Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Ministers of Record in Lake County, Ohio Probate Court
1846-1975

Introduction

These records, available through the Probate Marriage Department in Painesville, Ohio were abstracted so that when a researcher has a minister’s name from, say, a marriage record, this may give a clue as to what church in which to find further records. There were two types of records:

• acceptance of licenses issued by another county, which we will call transfers, and
• licenses issued by the Lake County Probate Court.

If a “first” volume of license transfers from 1840 to 1846 exists, it was not found at this time. Also not found were records of licenses issued by Lake County from 1840 through April, 1886.

This has been abstracted (but not fully proofread) and presented here by Cynthia Turk.

In some cases where the date or part of a date was not filled in, or where the year given does not match the neighboring dates, a year was added based on the records surrounding it. The added year is in parentheses, with a question mark, as: (1970?).

The volumes found and abstracted are:

Minister’s License Vol. (No number)

Records begin Jany 15^th 1846 and end 9^th Sept AD 1875. This volume appears to be all transfers. The volume is left more than half blank.

The first entry reads:

“Rev. Edwin G Benjamin Minister of the Gospel of the Denomination usually called Disciples this day presented his License as such authorizing him to solemnize Marriages issued from Geauga County dated July 25 1843. Attest C. D. Adams Deputy Clerk Jany 15^th 1846."

Beginning 24 Aug 1864, a true copy of the original license is presented, but the record has essentially the same information as the others.

After March of 1871, the original license was copied, but the Lake County part was not entered, so not dated. They began dating and including the Lake County judge again in Nov. 1871.

Record of Ministers Licenses, Vol. 1

Records begin 18 Nov 1875 and end 25 Apr 1949. This preprinted indexed volume appears to be all transfers. It is in the form:

 “ ____ , Minister of the Gospel: On the ____ day of _____, A. D. 187__, a Minister’s License, issued from the Probate Court of ____ County, Ohio, to _____, a Minister of the Gospel of the denomination usually called ____ was presented in Lake County Probate Court and is hereby allowed. ______ Probate Judge.”

The front of the last page is Xed off saying use Book No. 3. The last form is cut out of the book. There is a letter stapled in the back from Rev. Herman A. Klahr from Old Stone Church in Cleveland changing his denomination from Reformed Church in the United States to Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.

Records of Ministers Licenses Vol. 2 Lake County Ohio Probate

Records begin 3 May 1886 and end 18 June 1963. The last two pages (219 and 220) are crossed off and marked “See Record No. 4.” These are licenses issued by Lake County.

Record states in full:

The State of Ohio Lake County, ss Probate Court
__________, 19___
Be it Remembered, that on the ___ day of _______, A.D. 18__, the Rev. ________ a Minister of the Gospel, officiating in Lake County, Ohio, having produced to the Judge of the Probate Court of said Lake County, credentials of his being a regular ordained Minister of the _____________ Religious Society or Congregation; it is therefore ordered by the court that a license be issued to the said _________________ who is hereby authorized to solemnize marriages within this State, so long as he shall continue a regular Minister in such Society or Congregation.
In Testimony Whereof, I, _______________ Judge
of the Probate Court of said County, have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court, at Painesville, Ohio, this
____ day of ____________A. D. 19__
_____________ Probate Judge.
______________, Deputy Clerk

Tucked in is the following letter:

Western Reserve University,
Adelbert College.
Cleveland, O., May 14, 1891
To all whom it may concern,
This is to certify that the Revd. Frank G. Weeks, of Willoughby Ohio, is a regularly ordained minister of the Gospel, of the Presbyterian denomination, and is a member in good and regular standing, of the Presbytery of Clevlaned, Synod of Ohio,
Atet E. Bushnell
Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Cleveland

Attached to pg 26:

To the honored Judge Clark,
This is to certify that the bearer Rev. L. W. Spayd is the regular pastar of the Disciple or Christian Church of this place
Willoughby O. March 27^th. 1899
H. J. Randall

Attached to pg 27:

Office of R. Radcliff, Dealter in Drugs, Groceries and notions
Mentor, Ohio Jan. 22 1900
This will certify that the bearer W. C. Prewitt is a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is now pastor of the Church at Mentor.
R. Radcliff
Deacon

Record of Ministers Licenses, Vol. 3

Records begin 27 April 1949 and end 30 Jan 1975. This volume is the continuation of Vol. 1, license transfers.

Vol. 3 typical entry states in full:

(Minister’s Name) ________________________
On the ___ day of _____, A.D. 19___, a Minister’s
License, issued from the Probate Court of ______ county,
Ohio, to __________________, a Minister of the Gospel
of the denomination usually called __________________
was presented in the Lake County Probate Court and is hereby allowed.
(Signed)
Probate Judge
(By _____, deputy clerk)

Records of Ministers Licenses Vol. 4 Lake County Ohio Probate

Records begin 31 Aug 1963 and end 2 Feb 1982. This volume is of licenses issued by Lake County, and is the continuation of Vol. 2.

Record states in full:

The State of Ohio Lake County, ss Probate Court
__________, 19___
Be it Remembered, that on the ___ day of _______, A.D. 19__, the Rev. ________ a Minister of the Gospel, officiating in Lake County, Ohio, having produced to the Judge of the Probate Court of said Lake County, credentials of his being a regular ordained Minister of the _____________ Religious Society or Congregation; it is therefore ordered by the court that a license be issued to the said _________________ who is hereby authorized to solemnize marriages within this State, so long as he shall continue a regular Minister in such Society or Congregation.
 In Testimony Whereof, I, _______________ Judge
of the Probate Court of said County, have hereunto set my hand
and affixed the seal of said Court, at Painesville, Ohio, this
____ day of ____________A. D. 19__
_____________ Probate Judge.
By ______________, Deputy Clerk

Record of Ministers Licenses, Volume 5

Records begin 10 Feb 1975 and end May 26, 1976. This preprinted indexed volume is all transfers, and is the continuation of Vol. 3. It is in the form:

“ ____ , Minister of the Gospel: On the ____ day of _____, A. D. 19__, a Minister’s License, issued from the Probate Court of ____ County, Ohio, to _____, a Minister of the Gospel of the denomination usually called ____ was presented in Lake County Probate Court and is hereby allowed. ______ Probate Judge.”