Lilly Library Manuscript Collections

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RELIGION-RELATED COLLECTIONS

This list gives the collection name, date range and number of items in a collection followed by a very brief description of the contents of the collection. All of these collections are related to religion.

BARTHOLOMEW MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1838-1886
• ITEM COUNT: 581 items
• The Bartholomew mss. are papers of Jacob Bartholomew of Ohio and California. Of particular interest are the letters of Abraham Bartholomew, Jacob's uncle and a Lutheran minister in various Ohio towns. Abraham wrote of his work and of meetings of the Lutheran synod.

BROWNE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1878-1949
• ITEM COUNT: 4,786 items
• The Browne mss. are the papers of Lewis Browne, author, radio commentator, lecturer, and world traveler. Browne writes in his diaries, letters and writings of the persecution of Jews, Jews in Cincinnati and Mexico, and his impressions of the renowned leader of American reform Judaism, Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise.

BYRD MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1794-1881
• ITEM COUNT: 235 items
• The Byrd mss. are papers of Charles Willing Byrd, a member of the prominent Virginia family of that name. Byrd became deeply interested in the Shaker movement, and one of his sons, William Silonwe Byrd, joined the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. For the years, 1826-1828, a considerable portion of the collection consists of letters from this son, dealing with the beliefs of the Shakers and the affairs of Pleasant Hill.

CRAWFORD, H. MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1895-1978
• ITEM COUNT: 591 items
• The H. Crawford mss. consist primarily of the papers and memorabilia of businessman Hanford Crawford of St. Louis, Missouri. Included are articles and speeches on Methodist unification and the Methodist Church.

EGE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 12th-16th cent.
• ITEM COUNT: 52 items
• The Ege mss. consist of original leaves from Medieval manuscripts of Western Europe collected by Otto F. Ege. Each leaf is mounted and accompanied by a descriptive letterpress -- most were removed from Bibles, Books of Hours and other religious items.

ELLISON MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1790-1949
• The Ellison mss. consist of correspondence, diaries and other papers dealing with Western Americana collected by Robert Ellison. Some of those of a religious nature are described as follows:
  • 1834-1860 (microfilm). A selection of letters, diaries, and other accounts of Methodist missionaries in Oregon.
  • 1835-1858 (microfilm). Letters and papers from the Archives of the Board of managers of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
  • 1853, Mar. 15-1855, July 15. Seley M. Cook, clergyman. Journal of his religious meetings and classes in Oregon.
  • 1858, Dec. 23-1863, Nov. 22. Seley M. Cook, clergyman. Class book for Pleasant Valley, Oregon Sunday school class containing rolls of members.

FARMER MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1818-1874
• ITEM COUNT: 11 items
• The Farmer mss. are papers of Eli P. Farmer, clergyman, farmer, and politician. He became a licensed Methodist minister in 1826 and traveled about Indiana preaching, holding revivals, and attending camp meetings. During the Civil War he served as Chaplain with the 82nd Indiana Infantry Regiment.

HARPER MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1923-1925
• ITEM COUNT: 94 items
• The Harper mss. are the papers of W. Smith harper, a Methodist minister and a Ku Klux Klan organizer. They deal chiefly with the North Star Klan No. 2 realm of Minnesota.

HOHENBERGER MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1917-1960
• ITEM COUNT: 15,133 items
• The Hohenberger mss. is a collection of photographs, negatives, and papers of Frank Michael Hohenberger, photographer and newspaperman. Hohenberger is best known for his photographic documentation of the life, customs, and scenes of Brown County, Indiana. Of particular interest are the many images of churches.

INDIANA HISTORY MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1625-1983
• The Indiana History mss. consist of correspondence, diaries and other documents that were acquired from numerous sources. Some of those of a religious nature are described as follows: 1835, Sept. 30-1841, Aug. 14. Account book of Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends.
  • 1844, Sept.25-1851, Oct. 15 (copy). Minutes of the Indiana conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
  • 1917, Feb. 26. John Poucher, clergyman. A religious survey of Orleans, Indiana.
  • n.d. J.B. Cunningham, Early churches and church work in Indiana.

JANNEY MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1847-1900
• ITEM COUNT: 56 items
• The Janney mss. are the papers of John Jay Janney, member of the Society of Friends, educator, Ohio politician, and railroad official. Included are an essay on baptism read in and approved by the Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends in September 1897, of which five thousand copies were printed for distribution and an Epistle in answer to those received by the Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends.

JOHNSON, J. MSS.

• DATE RANGE: mid-eighteenth century
• ITEM COUNT: 23 items
• The J. Johnson mss. are the materials created by Jane Johnson of England primarily for the instruction of her son George. Included are three sets of lesson cards in verse and anecdotal form on religious and secular topics, and three card sets of religious and moral instruction.

LATIN AMERICAN MSS.

• The Manuscripts Department of the Lilly Library has a vast collection of Latin American manuscripts and a large quantity of this material relates to religious matters. Contact the Manuscripts Department for further information.

MCWHIRTER, MRS. F.T. MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1873-1974
• ITEM COUNT: 2,315 items
• The Mrs. F.T. McWhirter mss. are papers of Luella Frances McWhirter, clubwoman. Represented in the collection is material pertaining to the Indiana School of Religion, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and the Methodist Episcopal Church and its various divisions such as the Women's Foreign Missionary Society and Women's Home Missionary Society.

MARTIN MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1892-1896
• ITEM COUNT: 81 items
• The Martin mss. are letters and papers of Lewis B. Martin, secretary and general manager of the Terre Haute Savings Bank. They are principally letters to Martin as treasurer of the Diocese of Indianapolis of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 700-1600
• ITEM COUNT: 40 items
• The Medieval and Renaissance mss. consist of individual items acquired from a variety of sources. Some of this material relates to religious matters. Contact the Manuscripts Department for further information.

MISCELLANEOUS MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 2100 B.C.-1970
• The Miscellaneous mss. consist of individual items acquired from a variety of sources. Some material relates to religious matters. A few are described as follows:
  • n.d. G.R. Steele, Notes on the history of the Covenanters in Scotland and on the life of David Jamison Shaw.
  • n.d. Thai book of Buddhist religious literature.
  • n.d. (folio). The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Verses ('phags pa shes rab kyi pha rol du phyin pa brgyad stong pa).

MONGOLIAN MSS.

• DATE RANGE: late 18th/early 19th century
• ITEM COUNT: 2 mss.
• The Mongolian mss. consist of two Buddhist manuscripts, both in Mongolian script.

MONROE CO., IND. HISTORY MSS. DATE RANGE: 1812-1959

The Monroe County, Indiana History mss. consist of materials which relate to the history of the county. Some of the collections which relate to religion are described as follows:

• 1817, Aug. 14-1855, July 4 (folio photostat). Records of the Vernal Baptist Church.
• 1837, Sept. 18-1909, June 18 (bound). Minutes of the Monroe County Bible Society, Bloomington, Ind.
• 1908, Dec. 4: Henry F. Dillman, Church record of the Christian church at Clear Creek.
• n.d. (copy). Amanda Hughes. The old Presbyterian church as I remember it.

NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH (ILLINOIS) MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1851-1903
• ITEM COUNT: 9 items
• The New Jerusalem Church (Illinois) mss. are records of the Illinois association of the New Jerusalem Church and the New Church of Peoria, Illinois. Included are minute books, list of members, a registry of baptisms and other church material.

NILES MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1765-1916
• ITEM COUNT: 32,438 items
• The Niles mss. are papers of John Barron Niles, lawyer of LaPorte, Indiana. In early life he was a Presbyterian, but in middle life became a Swedenborgian. Included in the collection is correspondence about Swedenborgianism.

OWEN MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1821-1911
• ITEM COUNT: 163 items
• The Owen mss. are mainly letters of Richard Owen, son of Robert Owen, professor at Indiana University, and his descendants. Included are also some letters of other members of the Owen family and prominent New Harmony, Indiana, citizens. (New Harmony was at one time a religious collective community.)

PHIFER MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1978-1982
• ITEM COUNT: 15 items
• The Phifer mss. consist of the letters of Virginia Miner, poet and teacher, to Kenneth Wood Phifer, Unitarian- Universalist minister. Topics discussed in the letters include Miner's thoughts on religious matters, especially Unitarian-Universalist practices and how she came to accept this point of view.

POOLE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 3rd-16th century
• ITEM COUNT: 130 items
• The Poole mss. are a collection of 130 Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and single leaves. Most of this material relates to religious matters. Contact the Manuscripts Department for further information.

QUAKER MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1818-1888
• ITEM COUNT: 95 items
• The Quaker mss. consist of minutes of the Blue River Monthly Meeting, 1818-1860, minutes of the Blue River Quarterly Meeting, 1833-1885, and reports and letters from various monthly meetings, as well as statements on the conduct of certain members of the Society of Friends.

RAPPITE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1810-1939
• ITEM COUNT: 58 items
• The Rappite mss. consist of correspondence, music books, and other papers of the Harmony Society founded by George Rapp.

RICKETTS MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 9th-19th century
• ITEM COUNT: 332 items
• The Ricketts mss. are illuminated Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts assembled by Coella Lindsay Ricketts. Most of this material relates to religious matters. Contact the Manucripts Department for further information.

SCOTT MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1817-1937
• ITEM COUNT: 65,166 items
• The Scott mss. are the papers of emmet Hoyt Scott, railroadman, lumberman, manufacturer, and mayor of LaPorte, Indiana. Also included are the minutes, constitution, bylaws and records of the LaPorte, Indiana Society of the New Church, 1859-1924.

SMITH-MARSTERS MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1828-1905
• ITEM COUNT: 79 items
• The Smith-Marsters mss. are letters and papers of Hezekiah Smith, Indiana Methodist circuit rider, his wife, Susan (Marsters) Smith, her father, Stephen Marsters, Methodist church elder, and members of their families.

SPRAGUE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1832-1858
• ITEM COUNT: 27 items
• The Sprague mss. consist primarily of letters from Scottish writer Thomas Dick to clergyman William Buell Sprague. Topics discussed in Dick's letters include the temperance movement, slavery, the abolition movement in the U.S., and the Catholic Church.

TARRANT MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1869-1903
• ITEM COUNT: 35 items
• The Tarrant mss. consist of letters and papers of Henry Tarrant, Episcopal clergyman.

TENNYSON, F. MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1841-1922
• ITEM COUNT: 1,209 items
• The F. Tennyson mss. are the papers of poet Frederick Tennyson and his family. The correspondence with some members of the family and Mary Isabella Irwin Brotherton is chiefly concerned with spiritualism and Swedenborgianism. Numerous religious and mystical experiences are cited.

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1833-1933
• ITEM COUNT: 202 items
• The records of the United Presbyterian church of Bloomington, Indiana and its predecessors. Included are session records, lists of members, financial records, historical material and miscellaneous papers.

U.S. HISTORY MSS.

• The U.S. History mss. collection is a miscellaneous collection of manuscripts in American history acquired from various sources. Some of the collections which relate to religion are described as follows:
  • 1858-1892. Memorandum books of a Baptist minister in Wisconsin: sermon, doctrinal and church notes, remedies and recipes, agricultural hints, personal and church accounts, general information.
  • 1862, Oct. 24-1863, Sept. 9. Diary of Israel Cogshall, Chaplain, 19th Michigan Infantry.
  • 1865, Jan. 1-July 4. Diary of J.F. Lovering, Chaplain, 17th regiment Maine Infantry.
  • 1886, Nov. 25. Henry Ward Beecher. Thanksgiving sermon notes, Plymouth Church.
  • n.d. Paper relating to Mormonism at Nauvoo, Illinois...

URIARTE MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1729-1790
• ITEM COUNT: 104 items
• The Uriarte mss. consist primarily of the correspondence of Manuel Joaquin Uriarte and his diary of missionary life in the province of Mainas. The collection is a good source for Jesuit missionary activity in Ecuador and for the life of an expelled Jesuit in Italy.

WILLIAMS, SAMUEL MSS.

• DATE RANGE: 1796-1919
• ITEM COUNT: 3,948 items
• The Samuel Williams mss. consist of letters and papers of Samuel Williams and his son, Samuel Wesley Williams. Samuel Williams was prominent in the Methodist Church and many letters deal with Methodism. Also included are papers relating to the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.