Litchfield, Conn. South Farms Church disciplinary records, 1781.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains records related to the dismissal of Rev. George Beckwith Jr. from the South Farms Church in Litchfield, Connecticut. The records include the initial call for an ecclesiastical council by the parish society which enumerates both specific and general complaints against Rev. Beckwith. Of particular note is a complaint that he was "lasciviously attempting female chastity". Also included in the records is an invitation to the ecclesiastical council and the results of the ecclesiastical council. While the council could not corroborate all of the complaints against Rev. Beckwith, they did find him guilty of adultery; Rev. Beckwith was required to write a confession regarding his adultery which is also included in the records. The records also include a document officially removing Rev. Beckwith as minister of the church.
Dates
- 1781
Creator
- South Farms Church (Litchfield, Conn.) (Organization)
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Historical Note
In 1767 the South Farms parish of Litchfield, Connecticut, was established, allowing for the residents, nearly all farmers, to establish their own church. That year the South Farms Parish Society was formed and in 1768 the South Farms Church was officially gathered. The church remained without a minister until 1772 when George Beckwith Jr. was ordained as the first minister.
George Beckwith Jr. was the son of the congregational minister George Beckwith Sr. Beckwith Sr. was the minister at the Second Parish Church in Lyme, Connecticut, from 1730 until 1785. He was also a trustee of Yale. Beckwith Jr. graduated from Yale in 1766 and served as the minister of the South Farms Church from 1772 until 1781. Beckwith was removed as the minister of the South Farms Church by an ecclesiastical council called by the parish society. The ecclesiastical council found him guilty of breaking the seventh commandment; in other words, Beckwith was found guilty of adultery.
In 1859 the South Farms parish was incorporated as the town of Morris, Connecticut. The name of the church was changed to Morris Congregational Church at that time. The Morris Congregational Church, now a member of the United Church of Christ, is still active in the local community today.
Extent
1 Folders
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
In 1768 the South Farms Church was gathered in the recently designated South Farms Parish of Litchfield, Connecticut. In 1772 George Beckwith Jr. was installed as the first minister of the church. He was removed in 1781 after an ecclesiastical council found him guilty of adultery. The South Farms Church, now Morris Congregational Church, continues to serve the local community today. This collection contains the records of the ecclesiastical council which removed Beckwith from his ministerial duties at the South Farms Church.
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Immediate Source of Acquisition
No acquisition information is available for this collection.
Accruals
Additional accruals are expected for this collection in the form of full-text transcription. There is no anticipated date for this accrual.
Processing Information
Processed by Zachary Bodnar, May 2019, using DACS Second Edition.
- Church discipline.
- Church records and registers.
- Litchfield (Conn.) -- Church history.
- Morris (Conn.) -- Church history.
- New England's Hidden Histories.
- Sexual misconduct by clergy.
- South Farms Church (Litchfield, Conn.)
Creator
- South Farms Church (Litchfield, Conn.) (Organization)
- Title
- Litchfield, Conn. South Farms Church disciplinary records, 1781.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Zachary Bodnar
- Date
- 2019-05-07
- Description rules
- Dacs2 2013
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Congregational Library & Archives Repository