Yet more A. P. Adams Stuff

 If you can add even the smallest detail, please do so. 

Separates from Barbour

 

            First issue of Spirit of the Word [continue]

 

            He described his association as an independent church. A guide to Beverly, Massachusetts, described it as “a little religious society in Beverly that has no particular sectarian name.” This was common practice among Restitution and Age-to-Come sects. “Its membership is composed of people who were formerly Methodists; they came from that body because of becoming interested through their pastor, Rev. A. P. Adams, in the subject of the Lord's coming and the Restitution of all things, (Acts 3:21) in the ‘Ages to come’ (Eph. 2:7).” When interviewed Adams made a point of saying “they are not Adventists ... for they believe that the second coming of Christ is for the blessing of the whole human race, a view that the Advent sect altogether repudiate.”

            His congregation was very small, though Adams claimed “there are thousands of (sympathizers) scattered over the country.” If one counted all Universalists and Age-to-Come believers, in truth it would be difficult to find thousands who sympathized with Adams’ unique doctrines. This was an exaggeration.

            Meetings were held Sunday afternoons in Good Templar's Hall, except the last Sunday of the month when the meeting was in Boston. The guide we’ve drawn this from said:

 

A general convention is held in Beverly during the month of June each year for those in New England and vicinity. Besides this, Mr. Adams, who is still their pastor, accompanied by his wife, makes an extended tour every year, (since 1890), of three or four months among the interested ones in the South and West and up in the Canadian provinces. A monthly paper has been published in Beverly ... for the dissemination of these views; many books and thousands of copies of tracts have been scattered far and wide over the land. This faith is briefly expressed in the language of the day as the “larger hope," though with Mr. Adams and those in sympathy with him, it is more than a hope, it is plain Scriptural doctrine.[1]

 

            Adams support seems to have come from one or two wealthy adherents. A short notice in the New Hartford, Connecticut, Western News reported that Adams held parlor meetings at the invitation of Mrs. Kellogg-Strakosch [1842-1916] on Sunday and Monday of the preceding week. On Sunday Adams spoke on “Death” and on Monday on the topic “Liberty.” This seems to be his ordinary fare. What isn’t ordinary is who his hostess was. Clara Louise Kellogg was “the first American Prima Dona,” “one of the foremost singers in Grand Opera.”[2]

            Clara Louise left us an autobiography. We do not learn much about her religious views from it. She pictured herself when a young singer is of “an odd, young creature – just five feet and four inches tall, and weighing only one hundred and four pounds. I was frail and big-eyed, and wrapped up in music (not cotton wool), and exceedingly childlike for my age. I knew nothing of life, for my puritanical surroundings and the way in which I had been brought up were developing my personality very slowly.” She mentions attending church in various places. Beyond the brief article in The Western News we know nothing of her relationship to Adams. It is likely, however, that she and others like her were the financial mainstays of Adams’ ministry.

 

Adherents

 

            Adams had enough influence among Watch Tower adherents that Russell addressed the issue, naming him along with Barbour and Paton as former associates, [continue]

 

            As we observed in [volume page] most of those who followed Paton, Barbour and Adams met with Watch Tower adherents because their numbers were small and they had no meaningful meetings of their own. Adams was somewhat surprised to find that small “assemblies” were “meeting regularly to talk of the things concerning the soon coming kingdom.” Though he made it seem that there were many “in various places,” he could only name two and had the address of only one. A small association met at 67 Schermerhorn Street, in New York City. Adams suggested there was another group regularly meeting in Chicago, but he didn’t know the address, adding “there is also one at Philadelphia I think.”[3] We know few details.

            What minor detail we have attaches to the Chicago believers. We have the name of three: Clarinda Jane Ferris and her two daughters Ada Josephine and Georgia.[4] That’s it. There is at this writing no more detail.  

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[1]               W. C. Morgan: Beverly, Garden City by the Sea: An Historical Sketch of the North Shore City, Amos O. Odell, Beverly, 1897, pages 120-121.

[2]               Carl Strakosch Dies at Hotel, The Hartford, Connecticut, Courant¸ October 24, 1916.

[3]               A. P. Adams: Assemblies, Spirit of the Word, February 1890, pages 45-46.

[4]               Clarinda Jane nee Avrill [1828-1914] was the widow of George B. Ferris [1833-1872]. Ada married Henry James Sprague in 1886. Sprague died in November 1889, leaving Ada a widow. A somewhat confusing city directory entry suggests that she managed a boarding house in Chicago which was owned by her husband’s relatives. Georgia A. Ferris married Burton A. Graves, date uncertain.