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Boston, Massachusetts. Old South Church. Records, 1669-1997

Boston, Massachusetts. Old South Congregational Church
Records, 1669-1986
49 Linear feet
RG 0028

Deposit, 1976, 1982.
Processed 1987-1988 by Thomasin Kellerman; Sandra Sudak, 1992. Refined 2008 by Jessica Steytler
Request information on copyright from the archivist. No access Restrictions

Introduction

Microfilm copies available (15 microfilm reels: positive and negative; 35 mm). Original deposit to the Congregational Library as permanent loan in 1976; additional deposit made in 1982.

Historical Note

The congregation has had several buildings and locations. The original church property at the corner of Milk and Washington Streets resulted from several deeds and a bequest from a First Church minister John Norton’s widow, Mary Norton.

1669- Third Church Church of Boston Formed by members from First Church of Boston.
1670- Began meeting at the Cedar Meeting House, then at the Old South Meeting House on the corner of Milk and Washington Streets
1730- Current meeting house built and owned by the Old South Association
1735- “Church-and-Congregation” Society formed
1845- Old South Society incorporated as the Old South Church
1859 Old South Society incorporated
1875- Congregation moves to corner of Boylston and Dartmouth Streets in Copley Square, its current location.
1945- Church and Society merge. All further legal transactions now done by the Church.
1946- Original Old South Building (became office space) and property on Spring Lane transferred to the Church for maintenance and ownership.
1984- Building restored

Ministers of Old South Church Thomas Thacher 1670-1678
Samuel Willard 1678-1707
Ebenezer Pemberton 1700-1717
Joseph Sewall 1713-1769
Thomas Prince 1718-1758
Alexander Cumming 1761-1763
Samuel Blair 1766-1769
John Hunt/John Bacon 1771-1775
Joseph Eckley 1779-1811
Joshua Huntington 1808-1819
Benjamin B. Wisner 1821-1832
Samuel H. Stearns 1834-1836
George W. Blagden 1836-1872
Jacob M. Manning 1857-1872
George Angier Gordon 1884-1927
Russell Henry Stafford 1927-1945
Frederick M. Meek 1946-1973
James W. Crawford 1974-2002
Nancy S. Taylor 2005-

Scope and Content Note

The original arrangement of these records made use of a lot of abbreviations.

Church Records

CR

Church Vital Statistics

CVS

Admissions

CVS-A

Baptisms

CVS-B

Marriages

CVS-M

Church Committee Records

C-COM

Society Committee Records

S-COM

Church Sacramental Contributions

C-SAC

Society Records

SR

Pew Proprietors

PROP

The earliest records were microfilmed. The material which is on the reels is noted in the box list. < br />

The collection is divided into several sections:

  • 1. Church records- includes vital statistics (membership/admissions, baptisms, marriages). Early records merge meeting minutes and vital statistics into the same ledger books. Regarding the marriage records: CVSM I- Record of marriages solemnized by Reverend Joseph Eckley D.D. pastor of the Old South Church in Marlborough Street Boston. Collected and arranged from the town clerk’s certificates of publishment on file and the original memorandums made thereon in the handwriting of the Rev. Doctor Eckley, certifying the marriages, 1780-1882
  • 2. Church and Society Committees- Reports and correspondence. Majority of bound books are not in a box, however do have labels and beginning/end dates .
  • 3. Financial – Treasurer’s reports and pew deeds
  • 4. Legal - legal deeds and transaction records
  • 5. Organizations- Sunday/Sabbath School records, Temperance, Maternal Association, Old South Club, Mission Sewing Circle, Women’s guild.
  • 6. Photographs, Newspaper clippings.
  • 7. Prince Library
  • 8. Ministers’ records:
  • • Peter Thatcher records • J Eckley • Jacob M Manning • George A Gordon • Russell H Stafford • Frederick Meek • Allen E. Cross • Willis H. Butler
  • 9. Published histories, publications by the church

    • Church Records

    ID ; roll#

    Box

    Subject

    Year

    87-5006; 1

    1

    CR I: Records of the Old South Church and Congregation

    Reverse of volume contains records of Church-and congregation; Also “SR I”

    1669-1766

     

    1735-1767

    87-5006; 1

     

    CR II – “Church Minutes”

    1768-1816

    87-5006; 1

     

    CR III Old South Church Records

    1817-1854

    87-5006; 1

     

    CR I-III Index of Records for first 3 volumes; topical index

     

    87-5006; 2

     

    CR IV- Church Records

    1855-1888

    87-5006; 2

    2

    CR V- Church Records

    1888-1906

    87-5006; 2

     

    CR VI- Church Records

    1907-1914

    87-5006; 2

     

    CR VII- Church Records

    1915-1921

    87-5006; 3

    3

    CR VIII- Church Records

    1921-1930

    87-5006; 3

     

    CR IX- Church Records

    1930-1936

    87-5006; 3

     

    CR X- Church Records

    1936-1942

    87-5006; 3

    4

    CR XI- Church Records

    1942-1948

    87-5006; 4

     

    CR XII- No Identification. Church Records

    1949-1958

    87-5006; 4

    5

    CR XIII- No Identification. Church Records

    1958-1965

    87-5006; 4

     

    CR XIV- No Identification. Church Records

    1965-1969

    n/a

    6

    Copy of 1st ledger - First records of church and congregation

    Copy of CR I – SR I made in 1858

    1669-1766

    1735-1767; 1858

    n/a

     

    CR IA Copy --Copy of a list of names of those who broke off from the 1st Church to from 3rd Church with additional names through 1713

    1669-1713

     

     

    CR II Copy “vol. 2” copied in 1860

    1768-1816

    n/a

     

    C VS B IA copy 1- copy of Baptisms

    1669-1672

    n/a

     

    C VS B IA copy 2- copy of Baptisms

    1669-1875

    n/a

     

    Copy of 1st ledger - First records of church and congregation

    Copy of CR I – SR I made in 1858

    1669-1766

    1735-1767; 1858

    Church Vital Statistics- Baptisms “C VS B”

    87-5006; 4

    7

    C VS B I -Baptisms

    1669-1672

    87-5006; 4

    --

    C VS B II- Index to records, Baptisms

    1857-1920

    87-5006; 3

     

    C VS B III- Originals on 3 x 5 inch cards. One roll of microfilm on recent baptisms,

    1927-1986

    Church Vital Statistics- Admissions “C VS A”

    87-5006; 4

    7

    C VS A I- Admission of Old South,
    Membership
    owners of the baptismal covenant

     

    1669-1855

    1669-1814

    87-5006; 4

    7

    C VS A II- List of Members,

    1669-1855

    87-5006; 4

    7

    C VS A III – Members; begun 1859 with retrospective of previous membership

    1669-1923

    88-1967; 1

    --

    C VS A IV- Originals on 3 x 5 inch cards. 1 roll of microfilm on recent admissions

    1941-1980

    n/a

    8-11

    C VS A Misc. 1-4. 4 letters of transfer, disciplinary correspondence, church councils.

    1821-1859

    Church Vital Statistics- Marriages “C VS M”

    87-5006; 4

    7

    C VS M I- Marriages. Joseph Eckley, pastor.

    1780-1882

     

    12-13

    C VS M Marriage Certificates, intentions of marriage, certificates of publishment

    1780-1832

     

    --

    C VS M Box Certificates of publication;

    1912-1931

    88-1967; 2

    --

    C VS M II Originals on 3 x 5 (3 rolls of microfilm) on recent marriages

    1941-1980

    Church Committee Records “C COM”

     

    Reports and Correspondence- originally folded and undocumented

     

    Box14

    Committees

     

     

     

    Council, society records

    1840s

     

     

    General Reports

    1838-1899

     

     

    Committee and Meeting records

    1856-1870s

     

     

    Building Committee Reports

    1875-1876

     

     

    Chapel Papers

    1860, 1866

     

     

    Leasing Committee, reports, correspondence

    1855-1857

     

     

    Preservation Committee correspondence

    1879

     

     

    Prudential Committee correspondence

    1831-1832

     

    Box15

    Correspondence (approximately chronological)

     

    Oversize

    Top shelf

    box

    Admission/dismission letter

    Andrew Crosswell’s letter to Joseph Sewall and Thomas Prince

    1793

    1748

     

     

    Park Street Church formation; Bingham and Thurston

    1809

     

     

    6 folders: Standing Committee, letters and reports

    1825-1901

     

     

     

     

     

     

    3 folders: Clerk correspondence

    1832-1881

     

     

    Letters from churches, includes Judson’s ordination (1786)

    1700s-1800s

     

     

    Request and thanks for using OSC

    1825-1835

     

     

    Correspondence

    1826-1833

     

     

    Letters relating to the case of Justus Lincoln. See church records, vol. 3 p. 58

    1827

     

     

    Alderman/society-related correspondence

    1829

     

     

    Dow, Joseph- Discipline. See also vol. 3, p 94

    1831

     

     

    Letters-discipline

    1830s

     

     

    Correspondence to Old South Church Society

    1830s-1880s

     

     

    Hillard, George S Correspondence

    1854-1855

     

     

    2 folders: Notes

    1868-1882

     

     

    Dedication service program

    1876

     

     

    Manning Resignation notice and letter

    1882

    89-314; 1

    16

    C COM I- Committee Records

    1828-1855

    89-314; 1

     

    C COM II- Committee Records

    1855-1897

    89-314; 1

     

    C COM III- Committee Records

    1897-1906

    89-314; 1

     

    C COM IV- Committee Records

    1906-1911

    89-314; 2

    17

    C COM V- Committee Records

    1912-1917

    89-314; 2