1859-1872 Brookfield NY Seventh Day Baptist Church Ledger of the Second Brookfield Seventh-Day Baptist Church Kept by Reverend Julius Maxson Todd

On offer is a very detailed ledger listing and accounting for a mid-19th century church congregation being the Second Brookfield Seventh-Day Baptist Church and kept by the Reverend Julius Maxson Todd (1819-1901) [SEE BIO NOTES AT END OF LISTING]. This incredible piece of history covers 13 years of the church’s history while Todd was pastor.

The ledger is a detailed listing of member of this religious community for the years 1859 through 1872. It records the names of each congregant and the amount of money they donated to the parish.

The importance and value of this ledger is the listing of the families. For a genealogist or anyone interested in the history of upstate New York in the mid 19th century, this is a solid reference work that clearly locates individuals in a specific place and time. It also adds to the community history of the wider society in that rural part of New York state, and contributes to the existing body of knowledge related to the Seventh Day Baptist religion. 

The book measures 7.5 inches by 6.0 inches and contains 120 pages. The cover is a hard paper covered with a marbled pattern. The cover is in reasonably good condition. The binding is sewn. It is loose but intact. The spin has lost its cover. The lined pages are in good condition. The handwriting is legible.

BIO NOTES: Reverend Elder Julius Maxson Todd (1819-1901) was born in Kingsville, Ohio. Todd was a Seventh-Day Baptist minister. He began his clerical career when he was ordained a minister in Milton, WI. He was assigned to the church in Berlin, WI where he ministered for nine years. Subsequently, he moved to Brookfield NY where he ministered for the next 30 years as pastor at the Second Brookfield Seventh-day Baptist church. In 1842 he married Sophronia Baumhauer, who died soon after in 1847. During that marriage he lived in Lexington and southern Wisconsin. After his wife’s death, Todd then married Emma Langworthy in 1849, and helped organize a church in Dakota, Wisconsin, while acting as pastor of the Berlin, Wisconsin church. In 1858, Todd was called to be pastor of the Second Brookfield, New York, Seventh Day Baptists, where he served for 30 years. He was a well-loved and respected pastor and figure in his community. Todd had one son named Willie, who died at age 15, and he fostered two children, Lewis and Rose. After his second wife died in 1891, Todd was called to be pastor in Nortonville, where he married Mary Elizabeth Clark in 1895. He ended his life and career back in Brookfield.