (Indecipherable), listing offerings for 18l8-l831.
Item 3
Vestry Records, Vol. I., 1806-1836.
1806-1836
Scope and Contents
These records include the election of wardens and vestrymen, administration of finances, appointments of delegates to state conventions, appointments of rectors, and disposition of various church properties.
Among entries of special note are the following: $250 annually advanced for support of the rector by Trinity Church in New York, which aid vas withdrawn November 4, 1815; resolution to establish a school, November 1, 1817, school "disposed of" December 13, 1822; resolution of May 28, 1827 calling for "some mode of improving the sacred music of the church," and a resolution of September 7, 1827 to establish a "singing school" under the direction of Mrs. Nixon, who was to be paid $100 a year "to conduct the Music of the Church;" note of the death of Rev. Orris Clark; resolutions of sympathy and plans for the funeral being passed on February 24, 1828; notice on May 10, 1828 of a bill received from Rev. Adams for preaching at the funeral of Rev. Clark; the church's refusal to pay as the bill was "unusual, unreasonable and altogether inadmissable;" donation of $1000 to the church by Jacob Schuman on March 28, 1829; note on September 18, 1830 of the death of John Henry Hobart DD, with resolutions of sympathy and thirty days mourning; and a resolution of December 6, 1832 to build a new church edifice, the alternative of "thorough repair" proposed June 7, 1833.
Item 4
Vestry Records, Vol. II., 1836-1874.
1836-1874
Scope and Contents
This volume continues to document the official functions included in the previous volume, including: election of wardens and vestrymen, administration of finances, appointments of delegates to state conventions, appointments of rectors, and disposition of various church properties.
Entries include considerations of building a new church, including financial planning and considerable architectural description and explanation on July 24, l84l; a May 10, 1844 entry noting the report of a committee organized to "ascertain what rules of business and proceedings of the Vestry have fallen into disuse;" and an entry of January 12, 1845 concerning pews in the church, including a four page list (covering 129 pews) with the following headings: Pew No., Names of Holders, Purchase Price, Minimum Valuation, Annual Tax, Annual Rent , and Remarks.
The church seems to be in financial trouble throughout the volume, particularly from the mid-l840's through to the l860's, including in the records, for example, an extensive four page report on church finances dated March 22, 1845.