Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

Restrictions to Use

No usage restrictions.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the John Early Diary, #3323-z, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Bignall Jones and Duke Jones of Warrenton, N.C., 1957.

Additional Descriptive Resources

A copy of the original finding aid for this collection is filed in folder 1.

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Baptists--Relations--Methodist Church--History--19th century.
• Camp meetings--North Carolina--History--19th century.
• Camp meetings--Virginia--History--19th century.
• Circuit riders--North Carolina--History--19th century.
• Circuit riders--Virginia--History--19th century.
• Early, John, 1786-1873.
• Methodist Church--Clergy--History--19th century.
• Methodist Church--North Carolina--History--19th century.
• Methodist Church--Relations--Baptists--History--19th century.
• Methodist Church--Virginia--History--19th century.
• North Carolina--Religion--19th century.
• Virginia--Religion--19th century.

John Early (1786-1873) was born in Bedford County, Va., the thirteenth child of Joshua Early and Mary Leftwich Early. He joined the Methodist Church in 1804 and was later licensed to preach. He became a presiding elder in 1813; president of Colonization Society at Lynchburg, Va., 1825; president of the Board of Trustees of Randolph-Macon for 40 years; president of the first conference of the new Methodist Episcopal Chuch, South; bishop from 1854 until he was superannuated in 1866. He was married to Anne Jones and later Elizabeth Browne Rives.

The collection includes the typed transciption of the daily diary (with gaps) of John Early as a Methodist circuit rider. Entries concern travels through southside Virginia and northeastern North Carolina and describe his work, camp meetings, rivalry with the Baptists, and many successful conversions. Included is an index to names mentioned.