I requested an obit. from the Conference Journal published by the old New
York East Conference, M. E. Church. from the U. M. Historical [Archives?]
in White Plains. Received a xerox of the obit. for my wife's
great-grandfather who was serving the M. E. Church on City Island, when he
d. in 1899. Obit. included a photo of the Rev. Bowdish and a detailed
biography. Others looking for M. E. preacher ancestors might wish to
follow this route.
As church historian for Hollywood U. M. in Hollywood, MD, I've used the
Conference Journals of the Baltimore Conference. As late as the 1960's or
so, the Balto. Conference published tables of all deceased clergy of the
M. E., M. E. South, and M. P. conferences that covered Baltimore back to
the 1784 formation of the M. E. Church. These tables were excellent in
finding data on preachers we had here in Hollywood from the 1850's onward.
Although we were deep in the "Slave Counties" of Southern Maryland, most
of the Meth. church in St. Mary's remained w/ the M. E. (North) church and
provided the few white soldiers from the area that supported the Union.
I am sure other Conferences would have similar data in their old Journals.
David Roberts