Braintree, Mass. First Congregational Church records, 1697-1871.

Collection

Identifier: RG5302

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records from the First Congregational Church in Braintree, Mass. document the history of the organization, Braintree Precinct, and Pastor Samuel Niles, including membership, finances, church life, and the thoughts of the Pastor. Included in the records are meeting minutes, financial records, journal entries, and lists of marriages, baptisms, deaths, and admissions to the church.

Dates

1697-1871

Creator

First Congregational Church (Braintree, Mass.) (Organization)

Restrictions on Access

Access to this collection is unrestricted and open to the public.

Restrictions on Use

Items in this collection are subject to U.S. Copyright Law. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of collection items and to secure any permissions necessary for their reproduction and publication. Requests for permission to publish material must be discussed with the archivist or librarian.

Digital Reproductions are protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use the Digital Reproductions in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the Congregational Library & Archives for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the Congregational Library & Archives. For additional information regarding copyright, please consult the Congregational Library & Archives' Digital Collections Copyright & Use policy.

Historical Note

The first Parish to settle in the Braintree area in 1634 was known as "Mount Wollaston," named after the founder of a trading post in 1624. The Mount Wollaston Parish Meeting House was established in 1639 in the present-day Quincy Area, and by 1640 the town was renamed Braintree. Braintree originally included present-day Braintree, Quincy, Randolph, and Holbrook. The Parish Meeting House was the site of the original church, which first gathered on September 10, 1707. In 1708, old Braintree was divided into the North Precinct (Quincy) and the South Precinct (Braintree). At the time, Braintree was sometimes referred to as "Monatiquot," after the Massachusett Indian village and home of Chief Wompatuck. When Quincy became an official town in 1792, the 1707 church was designated as the First Church in Braintree. Over the years, the church has been known as the First Congregational Church, Christ Church, and the Church of the Presidents. The first ministers of the church included Hugh Adams (ordained 1707), Samuel Niles (ordained 1711), and Ezra Weld (ordained 1762).

Extent

.44 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Mount Wollaston Parish Meeting House was established in 1639 in the present-day Quincy Area, and by 1640 the town was renamed Braintree. This Meeting House was the site of the original church, which first gathered on September 10, 1707. In 1708, old Braintree was divided into the North Precinct (Quincy) and the South Precinct (Braintree). When Quincy became an official town in 1792, the 1707 church was designated as the First Church in Braintree. The records in this collection include the journal of Samuel Niles dating 1697 to 1777, a volume of church records dating from 1707-1871, a volume of the Braintree Precinct's Financial Records dating 1708 to 1796, and a volume of church records dating 1790 to 1825.

Arrangement

The four volumes are arranged chronologically by start date.

Technical Requirements

To access digital user's copies via online-interface a java-enabled web browser is required. Internet Explorer 8.x and later, Firefox 5.x and alter, Opera 12 and later, Safari 5.x and later, or any version of Google Chrome are recommended.

Acquisition Information

All materials besides "church records, 1707-1871" were temporarily deposited for digitization with the Congregational Library & Archives by the First Congregational Church in Braintree in November 2015; no accession number.

Church records, 1707-1871 were temporarily deposited for digitization with the Congregational Library & Archives by the First Congregational Church in Braintree in November 2018; 2018-37.

Accruals

Additional accruals are expected for this collection in the form of full-text transcription. There is no anticipated date for this accrual.

Location of Originals

The physical records are held and maintained by the First Congregational Church in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Related Materials

By Richard S. Storrs, D.D: American slavery, and the means of removal: a sermon, preached in the First Congregational Church, Braintree, April 4, 1844. (28.9.4 1534)

By First Congregational Church (Braintree, Mass.): Braintree, MA: First Congregational Church. (1907) (17.11.1 B73.4 FIRCC)

By A. A. Ellsworth: Christian unity: a sermon preached at the First Parish Church, Braintree, Mass. (1895) (15.5 5834.1)

By Rev. Richard S. Storrs: Continuance in the ministry: a discourse delivered in the First Congregational Church, Braintree, Mass., July 3, 1861, by Rev. Richard S. Storrs, on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination. (15.4 5846 STOO-STOR)

Compiled by Ruth W. Shuster: Gathered in 1707: a history of the First Congregational Church, Braintree, Massachusetts, 1707-1957. (1957) (17.11.1 B73.4 FIRCC GS 1957)

By the pastor, Rev. A.A. Ellsworth: Law and order: a sermon preached at the First Parish Church, Braintree, Mass., on Sunday, April 5, 1891.) (15.4 5846 ELL-ELY)

By Rev. Richard S. Storrs, D.D.: The pastor's farewell benediction. A sermon delivered in the First Congregational Church of Braintree, Mass., July 2, 1871, the day following being the sixtieth anniversary of his settlement, July 3, 1811, / (1871) (15.0.5 5621 S-TE)

By Ebenezer Gay, A.M.: The untimely death of a man of God lamented: in a sermon preach'd at the funeral of the Reverend Mr. John Hancock, pastor of the First Church of Christ in Braintree, who died May 7th. 1744, aetatis suae 42. (1744) (15.0.7 5625 HAL-HAZ)

Processing Information

Processed by Corinne Bernstein, February 2016, using DACS Second Edition. Collection re-described by Jules Thomson in January 2020 to reflect accrual of 1707-1871 volume of church records.