1874-75 Allegheny-Pittsburgh – Adventist or Age to Come? The case of George Storrs and Elder Owen.

Illustrated above are George Stetson’s meetings at Quincy Hall, Allegheny, as reported in The Advent Christian Times in November, 1873, and George Clowes’ meetings at the same address as reported in The Restitution (Age to Come/One Faith) in November, 1874.

by "Jerome"

Note: this is an abridged version of this article. The full article with all the references can be found on blog number 2.


As previously established on this blog, the Allegheny meetings of the early 1870s had an eclectic mix. In the early days Advent Christians and Age to Come believers would often meet together. They were united on their keen interest in the return of Christ and conditional immortality, while generally divided over such subjects as the destiny of Israel, the resurrection, the timing of key events, and the advisability (or otherwise) of date setting.

As long as everyone remained tolerant and unofficial the situation could continue. But while Age to Come believers of the 1870s were independent groups, the Second Adventists were increasingly anxious for recognition as an established religion. This required an official statement of belief covering not just vague generalities but specifics. As George Storrs would put it, writing in Bible Examiner for June 1876, about his distaste for Advent Conferences, (quote) I have seen this process of organizing conferences, especially, with deep sorrow. Next come “Resolutions”, theory of course, at first; but presently dictatorial, next penal (end of quote).

The logical outcome from this was described in Bible Examiner (hereafter abbreviated to BE) for October 1877, where Elder S W Bishop quotes from a resolution passed at the last session of The Advent Christian Association, to the effect that (quote) appointments to preach shall not be passed in their organ, The World’s Crisis, for anyone who believes...the following doctrines...viz...age to come (end quote). Bishop relates tales of those preaching future probation being forced out of churches.

In spite of this, some individuals still managed to straddle the divide through the 1870s. George Stetson was a case in point. Ordained by the Advent Christian Church they claimed him as one of their own, but in the last few years of his life he probably wrote more articles for The Restitution, and his meetings in Edinboro were regularly announced there.

As noted above, Stetson’s 1873 meetings at Quincy Hall in Allegheny were billed as Advent Christian. The local man, George Clowes, had also been claimed as Advent Christian at one point, but as also noted above, by 1874, his ministry at Quincy Hall was now claimed as One Faith, Age to Come.

So which was it to be? Advent Christian or Age to Come?

While the group associated with the Russell family no doubt retained its independence, allowing the majority to link up with Nelson Barbour later, if you had to attach a label, Age to Come believers in future probation (rather than Advent Christian) would be it.

This article will present three lines of evidence to establish this. First, the way their meetings were advertised in the religious press, and then two key visitors whose preaching was accepted by the group.

The first point we have already covered. The November 1874 meetings with Elder Clowes were advertised as Age to Come. As we will see later, the meetings Clowes attended were also attended by Joseph Lytel Russell, William H Conley, and Charles Taze Russell (hereafter abbreviated to CTR). When Clowes died in 1889 Zion’s Watch Tower published an obituary for him in the March issue (reprints 1110).

Second and third, we have two known visitors to the group.

The first was George Storrs himself, who visited in May 1874 and wrote quite a detailed account of his experiences. Before we try and pigeon-hole Storrs’ theology, it would be useful to outline what happened both before, during and after his visit to Pittsburgh.

Shortly after his magazine became a monthly again, Storrs offered to preach on the subject of Vindication of the Divine Character and Government to any group who would welcome him. The next issue, April 1874, noted that C T Russell and Son had been in touch, as had George Stetson in Edinboro. Another regular Pittsburgh correspondent from this era was C W Buvinger, M.D. Whoever gave the invitation, it was given promptly and Storrs responded promptly. In the May 1874 BE, Storrs announced that he would be in Pittsburgh on the first and second Sundays of that month.

In the June 1874 BE, Storrs’ editorial gives a detailed review of his trip to Pittsburgh. Storrs (quote) found there a small but noble band of friends who upheld with the full hearts the truths advocated by himself. Among them is a preacher who was formerly of the Methodists (end quote). This would appear to be George Clowes.

Storrs reproduced a newspaper review from The Pittsburgh Leader on his talk at the Library Hall. In his talk Storrs refers to “the ages to come” and stresses that (quote) all men have will have an opportunity, if not in this life, in another one...Some may call me Universalist. I am in one sense; I believe that a universal opportunity will be accorded to every son and daughter of Adam (end of quote). Storrs ended his review by thanking the friends in Pittsburgh for their generous support sustaining him and sending him on his way.

Storrs’ visit had an immediate impact. In the same June 1874 issue of BE, under the heading Parcels Sent up to May 25 are several well-known names: Wm H Conley (2 parcels), G D Clowes Snr. and J L Russell and Son (by Express). Sandwiched between the names of Clowes and Russell in the list is a B F Land. It is only conjecture on this writer’s part, but CTR’s sister Margaret, who was about twenty years old at this time, was to marry a Benjamin Land. They had their first child c. 1876. One wonders when and where they met.

Missing of course from this list of eager recipients of Storrs’ materials is CTR – other than the letterhead of J L Russell and Son. However, the very next issue of BE for July 1874, under Letters Received up to June 25, lists C T Russell

So key characters were all in place when Storrs’ visited in May 1874 and preached about the Ages to Come, and when the Restitution advertised Allegheny meetings conducted by Clowes as One Faith in November 1874.

In the December 1874 BE, a belated letter from Joseph Lytel Russell to Storrs was published about the May meeting, apologising for the delay and expressing Joseph’s appreciation for it. Storrs’ responded by saying (quote) Brother Russell is one of our elder brethren, with whom I formed a most agreeable acquaintance while in Pittsburgh last May, and I think of him only to love and respect him (end of quote).

This suggests that Storrs and Joseph Lytel only met in the flesh for the first time at those meetings in May 1874. And there is no mention of CTR in the correspondence. However, assuming CTR was actually there in early May, Storrs would naturally relate more to those nearer his own age.

So George Storrs was a welcomed speaker at Pittsburgh, with whom some at least continued in warm fellowship afterwards.

So, returning to our main point, what does this tell us about the leaning of the group he visited? Was Storrs Age to Come or Advent Christian?

Storrs would probably have denied that he was either. However, his sympathies certainly lay in one direction.

Storrs was fiercely independent, and had restarted Bible Examiner in 1871, after accepting future probation with an inclusiveness that, as noted above, prompted others to accuse him of being universalist.

Future probation had been a hot potato for both Age to Come believers and Adventists, with widely differing views within each group. But in the 1870s the Restitution newspaper at least allowed some debate on the subject. Storrs wrote a number of articles for the Restitution on this theme, as part of an ongoing debate, where some readers accepted the general outline of his views. Storrs’ journal also quoted approvingly from The Restitution on a number of occasions, and. even when disagreeing with them Storrs still addressed them as “dear fellow-laborers”.

So it would be logical for an independent group like the one in Pittsburgh to welcome Storrs as a speaker.

No such rapport can be found between Storrs and the Advent Christian Church throughout the 1870s. One can look in vain for kind words about them in BE.

A few comments directly from Storrs himself about the Advent Christian Church and its organs like The World’s Crisis: (quote) Poor old Rome has some very foolish children...I have nothing but pity for such ...out of their own mouths they are condemned...the same spirit crucified the Lord Jesus...I leave them with their own master...very close to blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (end of quotes).

Some of Storrs’ correspondents were almost apoplectic when mentioning the Advent Christian Church (quote) Unmitigated bigotry...daughters of Rome...covenant breakers...appalling doctrine...as bigoted and sectarian as any other “ists” (end of quotes)

Correspondents sent in material on the assumption that Storrs did not receive The World’s Crisis, and Storrs himself gave a succinct response to one correspondent: I never see the Advent Christian Times!

Storrs summed up his views of both Adventists and Age to Come believers in an article published in July 1876 BE, entitled Adventist View in Error on the End of Probation. He stated (quote) these are painful dilemmas for humane and conscientious Adventists...it makes them secretly hope...that the Age to Come advocates are right (end quote). Then, writing about the Age to Come believer (quote) as he believes in the restoration of Israel and the conversion of them and the Gentile nations, and allows both salvation and probation for such beyond the second advent, he does not burn up the promises of God before they can be fulfilled, like the Adventist (end of quote).

Reading all the above, I think we can safely assume that, had the Allegheny-Pittsburgh group been staunch Advent Christian, there is no way George Storrs would have been on their guest list!

So we have two lines of evidence as to the leanings of the Allegheny-Pittsburgh group in 1874-75 – first, how they were advertised in the religious press and second , how a maverick like Storrs was welcomed.

The third line of evidence is another visitor they had – this time in 1875. And here we come to the interesting case of Elder E Owen.

The November 1875 BE contains a trove of familiar names. Under Letters Received, Storrs notes two from CTR and one from W H Conley. But a little earlier in this issue Storrs published the contents of two other letters, one from Elder G D Clowes and one from J L Russell, both of Pittsburgh.

Both letters expressed support for Storrs’ labours and showed clearly that Clowes and Joseph Lytel were still attending the same meetings. They also give a clue as to the continuing character of those meetings. Clowes writes “Brother Owen is labouring with us”. Joseph Lytel gives a little more detail: “Brother E Owens (sic) of Portsmouth N.H. has been with us on a visit. We were very much pleased with him. I think he is truly a servant of the Lord’s, sent to preach the gospel.”

Elder E Owen (like George Clowes before him) had been claimed as Advent Christian a few years before. He is listed in the World’s Crisis’ speaking lists for 1871, including his home city of Portsmouth, N.H. But by 1875, if not before, he appears to have come to a parting of the ways.

Storrs published several of his letters. The key one was in the issue for April 1874, where, to use a modern expression, Owen has a bit of a rant.

(quote) When so called “men of God” advise congregations to exclude from their houses, and churches, all who believe in the “age to come”, (as was reverently done in this place), I feel to say, God have mercy upon such leaders of the people: for if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. I am fully satisfied the Advent people are growing more and more contracted in sentiment, more and more adverse to investigation; and I am fully aware that spiritual death and declension is inevitable. May God preserve me and as many as can be preserved from imbibing so unfruitful a frame of mind. (end of quote)

Elder Owen had strong feelings over the increasing gulf between Adventists and Age to Come believers and how he had personally fared in the controversy. He clearly eschewed any woolly ecumenical feelings and nailed his colors firmly to the wall. So when George Clowes and Joseph Lytel welcomed Owen with open arms in late 1875 and spoke appreciatively of his ministry, it is obvious which side of the mounting divide they continued to support.

So while the group connected with Joseph Lytel Russell, George D Clowes, William H Conley and CTR may have been independent, its natural home was in the Age to Come family.

And then events took an unexpected turn. Charles Taze Russell met Nelson Barbour.

Lardent Cards

Quite collectable, Lardent cards are often found as bookmarks in old publications of the Watch Tower Society when they become available. They were also used to send messages, so often contain interesting personal information on the reverse sides.

Frederick Jethro Lardent was born in 1885 and lived until 1970. He was an optician by profession, and wrote articles for medical magazines on occasion. He produced two sets of cards – one with the prefix L (obviously for Lardent) which ran to nearly 200 different copies, and one with the prefix F (for Frederick) which were more photographic in nature.

His cards were circulated by all strands of Bible Student opinion until the mid to late-1920s. Then, as the Daily Heavenly Manna was phased out along with other changes, his cards were more circulated by those who left the Society. By 1931 he was on the speaker’s list for a breakaway movement in Britain. He published several anthologies of his cards, such as The Call of the Bride and Comforted of God. He also published a journal which folded about 1941.

In his will he left his printing blocks to Albert Hudson. Hudson, who once described Lardent’s efforts as having “a sublime disregard for copyright” promptly dumped them. This adds a bit to the scarcity value of the product for collectors.

Spot the Difference!

The two rectangular pictures are postcards from the Photodrama of Creation. A set of 40 postcards was advertised in 1917 (see reprints page 6077) – and complete sets have passed through my hands on several occasions, always 40 in number.

However, the two colored cards above are numbered 44 and 47b.

Spot the difference.

However, the square picture is the actual slide used in the Photodrama, which is different yet again. (This original is reproduced in the scenario and would later be reproduced again in a motto postcard numbered L-9 – one of the Lardent series.)

Why did they keep on redrawing (not always very successfully) this particular picture - particularly in the Photodrama postcard series?


And does anyone have details of any other Photodrama postcards higher than 40? There is 47a which has a woman on a veranda overlooking a paradise scene with animals entitled PAX, but I have never seen others higher than 40.

On the private blog ...

I posted an longish section on Russell's early religious experience. We've identified the Congregational Church he associated with and now know the names of the clergy he dealt with. There is information about his early exposure to prophetic speculation and English Literalism while a Congregationalist.

To read this you must ask for access. Contact Mr. Schulz at bwschulz2 at yahoo dot com to request access. Explain your interest briefly. Brief is good.

The Angelophone recordings

With the success of the Photodrama in mind, and the realisation that records were now highly popular, a few Bible Students set up the Angelico Company in 1916. Ostensibly it was to manufacture and sell phonographs, but with each purchase came a set of 50 Angelophone recordings. For some reason they were numbered 49-98, although it is certain that no 1-48 were ever issued. The records were small seven inch discs using the ‘hill and dale’ method to squeeze two minutes on a side at 85 rpm. They were advertised as ‘Old Fireside Hymns’ sung by the celebrated baritone Henry Burr. On the reverse side (also at 85 rpm) were a series of two minute sermons to explain the hymns. These were uncredited, but were Pastor Russell’s own voice. Those who had questions could write to a ‘Free Information Bureau for Angelophone Patrons’. This of course was the Watch Tower Society.

It must have sounded a good idea on paper; reaching people who might be prejudiced by the words Watch Tower. In practice, it was a disaster!

For a start, Henry Burr sounds rather the worse for wear. The hymns contain some high notes that his baritone had considerable difficulty in reaching. Limited to two minutes many hymns were abridged. The reverse side, Pastor Russell’s short sermons – and the only reason the Bible Students would purchase – was even worse! Russell was now in very poor health and died in October 1916. His voice, unsuitable for the Photodrama, was even more unsuitable now. The recordings were very poorly made, and today (without a transcript) much of what is said is indecipherable. It appears to have been the same at the time because complaints flooded in, and the Watch Tower had to announce they had been re-recorded. This time, Harry Humphries was hired again. His voice was slightly slower, so the speed for his recordings was reduced to 80 rpm. There is some improvement, but not a lot, and the records soon ceased production. The Angelophone Hymnal disappeared from the Society’s cost list after 1919.


Note for collectors: there are two issues. The first issue has dark blue paper labels for the ‘Old Fireside Hymns’ and an embossed title for the lectures given (uncredited) by Russell. The second issue has light blue paper labels for the hymns (the words ‘Old Fireside’ are omitted) and off-white paper labels for the lectures given (uncredited) by Humphries.


Taken from “The Watchtower (IBSA) Recordings” published in “The Historic Record” issue 27 (dated April 1993) with kind permission of the author.

Things

moved here from the private blog ...

From Jenny Smith's Diary

November 1, 1878.—At Sister Clark's. Two more interesting days have passed. This has been a special privilege. Yesterday A. M. went to Dr. Tyng's church. Attended the convention met to discuss " The Second Coming of Christ;" was surprised to meet acquaintances from all parts of the land. Had the pleasure of meeting several with whom I have corresponded—Rev. H. L. Hastings, Dr. Charles Cullis and others. Brother Russell of Pittsburg, would have me take lunch with him. Note: The convention was the prophetic conference in New York. Thanks to Frank M. for pointing us to this reference.

Watchtower ASV

We have an extra copy of the Watchtower printed American Standard Bible. This is the first printing that still has the Thomas Nelson imprint on the title page with the Watch Tower imprint in the copyright page. It is much harder to find than the later printings with the Nelson imprint removed. It needs a good home. Contact me if you're interested. A donation to our research fund will probably make it yours. This is a used Bible. It appears unmarked, but shows wear. If you're interested let me know.

Maria at Russell's grave

From a letter in the St Paul Enterprise for November 14, 1916 (page 3) written by the editor William Abbott to his wife, an eye witness account of the funeral:

At the grave, two heavily veiled ladies followed the coffin, one on the arm of Brother Pyles of Washington, the other on the arm of another brother – I think it was Brother Driscoll. One of the ladies was Mrs Russell – a widow indeed, and I shed a tear for her.

Henry D. Moore, DD

There was only one Congregational Church in Allegheny in 1868. This man was pastor. There continued to be only one Congregational Church in Allegheny City through 1875. We've not reached firm conclusions yet, but we think this was Russell's pastor.

We need to see this ...

Israel's greater faith contrasted with "Zion's Watch Tower" doctrine. [Signed: W.D.F. i.e. William D. Forsyth.].
Author: W. D. F.
Publisher: Rochdale, [1910]

The only copy we can find is in the National Library of Scotland. Costs from the US are prohibitive. Anyone in the UK wish to try for a clear photocopy?

Zion's Day Star

We have located nearly a full year of issues. The copy costs are huge. We do have a donation system, though it's not on this blog. But we'd rather find an interested person who lives in the Washington, D. C. area who would take a look at this material and just copy out the important bits. Anyone?

W. J. Reid

We need to locate the personal papers of:

REID, WILLIAM JAMES: United Presbyterian; b. at South Argyle, Washington County, N. Y., Aug. 17,1834; d. at Pittsburg, Pa., Sept. 22, 1902. He was graduated at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., 1855, and at Allegheny Theological Seminary, Pa., 1862; was pastor at Pittsburg from 1862; principal clerk of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church after 1875; and corresponding secretary of the United Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, 1868-72. He was the author of Lectures on the Revelation (Pittsburg, 1878); and United Presbylerianism (1881).

The Other Charles T. Russell

by “Jerome”

This is a slightly revised version of an article that first appeared on the Watch Tower History Two blog.

Caveat lector. Let the reader beware.

At the outset, may I state that I cannot supply documentary proof for every detail which follows. However, the article tries to make clear what is verified and what is not. It is presented in the hope that others reading may be able to add to it or substantiate it from their own archives and research.


In the December 27, 1875 issue of the Pittsburgh Post is a small obituary for a familiar name. Reproducing it in full it reads:

CHARLES T RUSSELL

Charles T. Russell died yesterday morning, in the 69th year of his age. He will be remembered by our older citizens as one of the most sterling merchants in the city. He began business in Market Street in 1831, where he remained until 1867, since which time he has been in the brokerage and insurance business. He was a native of Ireland, and came to New York in 1823. He took his early lessons in active business from A.T. Stewart, in New York.


This Charles T. Russell was Charles Tays Russell (hereafter shortened to Charles Tays). He was the uncle of Charles Taze Russell (hereafter abbreviated to CTR). His story has a bearing on the history of his famous nephew.

Perhaps at the outset we could consider the unusual middle name of Tays. Where did this come from? In Charles Tays’ will (which will be discussed below) he mentions a sister who never emigrated, Fannie Russell. Fannie married an Alexander Harper, and died in Donegal, Ireland, in 1867. Donegal borders on Londonderry and the newspaper obituaries for CTR’s father, Joseph Lytel, state that he was born in Londonderry. A check on Ancestry shows there was a large family by the name of Tays in that part of Ireland. (One theory is that they were Scots-Irish named after the river Tay in Scotland). So it is probable that the middle name Tays was a family name – a maiden name for a mother, grandmother or aunt.

When Joseph Lytel Russell named his second son Charles Taze Russell, the spelling changed. However, genealogical records from this era often show variations in spelling, particularly in handwritten documents. (Joseph’s middle name for example is usually spelled Lytel but cemetery records have him down as Lytle). Phonetically, Tays and Taze are the same - let’s call one the Irish spelling and the other the American.

According to the newspaper obituary, Charles Tays came to New York from Ireland in 1823, and learned business from A.T. Stewart in New York.

Alexander Turney Stewart was a highly successful businessman in dry goods, who was born in Northern Ireland of Scots Protestant stock – very much like the Russell family. After receiving an inheritance, Stewart came to New York in 1823 to found a store that, amongst other things, sold imported Irish fabrics, and ultimately became an empire. Charles Tays moved to New York from Northern Ireland in the same year and his subsequent career as a dry goods merchant is linked to Stewart in the obituary. There is no doubt a story there, even if it is now lost to time.

The obituary says (quote) he began business in Market Street in 1831, where he remained until 1867, since which time he has been in the brokerage and insurance business (end of quote).

When his younger brother, Joseph Lytel Russell came to America at some time in the 1840s – no doubt as economic conditions in Ireland worsened – it was logical for him to come to Pittsburgh when Charles Tays was already established. Joseph’s own obituary in the Pittsburgh Gazette of December 18, 1897, states that he initially engaged in the dry goods business with his brother, C. T. Russell in Federal Street, before moving to a men’s furnishing store on Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh.

(Note: Joseph Lytel’s own obituary states he came to “this country about1845”. However, when he applied for US citizenship on October 26, 1848, he and a character witness had to swear that he had been resident in the United States for five years. Until someone can unearth the appropriate passenger list this writer is going to stick at “some time in the 1840s”.)

Returning to Charles Tays, according to his obituary, in 1867 he changed direction (quote) since which time he has been in the brokerage and insurance business (end of quote).

The 1870 Trade Directory for Pittsburgh lists two Charles T. Russells. One is a broker at 111 Smithfield (the Uncle) and the other is a clerk at 96 Liberty (the nephew). On the same page is Joseph L. Russell, furnishing goods at 87 Fifth av, n 96 Liberty.

There appears no evidence that Charles Tays took an interest in religious matters, unlike brother Joseph and nephew CTR. The initials CTR have not been found in periodicals of the day prior to when they obviously referred to Joseph Lytel’s son.

On December 26, 1875 Charles Tays died. The cause of death was recorded as chronic hepatitis. According to the death certificate he was aged 69, single, and had lived at 112 Smithfield for the last four years. The funeral took place on December 29 and he was buried in the Allegheny cemetery in a plot originally bought by his brother James Russell back in 1845. Already buried there were James Russell, Sarah Russell, Eliza Russell (CTR’s mother) and three of her children, Thomas, Lucinda, and Joseph Lytel Jr.

After Charles Tays’ burial, only two more family members would be added – his sister Mary Jane who died in 1886, and finally Joseph Lytel when he died in 1897. (For those who wish to check the Allegheny cemetery records the family plot is Section 7, lot 17. All are listed as buried in grave 1.) A headstone for Charles Tays has survived, and is currently laid flat on the ground.

By the time CTR died in 1916 the Watch Tower Society had its own plot in the Rosemount cemetery in N Pittsburgh, so CTR was buried there.

Charles Tays made a will on March 22, 1872 in which he outlined bequests to a number of relatives. The current family tree for the Russell family in circulation is made up to a large degree from information contained in the will and subsequent documents. Where Charles Tays’ siblings had already died, money - usually in thousand dollar lots - was shared between surviving nephews and nieces if there were any. Joseph Lytel and an attorney David Reed were named as executors of the will. In the event, Reed bowed out, and Joseph became sole executor. For those who would like to check the details for themselves, I have transcribed Charles Tays’ will and other related documents at the end of this article.

So in review, there appear to be three ways that Charles Tays (the other CTR) would affect the history of the Watch Tower movement.

First, he seems responsible for other family members settling in Allegheny and Pittsburgh. From here we have his nephew CTR dropping into a “dusty dingy Hall”, and the rest as they say is history.

Second, CTR’s full name is an obvious gesture towards the Uncle.

Third, there was possible financial help for the work, at least indirectly, from Charles Tays.

Charles Tays did well financially, but his death certificate lists him as unmarried. As noted above, his last will and testament left his assets to surviving brothers and sisters and, where they had predeceased him, to their offspring.

There was a thousand dollars for his brother Alexander (although he was to die before Charles Tays did), a thousand to share between the children of his late sister Fannie, a thousand for Joseph Lytel – and then a larger sum of three thousand dollars that the trustees were asked to invest to pay for the support of his elderly unmarried sister, Mary Jane Russell. On her death, the capital was to be redistributed among the surviving beneficiaries. (There is subsequent documentation on how this did not work out as anticipated and the capital fund had to be dipped into to assist with her care).

An internet search will reveal some confident statements about how much CTR inherited. However, until we have verifiable documentary evidence, any such statements remain hearsay. Still, most would agree that CTR was a shrewd businessman who invested wisely. (For example in the 1894 Harvest Siftings page 21 he explains his success in investing in oil wells). However, it does help to have something tangible to work with. In the parable of the talents the men were given a talent to start with.

So in addition to CTR’s own business acumen in partnership with his father, his uncle’s bequests may have assisted at some point towards what ultimately became CTR’s life’s work.

Such is the story of Charles TAYS Russell. A footnote to history.





LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CHARLES T RUSSELL

Transcribed by “Jerome”

Note on the transcriptions below:
Where a question mark (?) occurs, it means there is some uncertainty as to the transcription because I have worked off photocopies. Only a visit to a Pittsburgh record office might solve these issues; however, they do not affect anything material in the document.


DOCUMENT 1

Last Will and Testament of Charles T. Russell.

Pittsburgh March 22, 1872

I, Charles T. Russell, of the City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, do make and publish this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills heretofore made at any time by me.

First, I direct that all my debts and funeral expenses be paid as soon after my decease as possible out of the first monies that shall come into the hands of my executors from any portion of my estate, real or personal.

Second, I direct that executors to convert my goods, chattels and effects into money as soon after my decease as possible.

Third, I will and bequeath to the children of my sister Fanny, who died in the year 1867, and was intermarried with Alexander Harper who is still residing in Donegal County, Ireland, the sum of one thousand dollars.

Fourth, I will and bequeath to my sister Mary Jane three thousand dollars which I direct my executors to put to interest for her during her lifetime and at her death I desire that it shall be equally divided among the heirs mentioned in this will.

Fifth, I will and bequeath to my brother Alexander G. Russell and his children now residing in Orange County, State of New York, one thousand dollars.

Sixth, I will and bequeath to my brother Joseph L. Russell and his children one thousand dollars.

I do hereby nominate and appoint my brother Joseph L. Russell and David Reed, Attorney at Law, to be the executors of this my last will and testament, in testimony thereof , I, the said Charles T. Russell, the testator have to this my will at my hand and seal this twenty second day of March, eighteen hundred and seventy-two.

Attest Charles T. Russell seal

State of Pennsylvania
Allegheny County
Be it known that on this thirtieth day of December AD 1875 before me Joseph H. Gray, register of wills of (?) in and for the county aforesaid, came W. W. Patrick and Joseph Irwin, and they being duly qualified (the former affirmed and the latter sworn) did express and say they were well acquainted with C. T. Russell deceased and with his hand writing and that the signature to the foregoing instrument of writing is in his own proper hand writing as they verily believe.

Sworn under my hand this 30th day of December AD 1875.
Jos. H. Gray, Registrar

State of Pennsylvania
Allegheny County
Be it known that on the 30th day of December AD 1875, letters testamentary with a copy of the will annexed upon the estate of Charles T. Russell died were duly granted unto Joseph L. Russell one of the executors in said will named (David Reed esq. having renounced) who was duly sworn to well and truly administer the goods and chattels, rights and credits, which were of said deceased, and to faithfully comply with the acts of assembly relating to collateral inheritances.

Given under my hand the above date, Jos. H. Gray, Registrar


DOCUMENT 2

In Re. Estate of Charles T Russell, Decd.

To the Honorable Mr T. (?) Hawkins Jr. Judge of Alphaus (?) Court of Allegheny County.
Herewith find testimony of Joseph L. Russell, executor, taken at his residence No 80 Cedar Avenue, Allegheny City on Friday April 12, 1878, in accordance with the commission issued to me April 6, 1878.
N F McCook (?)

Mr Joseph L. Russell, (?)
I am the acting executor under the will of my brother, Charles T. Russell, deceased. Hon. David Reed was executor named in the will but declined to act. All the bills against the estate have been paid as far as I know.

The distributions made under the will are as follows:

1st The children of Fannie Harper are:
Mrs F. A. Stewart, Wellsville, Montgomery County, Missouri
John R. Harper, Arlington, St Louis County, Missouri
Mrs Mary Muir, Grand Rapids, Michigan
William James Harper, Broxton, near Castlefin (?) Donegal County, Ireland
Mrs (indistinct – secondary sources say Eliza Nesbitt) Donegal County, Ireland
Thomas R. Harper, Jimason City, Plumas County, California

2nd distribution
Mary Jane Russell, Allegheny City, Penna.

3rd
Alexander G. Russell, named in the will as brother of deceased died before the decedent. His children are:
Thomas Green Russell, St Louis, Mo.
Sarah Ann Morris, Montgomery, Orange County, New York
Fanny G. Bond, Plainfield, New Jersey
Cornelia S. Davenport, No. 74 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, New York

(my copy of the document ends here)


DOCUMENT 3

Document dated September 2, 1886 relating to Mary Jane Russell’s inheritance.

Whereas the late Charles T. Russell, who died in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1875, bequeathed three thousand dollars ($3000) to his executors in trust, to pay the interest to his sister, Miss Mary Jane Russell, during her lifetime , and, upon her death, to distribute the principal equally among “the heirs mentioned in this will”; and whereas through the inability of his executors to collect certain debts that were due to the estate of the said Charles T. Russell, deceased, the said fund was reduced from three thousand dollars ($3000) to fourteen hundred and eighteen and 51/100 dollars; and whereas the fund so reduced could not be made to yield more than six percent interest, about eighty five dollars per year, and whereas the said Mary Jane Russell is now very aged and infirm and has constantly required more than the amount of the interest of said fund to maintain her, and whereas now much more, she is in need of comfort and attention in her closing years; and whereas it has been found needful to extract certain debts for her maintenance and may require additional debt therefore in the future; Therefore we, Stephen H. Davenport and Cornelia S. Davenport, his wife, in consideration of the premises and of our dollar (?) in hand paid to each of us, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, hereby authorize J. L. Russell, acting executor of the will of the said Charles T. Russell, deceased, to use as much of the principal of the said fund, in addition to the interest, as may be required, in his judgment, to pay the necessary expenses of the said Mary Jane Russell and the debts that have been extracted for her maintenance. And we hereby release and forever discharge the said J. L. Russell, his executors and administrators of and from such part of our share of the said as he shall so expend. It being understood that the balance of said fund not required for the above mentioned purpose shall be distributed in accord with the terms of the will of the said Charles T. Russell, upon the death of the said Mary Jane Russell.
Witness our hands and seal this second day of September AD 1886.
Stephen H Davenport seal
Cornelia S Davenport seal

74 Hicks Street
Brooklyn, NY

Notes on the above
Mary Jane Russell died before the end of 1886 and is buried in the family plot in Allegheny Cemetery.
Cornelia Davenport (a daughter of Alexander Russell) and her husband lived quite near to where the Brooklyn Tabernacle would be. However, she died on October 23, 1888.

127 Lacock

Quincy Hall as it looked in 1911. It's the building with the barber pole painted on the door posts.

Russell found Wendell preaching here.

Reactivating

We're reactivating this blog. We won't post full chapters from our work in progress. Those will only appear on the invitation only blog. If you want access to that, apply to Bruce at bwschulz2 [at] yahoo.com

We will post snippets of our research, photos and other interesting things. It's time to bring this blog back to life. The difficulty that caused us to close it has gone away.

There will be three blog editors. We hope you enjoy what we post.
Rachael

Bowman

Here is the Petyon Bowman material from the other blog. Please do contact me [bwschulz2[at]yahoo.com]. I would like to see the biography and any letters or papers you may have. Nothing is too insignificant. Thanks, Bruce

The evidence suggests that a discussion between Russell, Peyton Grahm Bowmanand probably Barbour too, took place at the St. George Hall lecture. Bowmanwas a Methodist Episcopal clergyman turned Second Adventist. He was bornin Shenandoah County, Virginia, on September 15, 1809, and "converted toChrist" on June 21, 1828, joining the Methodist Episcopal Church. He immigratedto South Carolina in 1832 where he received an exhorter's license the nextyear. In January 1834 he was received into the South Carolina MethodistConference as a regular minister.

He was an itinerate preacher - a circuit rider - and a very effective evangelist.Wellcome says he "saw thousands of souls converted and united with the MethodistE. Church." A revival held at Concord, North Carolina in 1838 saw seventynew adherents as a result of Bowman's preaching. This was in an era whenMethodists were seen as dangerous sectarians by many.

About 1854 or 1855 he was appointed as a "missionary to the colored peopleof the rice plantations" of South Carolina, "preaching every Sunday to, perhaps,1500 to 2000, and during the week visiting the plantations, catechizing thechildren, visiting the sick, the aged, and infirm, distributing Bibles,Testaments, and hymnbooks to such as could read." Bowman developed a deepaffection for his Black charges; after the Civil War he became an advocatefor their civil rights and for decent treatment.

Peyton G. Bowman in 1874 and 1888.

Drawing is from Wellcome. Photo by Permission Atlanta Bible College [photocaption]

Bowman was exposed to Second Adventism during a trip to the North to raisefunds for his church. Advocating Conditional Immortality caused endless troublefor him. Finally in August 1871 his Presiding Elder, W. H. Fleming, broughtformal charges. He was arraigned for "preaching that from death to theresurrection all is unconscious sleep" and for teaching "that the wickedat the final day will be annihilated from all conscious being forever." Thereport of the "trial" says that Bowman, "having refused to make the promiserequired by the Discipline in such cases is hereby suspended from the ministryuntil the ensuing annual Conference."

Bowman promptly wrote to Fleming saying, "After seriously reflecting on theaction of this committee (viz.) my suspension from the ministry for holdingand teaching doctrines contrary to the Standards of Methodism, and believingthat the annual Conference will confirm said action, and also believing itmy duty to preach the Gospel of our common and blessed Savior, I feel itmy duty to join a communion where these objections do not exist. I herewithtender you my withdrawal from the M. E. Church South."

The committee seems to have been unprepared for this. In an action reminiscentof the more recent acts of certain high-control cults, their reaction amountedto saying, "You can't resign! We expel you!" They passed a resolution tothat effect, sending it to Bowman and publishing it to the Annual Conferencerecords. It expressed their determination to move forward, though with someregret:

The committee on motion of J. A. Porter … unanimously agreed upon thefollowing decision, viz: The Discipline directs that the charge of holdingand dissemination doctrines which are contrary to the recognized standardsof our doctrines shall be subject to the same process as a case of immorality.

In the present case, the accused, not appearing and having plead guilty tothe charge before the committee of investigation, the court are obliged tofind the Rev. P G, Bowman guilty: and in accordance with the law of the church,pronounce him expelled from the communion of the Methodist Episcopal ChurchSouth.

The court is not satisfied to pronounce this sentence without accompanyingit with the expression of he deep regret they feel in performing so painfula duty.

To our erring brother we have no sentiments but those of personal regardand Christian affection. And this duty is not performed in the spirit ofrevenge or prejudice, but from a desire to preserve the church from allcorruption of doctrine.

For a brother who has been so long connected with us in the work of thisministry we shall always pray that God will bring him to see his error …

He continued to minister to Southern Blacks, though his doctrine shiftedto Second Adventism. He asked for assistance from The World's Crisis. "Ifyou have sent one of your preachers to the South this winter to proclaimthe acceptable years of the Lord, do write to him, and tell him not to returnuntil he shall give me a call. I wish to take him around on my circuit."William Sheldon responded. Sheldon would describe Bowman as "a man who willnot wear any theological hand-cuffs and will preach what he believes …fearlessly." He wrote that Bowman was "listened to with deep interest."

George W. Jackson was responsible for founding The Household of Faith Church,a Black Second Adventist congregation in Maryland. Peyton Bowman was theirpastor. [photo caption]

Bowman eventually moved his ministry northward, preaching in Pennsylvania,Massachusetts, New York, and in Maryland. In the late 1870's and early 1880'she was in Pennsylvania. He was for a while pastor of the Salem, Pennsylvania,Church of God, a Second Adventist body of uncertain affiliation. In 1888Bowman was elected to the board of what proved to be an abortive attemptto unify Church of God and One Faith congregations.

He maintained his connection to Black churches and was pastor of the Householdof Faith Church at Blythedale, Maryland, apparently in the late 1870's. Thistoo was an Adventist body of uncertain affiliation. Both its known pastors,A. A. Hoyt and Bowman were viewed favorably by the Advent Christians, butthis does not mean the Household of Faith identified with them. Hoyt wasan Age to Come believer, attending conferences viewed with favor by Marchand the Advent Harbinger. It appears to have been an Age-to-Come congregation.Bowman may have been their first pastor, though the record is uncertain.The church was organized on October 2, 1877, by Edward and George W. Jackson.George W. was a former slave manumitted by joining a black regiment in 1864.

Russell's description of his encounter with Bowman is brief: "I well rememberhearing you speak as a champion of Second Adventism in Philadelphia …I then thought you honest and longed to have you see 'the way of God moreperfectly.'" After Zion's Watch Tower was founded, Russell sent him copies,and by 1887 Bowman was circulating Russell's book, The Plan of the Ages.The circumstances all date the encounter to 1876. Russell dated it to "abouttwelve years pervious;" Barbour's lecture is the only known visit to Philadelphiain that era; the issue was Russell's new understanding of the timing andnature of Christ's return.

Notices in the March 2 and 23, 1889 issues of The Brooklyn Eagle have himas a preacher at a Church of the Blessed Hope congregation. He was usingthe "seats free" notice characteristic of Russell. Bowman died in 1891 leavingno further indication of his relationship to Russell and Barbour. His obituarysuggests that he continued to identify as a Second Adventist until his death,even if he found Russell's Plan of the Ages "incomparable."

The other blog has returned to invitation only. You must request access. If you use or are connected to Citrex hosting, there is no need for you to apply.

Public Access

On a trial basis only, we're opening the private blog to public access. We believe the individuals whose bad behavior prompted us to create the private blog will not return. If they do, we'll take the blog private again.

Expect no new posts here. We're over here: http://towerhistory.blogspot.com/

Today on the Private Blog

The full text of the Feb. 1881 Watch Tower Tract Society organizational document and a photo of the signatures and pledged amounts.

To apply for access, see the instructions below.

Re-apply

Our membership list broke today and we lost two members. One I was able to resend an invitation to; the other, "Joshua Himes", needs to send me a new request. I'm very sorry for the crash. I can't find your original email.

New on the Private Blog

A heretofor missing issue of Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning. To apply for access see the instructions below.

On the private blog ...

New material on Jonas Wendell. to read it apply for access as noted below.

New Post on Private Blog

For access to our invitation only blog, see below.

The new post is a transcription of an interview of C. T. Russell published in an Ohio newspaper in 1882.

Because

Everything that matters will start appearing on the private blog. If you have an interest in our research, follow the instructions in the previous post to apply for blog access.

Rachael

A new version of the chapter dealing with Russell's early association with Barbour and Paton in on the private blog. To read it you must be a member. To apply see details below.

Many thanks to ....

Amy Reytar of the United States National Archives for locating and sending copies of original documents re: J. B. Adamson and his wife. Yipeeeee!

Rachael

The Private Blog

The new blog has been partially formatted. There are no posts yet. We're still distracted by research, but we're moving updates and comments there soon. This will be an invitation only blog. If you have an interest in our research and wish to have access to the new blog you must do the following:

1. Establish a google or blogger account. There will be no totally anonymous posts. You will need an established name. It need not be your real name; in fact I would discourage that. Just create a "name" that tags your posts to an identity. I don't care what name you choose as long as it doesn't make me spit coffee on my computer screen. Even something like Poodle Walker is okay. Be inventive.

2. Send Bruce a short email explaining that you'd like access to the new blog. Tell us why. Be aware that if you use roadrunner and live in Brooklyn your access will be canceled. You know why. [Of course if you do use roadrunner and live in Brooklyn and are an innocent party, you can always try to convince us of your pure heart and golden intentions.]

His email is BWSchulz2 [at] yahoo. com.

There are several days of formatting ahead of us. I'm a bit ill and struggling through the formatting. So there is no huge hurry. There won’t be anything interesting over there for a few days.

This is an open ended invitation. Anyone who wants access can ask. I don’t see us refusing many. The same rules that exist here will exist there. Simply put they are 1. be nice and 2. be nice. For full details see previous “rules” posts.

Expect delays. There are always delays, right? So expect them. I have children to raise, goats to feed, students to annoy, a husband to beat with a stick (not really), a book going to trade paper in a few weeks, a writing partner to stress, and cookies to bake. Expect delays.

Rachael

Ira Allen's Signature

From the front end sheet of his copy of Day Dawn. Courtesy of Frank Marotta. The book is currently on ebay, and Frank kindly made this scan for me.

Ira Allen was Lizzie A. Allen's father. He was an associate at various times of Storrs, Hastings, Wendell, Barbour, and lastly Russell.

Finding what you know must be there ...

The Allegheny Church, listed not as a Second Adventist Congregation but as a

One Faith Congregation.

Do you have any idea how much this alters the traditional view?

We looked long and hard for this.

From The Restitution, Oct. 10, 1877

Intersting things in Restitution. I've just started reading it. Russell promises an article on the Great Pyramid. If it was written, it does not appear in the issues to which I have access. There's a longish discussion in 1881 about the date of the memorial. Russell's views are considered. This find confirms things Rachael and I have suspected but could not prove. We're looking at a major change in one chapter and some re-writes in two others. We have such a mass of things to read through. I'll post bits of it as I can.

Many thanks ...

to Jan Stilson of the Church of God - General Conference for extensive biolgraphical information on Hiram Vaughn Reed and for putting us on the trail of scanned copies of verious age to come publications. If you haven't read any of Jan's articles in Journal from the Radical Reformation, you should do so. Many of them are available online.

Excellent help!

Russell and Joseph Marsh

For one of his early preaching tours, Russell used the general topic "things pretaining to God's kingdom." This was a borrowing from Marsh who "defined the Gospel as things concerning
the Kingdom of God, especially as the promises to Abraham were fulfilled."

A. B. Simpson and Conley

Rachael passed on bits of her research to me this afternoon. Conley met Simpson no later than December 1885 in Pittsburgh. This is, we would say, a 97 percent certainty. She's still working on it.

I'm working on the Church of God in Pittsburgh. The progress is slow, be I am making some.

Hiram V. Reed

We need to see: The kingdom of God: or, The reign of Christ on earth, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. To which is added, "What is truth?" or, divine instruction to the inquirer after truth, office of the Millennial Harbinger, 1861. by H V Reed and Thomas G. Newman.

Anyone have a copy?

The ebay description of our book ...

I know he's trying to sell it, so that mitigates some of the flattery. But this is fun:

Nelson Barbour: The Millennium's Forgotten Prophet, 2009; Fluttering Wings Press, Paperback By Bruce W. Schulz & Rachel De Vienne.

Simply the most detailed information ever compiled about N.H. Barbour.

Detailed historians of Watchtower history have had trouble for many years finding any credible information on this elusive character of Watchtower past. Stated in the official history books of Jehovah's Witnesses over the years, but rarely, if ever detailed as to his life and whereabouts as they related to the influential role he was to play in the early years of Charles Taze Russell much of the mystery is now over with this publication years in the works.

Early historical works such as Royston Pikes, "Jehovah's Witnesses, Who are they, What they teach, What they do" c. 1954 and Herbert Hewitt Stroup's "The JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES" c. 1945 don't even appear to mention Barbour, whereas Alan Rogerson's, "Millions now living will never die" c. 1969 pgs 7-10, A.H. Macmillan's "Faith on the March" c. 1957 pgs 24-28 only give Barbour 3-4 pages of reference at best. Considering what a tremendous impact, in my opinion, he was to have on Russell at a critical crossroad in his history, it's hard to believe a biography or at the very least a detailed article of this man might have been penned at some point. His role in Advent Christian circles as well as Watchtower history seem to have been largely overlooked hence the most appropriate title to this recent labor of love by the authors Schulz and De Vienne.

I cannot stress enough that of all the book-length studies of Watchtower history, this is one of the most detailed and researched. Schulz has been a member of the Watchtower movement for some many years and his family has had historical ties for generations to the early days of this interesting past. His research is adept and the most objective I have ever encountered. He is to be praised for this labor of love that has probably produced less than a few hundred of these "MUST HAVE" books. You wont be disappointed by it's detailed end-notes and accuracy tracing this interesting character and explaining the age old question we inquisitive historians like to ask, "What ever happened to...?"

Find out, whatever happened to Barbour in detail. 176 pages, paperback, like new condition. Filled with nice pictures of key figures and places rarely seen.

Our thanks ...

Our thanks go to Dr. David Miano for his kind assistance in acquiring four rare tracts for us. Help like this is priceless.

Peyton Bowman

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. R. Phillip Stone we now have the record of Bowman's M. E. Church trial. People such as Dr. Stone who take an interest in our project are priceless. Thanks to him and to you all.

Bethany Faith Cure Home - Pittsburgh

Supported financially by Conley.

Faith Cure

Faith cures and their meaning were an issue among Watch Tower subscribers in the 1880's and into the 1890's. The issue divided Watch Tower readers into three groups. Russell felt the Pink Cottage cures and other faith cures were a sign of the millennium. Conley felt that Christians should actively promote faith healing. Some believed it all from the devil or practiced by charlatans.

Above is George Owen Barnes, responsible for the Pink Cottage faith cures.

Alton Bay Conference

Russell, Barbour, Paton, Adams all attended these conferences in 1877 and 1878.

Misc. Photos

Garr was one of the Elders of The Church of the First Born, the Watch Tower congregation in Louisville, Kentucky.

George W. Jackson was responsible for founding The Household of Faith Church, a Black Second Adventist congregation in Maryland. Peyton Bowman was their pastor.

1917 Christmas Greetings from Russell

Thanks to friends of this blog for the photos.

Voice of the Reaper

A small journal published in Illinois, probably Chicago. Any information would help.

We believe this paper was published by J. B. Adamson. It appears that his full name was John B. Adamson and that his wife's name was Amelia also spelled Emelia. So that makes finding this especially important. Anyone?

We think, but cannot prove yet, that John and Amelia Adamson were from Scotland. That John was born about 1821 and that the moved to the USA in the mid 1870's. This is all very tenuous but it looks as if we're finally on the right track. I'll be disappointed if we aren't. HELP! Please.

Dr. B. A. Garr and Dr. Walter Bell

Benjamin Allan Garr, MD. born in Louisville Ky about 1852/3. Married to an Addie last name unknown. He is named as an Elder in the Church of the First Born in Louisville, Kentucky, and as one of the hosts for Russell's 1904 speach in Louisville.

We have his photo. We need biographical information. Anything will help.

We have no information on Walter Bell at all. Dr. Bell was also an elder in the Louisville congregation. Anything at all will help.

Barbour

We would very much like to see a four page tract published by Barbour in 1871. Its title is: Alarming State of the World: Can Ye discern the Signs of the Times?

It appears to have been a combination of poetry by a Rochester writer and advertising matter. That's uncertain. We looked in all the usual places and could not find it. Anyone?

Alton Bay

Undated photo - Alton Bay Camp Meeting

Camp Ground Police

Russell and Barbour were at the Alton Bay Camp Meeting, an Advent Christian Association event, in 1877. They were expelled from the camp ground by Camp Ground Police.

Household of Faith Church

This church was founded in 1877 in Blythedale, Maryland. One of the early Watch Tower evangelists was minister there for a period. We have almost no information on this church. One of the founders was a man named George W. Jackson. (1844-1927) Peyton Bowman was minister there sometimes in the 1880's. Anyone?

Wish List

1. Bible Examiner 1872-3.
2. World's Hope. We have several years, but we need many more. What do you have?
3. Zion's Day Star / Day Star. We only have one issue.
4. We only have one issue of the semi-monthly edition of Herald of the Morning (June 15, 1878). We need the other issues.
5. Resitution, (Indiana) the issues for 1876-1881. Any.
6. Our Rest and Signs of the Times, also known as Our Rest: Devoted to the Subject of Christ's Second Coming and the Preparation of the Church for That Event. Issues from 1876-1882 are prime interest. Any issue will interest us. Published in Chicago.
7. Barbour: Spiritualism, 1883.
8. A. P. Adams: Bible Harmony.
9. A. P. Adams: Bible Theology.
10. Issues of Spirit of the Word after 1885. Any.
11. F. W. Grant: “Food for Thinking Christians:” A Review of a Tract So Called‎. 12 page tract, 1882.
12. A good photo of Thomas Wilson.
13. Meyer's Millenarian. Any issues
14. Meyer's Atonement. 1885 we think.
15. Newspaper articles that mention local "millennial dawn" meetings published before 1890.
16. A better copy of the Arp Tract. Black and white scan is okay. Our copy is really stained. It does not show up well. We want to use part of it in an illustrtion.
17. Any photograph of an early Watch Tower adherent, preferably from before 1900.
18. The address in Pittsburgh to which the Second Adventist meetings were moved.
20. Has anyone looked through the Herald of Life for references to Russell or the Allegheny Sceond Adventists? That would be issues from 1869-1882.
21. Solid information on the Florida land sales in the 1880's.
22. There are a number of unpublished local history manuscrips detailing the early history of Watch Tower and Second Adventist congregations. We have three of those, and they are marginally helpful. Anyone have any of these? If they touch on the 19th Century at all, they might be helpful.
23. Photo of Joseph Moffitt of England.
24. Photo of John Corbin Sunderlin.
25. Records of Clowes heresy trial.
26. Records of Peyton's heresy trial.
27. A volunteer in Washington, D. C. willing to spend time in the library of congress.

There's more on our wish list, but these things have been way beyond our reach, even if we know where the records or item may be.

I'm moving this here ...

I'm moving this to a main post because I think it deserves more open discussion. (It's fun, thanks.) And I'm posting it here because Blogger insists I have html code inbeded in my post and won't let me put it in the regular comment trail:

Anonymous said:

A few things you may want to consider (I say this in the spirit of friendly debate--and don't feel obligated to respond--just think about it):

1. I have not seen any evidence that Barbour separated himself from Adventists. In your book, you say that he was disfellowshipped at the Dansville conference. Indeed he was censured at the conference, but this is not the same as being officially disfellowshipped from the Advent Christian Church. It was a local decision. As you know, the timeists and the non-timeists frequently argued, and many non-timeists tried to sideline the timeists. But that doesn't make timeists not Adventist. They are probably more Adventist than non-timeists. And Barbour and his associates continued to call Adventists his "brethren." Moreover, many Adventists continued to associate with him. Barbour did not give his movement a new name either. And the Age to Come Restitutionists, despite not wanting the name Adventist (Joseph Marsh hated denominational names) were still Adventists. So when you say Barbour became one in theology, it merely means he became a different kind of Adventist. And when Russell first read Herald of the Morning, he immediately identified it with Adventism. Why is that?

2. You are right that simply believing in the nearness of Christ's return does not make one Adventist. However, Barbour's chronology was only a slight revision of William Miller's. So that make it Adventist. And Russell's chronology was basically that of Barbour.

3. The idea of the invisible presence is an idea that many Adventists took in the aftermath of the 1844 disappointment, and other Adventists took it after other disappointments. So Russell is part of that tradition. Indeed, Benjamin Wilson, one of the founders of the Church of God, Abrahamic Faith, was an Age to Come Restitutionist, which is an Adventist group. He was a chief influence on Russell and Barbour on the invisible presence idea.

4. When I said that Russell was Adventist, I did not mean to say that he joined up as an official member of put his name on the church roll. I am in agreement with you that his Bible class was not identical with the Adventist group in the area. I was simply addressing the question of whether his theology was primarily Adventist in nature.It is interesting that many people very freely say that Russell was a Presbyterian early in life, but they are afraid to call him an Adventist later. Maybe they are basing this on church membership, but there is more to being part of a denominational tradition than simply being on a membership list.

My reply:

Few Adventists continued to associate with Barbour. Barbour optimistically estimated 1000 interested people. It was probably less. Barbour and his followers saw the New York Conference decision at Springwater (not Dansville, that was a Barbourite conference) as disfellowshipping. Later the Advent Christian Times took the same view, urging its readers to not fellowship with them. The Advent Christian Association did not disfellowship in any other way in that period.

Russell identified the Herald of the Morning as Adventist from the front cover. The illustration was taken from stock Adventist illustrations. Russell wrote to Barbour stating among other things his surmise that Barbour was an Adventist. Barbour’s reply as presented by Russell shows that while he still held to Adventist beliefs they saw themselves as a separate entity: “It also explained that Mr. Barbour and Mr. J. H. Paton, of Michigan, a worker with him, had been regular Second Adventists up to that time [1874].”

After 1874 Barbour identified with Church of the Blessed Hope. Are they Adventists. Ask them. Barbour saw himself as a “true” Adventist. Everyone else wasn’t true to the millerite faith. This has nothing to do with Russell’s own view of self. He saw himself as a non-Adventist believer in the then present Lord.

Barbour borrowed his chronology from non-Adventist sources. There are only so many prophetic periods in the Bible. All chronological speculations are similar because they are based on the same time periods. 19th Century religious magazine are full of prophetic speculation.

Reading articles in the Christian Observer, published before Miller, one finds little difference between it and later Adventist publications. Yet, the Christian Observer was an Anglican paper. There are Presbyterian magazines that followed the same rout in the 1800-1830 period. The Christian Reformer, an idenpendent paper published in New York in the 1820s reads as if it were Adventist. It’s not of course. There is strong reason to think that Russell read Archibald Mason’s Saving Faith and his tracts on the last days. Mason was a Presbyterian. Rachael and I think that Storrs was exposed to A. Fraser’s A Key to the Prophecies.through an American edition published in 1802. Fraser first published in the 1790’s. He wasn’t an Adventist. We aren’t following that trail. Someone else is writing a book on Storrs; we’re going in an opposite direction chronologically.

Similarity in doctrine does not mark one as of that party. As an example, I have read and enjoyed a major portion of German Evangelical and Lutheran Bible commentary from the mid 19th Century. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found many arguments persuasive or illustrative of what I already believed. No Lutheran in his right mind would recognize me as a Lutheran.

If you focus only on Russell’s Adventist influences you ignore most of his history from that period. It is unfortunate that he focused on his close friends. We would like a bibliography of things he read. He never gives us one. Finding that Warleigh was a huge influence was difficult and the end of a long and convoluted research trail. You need to look beyond the obvious. We think Solomon King stands in the background. If he does it is through the filter of someone else. I doubt Russell ever read King’s Two Sermons (Hartford 1810). But some one of his early associates clearly did. Aaron Kinne is in the background somewhere too. We think that’s more than obvious. How one bridges the gap between Kinne and Russell, we do not know. Neither of these men were Adventists. There is a very, very long list of non-Adventist antecedents to Russell’s belief system. Before one writes him off as merely Adventist in outlook, one needs to follow that trail.

Invisible presence idea as Russell held it came from non-Adventist sources. Russell came to it from Seiss. Seiss came to it from Plymouth Brethren and through a small tract published in Philadelphia in the 1820’s with no known denominational connection. There are antecedents to the Brethren. This is the historical trail when it comes to Russell. Even if some Adventists held similar beliefs, we cannot ignore the historical trail.

Russell was baptized as a Presbyterian. He was a church member, belonging lastly to a union congregation organized by Congregationalists. The Presbyterians and Congregationalists had a formal agreement that they would recognize each other’s churches and pastors. He was a recognized member of a denomination, and when he left he requested a church session to formally separate him from the Congregational Church. (We think it was the church on E. Ohio Street, but we are not positive.)

Russell did not join any of the Adventist bodies. He was strongly influenced by Adventists, and adopted many of his ideas from Adventists. Since these doctrines were equally those of many pre-millennialist groups, we need to take him at his word that 1. He wasn’t an Adventist in any formal sense, and 2. He was more strongly pre-millennial in outlook than he was Adventist in outlook. Russell saw himself as following a fourth way. If we lose sight of his self-identity, we lose a major portion of the story.

As I’ve said here before, there is a big difference between saying that Russell was an Adventist and in saying he was influenced by them. Russell’s self-identity is a major portion of his history. We need to respect it or we distort the story.

Did others freely identify Russell as a “Second Adventist.” Yes. His views were strongly similar, even when derived from non-Adventist sources. All that means is that he was influenced by Adventist belief. If we cross the line as historians and say “Oh, Russell was an Adventist,” we ignore his self-identity, distorting the record. Stick to the facts as they can be known. He studied the bible with Adventists. He believed what they believed in key areas. He also read material by others, and in key ways was more strongly influenced by them. He identified more closely with British pre-millennialists, though he seldom give them the same credit. Storrs and Stetson were his close friends. They get credit where other authors who influenced him do not. An example is his heavy dependence on Warliegh, on Dunn, on I. D. Heath. There was a Christadelphian influence too.

Words matter. The more exacting we are with our definition the better is the history we write. It is more faithful to the records we have to say that Russell was heavily dependent on Adventists and others than it is to say he was an Adventist. We can say he was Adventist in outlook. We cannot say, and stay faithful to the records as we have them, that he was an Adventist.

A. P. Adams

Arthur Adams was pastor of the Avenue Methodist Church in Beverly when he first met Russell and Barbour

Yipee!

A brother and his wife took part of their valuable time to make photocopies for us. We could never have accessed this material on our own. The information is breath-taking. While most of it may not add anything but detail, the real story is often in the little details.

One document stands out. We will read and re-read it. It's a 33 page stenographic report of a sermon by Arthur Prince Adams. Other than some sermons by Russell from 1878, we don't have any examples from anyone else - until now.

I cannot thank our volunteers enough. I don't have permission to use their name on my blog, or I'd thank them by name. Excellent!

Peyton G. Bowman

John T. Ongley

This Ad appeared in US newspapers in 1907/8

Moved from Comment Section on an Earlier Post

I've moved this from the comment section to here.

Anonymous said...

I am a different anonymous than the previous comment, but I agree with it. I am not aware of any time that Russell distinguishes between the Adventist congregation in Pittsburgh/Allegheny with the Bible Class. It would make the research easier if he had done so. He does distinguish between them and Wendell, and Adventists in general, but not the Adventist congregation in Pittsburgh/Allegheny. He does not even mention that there was one.

Also, Russell does NOT identify George Storrs or George Stetson as Adventists or Second Adventists. He does not mention that Stetson was the pastor of the Advent Christian Church in Pittsburgh. He does associate Wendell and Barbour with Adventism.

The name Russell, either/or J L Russell, or J L Russell and Son, or C. T. Russell appears regularly and frequently in the WC and ACT in the years 1870-1873, and we know of a specific request of C. T. Russell for literature.

Russell appears to downplay any connection with Adventism. His statement that he did not learn a single truth from Adventism, but yet unlearned errors, appears self-contradictory, and difficult to reconcile with his likely Adventist associations of some kind. Without questioning his integrity or honesty, we might consider Russell to be representative of various factions WITHIN the Advent Christian church at that time, and that their boundaries were fluid, there was tolerance of opinion, and there was a discomfort with the label "Adventist".

***

B. W. Schulz said...

Simply wanting the study group to be identical with the Adventist congregation doesn't make it so.

In "To the Readers of the Herald of the Morning," Russell mentions the Adventist meetings. Afterwards he says that he and some friends started a study group. Probably his friends included some from the Adventist body. But many of his early friends were not Adventists. None of the directors of the Society once incorporated were previously Adventist, but they were Russell's business and social associates. That Russell describes the Adventist meeting as he
does, and then says that he and friends started a study group is a clear distinction between the two.

We admit that there was overlap. There must have been. But there is no evidence that the study group and Adventist congregation were identical. Of his earliest associates McMillan was Presbyterian; the Smiths were Methodist Episcopal, Blunden seems to have been Presbyterian, W. I Mann was never an Adventist but was Anglican in heritage.

There is no doubt that Russell was influenced by Adventists. More, all of his beliefs were held by some Adventist body or other. Most of them were also held by other protestant bodies.

In "Truth is Stranger than Fiction," Zion's Watch Tower, July 15, 1906, page 213, Russell says he was active in more than one body. "Bible Classes," he calls them. This would cover both entities.

What you want is for Russell to be plainly identified as an Adventist. I think our chapter does that as far as it can be done. He, like Storrs, rejected the name Adventist both on principle and because Adventists were held in disrepute.

This does not mean that the Bible Class was the Adventist congregation. The congregation met every other Sunday. The Bible class met every Sunday. If it was structurally different; if the Study Group included more than Adventists; if Russell attended more than one type of meeting, then they are not the same body. In the 1890 Harvest Siftings article Russell repeats what he said, though in slightly different words, in the 1879 supplement. He mentions the Adventists meeting in the "dusty dingy hall." Then he says that he and a few friends formed a Bible Class.

An informal Bible Class composed of friends, some of whom were not Adventists at all cannot be the same as the Adventist congregation. Did the Russells attend Adventist meetings? Yes. But, there are only two verifiable occasions when they did so. It makes sense that they attended regularly. Was the Bible Class the same as the congregation. No. He distinguishes between them as I've just pointed out. He says he attended more than one meeting or "class." There was more than one body. The Adventist congregation was composed of Adventists. The Bible Class started with his immediate friends, few of whom would have been Adventists. With the exception of Keith, those in his "inner circle" after Paton left were never Adventists.

Now, let me turn this around. You prove they were the same body. Give me documented proof, not mere speculation, that they were identical.

Now to some specifics:

Also, Russell does NOT identify George Storrs or George Stetson as Adventists or Second Adventists.

Why would he? In 1890 when he wrote of his association with them, everyone who would have read the article would have known Storrs and Stetson as Adventists.

He does not mention that Stetson was the pastor of the Advent Christian Church in Pittsburgh. He does associate Wendell and Barbour with Adventism. The name Russell, either/or J L Russell, or J L Russell and Son, or C. T. Russell appears regularly and frequently in the WC and ACT in the years 1870-1873, and we know of a specific request of C. T. Russell for literature.

How would that prove that the Bible Class and the Adventist congregation were the identical? In the same period he read Henry Dunn, and Dunn was not an Adventist. He read J. A. Seiss, who was Lutheran. Merely ordering literature does not make him an Adventist. Actually, the issue isn't the Adventist nature of his belief; it is the identity of the Bible Class.

Russell appears to downplay any connection with Adventism. His statement that he did not learn a single truth from Adventism, but yet unlearned errors, appears self-contradictory, and difficult to reconcile with his likely Adventist associations of some kind.

We don't think so. We address it this way:

Their sense of profound awe and of being "led" into the truth by God's holy spirit explains Russell's conflicting comments in his biographical article. What he heard from Adventists sent him to his "Bible to study with more zeal and care than ever before, and I shall ever thank the Lord for that leading," he wrote, "for though Adventism helped me to no single truth, it did help me greatly in the unlearning of errors, and thus prepared me for the truth." The only way to understand this comment is in the light of his sense of being led by God. God leads one into truth. If it is not God's leading, then one is not in the light of truth. The repeated use of the phrase "we were led" and "I was led" by Russell and others in the movement verifies this.

Russell did not totally ignore Paul's advice to Timothy to recall the persons from whom he learned his beliefs. (2 Timothy 3:14-15) He mentioned both Storrs and Stetson by name, saying that "the study of the Word of God with these dear brethren led, step by step, into greener pastures and brighter hopes for the world."

While they felt God's special leading on their group, it is mere mythology to characterize them as independent searchers who worked apart from the opinions
of others. They were independent in that they did not feel bound by anyone's creed, but they were heavily influenced by others. They read the current iterature, digesting it and debating it. Much of that material was "Second Adventist" in nature, though spread across the entire spectrum of Advent belief. Some of it came from non-Adventist millenarians and pre-millennialists such as Shimeall and Seiss. They did not live in the vacuum some modern researchers suggest.

Without questioning his integrity or honesty, we might consider Russell to be representative of various factions WITHIN the Advent Christian church at that time, and that their boundaries were fluid, there was tolerance of opinion, and there was a discomfort with the label "Adventist".

The term Second Adventist did not refer exclusively to the Advent Christian Association. One contemporary source lists seven bodies under the heading of Second Adventist. Others, also contemporary, add additional groups. I haven't posted the chapter before this one yet, but I can tell you that our research indicates that there were probably three broad groups represented in the one congregation, four if one slices it thinly. There were those who would identify with the Advent Christian Association or the Life and Advent Union. There was at least one individual, a physician, who would more closely identify with Church of the Blessed Hope; there were Restitutionists (Age-to-Come) believers.

You're confusing two issues. One is the question of Russell's Adventist associations. They were real, extended, and influential. The other is the nature of the Bible Class. It was made up of his friends. Some were obviously Second Adventist. However, Conley, who is frequently identified by Witness and anti-Witness researchers as an Adventist, was in fact a millennialist Lutheran. His beliefs made him comfortable attending Second Adventist meetings, but he came into them as a friend and follower of Peters. He attended Peters' Church and was baptized as a Lutheran. He never self-identified as an Adventist, though he was sympathetic.

Several have ..

offered financial help. We usually turn that down. But if you wish to help, the Library of Congress has an issue of Jones' Day Star. We cannot afford the cost. If you are interested in having a copy for yourself it's there. You can find it in their online cataloge. If you decide to get it for yourself, it would be really nice of you to send us a copy. Anyone?

This is a later copy. The name is not Zion's Day Star, just Day Star. Jones' name in the LC cataloge shows up both as A. D. Jones and A. Delmont Jones.

Russell and Pirate Treasure

A fairly recent screed against Russell says: "Charles Tase [sic] Russell and his brother, as late as when we was in his early twenties, used to dig large holes in their yard and other pieces of property, searching for what the believed to be hidden pirate treasure."

This is silly, of course. But does anyone know the origin of this story?