USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 17
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*The Kitehel, Beach and Tuttle families came from Hanover. The Jacksons, Bemans, Winds, from Long Island, the Paline's from New England, tho Fords And Hoffs trom Hunterdon County.
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to procure. The shoe maker was an itenerant from house to house and his were " like angels" visits, few and far between." They bad no tai ors. The good house-wife and her daugh- ters were able to make the clothes of the men who had too mneb hard work in hand to in- dulge in the Inxury of a " close fit." We might suy of the man of those times :
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·· For him light labor spread her wholesome store-
Just gave what lite required, but gave no more ;
His best companions, mnocence and health ; And his best riches, iguorance of weath."
From this picture of the people in early times let us now tuin to the principal work which they began. You will understand me as not. referring now to the fields which they cleared, the houses and inilis they built, the roads they laid out and mines they opened, but to the Church which they founded and sustaincd iu The face of very extraordinary difficulties. I have already stated that on the 2d of March. 1758, the first step was taken towards building a meeting-house and securing in counection . with the church at Parsippany the ser- vices of a minister. The parish records furnish no evidence that the attempt to settle a minister was successful at that time. A subscription · dated September 24th, 1760, renews the attempt, but with what success we are uot informed. The fact that In 1762 another subscription states that a sum of money is needed " to pay the arrearages of minister's rate, together with the cost of the parsonage lands supposed to be thirty or forty pounds in the whole " shows that the ivfant congregation had had more preaching than was paid for. Who preached here first is entirely matter of conjecture. It is very likely that Green of Hanover, Johnes of Morrisowu, and Pierson of Mendham may have preached here occasionally and that the Pres- bytery of New York may have sent occasional Supplies. I know nothing beyond the fact that they had some preaching. So far as I have been able to discover there is no record in exis- tence showing just where the Presbytery took action in the organization of the church and who were the ministers officiating. The names of the first members cannot be found, except #8 some of them may be interred from certain documents and traditions. We know that it was a Presbyterian church from the beginning, because the founders assessed their "rate " " to pay a Prespetering minister." We know also that it never swerved from its original preferences, except for a year wben one of its pastors joined the semi-Congregational body known as the " Associated Presbytery of Morris County." (Howe's His. Morris Co. Pres. MISS. - See Ch. Mannal p. 7 )
It is a matter of interest to ascertain some uf the names of the original members of this church. Among them were Job Allen and his wite Mary, David Beman and his wife Mary, Mrs. Huldah Beman, wife of Josiah who joined in 1794, William Ross and his wife, William Winds and his wite Ruhamah, John Hunting- ton and his wife Elizabeth, Obadiah Lnm aud hia wito, Jacob Allerton and his wife, Jacob Garri- gus and his wife, Lois, wife of John Harriman, the wife of John Stag. I think it safe to take it for gwanted that these were all original mem- bera of the church, and there may have been others.
In the manual of this church published in 1833 it is stated that "the Presbyterian Church at Rockaway may be said to have been founded about the year 1766, although the first meet- ing-house (of wood) was raised in September, 1752." I suspect that " 1752" is an error of the printer for " 1762," there is some reason for questioning the accuracy of both these statements. Although the original subscrip- tions of March 2d, 1758, do not say in so many words that a Presbyterian society was either formed or was about to be, it is clearly implied in their wishing to unite with the Presbyterian church m Parsippany m hiring & mmister. The subscription of 1760 mentions the kind of minister they were secking. He was to be a Presbyterian. In the deed for the lot on which the meeting-house was built, Benjamin Prudden in 1762, grants lands to a body of men "chosen Trustees by the Parish of Rockaway" which land is " to be and remain for the Benefit and use of the Presbeterian church of Roceaway" &c. It is fair to assume then that the church came into being in 1758, and that the meeting- house was built, not by all denominations and tor all, but expressty for a Presbyterian church which already had, if not a corporate existence, yet an actual one.
As for the date of the raising of the meeting- house it was supposed until recently that it was in 1760 but an examination of the record» show that that date is no. correct. Under date of March 20th 1794, there is an entry On the Parish records which settles the matter. It appears that Col. Jacob Ford, Sr., had aided the church as was said to the amount of a hun- dred pounds. Whether this was a gift or a loan I am not able to determine. Perbaps part was a donation and part a loan. At the date above named we have this entry. "Job Allen took Peter Hiler's Bond to Troy to Collect on account of a Debt Due the Estate of Col. Jacob Ford, Sen'r against the parish for Binlling the Metiug hous a Balance Due on said account of £29, 11. 1 Dated Oct. 26.h 1760 was presented by Moses Tuttle as due to him. The consid- eration of the above was put off for further in-
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formation." Fortunately this account was re- cently-1876-found among the papers of Moses Tuttle in possession of Miss Harriet Iluff, and shows that the meeting-house was raised in 1759, and partly enclosed. The same account shows that glass, paint, and floor boards wero bought next year (1760) to finish the house.
As for building on land for which they bad no deed, (and the land was not taken up from the proprietors by Prudden or conveyed by him to the church till 1862, ) it may be said that in a country where land was so plenty and cheap, the risk was small.
The note which the trustees gave to Benja. min Prudden in August 1762 speaks of " Willis Pierson and Job Allen of pequanac being chosen trustees for the parish of rockaway to take a deed for the land on which the meetin hous stands " and the deed itself shows that the house was built before Prudden gavea deed for the land. It has been a common opinion in this community that some one gave the land now occupied as a burying yard as common properly to the community. This is a mistake. On the 24th of August, 1762, "Benjamin l'rodden of Paquannach in the county of Morris, and in the province of New Jersey for and in consideration of the sum of three pounds one shilling and six pence " conveyed to " Willis Pier son, Job Allen, and Obadiah Lum " "tris- ters of the parish o" Roceaway" "for be benefit and use of the Presbyterian Church of Roccaway" the ten aeres and thirty perch " which make up the church lot. The trustees paid part of the purchase money and gave their note for the balance £6:15:8, and that note I have with the endorsed payments ou it. (Copied Records pp. 7-10.)
The first burial in the yard was in 1762. To this I may add that ou the 29th of October, 1762, the proprieters of East Jersey conveyed 100 acres of land to the parish "within one mile of Rockaway meeting house." The Tom Man lot, part of Adam Earles' property and the lands of Jos. H. Jackson (in 1876) south of the Deuville roal are a part of that land. (Scc copy of Deed Records of Pres. Ch Rock'y, p. 11.) The parsonage was built on this tract.
The first subscription for building the church amounted to £75:10-6, equal to about $188. To this it is said that Col. Jacob Ford, Sen., of Morristown, added one hundred pounds, one reason for the gift being the fact that he wat the owner of much property in this region. It 18 possible that he did not make bis very gen- erous gift to the church nntil after his son-in-law Moses Tuttle removed to Mount Pleasant in 1760, the very year the church frame was raised. It was barely enclosed, and a floor of loose bounds was laid. It was ueither ceiled
nor plastered. The scats were unplaned boards laid on stones and blocks of wood. It had uo fire place, or stove. It was a mere shell, and a very rude and comfortless one. And in sucu "a tablenacle in this wilderness " dia our fathers worship God. Here occasionally were heard the voices of the ministers who felt ar we do now, that " the harvest is great but the laborers few ."
No move was ma le to render the house more comfortable until 1768, when the first pastor was installed over this church and that at Par- sippauy. From the mutilated record of a parisit meeting that vear it appears that the church had been debled with some "indecent printing" which was to be removed. It was resolved that " the meeting-bous should be altered ' and "pewes be maid in the form of Morristown meeting bons," ""that the seats in the body of the hons be made first and John McGibbous to be over sear of the work and to provide meter- ials Nedefull for the work, aud that Samuel Lewis do all the work, Matthew Inm of Mor- ristown and Nathaniel Mitchel to set a price vo the whole of the Laborer." At the same meeting it was " voted to sweap the meeting house once a fortnite and keep the doors shut for the term of one year oest insniug." This valnable office of - door keoper in the house of the Lord" " being set up at ven.lue was honght Ww John --- for ten shillings." Also "voted Mr. Daved Beman, Chorrister and Mr. Jacob WHlington to Read the psal .... " (Copied Parisa) Records p. 33.) Apparently in the same period at a parish meeting it wus " proposed whether a stove may be allowed in the Meeting Hous. . Resolved, That a stove be allowed, and that if it may be found pornitions that then on complaint that it may be so pormitious that then in such case it mas removed from thence By a future meeting-if proper." ([b. p. 31 ) The hazard- ous experiment was not made in til nearly two generations during a space of half a century had duly considered the matter. I have the bilis for the portly box stove and pipe which had the honor in 1819 to inaugurate fires in the church. The stove cost £5:12:10. equal to $14.81, and the pipo cost $26.26. The time when they were procured was in January 1819! For nearly sixty years there was no beat: ju the old church except that which was generate . in the hearts of its attendants by their love of church privileges.
In seating the church there was a gantk mixture of aristocracy permitting the richer members of the congregation who "are a mind to build pews in the meeting hous to agree among themselves where each one's pew sha I be, provided they dont interfere with the squair body of the church or in the alleys and one pew ou each side of the pulpit." But as it to show
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these favored persons with deep purses tha' the people held the power and would not suffer too wide distinctions to be made in the Lord's house, " motion made whether there should be cannipys over the pews, aud voted not." " These pews to be rased six inches with the false floor. and to be plain and not Bannister but with pannel work." And in order to guard against a danger which since that time has not threatened the church, the, raising of so much morey as not know to what to do with the surplus, the good, careful souls voted that "if there should be more money raised than was needtul to build the seats in the meeting hous it is to be made use ot to Repair the parsnige hous.' (Copied Recor s pp. 31-33.)
The records have a plan showing how the pews were arranged and who occupied taem originally. The plan shows that there was a door on the East, and "a Great Door " on the South side of the church. The pulpit was at the North end, and its place is marked by two maple trees on the north side of Dr. Jackson's burying yard. The trees were planted by Col. Jackson after the old house was taken down. An aisle was in front of the pulpit the entire width of the house, and the broad aisle extended through the center to the south door. Parallel with this on either side was a narrow aisle separated from the wall by the width of a pew. The body of the house was divided into shps. The square pews were on each side of the pulpit and on the wall side o. the two small north and south aisles. They were, previous to the finishing of the house in 1794, thirteen m number. These were numbered commen- cing with the wall pew on the West end of the pulpit. That pew " No. 1" was built and oc- enpied by Dea. John Huntington. No. 2 hy Gen. William Winds, number 3 and 4 immediately next the pulpit on either side were "for public use," the one being for "the Deacons' pew," and the other for the minister's family. No. 5 was built and occupied by Col. Jacob Ford, Jr., at that time re- siding at Denmark. Benjamin Cooper & Co. occupied No. 6; Moses Tuttle occupied No. 7, which was the first pew down the East aisle ; John McGibbons had No. 8 ; and William Ross No. 9 in the same aisle. James Puff Loscy had No. 10, being the first one on the West aisle ; Job Allen had No. 11 ; Henry Tuttle had No. 12 and Isaac Southard No. 13. The owners of these pews were obliged to ceil the side of the house as high as the top of the pews. This slight protection was the only approach to inside ceiling or plastering until 1794, The samo plan indicates that about half the ca- pacity of the body of the house was seated for the use of such as had not the abitity or incli- nation to build pews for themselves. Just
picture the sanctuary as the first pastoor minis- tered in it. The pews cover a very small portion of the upright posts and joists, and with this exception posts, joists, beams, rafters and braces are in plain sight. There is many a knot hole and split in the white wood side- boards through which both light and air har- moniously enter. The whole building is so ventilated that in those days the ladies did not faint, and the minister did not complain of suffocation from a close and over-heated room. In the winter time the only self-indulgence there allowed was in the foot stoves of the ladies. In the summer time for many years the swallows claimed the free use of the meet- ing house except during the short portion of time devoted to public worship on the Sabbath. Even then the little fellows were wont occa- sionally to dash into the house with twitter and flurry not quite in keeping with the worship of the hour. Young Joseph Jackson with an irreverence scarcely to be blamed, many a time in Summer divided his thoughts between the discourse of the minister and watching the swallows. In fact being somewhat observant he thought the religions services of those days were too long for the good of the unfledged swallows ! not to mention the boys like himself. Beneath the pulpit sat Deacons Huntington and Allerton, both meu of venerable aspect, and in front of the pulpit Deacons Beman and Lewis, the one chorister and the other " Clark " to read the lines. Whether Deacon Lum read well I cannot say, but I suspect the nervous quickness with which Deacon Beman lel the singing and that not with so minch melody of voice as of heart, must have excited a smile in young Benjamin Jackson. who very carty thought himself a good singer, and so did others. The stips were not crowded with people, because there were very few people in the region. I suspect it was in one of these slips that the mischievious boy was that Sunday morning when Gen. Winds got sight of him, and rose instantly to bring bis wagon whip on the culprit's back, punishment more summary than welcome. high over all hung the pulpit with its ominous sounding board nearer the swallows nest than we in our day approve. Yet that plain pulpit had in it three powerful agencies, an English Bible, a Watts' Hymn Book, and a good man. The pews and slips were not crowded with persons of wealth and fashion and learning, but all the accounts agree in saying that those men and woman were full of self-reliant energy, and that many of them were distinguished for their piety. They prayed at home, taught the Bible and Catechism to their children, had very few books but these were generally of the solid kind and well read, overcame the real difficulties of long distances
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and a comfortless meeting-house to hear the gospel. and in proportion to their means made sacrifices to sustan the church which lose nothing by comparison with the sacrifices of their snecessors of the present thne.
I have dwelt on these little things concerning the meeting-house and the people who wor- shipped God in it, as they appeared in 1768, in order that you may be able to compare that past time with the present, and thank God that your fathers had enough piety and persever- ance to carry the infant enterprise through difflentries which were really formidable.
Let us now retrace our steps to describe another event of great importance to the church. There is a mutilated record of a parish meeting the design of which was to take meas- ures to secure a minister in connection with Parsippany. Although the date is worn off, Col. Jackson puts it down as Dec. 23d 1766. (Church Manual p. 3.) March 2d 1767 a meeting was held at which the name of Mr. James Tuttle was mentioned as a candidate for the joint-pastorate of the two churches at Rockaway and Parsippany, and the suggestion resulted in the appointment of " a committee to agree with the said Mr. Tuttle." On the 11th of May following the parish resolved to call Mr. Tuttle. Job Allen and Obadiah Lum were chosen as a committee to see about his ordination. Deacon Beman was sent to the Presbytery "to carre the call and get an answer." Later in the year-the date is thimmbed off-at another meeting " Job Allen and Jacob Allerton were chosen a comite to agree with Mr. James Tuttle, and with Persip- cning to heir (hire) a parsonage not to bny one." The minute of a meeting in December 1767, shows the matter was still in negotiation. but on the 13th of April, 1763, the arrange- ments were so far completed that William Winds, Obadiah Lum, Jacob Allerton, Divid Beman, and Benjamu Prudden were appointed a cornmittee to receive Mr. Tuttle "for onr society " at the ordination and installation services which were to take place at Parsip- nauy. (Copied Records pp. 29-30. ) He was or- dlained and installed in April 1768, the first minister of two feeblo churches,
The Rev. James Tuttle was the son of Col. Joseph Tuttle and his second wifo Abigail Nntman. He was born May 7th, 1742, so that he was twenty-six years old when he was in- stalled. His father was a prominent man in the Hanover Churen of which he was an Eider for many years. The mother of our minister was a sister of Rev. John Nutman. He was fitted for college in the school of his pastor, the Rev. Jacob Green, and was graduated at Nassan Hall in 1761. He also studied theology with his pastor and probably assisted in his
school. In 1767 he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New York, and on the 2d of Feb. 1767 he was married to Anna, danghter of Rev. Jacob Green. The same year, probably attracted by the fact that his brother Moses Tuttle was a prominent men in this congrega- tion, he preached in Rockaway as a candidate and in the April following became the pastor ot the church. Concerning him as a scholar, a preacher, and a pastor, I have learned very little. His ministry bere was only during a period of two years and seven months. Before the close of his second year he became so ill as to be unable to preach, and in March 1770 " it was voted whether Mr. Tuttle shall be allowed six months' pay over his yearly salary; on payment of which he is willing to discharge the congregation from all other expenses and charges, providing his illness continnes and increases so as not to be able to perform in his office. Voted immediately he shall." (Copied Records p. 38.) This vote in connection with the increase in "the rate lists " indicates that the minister was esteemed by his people. On the 11th of October, 1770, the Parish "voted clear . that we are to sue for a dismission of Mr. James Tuttle when the Presbytery sitts." Ou the 23d of the same month a similar resolution was passed, and a committee consisting of Obadiah Lam, William Winds and John Hunt- ington appointed " to represent our parrish in answering any Questions askt by the comitee from the presbitery." It was also voted that Mr. Tutt'e " shall be allowed a consideration in . case we are dismissed," The consideration was " twenty shillings lite money per month to be continued as he continues unfit for service." (Copied Records pp. 43-45 ) The good man who was the object of so much solicitude died at Hanover on the 25th of December 1770. It is eighty-eight years since his short ministry was closed, and no doubt he was cheered by the truths which he had as much commended to his flock by his devoted life as by his dehiv- erances from the pulpit.
In the graveyard at Hanover is the headston- of Mr. Tuttle, an upright, brown free stone slab, embellished with the usual Death head and other figures. The inscription is as follows :
" The Rev'd James Tuttle Died Dec. 25 1770 Aged 28 years.
He was minister at Percipining in Hanover. He had one child only named Benaijan wi:" died a (few) weeks before him and lies her entomb'd besid its Parrent.
This man of God had a short race but swift, he ran far in littel time. Few exceeded him in sweetness of Temper Tenderness of conscience
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and fidelity In his ministerial work and the End ot this man was Peace."
The Rev. Jacob Green probably wrote the epitaph. and I cannot account for his omitting to mention Rockaway where Mr. Tuttle was not only pastor hut where he lived in a parson- age built expressly for him, except by the fact that Mr. Green had the business of settiing bis son-in-law's estate, and there was some diffi- culty in the settlement of his affairs with this parish. which may have produced hard feelings in the minds of Mr. Green and his daughter.
By a careful comparison of the rate and sub- scription lists at the close of Mr. Tuttle's min- istry with those previous to his coming to this place. we find proof that the church was widening the sphere of its usefulness and in- creasing the number of its friends. Thus the two earliest papers have respectively twenty- nine and thirty-nine names. The paper of 1760 has 51 names, that of 1762 has forty names, but in 1769 the year before Mr. Title died one " rate list " had 70 names on it. The sum assessed on these 70 persons was £62:5:10, with which the salary of £60 was to be paid the minister for half his time. I may here state that from the beginning of the church until the close of the century it was customary for the property holders in the congregation to enter into a written agreement to have their property taxed by an assessor and tax collected by persons appointed by the parish for these objects. The assessment was called a "rato list" and some of these papers specify how many acres of improved land, how many of unim- proved, the number of horses, cattle, slaves, and the value of each, as the basis of the tax for the church. A glance shows how much more just this mode was than any other. Thus in " the Rate list in 1769" Moses Tuttle a large property holder was assessed £5:5:4, whilst Thomas Love, a man who had more good will than money was assessed one shilling and five pence Gradually the impartial " Rate List " of Mr. Tuttle's pastorate was softened down into " the Rateable subscriptions" of Mr. Carle's ministry. From that it was but a step to the voluntary subscription on which a rich man if he chooses does no more than the poor man " devising liberal things." The "Rate List" of the lathers would be esteemed hard fare by the children. Under that system the office of assessor was the most responsible one connected with the temporalities of the church. Among the assessors of those days we find the names of William Winds, Elsha Hedden, Wil- liam Ross, John Huntington, Job Allen, Moses Tuttle, Abraham Kitchel and others.
During Mr. Tuttle's sickness on "Easter Sunday 15th of April 1770" Mr. Johnes of Mor- ristown preached and baptized Denzie, infant
daughter of William Ross, Susannah and Josiah twin infants of Josiah Beman, and "catharine, Dennis Harty's wife, one girl." In September and October of that year at the parish meeting " the Reverend Mr. Lewis of Mendkam preached a lecture." (Copied Records p. 43.) Except recasionally the pulpit was not occupied for some months, "the Deacons' Meeting" being the unfailing substitute. On the last Sabbath of January the Rev. Mr. Chapman of Orange "preach here and cristened Nathan'I Morris' child Abijah." On the 9th of April 1771 the parish meeting was opened with a sermon by the Rev. Mr. Horton of Bottle Hill. On the 11th of July 1771 the Rev. Mr. Kennedy of Bas- kingridge supplied the pulpit, and on the 25th of July 1771 " Mr. Simson preach a lector." (Copied Records, 47-49-50.) Things moved heavily with the temporalities and the spiritu- alities of the church, and yet.the fathers " beld on their way," for in their weakness and poverty they sent a petition " to the Reverend Prysbitery " " to send a candidate if they can : if not, to grant us Liberty to hire a minister that shall be judged of good standing by some persons they shall appoint if such minister can be found, and that we don't desire snplies sent to us in maner as usual." That they kept up their services regularly is evident because the records say, "David Beman agrees to sweep the meeting Louse the year next Insuing, Twice a month for which he is to have Elleven shillings." (p. 48.) These items may seen insignificant, but they show us what " the day of small things" was to them. They had a great work in hand and they met its resposi- bilities with fath and energy.
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