Minute book, 1832-1840

Minute book (June 20, 1832 - December 30, 1840) detailing weekly and annual meetings, listing officers and members who attended, applied for membership, or relief, were fined, elected to office, died, etc. With periodic notations of the Society's finances, its assets and liabilities, and infrequent references to its school and the declining number of "scholars" on the Society's bounty. There are periodic lists and discussions regarding the widows on the Society's bounty with references to rising costs and the necessity to increase annual appropriations to the widows. An ongoing topic (pp. 40-53) is the decision to sell the Society's property, "Fellowship Hall," between Broad and Chalmers Street, impacting the lease of Eliza C. Courtenay, and selling the Society's property at Wentworth and Meeting Streets (pp. 74-85). There are many requests for mortgages and loans from numerous Charlestonians, and a long biographical tribute (pp. 166-170) to Col. Charles Steedman (1783-1838), in turn Charleston sheriff, negotiator for the city, Custom House official and President of the Fellowship Society, killed in an explosion fighting the Charleston fire of 1838, with the mention of others killed in similar circumstances. Ordering a memorial for him, the Society dedicated it in St. Philip's cemetery, the ceremony described on pages 217-222. Other notes of interest include re-engraving the Society's membership printing plate (p. 12) and paying for the creation, painting and lettering of a chest (p. 217). With an index in the front of the volume.