St. Johns Lutheran Church of Potter records, 1841-1921.
Collection Number: 6086
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
St. Johns Lutheran Church of Potter records, 1841-1921.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
6086
Abstract:
One volume register listing baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages, members
and deaths and one volume of congregational meeting minutes which document the temporal
affairs of the church.
Creator:
St. John's Lutheran Church of Potter (Potter, N.Y.)
Quanitities:
1 microfilm reels.
Language:
Collection material in English
Between 1828 and 1850 German Lutheran residents of Potter worshipped together in private
homes or at the Boak Methodist Church in a group founded by Dr. Frederic Dutch, Jacob
Shuman and Nicholas Heisler. In 1849 a meeting was held to plan building a church
which was called Christ Church when completed in 1850. In 1856 the church changed
its name to the Elsasser Congregation (a majority of its members being from Alsace)
and in 1861 a committee was appointed to build a parsonage and a school room. In 1866
a new constitution was adopted and the church incorporated as the Evangelisch Lutherische
Gemeinde. In 1919 the corporate name was changed to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Potter and Vicinity. A list of pastors and additional details are found
in the accession folder.
Contains a one volume register listing baptisms, confirmations, communicants, marriages,
members and deaths (1841-1888) and one volume of congregational meeting minutes (1849-1921)
which deal with the temporal affairs of the church. Records are primarily in German
until 1912 when a constitutional change allowed services in both languages. Thereafter
most records are in English.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
St. John's Lutheran Church of Potter records, #6086. Division of Rare and Manuscript
Collections, Cornell University Library.
Names:
Christ Church (Potter, N.Y.)
Elsasser Congregation (Potter, N.Y.)
Evangelisch Lutherische Gemeinde (Potter, N.Y.)
Places:
Potter (N.Y.) -- Religious life and customs.
Yates County (N.Y.) -- Religious life and customs.
Subjects:
Lutherans, German -- New York (State) -- Potter.
Church records and registers -- New York (State) -- Potter.
Lutheran Church -- New York (State) -- Potter.
Form and Genre Terms:
Minutes.
Baptismal certificates.
CONTAINER LIST
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Container
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Description
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Date
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| Item 1 |
Church Record Book No. 1 1841-1846
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Scope and Contents
Contains baptismal records (1841-1888), communion records (1844-1881), confirmations
(1845-1887), marriages (1856-1888), deaths (1844, 51-87), and miscellaneous notes
and comments. Occasional late entries are in English.
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Baptisms
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Scope and Contents
Usually include names of parents, names of children, date of baptisms and birth, and
names of witnesses, by pastor.
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Page 3-34,
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January 1842 - 1861 | ||
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Page 35-71,
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Date of birth not given. 1861-1879 | ||
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Page 164-177,
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1879-1885 | ||
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Page 232-233,
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1885 (single page tucked into volume) | ||
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Page 235-251,
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1885-88 (mixed with other records) | ||
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Page 252,
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1880 | ||
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Confirmations
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Scope and Contents
Includes name and pastors.
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Page 72-84,
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1858-1881 | ||
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Page 133-134,
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1845-1853 | ||
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Page 238,
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1866 (for 7 people) | ||
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Page 244,
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1887 (for 8 people) | ||
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Page 261,
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1855, 1857 | ||
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Communicants
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Scope and Contents
Communion usually held twice yearly.
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Page 87-132,
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1845-1867 | ||
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Page 135-149,
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1869-1881 | ||
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Page 150-151,
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1844 | ||
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Page 152-163,
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1882-1885 | ||
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Marriages
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Page 178-197,
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1856-1885 | ||
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Page 245,
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1888 | ||
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Page 259-260,
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1846-1850 | ||
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Deaths
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Scope and Contents
Name and date of death age in years, months and days.
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Page 198-231,
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1844-1887 | ||
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Page 242,
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1887 death notice | ||
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Page 253,
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1888 - death of Georg Koehler with narrative concerning his poisining | ||
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Page 254-258,
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Members - list made 1882. Later, notes | ||
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Page 262-266,
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were made as to the disposition of the individual | ||
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Other
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Page 268-271,
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n.d. | ||
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Scope and Contents
Pages 39-42 from a printed book giving the rules of organization for churches in the
Evangelical ministry of N.Y. state.
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| Item 2 |
Church Record Book No. 2 1849-1921
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Scope and Contents
"The record of the Alsace congregation in the Town of Potter, County of Yates ..."
Volume 2 contains minutes of congregational meetings (1849-1921) on the temporal affairs
of the church. Minutes regularly include the results of trustee elections and financial
reports. Most entries are in German until the 1880's, when they gradually switched
to English. Items of note:
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Page 3,
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December 1, 1849 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Members agree to build a church. Land offered for church and cemetary.
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Page 4,
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October 21, 1850 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Record of the church's incorporation.
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Page 6,
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October 1868 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Minutes out of order.
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Page 11-21,
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April 25, 1857 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Articles of organization are included, including that only German shall be used in
services, who can vote, trustees' responsibilities, officers, procedure to be followed
in getting a new pastor, how one becomes a member, etc. Signed by 26 members.
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Page 35,
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March 1869 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Mention of support for German immigrants to Buffalo and the Warlburg, Iowa seminary.
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Page 52-68,
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1885-1888 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Pastorate of Heinrich T. Duensing, who makes comments on the state of the church.
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Page 77,
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July 29, 1894 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Constitutional changes made.
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Page 77,
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January 2, 1918 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Women given the privilege of voting in church meeting
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Page 77,
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1918 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Funds raised for Wagner College.
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Page 77,
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April 6, 1919 | ||
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Scope and Contents
Name anglicised.
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