Bedford, Massachusetts. First Church of Christ, UCC. Records, [1730] - 1998. [microfilm]
Records, [1730]-1998
RG 4390
1 linear foot, microfilm reels
No access restrictions.Gift of the First Church of Christ, UCC, Bedford, MA.
Processed August 1999 by Virginia Hunt.
Copyright: requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the archivist or librarian.
Introduction
Records were sent to the Congregational Library in July of 1999 by First Church of Christ, Bedford, MA to be processed and microfilmed. Metal clips and fasteners were removed and replaced with plastic ones. Acidic paper removed and copied onto acid-free paper when possible, otherwise interleaved with acid-free paper to protect surrounding materials.
Historical Note
The church gathered on July 15, 1730. The parish and church were separated into Unitarian and Congregational bodies in 1833. Nicholas Bowes was their first minister, ordained on the first day of gathering.
Taken from: Worthley, Harold. An inventory of the records of the particular (Congregational) churches of Massachusetts gathered 1620-1805, p. 34
Scope and Content Note
Collection contains records of the First Church of Christ, UCC, Bedford, MA spanning [1730] - 1998. The present Congregational church has records dating from its inception in 1833. The first volume of the church records contains a memo dated 1889 which states that at that time, the Congregational body held records going back to 1730. The whereabouts of the original records of the church prior to the 1833 separation are unknown, however, the first book of records in the series contains a note stating that the notes contained therein are copies of the original records.
Collection is divided into five series: I. Church Records, [1730]-1998; II. Society Records, 1832-1920; III. Auxiliary Organizations, 1864-1887, n.d.; IV. Printed Materials, 1835, 1998; V. Winslow Family Genealogy, n.d.
Description
| Series I. Church Records, [1730]-1998. | ||
| Subseries A. Church Administrative Records, [1730]-1920. | ||
| 1. Administrative Records, [1730-1832], 1832-1841. | ||
| 2. Administrative Records, 1841-1880. | ||
| 3. Administrative Records, 1880-1920. | ||
| 4. Annual Report, 1889. | ||
| Subseries B. Confession of Faith Records, 1919-1938. | ||
| Subseries C. Marriage and Funeral Records, 1920-1969. | ||
| 1. Marriage Records, 1920-1924. | ||
| 2. Marriage Records, 1925-1930. | ||
| 3. Marriage Records, 1931-1942. | ||
| 4. Marriage Records, 1942-1947. | ||
| 5. Marriage Records, 1947-1961. | ||
| 6. Marriage and Funeral Records, 1961-1969. | ||
| Subseries D. Baptism Records, 1921-1949. | ||
| 1. Baptism Records, 1921-1947. | ||
| 2. Baptism Records, 1943-1949. | ||
| Series II. Society Records, 1832-1920. | ||
| Subseries A. Accounts for Building the Meetinghouse, 1832-1835. | ||
| Subseries B. Trinitarian Congregational Society. Records, 1832-1920. | ||
| 1. Trinitarian Congregational Society. Records, 1832-1878. | ||
| 2. Trinitarian Congregational Society. Records, 1879-1920. | ||
| 3. Legal Documents pertaining to sale of Meetinghouse land, 1834. | ||
| Series III. Auxiliary Organizations. Records, 1864-1887, n.d. | ||
| Subseries A. Female Charitable Society of Bedford. Correspondence, n.d. | ||
| Subseries B. Ladies Benevolent Society of Bedford. Correspondence, 1864-1865. | ||
| Subseries C. Bedford Home Missionary Society. Records, 1887-1888. | ||
| Series IV. Printed Material, 1835, 1998. | ||
| Subseries A. Facsimile of Parlor Dedication document, 1998. | ||
| Subseries B. Boston Academy Collection of Church Music, 1835. | ||
| Series V. Winslow Family Genealogy, n.d. | ||
Appendix A: Ministers
| Nicholas Bowes | 1730 - 1754 | |||
| Nathaniel Sherman | 1756 - 1768 | |||
| Joseph Penniman | 1771 - 1793 | |||
| Samuel Stearns | 1796 - 1834 |
