History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 182

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 182
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 182

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The first roll of church-members now in existence was formed in 1804. There were then 227 communi- cants, of whom 74 were members before Mr. Finley's settlement, and 127 had been received during the preceding twelve months. This unusnal ingathering was the result of the great revival which spread over the country at that time. During this time the Fri- day evening lecture and prayer-meeting of the church was established, which has never been intermitted to this day. The remaining years of Mr. Finley's min- istry were accompanied with accessions to the church

of from one to twenty-four each year. In 1815 oc- curred a special revival, in which nearly every mem- ber of the advanced class in Mr. Finley's classical school was converted. Some nine or ten of them be- came preachers of the gospel, of whom the Rev. B. C. Taylor, D.D., pastor of the Reformed Church in Bergen, still survives, or did a few years since. Dr. Finley was a man of commanding influence, who swayed the minds of the people among whom he moved almost at his pleasure. We shall revert to him again under the head of his celebrated classical school. Meantime, it may be remarked that after the great revival of 1803 the house of worship was found too small for the congregation, and was there- fore enlarged by adding 28 pews on the floor and 12 in the gallery, making 118 pews. The highest pew- rental was $14.74. The church underwent a similar enlargement in 1871, extending over a portion of the burying-ground, so that the headstones removed now stand in a leaning posture against the rear and side basement walls of the building, some of them the oldest monuments in the ground.

Dr. Finley's pastoral relations with the church were dissolved April 22, 1817, having lasted about twenty- one years. He was released with great reluctance that he might accept the presidency of the University of Georgia, to which he had been called. His death occurred Nov. 3, 1818. llis widow died Sept. 23, 1844.

The successor of Dr. Finley in the pulpit of this church was the Rev. William C. Brownlee, D.D., who began his labors April 30, 1818, and was installed as pastor in June following. The congregation was now large, covering nearly all the township of Bernard and running over almost an equal territory in the ad- joining county of Morris. The people came mostly on foot or on horseback, or in an occasional farm- wagon, from New Vernon, from Long Hill, from Lib- erty Corner, from Mine Brook, and from the moun- tains towards Mendham. No other church as yet existed in all this space ; now there are eleven congre- gations besides in the same territory. One of the first works done by the new pastor was to visit his entire congregation and take a complete censns of his parish- ioners. The result showed a record of 260 families, comprising in all 1700 individuals, whose names, with the ages of many, are given with scrupulous exact- ness. Among the heads of families, 7 bear the name of Doty ; 6 the names of Lyon, Lewis, and Saunders ; 5 each the names of Cooper, Southard, Cross, Hand, and Miller ; 4 of Ayers, Riggs, Boyle, Lindsley, Kirk- patrick, Annin, Heath, McMurtry, Guerin, and Wil- son; and more than a dozen other names have three families each to represent them. The size of families, too, is an impressive feature of this list, from eight to twelve being the common number of a household. Ninety-one names have become extinct in the con- gregation in fifty years.

Dr. Brownlee is described as " a broad-shouldered,

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large-headed, round-faced Scotchman, with resolution and thoroughness written on every feature and ex- pressed in every tone." His pastorate was successful, and closed, after seven and a half years, in October, 1825. Hle was called from here to the professorship of languages in Rutgers College; died Feb. 10, 1860. Two tracts written by him and published by the Amer- ican Tract Society-entitled "The General's Widow" and "The Spoiled Child"-had their incidents in the scenes of his pastorate at Basking Ridge. The suc- cessor of Dr. Brownlee was the Rev. John C. Van Dervoort, who was installed in September, 1826. He was an earnest, warm-hearted, evangelical preacher, whose labors were crowned by the ingathering of many into the church. In 1829, especially, there was an unusual revival under his ministry, fifty-six persons being converted and added to the church. About this time other churches began to organize and to take away from the congregation considerable strength. New Vernon and Liberty Corner organ- ized churches of the same faith and order.

Mr. Van Dervoort was released by the Presbytery to accept a call to another field in the spring of 1834, and in the autumn of the same year was succeeded by the Rev. John Anderson, who, after trial of one year, was ordained and installed Oct. 8, 1835. In a report, during his ministry, he gives "308 families, comprising 1672 individuals, of whom 258 are mem- bers." He was, at his own request, released from the pastorate in August, 1836, and went to the Canal Street Presbyterian Church of the city of New York.

After a vacancy of nearly two years, the Rev. Oscar Harris was installed pastor on the 27th of March, 1838. He was a ripe scholar, a fine theologian, an earnest, modest Christian gentleman, and commanded the respect and confidence of all who knew him. His health declining, he resigned in the spring of 1851, and in September of that year the present pastor, the Rev. John Chambers Rankin, D.D., was installed. He is the tenth in the line of regular pastors of the congregation, covering a period of 148 years from the settlement of Rev. Mr. Cross.

Rev. Dr. Rankin* is a native of North Carolina, --- born May 18, 1816,-and was educated at the Univer- sity of that State, at Chapel Hill, He commenced the study of theology at Princeton in 1839, and after completing his course went as a missionary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions to India, where he remained eight years, when declining health compelled him to return to the United States. During his pastorate of this church, a new and com- modious parsonage has been built ; a new and com- fortable lecture- and Sabbath-school-room has been erected ; the church (once refitted, and then enlarged and ornamented) has been rendered as commodious and attractive as the congregation could desire; while

the membership, which had declined to 170 in 1851, has again advanced to 260. Both the Sabbath-school and church are now in a prosperous condition.

We append the following summary, which may b > convenient for reference :

1717-25 .- Religions settlement formed.

1725-30,-Public worship Instituted.

1732-1 .- Rev. John Cross, pastor.

1742-41 .- Ilev. Charles McKnight, paster.

1744-49 .- Rov. Joseph Lamb, pastor.

1751-87 .- Rov. Sanmel Kennedy, pastor.

1793-1817 .- Rev. Robert Finley, D.D., pastor.

1818-25 .- Rov. William C. Brownlee, pastor.

1826-31 .- Rev. John C. Van Dervoort, pastor.

1834-36 .- Rev. John Anderson, pastor.

1838-51 .- Rev. Oscar Harrie, pastor.

185] .- Rev. John C. Rankin, D.D., pastor.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF LIBERTY CORNER.

The origin of this church is given in the following extract from the parish records :

" LIBERTY CORNER, April, 1837.

" The Inhabitants of this place assembled in the Academy, in accord- nnce with public notice proviously given, to adopt such measures as wero requisito to the organization of a Presbyterian Church in this vicinity. A deep interest was manifested on the subject, and, after fully consider- ing tho propriety and Importance of the matter, the congregation unani- mously appointed Mr. William Annin to wait on the Presbytery of Eliza- bethtown at its next meeting in Rahway, and request the Presbytery to come and organize a church as soon as practicable, to be known by the name of " The Presbyterian Church of Liberty Corner."

"On the application of Mr. Annin, the Presbytery appointed a com- mittee to make nll suitable inquirles us to the propriety of granting the request and report at the next meeting. The committee reported at the next meeting, and the Presbytery appointed the Rev. Messrs. Abraham Williamson, Daniel II. Johnson, Thomas Cochrane, and Joseph Cory a committee to meet ot Liberty Corner on the 10th of June following and organize n Presbyterian Church, ngreeably to the request made. The committee met at the time and place above named, and a sermon was preached on the occasion by the Rev. Mr. Williamson. After the sermon the following-named persone produced certificates of their church-Demu- bership, which were rend and approved, viz. : Mr. Nehemiah Scofiok, Mr. William Annin, Mr. John King, Mr. Samuel Cross, Mr. James Irving, Mrs. Phebe Ayers, Mrs. Sarah Cross, Mrs. Margaret Jola, Mrs. Sarah Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Mury Dunham, Miss Hannah Ayers (from the church in Banking Ridge), Mrs. Sarah Annin, Mrs. Elizabeth King, Mrs. Sarah Annin, Mra. Nancy A. Dunham, Mrs. Elizabeth Cross, alles Catha- rine Dunham, Miss Frances Dunhum, Miss Marin Dunham, Miss Martha Dunham (from the church at New Vernon)."

After the usual questions had been propounded and answered in the affirmative, Messrs. Nehemiah Sco- field and William Annin were unanimously elected ruling elders and deacons, and were individually ordained as such.

The corner-stone of the house of worship was laid on the 5th of September, 1837, by Rev. Messrs. R. K. Rodgers, of Bound Brook, Lewis Bond, of Plain- field, and Abraham Williamson, of Chester. Rev. James T. English was called to supply the church for one year. The house of worship was dedicated on Saturday, July 21, 1838, Rev. Nicholas Murray, of Elizabethtown, preaching the sermon. Oct. 23, 1838, Rev. James T. English was duly installed as the first pastor. The communion of the Lord's Supper was for the first time participated in by the church on Sunday, the 27th of August, 1838, the otliciating min-

* He received the honorary degree of " Doctor of Divinity" in 1867, from the trueteca of the Collego of New Jersey. (See page 624, this work). . ister being Rev. Lewis Bond, of Plainfield.

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SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

On the 4th of November, 1837, the following per- sons were received to membership :

Mr. James Rice, Mrs. Phebe Irving, Mrs. Sarah King, Miss Mary Lewis, Miss Abigail Parsils, Miss Harriet Scofield, Miss Sarah Annin, Miss Mary Elizabeth Jobs, Mr. Adrian V. King, Mrs. Nancy Irving, Mrs. Sarah Cross, Miss Mary Annin, Miss Emeline Ayers, Miss Caroline Irving, Miss Sarah J. Ayers, Mrs. Ann Rue.

Nov. 11, 1837, the following united with the church :

Mr. William C. Annin, Mr. Thomas A. Williams, Mr. Samnel Lewis, Mr. Jesse Irving, Mr. Parsemas Castner, Mr. James Whistlecraft, Mr. George Scofield, Mr. Eugene Jobs, Mr. Lewis Miller, Mr. Samuel A. Voorhees, Mr. John Wiggins, Mrs. Phebe Brown, Mrs. Jane Voorhees, Miss Julia A. Scofield, Miss Elizabeth Annin, Mise Susan Goltra.

The first church was of brick, and was used by the congregation till 1868, when the present edifice was erected on the same site at a cost of $8000.

MINISTERS.

Rev. James T. English, who was installed pastor Oct. 23, 1838, served the church till his death, May 17, 1873,-a faithful and successful pastorate of thirty- five years. He was born Oct. 31, 1810, and was con- sequently sixty-three years old when he died.

Rev. George C. Miln, his successor, was installed pastor July 1, 1873, and remained till Nov. 23, 1874.

Rev. James W. Shearer was installed June 22, 1875, and remained till May 1, 1879, when he removed to Virginia. After his removal the pulpit was supplied by various ministers up to April 5, 1880, when a call was extended to Rev. Mr. Hammond, of Jersey City, to officiate one year, which he accepted, and is now in charge of the church.

The family of Rev. Mr. English still reside on the farm formerly owned by the pastor. His widow still survives; his two sons,-N. C. and James R. English- are attorneys and counselors-at-law in the city of Eliz- beth, the former having his residence on the home- stead with his mother. A fine granite monument has been erected to the memory of Mr. English in the church burying-ground.

Ruling Elders .- William Annin, elected June 10, 1837 ; died June 30, 1872. Nehemiah Scofield, elected June 10, 1837 ; dismissed Nov. 3, 1846. Isaac Lewis, elected March 8, 1838; died June 1, 1855. Joseph Alward, elected March 8, 1838; dismissed 1845. Elias Brown, elected Oct. 23, 1847; dismissed February, 1854. David Dunham, elected Oct. 23, 1847; died March 21, 1876, aged seventy. James H. Day, or- dained Nov. 13, 1855; still in office. Peter A. Lay- ton, ordained Nov. 13, 1855; died Feb. 15, 1873, aged sixty-one. Daniel Annin, ordained Nov. 13, 1855; still in office. John Compton, ordained Nov. 13, 1855; still in office. Daniel S. Doty, ordained Nov. 13, 1855; dismissed Nov. 13, 1875. David Halsey Dunham, removed to Bound Brook; Jerome Helde- brant.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI OF BASKING RIDGE.

The first Methodist preachers in this place were the pastors stationed at Mendham and Bernardsville, who

began to hold services 'here in 1854, in which year Rev. William Day, preacher in charge at Bernards- ville, succeeded in building a church edifice. He commenced with his own hands the excavation for the foundation, and Bishop Janes, with his ox-team, carted the first stone. This exhibition of zeal on the part of minister and bishop aroused the co-operation of earnest friends, and the building was carried on to completion.

In 1858, Rev. George F. Dickinson was the pastor. During this year the church bought and laid out grounds for a cemetery, which has since been enlarged.

Rev. Solomon Parsons was pastor in 1859. He was followed by George W. Sovereign in 1860, and dur- ing that year the basement of the church was com- pleted and made ready for Sunday-school-, prayer-, and other meetings. The years 1861-62 were years of marked prosperity to the church, under the pas- toral care of Rev. William N. Searles. In 1863 it was made into a circuit with New Vernon and Green Village, and Rev. W. C. and C. R. Barnes were min- isters in charge. Mr. Barnes, being a local preacher, was recommended to the Annual Conference. The next year the charge was modified by leaving off Green Village, and Rev. J. W. Young was pastor. This being a year of great excitement, on account of the war, the spiritual interest of the church rather declined; but during the next two, under Rev. S. N. Bebout, pastor at Basking Ridge and Pleasant Plains, quite a number of accessions were made and the prosperity of the church was much revived.

In 1867, Rev. E. Clement was sent to the charge, being the first under the three years' rule. He was a popular and successful pastor. Rev. B. F. Simpson succeeded him in 1870, until July, when failing health compelled him to resign, and his place was filled by the appointment of Rev. Charles Woodruff. During his pastorate Rev. Mr. Woodruff compiled a history of the church, from which the present facts have been mainly gathered. Mr. Woodruff remained in charge for three years, since which have been the following ministers: Rev. Samuel P. Lacey, 1873-75; Rev. Joseph W. Dally, 1875-79; Rev. Joseph A. Owen, 1879; Rev. C. A. Wambaugh, 1880.

The church has a membership at present of 110, and a Sunday-school of about 100 members. The following are the trustees and other officers :

Trustees .- D. D. Craig, Waters Burrows, S. R. De Coster, William Van Doren, Archibald Baird, W. F. Muchmore, Oscar Conklin, O. W. Brown, W. H. Dikeman.

Stewards .- S. R. De Coster, William Allen, O. W. Brown, Isaac W. Keeler, Archibald Baird, Benjamin Woodruff, Ezra Dayton. Nicholas Bowers, local preacher.

BERNARDSVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

was organized in 1846, with seven male and ten female members. It was included in the Mendham charge

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BERNARD.

up to 1852, Bernardsville being called "Vealtown." The first board of trustees consisted of Roderick A. Mitchell, John S. Adams, John S. Quimby, James Barton, Elias IIight, Lewis D. Saunders, and Iliram W. Cummings,-all the male members of the church at that time.

The first church edifice was erected in 1846, and dedicated that year, on the 27th of December, Rev. D. W. Bartine preaching the sermon. The cost of the building was $977.50. In 1871 the house was re- modeled and refurnished. The present parsonage was purchased in 1865. From the organization of the church down to the present time no debt has been allowed to accumulate. The new church edifice is one of the most beautiful and convenient ecclesiastical structures in this portion of the State. It was dedi- cated on Sunday, June 28, 1880, by Rev. C. D. Foss, Bishop Foster preaching the dedicatory sermon. This church has been erected at a cost of $10,000, and is the gift to the parish of Mr. George I. Seney, presi- dent of the Metropolitan Bank of New York, and one of the lay delegates of the New York East Con- ference to the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Sency owns a summer resi- denee at Bernardsville, and, besides his generosity to this parish, has been a liberal donor to the Wesleyan University, at Middletown, Conn.

The church since its organization has had the fol- lowing pastors: Henry Trumbower, Mr. Beagle, Ed- ward Griffeth, Mordecai Stokes, Robert Harris, R. S. Arndt, William Day, Wesley Wood, William Day, E. A. Day, H. J. Hayter, Matthias Swaim, B. O. Parvin, J. F. Dodd, W. W. Voorhees, J. B. Taylor, W. H. Ilagerty, II. J. Hayter, J. W. Hayes, H. C. McBride, C. Clark, Jr., J. R. Adams, and C. C. Winans.

The church now numbers 105 members, and has a prosperous Sunday-school of 75, besides a school on Mine Mount of 40 members. Religious services are also hield there by the pastors once in two weeks.

THE MILLINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH

was the outgrowth of a great revival at Mount Bethel and contiguous country in the winter of 1850-51, under the labors of Rev. Edward C. Ambler, assisted by one other evangelist. Protracted meetings were held during a greater part of the winter at Mount Bethel and in neighboring school-houses, and among those who attended and shared in the religious awak- ening were many belonging to the neighborhood of Millington. It was thought best, at the close of the revival, that such should be organized into a separate church in their own locality. The first meeting in order to consider such organization was held in the school-house May 2, 1851, and two days later a letter of dismissal from the Mount Bethel Church was granted to fifty-two persons, who formed the nucleus of the church at Millington. The organization was etfected on the 20th of May, and the council recog-

nized it May 21, 1851. On the 24th of the same month deacons were chosen and rules of order and articles of church discipline agreed upon. The dea- cons were ordained at a communion service on the 2d of October, 1852, the meeting-house being at that time opened and dedicated.

The church, being thus organized and a house of worship provided, grew rapidly. It has been deemed worthy of notice by the pastor that the large increase was through baptism, and was acquired chiefly in seasons of revival, rather than by steady ingathering from year to year. Not that such has been altogether wanting, but there are numbers of years in which there are no records of admissions by baptism ; while, on the other hand, there has been one year, at least, in each pastorate when an especial interest was awak- ened and numbers baptized.

The first pastor of this church was Rev. E. C. Ambler, who resigned the pastorate of the Mount Bethel Church to assume charge of this in 1851. He continued in charge till November, 1854, and carly in that year one of the revivals occurred, in which twenty-one members were added by baptism.

Rev. Andrew Hopper began his labors in Decem- ber, 1854, under form of a supply for the winter and spring, and was chosen pastor on the 5th of February, 1855. Under his preaching a revival occurred in 1858, and from Feb. 8th to Aug. 8th, forty-five were baptized and became members of the church. The pastorate of Mr. Hopper closed in September, 1864, after a duration of ten years.

He was succeeded by Rev. Zelotes Grenell, called June 30, 1865, who remained five years and nine months. There was also a revival during his pastor- ate (from Dec. 22, 1866, to March 23, 1867), in which thirty-one were added by baptism. He closed his pas- toral relation in December, 1870.

After an interval of a few months a call was ex- tended to Rev. Peter Gibb, the present pastor, April 6, 1871. He soon after accepted and entered upon his labors. During all the years since there have been some baptisms each year,-in 1872, '73, '74, and '75; in each year from three to six,-but the chief re- vival was in 1876, when (up to the date of the report which we follow) the additions were twenty-one.

Over three hundred names have been added to the church record, first and last, but they have been re- duced by death, removal, and other causes, so that the present number is 142. The Sunday-school contains a membership of 66. Mr. Oliver R. Stelle has been treasurer and chorister of the church since its organi- zation. The clerks have been Francis Runyon, David R. Runyon, and Isaac S. Runyon. The pastor, Rev. l'. Gibb, resides at the parsonage, near Liberty Corner, which was purchased about 1873.

ST. MARK'S (EPISCOPAL) CHURCH, BASKING RIDGE.

Rev. Charles W. Rankin, now of Baltimore, organ- ized the parish of St. Mark's in 1850. There wero

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SOMERSET COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

three or four Episcopalian families in the neighbor- hood,-to wit, the family of Mrs. Thompson, consisting of five or six adult persons ; the family of Israel Bedell, of Staten Island, consisting of Israel Bedell, Jr., his mother, and five children,-and Bishop Doane, of the diocese of New Jersey, made to these families an- nual visitations. Rev. Mr. Rankin, while rector of St. Peter's, Morristown, in 1851, interested himself in pastoral labors here, and in the winter of 1851-52 the church edifice was built. The deed for the lot bears date Nov. 18, 1851. It was made by Patrick and Ann Matthews to Albert I. Bedell, James H. Thompson, and Charles W. Rankin, conditioned upon being always for purposes of the church, or otherwise to revert to the heirs of Patrick Matthews. The church was consecrated in May, 1852, by Bishop Doane.

The communicants have numbered as high as forty, but at present the membership is somewhat less. St. Mark's was under the rectorship of St. Peter's, at Morristown, till the diocese was divided and it be- came part of the Southern Diocese of New Jersey. The parish was reorganized in 1871 by Rev. Edward E. Boggs, and is at present an appendage of St. Mark's, Mendham. Since 1871, Rev. Messrs. Boggs, Coleman, Charles F. Kennedy, Henry Swentzel, W. Morrell, W. Wilson, Earl, and Baker have officiated as rectors.

ST. JAMES' CATHOLIC CHURCH.

There is also at Basking Ridge a Catholic Church of the above name. Erastus Drummond bought the land for the church site of David Demerest, who oc- cupied the building, converted into a church in 1860, for a wheelwright-shop. The first priest who organ- ized services here was Father McAnulty. Father Poals, of Mendham, is the present pastor.

SCHOOLS.

BASKING RIDGE CLASSICAL SCHOOL.

Rev. Samuel Kennedy, M.D., who was ordained pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge in 1750, was the founder of a classical school during his pastorate which, under his administration and that of Rev. Robert Finley, his successor, became somewhat famous. Dr. Kennedy was for a consid- erable time at the head of this school. "Being a highly accomplished scholar and possessing great wisdom and energy as a disciplinarian, his school was extensively patronized, and sent many of its pupils to the College of New Jersey."

Rev. Robert Finley's success in the same direction was still more noted. In the year 1799 two lads of about the same age commenced the study of the Latin grammar together, under the instruction of Dr. Fin- ley. Their names were Samuel Lewis Southard and Jacob Kirkpatrick. Their parents resided within the bounds of the parish and were members of Dr. Fin- ley's church. He was recently entered upon the duties of a pastor, and but lately from the College of New Jersey. From the combined motive of doing

good and obtaining a livelihood, he conceived the en- terprise of an academy. The two lads above named formed a nucleus around which a number clustered until there was formed in that place a large and flourishing classical school.

" They had progressed part way through the Latin grammar (Ruddiman's) when they were joined by Philip Lindsley, a youth from the same neighbor- hood. He had been a short time at school at Morris- town, but he fell into the same class. A short time again elapsed when a fourth one arrived. He wrote his name Jacob R. T. Frelinghuysen. He was the son of Gen. Frederick Frelinghuysen" (then living at Millstone, the old county-seat of Somerset County) " of Revolutionary memory. These four constituted the first class of the Academy of Basking Ridge, under the care of Rev. R. Finley. We were guided" (says the writer) " in our studies of the different clas- sics, which then constituted the course in the lower classes of the College of New Jersey, till the com- mencement of the college, then the last Wednesday of September, A.D. 1802.

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 182

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170