William McKendree Papers
Scope and Contents
The William McKendree Papers are comprised of .84 linear feet of correspondence, sermons and collected materials of Bishop McKendree. Also contained within these papers is his personal diary as well as a church business journal and several of William McKendree’s sermons. Aside from McKendree’s related papers there are a few Methodist relics such as a classbook of the year 1796, a partial diary of Hester Ann Rogers and outlines of sermons by Samuel Bradburn. Of note is a letter from John Wesley and a square of bedclothes from the bed in which John Wesley died.
Included in the collection are three small rolls of microfilm that were held by the Divinity Library until 2015 when they were transferred to Special Collections. These rolls contain reproductions of some of the papers.
Dates
- Creation: 1790 - 1834
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials from this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Biography of William McKendree
William McKendree was born in Virginia in 1757. In 1810 his family moved to Sumner County, Tennessee. At the start of the American Revolution, McKendree joined a group of Tennessee volunteers. After leaving the army he served as a school teacher. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1787 and worked as a minister. He worked in places such as Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In 1801, he was sent to oversee the church of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. After a number of years ministering to those areas he was appointed to become a bishop. William McKendree was the first Methodist Bishop born in the United States. A school in Lebanon, Illinois, is named after him because of the missionary work he did there. He died in 1835 in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Full Extent
0.63 Linear Feet (1 legal Hollinger, 1 letter half-Hollinger)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated by Dr. Frank Gulley.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the William McKendree Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.