USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2 > Part 45
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He was a man of more than usual ability, a learned man and a scholar. He was the author of a number of printed sermons on various subjects, and published several theological treat- ises. A Latin letter written by him to Cotton Mather, the most eminent clergyman of New England, bearing date 1721, is preserved at Worcester, Mass. The testimony of the con- sistory, at the time of his leaving this congre- gation, gives him a reputation for piety and ministerial fidelity scarcely equaled by any of the ministers at that time in the country.
In 1714, five years after the installation of Dominie Morgan, the land on which this build- ing stands, and the adjoining farm of Mr. Daniel P. Conover, became the property of the church. It was first bought of one Richard Salter, or Sadler, in 1709, for the sum of four hundred and fifty pounds, by Ghertie Romain, widow of Stoffell Romain, "for the use of the Dutch Presbyterian minister." In 1714 it was conveyed by Jacobus Romain, her son, to John Schenck and Cornelius Cowenhoven, of Mid- dletown, and Peter Tyson, of Frechold, in trust for the use of the congregation. Because of the uncertain tenure of lands and the conflict of titles at that early day, the same property, with the addition of thirty aeres, was deeded, in 1748, to Cornelius Van Der Veer, of Mid- dletown, and John Hans, of Freehold, "in trust for the Low Dutch congregation of Prot- estants, as the same was established by the Synod of Dort, in the years 1618-19, to be equally divided between the two congregations of Freehold and Middletown, both in quantity and quality." This deed was executed by Thomas Kinnan. The property was ocenpied by Dominie Morgan as a parsonage. It is described as containing "one hundred aeres of good arable land, as good as any in Freehold, on
which a family may subsist comfortably." Dominie Morgan, it is said, realized at least thirty pounds a year from his farming opera- tions, "besides his own bread." Its location is designated " five-quarters of an hour's distance from the water's edge, and the half of a quarter of an hour's distance from the church."
The question now arises, Where was the church located ? Two places are referred to as the probable site. The Rev. Aaron A. Marcel- lus says, in a book of historical notes, that the old church stood either on the brow of the hill, on the right-hand side of the turnpike, just as you cross the bridge near the mill in going from the church to Marlborough, or on Hendrickson's Hill, the large knoll on which a solitary apple- tree is now growing, almost directly in the rear of the present parsonage at Marlborough. Be- tween these two places it is not difficult to -de- eide. There is in the former place an old grave- yard, whose existence has probably led to the conclusion that a church once stood there. It was formerly known and called Hanee's bury- ing-ground, and was a portion of the estate of John Hance,' one of the original proprietors under the Nicolls patent. This proves conclu- sively that the old church did not stand there. Burying-grounds invariably take the name of the church to which they belong. The tradi- tion which fixes the site of the old church on Hendrickson's Hill is probably correct. In tracing back the title to the property in ques- tion, it is found that more than a century ago a quarter of an aere of land, which takes in Hen- drickson's Hill, was deeded several times to different parties, until at length it became the property of Mr. John H. Smoek, who owned the adjoining land. The building which for- merly stood on Hendrickson's Hill, and was taken down more than fifty years ago, was just such a building as a pioneer people would be likely to ereet as a house of worship. It was about twenty feet square, with a steep gable roof. The sides were shingled. The door was
1 Some persons think this name should be spelled Ilans, pronounced Honce. If so, the property in question did not belong to the John Ilance mentioned, but to a Dutch family, whose name is found on the baptismal register in 1735,-Johannes Ilanse and Lena Willemse, his wife.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
in the middle of one of the sides, and was quite large. There was a window on each side of the door. There were no partitions within, but one room occupied the whole space. Such a build- ing would not have been erected for dwelling purposes. It was used as a dwelling in later years, but only after additions were built and alterations made. It was a very old building when taken down. It is also well known that fifty years ago, when the congregation was di- vided in opinion and sentiment concerning the location of the Brick Church, some wished to have it placed on Hendrickson's Hill. As at that time there was no village at Marlborough, the only apparent reason for such a desire is the faet, then better known than at present, that the first ehureh stood there.
to the erection of the Middletown Church the only Reformed Church building in Monmouth County was the one located on Hendrickson's Hill, in the present township of Marlborough, then forming a part of the township of Free- hold. This is the reason why the congregation is always called, in the early church records, the congregation of " Freehold and Middletown." Dominie Morgan's ministry lasted twenty-two years. He received one hundred persons into the communion of the church, the first of whom, Jan Romain, Benjamin Keener, Derrick Barka- low and Janake, his wife, were received the 13th of May, 1711. He baptized five hundred and eighty-two infants, the first of whom was Abraham, son of Jacob Van Dorn, October 20, 1709. In 1721 a revival was enjoyed, when twelve persons united with the church at one time. He preached his farewell sermon August 2,1731.
At this time (1709) there was no house of worship belonging to the Reformed Church at Middletown. The deed for the Middletown Church property was executed in 1723. This The Rev. Gerardus Haeghoort, a licentiate of the Classis of Amsterdam, Holland, succeeded Mr. Morgan. He came in answer to a call sent by the consistory to the above-mentioned Classis, with the request that they would send them a suitable minister. Accompanying this call there is an interesting description of such a minister as the consistory suppose would be acceptable to their people. He was to be a person of com- petent abilities, not more than thirty-five years of age, whether married or unmarried it mat- tered not. He was to be sound in the faith of the Reformed Church, well educated, exemplary and prudent. was after the erection of the church. In de- seribing the property, the deed locates the place of beginning a certain number of chains " south- east of the meeting-house." The date of the erection of the church is unknown. It was probably commenced as early as 1721, as at that time there was a permanent increase in the num- ber of elders and deacons composing the con- sistory. This church was located about half a mile beyond the present Holmdel parsonage, on the road leading to Middletown village, near an old burying-ground. Some old papers in possession of Dr. William Reiley show conclusively that it must have been built in The call also contained the following stipula- tions: The pastor is to preach in two places,- Freeliold and Middletown,-on alternate Sah- baths, the two meeting-houses being "about an hour and a half's travel apart." He is to ob- serve New Year's day, Paas, Pinxter, Ascen- sion and Christmas days, " according to the cus- tom of a majority of the churches in this country." The Lord's Supper is to be adminis- tered quarterly and alternately in either church, the preparatory service having been held on the preceding Thursday. squares, without pews. There seems to have been eleven of these squares, besides benches. There are still extant curious lists of these squares and their occupants, which show that the present congregation is, to a great extent, descended from those who reared the old build- ing. It was pulled down and destroyed in 1764. The property on which it stood was conveyed to Daniel Hendrickson and Johannes Polhemns by Andrew Johnson, ot Middle- town, in consideration of the sum of three pounds, " for the sole use, benefit and behoof of For such services the consistory promise him the entire use of the parsonage and farm in the people belonging to the religious society known as the Dutch Presbyterians." Previous | Freehold, "on which, in a short time, the
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MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP.
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church will be placed, not far from the minis- ter's house." They promise hiin annually seventy pounds good current money, in exact half-yearly payments,-a custom still in vogue. They also promise to repair the parsonageaccord- ingly to the dominie's wishes, after his arrival, and likewise to furnish him with a good riding- horse. The congregation is described as "five- quarters of an hour's travel in breadth in the middle, and full three Dutch or twelve Eng- lish miles in length." And the consistory as- sure the Classis that if the minister they send is not aceustomed to farming, " he could let the farm for two-thirds of its yield, or hire a far- mer for fifteen pounds, or by the assistance and instruction of friends, he would be able in a few years to manage the farm."
This call was signed by_Jan Kowenhoven, Garret Schenck, Elbert Williamse and Corne- lius Wyekoff, elders, and Dirk Barkalow, Hen- drick Kip, Jan Van Mater, and William Covenhoven, deacons. It was moderated and attested by the Rev. Gaultherus Du Bois, who seems to have been very much in the esteem and confidence of the people. He was pastor of the Collegiate Reformed Church of New York City. "He was more like a bishop," says Dr. De Witt, " among the Dutch Churches, than pastor of a single organization,"
Mr. Haeghoort, having accepted this call, was soleninly ordained by the laying on of hands, and installed pastor of the church of Freehold and Middletown by the Classis of Amsterdam, Holland. On the 9th of August, 1731, he was introduced to his charge by the Rev. Gaul- therus Du Bois, who preached a sermon on the occasion. Four years after his arrival he re- signed his call to become pastor of the Reformned Church at Second River (now Belleville) Esscx county, N. J.
For fifteen years Mr. Haeghoort's relations to the church at Second River were delightful and pleasant. Dissatisfaction then took the place of harmony and love. The church-doors were closed against him, and he preached to a few friends from the steps of the church. His salary was withheld, and for so long a time that the possession of some property brought with him from Holland alone saved him from
needing the very necessaries of life. He main- tained his ground, triumphed over his enemies, and continued the pastor of the church until 1776, when he died, and was buried within the walls of the church, immediately in front of the pulpit.
During the first year of Mr. Haeghoort's ministry, and previous to September, 1732, the congregation commenced the erection of a house of worship on the site now occupied by the Brick Church. They were so evenly divided in sentiment and desire that at a meeting called for deciding the location of the church, they agreed that the church should stand on the site to which the first load of stone for building purposes was carted. It was late in the after- noon when the meeting adjourned, but Mr. Roeleff Schenck, more frequently called Black Roeleff, immediately went home, hitched up his team, gathered the stones and carted them to the lot on which this building stands. That decided the matter.
The building which the congregation erected on the site to which Roeleff carted the stones was a good, substantial edifice, nearly as large as the present one. There were three windows on each side, and a large double-arched door in the centre of the gable end facing the road. It had a steep, hip roof, surmounted by a small belfry, crowned with the four points of the com- pass and a large brass rooster. This is now in the possession of Mr. Asher Holmes. There were galleries extending about threc-fourths of the length of each side, and entirely across the front. The building was ceiled within with boards standing on cnd. The ceiling overhead met from each side in the centre, from which a large wooden ornament resembling an acorn was pendant. The pulpit was smali, but quite high. It was reached by a narrow flight of stairs, and over it hung a sounding-board to give volume and depth to the minister's voice. For many years there were no pews in the building. The congregation sat on benches, the men around the wall, the women in the centre. Some used double chairs, such as was generally used in wagons in those days, and may occasionally be seen even now about old farm-houses. Some of the families would ride to church in these
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
chairs, and then taking them out of their wagons, would carry them into church for use during service. Others kept such seats especially for use in the sanctuary. A great many would ride to church on horseback. One horse generally carried a man and his wife, and very frequently the baby also. Carriages were unknown. The first family carriage in this vicinity was owned by Mr. John H. Smock, and was purchased about eighty years ago. Farm-wagons without springs were thought to be comfortable. There were no means for heating the church. Stoves were not in existence. Private houses were made warm by the use of large fire-places, but churches were built without chimneys.
In this building the congregation worshiped more than ninety years. It was taken down in 1826 to make room for the present church edi- fice. Mr. Haeghoort continued the pastor of the church only four years, and when resigning his call, August 17, 1735, left one hundred and nineteen persons in the communion of the church, sixty-seven of whom were in the con- gregation of Freehold and fifty-two in that of Middletown.
The year following the resignation of Mr. Haeghoort the Rev. Reynhard Erickzon was recommended to the consistory by the Rev. Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen,1 of Raritan. The result is thus recorded in the handwriting of Mr. Frelinghuysen :
" In the year 1736, in December, a meeting of the Consistory was held at Freehold of the Navesink, at which were read the call of the Rev. Reynhard Erick- zon, and his honoroble dismission and certificate from the congregation at Schenectady. The which eertifi- eate being found lawful and constitutional, the Rev. R. Erickzon was received and recognized as pastor and teacher of the congregation of Freehold and Middletown, by the Rev. Consistory of that place.
"T. J. FRELINGHUYSEN, President Pro Tem."
Dominie Erickzon was a Swede. He came to America in 1725. He was then about twen-
ty-five years of age. He sailed from Holland with his brother and sister in the ship "King George," Captain Saul Payton. He was first settled at Hackensaek, Paramus and Schraalen- bergh, where his labors were very greatly blessed, and converts were multiplied. After a three years' ministry he removed to Schenec- tady, N. Y. He was married twice,-the first time, in 1726, at Hackensack, to Maria Provost ; the second time, while settled here, in 1736, to Sarah Luyster, the widow of Rulif Brokaw, and daughter of Johannes Luyster and Lucretia Brower, who resided near Middletown village. In the latter part of his ministry-which lasted for twenty-seven years-he became a victim to the drinking customs of the day. The consistory made ont charges against him, withheld his salary and excluded him from the pulpit. He continued to reside in the parson- age until 1770, six year after his successor was called. He then removed to New Brunswick, and resided with his daughter, Mrs. Van Nor- den. He died soon after this, and his widow returned to Middletown, her native place. His remains, it is said, were also conveyed to Mon- mouth County for burial. If so, he lies in an unknown grave, though worthy of being honored as one of the fathers of the American Reformed Church. An excellent portrait of him is in the possession of Rev. Garret C. Schenck.
In 1764, the same year in which Mr. Erick- zon's ministry closed, Rev. Benjamin Du Bois, a young man, just licensed by the American Classis to preach the gospel, was called to occupy the vacant pulpit. There is no record to be found of his installation and ordination. He was born at Pittsgrove, Salem County, N. J., March 30, 1739, and was baptized in the Presbyterian Church there, in which his father was an elder. He was the son of Lewis Du Bois, a lineal de- scendant of the French Huguenots of New Paltz. His mother's name was Margaret Jan- sen, who was born in Kingston, of Low Dutch descent. He was educated at Poughkeepsie, and studied theology with Rev. Johannes H. Goetschius, of Hackensack, N. J. A short time after liis settlement here he married Phemertje Denise, the daughter of Tunis Denise and Fran- cynthe Hendrickson, of Freehold, a woman of
1 The first minister of the Reformed Church in Central New Jersey, 1720. Gilbert Tennent, George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards speak of him as one of the great divines of the American Church. He was the great- grandfather of the late Honorable Theodore Frelinghuysen, . who for many years was president of Rutgers College .- See Corwin's Manual of the Reformed Church, p. 87.
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MARLBOROUGH TOWNSHIP.
intelligence and activity, sprightly, prudent and pious. They liad ten children,-four sons and six daugliters,-all of whom were married, were highly respected for their virtuous principles and became members in full communion of the church. Four of them settled in this locality, and their descendents are very largely repre- sented here to-day.
During the period of Mr. Du Bois' ministry a new house of worship was created at Middle- town, on the place where the old one stood. The subscription for defraving the necessary ex- penses bears date February 28, 1764. This was in the midst of the Coetus difficulties, and the decided Conferentia principles of the con- gregation are manifested by the peculiar word- ing of the subscription. It is expressly stipu- lated, "The church for which we subscribe is to be the National Church of the High Synod of Dort, established in the years 1618 and 1619." The house of worship thus erected was known for many years as the Red Meeting- House. It corresponded in size with the one at Freehold, and was very much such a build- ing. It was used for divine worship until the erection of the Holmdel Church.
In 1785 the church building at Freehold was repaired and improved. A chimney was built and a large stove purchased. The rude benches which had formerly been used were taken out and replaced with pews. To meet this expense, the pews were sold at public auction. The terms of the sale are carefully penned in the handwriting of the pastor. From these it appears all riglit and title to a pew should ceasc so soon as a pew-holder or his heirs should cease to pay for the support of the minister.
The contention respecting the change from Dutch to English preaching commenced with the settlement of Mr. Du Bois. The English language was introduced in the Freehold con- gregation during the first year of his ministry, without much opposition. But not so at Mid- dletown. In that congregation there were some who yielded a very reluctant consent, and a few who bitterly opposed it to the very last. At a meeting of the consistory in 1766, hield at Freehold, it was " Resolved, that those who wish to enjoy the services of our minister in
the English language, in our church at Middle- town, shall have tlicir request to the half of the service in that congregation." About twenty years after this, in 1785, it was resolved, in a church council at Middletown, that the Dutch and English preaching shall be in proportion to Dutch and English subscription for salary. The following ycar it was ascertaincd, in com- pliance with this resolution, that the proportion of Dutch service should not be more than three Sabbaths a year, and it was left to the option of the pastor to make an address in English after the Dutch service. It was also " Resolved, that if, for want of Dutch singers, it seem expe- dient, the pastor, if he choose, may have Eng- lish singing and preach in Dutch." The dominie certainly enjoyed the preaching in Dutch.
In 1817, Mr. Du Bois was relieved from the ac- tive duties of the ministry by the labors of a col- league, but he was never declared Emeritus,and the pastoral relation was dissolved only by his death. He was the settled pastor of this church for sixty- three years. That is by far the longest pastor- ate in the history of the Reformed Church in America. He received one hundred and sixty- six persons into the communion of the church, baptized twelve hundred and eighty-three in- fants, married seven hundred and twenty-five couples. The last marriage ceremony he per- formed was September 28, 1818, when he united in marriage Denise Denise and Altie Hulse. He died August 21, 1827.
During the ministry of Mr. Du Bois, com- munion Sabbaths were called Great Meeting days. The audience was larger than at any other time. Every communicant, if possible, was present. Thic services were long. Many brought a lunch to eat between the morning and afternoon sessions. It was a time of reunion and friendly clicer, as well as of holy communion with God. But this is not all. There were in those days, as now there are, those who im- proved every opportunity to make a few pennies. There was in front of the old church a large chestnut-tree, and nuder that tree, on Great Meeting days, there was always to be seen a man with a wagon offering for sale cakes and small beer. Nor were customers lacking.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
After the sermon tlie great majority of those who were not communicants were in the habit of leaving the church and thought it no harm to refresh themselves with the offered cake and beer. There are those now living who can re- member, that as children, they beguiled the time of service by feeling of the pennies in their pockets, with which they expected to treat them- selves at the small beer wagon when the sermon closed.
In 1817 the Classis of New Brunswick, in answer to an application from the consistory of the Reformed Church of Freehold and Middle- town for ministerial supplies, because of the infirmities of their pastor, appointed three young men, who had just been licensed, to occupy the pulpit. One was afterward known as Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff, D.D., for many years pastor of the Middle Reformed Church, at Albany. Another was afterwards known as Rev. Jolin Ludlow, D.D., LL.D., professor of Hebrew, ecclesias- tical history, church government and pastoral theology. The third was afterward known as Rev. Samuel A. Van Vranken, D.D., professor of didactic theology. In September of that year the consistory presented a call to the Rev. Mr. Van Vranken. His ordination and instal- lation as pastor took place in the Freehold Church the first Sabbath of April, 1818. The sermon was preached by Rev. John L. Zabris- kie, Revs. James S. Canon, John S. Vreden- bergh and Benjamin Du Bois delivering the charges to the pastor and people, and taking part in the devotional exercises.
Since the organization of the church its pas- tors had resided in the Freehold congregation, and now, as the parsonage at Freehold was oc- cupied by Mr. Du Bois, the Middletown people desired their new pastor to dwell among them. To gratify their wishes, the consistory inangu- rated measures for the purchase of a parsonage at Middletown. The property selected was that now occupied by Rev. Dr. William Reiley, of Holmdel. There Dr. Van Vranken commenced house-keeping, and there he dwelt until 1826. He was born at Hopewell in 1790. He gradu- ated from the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick in 1817. A short time, after he · married Miss Maria Gansevoort, of Albany, a
descendant of Wessel Gansevoort, of Groningen, "one of the Morning Stars of the Reformation in Holland." This lady died while Mr. Van Vranken was pastor of this church. Dr. Van Vranken was again married twice,-first, to a Miss Swift, of Poughkeepsie, and then to Mrs. Mary Boulden, of Delaware.
In 1834, after a pastorate of sixteen years, Dr. Van Vranken accepted a call to the First Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie. There he remained about three years, when he removed to New York and became pastor of the Broome Street congregation, from which position he was called in 1841, by the General Synod of the Re- formed Church, to occupy the chair of didactic theology in the seminary at New Brunswick. This position he filled with credit to himself and honor to the church until the day of his death, January 1, 1861.
In 1825, seven years after Mr. Van Vran- ken's installation, the consistory petitioned the Classis of New Brunswick to organize two churches out of the church they represented. The causes which led to such a request were the great extent of the congregation and the dis- tance which many were compelled to travel every other Sabbath to enjoy divine worship. There were twenty-seven gates between the house of Mr. Uriah Smock, near the village of Marl- borough, and the church at Middletown, to be opened and shut, both in going to and returning from church. Many other residences were shut in in like manner. And now the imperative necessity of a new house of worship at Free- hold, the location of which had occasioned con- siderable feeling, and disturbed to some extent the peace of the congregation, brought on the issue, Shall we continue under one pastorate or become two distinct churches ?
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