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Presbyterianism in Perth amboy Krem Jersey
GENEALOGY 974.902 P43me
1
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02852 9110
GENEALOGY 974.902 P43me
7148
NJ
40-
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Photograph by W. R. Tobias.
ERECTED 1903.
PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY
BY
HARLAN G. MENDENHALL.
THE PERTH AMBOY PUBLISHING COMPANY PERTH AMBOY, N. J. 1903
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
COPYRIGHT 1903 BY HARLAN G. MENDENHALL.
TO
THE MEMBERS OF
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PERTH AMBOY, N. J., WHOSE
HARMONY, ZEAL AND CONSECRATION
HAVE MADE POSSIBLE OUR NEW SANCTUARY, THIS VOLUME
IS
DEDICATED.
Authorities consulted in the preparation of this book: Wodrow's History of the Suffer- ings of the Church of Scotland, Whitehead's Contributions to the Early History of Perth Amboy, Smith's The Thirteen Colonies (G. P. Putnam's Sons, Publishers), Webster's History of the Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian His- torical Almanac, and the Presbyterian Histor- ical Society.
The photographs of buildings, when not otherwise credited, were taken by Edward W. Barnes; we are also indebted to W. R. Tobias for courtesies of a similar kind.
,
CONTENTS.
NO OF PAGE
CHAPTER I .- BEGINNINGS .
I
CHAPTER II .- THE FOUNDATION . 8
CHAPTER III .- MANY CHANGES 14
CHAPTER IV .- DIFFERENCES 23
CHAPTER V .- A LONG PASTORATE 26
CHAPTER VI .- GROWTH 31
CHAPTER VII .- EXPANSION 35
CHAPTER VIII .- ARISE AND BUILD 45
ADDENDA 57
A +D + 1802
THE OLD CORNERSTONE.
CHAPTER I.
BEGINNINGS.
7
HE disintegration of Cromwell's Commonwealth and the restoration of the Stuarts, in the person of Charles II., to the throne, not only destroyed religious liberty, but inaugurated bitter persecution against the Independents of England and the Presbyterians of Scotland. But the blood which reddened the soil of Great Britain germinated the seed of a larger hope in dis- tant lands. The intolerance of a state church made possible the political freedom of a republic; and the men and women who, more than two centuries ago, sailed across the Atlantic for con- science sake, had heard God's voice as Abram heard it,-Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.
The state of New Jersey, with other sections of our country, profited by these emigrations, and in the middle of the seven- teenth century the Puritans had established settlements between the Passaic and Raritan rivers; while still farther to the south, with Shrewsbury as the chief town, the Friends had colonized. Under the wise and beneficent government of the two proprietors, Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley, who guaranteed religious protection, established political equality and offered special land inducements, the population rapidly increased.
In 1679 that part of the state known as East Jersey was, on the death of Sir George Carteret, then the sole proprietor, pur- chased by an association of twelve men; two years later the num- ber was increased by the addition of twelve more members, who in their religious views were largely Presbyterian and Quaker.
.
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PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY.
Among these proprietors were James, Earl of Perth; Robert Barclay, Robert Gordon, William Penn and Gawen Lawrie. These purchasers not only had in view the securing of an asylum for the persecuted of their sects, but they also desired to increase their income by the development of their investment. To this end it was necessary to found a city which should outdistance New York and at the same time be the capital of the growing colony.
The proprietors selected Amboy Point as in every way suit- able for this purpose and named it Perth, after the leading mem- ber of the association. The first governor of the province was Philip Carteret. In 1681 Robert Barclay succeeded him, with Thomas Rudyard as his deputy, both Friends. The second deputy governor was Gawen Lawrie, a Scotchman. Under his enthusiasm and influence the new city on the Raritan was born and his inauguration saw it as the metropolis of the New World. Indeed, in one of his letters to his associates he wrote:
"Now is the time to send over people for settling here. The Scots and William Dockwra's people, coming now and set- tling, advance the Province more than it hath been advanced these ten years. Here wants nothing but people."
In the meantime, while these plans were being carried for- ward, unlooked-for events in England were shaping the destinies of America. James II became king, and persecutions, increasing in their fury, made life and liberty impossible to the Presby- terians. New settlers sought these shores, not willingly, but to escape torture and death. Among the number was Lord Neill Campbell, whose life was threatened and whose brother, the Marquis of Argyle, had been beheaded. He brought with him more than fifty persons, and on his arrival was appointed deputy governor. "Rich men came over to occupy their own estates with large families, servants and tenants. Poor men joined the stream to take up the new life on any terms they could make."*
On September 5, 1685, a body of refugees set sail from Leith, Scotland, whose heroism, loyalty to truth and lofty purpose are
*Smith's The Thirteen Colonies.
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BEGINNINGS.
equaled only by that Puritan expedition which sixty-five years earlier consecrated Plymouth Rock to God and freedom. George Scot, laird of Pitlochie, had charge of the company of almost two hundred souls. Within ten years he had been thrice imprisoned and fined for attending services of the proscribed faith. He was finally released on condition that he "go to the plantations." Many of his friends sought release from the same intolerable bur- dens and in the same way. Others were ordered "to be trans- ported to his Majesty's plantations in East New Jersey in the ship lying in the road of Leith, now bounding thither. At Leith these were re-examined by counsel; some recanted and took an oath to James; others very weakly had friends intercede and got off upon a bond. The rest were perpetually banished to America."*
Before the ship sailed the following protest was signed by those who were compelled to leave their native land:
" That now being to leave their own native and covenanted land, by an unjust sentence of banishment, for owning truth and holding by duty, and studying to keep by their covenanted en- gagements and baptismal vows, whereby they stand obliged to resist, and testify against all that is contrary to the word of God and their covenants; and that their sentence of banishment ran chiefly because they refused the oath of allegiance, which in con- science they could not take, because in so doing, they thought they utterly declined the Lord Jesus Christ from having any power in his own house, and practically would, by taking it, say he was not King and head of his church and over their con- sciences; and, on the contrary, this was to take and put in his room a man whose breath is in his nostrils, yea, a man that is a sworn enemy to religion, an avowed papist, whom by our cove- nant we are bound to withstand and disown, and that agreeably to the Scripture, Deut. 17: 14, 15."
The vessel was small, three hundred and fifty tons, and the voyage was tempestuous throughout. The ship sprung a leak and was in danger of sinking; the sails were rent and the small boats lost. "After they had turned the land end the fever began to rage in the ship. Not a few were sick when they came aboard,
*Wodrow. The Church of Scotland.
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PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY.
and no wonder, considering the barbarous treatment they had met with; besides much of the flesh which the captain of the ship had provided for the prisoners began to stink before they sailed out of Leith road, and in a few days it was not eatable. In a month's time the fever turned malignant, and a few or none in the ship escaped it, insomuch that it was usual to cast overboard three or four dead bodies in one day. Most of the ship's crew, except the captain and boatswain, died. Pitlochie and his excel- lent lady died likewise; and near seventy persons died at sea. Notwithstanding of this raging sickness and great death much severity was used toward the prisoners at sea by the master of the ship and others; those under deck were not allowed to go about worship by themselves, and when they assayed it the cap- tain would throw down great planks of timber upon them to dis- turb them, and sometimes to the danger of their lives."*
With the death of Scot the captain sought to influence the company to sail to Virginia, and while the matter was being dis- cussed heavy winds turned the vessel toward the Jersey coast, and, passing Sandy Hook, the "Henry and Francis" dropped anchor in Raritan bay. It was a bleak December day; snow was on the ground; but when this wan and wasted company of pil- grims set foot on shore they sang a hymn of praise to God, and Rev. David Simson, the ship's chaplain, led them in a prayer of thanksgiving.
The accommodations in the city were not sufficient for so many persons, and while a few remained as permanent residents, many settled in Woodbridge, New York and New England. Among these emigrants were Walter Ker, who was one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church at Freehold, and David Jamison, who aided in the formation of the First Presbyterian Church of New York City. Thus New Jersey became "the cradle of Presbyterianism in America."
David Simson remained as the pastor of the little flock and died here. He was the first minister, so far as is now known, who held religious services in Perth Amboy. This was two hun-
*Wodrow. The Church of Scotland.
-
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BEGINNINGS.
dred and seventeen years ago. Another colony was brought over in the ship "Caledonia," which landed its passengers in 1715 and was soon after wrecked. Some of these emigrants are repre- sented in the Crowells and Harriotts of our city.
Just when a church organization was completed, if at all, is not known, but that one was early contemplated is evident from the following record, which is found in the minutes of the Synod of Philadelphia:
September 17, 1724. The overture of the committee, with reference to a supplication from some of the inhabitants of Perth Amboy, desiring sermons sometimes, being referred to the Pres- bytery of Philadelphia, was approved by the Synod, and Mr. Anderson was appointed to write a letter to them and bring it in to-morrow morning.
September 18. Morning session. A letter to be sent to Perth Amboy brought in and approved.
The "Mr. Anderson " mentioned in this minute was Rev. James Anderson, the first settled Presbyterian pastor in New York City, where he had gone in 1717. The next important item is found in the records of the Eastern Proprietors, when on July 22, 1731, the following petition was presented:
The humble petition of some of the inhabitants of some of the city of Perth Amboy humbly petitioneth-
To the Hon. Council of Proprietors now sitting in Perth Amboy:
WHEREAS several of your petitioners have in the old Burial place, so called, our parents, wives and children interred, we, your petitioners, humbly beg that your honorable house would take into consideration and grant us a right of that piece of ground, that we may have a right to erect a meeting-house for the worship of God, and likewise for a Burial place; and that it may be your Honorable Council's order that the said piece of ground may be dedicated to the said use and no other, and your humble petitioners will forever pray.
JOHN MATTHIE, WM. THOMPSON, THOMAS INGLIS,
JOHN GASCHRIE,
THOMAS LOGGANS, JAMES LEIGH,
JOHN MOORE, JOHN HERRIOTT,
JOHN THOMPSON, SAMUEL MOORES,
ALEXANDER CARNES.
ยท Which petition being taken into consideration by this Board, they are of opinion that the said piece of land do remain as for-
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PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY.
merly intended for a public Burial place for the inhabitants of this city. But that the petitioners have liberty to erect and build a meeting-house on the southeast corner of the same, and this Board do hereby lease, as far as in them lies, unto the said Peti- tioners, so much of the said piece of land, in the said southeast corner, as shall be necessary for that purpose, not exceeding one chain square, for the term of one thousand years.
The " old Burial place " occupied the ground where the High School building now stands, and for many years was called the "Presbyterian burying ground." The above petition having been granted, a building was erected thereon in 1735, the dedi- cation sermon being preached by Rev. Gilbert Tennant, pastor at New Brunswick. In 1740 the congregation united with Basking Ridge and Staten Island, Rev. John Cross being the minister. At his suggestion George Whitfield visited the city and held ser- vices in the City Hall, which was always crowded, and the suc- cess which attended his services elsewhere was seen here. He said of Mr. Cross: " He is a dear soul, and one that the Lord de- lights to honor." At this time Governor Morris wrote to. the Duke of New Castle: "Perth Amboy is a poor, inconsiderable place, and there is little probability of its being much better."
On August 2, 1742, a petition was presented to the presby- tery of New Brunswick for the services of Rev. Charles McNight, but this he declined. In 1761 Rev. Elihu Spencer supplied Mid- dletown, Shrewsbury and Amboy. In October, 1762, he was directed to spend one-fourth of his time at the latter place. Mr. Spencer was a man of great weight in the public and ecclesiastical affairs of the colonies. Webster says of him in his History of the Presbyterian Church in America: "What must Spencer have been! Loved by Brainerd and Edwards in his youth; the suc- cessor of Dickinson and Rogers in his pastoral work; selected by the governors of two colonies as chaplain to the forces on im- portant expeditions; intrusted by the synod with momentous re- sponsibilities among the new settlers in Carolina; and performing these duties so well that, at the lapse of ten years, the Provincial Congress called him from his distant home to allay the conscien- tious scruples deterring the Scots from throwing off their alle- giance to Britain."
7
BEGINNINGS.
In 1764 the church building became so dilapidated as to be- come dangerous, and a petition was presented to the assembly asking permission to hold a lottery for the purpose of raising money to repair it. The request was refused. During the war of the Revolution it was used as a stable by British cavalrymen, and about 1785 it disappeared.
It may not be out of place to state that in 1771 the Presby- terians of the province of New Jersey, through their clergymen, presented a petition to the council for the incorporation of a so- ciety "for the better support and education of the widows and children of deceased Presbyterian ministers." Governor Frank- lin, in writing to England concerning it, objected to it on the ground that the Presbyterians should not be granted "any other privileges than they are entitled to by the laws of toleration;" and that "a similar fund had been used in Pennsylvania in order to propagate and support the Presbyterian religion among the new settlers in different parts of the continent of North America." The council finally granted the request on condition that instead of clergy the words minister or teacher should be said. "The King," writes the attorney general, "can not know nor with propriety call any men clergymen but those of the established Church of England, at least in England, Ireland and these col- onies. In acts of Parliament the ministers of dissenting congre- gations are stiled ministers and teachers, never clergymen. I dare say they have not the same stile with the clergy of the es- tablished church."
During the Revolutionary struggle the life of our church was severely tried, and at its close and for many years thereafter services were held occasionally either in private houses or the court house, which was located where the present City Hall stands.
8
PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY.
CHAPTER II.
THE FOUNDATION.
7
HE opening of the next century found the Presbyterians de-
sirous of uniting in a permanent organization. Many new settlers who had taken up their residence in the city were without a church home of their own faith. Although the population only numbered seven hundred souls and the ambition of the founders had become a memory, this did not discourage those who believed in the perseverance of the saints from rebuilding the walls of their beloved Jerusalem. Captain John Angus was the energetic citi- zen who breathed life into this movement. He called a meeting of those who had faith in the project, which was held on the first of October, 1801, and this was the result:
At a Meeting of the Subscribers for Building a Presbyterian Church in the City of Perth Amboy, the Sum Subscribed Amount- ing to more then Limetted on the Subscription paper, Agreeable to public Advertising, The following Gentlemen were Unanimously Chosen, as Managers for Receiving Subscriptions and Carrying on the Building.
JOHN ANGUS, DAVID WAIT, JAMES HARRIOTT.
By Order of the Meeting. DAVID WAIT, Clk.
Captain Angus appeared before the Presbytery of New York, then in session at Woodbridge, Oct. 8, stated the case and the following action was taken:
Captain John Angus, from the City of Perth Amboy, applied to the Presbytery of New York in behalf of an association of Gentlemen of that City who have it in view to build a place of worship and to form a Presbyterian Congregation for Such aid as the Presbytery can afford them in accomplishing their object.
Whereupon the Presbytery taking into Consideration the once promising State of the City of Perth Amboy that there was
9
THE FOUNDATION.
formerly a Presbyterian Congregation and place of worship in it, and its present destitute Situation with Respect to the institutions and ordinances of Religion, desiring of testifying their approba- tion of the commendable zeal and activity of Captain Angus and the other Gentlemen engaged in this business, and hoping that their endeavors may be Crowned with Success, agreed to express their approbation of the Measure and to Recommend it to the Attention of all Christian and charitably disposed people, as likely to have an happy influence upon the Interests of said City and neighborhood both in Religious and civil point of view.
Signed by order in Presbytery at Woodbridge, Oct. 8, 1801. HENRY COOK, Moderator.
Among the subscribers to this fund were Stephen Girard, John Quincy Adams, Elias Boudinot, Lewis Claflin, Abraham Varick, Alexander Stewart, General Ebenezer Stevens and Peter Schermerhorn. Of this fund Philadelphia contributed $1,342, New York City $1,058, Elizabethtown $188, and Newport and Providence, R. I., $52. General Stevens gave the pulpit Bible still in our possession, on which are printed the following words:
THE GIFT OF GEN. EBENEZER STEVENS, OF NEW YORK, TO THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT PERTH AMBOY, SEPT. 21, 1802.
Captain Angus donated the lot which is in part the site of the present edifice, and in May, 1802, the foundation of the build- ing, which was used until last year, was laid. The church, sixty feet by thirty-six, was most commodious at that time and had the largest auditorium in the city. Finished in a neat and handsome style, it was opened for public worship on Thursday, June 9, 1803, the dedication sermon being preached by Rev. Samuel Stanhope Smith, D. D., president of Princeton College, from the text, 2 Timothy II: 8 .: Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead.
Captain John Angus, who did so much to promote this present organization, was a Scotchman by birth and derived his military title from service in the war of the Revolution. He was
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ERECTED IN 1803. Photographed from Whitehead's History of Perth Amboy. By Tobias.
II
THE FOUNDATION.
a tall, broad-shouldered man, living in a house which is now No. 24 Smith street. Newspapers were rare a century ago, and very few were found in the city. It is said of the good captain, who was a subscriber, that as soon as his paper was received he ap- peared with it on the street and, gathering a group of eager lis- teners, read the news of the day. He died January 10, 1817, and lies buried in our cemetery.
David Wait, who, with Captain Angus and John Lewis, con- stituted the first session and the first board of trustees, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1754. He ran away from his native land to escape service in the army, but the troublous times in America aroused his sympathy and he enlisted in the Continental army. He was captured by the British forces and incarcerated in the Barracks. When peace was declared he became a resident in the city and his descendants are now on the rolls of our church. He died 1810. John Lewis was a carpenter. He died 1815. General James Harriott took an active interest in the organization and did much to bring it about. He united on profession of his faith March 29, 1804. He was an early trustee and in 1814 became an elder. Being a builder, he erected the church and also the manse. He early displayed a fondness for military tactics, and was called captain in 1800. He was a general in the war of 1812. He identified himself with the city's interests and was postmaster in 1830. The postoffice was in his residence, which is the building at 130 Rector street. Here he died November 13, 1848.
In January, 1802, a congregational meeting was held for the election of a pastor, and Rev. Elias Riggs, a licentiate of the presbytery of New York, was chosen. Mr. Riggs was born at Mendham, N. J., April 1, 1770, and graduated at Princeton Col- lege in 1795, where he remained as tutor for one year. He studied theology privately, was married in 1801 to Mrs. Margaret Condar, widow of Daniel Hudson, of Newark, and removed to Perth Amboy in 1803, where he began his labors on Sunday, March 7. The next day he opened an academy, for he was to be a teacher as well as preacher, and in this building Sabbath ser- vices were held until the church was completed. He was or-
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PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY.
dained August 2, and acted as pastor until October, 1806, when he became pastor at New Providence (West Summit), N. J. He was installed June 10 of the year following, and remained in this charge until his death, which occurred February 25, 1825, under the following circumstances: "He attended with his son Elias, then a lad fifteen years old, a funeral in a distant part of his par- ish. A heavy snow had fallen, and, on their way home, the horse taking fright, the sleigh was upset and its occupants thrown into a snow bank. A heavy cold was contracted, which devel- oped pneumonia, and in eight days he died. This was on the day and at the hour appointed for a lecture preparatory to the celebration of the Lord's Supper. The following Sabbath in- stead of the communion the members attended his funeral. "He was a man of scholarly tastes, a godly man and faithful pastor, and commanded by his exemplary life and conversation the affec. tions of his people and respect of the community." Of his six children two became eminent clergymen, Rev. Joseph L., a pastor in Elmira, N. Y., and Rev. Elias, D.D., LL.D., for thirty-two years a missionary in Persia; and two of his daughters became the wives of clergymen, Rev. J. G. Montfort, D.D., of Cincin- nati, and Rev. Joseph L. Potter, D.D., missionary in Persia; and this blessing has been given to his grandchildren.
In his work of three and a half years Mr. Riggs laid the foundations strong and deep, and not only saw completed and dedicated the building in which his people worshiped with com- paratively few changes for a century, but also received into mem- bership twenty-seven persons. There were only two church or- ganizations in the city at that time, and a feeling of fraternity existed between them, as is evident from this action of the ses- sion, which is dated Oct. 25, 1804:
"In consequence of the Episcopalians having appointed Thursday, the first of Nov. to be observed by them, as a day of public thanksgiving, Agreed, that we recommend to the members of our congregation, to abstain on that day from such work as might tend to disturb their devotion."
The salary of the minister was not large, the only subscrip- tion list found showing one hundred and seventy-four dollars as the full amount for one year, and at the end of the year sixty-
-
I3
THE FOUNDATION.
four dollars had not been paid. Whatever other income Mr. Riggs received came from the fees of students in the academy, but even this account shows an indebtedness for the first year of twenty- six dollars.
14
PRESBYTERIANISM IN PERTH AMBOY.
CHAPTER III.
MANY CHANGES.
7 HE church was vacant for one year when the Rev. John Keys accepted an invitation to act as supply. Mr. Keys was born at Wilton, New Hampshire, August 28, 1778. His father, a soldier in the Continental army, was in the battle of Fort Ti- conderoga. The son entered Dartmouth College and graduated in 1803; taught school in New York City one year, and then re- moved to Morristown, N. J., where he studied theology under Rev. James Richards, D.D. The presbytery of New York, in session at Orangedale, N. J., October 3, 1805, licensed him to preach; and the same presbytery ordained him in Perth Amboy August 4, 1807. He remained here, however, only one year. In 1808 he was pastor at Sand Lake, near Albany, N. Y., where he remained four years. He resided in Albany for two years, and in 1814 was pastor of the Congregational church of Wolcott, Connecticut. His next pastorate was in the Congregational church at Tallmadge, Ohio, beginning in 1823 and closing in in 1832. He then supplied churches for brief seasons in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. He died at Dover, Ohio, January 21, 1867. The year before coming to Perth Amboy he was mar- ried to Miss May Carmichael, of Morristown. Mr. Keys "was an industrious, hard-working man, though to labor in the cause of Christ was delightful to his soul. He was a prayer loving Christian, making many matters subjects of special prayer that are often merely referred to in general terms; owing to the weight of years reducing the tone of his sytem, he was at times despond- ent, but his last end was peace, his last words being,-'O, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.'"*
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