History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 210

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224

USA > New Jersey > Middlesex County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 210
USA > New Jersey > Union County > History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 210

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The shirt-factory of Matthew A. Rue at Cranbury occupies two buildings, thirty-six feet by sixty and twenty feet by forty respectively, and was established in 1879. The shirts mannfactured by Mr. Rue are cut out in New York, and returned to New York by him when finished.

The Cranbury Manufacturers were also extensively engaged in manufacturing shirts for New York par- ties in 1880-81. During the latter year they were sncceeded by E. T. Daneer, who leased their factory, and has since continued the business, using sixty sew-

1 Probably the second Peter Wyckoff in Cranbury, and not the pio- пеег.

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

ing-machines and employing sixty hands, in a build- ing eighty feet by twenty and two stories high. The Cranbury Manufacturers were an association of the following-named persons : J. S. Davison, president ; James H. Goodwin, treasurer; John G. Grover, sec- retary ; J. S. Silvers, J. C. Holmes, R. L. McDowell, Alexander S. Cole, J. B. Chamberlin, John Chamber- lin, Jones Chamberlin, S. A. French, and George Lane.

At no time in its history has the township had as many manufactories of various kinds as are now within its borders, a majority of them at Cranbury village, where the first enterprise was planted.

The First Presbyterian Church .- There was a Presbyterian Church more or less completely organ- ized at Cranbury in July, 1739, when the church-lot previously mentioned as having been, in consideration of two ponuds, transferred by James Rochead to Coert Van Voorhees and Thomas Storey was by the latter conveyed to " Nicholas Stevens and Peter Perrine, elders, and John Brown and William Magee, deacons, of the Presbyterian Church of Cranbury." No record can be found of the organization of this ancient church, though it is deemed probable it took place in 1738, immediately after the separation of the Presbyterians and the Episcopalians, who had, as has been stated, been joint owners of and worshipers in the "old church," in what is now Monroe.1 The new building was erected in 1740, and stood for forty-eight years in the old cemetery on its highest point. Rev. Joseph G. Symmes gives the subsequent history of this region in a historical sermon delivered in 1867, as follows :

"The church had no settled pastor for four years. But the people were not negligent of the means of grace, as at every meeting of Pres- bytery it is recorded, 'Cranbury enpplicated for supplies.' In June, 1741, Charles McKnight was taken under the care of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and licensed probably in the fall of that year. He was called to Staten Island and Basking Ridge, and to several other places. But he was not settled until called to Cranbury, in 1744. He was at the same time called to Allentown. It is a matter of interest, to the speaker at least, that the Rev. Timothy Symmes, great-great-grandfather of your present pastor, was present as a member of Presbytery when the call was placed in Mr. McKnight's hands, and arrangements made for his installa. tion ; and Mr. McKnight recommended Mr. Symmies to Woodbury. The Installation took place at Allentown, July 18, 1744, the Rev. William Tennent, of Freehold, preaching the sermon, and the exercise was ac- companied with fasting and prayer. There was a contest between the two places as to where the pastor should reside. But Cranbury had the preference, and it is conjectured for this reason : Mr. James Rochead was disposed to favor religon, and then owning the southwest section of the town, he probably offered terms for the pastor's residence in the present parsonage, which decided his remaining in Cranbury. .. . " Re- ferring to the fact that the missionary, David Brainerd, lodged with Rev. Mr. McKnight in 1745, Mr. Symmes inferred that Mcknight, thongh unmarried, kept house, especially as Brainerd was his guest several times, continuing thua :

" That a parsonage was needed is evident from a record actually en- tered upon the minutes of Presbytery for Oct. 15, 1746, viz. : ' Mr. Mc- Koight could not attend with the committee to install Mr. Hunter, be- cause he was absent marrying a wife. . . . ' Bnt the dispute between Allentown and Cranbury concerning the residence of the minister be- came so strong that the Presbytery was called in to compose it, and did 80 by appointing a large committee, of whom Jolin Brainerd WAS one. This committee met Oct. 12, 1748, and was opened with a sermon by

William Tennent. They advised that the pastor should continue at Cranbury, and that Allentown should be allowed to employ a minister as soon as possible. But the double relation continued until 1756. The Rev. Mr. Snowden states, in a record written in 1791, that during all this time the elders and deacons in the two churches constituted but one session. But he states it as an uncertain thing, and it may well be doubted.

" But now for forty years it is impossible to learn any particulars as to the state of the church, for either no records were kept or they were lost. We can only learn a few facts from some legal documents and from recorde of Presbytery. From the last source we gather that Mr Mc- Knight was subjected to niany trials at Cranbury, and hence he moved to Allentown in 1756. He was dismissed from Allentown in 1766, god set- tled at Shrewsbury and Middletown Point in 1767. It is indicative of the sentimente and influence of the man that he was seized by the British during the Revolutionary war and his church burned. Ile was released, and died soon after in New York, Jan. 1, 1778, and was buried in Trinity churchyard, where his grave may be seen to this day. Soon after Mr. Mcknight left Cranbury the people of that church called the celebrated Alexander McWhorter. Presbytery met at Cranbury in July, 1759, to ordain Mr. McWhorter, because he was under appointment of the Synod to go to Virginia, but instead of going to Virginia he was settled in New- ark. This church was without a stated pastor until 1762, a space of six years. But there ie constant notice of supplicatious to Presbytery for temporary supplies. And it is proof of the interest of the people in their church affairs that it was during this vacancy that the parsonage property was purchased."

Early in 1758 a subscription was circulated and was liberally responded to.2

"The deed was given May 26, 1759, by George Jobs to John Stevens, John Thompson, and Leaford Hanghawout, calling for 150 acres, for the sum of £425 current money of New Jersey. George Jobs had bought the property of James Rochead in 1751. In 1770 this property was con- veyed in trust to Charles Barclay, Joseph Clayton, and Arthur Wyckoff, and finally conveyed to the trustees of this church in 1790, which trus- tees had only then become incorporated noder the new law, consisting of Nathaniel Hunt, Jonathan Combs, Thomas McDowell, Jacob Fisher, William Covenhoven, Samuel Longstreet, and Humphrey Mount, and the instrument was signed in the presence of Timothy Horner and Cor- lis Lloyd. To complete the history of this matter, it is only necessary to be mentioned that the trustees of this church sold 60 acres of this tract in 1841. The remainder yet continues the property of the church. Ia 1761, Thomas Smith was received into the Presbytery from that of Suffolk, and ordered to supply Cranbury. Ile was called here in 1762, and installed in October of that year. From all that can be gathered, Mr. Smith was a man of piety and excellent spirit. But his health WAS very precarious, and his duties were many of them neglected, hie name seldom appearing as present at meetings of Presbytery. How he per- formed his duties in the church can only be gathered from the fact that he left no records whatever. If Mr. Mcknight left auy recorde they were lost, and Mr. Smith's successor found nothing but a few loose scraps of paper, containing nothing of value. But that Mr. Smith was interested in the affairs of the church may be inferred from the fact that Presbytery met in Cranbury six or seven times during his pastorate. We may lament this loss of records, because we can know nothing of the state of the church during our war of independence. It is to be regretted because we can never recover a list of members and officers. It is more to be regretted because the loss of marriage records has been in some instances a serious matter. We have still, on s time-stained sheet, the Hames of subscribers to Mr. Smith's support. A proposition to raise salary by assessing the pews had been voted down in 1750. And so a contract wae drawo up, binding the subscribers, their heirs, executors, sud administratore, to pay the enma affixed, the largest being two pounde and the smallest six shillings. It was stipulated that Mr. Smith should preach every sixth Sabbath in the neighborhood of Cornelius Voorhees, which became the nucleus of the Dutch Neck Church. Whether this arrangement continned during Mr. Smith'e pastorate does not ap- pear. The proposition of assessing the pewe continned to be discussed until 1773, when it was adopted. And we have a plan of the original church, drawn April let of that year, with the price attached, the highest being three pounds; and a tax for salary was levied on the pewe, the highest being eighteen shillings. And the plan is a curiosity. The pulpit was on the north side of the church, io a square that rested on & long

2 Fur names of subscribers, see page 867.

1 See previous pages.

873

CRANBURY.

aisle running east and west; there was a door at each end of this aisle. The main door was at the end of a short aisle directly in front of the pulpit. The pews on each side of this short aisle, filling down the pulpit square, were placed lengthwise of the church, all the other pewe across, and the gallery stairs opened out of doors.

"It is a pleasing fact, as showing that amid the confusion of war this church enjoyed the means of grace, that the Presbytery niet in Cran- bury io April, 1778, in the midst of the exciting scenes of which New Jersey was then the theatre. And it is indicative of growth that it was under Mr. Smith's ministry a new house of worship wae erected. The project was agitated several years before it was begun; indeed, prepa- ratione were made three years before the house was built. The old sub- scription list is still in existence, and showe that the first name, that of Charles Barclay, was signed Dec. 13, 1785.1 The terms prove that it was intended the suhacription should be good : 'We, the under subscribers, do, each one for himself, and not one se security for another, promise and oblige ourselves, our heirs, executors, and administratore, to pay, or canse to be paid, to Nathaniel Hunt, Esq., Treasurer of the Presbyterian Con- gregation of Cranbury, or to his successor in office,' etc. The house was not built until 1788, only the year before Mr. Smith's death. It was built where the present house now stands, and partly upon the very enme foundations. Mr. Jacob Fisher, one of the elders, was the builder. There is no hint as to the time of its dedication. The whole cost, at least the whole amount of subscriptions, was twelve hundred and forty- seven pounds. The salary of the pastor had been £60 until the move- ment for the new church, then it was raised to £100, or $500. It is cer- tainly proof of stability at least on the part of our fathers that this salary of $500 was continued until 1857. Mr. Smith had long been in- firm, his infirmities being of such a nature that he was often spprehen- eive that hie end would come in a long and painful illness. He had often prayed that he might be epared such a trial, and that his end might be by some speedy method. And his prayer was mercifully answered, for OD Wednesday evening, Dec. 23, 1789, he was attending a prayer-meet- ing at a private honse,-one that stood on the spot now occupied by the resideoce of Mr. William M. Perrine,-and while in the act of prayer he fell back into a chair and was carried home. There, apparently con- ecious, but unable to utter intelligible words, in two hours he gently fell asleep. Ilis remains rest among the people for whom he labored and among whom he died.

" After Mr. Smith's death the church depended upon temporary sup- plies, but only for a few months. During the following eninmer Mr. Gilbert T. Snowden, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, fre- quently preached here, and on the 2Ist of September, 1790, he was called to the pastorate. Oo the 24th of November following, Presbytery met at Cranbury to ordain and install Mr. Suowden. Among those present on thie occasion were Dr. Witherspoon, Dr. John Woodhull, Dr. Stan- hope S. Smith, and Dr. J. F. Armstrong, men loog to be remembered, Dr. Witherspooo being then, and Dr. Smith afterwards, president of Princeton College. Dr. Smith preached the sermoo from 2 Tim. ii. 2, and Dr. Woodhull delivered the charges. Mr. Snowden was a man of more than ordinary abilities and piety. He devoted himself with great zeal aod diligence to promote the interests of the church. He found all of ite affairs in great disorder, and his first work was to arrange and settle them. Six new eldere and five deacons were ordained in less than two years after his settlement. Hie testimony ie that he found that sound doctrine had been preached, and that the people relished euch preaching. But pastoral visiting, catechising the children, and disci- pline had been almost entirely neglected, owing to infirmities which Mr. Smith greatly lamented. From this time we have very full rec- ords. And from them one may be led to judge that Mr. Snowden eu- tered npon the work of discipline with too much zeal. It is very cer- tain this would be the judgment of some in our day when they read such a record as this : ' The session prohibited one member coming to the communiou table, and gave her and another member an exhortation to use more geotle and decent language, and to keep from intermeddling with and speaking of her neighbor's affairs improperly.' Mr. Snowden in- stituted meetinge of session, to be held on the first Monday of every mouth, to meet at one o'clock and adjourn at five o'clock, neither sooner por later, and excuses for absence from these meetings were required, the fact of excuse being antered upon the recorde. The session wae com- posed of the elders and deacous. Accompanied with an elder, Mr. Snowden mada visits to his familiee, reporting to the monthly meeting the number visited, their circumstances and spiritual condition, and especially the numbers where the family altar was erected. Frequent days of fasting were appointed ou account of the low state of religion,

and once at least with reference to the yellow fever then raging in the near neighborhood. Tokens were ordered to be distributed among those desiring to come to the Lord's table. After lengthy discussions it was resolved by the session that 'singing in the church should be per- formed without giving ont the line.' But it was found that the people were opposed to the innovation, and so Mr. Ezekiel Price and Mr. Wil- liam McChesney were sent for and engaged, 'the former carefully and constantly to set the tune, and the latter to give ont the line, for which the session engaged to get them exempted from the salary they now pay.' Six years afterwards, in 1799, the session again called upon the people for a vote on this subject, when reading the line was dispensed with. Mr. Snowden was greatly exercised during the whole of his short ministry with cases of discipline, some long and painful, some settled only after an appeal to Presbytery, and some bequeathed to his snc- cessor. It is one of the saddest lessons of history to read the story of the quarrels of those who now sleep together in the dust, and quarrele often abont canses trivial as the small dust of the balance. . . .

" Mr. Snowden was not satisfied with the parsonage-honse, aod so hnilt himself a house, the one now occupied by Mr. Nelson Petty, aud received the rent of the parsonage. But in December, 1793, he procured the adoption of a resolution ' highly approving of the measure proposed to erect a dwelling-house on the parsonage,' particularly as Mr. Soowden offered £40 towards it, and a meeting of the congregation was called ' to attend to the business.' Whether the meeting was held or what further action was had is not known. But this is certain, a new house was not erected. During the first years of Mr. Suowden's successor the house was repaired, and the southern half added to it, and the house then be- came very much what it is now. A portion of it, then, must be consid- erably more than a hundred years old. But, redolent of prayere and sacred with associations, it would be almost sacrilege to pull it down. Indefatigable worker as he was, Mr. Snowden'e race was soon ruo. In November, 1796, he last met his session, when he was zealously engaged in promoting the comfort of Rev. Mr. Smith's family. Soon after, hav- ing occasion to visit New York, he returned ill with yellow fever, which spread great consternation. He was faithfully cared for, as well as the case would admit, by hie servants, and by them carried to his last rest- ing-place, Feb. 20, 1797. He, too, reste among the people among whom he spent the whole of hie short ministerial life. A sermion was preached on the occasion of his death by Dr. S. S. Smith from Rev. xiv. 13, and his congregation paid every tribute of respect to his memory which a grateful people could pay to the memory of a faithful pastor.

" Being thue suddenly deprived of their under-shepherd, the session sent one of their number to solicit supplies from the Presbytery. Among those appointed by Presbytery to supply the vacancy wse George Spafford Woodhull, a son of Dr. John Woodhull, of Freehold. He had been licensed at a meeting of Presbytery held in Cranbury, Nov. 14, 1797, aod was appointed to supply at discretion. He per- formed the duty so much to the satisfaction of the people that on the 6th day of March, 1798, a meeting of the congregation was held, which was opened by a sermon by Rev. Samuel F. Suowden, after which a unanimous call was voted to Mr. Woodhull to become the pastor of the church. He found it in a more vigorous state than with his pre- decessor. And he seems to have continued in exercise the system of order and catechetical instruction aod visitation introduced by Mr. Soowden. Cases of discipline were not 60 numerous, and the church increased more rapidly in numbers. The Lord's Sapper continued to be administered four times in the year, according to the custom estab- lished by Mr. Snowden. Previous to his time there had been no regular seasone. It is recorded that on the 8th of May, 1803, there was a snow- storm of euch severity that the administration of the Lord'e Supper was deferred to the third Sabbath of June. Early in the next pastorate the custom of holding three communion seasons in the year was estab- lished and still continues. ... Dr. Woodhull, having been pastor of thie church for twenty-two years, in April, 1820, determined to accept a call from the church in Princeton. Ile remained there for twelve years, when he removed to Middletown Point. Here he had labored but two years when an attack of scarlet fever ended his life on the 25th of December, 1834, and here hie remains were laid to rest. His memory is still spoken of with affectionate respect by many in this community. Ilis sojourn among this people was pleasant to himself, and bis labors were fruitful of much good.

" During this time there was residing at Lamiogtou James Henry, a colonel in the New Jersey militia. Oo the 7th of June, 1797, the year Mr. Snowden died, a son, and his only one, was born to Col. Henry, whom he named Symmes Cleves for his brother-in-law, Judge John Cleves Symmee. This eou early entered Princeton College, graduating there io 1815 at the age of eighteen. He was brought to a knowledge of

1 Sea page 867.

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HISTORY OF UNION AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

Christ during the remarkable revival in college of 1815, to which many eminent men of God date their spiritual birth. He entered at once the esminary at Princeton, where he graduated in 1818. He was licensed the previous year, October, 1817, by the Presbytery of Newton, being but little more than twenty years of age. After filling various tempor- ary engagements in Massachusetts, New York, Philadelphia, and Vir- ginia, lie returned to Princeton in 1820. Here he received simultaneous calls from Cranbury ond New Brunswick. His final decision was to accept the former. . . . Within ten years after his settlement the church had more than doubled her membership, the number ad- mitted during that period being two hondred and twenty-eight. This growth continned until the church was filled to overflowing, and a di- versity of sentiment arose with reference to the building of a new house of worship. This diversity resulted in the formation of the Second Church of Cranbury, which was organized by a committee of Preshytery, June 8, 1838. . . . In the next year, 1839, those who remained in the old church resolved oo rebuilding their house of worship. They retained the old frame, and added to it considerably. The work was finished 60 that the dedication services were held on the first day of January, 1840, Dr. Archibald Alexander preaching the sermon. Thence the affairs of the church moved quietly and prosperously along until 1857, when the church was again bereft of her under-shepherd, In the midst of pre- paring a sermon on the text, 'In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord,' Dr. Henry was called to attend a funeral. In this service he took a violent cold, which at once fastened upou the infirmity in his throat that was contracted thirty years before, developing into an inflammation of the bronchial membrane. He at once recognized his approaching end, though none around him were alarmed. On the following Sabbath afternoon, March 22, 1857, whilst his people were assembled in his church, having taken a farewell look at this lower world, he walked calmly to his hed, and taking there his accustomed place he looked up and behield the gates of heaven open to receive him, and passed away as gently as a child falls to sleep in its mother's arms. On the succeediog Thursday his well-beloved and loving people followed his remains to the grave, and instantly turned their eyes upon his son-in-law, the Rev. Joseph G. Symmes, theo of Madison, Ind., to fill the vacant place. . . . Let me conclude this sketch with a reference to two facts in the history of this church that are re- markable, or at leest ars matters of thanksgiving. One is that this church, though one hundred and thirty years old, has had but six pas- tors and no stated supply. Mr. Smith and Mr. Woodhull each served a few months as supply, but it was only as a trial for a pastorate. There was indeed a space of six years after Mr. McKnight left when there was Do pastor, but the people more then once called for one, and the session was constantly appearing in Presbytery supplicating temporary supplies. There seemed to be no disposition to have a minister among them ex- cept as regularly settled. And than for more than e hundred years this is the record : Mr. Smith was settled in 1762, and died Dec. 23, 1789; Mr. Snowden was installed Nov. 24, 1790, and died Feb. 20, 1797 ; Dr. Wood- hull was installed June 6, 1798, and left April, J820 ; Dr. Henry was in- etalled Ang. 8, 1820, and died March 22, 1857 ; and the present pastor was installed May 28, 1857. It ie seldom such a close succession in the pas- toral office can be found for so long a period.

"Colonies have gone out to form the following churches in whole or in part : Spottswood Reformed (Dutch) Church ; Dutch Neck, organized in 1816; Millstone, organized in 1826; Second Cranbury, 1838; James- burg, 1854 ; Manalapan, 1856; and Hightstown, 1857."

In 1869 a church was organized at Dayton, fifty-six of whose fifty-eight members were from the two Cranbury churches. The pastorate of Rev. Mr. Symmes has been a signally successful one, and bids fair to terminate only with his life. The following is a list of the ruling elders so far as the records permit us to present their names. For the first fifty years there is an imperfection in the record of elders that cannot now be corrected; where only one date is given, that of dismissal or death does not appear or has not arrived : 1

Nicholas Stevens, 1741; Peter Perrine, 1744; Rob-

1 Those marked with a * are deceased ; those marked thus f have been dismissed.

ert English, 1744; John Thompson, 1744; Matthias Mount,* 1744, 1744-91; Jonathan Combs,* 1748- 1800; Samnel Bailey,“ 1748-1802; Cornelius Arvin,* 1748-91; Jonathan Combs, Jr.,* 1791-1803; William Perrine,* 1791-1820; Jacob Fisher, * 1791-1837 ; Hum- phrey Mount,* 1792-1801 ; Garret Snediker,* 1792- 1825 ; Matthias Mount, Jr.,* 1792-1807; John Slay- back,+ 1792-1816; Isaac Snowden,+ 1798-1806 ; John Mount,* 1802-4; Enos Baldwin,* 1802-21; Thomas Allen,t 1804-5; Israel Baldwin,+ 1804-25; Henry Stults,* 1813-32; Richard Reid,+ 1813-27; George Morris,* 1813-56; Abraham Bergen,* 1813-26; John Davison,* 1821-31; Derrick Griggs,* 1821-41; John Dey,* 1821-47; Thomas Duncan,* 1826-55; John Stinaker,* 1826-37 ; Lewis W. Dey,* 1826-55; Chris- topher Bergen,* 1826-44; Elias Dey,+ 1829-38 ; Aaron Lane,t 1829-38; Jacob Snediker,+ 1829-38; Peter C. Bergen,+ 1829-57; Jacob Stults,* 1841-54; Richard McDowell,+ 1841-69; Peter J. Dey,* 1841-64; An- drew M. Duncan,* 1855-60; John J. Applegate, 1855 ; Derrick G. Perrine, 1855; Matthias M. Per- rine,* 1860-78; Henry H. Stults,* 1860-72; Neilson L. Forman,* 1860-65; Stephen T. Duncan,* 1860- 78; William Everitt, 1870; J. Williamson Bergen, 1870; Alexander J. Stults, 1870; John Gibson, 1870 ; Peter R. Bergen, 1870; William Duncan, 1870; Ed- mund O. Howell, 1873; William E. Cole, 1877.

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History of Union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 210

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts Number of Pages: 1224

Author: W. Woodford Clayton, Ed.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia: Everts
Number of Pages: 1224