In 1831, the Fifth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, helped to establish the Society for the Spread of the Gospel in the Villages and Vicinity of Philadelphia. The First Presbyterian Church of Manayunk (reported as First of Roxborough Township) grew out of the missionary work of one of the society’s ministers, Albert Judson, who arrived in 1832. Although the church was officially recognized by Philadelphia Second Presbytery in 1833, records document earlier activity. In those days Manayunk was a village completely isolated from the City of Philadelphia, with no paved streets, lights or sidewalks. The congregation became part of the Old School branch of Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. during the schism of 1838, and remained so until the 1869 reunion. Over the years the area became part of Philadelphia, and the church grew into a large congregation before its eventual dissolution in 1996.

A search of our catalogs shows official records of the First Presbyterian Church, Manayunk, which contain genealogical information, in our holdings. Records deposited with the society include:

• First Presbyterian Church of Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA. Session minutes, 1841-1922. 3 volumes. (Call number: VAULT BX 9211.P49127F51)
   
• First Presbyterian Church of Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA. Registers, 1818-1952. 3 volumes, including member, baptisms and some marriages after 1868. (Call number: VAULT BX 9211.P49127 F52)

Additional materials deposited with the society include:  

• Trustees’ minutes, a charter of incorporation, a congregational vertical file, and communion ware.

Sources:

Hammonds, Kenneth A. Historical Directory of Presbyterian Churches and Presbyteries of Greater Philadelphia : Related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Its Antecedents, 1690-1990. Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian Historical Society, 1993.

Whitaker, Albert. Historical Review of the First Presbyterian Church Manayunk, Prepared for its 100th Anniversary. Roxborough, PA: The Roxborough Press, 1932.