Genealogical Abstracts from Newspapers of the German Reformed Church, 1840-1843

By the early nineteenth century, the powerful Reformed Church movement had established itself among German-speaking settlers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Seeking to launch churches in other communities, missionaries were sent into the surrounding states and territories. In 1827, the church began a newspaper, printed in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and later named The Weekly Messenger of the German Reformed Church, to support its missionary activities and to provide a connection and communication between church members across the country. This book contains abstracts of more than 200 issues of that newspaper, published from 1840 to 1843, which cover happenings in more than twenty-two states and territories (primarily Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, New York, Virginia, and North Carolina), and twelve countries. All sorts of events, not limited to those church-related, were covered by the newspaper and are contained in these abstracts. "Ministers sending subscriptions and payments to the editor included marriage and death notices about people in the communities that they served and were not limited to members of their church. Lists of victims of train and boat accidents, and natural disasters, were printed, as well as acknowledgments of subscriptions and charitable contributions." These abstracts paint a truly fascinating picture of mid-nineteenth century life, and of the German Reformed Church and its influences. An every-name index is a great aid to researchers.