USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Millstone in Monmouth County > Historical discourse on occasion of the centennial anniversary of the Reformed Dutch Church of Millstone > Part 4
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* The Committee to build the Church consisted of Rem Ditmars, Hendrick Willson, Jan Probasco, Jan Vanderveer, Cor. Van Lewen, Hend. Probasco, and John Van Doren.
t These were Rem Ditmars, Hend. Willson, John Probasco, John Vanderveer, Cor. Van Lewe, John Van Doren, and Hend. Probasco. Bounded as follows :- Beginning at a point in Benj. Thompson's line, thence north 8714° east, 3 chains and 14 links, to the middle of the road, south 212° west, 3 chains, to John Van Doren's line, along which south 8712° west, 2 chains, 75 links, north 934° west, 3 chains, to place of beginning.
# This was a rectangle of 38X72 feet, and cost $40.
§ Beginning in the Amwell road in Van Doren's line, north 412° west, 3 chains, 4 links, to Disborough's line, along which north 8712º east, 46 links, thence south 10° east, 3 chains, 6 links, to Amwell road, and np said road north 87° west, 75 links, to place of beginning, containing 2-10 of an acre.
[ Beginning at north-east corner of John Broach's lot, being also a corner of Disborough's lot, north 414° west, 57 links, north 8712° east, -
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These several plots together constitute the present church- yard, including a little more than an acre ..
This first house of worship was probably completed within a year and a quarter from the organization of the church. Its breadth, like many of the old churches, was greater than
its depth. It contained in all sixty-six pews, two being reserved by the pulpit for the Consistory, one by the west wall, (the wall pews faced the congregation,) for the justice, and two tiers or eight pews in the back of the church, were free. A stairway ran up in the south-west corner to the belfry. The church contained three aisles, and two large pillars arose, in the midst of either block of pews, to sup- port the roof. This building, though considerably damaged by fire in the Revolution, and having undergone a couple of thorough repairings, stood for sixty years.
The baptismal register of the church begins April 3d, 1767, when Eva, daughter of Dr. Van Beuren, one of the deacons, was baptized, and baptisms occur afterwards every few months, showing regular services. But only fifteen formed the original membership of the church, including officers, and ten were added by profession and two by cer- tificate, during the period that they remained without a pastor .*
53 links, to a corner of Phebe Lott's lot, south 4º east, 57 links, south 87%° west, 53 links, to place of beginning, containing 3-100 of an acre. $1.
The plot now occupied by the lecture-room, was given by Dan. Dis- borough for a school lot, in 1814. It is 130×38 feet. In 1860, by an act of the Legislature, the school district obtained power to sell this lot, that they might locate the school on the hill, north of the town ; it was bought by certain trustees in behalf of the members of the congregation of Hillsborough, living in school district No. 3, to be used by them for educational and moral purposes.
Our Consistory paid to each of the neighboring Consistories about $40 a year, for the services of their ministers.
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It was also during this time, that the great convention of Dutch ministers and elders was held in New York, for the purpose of consummating the independence of the Dutch churches in America, of the parent church in Holland. Peter Schenck, of this church, signed the articles,* which bound the conflicting parties, to union and peace, in behalf of the church of New Millstone, the Coetus having at last triumphed in their reformatory efforts.
It is probable that at this convention, (October, 1772,) Mr. Schenck, the elder from this place, became acquainted with Rev. Christian F. Foering, then preaching in the German church in the city of New York, and which ulti- mately resulted in Mr. Foering's settling at Millstone. He was first called in November, 1773, as a colleague of Do. Hardenbergh, of Raritan, the two churches uniting in the call. They promised him £130, a house, and sixty acres of land, and urged him strongly to accept. But his congrega- tion in New York being very feeble, and his Consistory fearing that their church would die if he left, he resolved to his own temporal discomfort to remain in New York.
The congregation of New Millstone, notwithstanding their ill success in procuring at present the services of Mr. Foering, did not despair.
In the summer of 1774, (July 23d,) they bought a parson- age farm in two unequal plots, containing about fifty-three acres, and for which they gave bonds to nine individuals, (of whom they borrowed money to pay for it,) amounting to £348. Four and a half acres additional were added the next spring. It is the place now occupied by John Henry
* At this convention, the Circle (or Classis,) of New Brunswick was organized, 1771. The first volume of their minutes, reaching from 1771-1811, is lost, and thus probably much material, which might have been used profitably in this history.
)
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Wilson, Esq., of this township .* The two larger plots were bought of Peter Wilson, t the smaller one of John Bannett.
The trustees for this farm were Peter Schenck, Esq., Jos. Cornell, Ernestus Van Harlingen, Johannes Hoagland, Dr. Ab. Van Beuren, John Probasco, Dr. Lawrence Vanderveer, Cor. Lott, Hend. Wilson, Cor. Van Lewe, Hend. Probasco, John Van Doren, Ram Ditmars, John Smock, John Stryker, Garret Terhune, Jr., John Bennett, and Wm. Van Doren. Bounded as follows :- Beginning on the Millstone at the south-east corner of lands of Hend. Willson, west along his line 11 chains, on the edge of the upland, north 22º east, 5 chains, 75 links, north 89º west, 33 chains, 35 links, to the middle of the road that leads from the Somerset Court House to the Raritan; along said road south 1714° west, 12 chains, to north-west corner of Cor. Lott's land ; along his line north 8734° east, 28 chains, 40 links, to a corner of John Ben- nett's land ; along his line north 1º west, 1 chain, 92 links, thence north 8734° east, 2 chains, 60 links, south 54° east, 12 chains, 40 links, to the Millstone River, along which 10 chains 82 links to place of beginning, containing 42 2-10 acres. Also, another lot, beginning at a stake, thence north 89º east, along Hend. Willson's line, 24 chains, 58 links, south 10° east, along Isaac Van Huys' line, 4 chains, south 8712° west, 24 chains, 58 links, along line of Ernest. Van Harlingen, north 4° west, along Cor. Lott's line, 3 chains, 40 links, to place of beginning, contain- ing 9 1-10 acres. On May 1st, 1775, John Bennett sold an additional lot to the parsonage for £30, on the south-east corner, as follows :- Beginning at north-east corner of Cor. Lott's land at Millstone River, north 5312° west, 9 chains, 50 links, north 30' west, 2 chains, 44 links, south 7712° west, 2 chains, 56 links, to a corner of the Parsonage farm, along Parsonage line north 30' west, 1 chain 92 links, north 7712° east, 2 chains, 60 links, south 5312° east, 12 chains 40 links, to a corner of Parsonage, thence down the Millstone to the place of beginning, con- taining 416 acres, and 20 perches.
+ Hendrick Wilson had come from Long Island in the second quarter of the last century. He was born about 1680, and died in 1750. He bought a large tract of land, (probably of Michael Van Vechty,) and by will directed it to be divided between his four sons, and daughter, giving to Myndert £20 additional, as his birthright. Myndert, (born about 1716, died about 1800,) received the western part, and lived
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The house was at once repaired, Henry Wilson, Peter Stryker, Sr., John Stryker, Henry Probasco, and Lawrence Van Cleef, being the building committee, and when ready for use, the Consistory found themselves indebted £393. The final payment was made in 1779. * In the fall of 1774, therefore, they renew their invitation to Mr. Foering, and this time with better success. He accepted of this call in the early part of October, 1774, and moved the following month. He states in a letter, that the low Dutch language was rapidly passing away in Millstone, and that he was called to preach altogether in English.
Christian Frederick Foering was born in Hanover about 1736. His father was a soldier in that kingdom, (at this time united to the English crown,) and died in the military service. His mother was a woman of great energy, and looked with dread to the time when her son should grow up to manhood, only to be impressed into the army, and per- haps to lose his life, in some of the petty personal disputes of princes and kings. She therefore determined to leave the country, with her only son, and seek for him liberty, and a proper chance in the race of life, in the wilds of America. But it was difficult to escape with one, who would in due time become subject to military duty, yet she devised a plan. She tied her boy, then seven years old, to
where now lives Mr. French ; John lived on what is now the farm of Albert Voorhees ; Hendrick lived on the present place of Jas. Elmen- dorf, (died about 1802,) and who gave about $1000 to the church, which, with other legacies, has been invested in successive parsonages ; and Peter, (not yet of age in 1750,) who lived on the present place of John H. Wilson, and who sold a part of his land in 1774 for a parson- age. Myndert left four sons-Hendrick, William, Myndert, and Jacob- of whom the first is the grandfather of Lawyer Wilson, of this place. * See Appendix-Note 2.
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her back, and thus skated across the noble river Rhine, and at some one of the neighboring ports, secured a passage to New York. In this country, but under what auspices, has not been positively ascertained; he was educated for the ministry, probably under Dorsius, of Pennsylvania. In September, 1771, he was called to a German Reformed church * at Germantown, in this State, which congregation was under the care of the German Coetus. A couple of years before, he had married Miss Margaret Miller, daugh- ter of Sebastian Miller, a merchant of that place.
Mr. Foering only remained at Germantown about eight months, having been called, on March 21st, 1772, to the German Reformed church in the city of New York. He succeeded Rev. Mr. Kern, who had been laboring there for eight years, and at the same time transferred his relations to the Dutch Coctus. In that place he preached twice every Sabbath in German, and on Wednesday evenings in English. He was able also to preach in the Dutch tongue. But his stay in New York was not very long. In eighteen months after his settlement, he received his first call to New Millstone, and eleven months later the second call, which he accepted. His congregation in New York were very loathe to part with him, because of his fidelity and zeal. But when he at length felt it his duty to remove, his church sent a letter to the Consistory here, warmly commending him to their love and care, hoping that he would win many souls to Christ, and that he would dwell and prosper among them, until his Lord should call him to his ever- lasting rest. This was, indeed, literally fulfilled. As he
* Which one of the early Germantowns this is, I do not know. It was a German Reformed, and not a Lutheran church, as the call, still preserved, shows.
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left them, his congregation presented him with a service of silver, in token of their regard, and which is used by his descendants, and the descendants of his wife by a second marriage, now living in Philadelphia, to the present day.
Mr. Foering was a man of deep personal piety. He had been called to New York, as his call, (still preserved,) expressly states, upon the recommendation of Rev. Mr. Weyburgh, because he was a man who had spirit and life, and who would take trouble to bring souls to the Lord Jesus. Some seraps of correspondence, which have been preserved in his family, have a peculiar unction of piety about them. He also was the author of several poetic effusions, on religious topics, and of at least one, which has been preserved, said to be descriptive of the lady to whom he was engaged, and whom he afterward married. He was an ardent and active patriot also, in the American Revolu- tion, and one of the original trustees in Queen's College .*
During the first eighteen months of his ministry here, which brings us down to the Declaration of Independence, eighteen persons united with the church on profession of their faith. During the next three years, down to his death, not a single one. The excitement and the party strife, and the frequent proximity of the armies, seriously interfered even with the religious services.
* During his ministry here, (April 6th, 1775,) the church was incor- porated under the name of Hillsborough, (the name of the township,) to distinguish it from the church at Harlingen, which was then called Millstone. Our township may have taken its name from the Nechanic mountain, within its bounds, or possibly from Lord Hillsborough, though it is not known that he had any interest in these immediate localities. (Doc. Hist. New York, vol. i., pp. 354, 499, etc.) All the deeds of church property were now made out anew to the Con- sistory.
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The Consistory of the church well understood the ques- tions and principles involved in the approaching conflict, and six months before the Declaration of Independence, recorded their sentiments upon the records of the church. They called the brewing strife, " an unhappy and unnatural dispute between the ill-disposed ministry of Great Britain, and the oppressed colonies ;" they mourned over the many sins and iniquities of the whole empire; and set apart one day a month, in which the congregation should come together for humiliation and prayer .*
The manœuverings of the contending armies, in liberty's conflict, frequently involved the quiet and peace of the Millstone valley. In Washington's retreat across the State, in the fall of 1776, he passed within a few miles east of us, along the road from New Brunswick to Princeton, and through Six Mile Run. The first winter of the war, to the no little discouragement of many, the enemy held our State. The main British army was at New Brunswick, and the Hessian mercenaries were roaming through all the country, acting like Goths and Vandals, plundering and outraging the inhabitants. But in January, 1777, having recently captured Trenton and Princeton, Washington marched his forces through our township, on his way to Morristown. It was on this marchi, or possibly on a similar one in December of the same year, as the army of liberty passed the parsonage, half clothed, unshod, and in want of food, that the patriotic Foering, collecting all the stores of his house, (it being, moreover, just after baking time,) and cutting the food into convenient portions, distributed them, as far as they would go, to the weary and hungry soldiers,
* July 17th, 1776, New Jersey answers the letter of the provisional Congress, promising to stand with the others for Independence.
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as they hurried on their way. On one of these occasions, as the army passed, they encamped for the night on the field directly south of the present parsonage, Washington himself sleeping in the north-west corner of the parlor of the present homestead of John Van Doren.
On Jan. 20th, 1777, a skirmishi took place on the bridge at Weston. An American party had destroyed the boats ascending the Raritan," laden with provisions, for the British at New Brunswick. They accordingly sent out a foraging party to collect supplies from the country. The Americans met them at this bridge, and attempted to cross, but could not, as the enemy had three field pieces. They numbered six hundred, and had a large number of cattle and a quantity of forage. The Americans numbered four hundred and fifty men, and were under the command of Gen. Dickinson. They therefore sought a ford below, and breaking through the ice, waded the river, flanked the enemy, and routed them, capturing 43 baggage wagons, 104 horses, 118 cattle, 60 or 70 shecp, and made 12 prisoners. They lost five men in this effort, while the enemy lost about thirty. Washington warmly commended Gen. Dickinson for his gallant success. Raids up the Raritan at this time were common.
In the spring of the same year, Washington encamped his men at Middlebrook, near Chimney Rock, S,000 in number, where he remained for some weeks. The British forces under Howe approached him here, in two columns, Gen. De Heyster halting at Middlebush, and Lord Corn- wallis, proceeding to Millstone, encamping on the present farm of Mr. Jolin Wyckoff, on the east side of the river, and both columns fortifying themselves. Millstone was at this time plundered by the British, (June, 1777,) the Pres-
* Whitehead's Amboy, p. 340.
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byterian and Dutch churches both set on fire,* and the interior at least of the Dutch, completely demolished, though the building was saved. Several farm houses were also burned. But the British, finding Washington's position too strong for them, retired to New Brunswick, and soon evacuated the State, through Amboy and Staten Island, Washington holding Newark and Elizabeth. Previous to this advance of the British, Millstone had been, for at least the six months preceding, in the American lines. This por- tion of the State was, after the spring of 1777, left com- paratively free, for a year and a half. But the church was not effectually repaired till 1784, five years after. Yet religious services were held frequently, somewhere, as the records show that upwards of one hundred infants were bap- tized during these five years, and also before the church was effectually repaired, no less than forty-two persons pro- fessed the faith, though these were under Do. Foering's successor (1780-1784).
In the fall of 177S, after the battle of Freehold, Washington took up his winter-quarters again at Middlebrook. About this time Mr. Foering preached a very patriotic sermon, so as to lead to the formation of a company, from his congre- gation. The British sent out a party to capture him, so as to prevent his efforts among his people. But his wife received word, in some way, of their intentions, and he being siek in bed, she quickly despatched some of the men- servants to a safe place with a wagon load of goods, and
* " On June 24, (1777,) Gen. Howe's army made a movement, and advanced as far as Somerset, a small town lying on the Rarington, betwixt Boundbroock and Princetown, which they plundered, and set fire to two small churches, and several farm houses adjacent, etc."
Narrative of Serjeant Grant.
Col. Hist. N. Y., viii., pp. 728-730.
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helping her husband to prepare for his flight, she next, with the terrified maid, geared up the horse herself; and he, though hardly able to proceed, after bidding his wife a sad farewell, started for a place of safety, probably to Washing- ton's camp, and his wife returned into the house to her three children, the oldest but eight years of age. "In a very short time the enemy came up, and in their angry search for one whom with oaths they stigmatized as 'That rebel Foering,' thrust their swords through every bed in the house."
Millstone was during a part of this winter (1778-9) again in the British lines. Several officers were quartered on the Parsonage. "With the exception of one petty subordinate, they all treated their compulsory hostess, with the utmost courtesy and respect. Every day after dinner, they gave her little son a glass of wine, to carry to his mother, with a message to drink Gen. Washington's health. But day by day, as she received it, she poured it into a demijohn, reserving it for her absent and sick husband, whom, she believed, in his feeble health, it would greatly benefit. Upon the departure of her guests, by the evacuation of the neighborhood, by the British, and her husband's return, greatly enfeebled in health, she told him she had a treat for him. But to her consternation, when she took down the demijohn, it was empty. An Irish woman in her employ had drank it all."*
An anecdote is still preserved in the family, of Mrs. Foering's patriotism and courage. "In the dark days of the occupancy of the Britishi, they made frequent levies upon the parsonage for butter, even after they had stolen all the cows they could lay their hands on. Mrs. Foering requested the girl, (Katy Davis, mother of our late member
* Extract from letter of Miss Sarah C. Souder.
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Ab. Davis,) to hide it, when she knew of their approach. A couple of British soldiers soon came with their usual demand. Mrs. Foering replied that she had no butter for them, (her veracity depending on the emphasis.) 'A likely story, indeed,' they said, 'that such a fine place is withont butter.' 'How can you expect butter,' exclaimed she, ' when you have already taken away my cows ?' Just then, Katy Davis came into the room, not knowing of the soldiers' presence, with a great pewter dish of butter, fresh from the churn, exclaiming, 'Where shall I hide it ? what shall I do with it ?' 'Do with it,' exclaimed Mrs. Foering, ' why throw it to the hogs, sooner than let them have it.' Seizing the butter from the terrified maid, she gave it a sling across the kitchen, and over the oven, behind which it lodged out of sight of the men, and as they supposed, out of reach. Exasperated as they were, they did not injure her, and after the men were gone, the butter was re- covered." * This was just before her husband's return.
Mr. Foering leaving home sick, and subjected to exposure in his flight, took a heavy cold, from which consumption resulted, and he soon died. The day before his death, he baptized an infant son, five days old. His mother proposed naming her son Jacob, after her brother. No, replied Mr. Foering, Jacob was a deceiver. Let him be called Abra- ham, who was faithful! So after the "Friend of God "
* Extract from a letter of Miss Sarah C. Souder.
+ Mr. Foering left four sons, Samuel, John, Frederick, and Abraham P. Mrs. Laudenslager, of Philadelphia, is a daughter of Abraham, and Mrs. Read, her daughter, contributed a valuable letter concerning her ancestor. Mr. Foering's widow, afterward married Dr. Janus, of Philadelphia, and she was again left a widow in 1796. She died in 1823. Miss Sarah C. Souder, her grand-daughter by this second mar- riage, has contributed a number of valuable papers and letters, which have greatly aided in the preparation of this discourse.
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the child was named, and it is said, he well deserved it This was the last official act of an earnest, holy, patriotic life. The next day, being March 29th, 1779, the first pastor of this church breathed his last. His body was deposited under the church, in front of the sacred desk, whence had issued the kindred Jessons of religion and liberty, and his dust yet reposes beneath us, in this second edifice, to this day .*
His wife, after his death, being administratrix in connec- tion with her father, at once loaned the struggling govern- ment, in good currency, the sum of $400. Her patriotism did not die with her husband.
Rev. Cor. T. Demarest describes Mr. Foering as a gentle- man of the German Calvinistic Church, of orthodox senti- ments, and of true piety. Three weeks before his death, the Consistory, notwithstanding the lamentable times, raised the sum of £472, or $1190, for the last payment on the par- sonage. (March 6, 1779.)
In the fall of the same year, the Court House in this vil- - lage was burned. It stood on the lot now partly occupied by Miss Mary Suydam. Its destruction was connected with the successful efforts of the British, to defeat Washington's plan for the capture of New York. For this purpose he secretly built fifty flat boats, on the Delaware, capable of holding seventy men each, and, putting them on wheels, rolled them across the State, to Van Veghten's Bridge, over the Raritan, (near Harmony Plains.) Some of the older peo- ple still remember their parents' accounts of these strange wheeled craft, passing through this place. In these he in- tended ultimately to cross the Hudson with his men. Lt. Col. Simcoe of the Queen's rangers, offered himself for the
* By a receipt still preserved, it appears that he once paid £120 for a negro boy by the name of Frank,-bought of Ab. Quilp.
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dangerous task of burning these boats, and defeating Wash- ington's design. His superior officers approved the plan, and he undertook it. The Americans were all absent from the locality to be traversed, only the militia being left. His plan was to ride from Amboy, keeping back from the river, on the North side of the Raritan, get to the boats before day-light and burn them, and avoiding New Brunswick by keeping to the west of it, to reappear on the Raritan below Brunswick, at the South River, where he was to meet ano- ther party of the British under Major Armstrong, and try and decoy the by this time pursuing Americans into an ambuscade.
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