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Sermon Record and Business Account Books of the Rev. Asahel B. Green, of Springwater, Livingston County, New York, and Monterey, Steuben County, New York, with his Baptism and Marriage Register, 1843-1886.
Two volumes: 1. Small quarto, 130 manuscript pp., bound in ½ leather, marbled paper covered boards, worn at tips, corners, edges, some rubbing and scuffing, entries written in a legible hand. Includes a record of the sermons, or topics, preached by the Rev. A. B. Green, giving dates and locations, dated 20 July 1856 to 26 September 1869. Also includes various accounts of receipts of monies given for support of Green's missionary activities in different locations in New York State, dated 1862-1879, and giving the names of contributors, locations, amounts, etc. At the end of these accounts, are found the accounts for the Rev. Green's day job of running a "turning and rake making" business, dated 1869-1879. 2. Small quarto, 130 manuscript pp., bound in ¼ leather, marbled paper covered boards, worn at tips, corners, edges, some rubbing and scuffing, entries are written in a legible hand. Volume includes the marriages (1843-1886) and baptisms (1844-1868) performed by the Rev. A. B. Green at Springwater, New York, and elsewhere. Starting at the rear of the volume and running 69 pages is written some verse, fiction, or history. This material at the end is unsigned.
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Rev. Asahel B. Green (1814-15-aft. 1891)
Rev. Asahel B. Green was born about the year 1814 or 15 in Washington County, New York. Further research would need to be conducted to determine where he attended school, or seminary, or when he was ordained, but by 1843 he was at Springwater in Livingston County, New York, working as a minister at a Christian church. He carried on a turning and rake making business at Springwater in addition to his ministerial duties. He also had a small farm where he grew corn and wheat and raised sheep on seventy acres of land. The 1850 Census lists him as an "independent" clergyman.
The Rev. Green married Mary Williams, who was one of the five daughters of Isaac Williams, who had a farm and kept a tavern at Springwater. After his wife's death sometime before 1850, Green married his wife's sister Ruba who he appears with in the 1850 Census at Springwater, New York. In 1850 he had a son 9 years old, and a daughter 13, they had other children later on.
Green's baptism and marriage register doesn't mention what church he was minister with, but it does have inscribed in the front of the volume "Christian Church in Springwater organized Feb 17 1844," so we can assume that this was the church he was associated with while living at Springwater.
The 1880 Census has the Rev. Green, now a widower, living at Pulteney, Schuyler County, New York. He was listed as a "Minister of the Gospel." In 1891 he was living at Prattsburgh, Steuben County, and listed as a retired Baptist minister.
Green's baptism and marriage register has inscribed in the front "A. B. Green's Register, Springwater, Liv Co, NY." It contains records of the baptisms and marriages that he performed, written out over 42 mss pages. The marriages are dated 23 September 1843 to 14 July 1886, and number 104 ceremonies. Each record usually records the names of the bride and groom, where the ceremony took place, the date, and the amount of money he received. A number of the marriages took place at Green's residence, which was listed at Springwater, then by 1867 at his residence in Monterey, which was a hamlet in Orange, Schuyler County, New York. The last marriage, dated 14 July 1886, shows his residence to be at Prattsburgh, New York. Many of the marriages took place in Springwater, or other towns in Livingston County, but there were ceremonies performed in other New York counties including: Ontario, Allegany, Schuyler, and Steuben. There was also a marriage that was conducted in the state of Michigan.
After some blank pages there follows a list of baptisms, the first on 7 January 1844 and running till 29 March 1868. There are 122 baptisms, including the names of those baptized and dates of the ceremonies, and location, which tend to be mostly Springwater, but also include other places in Ontario County, as well some in other counties in New York.
At the other end of this volume are a couple of pages of genealogy for the Nixon family, and 69 pages of manuscript verse, fiction, or history, written in pencil. The titles include "In Ancient Days Lake Honeoye, "Battle of Honeoye Lake," "Hemlock Lake," and "Hermit Malory of the Hemlock." Unclear if these are original or published stories transcribed.
The volume recording Rev. Green's sermons gives the dates and locations of either the sermon titles, or topics, where he preached them, and when. These entries are dated from 20 July 1856 to 26 September 1869. The locations where he preached from 1856 to mid1867 were various towns in New York State, such as Beachville, Canadice, Loon Lake, South Danville, Springwater, and Wayland, which are all along the borders of Livingston and Steuben Counties. At one point Green suspends his appointments at these locations due to finances:
"Oct 5, 1856. Reluctantly suspended the appointment, but compelled to do so from financial pressure having rec'd only $4.00 in return for six months services. & having large debts to meet and being refused when asking and from Friends I feel justified in suspending my appointments where the people are unwilling to bear their proportion of the responsibility of regular religious exercises if I err may God forgive if I am right may the people be admonished."
After he suspended his appointments, he appears to have moved on to other locations. By mid 1867 he was preaching at Bradford and Monterey (Orange), New York.
After the preaching records, the ledger records receipts of money raised for the missionary work of Rev. Green. These accounts give the names of the contributors, locations, amounts of the contribution and dates. This section of the ledger is dated from 1862-1879.
The last section of the ledger records the accounts of a "turning and rake" business that the Rev. Green ran while living at Springwater. His daughter Rachel's husband, George Cave, was his partner. These business accounts give the names, dates, and either the items sold or work performed, and the amounts of money received. This business account section is dated 1869-1879.
Overall, the two volumes give great insight into the life of an independent minister, preaching, working, and making a living in western New York State.
