Talmage Meeting Room, KS

There was a Plymouth Brethren meeting room, initially with the Darbyites, and after 1909, informally, with the Tunbridge Wells branch of the so-called Exclusive Brethren, in Talmage, Kansas from around 1900 thru 1933.

In the Mar. 22, 1900 issue of the Abilene Weekly Reflector, it was reported for the Talmage local news, the "Plymouth Brethren have closed their revival in the hall and have gone to Manchester to conduct a series of meetings." There was an exclusive assembly in Manchester +1898-1903+.

One of the correspondents, Judson Alden Sr. (1835-1923) is credited as such from 1908 until his death. The first correspondents are listed as G.W. Miller, and J.T. Moore, in 1905, see the correspondent section for a fuller list.

It can be presumed that the Talmage meeting was started around 1894, with Judson Alden and Alexander Martin as correspondents, in Manchester, of which, they ceased to meet in Manchester by 1903, and thus moved in 1904-1905 to Talmage. Judson's widow, Laura, and their daughter Grace were the final correspondents in 1933, with none listed by 1944, with the next volume of contacts. Grace then served as sole correspondent for a preaching point at Abilene, from at least 1944 thru 1973, as the other area assemblies had closed by that point. There was also a similar meeting 1889-1933 in Chapman.

From +1878-1880+, Howard William Kann (b. 1846 Adams Co., PA - d. 1930 Spokane, WA) and his wife Emma Susan Benner Kann (b. 1857 Gettysburg, Adams, PA - d. 1938 Spokane, WA) resided in Cheever township in Dickinson Co., KS. By 1896 they were residing in Spokane. Their daughter Lilly May Kann (b. 1878 Cheever Twp., Dickinson, KS - d. 1944 Walla Walla, WA) was married in 1906 to Jeptha "Charles" Thonney (b. 1883 Walla Walla, WA - d. 1950 Kirkland, King, WA) who was raised in the Walla Walla Meeting Room, WA (TW-eb), a descendant of the founder, Jean Gabriel Thonney (b. 1827 Vullien, Vaud, Switzerland - d. 1902 WW, WA). By 1944, Lilly was in fellowship with that meeting with Charles. It is arguable that Howard & Emma Kann (or Lilly) could have been in fellowship in either the meeting at Chapman, Talmage or Manchester.

News

1900: Abilene Weekly Reflector

Talmage: "The Plymouth Brethren have closed their revival in the hall and have gone to Manchester Meeting Room, KS to conduct a series of meetings."

Correspondents

Manchester

1894: Judson Alden Sr. (1835-1923)
1894-1903: Alexander Henry Martin Sr. (1850-1935)
1901-1903: A.H. Seymour
1903: George William Miller (1825-1908)

Manchester/Talmage transition

1903-1911: J.T. Moore

Talmage

1908-1923: Judson Alden Sr. (1835-1923)
1908-1911: George Wate Brown (1879-1959)
1927-1933: Laura M. Bowker Alden, aka Mrs. Judson Alden Sr.
1933: Miss Grace Alden

Abilene

1944-1973: Miss Grace Alden

Sidenote

The author of this history, Doug Engle entered into a personal relationship with his Lord Jesus, thanks to clear testimony of those at Grace and Truth (connected to the subject church of this history thru similar founders dating back to 1826), some of which the former leadership of such has served in similar respects in Abilene area churches including New Trail Fellowship, Community Bible Church, Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian, Bible Baptist Church, Lifehouse Church, Emmanuel Methodist, First United Methodist, Zion Brethren in Christ, The Lord's Chapel, and many other respected gatherings, and are known widely for sterling character.