USA > Delaware > New Castle County > New Castle > Sketch of early ecclesiastical affairs in New Castle, Delaware, and history of Immanuel Church > Part 10
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
a constant succession of Protestant Episcopal Ministers for one hundred and twenty years : and during that long period had from time to time assembled within the venerable walls of Immanuel Church, for the perform- ance of Divine service. Under these circumstances the present meeting convened. The liberal subscriptions made this evening for completing the Church, quickly dispelled the gloom which surrounded us, and gave the assurance of the dawning of a brighter day on the pros- pects of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Town of New Castle. The names of the Donors are now re- corded in these minutes with lively feelings of gratitude: and if it ever unfortunately so happens, that our Church at any future time, when those who now support it, are sleeping in the grave, should be reduced to that low situation, from which it is now raised, let those who read these pages, remember, that the active, zealous and united exertions and unwearied perseverance of a few, have under the favor of the Almighty Ruler of the universe, rebuilt the Church and made it a place worthy to be dedicated to his service. The following are the names of the Donors, to wit.
George Read, Esq., $400 Henry Colesberry, MD., $100
George Read, Jr., Esq.,
100 Kensey Johns, Jr .. 100
Charles Thomas, Esq., 100 Richard Sexton, 100
James R. Black, Esq., 100
Jeremiah Bowman, 100
James Rogers, Esq., 100 Kensey J. Van Dyke, 100
Thomas W. Rogers, Esq., 100
John Janvier, 50
James Booth, Esq., 100
Thomas Janvier, 50
James Booth, Jr., Esq.,
100
John Riddle, 50
William T. Read. 30."
Besides the repairs to the church made at this time, it was enlarged by the addition of two transepts and tower with steeple. The chancel was arranged in the
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
west end of the church and a gallery built in the east end.
The work was completed and choice of pews sold by auction on 25th of October, 1822. On Tuesday morning, October 29th, the church was consecrated to the service of Almighty God by the venerable Bishop White, assisted by Bishop Kemp, of Maryland, and attended by the Rev. Gregory T. Bedell of St. Andrews' Church, Philadelphia ; Rev. Ralph Williston of Trinity Church, Wilmington, and Rev. Robert Clay, Rector of the Parish. The sentence of consecration was read by the Rev. Mr. Williston ; the consecration service was performed by Bishop White; morning prayer was read by Bishop Kemp; and the sermon was delivered by Bishop White, from the words of the 96th Psalm, 9th verse : "O, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." The communion service was then read and the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper administered. The secretary of the vestry James Booth, Esq., in describing the events of the day says : "The services of the day were solemn and impressive, and the audi- tory, consisting of a large collection of the most respectable persons in the town of New Castle and its vicinity and of strangers from a distance, were attentive and devout in their behaviour." The certificate of the consecration in the handwriting of Bishop White is still preserved by the vestry and is as follows : "By William White, D. D., Bishop of the Protestant Epis- copal Church in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Whereas, it has been represented to me, that the vestry of Immanuel Church in New Castle, in the State of Delaware, have improved and enlarged their church ; and, whereas, they have requested me to consecrate the
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
same to the service of Almighty God. Be it therefore known, that on the twenty-ninth day of October in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and twenty-two, in the presence of the Rt. Rev. James Kemp, D. D., Bp. of the Prot. Ep. Church in the State of Maryland, of sev- eral clergymen, of the Rector, wardens & vestry of the said church, and of a large congregation of people, I have consecrated to the service of Almighty, agreea- bly to the consecration service of the Protestant Epis- copal Church in the United States, the same by the name of Immanuel Church, in the Town of New Castle, setting it apart henceforth to the service of that Almighty Being, who although he has Heaven for his Home & Earth for his Footstool, yet condescends to vouchsafe His presence, & to receive the worship of his creatures in houses dedicated to his service.
WM. WHITE."
The following extracts, taken from a letter written December 9, 1822, by Mrs. Johns, the wife of the elder Chancellor Johns, and mother of the late Bishop Johns, referring to the consecration will be read with much interest. "I promised to describe the consecration of the Church. It was done according to the form in the Prayer Book. The Bishops & the Clergy, in their robes, entered in procession, repeating the words of consecra- tion. The Vestry followed & formed around the Chancel. Bishop White read the service. A number of young men formed a choir and sang and chanted very sweetly. Bishop White preached in the morning. The congregation was very large, many persons from Wilmington & from the country, coming to witness the ceremony. Bishop Kemp preached in the afternoon & Mr. Bedell, a young minister, in the evening. The
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
Sacrament was administered after morning service. For the first time in forty years !!! The clergyman who is settled in Wilmington comes over to preach every other Sabbath & also holds a service on Tuesday evenings." The statement that the Sacrament had not been admin- istered for so long seems incredible. Forty years would have gone back through two rectorships, that of Rev. Mr. Clay and his predecessor, Rev. Mr. Wharton. In these times of vigorous spiritual life in the Church, it is hard to believe that that life was ever so low. The Secretary of the vestry records: "In the evening Divine service was also performed and an eloquent discourse was delivered by Rev. Mr. Bedell, of St. Andrew's Church, Philadelphia, from the text 'O the Hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land!'" After describing the events of the day, the Secretary says: "To those whose zeal and activity effected the re-build- ing and enlargement of the Church, the present occasion was deeply interesting. But two years ago, the Church was in almost a ruinous condition; now it was finished in a style of neatness and simplicity, and even elegance, that reflected the highest credit on the congregation. The pulpit, reading-desk, chancel, pews and the whole interior of the Church were arranged and furnished with much taste. The exterior, with the tower and spire rising to the height of one hundred and thirty feet, the former furnished with a fine clock placed there by the Trustees of the New Castle Commons, and showing a dial-plate on each side, the latter surmounted with a beautiful gilt cross, ball and vane, presented a strong contrast to the former appearance of the Church, and produced the most pleasing emotions. It is but an act of justice to notice in this place the important services
IO
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
rendered by Mr. William Strickland, of Philadelphia, Architect. He furnished the plans for the improve- ment of the Church; and when his professional avoca- tions permitted, superintended the repairs, and when- ever consulted, assisted with his advice and directions. All his services were gratuitously bestowed. He pre- sented to the Church a marble slab, of the value of ten dollars, which is placed in the west side of the tower and records the date of the Church and the year of its enlargement. It is also proper to mention here, that the four tablets in the west end of the Church near the Pulpit and Chancel, which contain in gold letters the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer and various appropriate passages from Scripture are the joint donations of Mr. William Berrett of Philadelphia, Ornamental Painter, and of Mr. William Booth, of the Town of New Castle; the former present- ing the workmanship and the latter the materials. The ornament worked with gold thread and spangles on the drapery in front of the Pulpit between the two festoons, called 'the glory,' was made by Miss Eliza M. Roche and Marietta Roche, of the City of Philadelphia, sisters of the Rev. Manning B. Roche, Rector of Trinity Church in that place. These several acts of generosity with the donors names are here mentioned, because they deserve a grateful record in this memoir; but in notic- ing them the reflection naturally arises, and with it a sentiment of regret, that no visible memorial exists in Immanuel Church, expressive of gratitude to the memory of its most signal benefactor, Richard Halli- well, Esquire." This sentiment certainly still exists, but any memorial to Richard Halliwell is still wanting.
Among the contributors to the fund for paying for the work upon the Church was the naval hero Commo-
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
dore Thomas Macdonough. In his letter to the vestry dated Middletown, Connecticut, March 7, 1822 he wrote, "If the small sum ($30) will be of any service to you, it will be a gratifying reflection to me; sensible as I am that the happiness of us all, even in this world, depends much upon our living a life of holiness and virtue. I am happy to see by the different reports, that the Church generally in my native state, is improving, and that religion meets that attention which, intimately, is be- coming to us all."
After the completion of the repairs and alterations to the Church the pews were sold by auction on October 25, 1822. The following list contains the name of each pew-holder and amount bid for each pew, respectively, which was in addition to the pew rent:
I Jesse Moore, $
8 27 James Booth, Jr. $ 270
2 George Pierce, 7 28 Geo. Read, Jr. 150
3 John Gorden, 15 29 James R. Black, 218
4 John Stockton. 50 30 George Read, 500
5 John Wiley, I 31 James Booth, I60
6 James Frazer, 20
32 Kensey Johns, Jr. II8
7 John Springer, 6 33 Kensey J. Van Dyke, 140
8 William Guthrie, IO 34 Charles Thomas, IIO
9 David Paynter, 32
35 Thomas W. Rogers, 130
Io Samuel Carpenter, 6 36 John D. Eves, 3I
II Cornelius D. Blaney,
12 Isaac Grantham,
20
39 James McCallmont, 30
55 40 Rev. John E. Latta,
20 41 James Couper,
25
16 Nicholas Van Dyke
17 Thomas Janvier,
70 43 Jas. Mccullough, Mer.
9
18 John Janvier,
19 Rev. Robert Clay,
20 Evan Thomas,
25
46 Richard E. Smith, 5
21 Joseph Roberts,
35
47 Mrs. Maria G. Ross, I
8 37 John Riddle, 65
75 38 Isaac G. Israel,
13 Capt. Lemuel Hawley,
14 Kensey Johns,
15 John Wiley,
40 42 John Duncan, IO
65 44 Wm. P. Israel, IO
45 Hugh W. Ritchie, IO
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
22 Jeremiah Bowman, 140 48 John Ocheltree,
23 Henry Colesberry, 161 49 James Thompson, IO
24 William T. Read, 40 50 James Le Fevre,
25 James Rogers, 170 51 Jacob Welsh, 2 50
26 Richard Sexton, 160 52 John Biddle,
Among the names are found several Presbyterians, and one of them Rev. John E. Latta was the pastor of the Presbyterian Church. There was, most happily, a very good feeling between the two congregations, which had existed for some time. As early as 1813, we find this resolution upon the minutes, "Resolved that the Minister of this Church be, and he is hereby requested to arrange the time of having Divine service in the Church, with the Minister of the Presbyterian Church."
The Rev. Robert Clay, who had been yearly ap- pointed or elected rector, resigned the cure on April 19, 1824, "on account of advancing age and the proba- bility of increasing infirmities." He had notified the vestry the fall before of his proposed action, so allowing them the opportunity to secure a successor immediately upon his resignation. The vestry took advantage of the opportunity thus given them and invited Rev. S. W. Presstman of Dumfries, Virginia, "to preach in Immanuel Church for the purpose of ascertaining how far it will be agreeable to him and the congregation, for him to reside amongst us and officiate as Minister of the Parish." Mr. Presstman accepted the invitation and preached what was called his "trial" sermon on Oct. 12, I823. The mutual selection of parish and pastor respectively in that way which was then quite common, now however generally deprecated by the Clergy, result- ed in this instance most satisfactorily, as the mutual - good will, love and respect between pastor and people were never greater in Immanuel parish than during the
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
incum bency of Mr. Presstman. The vestrymen met on the day after Mr. Presstman preached, and the record of that meeting says "It being signified to the wardens and vestry, that the Rev. Robert Clay intends to resign his charge as Rector of the Church next Easter, on account of his advanced age :- and the wardens and vestry being desirous in case of that event, to invite the Rev. S. W. Presstman now of Dumfries, Virginia, to settle in the Parish of Immanuel Church, as Rector of the said Church and Saint James, near Stanton. Therefore
resolved, that Doctor Henry Colesberry, George Read, Jr., and James Booth, Jr., be, and they are hereby ap- pointed a committee to wait upon the Rev. S. W. Presst- man and invite him to take charge (in case of the resig- nation of the Rev. Mr. Clay) of Immanuel Church and Saint James, as Rector of said Churches at an annual salary of Four Hundred Dollars from the former and Two Hundred from the latter." This record shows that St. James, Stanton was still associated with Immanuel. The salary named $600, for both Churches was in ad- dition, of course, to the use of the Glebe. The amount seems small, but a man could live better on six hundred dollars than one thousand now. At the meeting of the vestry last referred to this rather curious entry is found. "Timothy Temple was appointed Sexton of the Church from the present time, until Easter next in the room of Robert Vanjoy, deceased. It is understood that the said Timothy Temple shall have a collection once in each month for his benefit."
Immediately after the resignation of Rev. Mr. Clay and the passage of a resolution of thanks to him for his "long and faithful services" the Rev. Stephen Wilson Presstman was unanimously elected "Minister." The custom of electing the rector annually, ceased at this time.
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
The retiring rector, Rev. Robert Clay, was a bachelor of affable manners and popular not only with his own congregation but generally in the community. He was a good preacher and fine reader; and there was the best of feeling between him and his people. He was fond of children and always kind and attentive to them and beloved by all. Age and physical disabilities had for some time unfitted him for his parochial work and finally compelled his resignation. Through the last year of his rectorship the Rev. Ralph Williston, of Trinity Church, Wilmington, was his assistant.
During Mr. Clay's incumbency the congregation was but little concerned about the rector's salary as Mr. Clay was a man of some means and extremely liberal to the church. He lived seven years after his resignation, loved and respected by the people whose spiritual adviser he had been for more than a generation. He was buried in the main aisle of the church and on the marble slab over his grave is this inscription. "The remains of the Rev. Robert Clay are here interred. He was born 18th of October, 1749, and died 27th of December, A. D., 1831." On a marble tablet on the north wall of the Church these words are engraven, "Sacred to the memory of the Rev. Robert Clay. He was Rector of this Parish for thirty-six years and died 27th of Dec'r, 1831.
This tablet is erected by his executor in remem- brance of his liberal benefactions to this Church, in its days of adversity, and of those virtues that have endeared him to his friends." Mr. Clay was the second Rector of the parish who was a native of New Castle, the Rev. Aeneas Ross having been the first.
His brother, Slator Clay, was also a clergyman. The two brothers were admitted to the deaconate and
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
ordained priests on the same days. In early life Mr. Clay was in the mercantile business in Philadelphia.
On Sunday, January 1, 1832, Rev. Mr. Presstman delivered from the pulpit an address commemorative of the life and character of Mr. Clay, and among other things said: "The character of our departed brother, whose mortal remains lie deposited within these conse- crated walls, must be delineated from his actions, and not from his words. Unassuming to the last degree, his virtues are to be sought out under the veil his humility cast over them. However, when principles are to be maintained, the stern, inflexible character is to be admired and emulated, yet, under ordinary circum- stances, the benign influence of the Gospel is best illus- trated by less imposing, but more attractive qualities. If a grace is to be known by its effects, to whom shall we attribute in a more eminent degree, than to our brother, that grace which the apostle says: 'It suffereth long and is kind; it envieth not; it vaunteth not itself: is not puffed up.' So meekly and humbly did he order his life and conversation that if he had an enemy I am ignorant of it, and certain I am he deserved none; and where more appropriate than the place in which I stand to acknowledge his disinterested munificence? This Church, like most other Episcopal Churches in our country, passed through a season of great depression. When her friends were few and her extinction seemed inevitable, he came forward and added to his almost gratuitous services pecuniary aid far beyond, we presume, the measure of his ability, and that too, when the expectation of remuneration seemed well-nigh pre- cluded. To the tale of affliction he was credulous even to infantile simplicity; and who ever sought his charity in vain?"
152
IMMANUEL CHURCH,
The first movement towards a rectory in the town, which continued with more or less vigor until its con- summation sixty years after, was inade on Dec. 4, 1826, at a ineeting called for the purpose of taking into con- sideration the propriety and expediency of purchasing a lot of ground for that purpose. The vestry resolved that such an object was desirable. They were divided upon the adoption of the resolution; five voting in favor and two against. Two lots were proposed to the vestry; one at the west corner of Orange and Harmony streets, the other at the north corner of Market and Harmony streets. The vestrymen were equally divided in their preference and the chairman being called upon for the casting vote, recommended, on account of the difference of opinion in the matter that the further consideration should be postponed, whereupon the resolution just passed, as to the propriety and expediency of the enter- prise, was rescinded.
At a meeting of the vestry, August 15, 1827, a committee was appointed "to make report of a suitable site for a Parsonage House." It is not known what the report of this committee was, as there are no minutes of the vestry in the parish record for the next four years.
The Sunday school of Immanuel Church was insti- tuted probably during the year 1826, as in a resolution passed by the vestry in April 1827, appropriating money to the Sunday school it is referred to as "lately instituted."
At a meeting of the vestry on August 15, 1827, a resolution was passed to pave a footway along the church- yard wall on Market street. In the preamble they recite that the commissioners of the town of New Castle are improving Market street and therefore the paving became necessary.
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
The following vestry record gives the history of the purchase of the first organ for the church. "At a meeting of the subscribers towards purchasing an organ for Immanuel Church convened on the evening of October 9, A. D., 1827, on motion, Jeremiah Bowman was called to the chair and Evan H. Thomas appointed secretary. On motion,
Resolved, That a committee of two viz: James Booth, Jr. and Thomas W. Rogers' proceed to the city of Philadelphia, and contract for a suitable organ, for said church, at a price of about six hundred dollars." At an adjourned meeting the committee reported that "they had entered into a contract with Mr. James Hall, organ builder, for a suitable organ and the cost thereof - dollars." The organ having been completed was placed in the east end of the church, in a gallery erected for the purpose, and was first used as an accompani- ment to the solemn services of the sanctuary on Christ- mas Day, Anno Dom., 1827."
Another monument to the zeal and activity in good works in the parish during the incumbency of Mr. Presstman, was the erection of the Sunday school build- ing. The edifice was built during the year 1839, at an expense of twelve hundred dollars, "for Sunday Schools, Parish Library and Weekly Evening Lectures."
At the Easter meeting, 1840, the vestry resolved "That half past ten o'clock shall be the time of morn- ing service throughout the year, provided the Presby- terian congregation shall agree hereto, and that the Secre- tary shall communicate this resolution to the Reverend Mr. Decker," (the Presbyterian minister,) which shows that the good feeling between the two congrega- tions, heretofore referred to, still continued. The change
I54
IMMANUEL CHURCH,
of hour of service was not effected at that time, presum- ably on account of the Presbyterian congregation not agreeing to it, as on September 12th, the hour was fixed at half past ten, and the Secretary directed to communi- cate the resolution of change "to the several religious. societies of the town and request their concurrence."
During the summer of 1843, Mr. John Janvier and Mr. Howell J. Terry caused to be erected at their expense, the granite piers, steps and iron gate at the entrance to the churchyard on Market street.
After a severe illness of two weeks the Rev. Mr. Presstman died on September 1, 1843. His remains were interred with much solemnity in the main aisle of the Church near the chancel. The congregation placed a marble slab over the grave and a memorial tablet on the wall. The slab bears this inscription: "Here rests the remains of the Kev. Stephen Wilson Presstman. He was born October I, A. D. 1791. On the 12th of October, 1823, he was invited to the rectorship of this Parish. On the 19th of April, 1824, he entered on his duties, and continued in the faithful discharge of them until the Ist of September, 1843, when he died, lamented by all who knew him." The tablet has this:
"Erected
By the congregation of Immanuel, in memory of the Rev. Stephen Wilson Presstman, late Rector of this Parish, who died the Ist of Sep- tember, A. D. 1843.
He was earnest in zeal, Faithful in works and pure in faith;
In manners mild and courteous; In mind, calm, clear and thoughtful; In heart, benevolent and true. May his example ever dwell In this the place of his labours, And teach to all succeeding generations The holy lesson of a Christian life ."
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
A sketch of Mr. Presstman's life is given in Sprague's Annals of the American Pulpit.
There is also a very interesting sketch of Mr Presst- man's life, which was written by Rev. John Coleman, D. D., father of Bishop Coleman, and published in No. 40, Vol. 5, of the "Banner of the Cross."
In early life Mr. Presstman was a soldier and dis- tinguished himself in the war of 1812. He was ordained priest by Bishop Moore, of Virginia, June 15, 1823, so that most of his clerical life was passed at New Castle. He was of a singularly amiable disposition, and it is said that there was not a inember of the congregation who was not an ardent friend. In the councils of the Church in the diocese, he occupied a leading position. His biographer in "Sprague's Annals" says: "His sermons were always listened to with interest and profit by the highly intelligent congregation to whom they were addressed." And indeed it was a "highly intelli- gent congregation" that he ministered to. This is well shown by the character of men who composed the vestry at the time. We may select six who would have given prominence to any public body. Of these, Kensey Johns was Chancellor of the State; James Booth, Chief Jus- tice; James Rogers, recently Attorney General; Thomas Stockton, soon after, Governor; George B. Rodney, Member of Congress, and William T. Read, Member of the Bar. That might be called the "Golden Age" of New Castle; wealth, refinement and intelligence charac- terized a great part of the population, and of this Immanuel congregation was largely composed. It is, therefore, not surprising that this should have been, as it was, a parish which commanded the best talent in the clergy of the Church.
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
CHAPTER X. 1843-1890.
Bishop Lee invited to become Rector. Rev. Geo. W. Freeman called and accepts. Elected Missionary Bishop of the Southwest and resigns the Parish. Rev. Thomas F. Billopp accepts Rector- ship. Repairs. Benefactions of John Janvier. Repairs and Alterations in 1850. M>. Billopp resigns. Rev. Benj. Franklin, Rector. New Bell. New Organ. Alterations and Repairs in 1860. Rev. Thomas M. Martin, Assistant Rector. Mr. Franklin resigns. Rev. Richard Whittingham, Rector. Parochial School desired. Mr. Whittingham resigns. Receiv- ing Vault. Rev. Chas. S. Spencer, Rector. Donation of Lot by James M. Johns. Chapel built. New Cemetery. Mr. Spencer resigns. Deaths of prominent Supporters of the Church. Rev. P. B. Lightner, Rector. New Rectory. Bi-Centennial. Con- s. cration of New Cemetery. Mission.
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