Methodist Records of Baltimore City, Maryland

The Lovely Lane Meeting House in Baltimore, Maryland, was the location of the meeting in 1794, which founded the Methodist Episcopal Church of America; and subsequently, the city became a fertile ground for the rapid growth of Methodism. The mere existence of Methodist records this early is somewhat unusual. There are few records in the state before 1850 despite the phenomenal growth of Methodist churches in Maryland during this period. From these records Mr. Peden has abstracted marriages, births, and deaths, and has extracted information on deaths and removals from the membership and class lists. Marriages begin in 1799; marriages of “coloured people” begin in 1807. Baptisms begin in 1799; deaths in 1800. A brief history of the early Methodist churches of Baltimore City is given.