History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 40

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men > Part 40

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"In 1810, Dr. Kewley for the first time made a report of the condition of the Parish; he had added twenty-one communicants, and the whole number was fifty. In 1812 a list of communicants records cighty-four. The number of baptisms during his ministry was eighty-nine, part of them were in other towns, but these numbers certainly show conclusive- ly the very encouraging spiritual growth of the Parish under his pastoral care. Unfortunately for both parties his connection with the parish was dissolved by tho Bishop with mutual consent on the 8th of March 1813, when he became Rector of St. George's Church in the city of New York. He was immediately and quietly succeeded by the Rev. Birdsey G. Noble, then in Deacon's orders, born in New Milford, and graduated at Yale Col- lege in 1810. On the Ist of June, 1811, he reported to the convention eighty- five communicants and twelve baptisms. As we have no record of any of Mr. Noble's administrations, we depend on the summary informa- tion of the journals of tho Diocesan fonvention. Being in Deacon's or- dors, and therefore without authority to conseerate, he could not ad- minister tho communion; it accordingly occasions no surprise that the number of communicants was stationary. In ISI5, he was In Priest's orders, and the communicants had then increased to ninety, and the baptisms wero twenty-four. For the next ten or twelve years the parish would generally appear to have exhibited much of growth and prosper - Ity. There existed, however, toward the close of his ministry, a state of things l'ar from desirable to any clergyman, upon the merits of which 1 am unable to speak, but which Induced him on the 10th of Sep- tember, 1828, to resign the Rectorship and accept a call to a parish at

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He was succeeded by the Rev. Smith Pyne, elected Rector, December 26th, 1828, and entering ou his duties the Church. He lived and died in Middlefield, not far from forty years ago, at an unusually advanced age.

23d of the following month. On the 16th of August, 1830, he resigned the rectorship. By the prudent conduct of Mr. Pyne, many of those who had been lost to the Communion, judging from the Convention Re- port, must have been brought back, for, on the first of June, 1831, their number, as stated by the Rev. Mr. Jones, who had succeeded him, was ninety, and to these three more were added before the month of Au- gust, when, from ill health, he was induced to accept a chaplaincy in the navy, and consequently to terminate his labors in this parish. His ministry, short as it was, was much appreciated, and to all, the zealous and faithful discharge of his pastoral duties gave entire satisfaction.

"The Rev. Mr. Pyne was again called to the Rectorship, resuming its duties in the autumn of 1831; he continued to perform them till August 1836. There were forty-one communicants added during his ministry, and the Church appears to have been united and prosperous. On the 3d of May 1832, a letter was read from the ladies belonging to the Assistance Society of the parish, pledging themselves to give one thou- sand dollars toward the erection of a uew Church edifice, provided that, within three months, the gentlemen of the congregation made prepara- tions for commencing the building. Thus were the first steps taken for the erection of this Church, in which we now are worshipping. At a meeting of the parish. on the 17th of the following September, it was voted to build, and take measures at once for this purpose. An offer of a lot for the Church was kindly made by Mr. Samuel Russell and the Rector of the parish. By a vote of the Parish, however, it was located upon its present site, while the wardens and vestry were authorized to pledge property tor nine thousand dollars, that had been borrowed for the purpose of completing the Church edifice. The 15th of July 1836, the Rev. Mr. Pyne resigned the Rectorship, and his resignation was ac- cepted the 17th of the following month. On the 12th of April, 1837, the Rev. Dr. S. F. Jarvis was invited to become the rector, which invi- tation he accepted. He found here, in commencing his ministry, eighty church families, not including single persons, and seventy-five comu- municants.

"The 20th of April, 1840, the Rev. John Williams, a native of Deer- field, Mass., and graduate ot Trinity College, was invited to be Associate Rector, and at a later day was there proffered to him the Rectorship. He was afterwards called to the Rectorship of the Church in Sehenec- tady, where he officiated till, in 1849, he assumed the presidency of Triu- ity College, and, more recently, waselected, and, ou the 25th of October, 1851, consecrated Assistant Bishop of this Diocese.

"On the resignation of Dr. Jarvis, he was succeeded by Mr. Wiltbank, whose ministry was only of about one years' continuance. The Rev. Mr. Sherman, since ot New Jersey, officiated here for a brief period. The Rev. Horace Hills was then invited to the Rectorship, entering upon his duties the 11th of February, 1844, and laboring faithfully till, resigning his position in June 1845, he was succeeded by the present in- cumbent, the 17th of August the same year; twenty-five years of my ministry thus terminating during the present week .

" Before muaking mentiou of any official acts of that ministry, there may here perhaps, more appropriately than elsewhere be a reference made to some tew particulars, not as yet alluded to."

" There have been not a few clergymen who liave been, and some of whom now are, most usefully employed in the vineyard of our Lord and Master, who were born within the limits of this parish, and one of whon has been a most zealous and successful Bishop. It may not be en- tirely devoid of interest that we make mention of the names of some of those thus originating in Middletown parish. Among these were the Reverend Doctors Jeremiah Leaming, Samuel Farmar Jarvis, the Rt Rev. J. P. K. Henshaw, the Reverend Messrs. Enoch Huntington, Samuel Johnson, ot Ohio, deceased, Alfred L. Baury, deceased, Seth B. Paddock, deceased, Calvin White, deceased, James Wetmore, deceased, the Rev. Doctors Heury aud James deKoven, deceased, Frederick Sill, deceased, Thomas H. Sill, aud Thomas S. Savage, deceased.

" We have alluded to the fact that the bell was the gift of one indi- vidual; a very good organ was the gift of his brother: the two having been received from Messrs. John and Richard Alsop, both excellent men aud sound churchmen. The original steeple of the old Church, which for many years had pointed its high and beautifully tapered spire towards heaven, was blown down in the terrible gale of Septem- ber, 1821, and replaced by another of somewhat diminished height, but still one much admired. The bell sustained no injury by the gale, but now, as in former years, with its clear, distinct and sweet toned notes summons us to the services of the Church.

" The first marriage in Christ Church was that of Miss Wetmore of Middlefield, to Major William Hierliky, an Irish geutleman in the British service.

" The Church uuderweut from time to time various internal altera- tions and improvements as the congregation increased. It was never warmed by a fire in any way till 1809, when two stoves were put up, the Rector being very sensitive to the cold, from being advanced in years, and having lived in warm climates. I presume there are not living now any of the sons, even of those good and zealous men who put their left hand to the nail and their right hand to the workman's hammer, to build here the first temple to the worship and glory of God. A Mr.

Darrow was one of those who assisted in the erection of the former

"During my ministry I have administered the sacrament of baptism in six hundred and fifty-three instances. Infants five hundred and eleven, and one hundred and forty-one adults. Three hundred and seventy-five persons have been confirmed. I have solemnized one hundred and sixty-one marriages, and in four hundred and fifty-fiye cases officiated in the burial service.

The contributions, not iucluding the sums raised to sustain the in- stitutions of religion among ourselves, have amounted to forty-four thousand eight hundred and ninety-four dollars and seventy cents. For the first eight years they were eight thousand seventy-nine dollars and seventy-two cents; for the second, fourteen thousand four hun- dred and twenty-seven dollars aud nine cents, showing nearly a two- fold increase. The last nine years they have amounted to twenty-two thousand three hundred and sixty-five dollars and eighty-nine cents, being equal within less than one hundred and fifty dollars to the amount given the previous sixteen years; and if to this be added the sum subscribed for a new Church it increases the amount thirty-eight thousand dollars more. Asnot enumerated in the above contributions, I may mention here, a bequest made at the commencement of my min- istry of somewhat more than one thousand dollars by Miss Fanny Alsop, to be applied toward the extinguishment of the Church debt. I am in duty and justice bound to refer you here, to a most noble be- quest made in the year 1848, by a devout communicant of the Church, Mrs. Martha Mortimer Starr, consisting of a Rectory, grounds and bank stock, which at their present value would amouut perhaps to upwards ot twenty thousand dollars.

"In this connection I may speak of some thirty-eight thousand dollars raised for the Berkeley Divinity School, mostly from members of the Parish, or those who were natives of the place. Of the above large amount, twenty thousand dollars were given by one known to the most of this congregation, and who is never weary in well doing .* Ten thousand dollars were given by a clergymau,t then a resident of the Parish, and fifteen hundred dollars were raised by the Ladies Mis- sionary Society of the Parish for a scholarship, which securely invested as it is, must result in great and permanent good in the important direction for which it was intended. The remaining amount was re- ceived in smaller sums and from various sources. I must not omit here to allude to another noble charity known as St. Luke's Home, for aged and destitute women, in which very great interest has been mani- fested, which is under the control of our Church, and is in very suc- cessful operation. The building occupied by them, with the lot on which it stands, has been paid for, an act of incorporation obtained, the corporators appointed, and a board of lady managers. There are not a few who have contributed to this most excellent charity, liberally and cheerfully. Of the amount raised, about four thousand two hun- dred dollars were given by different members of this congregation, and I am happy to say, as its advantages are open to all, that applica- tions to others than church people were most favorably met.

Mr. Goodwin was a man that won the esteem of all classes of people, and was beloved by very many not connected with his parish. He departed this life Febru- ary 29th 1872.

His place was at once supplied by his late assistant, the Rev. Walter Mitchell, who had for his assistant the Rev. W. F. Nichols till the last nine months of his own rectorship, when his place was supplied by a lay reader and candidate for Holy Orders, Mr. C. H. Proctor of the Berkeley Divinity School. The Rev. Mr. Mitchell re- signed at Easter 1876, and reported to the convention of that year two hundred families, thirty-five infant and two adult baptisms, but not the number of communicants.

The Rev. Samuel D. McConnell became rector in August of that year, and in the spring of 1877 reported three hundred families with three hundred and seventy- five communicants, sixty infant and eleven adult baptisms and twenty-four confirmations. There was an assistant that year in each of the mission chapels. In 1878, Rev. A. B. Crawford, a Berkeley student from the Diocese of New Hampshire (where he was ordained deacon),

* Reference is here made to Edward S. Hall, Esq., born in Middle- town, but now a resident of New York.

+ The Rev. William Jarvis, late a resident of Hartford, since de- ceased.

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MIDDLETOWN-CHURCHES.

was appointed assistant to the Rev. Mr. McConnell, who, having had a severe illness the previous winter, was in need of an assistant in Holy Orders. In the fall of that year, the medical advisers of Mr. McConnell ordering entire rest, he spent three months at the South, when the care of the whole parish devolved upon Mr. Crawford, who proved himself equal to the emergency. At the close the Berkeley school year in 1879, Mr. Craw- ford was succeeded here by the Rev. George S. Pine, who filled the position with zeal and efficiency for the year, when his place was supplied by Rev. F. G. Burgess. In 1881, the ancient rectory which was mnch strained by its removal to the west end of the lot on Broad street, was taken down and a new brick one erected at the cost of between six and seven thousand dollars.

The Rev. Mr. McConnell and family had not occupied the new rectory three months when, having received a very urgent call to St, Stephens, Philadelphia, he finally and reluctantly accepted by the advice of Bishops Wil- liams and Stevens, and left here in January 1882. He reports to the convention of that year four hundred families, thirty-five infant and three adult baptisms, with four hundred and seventy-five communicants.

The Rev. A. Douglas Miller was called to the rector- ship, and began services here in February 1882, but had hardly been here a year when he received a call from California, which, being in conformity with a long cher- ished desire, he accepted, but kindly consented to re- main till after Easter, leaving here the 22d of April 1 883.

The Rev. J. Lewis Parks having received an unani- mous call, commenced his rectorship in this parish June Ioth 1883.

FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The only records of this church, if any were kept, have not been preserved. It would be interesting to note where the first meeting was held, and who were present, but there appears to be no one living at the present time who can give the information. As early as 1789, there were several communicants who held occasional services, and were supplied by the circuit preachers of the New London, Hartford, or New Haven districts. The first effort to organize a society here was in 1791, at which time Middletown was formed into a separate district, and two preachers were appointed to travel the circuit. It continued as a circuit until 1816, when Middletown be- came a station, or separate charge. The number of com- municants in that year was 112. The establishment of the Wesleyan University, in 1830, added materially to the temporal as well as the spiritual growth of the church. In 1852, the number of the communicants was 430.

Rev. Jesse Lee was the first one who preached to an audience of Methodists in Middletown. This was in 1789. In 1790, Rev. Daniel Smith was one of two preach- ers appointed to form and travel the circuit. In 1791, John Allen and Daniel Smith were appointed; in 1792, Richard Swain and Aaron Hunt; in 1793, Joshua Taylor and Benjamin Frisbie; in 1794, Menzer Raynor and

Daniel Ostrander; in 1795, Evans Rogers and Joel Ket- chum; in 1796, Joshua Taylor and Lawrence McCombs; in 1797, Michael Coats and Peter Jayne; in 1798, Au- gustus Jocelyn and Ebenezer Stevens; in 1800, James Coleman and Roger Searles; in 1801, Elijah Batchelor and Luman Andrus; in 1802, Abner Wood and James Annis; in 1803, Abner Wood and Nathan Emory; in 1804, Ebenezer Washburn and N. Emory; in 1805, Ebe- nezer Washburn and Luman Andrus; in 1806, Luman Andrus and Zalmon Lyon; in 1807, W. Thatcher, R. Harris, and O. Sykes; in 1808, James M. Smith and Phineas Rice; in 1809, Noble W. Thomas and Coles Carpenter; in 1810, Oliver Sykes and Jonathan Lyon; in 18II, Zalmon Lyon and Jesse Hunt; in 1812, Aaron Hunt and Arnold Schofields; in 1813, Elijah Woolsey and Arnold Schofields; in 1814, William Jewett and Jona- than Lyon; the first preacher, after the charge became a station, was Rev. Thomas Thorpe, in 1816; Marvin Rich- ardson, in 1817-18; William Jewett, 1819-20; Phineas Cook, 1821-22; Josiah Bowen, 1823-24; Ebenezer Wash- burn, 1825-26; Heman Bangs, 1827-28; Thomas Burch, 1829-30; Fitch Read, 1831-32; Bartholomew Creah, 1833-4; John C. Green, 1835; Charles K. 'True, 1836; Elisha Andrews, 1837-8; Francis Hodgson, 1839-40; Abiathar M. Osborn, 1841-2; Edwin E. Griswold, 1843-4; John L. Gilder, 1845; James Floy, 1846-7; Zephaniah N. Lewis, 1848; Moses L. Scudder, 1849-50; John M. Reid, 1851-53; E. L. Janes, 1853-4; J. B. Merwin, 1854-6; W. C. Hoyt, 1856-8; Daniel Curry, 1858-60; George W. Woodruff, 1860-2; George A. Hubbell, 1862-4; John Pegg jr., 1864-7; Joseph H. Knowles, 1867-70; Charles B. Sing, 1870-2; John S. Breckinridge, 1872-75; A. C. Eggleston, 1875-6; George L. Westgate, 1876-9; Robert Crook, 1879-82; A. H. Wyatt, 1882-4; William V. Kelley, 1884.

The first regular church organization met in 1804 and elected the following board of trustees: Samuel Froth- ingham, Josiah Starr, Timothy Powers, Jacob Eggleston, Maynard Franklin, Peleg Simmons, Oliver Prior, Au- gustus Jocelyn, Joshua Arnold. To the enterprise and energy of these individuals the church was mainly in- debted for its first house of worship, which was erected in 1805. The building was of brick, 42 by 32 feet, sit- uated on the north side of what is now Union Park. In 1828 the membership had increased to 178, and the so- ciety had outgrown its accommodations. A new edifice of brick was then erected on the same site, 75 by 55 feet, with an audience room 63 by 52, at a cost of $7,500. The financial weakness of the society led to the creation of a heavy debt, by having the church built partly on the stock plan, by which means the best seats became the property of individuals. Efforts were made in 1853, by Rev. E. L. Janes, the pastor, to liquidate the debt by subscriptions, and a sum of about $5,000 was raised. These efforts were continued, and other means adopted, by which the debt was transferred from the individual creditors to the savings bank, so that only three seats now remain as private property. In 1868 a subscription [ plan was started for the raising of $15,000, for the pur-

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

pose of erecting a parsonage, purchasing an organ, and paying off the church debt. The amount was made pay- able in eight instalments, extending over a period of four years. Over $16,000 was pledged, and the several ob- jects were accomplished. The present membership of the church, including the university students, is upwards of 600.

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN MIDDLETOWN.

It would appear from the records of the Strict Con- gregational Church, now the South Congregational, that for some years, a few members entertained Baptist views, viz., baptism by immersion, and at a meeting of the church, Lord's day, August 9th 1795, the following vote was passed: " When any member of this Church shall renounce infant baptism, and embrace the Baptist principles and practice baptism by immersion, they shall be considered by that act as withdrawing their fellowship from this church, and we consider our covenant obligations with them as church members dissolved." Rev. Stephen Par- sons, who had been pastor of the church for seven years, announced one Sabbath morning that he had embraced the opinions of the Baptists, and was immediately dis- missed. At this time, Mr. Parsons was living in a house that had been provided for him by the church. It had been arranged that if he continued to labor with the church ten years, it should then become his property. In three years more it would have passed into his hands. No consideration of policy led him to conceal his views for an hour. He, with a number of his brethren and sisters who withdrew about the same time, were soon after baptized, and on the 29th of October 1795, a meet- ing was held in the house of a Mr. Doolittle, for the pur- pose of recognizing the church. Delegates from the Baptist churches in Meriden and Hartford were present, organizing the church with a membership of 11 persons, five males and six females, as follows: Stephen Parsons, Sarah Parsons, William Mark, Sabra Prout, Joseph Coe, Elizabeth Coe, Michael Braddock, Esther Barnes, Zacheus Higby, Thankful Hubbard, Abigal Hamlin.

Mr. Parsons, though not formally chosen pastor, con- tinued his labors with the new church until the following spring, May 1796. The next Sabbath after the recogni- tion of the church, he baptized two converts, Mr. Daniel Kelly and Miss Olive Arnold. The former has the dis- tinction of being the first clerk of the church.

On the first Sabbath in January 1796, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was observed for the first time. For about six years after, the church had no regular pastor, but was dependent upon supplies. While a de- tail of their experiences in these years would be of great interest to Baptists of to-day, space will not permit their record.

Sometime in 1803, Nehemiah Dodge became pastor of the church, and ministered to the church nearly two years. During his pastorate there were many additions to the church, many of them worthy of honorable men- tion if the limits of this article would allow.

During a greater part of the years 1805-6, the church

was without a pastor, and in the records we find Brother Grant, and Brother E. Green served them, each of them preaching on alternate Sabbaths. Brother Enoch Green carried on the manufacture of cloth, working week days and preaching Sundays, as did many of God's ministers in those days.

In October 1806, Rev. Mr. Niles became pastor, but because of not receiving all the needed pecuniary sup- port, was absent much of the time after the spring of 1807. In the meantime, the pulpit was supplied by various ministers.

In January 1808, Rev. Joshua Bradley, a graduate of Brown University, succeeded Mr. Niles as pastor, a man of great ability. He preached the first year half the time, Brothers Green and Grant supplying the rest. The first two years of Mr. Bradley's ministry were eminently suc- cessful, the membership now numbering 95.

The first year of the existence of the church, it was not only without a pastor, but without a stated place of public worship, meeting at the residence of Mr. Doo- little, the gristmill, swept out for the purpose, or the carriage factory on South Main street; and soon after Mr. Bradley canie, the church voted to build a " Meet- ing House," which measured 53 by 38 feet.

In 1811, George Phippen, also a graduate of Brown University, was chosen pastor, and continued in that relation to the church for five years. About this time the new " Meeting House " was completed.

Rev. J. F. Bridges, a native of Colchester, became pas- tor of the church, and continued in that relation until October 2d 1818.

Levi Ball, the seventh pastor, preached until the spring of 1823, when James A. Boswell was invited to preach at a salary of $400 per year. By reason of failing health he was compelled to resign after scarcely a year's service.

Rev. Daniel Wildman preached, and in the winter of 1825, assisted by Elder Wilson, meetings were held that resulted in conversions and additions to the church.

In May 1825, John R. Dodge, of Manchester, Ver- mont, became the pastor. He was popular as a preacher, and the church grew in numbers and in strength. He resigned, August 5th 1827, and his labors closed with the church November 8th 1837, and the church was without a pastor till the following February, 1838, when Rev. John Cookson became pastor of the church. He tend- ered his resignation, May 5th 1839, to take effect in three months.

Rev. Thomas Wilkes supplied the pulpit until May "1840, when Rev. D. C. Haynes was called to the pastor- ate, and was installed in July 1840. Mr. Haynes was a native of Marblehead, Mass. It was during Mr. Hayne's pastorate that it was voted to build a new meeting house, and a committee was authorized to proceed with the erection of a house not to exceed, when completed, $3,000 over the subscription. None of the subscrip- tions were paid, and no money could be borrowed, and the scheme of building was given up for the present. During this year, 1841, the church numbered 242. Mr. Haynes resigned in October 1841, and was succeeded by

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Rev. J. B. Cook. During the years 1841 and 1842, there was a revival in the church that added 65 to its mem- bers. The enterprise of building was entered upon with renewed zeal. Robert Paddock and wife gave $2,200 at the outset, and more than $5,000 before it was com- pleted. A building committee was appointed, and the present church edifice, 56 by 76 feet, was built, at a cost of $12,500. Mr. Cook resigned April 23d 1843, and in August 1843, Rev. W. G. Howard became pastor. In the spring of 1846, with the assistance of Rev. Jabez Swan, a series of revival meetings were conducted that added 40 or more members to the church. February 24th 1847, the pastor sent in his resignation, and until October 1848, the church was without a settled pastor. Rev. B. N. Leach commenced his labors in the fall of 1848. Rev. Charles Ferguson assisted the pastor in re- vival services, and as a result about 50 persons were added to the church.

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History of Middlesex county, Connecticut, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Part 40

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: Whittemore, Henry, b. 1833; Beers, J.B. & Company, publishers
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : J. B. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 818