bMS 75

Eliot, Christopher Rhodes. Papers, 1872-1943.

Summary Information:

  • Call Number: bMS 75
  • Title: Eliot, Christopher Rhodes. Papers, 1872-1943
  • Repository: Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1911
  • Quantity: 22 boxes

Administrative Information:

  • Acquisition Information: Gift of the Unitarian Universalist Association, 1970.
  • Access: There are no restrictions on access to this collection. 

Biographical Information:

Christopher Rhodes Eliot (1856-1945) graduated from Washington University (St. Louis) in 1876 and Harvard Divinity School in 1881. He was ordained to the Unitarian ministry in 1882 and served in Dorchester and Bulfinch Place Chapel, Boston.

Scope and Content:

The collection is organized into seven series:

See also bMS 428.

Container List:

Series I. Sermons

  • bMS 75/1 (1): Divinity School sermons, 1879-1881.
  • bMS 75/1 (2): Sermons, 1882.
  • bMS 75/1 (3): Sermons, 1883.
  • bMS 75/1 (4): Sermons, 1884.
  • bMS 75/2 (1): Sermons, 1885.
  • bMS 75/2 (2): Sermons, 1886.
  • bMS 75/2 (3): Sermons, 1887.
  • bMS 75/2 (4): Sermons, 1888.
  • bMS 75/2 (5): Sermons, 1889.
  • bMS 75/2 (6): Sermons, 1890.
  • bMS 75/3 (1): Sermons, 1891.
  • bMS 75/3 (2): Sermons, 1892.
  • bMS 75/3 (3): Sermons, 1893.
  • bMS 75/3 (4): Sermons, 1894.
  • bMS 75/3 (5): Sermons, 1895.
  • bMS 75/3 (6): Sermons, 1896.
  • bMS 75/3 (7): Sermons, 1897.
  • bMS 75/3 (8): Sermons, 1898.
  • bMS 75/3 (9): Sermons, 1900.
  • bMS 75/3 (10): Sermons, 1901.
  • bMS 75/3 (11): Sermons, 1903.
  • bMS 75/3 (12): Sermons, 1905.
  • bMS 75/4 (1): Sermons, 1906.
  • bMS 75/4 (2): Sermons, 1907.
  • bMS 75/4 (3): Sermons, 1908.

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  • bMS 75/4 (4): Sermons, 1909.
  • bMS 75/4 (5): Sermons, 1910.
  • bMS 75/4 (6): Sermons, 1911.
  • bMS 75/5 (1): Sermons, 1912.
  • bMS 75/5 (2): Sermons, 1913.
  • bMS 75/5 (3): Sermons, 1914.
  • bMS 75/6 (1): Sermons, 1915.
  • bMS 75/6 (2): Sermons, 1916.
  • bMS 75/6 (3): Sermons, 1917.
  • bMS 75/7 (1): Sermons, January-June, 1918.
  • bMS 75/7 (2): Sermons, October-December, l918.
  • bMS 75/7 (3): Sermons, 1919.
  • bMS 75/7 (4): Sermons, 1920.
  • bMS 75/8 (1): Sermons, January-May, 1921.
  • bMS 75/8 (2): Sermons, July-November, 1921.
  • bMS 75/8 (3): Sermons, January-April, 1922.
  • bMS 75/9 (1): Sermons, May-September, 1922.
  • bMS 75/9 (2): Sermons, October-December, 1922.
  • bMS 75/9 (3): Sermons, January-March, 1923.
  • bMS 75/10 (1): Sermons, April-June, 1923.
  • bMS 75/10 (2): Sermons, September-October, 1923.
  • bMS 75/10 (3): Sermons, November-December, 1923.
  • bMS 75/10 (4): Sermons, January-February, 1924.
  • bMS 75/11 (1): Sermons, March-June, 1924.
  • bMS 75/11 (2): Sermons, September-December, 1924.
  • bMS 75/11 (3): Sermons, January-March, 1925.
  • bMS 75/11 (4): Sermons, April-July, 1925.
  • bMS 75/12 (1): Sermons, September-October, 1925.
  • bMS 75/12 (2): Sermons, November-December, 1925.
  • bMS 75/12 (3): Sermons, January-May, 1926.
  • bMS 75/12 (4): Sermons, June-December, 1926.
  • bMS 75/13 (1): Sermons, January-April, 1927.
  • bMS 75/13 (2): Sermons, May-June, 1927.
  • bMS 75/13 (3): Sermons, October-December, 1927.
  • bMS 75/13 (4): Sermons, 1928.
  • bMS 75/13 (5): Sermons, 1929.
  • bMS 75/14 (1): Sermons, 1930.
  • bMS 75/14 (2): Sermons, 1931.
  • bMS 75/14 (3): Sermons, 1932.
  • bMS 75/14 (4): Sermons, 1933.
  • bMS 75/14 (5): Services, undated.

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Series II. Address and Article File

  • bMS 75/15 (1): "Adventures in Idealism." Commencement address and correspondence, Washington University, June 5, 1928.
  • bMS 75/15 (2): "All Going Forward Together." Clipping from the Christian Register, December 11, 1919.
  • bMS 75/15 (3): "The Boston Public Garden." Text and letters.
  • bMS 75/15 (4): "Charles Jason Staples, 1856-1936."
  • bMS 75/15 (5): "Christ and the Christian." (1894?)
  • bMS 75/15 (6): "Christianity `A Way of Life'." Clipping from the Christian Register, December 20, 1934.
  • bMS 75/15 (7): "The Church."
  • bMS 75/15 (8): "The Community."
  • bMS 75/15 (9): "Dorchester House Yesterday." November 12, 1937.
  • bMS 75/15 (10): "Early History of the Y.P.R.U."
  • bMS 75/15 (11): "The Family."
  • bMS 75/15 (12): "Federation of Churches in Greater Boston."
  • bMS 75/15 (13): "The Greater Boston Federation of Churches." (1919).
  • bMS 75/15 (14): Historical Studies.
    • Hanover Street Chapel, Parmenter Street Chapel, North End Union.
    • The New South Free Church.
    • The North End Union.
    • Parker Memorial, 1882-1928.
    • Suffolk Street Chapel.
    • Sunday Schools.
    • Washington Village Chapel and Channing Church.

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  • bMS 75/15 (15): "The Influence of the Arabs during the Middle Ages."
  • bMS 75/15 (16): "Interracial Relations Sunday." Clipping from the Christian Register, February 9, 1933.
  • bMS 75/15 (17): "John Wesley, 1703-1791."
  • bMS 75/15 (18): "Nathaniel Hall, 1835-1935." Address delivered at the First Parish Dorchester on October 20, 1935 on the 100th Anniversary of Nathaniel Hall's ordination in 1835.
  • bMS 75/15 (19): Oxford, England and its University. Notes and talks on this topic.
  • bMS 75/15 (20): Poetry.
  • bMS 75/15 (21): Prayers.
  • bMS 75/16 (1): "The Relation Between Denominational and Philanthropic Work."
  • bMS 75/16 (2): "The Scottsboro Case." Typescript and clipping from the Christian Register, April 27, 1933.
  • bMS 75/16 (3): "The Separation of Church and Philanthropy." January 14, 1901.
  • bMS 75/16 (4): "The Storage of Power." Clipping from the Christian Register, November 26, 1891.
  • bMS 75/16 (5): "Thanksgiving Sermon." Clipping from the Christian Register, November 26, 1891.
  • bMS 75/16 (6): "Unitarians in Active Social Work."
  • bMS 75/16 (7): "Samuel Hobart Winkley." Text, notes, pictures and letters from Mr. Winkley (1898-1907.)
  • bMS 75/16 (8): Notes for Communion addresses.
  • bMS 75/16 (9): Notes on the Howard Sunday School.
  • bMS 75/16 (10): Notes on various articles.
  • bMS 75/17 (1): Notes on various articles.
  • bMS 75/17 (2): Notes on various articles.

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Series III. Records

  • bMS 75/17 (3): A Record of the Christenings, Marriages and Funerals performed by Christopher Rhodes Eliot, 1882-1943.

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Series IV. Scrapbooks

  • bMS 75/18 (1): Scrapbook kept by CRE, 1882-? Relates mainly to his years as minister of the First Parish Church, Dorchester, Mass. although other items are included.
  • bMS 75/18 (2): Scrapbook kept by CRE, 1898-1902. Relates mainly to his early years as minister of the Bulfinch Place Church, Boston, Mass. although other items are included.

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Series V. Correspondence

  • bMS 75/19 (1): Correspondence (A-Z)
    • "B": M.W. Breck, Anna Breed.
    • "C": Eva Channing, James Freeman Clarke, Robert Collyer, Elinor W. Crocker.
    • "D": Dorothea L. Dix.
    • "E": Charles W. Eliot, Christopher Rhodes Eliot, Frederick May Eliot, Samuel A. Eliot.
    • "G": William Channing Gannett, Marion P. Gray.
    • "H": Matthew Hale, Edward Everett Hale, Mary F. Hobart.
  • bMS 75/19 (2): Correspondence
    • "J": Anna E. Johnson.
    • "L": Ruth Lindblom, Mary A. Livermore, Martin M. Lomasney, John D. Long.
    • "P": Helen P. Patterson, Francis Greenwood Peabody.
    • "R": Abraham M. Rihbany, N. Winthrop Robinson.
    • "S": Henry D. Sharpe, Edith Spear, George Spear, Harold E.B. Speight, Anna Garlin Spencer, Martha P. Suter.
    • "W": Charles W. Wendge, Earl Morse Wilbur.

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Series VI. Subject Files

A. Bulfinch Place Church, Boston
  • bMS 75/19 (3): Bulfinch Place Church. Alternations, 1904-1905.
  • bMS 75/19 (4): Bulfinch Place Church. Clippings from magazines and newspapers.
  • bMS 75/19 (5): Bulfinch Place Church. Historical papers.
    • Bulfinch Place Chapel, 1894-1934.
    • The Eliot Circle.
    • History of Bulfinch Place Church.
    • Miss Fannie S. Merrill (by Annie F. Brown).
    • The Tuckerman Circle.
  • bMS 75/19 (6): Bulfinch Place Church. Howard Sunday School, Annual reports, 1989-1911.
  • bMS 75/19 (7): Bulfinch Place Church. Howard Sunday School, Annual reports, 1912, 1914-1920, 1922-1928. Includes two incomplete and undated reports.
  • bMS 75/19 (8): Bulfinch Place Church. Howard Sunday School, Misc. reports and clippings from "Our Work."
  • bMS 75/19 (9): Bulfinch Place Church. Letter to the Executive Committee of the Benevolent Fraternity of Churches, undated; letter to the President of the Benevolent Fraternity of Churches, September 28, 1920.
  • bMS 75/19 (10): Bulfinch Place Church. Minister's report, April 22, 1888. Includes Sunday School report.
  • bMS 75/20 (1): Bulfinch Place Church. Parish Newsletter, "Our Work," 1908-1940. (Early years are very incomplete.)
  • bMS 75/20 (2): Bulfinch Place Church. Special religious services.
B. The Benevolent Fraternity of Unitarian Churches
  • bMS 75/20 (3): Benevolent Fraternity. General.
  • bMS 75/20 (4): Benevolent Fraternity. Fruit and Flower Mission.
  • bMS 75/20 (5): Benevolent Fraternity. Historical studies by Christopher Rhodes Eliot.
    Robert Cassie Waterston; Joseph Tuckerman; survey of ministry at large, 1834-1934; Charles Francis Barnard and the Children's Church; Pitts Street Chapel (includes bio of Frederick Turell Gray, plus a lithograph of him); history of Benevolent Fraternity.
  • bMS 75/20 (6): Benevolent Fraternity. Notes for the historical studies.
C. Unitarian Historical Society
  • bMS 75/20 (7): Unitarian Historical Society.

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D. Unitarian Temperance Society
  • bMS 75/20 (8): Unitarian Temperance Society. Letters, addresses, newspaper clippings.
    • Address by Christopher Rhodes Eliot, public meeting of the U.T.S., Arlington Street Church, May 23, 1921.
    • "The Rise of Prohibition in America" by CRE, annual meeting of the U.H.S., Arlington Street Church, May, 1925.
  • bMS 75/21 (1): Temperance addresses (by Christopher Rhodes Eliot.) Includes:
    • Address at annual meeting, U.T.S., King's Chapel, 1911.
    • Address at U.T.S., Arlington Street Church, May 20, 1919.
    • "Temperance from the Social and Scientific Points of View," Concord, Massachusetts, February 17, 1913.
    • "The Temperance Problem." Magazine clipping, n.d.
    • "What is the Unitarian Temperance Society Doing for the Sunday-Schools?" Magazine clipping of an address delivered before the Teachers' Union in Boston, May?
  • bMS 75/21 (2): Further Temperance talks by Eliot.
  • bMS 75/21 (3): Notes for Christopher Rhodes Eliot's pamphlet on "Unitarians and The Temperance Movement."
E. Miscellaneous Organizations
  • bMS 75/21 (4): Lend a Hand Society. (Eliot was its President for 27 years.)
  • bMS 75/21 (5): West End Improvement Society.

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F. Biographical File
  • bMS 75/22 (1): Washington University Papers, 1872-1876.
  • bMS 75/22 (2): Journal of a trip to England, the Continent, and Greece. Volume One, July 20, 1876-September 29, 1876; March 12, 20, 1877.
  • bMS 75/22 (3): Journal, Volume Two, [September 29, 1876]-February 7, 1877.
  • bMS 75/22 (4): Journal, Volume Three, February 12, 1877-Final entries undated.
  • bMS 75/22 (5): Notebook of pictorial scenes from the trip.
  • bMS 75/22 (6): Ordination, 1882.
  • bMS 75/22 (7): Family letters, 1872-1888, 1895, 1900, 1916, 1920, 1923.
  • bMS 75/22 (8): Letters from his children.
  • bMS 75/22 (9): Eliot, Mary May. (Material relating to his wife.)
  • bMS 75/22 (10): Honorary Degree, Washington University, 1925.
  • bMS 75/22 (11): Miscellaneous programs and clippings.
  • bMS 75/22 (12): Biographical statements.
  • bMS 75/22 (13): Pictures.
G. Miscellany
  • bMS 75/22 (14): Magazine clippings and pictures.
  • bMS 75/22 (15): Newspaper clippings.
  • bMS 75/22 (16): Miscellaneous items.

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Series VII. Eliot, Christopher Rhodes. Memorabilia.

  • M.2: Pen wiper made from a piece of Dr. William Ellery Channing's coat. Given to CRE after his father's death.
  • Dr. Joseph Tuckerman's reading glasses. Given to CRE by Rev. S.H. Winkley.
  • Dr. Joseph Tuckerman's Poor Purse.

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