USA > Delaware > New Castle County > New Castle > Sketch of early ecclesiastical affairs in New Castle, Delaware, and history of Immanuel Church > Part 6
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own wants, we humbly beg your assistance who hath been hertofore so kind to us.
Upon the performance of this our humble request we shall look upon ourselves bound to do our utmost for such a person, and shall as in duty bound ever remain,
Your Honor's most obliged, humble Serv'ts,
Richard Halliwell, Sam: Lowinan Win Tonge, Jos : Wood Jno, & Edwd Jennings, Win Genest."
In response to this appeal of the vestry, Rev. Rob- ert Sinclare was sent as Missionary to New Castle, and at his coming the church records which are still pre- served began as follows :
" Church book for Emanuel Church of New Castle upon Delaware begun the twenty-sixth day of July in the ninth year of our Gracious Sovereign Lady Ann Queen of Great Britain &c Anno dom 1710, upon which day arrived Mr. Robert Saint Clare with his cre- dentials from the Right Reverend Father in God, Henry Lord Bishop of London to be the minister of Emanuell Church at New Castle above sd, which cre- dentials were presented to the members of the said Church, & being Read were Received and accepted by them with all due Respect and Satisfaction. The
members of the said Church being gathered in the said Church (it was proposed) by the Reverend Mr. St. Clare, that for our more regular procedure in ecclesiastical affaires there should be a vestry chosen with Church Wardens for the due management thereof. Resolved that upon the seventh day of August, the Members of the said
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Church do meet for that purpose, who met accordingly and first proceeded to the electing of Church Wardens, one whereof was elected by the minister, the other by the members there inet : who was Mr. Richard Halliwell in the town of New Castle and Mr. James Robinson in the country. Then proceeded to elect the Gentlemen of the vestry and with the unanimous con- sent of the minister and members of the said Church there present, were chosen the Honorable Coll Charles Gookin, Esq., Lieutenant Governor of Pensilvania, &c.
Samuel Lowman Esq
Joseph Wood
William Tonge
Richard Clarke Thomas Ogle
John Cann
Who after the said election agreed that a letter of thanks be sent home to his Lordship the Bishop of London for his fatherly care of us in sending the Rev- erend Mr. St. Clare to be our Minister. Ordered that Mr. Wood and Mr. Tonge should draw the said letter which was done accordingly and signed by the Gentle- men of the vestry and sent home."
Lieut. Gov. Gookin who was elected one of the vestrymen not only did not co-operate with the vestry but seemed to bear himself in opposition to the church as is shown in a communication by the vestry to the Bishop of London dated Dec. 6, 1710, in which they have much fault to find with the conduct of the Lieut. Gov., as follows :
"Right Reverend Father in God.
We the vestry and church wardens of Emanuell Church in the town of New Castle on Delaware, being
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
truly sensible of your Lordship's fatherly care in various considerable instances, and on all opportunities inani- fested towards us, now humbly intreat your Lordship's favorable acceptance of our repeated thanks, and crave leave to express our dependence on your Lordship's favor for our churches further growth, peace, and support, and we do particularly at this juncture submissively implore your Lordship's patience with us, while we lay before you those difficulties and disadvantages we for some time have and still do labor under by reason of the late and present disregard of our new Lieutenant Governor, which has been, and now is to the sad discouragement of the few members of our Church, and to the encouragement if not support of the dissenting Presbyterian interest, whose conventicle he so far countenanceth as to build a pew therein to which he hath resorted, and they under his Honor's umbrage use the common bell of our town according to their own convenience, many times inter- vening with those stated times appointed by our minis- ter the Reverend Mr. St. Clare, for our public assembling to Divine worship. Moreover, not to insist on his Hon- or's refusal to subscribe anything to the encouragement of our ininister tho' humbly requested thereto by somne of us, his Honor hath been very lately pleased to disown our Vestry and discourage their sitting to consort what might be for the advantage of our Church, merely be- cause such persons as his Hon. was pleased to nominate for vestrymen were not chosen, so that our proposed measures are not likely to have that good effect that might be expected. Yet, furthermore, we humbly lay before your Lordship our deplorable want of encourage- ment for the education of our children in this town
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where there are sundry inhabitants and children, but what, by reason of our lamentable divisions and the poverty of many, no one master that is cappable of being truly serviceable in good literature, will come or stay amongst us whereas were there an additionall advantage of a certain stipend from England, we should forthwith be provided. Wherefore we earnestly solicit your Lord- ship's influence on the Honorable Society for a certain anuall salary to such a person as we shall find proper for
that service Thus may it please your Lordship, having laid before you our too unhappy difficulties in hopes by your Lordship's means to have them in due time re- moved & to receive from your Lordship such further in- junctions and spiritual advice as your Lordship in your fatherly wisdom and concern for us, shall think meet & necessary for us, and most heartily wishing & earnestly praying for your Lordship's health & happiness, we humbly subscribe ourselves to be as in duty bound your Lordship's inost obedient very humble servants,
Robert Sinclare, Ministr, Richard Halliwell, Richard Clark, Joseph Wood, Samuel Lowman, James Robinson, Thomas Ogle, John Cann."
A note on the margin of the address says "which sd bell formerly belonged to ye Dutch whilst they had the government, and upon the surrendering of the latter to his Majesty King Charles was delivered to the English and ordered for the use of our Church by ye Hon'ble Coll. Evans, our late Governor, which we beg may be continued to us, the right of it as we humbly suppose being in her Majesty."
The four letters given next, three of them to. 6
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
the Society, and one to the Bishop of London, are the only letters written by Mr. Sinclare during his residence at New Castle, which are found among the records of the London Society.
Mr. Sinclare to the Secretary.
"New Castle on Delaware, 7th Dec. 1710.
Honorable Sir :
When I wrote to you last, as I then acquainted, I was very much indisposed and continued so for some time after, so that I was not capable of exercising my sacred function ; but when through mercy was recover- ed, I soon to my grief found a deplorable breach among those that formerly were well wishers to our church, caused by the Reverend George Ross, his leaving them, and other measures he has since taken.
Besides the Dissenting Interest is manifestly en- couraged here, as is more fully by our vestry inade ap- parent by their letter to my Lord of London.
However, in this lamentable posture of affairs, with respect to our church, as in duty bound, I have been as active as I could, through God's assistance, to retrieve our reputation and heal our breaches ; and blessed be ·God, with some comfortable success, and am in hopes ere long I shall be able to render a more satisfactory account of our church's recovery out of her (for some- time) languishing condition.
I shall readily on all occasions maintain a free cor- respondence with the Honorable Society, and that the Almighty may reward yours and the rest of its worthy members' pious endeavors for the propagation of the
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
Gospel in these our (as well as other) foreign parts is the hearty constant prayer of
Honorable Sir, Yours, &c., ROB'T SINCLARE." (EXTRACT. ):
Mr. Sinclare to. the Secretary.
"New Castle on Delaware, 5th January, 1719. Worthy Sir :
As to our Society here and well wishers to the church of England the number of those that are hearty are very few, and of pretenders not many, the generality of both very poor, and of the latter sort very humour- some, so that their subscriptions are to be esteemed very precarious, and cannot suffice to the maintenance of my- self, much less support my family if transported hither. Since my short stay here I have baptized six children, and three times administered the Lord's Supper, and on Christmas day last there were 16 communicants.
Worthy Sir, Yours etc., ROB'T. SINCLARE."
Mr. Sinclare to the Bishop of London.
(EXTRACT. )
"New Castle on Delaware, 5th January, 1719. Rt. Rev'd Father in God.
May it please your Lordship,
As to the state of our church, my Lord, we still labour under considerable discouragements by the num- ber of dissenters who are too unhappily encouraged by
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our present Lt. Governor, in so much that they grow more and more assuming, especially the presbyterian party.
The people here are generally poor, and what is much worse sadly indifferent in the great concerns of Religion ; very backward in promoting the Interest of the Gospel, especially in giving due attendance on divine service on the week days, though frequently and in the most endearing manner I have, both in the house of God and their own houses, exhorted thereto, though on Sun- days there are generally about 80 or 100 that frequent our church, and since I have been here I have baptized six children, and administered the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to about 16 Communicants.
Yours &c., ROB'T. SINCLARE."
Mr. St. Clare to the Secretary.
(EXTRACT. )
"New Castle in Pennsylvania, 30th July, 1711. Honored Sir:
Since my recovery from that tedious illness, which for some time I laboured under, iny labours have been attended with visible success, notwithstanding the huge multitude of dissenters that abound amongst us. At my arrival into those parts the congregation belonging to the Church of England was but very small, and those few of Laodicean temper, so that even they lay exposed to be seduced by every wind of doctrine, which moved me to double diligence, insomuch that thro' the blessing of God accompanying my poor endeavours, our congrega- tion is wonderfully increased and stand well affected to our apostolic church.
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
Above twenty Quakers are come over to our church; besides, a great many who never professed any religion have attained to a true sense of religion and such a right apprehension of their duty as to join cordially in com- munion with us, resorting to the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, to the due partaking of which is annexed a promise of all the benefits of our Saviour's passion and resurrection. The number of communi- cants, which at my first coming did not exceed fifteen, is increased to forty odd; our church is a stately fabrick, but still in distress by reason of the poverty of the people; there is much wanting plate for the Communion Table, which we became humble Supplicants for to the Honorable Society on whose bounty the flourishing state of our infant church doth depend.
As to what Newcastle contributes to the support of their Minister is but very mean, and will not tolerably subsist my family, which obliges me to live so remote · from it and not entertain any thought of transporting them hither, which no doubt is a trouble to ine, altho' indeed, the prosperity of the Church under my inspection doth more than recompense the loss I sustain that way."
About this time the Assembly of the province of Pennsylvania passed the act permitting an affirmation in place of an oath. This law naturally excited wide · spread opposition from the people, other than Quakers, as it seemed to them to be opening a way for false testi- mony. The matter was brought before the vestry of Emanuel Church at a meeting "held at the house of John Brewster on March 23rd, 1711" when they voted nem con. that "the eccleseastick rights of the Church of England would be invaded by thesaid act." They resolv- ed to address the Bishop of London on the subject and
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
appointed a committee to prepare the address. It was reported at the same meeting and ordered to be "sent home."
"May it please your Lordship.
We your most humble suppliants and dutifull sons are necessitated to address your Lordship on behalf of our- selves and the other branchies of the Church in the Gov- erninent, on the account of a late Law made at Philadel- phia by an Assembly of the people called Quakers in- stituing an act directing an affirmation to such who for conscience sake cannot take an oath. The coppy where- of is inclosed by which your Lordship may see the in- tent and design of those mnen is to make us and all the members of the Church of England use loss in this Gov- ernment and to expose the tryall and decision of our lives & estates to be determined by the evidence of any person's yea or nay that thinks it his interest to say he cannot take an oath so that the members of the Church are put into a worse condition and must give a greater security & caution for the truth of what they say than the most profligate wretch that dissents from her, the act having no bounds to any Religious Society and not only so but those very mnen that made this act were forced to qualify themselves by the affirmation allowed to tender consciences by an act of Parliament in Eng- land."
This matter of permitting affirmation was exciting a great deal of interest and the opposition was not confined to Church of England people. Isaac Norris, the Quaker, in a letterto William Penn, dated 29th, November 1711, says : "The form of affirmation, as allowed in England, to be enacted here is not only opposed by the Church, but
.
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
disliked by some Friends." (1) William Penn had ex- pressed himself as opposed to the law for some of the reasons given above by the Vestry.
Rev. Mr. Sinclare seems to have done a good work in New Castle and the congregation largely increased while he was rector, but by reason of their poverty the people were not able to pay him a salary sufficient for the support of his family so that lie was compelled to leave them in England. It is not surprising therefore that Mr. Sinclare was not contented to remain indefi- nitely at New Castle. He returned to England early in the year 1712.
Rev. Jacob Henderson next took charge of Emanuel Church; he had been sent as Missionary to Dover, but remained there a very short time and went to New Jersey and thence to England. He bore to the London Society charges against Gov. Hunter of New York in connection with some trouble over the Chapel in the Fort at New York, for opening which, after some time of disuse, Gov .. Hunter was charged by Mr. Henderson and others with creating a schism. The schism consisted in opening a second church of England place of worship in New York, which probably drew off some of the congregation of Trinity. Gov. Hunter was entirely exculpated of any wrong in the matter. Mr. Henderson was used as a catspaw in this affair but possibly a very willing one as he appears, during his connection with the colonial churches for the rest of his life, to have been of a con- tentious disposition, and was frequently in trouble either with his superior authorities or the other clergy. Mr. Henderson was sent to New Castle by the Society not many months after the departure of Mr. Sinclare, at the
(1) The Penn and Logan correspondence Vol. 2. P 430.
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
request of the vestry who assured the Society that Mr. Henderson would be particularly acceptable to the con- gregation. The following letter from Mr. Henderson is the only one preserved which was written by him from New Castle.
Mr. Henderson to the Secretary.
"New Castle, July 26th, 1713.
Sir:
You will find by my last, and the letter from our Vestry, that I have used as much discretion as I possibly could in making my request to the Hon'ble Society for a Release from my service in this place which I hope the Hon'ble Society will grant ine as soon as may be, by appointing another to succeed mne as soon as may be. I cannot in conscience leave it, till I have their answer because it is a Town in which there is a large Presby- terian Meeting House, whose Minister would make great advantage of such a vacancy, and therefore as I have joined with our Vestry in praying the Hon'ble Society to appoint Mr. Ross to succeed me, so I renew my request here that the Hon'ble Society would agree to it. He perfectly understands the controversy between them and our Church, and has a considerable stock of
prudence to manage it. I hope the great desire our con- gregation have for him will be a good argument to per- suade that most worthy Society to Grant this request, which, if granted, it will be very necessary that the same allowance be given him that the Hon'ble Society con- ferred on ine, viz. : Seventy pounds per annuni; else he will be in a worse condition by far than he is in at pres- ent at Chester, for it is much more expensive living here than there. I hope, Sir, you will communicate this to the Hon'ble Society, with my resolution of remaining here
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
till they send another. I only desire that iny salary be continued during the time of my abode liere, and do not plead for the benefit of that standing order that says, every Missionary that obtains leave from the Hon'ble Society to remove, shall be allowed a year's salary from the time of such Liberty obtained from that Board. I refer all other affairs to Mr. Evans, who is going home, and who can fully inform the Hon'ble Society all mat- ters relating to these parts, and am, with great respect,
Sir, your very humble servant,
JACOB HENDERSON."
Mr. Henderson remained in charge of Emanuel Church until he was relieved by the return of Rev. George Ross in August 1714, when he was appointed to a Church in Maryland and remained in that province until his death, and became very prominent in the Church. For many years he was Commissary for the Bishop of London on the Western Shore. His unfortu- nate disposition got him into trouble, first with Governor Hart and afterwards, more than once, with the Clergy. The records of the London Society contain frequent mention of him, and many interesting incidents of his life in Maryland are told in Dr. Hawks P. E. Church Contributions, Vol. 2.
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IMMANUEL CHURCH,
CHAPTER VI. 1714-1733.
Mr. Ross returns. Repairs to Church. Building Pews, &c. Richard Halliwell gives the Glebe. Letter from Mr. Ross to the Society- asking for Books. Letter from the People of St. James' Church presenting their Grievances. Five interesting Letters from Mr. Ross.
The Rev. George Ross as appears by the Minutes of the Vestry, returned to New Castle August 29, 1714. The first meeting of the Vestry after the return of Mr. Ross is recorded as follows:
"At a meeting of the vestry of the Church at New Castle the 26th October 1714, being the first vestry after Mr. Ross' move from Chester to New Castle.
Present Richard Hallywell, James Robison, Church Wardens; Jasper Yeates, Joseph Wood, Gunning Bed -. ford, John Land, John Ogle, Richard Clarke, Vestrymnen.
A Letter from the Secretary to the Hon'ble Society for Propagation of the Gospel &c. directed to the Reverend Mr. George Ross, was produced and laid be- fore the vestry by which letter it appeared to them that the Society were pleased to appoint the said Mr. Rosse to serve the cure at New Castle, as their Missionary, with the Salary of twenty pounds per annum, which ap- pointment being well liked of, by the vestry, they unanimously agreed for the futher encouragement of the said Mr. Ross, their minister, that he should be eas'd of the burden of house rent, during his Ministry among.
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
them, and that if the subscription for his support should exceed the sum of 40g, the overplus shall be appro- priated for the payment of his house rent. T'was further agreed that in case the said overplus should prove too in- considerable to defray the said charge then the said rent shall be paid out of the collections at the Sacrament, & the church door." During Mr. Ross' absence he made a visit to England and on his voyage back to America, was taken prisoner by a French man-of-war, on Feb- ruary 11, 1711, and carried into Brest, where, he says, 'I, as well as others, was stripped of all my clothes from the crown of my head to the sole of iny foot : in a word I was left as naked as when I was born, and that by means of the greedy priest who was Chaplain of the ship. He perceived that iny clothes were better than his own, and therefore he never ceased to importune his captain till he got leave to change, forsooth, with ine, so that I am now clothed with rags, in testimony of my bond- age." He was held but a short time in that "bondage."
On 18th April, 1715 the Vestry resolved to have two porches built for the support of the walls of the Church, and at the same meeting it was "agreed that a Gallery in the Church is much wanted and that proper methods be thought of for building the same, as soon as the business of the porches (which seem absolutely necessary for maintaining and upholding the very fabrick of the Church) is come to dne perfection and the charges of rearing them are cleared and paid." These resolves were not carried into effect until the year 1724, when in addition to the support for the wall, a gallery was built in the west end of the Church. The walls of the Church must have been in a very unsafe condition before they were repaired as the Clergy of Pennsylvania in a com- munication to the Society on Oct. 24, 1723, say, "The
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house of God in that place (New Castle) through the un- skillfulness or carelessness of the first builders was nigh coming to the ground, but now is in a way of being thoroughly repaired by the vigilance of the incumbent, and will prove fairer and more commodious than hereto- fore it hath been." The pews were originally built by their holders and not by the builders of the Church. In the Minutes of the Vestry there are frequent references to this matter. For an instance, on August 18, 1715, there is this record: "It being signified to the Vestry that Peter Hans, John Welsh, John Earle, Jeremiah Larkins, Peter and Gabriel Johnston requested of them the liberty of building pews in that vacant ground, be- tween the pews already built, and the west end of the Church. Agreed that Peter Hans and John Welsh be allowed ground for building one pew between them and that, to the same purpose and effect, the same quantity of ground be granted in the said vacant space to the two Johnstons, etc. "
After the pews were built a rent was paid for them yearly, but they were only controlled by the Vestry when they were abandoned or forfeited by the holders. In short the holders were regarded as own- ing them, under certain conditions. Emanuel Church suffered a great loss by the death of Richard Halliwell. in December 1719. Mr. Halliwell who was a iner- chant, had been a leading spirit in the Church from the time it was built and probably from its found- ing in 1689. Always among the foremost where work was to be done or inoney raised, he was one of those wheel horses who are found in all undertakings and upon whom so much always depends. By his will, from which extracts are given below, it will be seen that he devised a farın for the use of the minister for the time being, besides cancelling a debt due him from the
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NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.
Church. The farm is the present Glebe of the Church, which has been in times past, and will continue to be, a great aid in the support of the Church. "In the name of God Amen. I, Richard Halliwell, of the County of New Castle upon Delaware, Merchant, being of sound and perfect sense and memory, but knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye, and considering how frail and uncertain human nature is, doe make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form fol- lowing (viz): Imprimis, first and principally I bequeath my soul unto the hands of Almighty God who gave it, hoping through the merits of my Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus to obtain full pardon and remission for all my sins, and as to what worldly substance it hath pleased God to Bless me with here on earth: I give and bequeath as followeth: Item: I give and bequeath unto Emmanuel Church standing upon the Green in the Town of New Castle the sum of sixty pounds, it being due to me therefrom (over and above my subscriptions) toward the building thereof. Item: I also Give and Bequeath all my marsh and plantation, scituate near the Broad Dyke in the Town of New Castle afs'd., containing and laid out for sixty-seven acres of land and marsh, together with all the houses, orchards and other improvements there- unto belonging to the proper use and behoof of the min- ister that from time to time shall serve the said Emanuel Church forever. Item: I Give and Bequeath the Pall which I bought to cover my corps to the use of Emanuel Church, as the Minister and Church Wardens shall think fit." Dated Dec. 4, 1716. Proved Dec. 17, 1719. John Moore and Rev. Geo. Ross were made Executors of the will.
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