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History of St. Thomas's Church
Nem Nauen, Connecticut
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01792 4025
GENEALOGY 974.602 N41BD
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/historyofstthoma00bear
1
HISTORY
OF
ST. THOMAS'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT 1848-1941
ST. THOMAS'S CHURCH (on Elm Street)
HISTORY
OF
ST. THOMAS'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
1848-1941
BY REV. WILLIAM A. BEARDSLEY, D.D. RECTOR EMERITUS
THE TUTTLE, MOREHOUSE & TAYLOR COMPANY, NEW HAVEN, CONN.
TO THOSE WHO IN FAITH FOUNDED
TO THOSE WHO IN FAITH HAVE SUSTAINED
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. Founding and Organization of the Parish 1
II. Calling a Rector ; His Autobiography 14
III. Buying a Lot and Building a Temporary Chapel 22
IV. Move to Build a Larger Church: Stock Issued 30
V. Consecration of New Church 36
VI. Description of Church 43
VII. Effort to Remove Indebtedness; Rector's Visit to Scotland for Seabury Centenary ; Assist- ant Ministers 52
VIII. Erection of Parish Building 60
IX. Death of Dr. Beardsley ; Call of New Rector ; Memorial Endowment Fund 66
X. Music 73
XI. Sunday School and Other Organizations 80
XII. Proposal to Remove; Proposition from St. John's Church; Building New Parish House ; Resignation of Rector ; Call of Rev. Dr. Flockhart 85
XIII. Dr. Lindsley's Gift; New Church Built on Whitney Avenue 94
XIV. Memorials and Gifts in Old Church on Elm Street 101
XV. Officials of the Parish 1848 to 1941
112
Index
121
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
St. Thomas's Church (on Elm Street)
Frontispiece
FACING PAGE Rev. E. Edwards Beardsley, D.D. 15
Interior of the Church (on Elm Street)
43
Rev. William A. Beardsley, D.D. 67
Rev. Robert S. Flockhart, D.D. 92
C. Purdy Lindsley, M.D. 94
St. Thomas's Church (on Whitney Avenue)
96
Burton Mansfield, D.C.L. 100
FOREWORD
Now that St. Thomas's Church is approaching the one hundredth anniversary of its organization, it seems fitting that its story should be told, though that story is a very modest one. When the Vestry asked me to write the history of the parish I gladly accepted the task, because it had been in my mind to do so since my retirement from the rector- ship. And then, besides, no one else possessed as much material as I did.
The formal records are complete, and may be readily consulted, but in my possession there is much of an informal and private nature, which has furnished details which might not otherwise have been obtained.
Of the greatest value were the four volumes of Dr. E. E. Beardsley's "Notes of Days," as he called them, which cover the period from January 1, 1849, to a few days before his death, December 21, 1891. And then in addition there is much scrap-book material which has been preserved, also a complete set of the Year Book, 1896 to 1917, and The Bulletin, 1917 to 1934, very likely the only complete sets in existence. And, of course, there are the numerous printed sermons preached on the various anniversaries.
No doubt, many details have been set down which are of minor importance, but, after all, they are a part of the story, and may well find a place here. They help to make the story what it is.
HISTORY OF ST. THOMAS'S CHURCH NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
CHAPTER I
FOUNDING AND ORGANIZATION OF THE PARISH.
It has been said that "the history of churches as well as of individuals, affords many interesting and useful particulars." That is a perfectly true and a perfectly safe statement. And those particulars will, as a rule, be more interesting, the farther back runs the history.
Those of our churches here in Connecticut, some of them, at least, which date from colonial times-there are forty-two of them-have a history which is replete with interesting inci- dents, and useful for all time as setting an example of reso- lute faith and unswerving loyalty in the face of bitter and disheartening opposition.
The history of St. Thomas's Church does not reach back far enough into the past to have anything very exciting or spectacular about it, as might have been the case had it come into being in colonial or revolutionary times. It had its origin in calmer days, when the old religious animosity and bitter- ness had subsided, when men were beginning to have a finer sense of brotherhood, a finer understanding of what it meant to be a Christian.
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
But if the days were calmer in a religious sense, yet clouds were coming up on the political horizon which presaged disaster to the Nation. Could those who organized the parish have foreseen that within the brief space of thirteen years the country would be in the throes of one of the bitter- est and most destructive Civil Wars known to history, they might not have had the faith nor the temerity to embark upon the enterprise. It was just as well, perhaps, that they could not see into the future, for otherwise they might not have made their venture, at least not have made it then.
What steps were taken preliminary to the actual organiza- tion of the parish the records do not show. But there must have been informal discussions and consultations among those who were interested, which led up to the formal gathering at which the organization was effected. It was not, apparently, at the instigation of the Bishop, nor of any outside group of Church people, who were desirous of extending the influ- ence of the Church in the city, that the movement was inaugurated. It was just the free spontaneous action of certain persons who felt the need of another Episcopal church in the city, and who thought that they saw the oppor- tunity to organize such church.
The authoritative records of the parish begin with this statement :- "A meeting of a number of persons friendly to the promotion of a third Parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the City of New Haven, was held at the house of Wm. Brown, Esq., on Thursday Evening, February 24th, A. D., 1848. And was organised by appointing Mr. Wm. Brown Chairman & Mr. A. F. Wood Secretary." Mr. Brown's house was at what was then 36 Meadow Street.
The following Constitution was adopted as the object of the meeting :- "We, the undersigned, believing in the Chris- tion Religion, and attached to the Protestant Episcopal Church, do agree to unite and form a Religious Society in New Haven, in the County of New Haven and State of
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Founding and Organization
Connecticut, for the benefit of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and we do in pursuance of the Statute Laws of Connecticut in such case provided, hereby, by these presents, unite and associate ourselves together and form such New Religious Society, under the name of the Parish of St. Thomas' Church."
To that declaration were attached these names, in the order given, sixteen in all :
Wm. Brown
John Lego
D. M. Burwell
James Alling
A. F. Wood
James S. Arnold
John Warner
Wm. M. Thompson
Joseph Yemmans Joel B. Foot
Gideon Ferris
Wm. A. Goodwin
Aaron Belden
Richard A. Goodwin
A. B. Clarke
Thomas Lawton
This was a group of men, young men for the most part, in very modest circumstances. There was no wealth repre- sented here. In a short history of the parish in the old Register it is stated that the "enterprise was the conception of men in moderate circumstances. It is not certain that the entire property of the original movers, if it could have been thus used, would have procured the erection of a church worth $20,000."
At this same meeting a committee consisting of Joseph Yemmans, William Brown and Alonzo F. Wood was appointed to draft By Laws and another committee consist- ing of D. M. Burwell and A. F. Wood was appointed "to wait on the Rectors of the Episcopal churches in the city, and request their co-operation and recommendation to further the cause."
That was the proper and courteous thing to do, for at that time the Canons did not require, as they do now, that when it was proposed to form a new parish within the limits of an
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
existing parish or parishes, the rector and vestry of such should be notified, thus giving them the opportunity to register their objections, if they had any. The formation of new parishes was a somewhat simpler matter then than it is now. And the reason is obvious. As a rule, the fields were not fully occupied, and so there was less danger of interfer- ence with work already established.
The committee acted promptly, and on March 2nd, just a week later, it was able to report "that they had attended to their duty and that the Rev. Dr. Croswell & Rev. Mr. Pitkin were in favor of the formation of a third Parish in the City and that it met with their entire approbation. The Rev. Mr. Cooke thought it inexpedient at the present time to form such Parish." Dr. Harry Croswell and Rev. Thomas C. Pitkin were rector and assistant rector of Trinity Church, and Rev. Samuel Cooke was rector of St. Paul's Church. They were the only clergymen then in the city to be consulted.
One can readily understand Mr. Cooke's lack of enthusi- asm for the organization of a third parish. Only three years before, 1845, St. Paul's Church, hitherto a chapel-of-ease of Trinity Church, had become an independent parish, and it would be quite natural and excusable if he had his misgivings as to the effect of the new parish upon St. Paul's. His atti- tude was not one of opposition but of doubt.
The other committee appointed at that initial meeting to draft By Laws made its report at a special meeting held March 9th, when a body of By Laws was adopted for the regulation of the parish. It must be borne in mind that at this time the Canons of the Diocese were not the guide for the conduct of parish affairs that they are now.
It was not until 1878 that the Canons were so revised as to furnish the basis for what they are to-day. It is interest- ing to note that the provision regarding legal or voting members, which in recent years has been the cause for con- stant trouble, was in principle adopted as one of the By
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Founding and Organization
Laws of the new parish, as if in anticipation of the future Canon. There was no rector of the parish, and so far as it is known the report of the committee was the work of laymen, of the three laymen constituting the committee. Those By Laws properly find a place here as showing the Rules under which the new parish shaped the conduct of its affairs.
BY LAWS
"Art. 1st This Society, or Parish shall be known and designated by the title of 'St. Thomas' Church', New Haven, Connecticut, and shall also acknowledge the authority of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, according to the Constitution thereof, and the Constitution of the Diocese of Connecticut.
Art. 2d The members of this Society or Parish shall meet annually on Monday of Easter Week, for the election of officers, and the trans- action of business. They shall also meet at such other times as may be deemed necessary at the call of the Wardens and Vestry, or by adjournment.
The place of meeting shall be the Church building belonging to the parish, unless otherwise specified in the notice. Not less than five days notice shall be given of all parish meetings, the notice to be in writing, signed by the Wardens & Vestry and posted at the entrance to the Church building, and to be published in the newspapers printed in the Parish or read by the Rector to the congregation.
Art. 3d The officers of this Society, shall consist of one Senior and one Junior Warden, & seven Vestrymen, a Clerk, and a Treasurer, & an auditing Committee of Two, which said officers shall be elected by ballot separately from the members of the Parish at their annual meeting and continue in office, the Wardens, Vestrymen & Treasurer & auditing committee for the space of one year, & the Clerk for a like term of one year or until another is chosen and sworn in his room.
All vacancies caused by resignation or otherwise of the officers of this Parish shall be filled by the members of the Parish duly assembled for the purpose.
The officers of this Parish shall not receive any compensation for their services.
Art. 4th At all annual meetings of the members of the Parish, a chairman to preside at said meeting shall first be elected, then the roll of members legally entitled to vote, shall be called. The Clerk
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
shall next be chosen and the oath prescribed administered to him. Applications for membership shall then be acted upon, and the roll corrected accordingly ; after which the reports of the Wardens and Vestry and the Treasurer, shall be read.
The meeting shall then proceed to the election of the remaining officers above named, and in the order named.
At all other meetings of the Parish, the same order of proceedings shall be observed as, from the nature of the case it can be.
Art. 5th The affairs of this Society shall be under the management and control of a Committee consisting of the Two Wardens and Vestrymen above named. It shall be the duty of the Wardens and Vestry to provide a suitable Room for services and to see that the same is properly furnished. They shall procure the necessary fuel and lights for the same; and shall engage at such price as they shall deem proper, a Sexton, who shall attend to and perform all the duties proper and customary for a Sexton to perform, and a suitable person or persons to assist in the Choir as Organist or otherwise. They shall also see that strangers are properly accommodated with seats in the Church and that order is maintained therein, and to attend to all other matters proper and needful to be done for the well being of the Church and the Parish.
Art. 6th The Wardens and Vestry shall meet for the transaction of business at such times as they may be called together by one or both of the Wardens or any three of the Vestry, the Clerk to give at least one day's notice in writing of such meeting. A majority of the War- dens and Vestry shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of busi- ness, and the meetings of said Wardens and Vestry may be adjourned from time to time as occasion may require.
At all meetings of the Wardens and Vestry, the Senior Warden, or in his absence the Junior Warden shall preside. If both are absent, then such chairman as the Vestry shall elect from their own number shall preside.
Art. 7th The Wardens and Vestry shall make an annual report to the Parish at each Easter meeting of the Proceedings for the year previous, which report shall be presented and read previous to the election of officers. It shall contain,
First, A statement of the condition of the funds and property of the parish.
Second, A statement of the receipts and expenditures for the year.
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Founding and Organization
Third, A statement of the indebtedness of the Parish, and a list of all debts due the Parish which are legally col- lectible.
Fourth, An inventory of the property of the Parish, together with such other statement or suggestion as the said Wardens and Vestry shall consider important and useful to the Parish to be embodied in the report. The report after being audited by the Committee and accepted by the Parish shall be recorded and kept on file.
Fifth, It shall be the duty of the Auditing Committee to audit the reports of the Wardens and Vestry and the accounts of the Treasurer annually before each Easter meeting and certify to the same if found correct.
Art. 8th It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to have the custody of all moneys belonging to the Parish; to keep an accurate account of the same, and of all disbursements made by him, in a book kept for the purpose; and he shall render a full and accurate report of the same to the Parish at the annual Easter meeting. The said report to follow that of the Wardens and Vestry, and if approved by the Audit- ing Committee to be recorded and kept on file; and of all persons holding funds belonging to the Parish, or which are to be applied for the benefit of the Parish, to deposit the same without delay with the Treasurer of the Parish.
All Payments made by the Treasurer shall be upon orders drawn by the Wardens and Vestry, and for all such orders written vouchers, duly receipted, shall be produced. The Treasurer whenever required by the Wardens and Vestry, shall furnish them with a statement of receipts and payments, and of funds in his hands belonging to the Parish.
Art. 9th It shall be the duty of the Clerk to attend all Parish and Vestry meetings, and to keep a record of their proceedings. He shall keep a record of all applications for admission to, and notices of dissolution of membership in the Parish. He shall make a record of all Notices for Parish and Vestry meetings, and shall before entering upon the duties of his office, take an Oath in the form following
'You A. B. , being chosen Clerk of this Society, do swear, that you will faithfully execute the duties of such Clerk accord- ing to your best skill, and according to Law. So help you God.'
The magistrate administering this oath shall cause to be entered upon the records of the Parish under his hand a certificate in the form following
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
New Haven A. D. 18 ....
I hereby certify that I have this day administered the oath prescribed by law to A. B. as Clerk of the Society or Parish of St. Thomas' Church in New Haven, Connecticut C. D. Justice of the Peace
Art. 10th At every annual meeting of the Parish two persons, members of the Parish, shall be elected by ballot or otherwise to repre- sent the Parish in the next ensuing Convention of the Diocese; and at the same time and in the same manner two other persons shall be elected as substitutes to represent said Parish in event of either or both of those first elected being unable to attend the Convention. The delegates thus chosen shall receive from the Clerk or Wardens, prior to their departure for the Convention, a certificate in the form fol- lowing
At a meeting of the members of the Parish of St. Thomas' Church, New Haven, Conn. legally held on the. .. day of. ... A. D. 18 .... A-B & C-D were duly elected delegates to represent said Parish in the next Convention of the Diocese; and at the same time and place E-F and G-H were elected as substitutes in the event of either or both of the above named persons being unable to attend the Convention. Dated at New Haven this day of
A. D. 18 ....
(Wardens or Clerk) of (St. Thomas' Parish New Haven
Art. 11th At the time of each annual Convention of the Diocese, the Wardens and Vestry shall cause to be paid to the delegates thereto to be by them paid to the Treasurer of the Convention, the sum of seventy five cents for each one hundred dollars of the Rector's salary. The Wardens and Vestry shall also cause to be paid through their said delegates or otherwise to the Treasurer of the Diocese, whatever assessments may be made by the proper authority, on this Parish for the Bishop's fund.
Art. 12th The Wardens shall, in the absence of the Rector, submit to the Bishop, on his visitation if required, the Parish Register, or if the Bishop cannot visit the Parish, shall send him, one month prior to the meeting of the Diocesan Convention, a statement or extract from the said Register, of all that the said Register contains subsequent to the rendering of the last report.
Art. 13th The Wardens and Vestry shall on the election of any minister to this Parish cause to be delivered to the Bishop or Standing
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Founding and Organization
Committee of the Diocese, within one month after such election, notice of the same in the following form
To the Rt. Rev. the Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut
The undersigned, Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas' Parish, New Haven, Conn. hereby certify that the Rev. A B. late of in the Diocese of. was at a meeting of the members of said Parish legally held on the day of instant duly elected Rector of said Parish for the term of commencing on the day of
A. D. 18 ....
Dated at New Haven this day of A. D. 18 .... (Wardens and Vestry of St. (Thomas' Parish New Haven
Art. 14th In the event of a vacancy in the Rectorship of this Parish, the Wardens and Vestry shall not employ any clergyman to officiate for a longer term than three months without the approbation of the Parish in legal meeting assembled, and when clergymen are thus employed the compensation shall not exceed the sum of ten dollars for each Sunday or Holy-day, together with the necessary traveling expenses.
Art. 15th Candidates for admission to the Parish shall in all cases lodge a request in writing with the Clerk or any other Officer of the Parish and shall thereupon if of the age of twenty-one years, become members, unless a majority shall at the next lawful meeting of mem- bers of the Parish object. Members desirous of dissolving their con- nection with the Parish, must leave a written notice to that effect, with the Clerk of the Parish, whose duty it shall be to record the same in the book of records of the Parish.
Art. 16th The Collections shall be taken up in the Church and applied as follows :
1st the Collection on communion days to be applied to such charit- able or pious uses as the Rector shall direct.
2nd All other Collections to be paid into the Treasury ; unless other- wise ordered by the donors and to be taken up at the discretion of the Wardens and Vestry.
Art. 17th All additions to or amendments of the above Rules must be proposed at a legal meeting of the members of the Parish, at least one month prior to the vote being taken on the same.
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
At a meeting of the members of the Parish of St. Thomas' Church, legally convened, on Thursday Evening March 9th 1848 the above rules for the government of the Parish were unanimously adopted.
Attest D. M. Burwell Parish Clerk"
In 1850 an additional By Law was adopted and became
"Art. 18th At every annual meeting of the Parish one person, mem- ber of the Parish may be elected by ballot for Collector to whom a reasonable compensation may be allowed whose duty it shall be to collect all accounts due the Parish and to pay the same over to the Treasurer as soon as practicable."
Under this body of By Laws, with a few minor changes made later, the parish lived and worked. They certainly give evidence of the thoroughness with which the organizers of the parish carried out their task. When in 1878 the Canons of the Diocese were thoroughly revised and new Canons added, there was less need for parish By Laws, because the matters therein covered were in large measure provided for in the Canons.
And so the parish was organized and ready for business. The first matter to occupy their attention was the matter of a rector, and a committee was appointed to confer with the Rev. Mr. Beardsley of Cheshire. At that same meeting, held March 21st, 1848, the following Preamble and Resolution was adopted :
"Whereas, in the conducting of Public Religious Worship Music has ever been considered an important and beneficial part of the same, and believing that such care should be taken to render this act of devotion serious, and impressive to our outward ear as well as accept- able to our Heavenly Father, therefore for the encouragement and promotion of Sacred Music and for the better assistance in the execu- tion of the same :
Resolved; That the Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas' Church be authorised to procure an Organ, upon such terms as they may deem best for the interests and welfare of said Church."
>
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Founding and Organization
Thus even before they had a rector, before they had any fixed place in which to worship, they were taking steps to make their services attractive and beneficial. They soon had their organ, for on March 3rd, 1850, they purchased the organ which had formerly belonged to St. Paul's Church.
It would seem as if the new parish were organized none too soon, if we may judge from Dr. Croswell's report to the Bishop in 1848. He says :- "By the organization of a new Parish (St. Thomas') within the limits of the city, provision has been made for the increasing demand for Church accom- modations; and by the withdrawal of several families from the older Parishes, room has been afforded for the constant accessions received from other sources. As the sittings in the new place of worship are free, and as some of the wor- shippers are only occasional attendants, we have no means of ascertaining how many have permanently attached themselves to the Parish. From Trinity Church, it is believed that some fifteen or sixteen families have withdrawn, embracing twenty-four communicants, and about thirty Sunday School children." But Dr. Croswell seems to be not the least bit disturbed, for he goes right on to say that from the present occupancy of the pews, of the pews in Trinity, that is, the congregation appears to have increased.
That year Trinity reported four hundred families, St. Paul's two hundred and eighty, and St. Thomas's forty-four. The population of the city was a little in excess of 20,000 and of course much more homogeneous than it is to-day. The immigrant, bringing his Church with him, had not appeared in any great numbers, but New Haven was a strong centre of Congregationalism, and Episcopacy was still suspect. Could the feeble little plant take root, grow, and fructify ? Only the years could give the answer.
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