USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > New Canaan > Canaan parish, 1733-1933, being the story of the Congregational church of New Cannan, Connecticut > Part 7
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We are now in the new century and the first minister is Rev. William Bonney, who came after the short interim followed by Mr. Mitchell's death. The historian speaks of him as follows:
"William Bonney, son of Titus Bonney of Cornwall; born April 6, 1779, graduated at Williams College 1805; studied theology with Rev. Ashel Hooker
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of Goshen, was licensed to preach by the Northern Association of Litchfield County, June 9, 1807; began to preach here as a candidate September, 1807; called by the Society 1808; ordained as Pastor 1808; dismissed at his own re- quest on account of feeble health August, 1831. He married Sarah, daughter of Dr. Ware of Conway, Mass."
Again a young Connecticut man, this time twenty-eight years old takes over the ministry of the church, and again he is a single man and takes his
is if one of the Aurents lea believer, the chile :own, are part of the flock, which is to befeo. free compare me souptures together, ut find that chileun, cilambs # belong To Hue fleck.
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: direction"feed the flock of G.
p! Ishall say something concerning the state the flock, une then thing
2. Describe the food with which they came to befen, and the mannevimchichitis to befed. -
L. Confiden the foot, and the manner in which it is to be fee.
rt Then Jam to say something concern: : ing the state of the flock, in general.
The word flock be understood in a literal sence, we shall find that there is a quat di: verfity of circumstances among the differ
: ant branches of it. Some are strong, and others are weak; some are sickly, while o: they are healthy-some are off, and other young.
------
To in the flock of G. there is a diversity of civ.
: cumfrance, among the members; some have a clear understanding of the great doct? of grace; while others are ignorant, and know but little concerning the laws
Some eryoy muich spital health, and have much communion with g. and exper : ence
EXCERPTS OF A SERMON BY REV. JUSTUS MITCHELL
bride from a far country four years after coming here. There must have been a tender repression that lurked in the hearts of those modest maids of 1808 upon the arrival of another eligible young minister when it was learned that he was already promised. Your committee begs your indulgence upon these
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trifling observations which would not have been tolerated in the years they describe. They are inspired by the desire to present these eminent godly men, whose records have been spread before this church many times before, and which stand out as examples of sound and courageous Christian leadership resulting in a priceless heritage to us, more on this occasion as human beings who will be living personages to the many who may read their names, but perhaps never delve into the pages of history to disentangle and join the few threads of information which form the fabric of their lives.
Mr. Bonney's life here was more like that of the ministers we remember. In the first place he was called by the church itself without any influence on the part of the Society. He inherited the organization and the system of financing left by Mr. Mitchell. He had no building problems. Public schools had been founded and Mr. Mitchell's church school had become the New Canaan Academy. So he was able to devote himself closely to the spiritual needs of the day, and this he did with remarkable success. His ministry is described as being marked by several periods of religious revival resulting in adding greatly to the numerical strength and the spiritual growth of the com- munity.
He formed our first connection with the field of foreign missions. The church under his pastorate voted a yearly sum of money for the education of a Ceylonese boy whom they had named after their beloved Justus Mitchell. Under him our Sabbath School was born.
The rapid growth of the period, with the first industrial boom sprouting, formed a setting which encouraged a looser attitude toward the strict sabbatar- ianism of the fathers. Fortunate-most fortunate was it for this newly-born town just trying its wings, that it contained an established order of Christian society in the Congregational Church, now seventy-five years old, with a man like Mr. Bonney at its head.
New material concerning him has but just come to our notice in the form of papers loaned by Mrs. Sherwood Guion, from her husband's collection. Mr. Guion was a descendant of the Noyes family who were Mr. Bonney's contem- poraries. Among them is the minute book of the Association of Western Fair- field County which was an organization of the several Congregational ministers of the neighboring towns. They held monthly meetings which lasted all day. A perusal of these laboriously recorded minutes written with a quill pen is an inspiring experience.
One must note with especial pride that Mr. Bonney never missed a meet- ing nor failed to have his "exegesis" or sermon ready as assigned him. One of the questions which these shepherds asked at each meeting was, "What is the state of religion in the community?" They seem to have been trying to measure it as if with some sensitive recording instrument from day to day. Reports were not encouraging for several consecutive meetings, from any
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except our Mr. Bonney who always offered favorable observations. His spirit seems to have captured the others, for as the months proceeded, the ministers from a town here and there chirped up with the heartening allowance that it was improving a trifle, until suddenly revivals began to take place as they, had in Mr. Bonney's church.
He was an indefatigable worker with boundless zeal and he and his wife gave and gave of themselves to the church and the community.
Among these papers is a letter written by the Rev. Samuel Bonney, his son, from Canton, China, where he was a missionary, to a member of the Noyes family. Inasmuch as it is so close to our own Mr. Bonney and has not appeared before to our knowledge, an inclosure in the form of a letter in Chinese written by one of his pupils may not be amiss in this presentation. It is translated as follows:
"Your faithful pupil desires respectfully to say that he was formerly a poor ignorant child. But thanks to a good Providence by which the teacher Bonney invited me to come to the school. He does not wish me to pay a single cash. He also teaches me to understand the true doctrines. Surely my thanks are many. I am diligent and earnest in learning. Morning and evening I pray that God will bless the teacher Bonney. This the wish of my inmost heart. Now I give him my compliments and wish that he may enjoy a lasting peace. This is written by your pupil Fan Chee Lum."
The last of these six ministers whose lives ended before ours began, was Theophilus Smith. The historian says of him:
"Theophilus Smith, son of Asa Smith of Halifax, Vermont; born February, 1800; graduated at Yale, 1824; studied theology at Yale; licensed to preach by the Eastern Association of New Haven County, August 11, 1830; began to preach here as a candidate July 3, 1831; received a call from the church July 27, 1831, and from the Society August 3, 1831; accepted same, August 22, 1831; was ordained as pastor August 31, 1831; married Hannah B., daughter of Samuel St. John; died August 29, 1853 having served this church for twenty-two years."
Another young man, thirty-one years of age, from Vermont this time, but a graduate of Yale. He married a New Canaan girl. Mr. Smith is al- together a living person to many of us because we have heard much of him from our elders who knew him well. Would that time permitted him the distinction his rich life in this church justifies, to present here again this morn- ing the story of his life as given at our 150th anniversary by Rev. James Seymour Hoyt. Inasmuch as this cannot be done, your committee earnestly suggests that the members read this and also that by Rev. Joseph Greenleaf in 1876, both of which are available in the rooms of the Historical Society.
Mr. Smith built this church. The story of its building, alas, has never been written with full justice to the glory its beauty and its history merit.
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The original church records of it were burned, but some account written by Mr. William St. John exists, of which Rev. James Seymour Hoyt writes:
"But Mr. St. John, while he appreciated and honored Mr. Smith, yet from his extremely sensitive nature and diffident delicacy, says but little about Mr. Smith. Whoever (though but a child then) remembers what Mr. Smith did and suffered in order to secure for us this beautiful gem of a meeting house, must feel that the article by Mr. St. John is like the play of Hamlet, with Hamlet left out." (It must be noted that Mr. St. John was Mr. Smith's brother-in-law.)
Mr. Smith will always be more than a name, for we have his portrait hanging in the lecture room and we have always the consciousness that he built this, our third meeting house. But no one who reads the fuller records of his life and work can fail to be inspired with the richness of it, and its part in the heritage we enjoy.
For most of us who never search the records for the complete story of the lives of these first six ministers, they may be summarized briefly as follows:
Their ministry covers a span of one hundred and twenty years.
They all came here as young men from twenty-eight to thirty-years old.
They were all from Connecticut save one from Scotland and one from Vermont.
They were all Yale graduates save one from Scotland and one who graduated from Williams College.
They all came to Canaan Parish for their first pastorate.
They were all unmarried when they came with the possible exception of Mr. Eells.
One, only, married a New Canaan girl.
Mr. Eells lived in the house on Carter Street now owned and occupied by Miss Mabel Thacher.
Mr. Silliman lived in a house no longer standing, a few rods west of our present parsonage.
Mr. Drummond's dwelling place is not known.
Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Bonney lived in the house on Haines Ridge which is the front portion of the Holmewood Annex.
Mr. Smith lived in the St. John place a few rods South of the church now owned and occupied by Mr. Thomas Ashwell.
The first two, Eells and Silliman, preached in the first meeting house. The second meeting house was built during Mr. Silliman's pastorate. The next four preached in the second building and Mr. Smith, the last of this group, built the present church.
Most of them have left descendants here. Their days date from the reign of King George, first of the Hanoverian line, down into that of Victoria. It covers the last half century of English rule, the Revolution, the Formative
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Period of the United States, Second War with England, Mexican War, and extends into the great controversy over slavery which culminated in the Civil War ten years after their pastorates ended.
Their lives were in days of stern and rigid principles when men regarded 'truth as worth fighting for; when they refused to temporize with evil in the name of tolerance; when poetry had not lost its purity, nor Puritans their poetry. Let him who would raise his eyebrows at this, ride through New England and pause before the beauty of the houses and churches they built.
(NOTE :- The reader is referred to the Anniversary Book of 1883 for a more complete history of five of the first six ministers while Mr. Drummond is more fully presented later in this volume and in Part Two.)
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THE SIX MINISTERS From 1854 to 1891
BY MARY CARTER DRUMMOND TUNNEY
My facts are mostly gathered from reminiscences by Mrs. Emma Law Demeritt and Mr. Gardner Heath.
The next four ministers might be considered in a group, for their pastorates covered only sixteen years.
Rev. Frederick W. Williams came to New Canaan in 1854, fresh from his theological studies. A young man fired with ambition and love for his Master, he "took up his work with a singleness of purpose,-that of bringing to Christ those that knew Him not." He was an unmarried man and boarded near the church. Although reserved, he never made enemies, for he "was filled with a sense of his tremendous responsibility as a Shepherd of Souls." If we could have followed him into his study we doubtless would often have found him on his knees, agonizing for the salvation of those committed to his charge.
During the nearly six years of his pastorate, seventy-two united with the church, fifty-eight of them by profession. He was dismissed in 1859.
Following Mr. Williams came the Rev. Ralph Smith. He was here during part of the Civil War, 1860 to 1863. "In appearance he resembled Lincoln, be- ing tall and angular, with his patient rugged features lighted by a kindly smile." Excitement ran high in New Canaan. "Every school boy wore a red, white and blue rosette and when flag material gave out, they were made out of calico, dresses or anything." The members of the church were divided in their political beliefs and we can imagine there were many hot arguments. Some one climbed the church steeple and put up a flag. Mr. Smith in his ser- mon expressed his disapproval of such actions.
His sermons were "distinguished for forcefulness and originality. They had a staying power it was hard to shake off" and the times must have re- quired great tact to have kept his flock together.
Mr. Smith lived in the St. John house previously occupied by Rev. Theophilus Smith for so long. His two daughters kept house for him, as his wife was an invalid and did not come with them. "His attention was divided between his duties here and the care of his wife and the result was un- satisfactory," and he resigned in 1863, serving three years and five months.
Rev. Benjamin L. Swan was installed as pastor in 1864. "He was an able preacher and active in church work. He took a great interest in the
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Sunday School, having concerts once a month on Sunday nights, when the children would speak. He was the first to have Christmas entertainments. It was not thought proper to hold them in the church, and as there was no Sunday School room, they were held in some public hall."
Mr. Swan lived in the St. John house with his wife and six sons. It was their desire to adopt as their daughter a girl in the church. His intentions were unfortunately misunderstood by some people, and a little gossip was fanned into a flame of such proportions that it required calling out the entire "Fair- field Consociation" to extinguish the blaze. At the church trial, Mr. Swan was completely vindicated, but a severing of the tie with the New Canaan church was recommended, and he was dismissed in January 1866, serving one year and four months.
The last pastor to serve the church in this group of short pastorates was Rev. H. B. Elliott, who was not settled but hired from year to year. "He was a scholar, and so remarkable were his sermons considered, that strangers were wont to wonder how such a small church was financially able to hold a man of such ability.
"Both Mr. Elliott and Mr. Williams were city bred, and that might have given them a little air of aloofness, which led some of the parishoners to con- sider them a trifle aristocratic for a plain country church." Mrs. Demeritt says, "I must confess I looked upon Mr. Elliott with considerable awe. I have known him to smile, but never heard him laugh. He would have fitted into a monastic life."
Mr. Elliott had his reward in bringing into the church large groups of young people. In the three years he was here, fifty-seven united with the church, forty-three being on profession of faith.
Mr. Elliott lived for a short time in the house on the corner of Park Street and Cherry Street now owned by Mr. Matthew Bach. He had two children, a son and daughter, Henry and Mary. It was during his pastorate, 1866 to 1869, that the "Ladies' Association of the Congregational Society" bought the building just beyond the Episcopal church, then in use as the Town Hall. This became the parsonage for about sixty years.
"Among the long pastorates of the church, 1871 to 1886, was that of the Rev. Joseph Greenleaf, whose ministry here was characterized by devotion to the duties of the parish and participation in all affairs tending to the better- ment of the town. He was a model pastor. He knew every man, woman and child in the locality, and could have called them by name. If one of his flock was absent from Sunday service, by Monday night he knew the reason why, either by questioning a member of the family, or a neighbor, or by a personal call. There was no suggestion of remonstrance. He simply wished to satisfy himself that illness was not the contributing cause.
"He was a great hand for statistics. The first of every year he would tell how many visits he had made, how many baptisms, weddings and deaths, how
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many had joined the church and how many had died. He compiled the Manual which came out in 1876."
I quote the summary of Mr. Greenleaf's ministry ;-
Members received 195
Baptized 121
Funerals attended
Couples married 199
50
Preaching services
2,598
Pastoral visits
5,181
Over 600 persons were connected with the Sunday School during his pastorate.
"While his sermons were doubtless correct in all matters of doctrine, they lacked the magic power of attracting and holding audiences, and after fifteen years of service a committee was appointed to undertake that most unwelcome and disagreeable of tasks, that of telling a man whom you liked and respected, that his mission was apparently at an end."
Following Mr. Greenleaf came Rev. Frederick Hopkins, a young man of twenty-nine, from a large church in Bridgeport.
He was a remarkable preacher and succeeded in filling the church as never before. The galleries lost their look of loneliness, and on several occasions chairs were brought in and there was hardly standing room.
Mr. Hopkins preached without notes, and was very energetic in his delivery. He gave a series of Sunday evening sermons to the young people on such topics as ;- "The Old Fashioned Girl," "Bright but Bad Young Men," "Shallow Love and Quick Marriages," "Flaps and Flirts." I must confess these sound very sensational, but no one present went away without being inspired to better living. His sayings are remembered even to this day. Someone said to me last week that they never forgot his saying, "Satan's darts never pierced the leather apron of the blacksmith." I quote from an issue of the "Messenger" of that time ;- "Lessons from the conviction of Jacob Sharp and boodling, or grafting, in general is spoken of as one of the best discources Mr. Hopkins has yet given to this people. His text was,-Thou shalt not steal."
Seventy-two united with the church during his pastorate.
"In addition to these gifts of discourse, he had a speaking voice of won- derful beauty and power. Many times it was remarked, 'Just to hear Mr. Hopkins read a hymn is as good as a sermon.'
"Mr. Hopkins came to New Canaan overburdened with old debts. Gen- erous to a fault, he had no idea of the value of money. It was this failing, that eventually lead to a change of pastors here."
In recalling these incidents in the lives of our former beloved pastors, I hope no one will think I have been flippant or disrespectful, but as Mr. Hoyt said in his introduction today, we are trying to put life into names engraved on marble.
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THE REV. J. HOWARD HOYT, D.D.
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TRIBUTE TO REV. J. HOWARD HOYT, D. D.
1891-1922
BY DARIUS A. ST. JOHN
While the tablet we are now dedicating is to commemorate the thirty years of service to this church by the Rev. James Howard Hoyt, D.D., it is fitting and proper to call in review his life of more than four score years.
It is of course impossible, in the few minutes allotted, to mention more than a few of the many things that might be of mutual interest to this church and his friends and neighbors in this town. Dr. Hoyt, as he was familiarly called in recent years, was born in Saratoga Springs, N. Y., on July 13, 1847. As his father was a school teacher as well as a good farmer, we suppose he was well grounded in the three R's, but he was very anxious to go to college.
But money was very scarce in this farm home. Two other boys went to college. One day while working in the field his father told him he could be spared to attend college but could give him only thirty-five dollars. And so we find this earnest, energetic young farm boy starting for college with only this amount, and working his way through, just as other young men have done.
We find he graduated from Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., in 1873, and from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1876. While in the seminary he went one Summer as a missionary to a lumber camp near the Bay of Fundy-a wonderful bit of experience. He made good as one might say, but carried the marks for a long time.
On June 28, 1876 he was ordained as a minister of the Reformed Church of Greenburg, N. Y., living at the time I think at Tarrytown. I have heard him say he conducted services in the old Dutch Church at Sleepy Hollow. In 1879 he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister and went to serve in Bedford Village, staying twelve years. His relations there must have been very cordial and his work very successful as he was often called there for weddings, funerals and as a speaker at many of their public functions. He never turned down a request for help when he could be a help.
He accepted a call to this church in 1891. Thus began a work of love and service which extended over thirty years. When it was decided Mr. Hoyt was coming, the farmers-we were all farmers at that time, and spoke the
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same language-hitched up their teams and went to Bedford Village to bring the new minister's household goods to the new home here.
That was only forty-two years ago. It seems one might remember every detail of that trip but it seems to have been one more load for driver and team over the sand and dust of that cross-country road. But I do remember that after we were loaded we had a good lunch and we arrived at the parsonage about dark. The good women of this church were there to set the home in order. The putting the home in order was a small job compared with mine in trying to convey to you an adequate picture of the life of Dr. Hoyt as a friend, neighbor and pastor of this church.
That our minister kept a fine flock of chickens and managed a good gar- den, drove a good horse, and could sympathize with you and perhaps advise you about your trouble made many friends. As a caller around town he was always welcome. As to his interests outside this church, he served for a time on the school board, was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and he early interested himself in the farmers' organization, the Grange.
His ability in the educational work of the order as shown in New Canaan was soon recognized by the Grange leaders and Dr. Hoyt was elected State Chaplain, serving eighteen years. He was often called to speak at anniver- saries and field days, forming many lasting friendships, but he never forgot he was a messenger of the church. The fatherhood of God and the brother- hood of man was often his theme. This work outside the church seemed to rest and help him in his work here.
His work in conducting services in the Presbyterian church in Pound Ridge for many years has already been noted in a memorial service and a tablet placed upon the walls of the room added to that church in his memory. He was a member of the American Tract Society for many years. In 1901 the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Union College.
The church granted a leave of absence and Dr. and Mrs. Hoyt spent a few wonderful months in the Holy Land. His work was marred by one serious illness.
This church was always interestd in keeping the open saloon out of New Canaan, and of course Dr. Hoyt always helped. The Band of Hope was another chance for the minister. Some real hard work was done in the good old days and I believe the town and the churches were benefitted.
The Christian Endeavor was one of the church activities in which Dr. Hoyt was greatly interested. That with the usual evening preaching services made a full Sunday and perhaps a blue Monday. One of the many pleasant memories we recall is the twenty-fifth anniversary service held on October 8, 1916 with address by Herbert S. Brown, greetings from the three churches and Mr. Payson Merrill speaking for the people.
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There are so many copies of the published sermons of Dr. Hoyt in our homes it is not necessary to comment upon the clear, concise beauty of his style. Rarely gifted with a voice that never seemed to tire, speaking rather rapidly but very distinctly, his creed was so simple it might be expressed in the words of the prophet, "What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." His walk before God was born of a faith serene and secure. He often quoted the poet
"I know not where His islands lift Their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift Beyond His love and care."
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