Description:

AME Zion Church Minister Requests Vacation from President of "Geneva College," Today's Hobart and William Smith Colleges

A 2pp autograph letter signed by Reverend William Cromwell (born ca. 1821), pastor of African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Auburn, New York, as "W. Cromwell" on the second page. Written in Auburn, New York on August 31, 1848. On cream bifold paper, the third page blank, and the fourth page serving as an integral address leaf complete with stamped and handwritten philatelic markings. Expected paper folds, isolated edge and corner loss, and scattered foxing affecting the address leaf, else near fine. 7.75" x 9.875."

Reverend William Cromwell wrote this letter requesting vacation time in the late summer of 1848. Cromwell's recipient Reverend Benjamin Hale (1797-1863) was the president of Geneva College (the predecessor of the modern day Hobart and William Smith Colleges). Cromwell asked Hale to discuss the former's plans at the next council meeting, and to possibly arrange for some substitutes to deliver Sunday services. Reverend Cromwell wrote in part, "My wife's health, to say nothing of my own inclinations, prompting me to arrangements for a visit of a few weeks to the Sea Side, I make bold to enquire whether I could procure a supply, from Geneva, for all or any of the Sundays in September after the 4th. inst., the 11th, 18th, + 25th…" Geneva is located approximately 28 miles west of Auburn.

The institution of higher learning now known as Hobart and William Smith Colleges has experienced many name changes over its history: as Geneva Academy in 1796; as Geneva College in 1825; as Hobart College in 1852; and finally as Hobart and William Smith Colleges after 1943. The college has long-standing ties with the Episcopal Church and trained many of the era's prominent Episcopal clergymen. Benjamin Hale served as president of Geneva College between 1836-1858.

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was officially founded in 1821 in New York City as an independent denomination of the Methodist Church. Today, it's estimated that there are over 1.4 million members.

Reverend William Cromwell oversaw the Auburn, New York congregation of the AME Zion Church at 9 Washington Street between 1852-1875. Census records provide the bulk of the sketchy biographical information available for William Cromwell. He was born in either Maryland or Virginia, possibly enslaved, in the early 1820s, and had migrated from Pennsylvania to Auburn, New York by 1852. In the years leading up to the Civil War, Auburn fostered a thriving free black community made up of free, escaped, and manumitted black slaves. The black settlement in Auburn, comprised of more than a dozen households by the 1840s, was called "New Guinea." Reverend Cromwell would have served the descendants of these original settlers and parishioners. Cromwell attended a local black convention held in Geneva in 1853, along with participants from neighboring Cayuga, Seneca, Yates, Wayne, and Ontario counties.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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