Circuit, Charge, and Church Records Subseries, 1784-1974, bulk 1841-1919

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Scope and content:

Comprises primarily bound volumes of quarterly conference minutes that document the administrative life of Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS) circuits, charges, churches, missions, and stations in the eastern and central counties of North Carolina, especially those that until the late 1800s were part of the Virginia Conference. Counties with the most records in this subseries include Bladen, Caswell, Chatham, Dare (also Va.), Durham, Gates (also Va.), New Hanover, Perquimans (also Va.), and Wake. There is some overlap with the Western N.C. Conference. Records that span a large number of years and comprise a complete set of minutes during those years include Bath Circuit (Beaufort Co., 1849-1894), Dare Circuit (Dare Co., 1859-1903), Fifth Street Charge/Church/Station (New Hanover Co., 1844-1905), Gates Circuit (Gates Co., 1784-1911), Iredell Circuit (Iredell Co., 1823-1873), Leasburg Circuit (Caswell Co., 1883-1930), North Gates Circuit (Gates Co., 1884-1937), Pasquotank Circuit (Pasquotank Co., 1852-1906), Pittsboro Circuit (Chatham Co., 1854-1943), and Yanceyville Circuit (Caswell Co., 1844-1902).

Some of the oldest records, from 1784 to about 1851, include Bath Circuit (Beaufort Co., 1849-1891); Bertie Circuit (Gates Co., 1817-1822); Burlington, Graham, and Haw River Charge (Alamance Co., 1849-1852); Chatham Circuit (Chatham Co., 1833-1841); Currituck Circuit (Currituck Co., 1829-1838); Fifth Street Charge/Church/Station (New Hanover Co., 1844-1851); Gates Circuit (Gates Co., 1784-1840); Guilford Circuit (Guilford Co., 1832-1865); Iredell Circuit (Iredell Co., 1823-1873); Lincolton Circuit (Lincoln Co., 1828-1876); Newport and Trent Circuits (Carteret and Craven Cos., 1837-1844); and Yanceyville Circuit (Caswell Co., 1844-1877).

Some of the latest records, from 1930 to 1974, include Elizabeth Circuit (1875-1974), Duke Memorial Church (Durham Co., 1885-1970), North Gates Circuit (Gates Co., 1884-1937), Leasburg Circuit (Caswell Co., 1883-1930), and Pittsboro Circuit (Chatham Co., 1854-1943).

In addition to the quarterly conference minutes, there are also education, financial, missionary contribution, ministers, Sunday school, Epworth League, and Women's Missionary Society reports and minutes (Buckhorn Circuit, Wake Co.; Duke Memorial Church and Main Street Church, Durham Co.); membership, Sunday school, abstinence society, and class lists (Buckhorn Circuit, Wake Co.; Currituck Circuit, Currituck Co.; Forsyth Circuit, Forsyth Co.); plans of circuits (Currituck Circuit, Currituck Co.; Forsyth Circuit, Forsyth Co.); and notes, drawings, and inventories of church buildings and furniture (Iredell Circuit, Iredell Co.; Roanoke Circuit, Halifax Co.). The Buckhorn and Cokesbury Churches records (Haw River Circuit, Wake Co.) include subscription lists to "support the gospel on Haw River and Buckhorn Circuits," 1855-1858.

Arranged by county (boundaries current in 2004) and then alphabetically by circuit, charge, church, mission, or station name. Records from counties in the western section of North Carolina can be found in theWestern N.C. Conference Series. Additional information on circuits, charges, churches, missions, and stations may be found in the N.C. Conference Series, District Records Subseries, as well as the Historical Sketches Series, Circuits/Counties Subseries and the Churches/Cities Subseries. Information about ministers and other Methodists can be found alphabetically by last name in theHistorical Sketches Series, Ministers Subseries, while overviews of Methodism in general, and in North Carolina and Virginia in specific, can be found in the Historical Sketches Series, Methodism Subseries. Oversize items have been removed to theOversize Materials section of this finding aid.

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