Author: WILLIAM G. LITTELL
Title: 1859 and 1860 Handwritten Diaries of a Young, Rural American Methodist Preacher, Preaching in the Wiltshire Circuit and a Kansas Circuit Prior to the CIVIL War
Description: American Midwest, Methodist Church, Ohio, Kansas: Ohio, Kansas, Methodist Church, Wiltshire Circuit, Delaware, 1859-1860. Full-Leather. On offer are two diaries that belonged to a mid-19th Century Circuit preacher in the American Midwest. The author of these 2 diaries is William G. Littell. He was born in 1833. He became a preacher with the Methodist Church, working mostly in Ohio. Church records show him assigned to the Wiltshire Circuit and later, by 1869, to a circuit in Kansas. He passed away in 1899 at the age of 66. Our informal research has not turned up any additional biographical information about him. At the time he kept these two diaries, according to his entries on the first page, he was living in Delaware, OH. He was 26 years old. His entries reveal a very hard-working minister who was committed to his religious calling. Some excerpts: "Spoke in the Weslayan Church from Deb 4 th / 6 th at 11 AM. My first attempt. In afternoon commenced a S School in East DelawARE 37 persons present good beginning" [Feb 6, 1859]; "Went to Canaan. Bro [ ] preached. After which we attended to S School business $118.75 had been subscribed for books. In evening attended my SS in ED 86 were present had an excellent time." [Mar 12, 1859]; "At Leaders meeting this morning. Bro Patterson and myself were recommended to [ ] for Local P's license. [ ] Bro Patterson and I were examined and licenses to preach the gospel." [May 30, 1859]; "At prayer meeting had an excellent time. Bro [ ] made several good remarks on our mission fields. I was appointed to [ ] next month" [Dec 7, 1859]; "Went in a buggy with Jones up the plank road about 5 miles to collect money got 25 dollars in eve Dr. Barry preached 15 or 16 came forward for prayer and were converted." [Jan 30, 1860]; "Was called on to marry a very young couple but could not on acct of not being licensed was glad of the excuse" [June 10, 1860]. For a historian, this is an excellent look inside the world of a rural preacher in pre-civil war America. This is an aspect of rural life that is usually only reported on by members of a church community and not the religious leaders themselves. This is also a very interesting look at the day-to-day work of a preacher in a Christian denomination that would over the years to grow to become one of the largest in the United States. The 1859 Diary measures 5.25x4.75 inches. It is 122 pages and 66% complete. The cover is in fair condition, but the binding has come apart and is in poor condition. The pages themselves are legible and in good condition. The 1860 diary measures 3.5x5.5 inches. It is 75% complete. The cover and binding are coming apart and are in poor condition. However, the text is legible and the pages themselves are in good condition. ; Manuscripts; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 244 pages; Handwritten, manuscript, document, letter, autograph, writer, hand written, documents, signed, letters, manuscripts, historical, holograph, writers, autographs, personal, memoir, memorial, antiquité, contrat, vélin, document, manuscrit, papier antike, brief, pergament, dokument, manuskript, papier oggetto d'antiquariato, atto, velina, documento, manoscritto, carta antigüedad, hecho, vitela, documento, manuscrito, papel, William G. Littell. United Methodist Church, John Westlay, Christian preacher, history of Christianity, Wiltshire circuit, Kansas circuit, 19th century Methodist,. Poor with no dust jacket .

Keywords: Antiquité D'Antiquariato . . General Overview 19th