US-RUn-msg95 Register to the Records of Christ Church, Lonsdale, R.I. Finding aid prepared by Kevin J. Logan and Beth Ullucci. University of Rhode Island Library, Special Collections and Archives Unit 2007
University Library, Special Collections and Archives 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011Tel: 401-874-4632E-mail: archives@etal.uri.eduWebsite: http://www.uri.edu/library/special_collections/
 Finding aid encoded by Kate Freedman on 2007 June 1, updated by Hailie D. Posey on 2009 August 17 English Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) Overview of the Collection Christ Church (Lonsdale, RI) Records of Christ Church, Lonsdale 1833-1989 9 boxes (4.5 linear feet) The Records of Christ Church consist of materials from 1833-1989, documenting the history of the church from its founding to the end of the twentieth century. The collection, which is divided into three series, consists of adminstrative records, church registers, and photographs. Special Collections and University Archives
15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu
 Mss. Gr. 95 The records are in English. Historical Information

Christ Church dates its founding to 1833, when Episcopalians in the mill village of Lonsdale, then part of Smithfield but now part of Lincoln, R.I., began holding services in the village schoolhouse. In January of 1834, worshippers gathered at the school house and formally organized themselves into the Episcopal parish of Christ Church. The parish was accepted into the Diocesan Convention in June of the same year. In early 1835, the Lonsdale Company, whose mills employed most of the parishioners, contributed $2,000 toward the construction of a church, as well as the land on which to build it. The church was completed in the late summer of 1835.

Christ Church has remained a part of the Lonsdale community since 1835. When the first church burned to the ground in 1883, the Lonsdale Company built a new larger Christ Church on the same site in 1883-84. It is in that latter church that the parishioners of Christ Church worship today.

Open for research.

Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.

Preferred Citation

Records of Christ Church, Lonsdale, Mss. Gr. 95, University of Rhode Island Special Collections.

 Scope and Content Note

These records document the religious, administrative, and social activities of Christ Church and includes the act of incorporation, deeds, mortgages, the document of consecration, programs for anniversaries and special events in the parish, church registers, minutes of meetings of parish organizations, Sunday School lesson plans and roll books, newsletters, and yearbooks. These records also include a collection of photographs of people, places, and events significant to the parish of Christ Church.

 Arrangement

After processing, the records were organized into three series as follows:

1. Subject Files 2. Registers 3. Photographs Acquisitions Information

The records of Christ Episcopal Church in the Lonsdale section of Lincoln, Rhode Island were deposited in the Special Collections Department of the University Library in 1987 and 1988 by the rector, Rev. Ronald Crocker.

The records of Christ Episcopal Church were housed in the parish offices before their transfer.

This collection was processed in 1991 by Beth Ullucci.

Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.

See Mss. Gr. 41, Records of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, 1715-1990, and Mss. Gr. 41.1, Records of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, 1810-2003, for additional related materials regarding Christ Church of Lonsdale.

There are no known separated materials.

No further materials are expected for this collection.

 Names Records, 1833-1989 Christ Church (Lonsdale, RI) Lonsdale Company Christ Church (Lonsdale, R.I.) Subjects Christ Church (Lonsdale, R.I.) -- Registers Episcopal Church -- Rhode Island -- History -- Sources Registers of births, etc. -- Rhode Island -- Lonsdale Marriage records -- Rhode Island -- Lonsdale Confirmation records -- Rhode Island -- Lonsdale Baptismal records -- Rhode Island -- Lonsdale Lonsdale (R.I.) -- Church history -- Sources Lonsdale (R.I.) -- Genealogy RIAMCO Browsing Terms Religion Inventory Series 1 Subject Files 1833-1989 5 boxes (2.5 linear feet) business records deeds minutes newsletters programs yearbooks

This series contains records documenting the religious and administrative activities of Christ Church, Lonsdale. Topics include the incorporation of the parish and subsequent amendments to the act of incorporation, the construction of the Church, the transfer of real estate from the Lonsdale Company to the Parish Corporation, the Girl's Friendly Society, the one hundredth and one hundred fiftieth anniversaries of the parish, the parish Sunday School, and the vestry.

Types of records represented include copies of the act of incorporation and amendments, deeds and mortgages, programs commemorating parish festivals and anniversaries, parish newsletters, minutes of meetings of parish organizations, lesson plans and roll books for the parish Sunday School, and the parish yearbook.

The records in this series are arranged alphabetically by subject or type of record and chronologically within folders.

 1 1 1835, 1920, 1947 Act of Incorporation: Amended 1 2 1953 Birthday Calendar 1 3 undated The Catholic Oak: Photograph 1 4 1961 Certificate of Title: Hannah Critchley Property 1 5 1903 Clark, Bishop Thomas: Memorial Issue of Diocesan Record on His Death 1 6 1885 Consecration of Christ Church, Document 1 7 1883-1933 Cornerstone Ceremony 1 8 1833, 1947, 1949, 1979, 1983 Correspondence, Miscellaneous 1 9 1965 Dedication Program: Parish House Addition See also Newspaper clippings 1 10 1949 Deeds: Ashton Property 1 11 1835 Lonsdale Co. to Christ Church 1 12 1937-1939 Quit Claim Deeds to Christ Church 1 13 1863-1949 Miscellaneous 1 14 1885, 1895, 1904 Easter Festival: Programs 1 15 1912-1919 Girl's Friendly Society: Membership Lists 1 16 1912-13, 1964-65 Minutes of Meetings 1 17 undated Photo Album 1 18 1934, 1947, undated Historical Notes and Sketches 1 19 1895 Marriage Certificate: Frank White/Maud Wilkinson 1 20 1927 Record of Daniel Browning/Alice Ramsden 1 21 undated Memorabilia: Keys, Nails 2 22 1882-1897 scattered Newspaper Clippings 2 23 1930-1976 scattered, 1979-1981, undated Newspaper Clippings 2 24 1983-85 One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary 2 25 1934 One Hundredth Anniversary Celebration 2 26 1923 Organ Specifications: Hool and Hastings Company 2 27 1902 Oct-1912 Sep The Parish Chronicle 2 28 1912 Oct-1919 Jul The Parish Chronicle 3 29 1914 Oct-1920 Jul The Parish Chronicle 3 30 1920 Oct-1925 Jul The Parish Chronicle 3 31 1925 Oct-1930 Jul The Parish Chronicle 3 32 1929, 1947, 1948, 1952 The Parish Chronicle (scattered issues) 3 33 1947 The Parish Chronicle: "A Brief History of Christ Church" 3 34 1896-1897 Parish House 3 35 1896-1962 Parish Meetings: Minutes 4 36 1928 Parochial Report 4 37 1989 Pastors, List of 1835-1989 4 38 1835, 1848, undated Pew Lists/Rentals See also: Vestry: Minutes of Meetings 4 39 1935 Plan of Tenement Property at Lonsdale Belonging to the Lonsdale Co. 4 40 1948 Property Map 4 41 1969-1980 Replinger, Rev. Charles 4 42 undated Scrapbook 4 43 undated Scrapbook 4 44 undated Scrapbook 4 45 undated Scrapbook: My Doll Hobby 4 46 undated Sharpe, Esther Jane: Postcards 4 47 undated Sharpe, Esther Jane: Postcards 5 48 1869, 1936, 1949-1950 Sunday School: Class Book and Lesson Plan 6 49 193319-51 Roll Book 7 50 1978 Throop, Rev. Robert H: Commemoration of His Retirement 8 51 1934-1981 Vestry: List of Members 9 52 1834-1896 Mar Minutes of Meetings. Also includes minutes of Parish Meetings (1834-95) and Pew Register (1835-60) 10 53 1896 Apr-1928 Oct Minutes of Meetings 11 54 1929 Jan-1950 May Minutes of Meetings 12 55 1901-1902, 1962 Yearbooks Series 2 Registers 1837-1975 3 boxes (1.5 linear feet) baptismal registers burial registers confirmations marriage registers

The Register Series contains bound Registers of Church Services for the years 1909 to 1975 and bound Parish Registers of Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, and Burials for the years 1837 to 1908.

The Registers of Church Services include the date, time, type of service number of attendees and the name of the celebrant for each service held in the parish. The volumes are arranged chronologically by the date of the service.

The Parish Registers are divided into sections by the type of service performed, i.e., baptisms, burials, confirmations, and marriages. The type of information recorded varies with the type of service. For baptisms it includes the date of the ceremony, the name and date of birth of the person baptized, the names of his/her parents, and the name of the officiating clergyman. The marriage records include the date of the ceremony, the names and ages of the betrothed, their residences. the names of their parents, and the name of the presiding clergyman. Confirmation records include the dates and names of those confirmed, and the name of the bishop performing the service. The burial records include the name of the deceased, the date of death, the cause of death, the age at death, the date of the funeral, the place of burial, and the name of the presiding clergyman.

The registers are arranged alphabetically by type of register and then chronologically by the inclusive dates of each register.

 6 1 1909 Mar-1917 May Church Services 6 2 1917 Jan-1923 Dec Church Services 6 3 1934 Jan-1960 Jun Church Services 6 4 1960 Aug-1965 Dec Church Services 6 5 1966 Jan-1975 Nov Church Services 7 6 1837-1864 Parish Register (Book 1): Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials 7 7 1864-1865 Parish Register (Book 2): Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials 7 8 1865-1885 Parish Register (Book 3): Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials 8 9 1885-1892 Parish Register (Book 4): Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials 8 10 1892-1897 Parish Register (Book 5): Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials 8 11 1898-1900 Parish Register (Book 6): Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages, Burials Series 3 Photographs 1844-1983 1 boxes (0.5 linear feet) photographs

This series contains photographs of Christ Church and people and events significant to the history and growth of the parish. Included are photographs of the children's choir, the church choir, the kindergarten classes, ministers of the church, and photographs of the interior and exterior of Christ Church.

The photographs are arranged alphabetically by the subject of the photograph.

 9 1 undated Children's Choir 9 2 1916, 1917, 1934, undated Church Choir 9 3 undated Church Exterior 9 4 undated Church Interior 9 5 1980 Crocker, Rev. Ronald 9 6 undated Kindergarten Class 9 7 1844-1928 scattered Ministers and Rectors 9 8 undated Rectory 9 9 1956-1983 scattered Miscellaneous Groups