During the late 17th and 18th centuries, the Church of England exerted considerable influence on the American ‘colonies’. This is reflected in the Fulham Papers, which consist of correspondence and other documents (Missionary Bonds, Ordination Papers, pamphlets etc.) to the Bishop of London from Canada, the thirteen states of the USA and the West Indies.

As well as dealing with ecclesiastical affairs, the Papers are of great social, political and economic interest.

“…should be purchased by libraries wanting to acquire original source material in Colonial American history… Any institution offering a Doctoral or Masters program in American history should not hesitate to add this collection to their holdings”. Microform Review, January 1973.

20 reels 35mm silver positive microfilm
Reference: FPA

Contents

General Correspondence 1626 – 1800

Reel Contents
1 I: Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Connecticut. II: Delaware, Florida, Georgia
2 II (continued) and III: Maryland
3 IV, V and VI: Massachusetts
4 VI (continued): New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Carolina. VII and VIII: Pennsylvania
5 VIII (continued): Rhode Island. IX and X: South Carolina
6 XI and XII: Virginia (to 1743)
7 XIII and XIV: Virginia (from 1744)
8 XV: Bahamas, Barbados (to 1739). XVI: Barbados (from 1731)
9 XVII Bermuda, Jamaica (to 1739). XVIII Jamaica (from 1740)
10 XIX: Leeward Islands (to 1749). XX. Leeward Islands (from 1750), Virgin Islands, Windward Islands and West Indies (General)

Ordination Papers 1748 – 1824

Reel Contents
11 XXI: Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland (to 1767) XXII: Maryland (from 1768), Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York
12 XXIII: New Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina. XXIV: Virginia (to 1764)
13 XXV, XXVI: Virginia (from 1765)
14 XXVII: Bahamas, Barbados (to 1790). XXVIII: Barbados (from 1793), Bermuda
15 XXIX and XXX: Jamaica
16 XXX (continued) Leeward Islands (to 1773) XXXI: Leeward Islands (from 1774), Virgin Islands. XXXII: Windward Islands

Missionary Bonds

Reel Contents
17 XXXIII and XXXIV: Canada and U.S.A (all States)
18 XXXV: West Indies (all islands), XXXVI: Colonies (General), Displaced Documents (all countries)
19 XXXVII – XL: other records, pamphlets etc.
20 XLI: American Colonies 1699 – 1774 (see below for full description)
20 XLII: Alphabetical List Of Clergy Ordained, 1723 – 1746 (see below for full description)

XLI: American Colonies 1699 – 1774

Connecticut, 1735 (f.1). Extract from a letter of Samuel Johnson, 1735 (see also ff. 236 – 237 for recommendation of John Pierson and Isaac Browne for ordination).

Maryland, 1750, 1754 (ff. 2 – 17). Ordination of papers of Benjamin Lindsay, 1750, and of John Rosse, 1754.

New England, 1735 (ff. 18 – 19). Letter from W. Sharpe, 1735.

New England, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, 1699 – 1700 (ff. 20 – 34). Copies of letters to (Colonel Nicholson) etc. See Guide to the MS material for the History of the United States of America, by C.M. Andrews & F.G Davenport, page 311.

New York, 1718 – 1774 (ff. 35 – 343). Correspondence on the appointment of clergy in the province of New York and New Jersey for incorporation (including letter of Archbishop Secker, (ff. 304 – 305), and King’s College, New York.

Includes correspondence with the following clergy: Jonathan Arnold, Samuel Auchmuty, Henry and Thomas Barclay, John Bartow, Joshua Bloomer, Daniel Bondet, Alexander Campbell, Richard Charlton, Thomas Colgan, Myles Cooper, John James Ehl, Alexander Farquharson, William Harrison, Charles Inglis, Robert Jenney, Samuel Johnson, Henry Munro, John Ogilvie, Benjamin Page, Thomas Poyer, Benjamin Price, Samuel Seabury, Thomas Standard, Peter Stoupe, John Talbot, John Thomas, Edward Vaughan, William Vesey, James Wetmore and Robert Weyman.

Also letters from the Governors of New York.

South Carolina, 1729 (ff. 344 – 345). Letters from Alexander Garden, 1729.

Virginia, 1720 – 1722 (ff. 346 – 354). Letter from the Clergy of New York and New Jersey to James Horrocks forwarded with other papers, extracts from correspondence between President Nelson of Virginia and Lord Hillsborough. (Cf. F.P. volume XIV, ff. 207 – 214).

S.P.G., 1707 – circa 1770 (ff. 355 – 380). Including printed letters from the Bishop of London and the Archbishop of Canterbury, appealing for funds, 1742, 1751 – 1752.

Note: Letter of Robert Jenney, 1724 (from F.P. London 141), letters of Bishop of London etc. (104), Nicholson’s letters (560), Ordination papers of Lindsay and Rosse (560) have been included with the papers from Lee, Bolton and Lee. 1976.

XLII: Alphabetical List Of Clergy Ordained, 1723 – 1746

Lists of ordinations, licenses, institutions and collations during the episcopate of Edmund Gibson, Bishop of London. 1723 – 1748.

The lists were compiled from the London diocesan subscription books by William Dickes, secretary to Richard Terrick, Bishop of London, 1764 – 1777. The volume follows the same alphabetical format as volume 38 and 39 and together with these two provides a complete or nearly complete list of clergy licensed to officiate in the Colonies for the period, 1723 – 1793.

Ordinations, 1723 – 1747 (ff. 1 – 16).

Licenses (Curates, lecturers, preachers and Schoolmasters), 1723 – 1748 (ff. 17 – 28).

Licenses to officiate in the Colonies, 1723 – 1748; Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Carolina, North and South Carolina, Connecticut, St. Christopher’s, Georgia, Jamaica, Island of Spanish Town, Leeward Islands, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montserrat, Nevis, New England, Newfoundland, New Jersey, New York, Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, Providence, Virginia, East Indies (ff. 28 – 33).

Institutions and collations, 1723 – 1748 (ff. 34 – 46)Volumes 1 – 40 are fully described in “The Catalogue of the Fulham Papers in Lambeth Palace Library”, compiled by Dr. W.W. Manross, which is an essential bibliographic tool for the microfilm.