USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church, New Haven, Connecticut, 1848-1941 > Part 2
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On Monday evening, April 24th, 1848, the first annual parish meeting was held. Joel B. Foot and James S. Arnold were elected Senior and Junior Warden respectively ; Alonzo
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
F. Wood, Treasurer, and David M. Burwell, Clerk. The By Laws provided that there should be seven Vestrymen, and the following constituted that first Vestry : Joseph Yem- mans, William Brown, William M. Thompson, Alonzo F. Wood, David M. Burwell, James Alling and John Warner. The first man to be elected a member of the parish in accord- ance with the provision of the By Laws was John E. Wylie, who, until his removal to New York, was a valued and valu- able parishioner, one, says the rector, "with whom I coun- selled largely in the erection of St. Thomas's church and whose part in that work will not be forgotten so long as the records of its history are preserved."
Mr. Foot continued in office until 1871, when he removed from the city. It has been a characteristic of the parish to retain in office for long periods men serving the parish acceptably. And that has not been because there were no others equally well qualified to serve, but because the element of stability has always characterized the life of the parish.
And so this little group of lay people organized itself into a parish. They promptly made application to be received into union with the Convention. Favorable action was taken on that application at the Convention held June 13th, 1848, and Isaac Bradley took his seat as the first Lay Delegate from St. Thomas's Parish. The following year it had two Dele- gates, Pliny A. Jewett and Gideon Ferris. That was pos- sible because it met the canonical requirement that when a parish consisted of more than fifty families it should have two Delegates. That year the parish reported fifty-four families. It was not a wide margin, but wide enough.
St. Thomas's was never a Mission, but independent from the outset, and therein differs from the other parishes in the city. As to its name, the tradition is, and it is fairly well- authenticated, coming as it did from one who was active in the movement from the very first, that it was called St. Thomas's because Bishop Brownell's name was Thomas
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Founding and Organization
Church. Of course that does not mean that St. Thomas is any the less the church's patron saint. There is another tradition as to the name, not quite so well-authenticated, which, at this late day, and in the light of history, is more or less amusing, perhaps more than less. That tradition is that when a good woman was asked why it was called St. Thomas's, she promptly suggested, a bit ironically it is feared, that it was probably to indicate the doubtfulness of the project.
CHAPTER II
CALLING A RECTOR; HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
The parish was organized. Now they must have a leader. Up to this point they had furnished their own leadership, and with fairly good success, it would seem. This "little com- pany, with more zeal than means, and more faith than influ- ence," was now confronted with the task of choosing a rector. It was not an easy task, because they had so little to offer, so little, that is, in the way of financial compensation. That first year they paid their rector $600. The parish, of course, had no rectory, in fact it never did have one until quite recent years. But the opportunity to do God's work, which this new venture presented, was the deciding factor.
Where should they look for their rector? Up in Cheshire, Conn., there was a clergyman who was not wholly unknown, to some of them at least, for he had assisted Dr. Croswell at Trinity Church for several months in 1841 to 1842. He was the Rev. Eben Edwards Beardsley, rector of St. Peter's Church. They called him to be their rector. He accepted with a full understanding of the difficulties which he faced, if we may judge from his letter of acceptance.
"Cheshire, March 20th, 1848
Messrs. Wm. Brown & Jos. Yemmans,
Committee of St. Thomas's Church,
Gentlemen.
After mature and prayerful consideration, I have determined to accept the Rectorship of St. Thomas's
IN
-
VA
-
REV. E. EDWARDS BEARDSLEY, D.D.
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Calling a Rector
Church, and I propose to enter upon the duties of my appointment Easter Sunday. Fully persuaded that in this great work there will be many things of an unpleasant and disheartening character, I shall expect from you and from those whom you repre- sent, all the sympathy and encouragement which, as zealous and high minded Christians, you are bound to lend. I shall hope also for the blessing of God upon my most earnest efforts to promote the inter- ests of the church and to 'add to it daily such as shall be saved.'
Very sincerely your friend E. E. Beardsley"
This first rector was so much a part of the church, was the church for forty-four years, one might almost say, and that without any suggestion of irreverence, or any attempt to claim too much, that it is only fitting that some account should be given of him. The story of the church would be quite incomplete without it.
Among his papers there was found a brief autobiographical record of the early years of his life. We will let him give that part of the story in his own words:
"On this eighth day of January, A. D., 1890, the eighty-second anniversary of my birth, I begin to note the principal incidents which make up the his- tory of my life.
I am of a goodly Church lineage, my grandfather, Elisha Beardsley, was baptized by the celebrated Dr. Johnson of Stratford, and served as a vestry- man or clerk in St. Paul's Church, Huntington from 1768 to 1812, and at the annual meeting of the parish, Easter Monday, March 30, 1812, he was elected one of the wardens, and continued in that office to the day of his death, April 6, 1824.
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
The Episcopalians in the town of Huntington originally formed one incorporated Society, but in 1805, a church was erected by them in the section called New Stratford, now Monroe, and consecrated four years later by Bishop Jarvis. My grandfather resided within the limits of New Stratford, and of course became prominently identified with the new church, and brought up his six sons to make that their place of public worship.
My father Elihu, a Connecticut farmer, was his fourth son, and married for his second wife, (his first died young and childless of consumption), Ruth Edwards, daughter of William and Charity (Beach) Edwards. Being the eldest of four sons I was, naturally, put in front and made the errand boy of the family.
Until sixteen years of age my life was varied by work upon the farm and attendance at the village school. About this time I was sent to the Staples Academy in Weston, where I began the study of Latin, but at the end of a year I returned home and engaged for a few seasons in teaching a District School, having in one instance scholars older than myself, and 'boarding around.'
Desiring to resume my studies and prepare for college I was induced to attend the Episcopal Acad- emy at Norwalk, Ct., then under the patronage and oversight of the Rev. Reuben Sherwood, rector of St. Paul's Church in that place.
The Headmaster was the Rev. Allen C. Morgan, who was afterwards Principal of the Episcopal Academy in Cheshire. I was admitted in 1828 to the Freshman class of Trinity College, not long chartered, and appealing very strongly for the sup- port and patronage of Churchmen throughout the country.
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Calling a Rector
Bishop Brownell was President, and among the Professors were Horatio Potter, Hector Hum- phreys, Norman Pinney and Samuel Fuller.
It was before the day of railroads and rapid tran- sit, and I have a painful remembrance of the long rides in an open wagon across the country to reach New Haven in time to take a stage coach for Hart- ford.
On one occasion the horse became frightened and ran nearly a quarter of a mile throwing both myself and brother out, but providentially he was stopped soon enough to prevent injury to himself or the vehicle, and we shortly resumed our journey most thankful that we had escaped in such a danger with only bruises and scratches.
The four years in college were quickly passed and my standing as a student was recognized by the honorable position given me in the order of Exercises at Commencement.
Literature was a favorite study, and I improved all my leisure hours in using my pen and reading the best authors that came in my way. In my senior year, a classmate from Massachusetts, Ebenezer C. Bishop, and a member of the class below us, Clement M. Butler,* spent our Christmas vacation in college.
We were often together, and one evening Bishop proposed that we should compete for three prizes which had been offered by two periodicals, the com- petitions to be handed in within a given time.
The Rural Repository, published in Hudson, N. Y., offered twenty dollars for the best tale, and five dollars for the best poem of a limited number of lines.
The Ladies Mirror, published in Southbridge,
* Author of "The Night Before Christmas."
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
Mass., offered ten dollars for the best tale. Butler was the only poet among us, and was ready in a day or two to send off his effusion, but failed to win the first prize. Bishop wrote for the Rural Repos- itory and gained the twenty dollars, and I wrote for the Mirror, and was rewarded with the highest prize. No money which I have ever earned since by my pen, or in any other way, has tasted so good as that little sum acquired in the pride of youthful ambition.
After graduating,* I took a private classical school in Hartford which had already been estab- lished and was about to be relinquished by the Teacher. I was more successful than my prede- cessor, but at the end of a year, I received the appointment of a Tutor in my Alma Mater which I held until 1835.
There I had become a Candidate for Holy Orders and pursued theological studies, as best I could, in connection with the duties of the Tutorship. I was admitted to the Diaconate by Bishop Brownell on the 11th of August, 1835, and in the following month was put in charge of St. Peter's Church, Cheshire, which, for several years, had been served by the Principal of the Episcopal Academy.
Dr. Judd, who for a time took Demetrius Stam- itiades of Greece, a classmate of mine, for his Head- master, had retired, after failing in his plans,t and the doors of the Institution for a year were shut, and the Academy green was as still as midnight.
My old teacherį at Norwalk succeeded him, and
* In 1832.
Rev. Bethel Judd. He tried to adopt the manual labor system for needy young men.
¿ Rev. Allen C. Morgan.
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Calling a Rector
by devoting his whole energies and thoughts to his work soon put things on a better foundation and attracted as many students as could be accommo- dated. His sudden death at the end of two years left the Institution again vacant, and the Trustees assembled and appointed me the Principal with the understanding that I might relinquish the position if I found it irksome and disagreeable.
Prosperity attended me in this new charge and I retained it for several years. Soon after my election I proposed to the parish to build a new church and I would give them my services as a sub- scription towards it, provided the edifice was com- pleted within a limited time. When it was completed I resigned the rectorship and confined myself wholly to the Academy. But its cares and responsi- bilities were not to my taste and I relinquished it in 1844, and resumed the charge of the parish which had become vacant and somewhat divided.
Meanwhile I had married Jane M. Matthews, daughter of the late Rev. Edmund Matthews of St. Simon's Island, Georgia, who, with her mother, a native of Cheshire, had returned to the North and had been living among friends in that village.
My devotion to the work of the ministry led me to think of trying another field, if offered to me, where I might find a fresh stimulus to my mind and new opportunities for study. A third parish was formed in the compact limits of New Haven, February 1848, by the name of St. Thomas's Church and I was invited to become its rector, which was accepted after mature consideration."
To that point Dr. Beardsley brought his autobiographical Notes. Why he did not carry them further was due no doubt, to the weariness of increasing years, for he was now
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
approaching the end of his long and active life. But the story must not end there. The part which is woven into the history of the parish, which brought great honor to it, was yet to come.
He began to assume prominence in the Diocese before he came to St. Thomas's. From 1839 to 1846 he was Secre- tary of the Convention. In 1859 he was first elected to the Standing Committee and continued thereon until his death in 1891, and for the last eighteen years was its President. He was the first Registrar of the Diocese from 1866 to 1873, and an Examining Chaplain from 1878 to 1891. He repre- sented the Diocese in eight General Conventions from 1868 to 1889, and was President of the House of Deputies in 1880 and 1883. This is one of the highest honors in the gift of the Church, because it means an election by the Clerical and Lay Deputies from all the Dioceses in the country.
From 1844 to 1891 he served as Trustee of the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut; from 1851 to 1891 as Trustee of Trinity College, Hartford; from 1875 to 1891 as Trustee of St. Margaret's School, Waterbury. He was a Trustee of the Bishop's Fund from 1858 to 1891, and President of the Board from 1880 to 1891. It will be noticed that in most of these cases the term of service runs till 1891, which simply means that it ended with death.
But not all of his interest and effort were concerned with Church matters. He was deeply interested in local historical affairs, and was one of the founders of the New Haven Colony Historical Society, Vice President from 1862 to 1873, and President from 1873 to 1884.
His literary taste combined with his love for history, and particularly the History of the Episcopal Church in Connecti- cut, led to his preparing and publishing his work on that sub- ject in two volumes, most of which, if not all of it, was first given to the parish in the form of lectures or sermons.
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Calling a Rector
This was followed by his Life and Correspondence of Samuel Johnson, first President of King's (now Columbia) College. And then in 1881 came his Life and Correspond- ence of Samuel Seabury, first Bishop of Connecticut and of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, an abridged edition of which was published in London in 1884, the centennial year of the consecration of Dr. Seabury.
In 1886 he published the Life and Times of William Samuel Johnson, the first Senator in Congress from Con- necticut, and like his father, President of King's College from 1787 to 1793. Dr. Beardsley was much in demand as preacher on the occasion of parochial anniversaries, and at the time of his death there was going through the press a volume entitled Addresses and Discourses, which was a col- lection of these historical sermons.
Early in his rectorship Dr. Beardsley met with a crush- ing sorrow. On August 30th, 1851, his wife died. She was only twenty-seven years old. It cut deep into his heart, making a wound which never quite healed. She was one of God's gentlewomen, with a beautiful soul, loving nature intensely, giving poetic expression to that love. "She had an eye for its beauties and an ear for its music." As "an affectionate tribute to her memory," Dr. Beardsley in 1891 made a selection of her poems, and had them privately printed in a volume bearing the significant title The Unfor- gotten, which was the title of the initial poem. This he distributed among his intimate friends.
Such in brief is the story, which certainly is an essential part of the history of this parish, of him, who, though not strictly the founder of it, yet assumed charge of it only two months after it was founded, and carried it through forty- four years of its life, laying the burden down only when death claimed him on St. Thomas's Day, December 21st, 1891. Strange coincidence that that should have been the day for his departure !
CHAPTER III
BUYING A LOT AND BUILDING A TEMPORARY CHAPEL.
But now to take up the thread of the story where it was broken off to introduce this sketch of the first rector. He accepted the call which had been extended to him, and on Easter, April 23rd, 1848, he entered upon his duties as rec- tor of the parish. What now was his position? He was very much like a builder who was without tools, and yet who was expected to build. And he must build from the bottom up.
In a sermon which he preached at the close of the first decade of his rectorship, he says :- "Such was the pecuniary weakness of the original organization, and so uninviting out- wardly was the whole prospect, that the question with the people could not have been, as with wealthy and long estab- lished parishes, 'who shall be called to the rectorship,' but, 'who will come and throw himself into this position of anxiety and care and self-sacrifice, and work with us in faith, build- ing up and looking for the reward of his labors more to the future than the present.' "
Yes, he was like a builder without tools. The material was there, but the equipment for the work of construction was lacking. He had no place in which to gather his people for worship. It was truly all a fine venture of faith, of faith on his part and on the part of the people. But the faith was there in both cases.
There was striking evidence of that before the year was out. They were worshiping in the "Orange Street Lecture Room," as it was called. It was situated on Orange Street,
23
Buying a Lot
a short distance below Crown Street, and belonged to Center Church. It has long since disappeared. There in that Lec- ture Room the services commenced Easter, April 23rd, 1848, and there they continued until July 29th, 1849.
In a Note to one of his sermons the rector gives us a glimpse into the situation of the parish while worshiping in the "Orange Street Lecture Room." He says :- "The sit- tings were free, and the current expenditures were defrayed in part by the voluntary contributions of the people, received at each occasion of public worship. The number present at the first communion was 28, and about 30 families originally composed the Parish. The increase of the congregation was more solid than had been anticipated, and soon turned the thoughts of the parishioners to the necessity of securing a larger and more convenient Room."
This success was, of course, gratifying, and the parish took immediate steps to meet the situation. At a special parish meeting held December 11th, 1848, the following action was taken :
"Whereas, the enterprise of establishing a third Parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church in New Haven has thus far by the blessing of God succeeded beyond our expectations ; and whereas there appears to be no suitable Public Room in the City that can be obtained suited to the wants of the Parish ;
Therefore ; Resolved, That the Parish deem it expedient to procure a suitable Lot on which to erect an edifice suited to the immediate wants of the Parish.
Resolved, That Messrs Joel B. Foot, L. M. Newton and John E. Wylie be a committee to purchase the Lot on Elm St. owned by R. E. Northrop at a price not to exceed forty-five hundred dollars.
Resolved, That we deem it the best method for procuring the means to carry out the tenor of the above resolutions will be by creating Stock for that purpose.
Resolved, That Messrs Wm. Brown, J. S. Arnold and Isaac Bradley be a Committee to draw up the necessary papers which are wanted for that purpose and present the same at the next meeting.
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
Resolved, That Messrs Yemmans and Lawton be instructed to pro- cure plans and specifications for a Chapel and lay the same before the Parish at its next meeting."
At a special parish meeting held a week later, December 18th, the committee appointed "to procure the necessary papers for taking up Stock" made its report. As the lot was purchased and the Chapel built thereon, even as the church was later, financed by the issuance of Stock, the report of that committee may well find a place here.
"Whereas, St. Thomas Parish in New Haven propose buying a Lot and Building a Chapel on Elm St between Church and Orange St for the better accommodation of the Parish the following plan is proposed for raising the necessary funds and for effecting the afore- said purposes.
Article 1st, The amount of expenses of such Lot and Building shall consist of Stock to be divided into shares of Fifty Dollars each Pay- able by instalments as the Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas' Church for the time being shall direct.
Art. 2d, The Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas' Church for the time being may if they judge it expedient commence the Building of a Chapel whenever One Hundred shares shall be subscribed but no subscriber shall be holden to pay more than fifty dollars for each share of stock by him or her subscribed.
Art. 3d, The Chapel shall be built under the direction of the Wardens and Vestry of St. Thomas Church for the time being or by a Com- mittee appointed by them for that purpose and the same shall belong to the Parish of St. Thomas' Church subject however to the Conditions herein after mentioned.
Art. 4th, The Pews or Slips of said Chapel shall be Rented under the direction of the Wardens and Vestry on such terms and Conditions as they may deem expedient and the Rent of the Pews or Slips shall be applied annually towards the interest on the Stock at the rate of Six per cent per Annum and in case the Pews or Slips shall rent for more than sufficient to pay said Interest the surplus may at the direc- tion of the Wardens and Vestry be applied to redeem the Capital stock or to any other use of said Parish but the Rents of the Pews or Slips shall be considered as Pledged for the Payment of the Interest as aforesaid and in no event shall the said Parish be held Personally Responsible for the Principal or Interest or any part thereof.
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Buying a Lot
Art. 5th, It shall be in the power of said Parish at any time to pay the amount of the Capital Stock or any part thereof to the Stock- holders and upon such payment in full the said Lot and Chapel shall be the absolute property of said parish.
Art. 6th, The Stock shall be transferable under such Rules and Regulations as the Wardens and Vestry shall prescribe and when the Stock shall be settled Certificates thereof shall be issued to the Stock- holders.
Art. 7th, The superscription shall be upon condition that said Parish shall by their Vote in Parish meeting assembled, assent to the purchase of the lot and the erection of a Chapel on the conditions herein men- tioned-and now for the purpose of enabling the said Parish to purchase a lot and erect a Chapel upon the terms and conditions aforesaid; We the Subscribers respectively promise to take the num- ber of shares affixed to our respective names and to pay the said Parish the amount thereof by instalments as the Wardens and Vestry of said Church for the time being shall direct pursuant to the terms and conditions aforesaid.
Resolved, That we the Parish of St. Thomas' Church in Parish meeting assembled on this 18th day of December A. D. 1848 do assent to the conditions contained in the foregoing Articles and do appoint Messrs Foot Newton and Wylie as Trustees to purchase the lot in Elm street owned by R. E. Northrop and do authorise the Wardens and Vestry to erect a Chapel on the same when sufficient funds are raised according to the terms before stated."
Such then were the plans for the expansion of the parish, the plans for purchasing a lot and building a chapel thereon. The parish lost no time in carrying out its plans. Their success had been so encouraging and their prospects were so promising, that they felt warranted in going ahead at once.
The rector in his "Notes of Days," which might better, perhaps, be called "Notes of Sundays," because they are mostly notes of Sundays, makes this entry, in part, for January 1st, 1849 :- "I was surprised this morning by read- ing in the Journal a paragraph to the effect that St. Thomas's Parish had purchased a lot in Elm Street, and were about to erect upon it an edifice to accommodate the increasing con- gregation. The notice was rather premature, though I learn
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History of St. Thomas's Episcopal Church
that the bargain has since been closed, and only waits the passing of the proper papers to be completed.
I almost shrink from the undertaking that lies before me, but in the strength of the Lord wonders may be accomplished. It seems to be my allotment of duty to have the oversight of Parishes in the erection of churches. I ought not to com- plain, if in any sphere I can serve my Master with accept- ance."
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