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Archiver > PA-OLD-CHESTER > 2001-11 > 1005587194


From: "Doug & Patti Ensor" <>
Subject: Fw: Associate Synod Churches in Oxford, PA
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 09:46:34 -0800


This response was very informative to me and so thought it might be helpful
to others.

----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Ross <>
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 12:47 PM
Subject: Associate Synod Churches in Oxford, PA


Ms. Ensor:

The Presbyterian congregation in Oxford, PA was organized by the Reverend
Alexander Gellatly in 1754. Mr. Gellatly had been ordained by the Associate
Presbytery in Edinburgh (the "Seceders", org. 1733) and helped form the
first Associate Presbytery in the colonies (1753). The colonial congregation
in Oxford was one of the first Seceder churches in America

The Associate Presbyteries of Philadelphia and New York united with the
Reformed Presbytery (the "Covenanters") in 1782, forming the Associate
Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), but a remnant of the Covenanters
continued independently, and reorganized as a separate Reformed Presbyterian
Church in 1798. This similarity in names frequently causes confusion for
researchers. The ARPC continued until 1858 when it joined with the remaining
Associate Presbyterian churches to form the United Presbyterian Church in
North America, leaving only the separate Associate Reformed Synod of the
South to continue the old name. You will find all of this history detailed
in William M. Glasgow, _Cyclopedic Manual of the United Presbyterian Church
of North America_, (1903).

The ARPC congregation in Oxford remained in that tradition until 1822, when
it joined with some other ARPC congregations in New York to unite with the
Presbyterian Church in the USA, the large national denomination. The
congregation continues as the Presbyterian Church of Oxford, (6 Pine Street,
Oxford, PA 19363) and has deposited their surviving early records with us.

>From the period in which you are interested, we have session minutes,
1760-1775 and 1831-1914 (V/MI46/ Ox24s, 8 vols). We also have other primary
records from the church's boards from later periods. A church records survey
made of the church in the 1930s found many early records missing and
suggests that they were lost in fires. The congregation may know more
definitely about the survival of their earliest records.

As you know, the staff of the society cannot do research in these records
for you. The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania maintains a list of its
members who are available for hire on their website,
www.libertynet.org/gspa/profgen.html. We are not responsible for any
private research contracts and we do not specifically recommend any one
researcher.

You are also welcome to visit the society to use our collections. The
reading room is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM, closed Saturdays,
Sundays and, holidays. There is a daily research fee of $5.00. Our materials
do not circulate. Please visit our website www.history.pcusa.org for further
information about our collections, services, and hours.

For the society,

Kenneth J. Ross
Reference Librarian
215.928.3882




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