Laurentine Hamilton Collection: Finding Aid mssHamilton

Stephanie E. Clayton
The Huntington Library
March 2011
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org

Note

Finding aid last updated on February 28, 2024 by Kelly Kress.


Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library
Title: Laurentine Hamilton collection
Identifier/Call Number: mssHamilton
Physical Description: 5.75 Linear Feet (9 boxes and 1 oversize folder )
Date (inclusive): 1858-1956
Abstract: This collection chiefly contains sermons written by California Presbyterian minister Laurentine Hamilton (1826-1882) between 1858 and 1882, as well as some ephemera.
Language of Material: English.

Access

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Publication Rights

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item]. Laurentine Hamilton collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Gift of Clark Edward, April 25, 1961.

Biographical Note

Laurentine Hamilton (1826-1882) was born in Dix, New York, in 1826. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1850 and then from Auburn Theological Seminary in 1853. He was ordained by the New School Presbytery of Geneva the following year and served in western New York. He was commissioned as a home missionary of the New School Assembly in Columbia, California, and served there from 1855 to 1859. He moved to San Jose in 1859 to preach at the First Presbyterian Church of San Jose and was also a school superintendent there.
In 1861, he accompanied William H. Brewer and Charles F. Hoffman as part of the California Geological Survey. His service was commemorated through the christening of one of the tallest peaks as Mount Hamilton.
He moved to Oakland in 1864 to become pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland. It was here that Hamilton's career came in jeopardy when he was accused of heresy in 1869. He preached that there was a second chance of salvation after death, contrary to Presbyterian doctrine. Faced with a trial, Hamilton refused to renounce his belief in posthumous salvation which prompted the leaders of the Presbyterian Church to strip him of his ordination and force him to resign.
Hamilton's career was not destroyed by these events. Instead, he and his parishioners set up another church, the First Independent Presbyterian Church of Oakland. They joined the Unitarians in 1879 and the church was renamed the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. Hamilton served his congregation until he died in the pulpit on April 14, 1882.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of 551 manuscripts and 4 pieces of correspondence, which are arranged in chronological order by type. The majority of the manuscripts consist of sermons written by Laurentine Hamilton between 1858 and 1882. The sermons are ordered by the date they were first given, but Hamilton often reused his sermons. These dates are usually written on the manuscript or on the bindings that Hamilton used to hold together the loose pages of many of his sermons. One sermon which illustrates Hamilton's arguments for posthumous salvation was given on May 16, 1869 and is titled, "The Judgment." Hamilton also gave sermons incorporating the theories of Darwinian Evolution into Christianity beginning in 1878. There is also a seven- page biography of his life, which was read at Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship at UC Berkeley on December 17, 1956. It is unclear who wrote the speech. It may have been the donor, Clark Edward. The speech itself is a brief overview of Hamilton's life and then a short analysis of the events triggered by his controversial sermons regarding posthumous salvation.
The ephemera, consisting of 25 items, are arranged by type. The ephemera consists of issues of the Oakland Daily News with Hamilton's printed sermons, from 1874 to 1875, issues of the Oakland Daily Evening Tribune with an article by Hamilton and his obituary, and an issue of the Sunday Chronicle from 1882 with Hamilton's obituary. Also included are three lists of Hamilton's sermons, a copy of one of Hamilton's sermons, his academic diplomas and certificates, notes by an unknown author, and a tract by Hamilton, titled The Future State and Free Discussion; Four Sermons Preached in the First Presbyterian Church dated 1869.
Subjects in the collection include: Assassination of Alexander II, Emperor of Russia; Asylum for the Insane of the State of California; Bank of California; J. Ross (John Ross) Browne; Influence of the Count Camillo Benso Cavour; Central Pacific Railroad Company; Christianity; Compulsory Education in United States; Evolution; First Unitarian Church of Oakland, California; Octavius Brooks Frothingham; Chicago Great Fire of 1871;Laurentine Hamilton; Judgment Day Sermons; Church history of San Jose, California; American Sermons in California American Presbyterian Sermons; Stockton State Hospital in California; and Religion and Science.

Arrangement

Sermons arranged in Boxes 1-9 chronologically, followed by correspondence and ephemera in Box 9. There is also a folder of oversize material.

Indexing: Subject

Alexander II, Emperor of Russia, 1818-1881--Assassination.
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1881, Jan. – Mar.). Box 7 (6).
Asylum for the Insane of the State of California
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1877, Jan. – Apr.). Box 5 (5).
Bank of California
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1875, Sep. – Nov.). Box 4 (5).
Browne, J. Ross (John Ross), 1821-1875
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1873, Dec.). Box 3 (1).
Cavour, Camillo Benso, conte di, 1810-1861—Influence
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1881, Apr. - Sep.). Box 8 (1).
Central Pacific Railroad Company
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1869, Jan. – May). Box 1 (3).
Education, Compulsory--United States
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1873, Jan. – May). Box 2 (5).
Frothingham, Octavius Brooks, 1822-1895
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1881, Oct. – Dec.) Box 8 (2).
Great Fire, Chicago, Ill., 1871
  1. Subject in Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882 (1871, Oct. – Dec.) Box 2 (3).
Stockton State Hospital (Calif.)
  1. Subject in Sermons

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Judgment Day -- Sermons.
Presbyterian Church -- Clergy -- California -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Religion and science -- United States -- History -- 19th century
Unitarians -- California
California, Northern -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
Letters (correspondence) -- California -- 19th century
Sermons California -- 19th century

Box 1

Sermons, 1858-1870

Box 1, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 6 items. 1858-1863.

Box 1, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1866-1868.

Box 1, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1869, Jan. – May.

Box 1, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 10 items. 1869, June – Aug.

Box 1, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 8 items. 1869, Oct. – Dec.

Box 1, Folder 6

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 11 items. 1870, Jan. – Apr.

Box 1, Folder 7

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1870, May – Nov.

Box 2

Sermons, 1871 – 1873, Oct.-Nov.

Box 2, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 15 items. 1871, Jan. – June.

Box 2, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 7 items. 1871, July – Sep.

Box 2, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 11 items. 1871, Oct. – Dec.

Box 2, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1872.

Box 2, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1873, Jan. – May.

Box 2, Folder 6

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 11 items. 1873, June – Sep.

Box 2, Folder 7

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 17 items. 1873, Oct. – Nov.

Box 3

Sermons, 1873, Dec. – 1874, June-Aug.

Box 3, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 10 items. 1873, Dec.

Box 3, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 16 items. 1874, Jan. – Mar.

Box 3, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 16 items. 1874, Apr. – May.

Box 3, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 18 items. 1874, June – Aug.

Box 4

Sermons, 1874, Sep.-Oct. – 1875, Sep. – Nov.

Box 4, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 14 items. One incomplete. 1874, Sep. – Oct.

Box 4, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1874, Nov. – Dec.

Box 4, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 10 items. 1875, Jan. – Mar.

Box 4, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1875, Apr. – May.

Box 4, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 18 items. 1875, Sep. – Nov.

Box 5

Sermons, 1876, Jan. – Mar. – 1877, May – Dec.

Box 5, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 14 items. One incomplete. 1876, Jan. – Mar.

Box 5, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 11 items. 1876, Apr. – July.

Box 5, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1876, Aug. – Oct.

Box 5, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 7 items. 1876, Nov. – Dec.

Box 5, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1877, Jan. – Apr.

Box 5, Folder 6

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 15 items. 1877, May – Dec.

Box 6

Sermons, 1878, Jan. – Apr. – 1879, Jan. – Mar.

Box 6, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 10 items. 1878, Jan. – Apr.

Box 6, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 9 items. 1878, May – June.

Box 6, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 16 items. 8 Oversize. 1878, July – Sep.

Box 6, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 15 items. 4 Oversize. 1878, Oct. – Dec.

Box 6, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 14 items. 1879, Jan. – Mar.

Box 7

Sermons, 1879, Apr. – Aug. – 1881, Jan. – Mar.

Box 7, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1879, Apr. – Aug.

Box 7, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 8 items. One incomplete. 1879, Sep. – Dec.

Box 7, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1880, Jan. – Mar.

Box 7, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 10 items. 1880, Apr. – July.

Box 7, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1880, Aug. – Dec.

Box 7, Folder 6

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 10 items. 1881, Jan. – Mar.

Box 8

Sermons, 1881, Apr. – Sep. and undated

Box 8, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1881, Apr. - Sep.

Box 8, Folder 2

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 13 items. 1881, Oct. – Dec.

Box 8, Folder 3

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 11 items. One incomplete. One torn. 1882, Jan. – Mar.

Box 8, Folder 4

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 14 items. [Undated].

Box 8, Folder 5

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 12 items. 1 Oversize. One incomplete. [Undated].

Box 9

Sermons [undated] Sermons, Correspondence and Ephemera

Box 9, Folder 1

Sermons by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 20 items. All Incomplete. [undated].

Box 9, Folder 2

Eulogies by L. (Laurentine) Hamilton, 1827-1882. 3 items. 1871-1875.

Box 9, Folder 3

Speeches. 4 items. 2 Oversize. [before 1882] - 1956.

Box 9, Folder 4

Correspondence. 4 items. Includes newspaper clipping. [before 1882] – 1913.

Box 9, Folder 5

Certificates and Diplomas. 6 items [5 Oversize]. 1850-1854

Box 9, Folder 6

Newspapers. 12 items. 1874-1882

Box 9, Folder 7

Notes. 6 items. 2 Oversize. [Undated]

Box 9, Folder 8

Tract. 1 item. 1869

Folder Oversize folder

Oversize materials