USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2 > Part 21
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1 William Leeds died in 1735, and by his will, made June 20th in that year, he left all his houses and lands to "the venerable and honourable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and to their successors for- ever, to and for the use and purpose following : that is to say, for the use and purpose of a perpetual glebe for the use and habitation of a Minister or Clergyman of the Church of England, as it is now by law established, that shall be a Missionary of the said Society, to preach the Gospel to inhabitants of Middletown and Shrewsbury." This land was in Middletown, and was equally divided in 1854.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
three children. Both he and his wife had been Quakers, but were come over to the Church."
Mr. Keith after this procceded to Burlington, Philadelphia, and so on to Maryland, Virginia and elsewhere ; in October, 1703, he returned to Mon- mouth, and of his services herc he adds in his journal the following: "October 17th, 1703 .- I preached at Shrewsbury, near the Quaker Meeting-House there, on Psalms 103: 17, 18. October 24th .- I preached again there, on Heb. 8: 10, 11, and Mr. Inncss bap- tized two men and a child."
On the 31st of October, Mr. Keith preached at -Amboy, after which he procceded to New York and New England. On his return he says : "January 9th, 1704 .- I preached at the house of Dr. Johnston, in Neverthesinks, on Psalms 119: 5, 113, aud had considerable auditory. January 16th .- I preached at Mr. Morris's house at the Falls of Shrewsbury, in East Jersey, on 2 Cor. 5 : 17. January 23d .- I preached again at Mr. Morris's house, on 2 Peter 1 : 5.".
It will be noticed that Mr. Keith, under date of October 26, 1702, mentions Mr. Innes as "being in priest's orders" and preaching among the people. This was Alexander Innes, of Middletown, whose name is mentioned in the records of that township in 1689. After the departure of Keith and Talbot he continued preaching in Freehold, Shrewsbury and Middle- town until his death, which occurred about 1713. He had given ten acres, on which Christ Church of Middletown now stands, and he left by his will five pounds each to the churches to which he preached. It was during his ministry (in 1708) that Queen Anne gave to the church of Shrewsbury and Middletown the communion service which is still used. The records of the church from the time of his death to 1733 are lost, and it is not known who ministered to them. In 1733 the Rev. John Forbes was sent out as a missionary and labored until 1738. He was suceceded by the Rev. John Miln. The charter of the church was granted by Gover- nor Burnet for George II., June 3, 1738. The following-named were appointed vestrymen : Willian Leeds, Henry Leonard, John Throck- morton, Samuel Osborn, Thomas Morford, James Hutchins, Jeremiah Stillwell, John Red- ford, Jacob Dennis, Patrick Hill, Benjamin Cooper, Pontius Still, Samuel Pintard, Anthony Pintard and Josiah Hohes.
Mr. Milu was followed, in 1746, by the Rev. Thomas Thompson, who was sent out as a mis-
sionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. He kept a journal of his work, which was published,1 and from which are taken the following extracts pertinent to this church :
"In the spring of the year 1745 I embarked for America, being appointed Missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts upon recommendation of my Reverend Tutor, Dr. Thomas Cartwright, late Archdeacon of Colchester and a member of the Society, myself then a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. I went in a ship called the 'Albany,' belonging to New York, which sailed from Gravesend on the Sth day of May, and providen- tially escaping some instant dangers on the passage, arrived at New York on the 29th of August. The Sunday following I preached both Morning and Af- ternoon at the Episcopal Church in that city, whereof the Reverend Mr. Commissary Vesey had then been rector more than forty years. Ou the next Sunday I passed over to Elizabethtown, in New Jersey, on my journey to Monmouth County in the Eastern Divi- sion where I was appointed to reside and have the care of Churches in that county, being also licensed thereto by the Right Reverend the late Lord Bishop of London.
" Being come to the place of my mission I presented my credentials and was kindly received and took the first opportunity of waiting upon the Governor, Lewis Morris, Esq., at his seat at Kingsbury, which is in the Western Division, and took the oath of allegiance and supremacy and also the abjuration oath and sub- scribed the Declaration in presence of his Excellency. Upou making inquiry into the state of the churches within my District, I found that the members were much disturbed and in a very unsettled state, inso- much that some of them had thoughts of leaving our communion and turning to the Dissenters. The par- ticular occasion of this I forbear to mention.
" As Icame to gather more information, it presented to me that many of those who frequented the Church worship had never been baptized; some heads of families and several others of adult age, besides a number of young children and Infants.
"After some time they began to bring their children to Baptism, and when some had led the way, the rest followed, and presented those of their children which were under years of maturity, to be received into the Church and I christened thirteen in one day. After this it went on regularly. Parents had their children
1 .. An Account of the Missionary Voyages by the Appoint- ment of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The one to New Jersey in North America, and then from America to the coast of Guiney. By Rev. Thomas Thompson, A.M., Vicar of Reculver, in Kent. London : printed for Benjamin Dod at the Bible and Key, in Ave Mary Lane, near St. Paul's, MDCCLVIII."
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baptized as soon after they were born as conveniently could be done, and one whole family, the man (whose name was Joseph West' ), his wife and nine children were baptized all at one time.
" The churches which I served were well filled every Sunday and divers families that lived out of the county came to Divine service from several miles dis- tance and were very constant devout attendants. Besides these, some of the Dutchi Church often made a considerable addition to the number of my hearers. I hid three churches immediately in my charge, each of them situated in a different township, which had regular duty in such proportion as were agreed upon and subscribed to at a general vestry meeting soon after my coming there. The names of the town- ships are Freehold, Shrewsbury and Middletown. I also officiated at Allentown, in Upper Freehold, while that church was destitute of a minister, which was afterwards supplied by Mr. Michael Houdin, a con- vert from the Church of Rome and a worthy clergy- man, now the Society's missionary. These four town- ships comprise the whole county, although 40 or 50 miles in length, and in some parts of it considerably wide. I also did occasional duty at other places, as will be further mentioned.
" The Church of England worship had, at Shrews- bury, been provided for by the building of a church, before there was any other in the county; but this church was now too small for the numerous congre- gation. People of all sorts resorted thither and of the Quakers, which are a great body in that township, there were several who made no scruple of being pres- ent at divine service and were not too precise to un- cover their heads iu the house of God.
"I went sometimes to a place called Manasquan, almost twenty miles distant from my habitation, wliere, and at Shark River, which is in that neighborhood, some church families were settled, who were glad of all opportunities for the exercise of Religion. I bap- tized at Manasquan two Negro brethren, botlı ser- vants to Mr. Samuel Osborne, an eminent and very worthy member of the church, in whose family they had been taught good Christian principles. The honest men were so gratified that each of them offered me a Spanish dollar in acknowledgment, and would have thought themselves more obliged if I had not refused their presents."
In closing the account of his work in this county he makes the following remarks :
"I had now seen a great change in the state of my
mission within the space of three years, through the grace of God rendering my labors effectnal to a good end; in particular as to the peace and unison which the church members, after having been much at vari- ances among themselves, were now returned to, and the ceasing animosities betwixt thein and those of other societies ; for these I account the most valuable success that attended my ministry.
" After this the churches continued to flourish, and in the latter end of the year 1750, having then been above five years in America upon this mission, I wrote to the venerable and houorable society a letter requesting of them to grant me a mission to the coast of Guiney, that I might go to make a trial with the natives and see what hopes there would be of intro- ducing among them the Christian religion. The sum- mer following I received an answer to that letter fromu the Rev. Dr .. Bearcroft, acquainting me that the So- ciety had concluded to support me in the design of that voyage and would appoint another missionary in my stead for Monmouth County. And the next Sep- tember Mr. Samuel Cook, of Caius college, arrived with his proper credentials and I delivered up my charge to him.
"Having took my leave of the congregation, I set out on the 13th of November, 1751, for New York, from thence to go upon my voyage to Africa, and at Elizabethtown waited on Governor Jonathan Belcher, Esq., who succeeded Colonel Morris, to pay n.y respects to him before I left the province."
The Rev. Thomas Thompson was succeeded, as is shown above, by the Rev. Samuel Cooke. He was educated at Caius College, Cambridge, England, and came to America as a missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in September, 1751, locating in Shrewsbury, as successor of Rev. Thomas Thompson, in the care of the churches in Free- hold, Middletown and Shrewsbury. The Rev- olution divided and dispersed his flock. As a minister of the Church of England, he thought it his duty to continue his allegiance to the crown, and so joined the British in New York, where for a time during the war he was chap- lain in the brigade of guards.
Among other persons in Shrewsbury town- ship whose property was confiscated and adver- tised to be sold by the Americans at Tinton Falls, March 29, 1779, is found the nanie of Samuel Cooke. In 1785 he settled at Freder- icktown, New Brunswick, as rector of a church there. In 1791 he was commissary to the Brit- ish of Nova Scotia. He was drowned in cross-
' The volume from which these notes are taken is owned by James Steen, of Eatontown, and on the margin of the page on which this incident is mentioned is the following in pencil : "Joseph West was my great-grandfather, and I remember seeing him.
" Edmond West, March 9th, 1881. 90 years old." Mr. West is still living near Oceanport.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
ing the river St. John in a birchen canoe, in Brown, to " ye Revd & Honorable Society for 1795. His son, who attempted to save his life, perished with him.
It was during his time, in 1766, on the 1st ' day of October, that an important convention was held in the church, for the purpose of dis- cussing the necessity of establishing an American Episcopate. Of those who were present were the Revs. Chandler, Jarvis, Seabury and Inglis. The large Bible still used in the church was presented during Mr. Cooke's rectorship (the next year after he assumed the duties) by Rob- ert Elliston, controller of customs in New York. The old Prayer-Book was presented by Gover- nor William Franklin, in June, 1767.
It was during the rectorship of Mr. Cooke, also, that the present church was built at Shrewsbury. At a meeting of the vestry on the 10th of July, 1769, there was a difference of opinion as to " where the northeast corner of the building should be located." It was finally de- cided to place it two feet south of the front of the old building. When the present church was erected, an iron crown, a copper vane and a gilt ball were placed on the spire. During the Revolution some American soldiers used the church as a barracks, and being angry at seeing the English crown over their heads, they shot at it, nicking it in many places, but did not bring it down. They finally built a fire in the church and .would have destroyed it, but for William Parker, a Quaker, who rushed in and smothered the flames with his coat. The iron crown is still there, bearing evidence of severe usage from the patriots.
It has been stated that the first Episcopal Church in Shrewsbury was built in 1703 or 1704, but it is evident the church was not yet built in 1711, as in that year Governor Jeremiah Basse, in writing to the bishop of London, used the following language : " I had no doubt you had expected to have heard of a church at the Falls of Shrewsbury, built and owned by one of your members, Colonel Lewis Morris, but I re- gret to tell you there is no such thing, not so much as a stick or a stone on the ground."
The deed for the lot on which the first church was built, and on which the present church now . stands, was deeded May 20, 1706, by Nicholas
y" propagation of ye Gospel in Foreign Parts," in trust " forever to ye use, intent and purpose hereafter expressed & declared, & to no other use, intent or purpose whatsoever. That is to say, for ye service & worship of God according to ye way & manner of ye church of England, as it is now by law established." The church lot so conveyed was " all that part or parcel of land lying and being in ye town of Shrewsbury, in ye county and province aforesaid." The starting point in the description of the tract is thus described,-"Beginning at Nicholas Brown's northwest corner at a walnut stump, bearing southwesterly twelve degrees westerly from ye Quaker's Meeting-House Chimbley, and from John West's great house chimbley north fifty- eight degrees easterly." The deed was exe- cuted in presence of Thomas Bills, John West, Samuel Dennis and Joanna Gaunt, but it was not acknowledged until July 9, 1714, when Nicholas Brown and Samnel Dennis, one of the subseribing witnesses, appeared before Thomas Gordon, one of Her Majesty's Council, and acknowledged the instrument.
The first church was undoubtedly built the next year (1715) after the recording of the deed, which was probably one of the steps taken be- fore its erection. As to the exact location of the building on the lot, it is inferred, from the dif- ference as to locating the corner at the vestry meeting held July 10, 1769, that it fronted on the road, the same as the present church.
The centennial anniversary of the laying of the corner-stone was held June 21, 1869, with imposing ceremonies. Bishop Odenheimer of- ficiated, aided by the Rev. William, Otis, rector of the church, and fifteen other ministers. The President of the United States was present ou the occasion.
In the history of Christ Church, written by the rector, the Rev. William Otis, the church building is described as follows :
"The church is a building capable of accommo- dating about four hundred people. Its exterior is ex- ceedingly plain. It is shingled all over, and has a modest little steeple, surmounted by an old iron erown, put up there before the Revolution. The interior is that of an English country church of the old time, but is most neatly furnished throughout. The chancel,
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which occupies the southern.end, is raised about four feet from the floor, the pulpit being just in front of it. The windows are of stained glass, that in rear of the chancel being one of the most beautiful in the country.
"It was the gift of Mr. George De Hart Gillespie, of New York, in memory of his ancestors, many of whom are buried here. The chairs in the chancel were made from the wood of the old oak which stands in the yard. This relie of ages past and gone is an immense tree. It measures sixteen feet two inches in circum- ference three feet from the ground, and one hundred years ago its branches and heavy foliage made a shel- ter for the people who collected on this spot to witness the laying of the corner-stone of the church. The largest of the chancel chairs is beautifully carved, and
bridge, England, in 1760, and presented to the Shrews- bury Church by Governor William Franklin in 1767, during the rectorship of Rev. Samuel Cooke ; the other is a large Bible printed by John Basket, at Oxford, Eng- land, in 1717. This was the gift of 'Robert Elliston, Gent., Controller of His Majestie's Customs of New York in America,' and bears the Elliston coat of arms with the motto, 'Det bene Deus.' It is filled with il- lustrations designed by J. Thornhill, and engraved on copper by Du Bose. Another valuable relic here is a silver cup and platter given to the church by Queen Anne, in 1708."
Since this was written (in 1882) the church was frescoed and the furniture renewed. A is known as the ' Bishop's Chair,' and never used on ' new altar font and eagle lectern have been
CHRIST CHURCH, Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, N. J., built 1769.
publie occasions by any one but the bishop of the di- ocese. In the southeast corner of the chancel stands a monument to the Rev. Harry Finch, who was for thirty-four years the rector of the church. It is a splendid piece of work, and consists of a white mar- ble cross entwined with ivy. This stands upon a black marble base, and this upon a white marble pedestal. It bears the name of the deceased rector, and the mottoes 'Semper Paratus' and 'Semper Fidelis' carved on the gides. There are two canopied pews, one on each side of the church and near the chancel, which, years ago, were occupied by the Governor of the province and the rector. The 'Governor's pew' now contains the organ, and the old organ-loft serves as a gallery. In the pulpit are two valuable books -- one a 'Book of Common Prayer,' printed at Cam-
added as the donation of Mr. George De Hart Gillespie.
In 1788, the Rev. Henry Waddell was inducted into the rectorship, by the church warden, as the first rector after the Revolution. He was sue- ceeded by Rev. Andrew Fowler, in 1799, who continued in the rectorship until 1805. In 1809 the vestry called the Rev. John Croes, Jr., who remained faithfully and successfully performing his duty until 1824, when he was followed by the Rev. Eli Wheeler, who had a successful ministry of about six years, during which time a bell was added to the church. It had been
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
sent from France to a Santo Domingo Roman Catholic Church. There it remained until the revolution that deposed Soulouque, when it was sent to New York by its captors. Bought by Mr. Van Zandt, of Little Neck, L. I., it called the faithful to prayers, but a hill between the church and Mr. Van Zandt's house pre- vented him hearing it plainly, so he sold it to Rector Wheeler, of the old church at Shrews- bury. It has a bas relief of the fleur de lis, the coat-of-arms of France and the date 1788.
In 1830 the Rev. Harry Finch became rector, and labored faithfully until his death, February 14, 1864, serving this and the adjoin- ing parishes nearly thirty-four years. A monu- ment erected to his memory by his parishioners stands in the churchyard. During his ministry three separate parishes were formed out of the mother-church : at Navesink, in the Highlands, Red Bank and Long Branch. Since that time another parish has colonized from it at Eaton- town.
In 1864, the Rev. William B. Otis was called by the vestry, and continued in the rectorship until 1875, when he was succeeded by the present reetor, the Rev. B. Williams.
The graveyard of Christ Church contains many old headstones bearing names now familiar all over the land. Ancestors of the Lloyds, the Lippineotts, the Holmes, the Morfords and scores . of other well-known families lie here, and some of these lived to a good old age. Hannah Morford died at ninety-three; Elizabeth at eighty ; Jarrett, eighty-one ; Thomas, eighty- one ; Rebeeea, seventy-seven ; Maria, seventy- one ; Elizabeth De Hart lived to enjoy eighty- four years ; another Elizabeth, eighty-four ; Mary, eighty-seven ; Margaret, ninety-nine ; Mauritz, seventy-seven ; Balthazar, seventy- eight; another Mauritz, eighty-eight,-all an- cestors of Mr. Gillespie named above. Mrs. E. M. Clark, his mother, died at the age of seventy- two, and Elizabeth Crossly, the old family ser- vant, lived one year longer. Not far from these graves is that of Charles Carville, a grandson of De Witt Clinton, and here, too, lie thie Stelles, one of whom was buried in 1723, another in 1730. Their graves are at either side of the front entrance to the church. Here, too, is the
monument of the Rev. John Croes, A.M., son of Bishop Croes. He died in 1849, at the age of sixty-seven, after having served faithfully as rector of Christ Church thirteen years. A number of the Allens lie here, too, and the Throckmortons and the Voorhees family. Several graves are marked with names now ex- tinet in this locality. Many of the Halsteds, members of the church for one hundred years, sleep here, and all of the Jones family. Aaron Jones, the father, died in 1840. His grave occupies one end of his family plat, and at the other is the grave of his daughter Eleanor, who died at the age of nineteen,-the only child out of eleven who lived more than ten days. Between these two graves are ten little ones, all of the same length, and each marked with a little white stone bearing the letter J. It is shown by the church register that these ten little ones each lived ten days, all dying at exactly the same age.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SHREWS- BURY had its origin in the earliest days of the settlement, but did not have a house of worship at Shrewsbury until about 1727. The first settlers of Shrewsbury were mostly Congrega- tionalists from New England, who settled on Rumson and Town Neek. There are evidences of a Congregational Church having existed at Rumson. The site was undoubtedly on the old graveyard near Rumson nurseries, in which is the Parmely vault. The ground is filled with unmarked graves. The oldest slab stand- ing, bears date February 4, 1723. The grounds liave been used in later times and many tomb- stones liave been erected within the last thirty years. It is mentioned as being a Friends' burial-ground, but there is nothing to indicate that the society had established a burial-place there. They had a meeting-house at Shrews- bury as early as 1672, and their burial-place was near the church. Several of the early settlers in this section were not of the society, but succeeding generations, by intermarriage with Friends, have now become so thoroughly identified with them as to induce the belief that their ancestors were all Friends. This is the case with the descendants of John Hance, one
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of the original Monmouth patentees. He was a justice of the township and was appointed "Schepen," or magistrate, under the Dutch rule in 1673. George Scott, in his "Model of the Government of East Jersey," says that the peo- ple were in the habit of holding service in the villages of the colony and conducting their own services; that "they were a pious sort of people, most like the Presbyterians." As early as 1684 they had lost control of the town-meetings and were without any settled pastor. The tide of Scotch Presbyterians set in about this time and occupied their places, though they differed from the Congregationalists but slightly. The Presbyterians in this part of the county were ministered to by John Boyd, who was licensed by the court in 1705 and by the Presbytery in 1706. He said he found the congregations scattered and weak, but apparently united in the endeavor to maintain services.
The Rev. Joseph Morgan succeeded the Rev. John Boyd in the "Scots' Meeting " (now Ten- nent Church), and served until about 1730.
On the 1st of June, 1727, Nicholas Brown (who, in 1706, sold the present Christ Church lot to the Episcopalians) conveyed the present lot on which the Presbyterian Church is located to Alexander Napier, John Johnston, Jr., and others, to be used for a burying-ground and Presbyterian meeting-house. At this time dis- senting churches could not hold titles, and prop- erty for their use was conveyed to individuals.
On February 21, 1849, Governor Jonathan Belcher granted (in the King's name) a charter for the Presbyterians of Monmouth County. The following-named persons are named therein as corporators: John Little, Jr., Christopher Longstreet, Jonathan Forman, Esq., James Robinson, John Henderson, Stephen Pangborne, Esq., Robert Imlay and Tobias Polhemus.
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