The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-29
COMMUNICATED.
The Swedish Church OH the DelaVare--The
Father of Emanuel Swedenburg its Epis-
cOnaI Superintendent.

lCOMMUNlCATED.
The Swedish Church the Delayvare--The
Father OF Emanuel Svedenburg its Epis-
cOpal Superintendent.
There is an article in the Ne,0 Jerusalem Naga-
zine for August, with the title, "Memorials of Swe
denborg's Father in America from which the fol-
lowing information is derived. Jesper Swedburg,
Bishop of Skara, Sweden, and father of Emanuel
Swedenborg, was the Episcopal Superintendent of
the Swedish mission on the Delaware thirty eight
years-from 1897 to 1885, The Swedish settlements
were made in 1893, principally within what is now
the State of Delaware Some of the Swedes resi-
ded on the Jersey side of the Delaware, others at
Wcaco, now in the southern part of Philadelphia
These settlements passed into Dutch government in
1856 and into English in 1861 The Swedes brought
with them the institutions of the church from their
native country. Their first worship, from 1888 to
1867, was held in small building within the fort
From 1867 to 1898 wooden church at Crane Hook
was occupied for the purpose.
In 169S the old Swedish church-a stone edfce
which is still standing in the city of Wilmington,
the Christana river-was built. 1t is in tolerable
repair, nearly overgrown with ivy, and presents a
very old appearance. In 1851 the Swedes had
three congregations, comprising about l 900 per-
sons. Their preaching ceased in 1851, at the death
of their minister. Being then under English rule
their connection with Sweden was cut of for about
eight years. young Swede having visited the
the government when he returned home. The
King entered warmly into their cause and placed
the ecclesiastical affairs of the colony in the hands
of Swebilius, Archbishop of Upsal, who in 1907
procured three learned and pious ministers for
them. These ministers crossed the Atlantic and
took up their residence in the colony. The oldest
book of their records, which has disappeared
within a few years, brought down the church
history of the colony to ITO. But there are two
volumes of records still preserved at Trni-
ty Church. Wilmington, of which Rev Mr.
Brock is the present rector. Volume B begins
with A. d. I'LL and ends with 1856. The other,
volume G, with 1857, and is still in use,
the records of the Trinity parish not having yet
filled it. The Swedish congregations gradually re-
nth he Of Of the Swedish language and
ed with the Protestant Episcopal Church" ferefGGs
the last Swedish minister who oifciated in Will
mington, returned to Sweden in $780, In 1924,
tho ecclesiastical connection of the descendants OF
the colonists With the mother country ceased, by
the return Of the Rev. Nicholas Collin, of
Philadelphia, to his native land. The entire
history of the American Swedes extends over
a period of one hundred and eighty;siK wears.
allusin- Ueen made, there is bound in the book
tor preservation, an original letter from bishop
Swedberg, written in his own hand 1t is in Swe-
dish, on three pages of a common fooscap sheet
The characters clear and fair, and very easily
read. The still adhering to the paper shows
pain the impression Of the seal. The letter is
dated at Brunsbo, Sept Z, I'LL, and is signed,
-OespeGu us pWCuDeTS, DlSHop Skard. lnlS letter
is probably the only piece of paper continent
bearing Bishop Swedberg's autograph. A trans
aion of the letter is given in the historical article
from which these facts are obtained. There was
great destituton in the Swedish colony with
to the Bible. Among their earnest appeals to the
home authorities was one to have this want sup
piled. To the performance Of this duty the good
Bishop Swedberg especially devoted himself. Two
separate supplies of Bibles reached them, about
twelve years apart, sent out by his mediation The
tirst stnH nj If
only six or seven. A copy of one of the old Swe-
dish Bibles thus sent is in the possession of F.
B. Sturgis, Esq, of Wilmington, lneal descend
ant of one of the early Swedish families. The cor
respondence with Bishop Swedberg discloses deep
Christian friendship as existing between him and
the congregations On the side of the Bishop there
is manifested a strong desire to promote their well
fare, spiritual and temporal, paernal care for all
that concerns them, with minute superintendent
and direction of of their local affairs and ar
engagements; while on the part of the congrega-
lions, the highest esteem and regard ex-
pressed for their Bishop. There is scarcely a
reference to him in the record in which he
is not spoken of by them in terms of the greatest
reverence and affection. Several letters from the
authorities of the English church in this country
(Church of England), addressed to Bishop Swed-
berg, are also recorded. He died in 1875. The
Swedish correspondence after his death seems to
have been carried for several years directly with
the Swedish crown.
Has w. B. H., the writer of the "Memorials' in
the Magazine from which this sketch is CLEANED, as
certained the contents of a small volume, the title
of which, given in the catalogue of the library
of Harvard University 1880, vol. 2, p. s, is "Swed
berg Jesper, America Illuminated, II mo-, 1882 ?"
In connection with the manuscript records which
W. B. IT, has exam mined, it is probable that Bishop
Swedberg's printed account of "America Enlight-
ened' may possess historic value hitherto un-
known to Historical Societies in the Atlantic mid
die States. Sightseeing travellers with quick
eye catch a glimpse of the old stone church.
which has been referred to, from the north sides of
cars passing through Wilmington. 1t stands on
hill on the east side of Wilmington, not far from
the railway The name SwEDBERG was changed to
SwEDENBoRG in l7l9, when Emanuel, son of the
Bishop, was ennObled by Queen Ulrica EeOnora I