Marblehead, Massachusetts. First Church of Christ ("Old North"). Records, 1684-1886
Description
Historical Note
Marblehead was originally settled as a plantation of Salem in 1629, and incorporated as a town in 1649. The First Church in Marblehead was formally established in 1684, although pastors had been preaching in the plantation as early as 1637. Samuel Cheever, who had begun his tenure in Marblehead in 1668, was called as pastor.
The meetinghouse used by First Church predated the founding of the church by 25 years, with a tax for the building of the meetinghouse being raised in 1648 and built in 1659 on Old Burial Hill. Various additions were made to expand the building and its capacity. Sometime shortly before 1716 the building was moved a new location. In 1824 a new building was built after the original was lost in a fire.
The Second Congregational Church (est. 1715, later Unitarian) and Third "South" Congregational Church (est. 1858) both split off from First Church following disputes over incoming ministers. Many members of Third Church rejoined First Church in 1877 when their building was lost in a fire.
List of Ministers, 1635-2007
The collection here is limited from the 1680s-1860s, but the list of ministers is complete up to the creation of this guide.
John Avery | 1635 (died at sea) | Eric M. Ricard, Jr. | 1956-1960 | ||
William Walton | 1638-1668 | George M. Hooten, Jr. | 1961-1978 | ||
Samuel Cheever | 1668-1724 | Randall H. Niehoff | 1979-1991 | ||
John Barnard | 1716-1770 | Edwin S. Vaeni | 1989-1991 | (Interim) | |
William Whitwell | 1762-1781 | Tom Boates | 1991-1992 | (Interim) | |
Ebenezer Hubbard | 1783-1800 | John P. Potter | 1992-2001 | ||
Samuel Dana | 1801-1837 | Fredrick W. Atwood-Lyon | 2001-2002 | (Interim) | |
Samuel Cozzens | 1832-1837 | James W. Christensen | 2002-2007 | (Co-Pastor) | |
Mark A. H. Niles | 1837-1844 | Patricia A. Long | 2002-2007 | (Co-Pastor) | |
Edward A. Lawrence | 1845-1854 | Raymond D. Patch | 2004-2007 | (Interim) | |
Benjamin Allen | 1854-1872 | Dennis B Calhoun | 2007- | ||
John H. Williams | 1873-1883 | ||||
S. Linton Bell | 1884-1902 | Assistant and Associate Ministers | |||
Nicholas Van de Pyl | 1903-1907 | Kendall Link | 1958-1961 | (Assistant) | |
John W. Barnett | 1907-1910 | Ralph E. Short | 1962-1965 | (Assistant) | |
Leslie C. Greeley | 1910-1924 | Charles F. Hood | 1965-1978 | (Associate) | |
Harris G. Hale | 1925-1930 | Emeritus, 1992-2002 | |||
Dwight L. Cart | 1930-1936 | Eugene R. Arnould | 1971-1975 | (Assistant) | |
Oliver F. Wiese | 1937-1941 | Howard H. MacMullen, Jr. | 1975-1978 | (Assistant) | |
Thomas A. Goodwin | 1942-1949 | Patricia A. Long | 1994-2002 | ||
Robert S. Balfe | 1950-1956 | Jill E. Olds | 2011- |
Scope of Collection
This collection contains the early records of First Church of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Records include church records, which primarily relate to the spiritual life of the congregation, and society records which encompass the bulk of the finances and administration of the parish as a legal entity. Included in the collection are meeting minutes, membership lists, baptismal records, maintenance and plans for church buildings, records of pew taxes, expenses, and contributions. Of particular note are separate lists of full and half-way members. There are a total of 9 bound books, the earliest records of the church. The Congregation maintains the later records.
Further Searches
Subject Headings
Marblehead (Mass.) -- Church history.
Marblehead, Mass. First Congregational Church
Old North Church (Marblehead, Mass.)
Local government - Massachusetts.
Ecclesiastical Council - Massachusetts.
Marriage records - Massachusetts
Registers of births, etc. - Massachusetts - Marblehead.
Related Materials
Marblehead, MA: Old North Church 17.11.1 M32.75 OldNC
Marblehead, MA: Third Congregational Church 17.11.1 M32.75 THICC
Arrangement
Collection items are housed in nine (9) volumes. These volumes are arranged into two series. Within each series the volumes are arranged chronologically. Digital arrangement reflects the two-series order and the order in which the pages are organized in each volume.
Contents
Series I: Church records |
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Date: | 1684-1857 | ||
Extent: | 4 volumes | ||
Scope of Series: | This series documents the religious life and decisions of the church. Records include meeting minutes, covenant records, vital statistics, membership lists, and some financial records documenting wills and "donations and collections." | ||
Date | Location | ||
Church records | 1684-1800 | Volume 1 | |
Online interface | |||
This volume contains the church's official declaration of separation from Salem, its covenant, and early membership records. It also includes church meeting minutes and financial records. | |||
Church records | 1740-1837 | Volume 2 | |
Online interface | |||
The second volume continues the membership records and church meeting minutes. The original manuscript pages were in delicate condition, but we have captured as much of the information as possible. | |||
Church records | 1837-1857 | Volume 3 | |
Online interface | |||
The third volume continues the membership records and church meeting minutes. It also contains the wills of William and Hannah Reed. | |||
"Meeting house book" | 1695-1785 | Volume 4 | |
Online interface | |||
This volume contains records pertaining to the construction, maintenance, and administration of the first church building. | |||
Series II: Society records |
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Date: | 1684-1866 | ||
Extent: | 5 volumes | ||
Scope of Series: | This series focuses on the administrative activities of the church body, including building and grounds maintenance, pew ownership, town activities, and taxes. Two volumes in the series specifically document financial matters of the society. | ||
Date | Location | ||
Society records | 1755-179 | Volume 5 | |
Online interface | |||
This volume collects the financial records of the parish society, including pew owners and related taxes. The book itself consists of several groups of pages bound at a later date. | |||
Society records | 1795-1825, 1852, 1857 | Volume 6 | |
Online interface | |||
This volume contains the financial records of the parish society, including meeting minutes, pew taxes, and a copy of the Act of Incorporation put in place following official disestablishment by the Massachusetts General Court. | |||
Society records | 1825-1866 | Volume 7 | |
Online interface | |||
Concerns the parish, financial matters, and the building. Records regular committee, quarterly, and annual meetings. | |||
Financial records | 1717-1836 | Volume 8 | |
Online interface | |||
Primarily lists expenses for bread and wine, referred to as "Church Stock". Also indicated are amounts gained "By Collection". Church historian's notes indicate that the collection would have been for Sabbath School. | |||
Financial records | 1783-1803 | Volume 9 | |
Online interface | |||
Lists individual member contributions, pew taxes, expenses, and maintenance. |