USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Annals of Morris County > Part 19
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The o.d parsonage house was a wretched affair and in June of this year an attempt was made to purchase " the dwelling house of Doct. Hunting and lot of land it stands on for a par- sonage," but nothing was ace unphished. Dr. Hunting's honso was near the large willow tree on the north side of the road leading to Denville. The property is now is the ban Is of Mr. Francis Stickle.
It was " voted the canopy over the pulpit to be now built."
After some time had passed the call of the congregation was declined by Mr. Burnet, and then we find them endeavoring to make ar- rangement with Parsippany church for one- third of Mr. Joseph Grover's time. That church would not permit their minister to be called as joint pastor, but they seem to have allowed lum to preach here as a supply part of his time. As this good man preached in this place a great deal previous to Mr. Baldwin's settlement I may state the fact that in the Parsippany Records Mr. Grover's name is men- tioned the first time November 22d, 1773, and the clerk adds, " this Mi. Grover was a candi- date that Job Baldwin brought from N. Ing- land." He was recently-commencement -1773 graduated at Dartmouth College. He was Inred by that congregation until the Ist of May 1771, and record is made that Job Baldwin " 18 to be paid for his trouble." April 30th, 1774, a regular call was made out, and sent to "the Reverend Presbytery of New York " requesting them to "appoint a time for and afford assis- tance in ordaining Mr. Grover over ns." He
*The Rev. Matthias Burnet was settled as an ordained minister over some other church in the New York Presbytery, as appears from "a list of the men bers of the Synod of New York and Philadelphia from 1758 to 1788 inclu- sive." In 1775, with the Rev. Joseph Grover of Parsippany, he represente l the New York Pres- bytery in the Sin d. ( lodge, Pres. Ch. Il, 511.
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was not ordamed and installed until 1775. He is said to have been a preacher of few preten- Mons, but sincere and useful. After the con- gregation of Rockaway became involved in talir musical difficulties, tradition says that Mr. Grover preached here on a certain occa. sion, and said very sternly to the leaders in that quarrel, " I beheve this chnich is a vine of the Lord's planting, and that it will yet flourish and ling forth fruit; but this will not be until the Lord takes of the heads of you who are leading in these unhappy divisions." He remained pastor of the Parsippany church until Angust, 1793, when the congregation sum- marily dismissed him by a vote of thirty-four to fitty-four. Soon after this he removed to " the Genesee country."
After Mr. Burnet in 1773 declined the call of this congregation, the pulpit was supplied oc- casionally es the records show by Rev. Messrs. Joseph Grover, Ebenezar Bradford (then preaching at Succasunna and Chester, ) Young, John Davenport, Elliott, Thaddeus Dodd, Ackley, Derondy, (a Dutch minister) and " Galang," (this name quite illegible.) The entries of preaching are in Mr. Beman's hand- writing and are not as well written and spelt as if his son-in-law George Stickle had held the pen. To show what privileges they had I may state that in 1774 the pulpit was supplied thir- teen times, or on an average once in four weeks; in 1775 the entries indicate that no ore preached here but Mr. Grover, and he only onee ; in 1776 the Rev. Thaddeus Dodd " pratched " two Sab- baths, receiving nine and ninepence, and a Mr. Ackley two Sabbaths, receiving oue pound nine shillings. Mr. Johnes of Morristown, opened a parish meeting in January of this year with a. sermon. In 1777 a Mr. Galang (if that be the bame,) in April "pratched a month, pad him " three pounds and three peuce, in May and July he preached one Sabbath cach, concerning the payment for which service the entry is, " the abongh one pound ten and ninepence pad to Joab Allan." "Mr. Amzey Lewis pratched " une Sabbath in May, for which he received one pound one and one pence. In May of this year an attempt was made to hire the Rev. John Jo- line, afterwards of Mendham, three months "Deseretionery Time alowed him by pry sbi- try." Moses Tuttle and Deacon Allerton were iustrneted to confer with him, but no conclu- sion was reached. In September Messrs. Moses Tuttle, Abrm. Kitchel, Stephen Jackson. John Cobb, Sr., and David Broadwell, were ap- pointed a committee " to confer with Mr. Joline whether he will be content to settle in this parish.'
The committee was "impowered by the parish to'make a positive agre ment with Mr. Johne in regard to his salary and settlement." In Oe-
tober the committee reported " that they have contered with Mr. Joline and have agreed with tum to stay with us till next May Presbetry if the Rev'd Presbetry will Permit hin, and Like- wise have agreed to give Mr. Joline lor his s21 - vices till that time the yuse of a Comfortable house and two loads of hay and find him fire- wood and give him one hundred pounds Prock." For some reason this agreement was not ful- filled, and in April, 1778, the same committee were instructed to call Mr. Joline for six months and " to profer him one hundred pound, paster for one horse, two cows, firewood at the door ot a comfortable House to Live in." Our Mannal of 1833 says, that Mr. Jolme " had preacher as a candidate six months," but after a careful ex- amination of the records I find no evidence that Mr. Joline preached that or any other stated period. He preached a few times, and the agreement failed, probably because the parisu was unable to provide the means for his sup- port in the first agreement, and in the last at- tempt they failed because about that time Mi. Jonne was settled in Mendham. (Copied Re- cords 79-93 and Hastings' M. S. His. of Mend . hanı.)
Having failed to secure Mr. Joiine, the parish invited a young Duten minister from Hacken- saek to supply their pulpit, and in November it was voted to give Mr. Deronde (Devondv or Devonde) "four Pounds Prock per Sabath tor his Past services with us, and to pay Capt. Stephen Jackson for his entertaining Mr. De- vonde when he comes to Preach to ne." It Was further voted that Messrs. Moses Suttle, Allen- ton, Beman, Ross and Allen, ve a columnliter "for to enquire into the truth of Sertam Crimes aledged against Mr. Deroude viz, Steal- ing, Lying, getting Druuk, and Swarring." Soon after the committee reported that they have made "strick enquiry muto the facts al- edged against Mr. Deronde above mentioned. and that they find no truth in the Reports * * * (which are) onely Raised by Prejusted Persons." Mr. Deronde seems to have contiu- ued his services from some time previous to November in this year until the following March, when the parish instructed " Job Allen to go Down to Persipany to give a sertain young unnister that Mr. Grover has Recommended to us and now at. Mr. Grover's (an invitation) to come up and Preach to us next Sabath." David broadwell was " to go to Mr. Deronde and ac- quaint him with it that he may not come to Preach to us on that Day." On the 12th of April Wm. Winds, Job Allen, Benj. Beach, David Broadwell, Abraham Kitehel, Eleazer Lamson, Josiah Beman, William Ross and Stephen Jaek- son, in behalf of the congregation, signed an agreement with Mr. Noble Everett to supply the pulpit six months, agreeing to "give him the
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sum of Fifty pounds Proc., and that we will pay the above sum in Iron att centy-eight -hillings por hundred or Wheat at seven shiffings per bushel or rye and Indian coorn at four shillings, or oats at two shillings sixpence per bushel, or poark at five pense per pound or beaf at three pense per pound, and that we will pay in the phove articles if we please but if we chose we will pay in money and the above articles shal be a standard. and the va'ne of money shall be l' agnlated by the everig (average) prise of the articles above mentioned when the six months shall be expired." Having fulfilled this agree- ment in September, Mr. Everett declined the congregation again " to come and preach to us as a supply." (Copied R cord 95. 81-84. )
Soon after Mr. Everett began to preach here, Mr. Derondy asked the congregation "a sar- tificate from his Discharge from us " and David Broadwell, Joshua Winget and Job Allen were. appointed a committee " to sign a sertificate for Mr. Deronde."
" Voted that William Ross and John Hun- tiugton be appointed to go to Mr. (Lemuel) Fordham to consult with and envite him to come and enpply ns onse a month for the Win- ter enswing and to go to Mr. (Timothy) Jones to git his approbation in the matter and make report to the parish." There is no evidence that Mr. Fordham preached here regularly that winter of 1779-80, but on the 19th of April, 1780, Eleazer Lampson and Josiah Beman were sent to invite him " to preach to us one Sabath or more before the Next Seting of Prisbetery " "and in case he eant come to preach upon the S bath to come and preach a Lecture for us upon a Weak day and make Report to the Parish Next Sabath after service." A week later the parish voted to pay for " sending abroad for a canchicale to preach in this place as a probationer to settle with ns if the presbytery caut surply ns with one." Abraham Kitchel was appointed to draw up a petition to the Presbytery a. king for a candidate, or if that body could not send one, to "give us leave to apply to any of the neighboring prisbytiries lor a candidate." " Mr. Boman, Capt. Allen, and Mr. Kitchel were to inspect and sign the petition," and "William Ross, Esq., and David Broadwell were to wait on the presbytery with said petition and make report to the parish of the answer from presbytery when called upon." The Presbytery of New York met that Spring in Morristown, and the petition of this church " humbly sheweth that being Destitute of a settled Gospel Minister althongh our freqnent attempts to procure one have in some instances Raised our hopes yet have ended a Disappoint- ment for which we desire to eye the hand ot God and be humbled under a sense of our un- worthyness of so great a favour and pray that
we may be Prepared and have a sense of the vorth and valne of a Gospel Preacher an } that me may be sent to us that may come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Jegne Christ, wherefore we prav the R v'd Presbe- iery that if their is a candidate nuder their Direction that can be spaired and woukl give ns any Encouragement we might be Indulged with his Labours such a space of time as wonl 1 be conveniant," etc. "To which the Preshe- tery granted us the following supplies viz. Mr. Fordham the first sabbaths in June. August and October, Mr. Johnes the third in Inne, Mr. Elmer the third in July. Mr. Grover th . third in Angust and Mr. Green the third m September."
It was resolved " to send by Mr. Chapman (of Orange) into New England to try to git : candidate for us to preach upon probation." Job Allen was " to draw and sign the letter." The records show that Gen. Winds anl Dea. Huntington " by request of some members of the Parish " "have treated and agread with the Parish at Suckasoney and Mr. Fordham that Mr Fordham supply ns three sabbaths over and above what the presbitery has ap- pointed him here and that we pay him for them sabbaths after the Rate ot one Hundred pounds per year oall way as we Paid Mr. Everitt." The parish ratified this agreement, and voted further to "apploy for the Labours of Mr. Gilbert among us what time Mr. Fordham is not to supply us until the siting of Next Pres- betery." At same meeting it was " voted that the Parish be at the Expense to make a Ladder to go up Galerves and Lay Down boards on the galery Beams and make seates to set on and that Benjamin Jackson and Ebenezer Landsley do the same." Here I may also introduce a tittle item showing the state of the currency For many years Dea. Beman agreed to sweep the meeting house twice a month for eleven shillings a year, bnt in 1779 it was voted to give him " six pounds " for the ensuing year and in 1780 he was to have "the price of three Bushel of wheat for taking eair and sweap the meeting hous the year ensning." From a sub- sequent entry I infer that the sexton's salary was not paid promptly, an cximple which has imitators in our own time.
The congregation refused to "join with the Parish at Suckasoney in giving Mr. Fordham a call as a candidate" and appointed a committee to sce whether that nunister might not be secured for the congregation alone. Mr. Ford- ham gave them encouragement to apply by petition to the Presbytery, or to use the words of the committee, "Mr. Fordham says Nothing as appears to them Discouraging to our puting in a call for him as Probationer." "Voted that if our Petition Do not succeed with Mr.
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Fordham that we will Petition the Presbetery for supplyes as usa !. "
The parish resolved to "raiz the sum of one hundred pounds in sprey " " by rate and snb- .cription." Job Alen was directed to " assess and levy the aforesaid tax agreable to the Present Tax bill now in Lane." Ebenezer Lindsley, Zonas Conger and Josiah Bigelow were appointed collectors.
The parish " voted to petition the preshetery that Mr. Fyrdham be continued among us as a candidate unon Probation the space of six months ensning,' Job Allen was to draw and sign the petition. and Joshual Winget and David Broadwell to carry it to Presbytery. ·· The Parish meeting adjourned to ssbath after next at Noon Entermition "
" Voted that Mr. Fordham may Preach the same sermons at Rockaway that he Preaches at Snekasoney as he shall think proper."
" After a sermon Preached by Mr. Fordham" the records thus state a fact ; "By reason of the Deprisiation of the Money Issned upon the faith of the State and a former Rate being assessed and Levyed in the aforesaid currency for the use of the Parish which makes a great Fifflenity " it was "voted that we raise ouely one half of the sum assessed to be in Iron at 24s, per hundred, or in wheat at 6s. per bushel and rye and Indian corn at 4s. per bushel or in money to the valne thereof."
A petition to the Presbytery speaks of the people's satisfaction in " the labours of Mr. Fordham for sometime past for which we Return our Most hearty thanks hoping that his labour has not been in vain, but to our great Mortefycation when we were all united to put in our call to the Presbetery for Mr. Fordham to be ordamed over us Mr. Fordham D)celined to Settle."
Mr. Fordham preached part of the time in this church. "Voted that we immediately Levy a Tax on this parish to pay Mr. Fordham for Ios Labours amongst ns," the tax to amount to " the sum of fifty pounds prock. money in silver or goald by Rate and subscription."
An effort was made this year to sell " the oald parsonage " and to "purchase David Beman's Plantation for the use of a Parsonage."
During this year besides the regular services of Mr. Fordham the Presbetery sent Rev. Messrs. Jedediah Chapman, Timothy Johnes and Fish to preach one Sabbath each. (Copied Records 85-87 96-109.)
This brings us so far as the ministry is con- cerned to the period when the church begin to negotiate with the Rev. David Baldwin who became its second pastor in 1784. In looking over the history of the church from the death of its first pastor in 1770 to 1783 we find several now names in our records. In 1770 Robert
Gaston, who lived in the old house where Mr. Freeman Wood resided a few years since, begins to bear a conspicuous part in the parish, frequently acting as Moderator, Clerk or Co - mitteeman. The name of Benjamin Coover appears abont the same time .* In 1771 we find the name of " Edward Lewis, Esq," and snbsp- quently that of Samuel Lewis, who resided on the property now owned by Rev. Barnabas King. In 1772 for the first time we find the name of David Broadwell who resided where Mr. David Menagh's tavern is, and followed his trade as a blacksmith. Several times he was sent to Presbytery to ask for a minister and seems to have been an active and useful man. For several years after 1772 during this period, John MeGibbons, a beautiful penman, was somewhat conspicuous. He owned one fire in Beman's Forge, part of the farm now owned by S. B. Halsey, Esq., and a tract of land in the vicinity of the Dell farm now owned by Miller Smith. Dea. John Cobb is also a prominent man of this period. He lived where Mr. Halsey now resides. He afterwards removed to Par. sippany and died there His descendants are useful people in that congregation, and his grandson Archibald Cobb is preaching in Phil- adelphia. In 1773 we find the name of " Cap'. Jolin Monson " a strong man who built and oeenpied a house in the vicinity of where M". Hubbard Stickle now lives. I have been tokl that he built Guinea forge. He was an active man in this parish, and when the Revolutionary war began he commanded a company as Camp- tain, and finally became the Colonel ot a miti ja regiment. He subsequently removed to Pa'- sippany. In 1777 we find the name of John Hoff, a younger brother of Charles, who after- wards removed to Pennsylvania. The name of Capt. Josiah Hall appears occasionally. During the Revolution he was often in the service of his country. He resided near Mr. J. B. Bas- singer's place, and is said to have kept the materials for a beacon light on the point of the mountain south-west of the Denville Depot. The names of Josiah and Aaron Bigelow appear in the records during this period. Both were militia captains during the Revolution and were frequentiy in active service. In 1779 1 find for the first time the name of Elva r Lampson as one of the committee to agree with Mr. Everett. I also find the names of
*BENJAMIN COOPER. Oct 2511. 1765. Sammel Ford and Grace his wife of Morristown, in the County of Morris, sold to Benjamin Cooper of Newton, Sussex County for $266:13:4, "one e qual and nodivided third part of all and every of the Respective five following lotts of land hereinafter mentioned and described scituate in the township of Pequanack in the connty of Morris afores'd about one mile and a half above John Johnson's Iron Works, to wit, etc." E. Jersey Records. Liber. D. 3., p. 46.
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Joseph and Zenas Conger; also the names of Thomas Orsborne, Joshua Winget and Seth Gregory. In 1781 this Gregory bad " Liberty to clear the loer end of the meeting house lot next joining to his land on the East side of the Mount Home road * *
* and to have the * use of the land four years for clearing and rensing it." (Copied Records, 104.)
It will be a matter of interest to know that so far as can now be learned Dr. Jonathan Hunt- ing* was the first physician who was actually settled in this parish. He lived by the willow tree on the left of the road to Denville. On the 1st of June 1774 "Dea. Cobb and Capt. Munson were appointed a comitte to Tr.at with Doct. Hunting his Heirs, Executor, Adminis- trators, or Either respecting bis Dweling Honse and lot of land it stands on for the use of the parraish for a parsonage house." (Copied Records, 74.) This Doctor Hunting purebased Pew No. 8 built by John MeGibbons and Nov. 7th, 1774, the parish voted that Matthew Hunt- ing should have the same pew which his father had occupied. (Ib. 77.) Dr. John Darby of Parsippany, for a short time minister in that church, practiced medieme in this region. He was an excellent man and had many friends hereabouts. Occasionally Dr. Darey of Hano- ver was called hither professionally, and perhaps the Morristown physicians, of whom Dr. Johnes, son of the minister was one. So lar as I am able to learn there was no physician residing in the parish after Dr. Hunting's ucath in 1774 until Dr. Ebenezer H. Pierson bought the last parsonage owned by the parish, and which is now (1858) owned by Mr. Peter Sullivan in the Franklin neighborhood. (Copied Records, 265.)
As for the appearance of the meeting house it was not improved during this period. The frame had nothing to cover its inner naked- less with. In 1780 the frame work of " the galerys " stood out in the old bonse adding to it, anatomical ghastliness. (Ibid 97.) The good people passed a resolution "to make a Ladder to go np Galerys and Lay Down boards on the galery beams, make seats to set on " but the resolutions did not bring about the good things intended. Until 1794 the old meeting honse was as comfortless an editice as ever held a comfortless congregation. Almost the only sign of improvement during the
* This Dr. llunting, April 6, 1774, sold to John Cobb six acres of a certain pond meadow in Peqnannick, "formerly the grist mill pond which John Lew purchased of Gilburt Hedden and Iront thence conveyed to Wm. Pierson, and from thence to Benjamin Prudden July 23d 1764 an I from thence to Daniel Talmadge, and from thence to Jonathin Hunting."
This is Me. S. B. Halsey's meadow opposite the Roil ng Mill.
thirteen vears now under review was the clear- ing off the lot now occupied as a graveyard. And yet the unflagging determination of these men to sastain the church and enjoy the min- istrations of a pastor. is very evident. One disappointment trod on the heels of another, but instead of yielding to disconrgement they say " we Desire to Eye the hand of God and be humbled under a sense of our unworthe- ness of so great a favour, and Pray that Be may be Prepaired and have a sense of the worth and value of a gospel preacher and that one may be sent to na." When Mr. Sinson disappointed them they looked for some one else, and so they did for thirteen years. They did the best they could, and they deserve ont admiration for what they did. "Cast dovu but not destroyed " they laid the foundation for those better privileges which their children enjoy.
At the close of this period, as I learn, there were two roads leading to the Glen or as it was then called " Horse Pound." One of these was very near the one now running in front of the residence of Matthias Kitchel, and passing round the low lands by where Mr. Ford Kitchel residles. The other and principal road followed the White Meadow road a short distance and then turned to the right over the hills and coming out in front of Dr. Beach's residence. There was also a road leading to Hiberma which turns from the main road by Mr. John B. Kelsey's Honsa, thence to White Meadows. and thence to Hibernia passing West of the high mountain at the Gleu. There were two roads from this place to Dover. The Franklin road was very nearly as it now is, but the other road turned up the bill just beyond the bonse of Mr. Joseph Hyler (C. A. McCarty in 1876, ) and passed not far from where the Swede's Mine is. At a later date it was laid where it now is, passing the house of Dea. William ROKs now ocenpied by Mr. John Dickerson. The bridge over the river at that point bears the name of " the Ross Bridge " and probably will for a great while to come. The road to Monnt Hope and Denmark has not been changed unch. The turnpike over the mountain, west of our village to Mt. Pleasant, that from Dover throngh Littleton and that from Dover to Mor- ristown were not then thought of. The roadx wore rongh and unworked, and the hills were not redneed. The vehicles on wheels were mostly rough wagons and carts adapted to the iron business. Those who were able to afford it traveled on horseback, the rest walked or stand at home. In those days scores of meu and women walked to the old church front distances varying from one to seven or ten miles, but they did not groan over it as au msnff. rable evil. They were hardly in their
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babits and earnest in their love of church priv- ileges. To anch people these hardships seemed bght. The long walk and the cheerless moet- ing house could not quench in them the feel- ing, "How amiable are they tabernacles, O Lord !"
From the late Col. Jackson, Mr. Eunice Pierson, Mrs. Priscella Anderson, Mr. David Gordon and some other aged people I learn that at the close of the Rovomtionary war in 1783 there were in Rockaway East, three houses, the old parsonage, the west end of Mr. Halsey's house, and the house opposite in which the late Mr. James Jackson formerly lived. In Rockaway West there were also three frame houses, the William Jackson ho ise, then occu- pred by Robert Gaston (owned by John F. Stiekle in 1876.) the Conger house where the barber shop is (torn down about 1868 by John Giveny, ) and the Beman house near the Mt. Hope ore dock and which has long since disap- peared. The late Col. Joseph Jackson once wrote me that " in 1782 there were five frame houses and five log cabins in Rockaway, one of. which was occupied by slaves." When he wrote this I suspect he forgot the old parson- age which was then standing. During the Party part of this period Capt. Stephen Jackson and Andrew King were driving the forge a Dover. Then Jackson removed to Franklin and built the forge th re, and finally he came to Rockaway where he continued until his death in 1812. His father Joseph Jackson resided in a house which stood near the river nearly in front of the Jabez Estile house now owned by Mr. Joseph Hyler. Major Benjamin Jackson hved in a house which stood in the field nearly opposite Mr. Hyler's house just alluded to. In Denville just west of Mr. Stephen B. Cooper's hunse stood a rickety frame house, the first built in the parish. David Broadwell's house and blacksmith shop were where the tavern now is. Job Allen's house was not far from the site of the Glover House. Below that along the valley were the dwellings of Samuel l'eer, Husk, John P. Cook, David Peer, l'eter Hyler, Adam Miller, and Joseph Scott, the later a hot-headed, powerful but thrifty Irishman who gathered together a fine prop- erty. On the property now held by Mr. Wm. M. Dixon resided Mr. Frederic Mihor with his wife, a clear-minded woman who loved the cause of her conntry and greatly aided it in her neighborhood which was not quite free from Toryism. Part of the Miller house is vet standing. In that neighborhood was also Wm. Dixon the son-in-law of Miller. Farther down the valley was the noble farm of Frederic Demouth, who owned acres, livestock and slaves, and lived in considerable style. At Old Boon- lon shrewd, sharp-witted Samuel Ogden before
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