USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1882 pt 1 > Part 87
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The former Parish Clerk having with- drawn, James R. Voorhees was elected to that office viva voce.
On motion it was Resolved. That the Treasurer collect the pew rents due on the 12th inst. and pay all expenses of the church up to that date, and that no charge be made for interest on pews belonging to the Church.
On motion it was Resolved. That the proceedings of this meeting be printed and copies placed in the church pews, by the Parish Clerk.
On motion meeting adjourned.
Friday, March 14, 1873. Trustees. H. M. Olmsted was elected President, and Edward Pierson, Secretary.
The form of a card for distribution in the pews, in compliance with the plan adopted at the Parish meeting for raising money for the support of the Gospel, was presented by the President and adopted by the Board. The Secretary was ordered to have 500 printed, and to procure envelopes and have them directed and distributed in the Pews on Sunday, 23d inst.
March 31, 1873. Trustees. Absent, Geo. Vail, he having notified the President that he declined to act as Trustee.
Com. on Music reported that they had a conference with a Committee of the Ses- sion, and submitted a report in writing, which after discussion by the members of the Board, was ordered to be accepted by a vote of four in the affirmative, and two in the negative, and was also ordered to be placed on the minutes, as follows: The Trustees at the commencement of their of- ficial duties find themselves under the ne- cessity of deciding, whether to them, or to the Session of the Church, of right belongs the power and responsibility of electing a Choister and an Organist, which was a mat- ter in difference, between the late Board of Trustees, and the Session. The Trustees have given the matter careful examination and consideration, and while it is undoubt- edly true that the practice has been for many years past, for the Trustees to make such appointments, and so far as the Trus- tees know the propriety of that course was not questioned until within the last three or four years, the Trustees are, after full consideration and conference with the Ses- sion, constrained to record their correction and acknowledgement, that both under the law of the State, and the law of the Church as expounded by the General Assembly, the exclusive control of the music, whether in- strumental or vocal, as a part of the wor- ship belongs to the Session, and that such contract, of necessity, implies and requires that the Session shall have the power to appoint and discharge those who officiate as leaders. Resolved, That Mr. Koffer, the Chorister and Organist, be notified by the Secretary that the Board of Trustees have given the appointment of Chorister and Or- ganist to the Session of the Church, and re- fer him to them for any arrangement after Ist May next.
June 17, 1873. Trustees. Resolved, That the request of Mr. Morgan for the use of the Church, for the purpose of a concert of mu- sic be denied and his communication be re- turned to Mr. French.
July 8, 1873. Trustees. The Remonstrance against granting license to Mr. N. B. Luse, as acted upon by the Session of the Church and signed by them, was then read; after remarks
151
TRUSTEES AND PARISH.
by the members, it was resolved that it be signed by the members present as Trustees, and presented to the Common Council of Morristown.
July 11, 1873. Trustees. The following communication was read, viz :
" Morristown, July 10, 1873. Mr. Edward Pierson :
Dear Sir :
I wish through you to ask of the Board of Trustees, that the time of my annual va- cation be made six weeks this year, as I find that amount essential to my condition for work in the Church; and when I provide a part of it for myself it makes confusion in the supply of the pulpit.
Hoping this request may be granted, I remain cordially yours, John Abbott French."
Upon which application it was Resolved, that the request of the Rev. J. A. French be granted, and that the pulpit be supplied at the expense of the Church during his six weeks vacation.
Jan'y. 16, 1874. Trustees. The President read the following letter, viz :
"New York, Jan'y. 13, 1874. H. M. Olmsted : Dear Sir :
A German Church, intending to join the Presby. Synod of Morris and Orange, has been organized. They have had public wor- ship in the South St. Pres. Church at 4} P. M. for a month past, but this hour being entirely too late they desire to meet in the morning. I would therefore respectfully enquire, whether the Chapel of your Church could be granted to them for Public Ser- vice at Io} A. M, every other Sabbath. The next meeting is the next Sabbath in the South St. Church Basement, at 4₺ P. M., and if their request for the use of the Chapel should be granted it would be desirable to receive your reply before that time, so that notice of change of place and time might begiven them. Prof. Henurg, of the Bloom- field Seminary, is to be the Pastor.
Respectfully yours,
M. C. G. Witte."
After the reading of the above it was Re- solved, that the President be authorized to reply, offering them the use of the Chapel as requested.
March 17, 1874. Annual Parish Meeting.
Twenty-one persons present. Mr. H. M. Dalrymple, Chairman. The Treasurer's re- ort was ordered to be copied in full in the minutes of this meeting, asfollows :
1873.
March 11. Received from D. H. Leek, Treasurer, 297 21 June 14. Received from voluntary assessments to date, .165 :
Received from J. A. French, 50
Sunday collection,
Sale of old iron, :4.95
1874.
Mar. 12. Old taxes on pews col- lected to date, 1,603 26
On Ac't annual pledges to date, 6,312 59
8,435 0I
Per contra. 1
1873.
Mar. 18. Paid Rev. J. A. French
1
Bal. due him Mar. 12, '73, 300 Apr. 7. Paid Rev. J. A. French
in full to Apr. I, '73, 200
Apr. I. Paid Rev. J. A. French one quarter in advance, 1.000
July 1. Paid Rev. J. A. French
one quarter in advance. 1,000
Oct. I. Paid Rev. J. A. French one quarter in advance. . 1,000
1874.
Jan. I. Paid Rev. J. A. French one quarter in advance,
- 1873.
Mar. 18. Paid Leo. Kofler on ac't, I20
Mar. 31.
in full
to date,
30
1874.
Feb. 28. Paid (monthly) Leo. Ko- fler, 550
1873.
Mar. 22. Paid F. L. Whitehead on ac't, 16 13
Mar. 31. Paid F. L. Whitehead in full to date, 25 54
1874.
Feb. 28. Paid (monthly) F. L.| Whitehead in full to date, 550
March. Paid A. F. Whitehead 1
during year on ac't. 31
Mar. 12. Paid miscellaneous ex- penses to this date, of which say $171.63 accrued prior, to Mar. 12, '73, 1,571 63
152
PASTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.
Balance cash in bank and in hand of Treas.,
1,040 71
8,435 71
Balance to new ac't,
1,040 71
39 59
Schedule
of
1,000
Organist and Choristers, I month's salary, 50
Sexton, month's salary,
50
Organ blowing (now due),
10
Gass bill and incidentals, say
40
1,150
Against which we have cash on hand and in Bank,
1,040 71
Unredeemed pledges for the past 12 months, both of a positive andinferential nature,amount to, 34° 59
From which deduct uncollectable, say
69 96
25,000
Furniture, &c., within ditto.
270 63
And amt. already received in ad- vance on ac't of second 12 months,
161 34
People's Mutual Newark ex- pires Nov, 22, 1874, 600
Mendham
Mutual expires
April 19, 1877, 1,400
-- 2,000
Stone Chapel.
Newark Mutual expires Jan. 18, 1875, 5,000
People's Mutual expires Jan. 18,1875, 5,000
10,000
Furniture in ditto,
Newark Mutual expires Jan.
18,1875. 1,000
People's Mutual expires Jan. 18, 1875, 1,000
2,000
Total,
40,000
Expenses consist of say-
Painting and glazing 20 75
Printing, 9 50
Work on burial yard and carting ashes, &c,, &c., 71 50
Sprinkling.
12
Legal expenses.
43 36
W. C. Caskey & Bro., 14 52
There is belonging to the Parish a due bill dated Dec. 12, 1872, 27 19
And a note due Feb. 2, '73.
Also scrip of the Firemen's Mutual Ins. Co. of Newark
of year 1868 for 24 00
12 96
Of year 1869 for
13 00
Which scrip probably with interest may be collected in a few days, 2 59
Fire insurance in force March 12, 1874. Church Building. St. Nicholas New York expires Sept. 22, 1874, 2,500
Newark Mutual expires Oct. 12, 1874, 5,000
New Brunswick Fire Ins. Co. ex- pires Dec. 14, 1874, 2,500
Amer. Mutual Newark expires Aug. 30, 1874, 5,000
Firemen's Mutual Newark ex- pires Jan. 29, 1875, 5,000
Peoples' Mutual Newark expires Nov. 13, 1874, 5,000
St. Nicholas New York expires Feb. 9, 1875, Organ.
1,000
And there remains the net sum available of say
109 29
The salaries for 12'months are, 5,240 From the statement on the other side it appears that the cur- rent expenses for the 12 months, viz : from Mar. 12, 1873, to Mar. 12, 1874, have been say, 1,400
6,640
Realized income from voluntary system during the same per- iod is,
6,312 59
Collectable ditto, ditto, is.
109 29
6,421 88
Showing a deficient income of
219 12
There will be due April 1st, 1874, for pastor's salary, 3 months in advance,
153
TRUSTEES AND PARISH.
W. Y. Sayre, stone mason,
34 69
Winding and repairing clock to May 1, 1873,
20
Voorhees Brothers, 4 Bills,
130 58
Gas and Water Bills,
151 85
McVay and Lounsbury,
106 47
J. York, plumber, 2 Bills,
29 13
Fuel,
227 82
Pulpit supply,
240
Returned to Rev. J. A. French,
50
Maps and wall hymns,
55
Fire Insurance,
16150
Chapel clock,
12
Repairing Fresco,
70
Repair to church organ,
46 50
Repair to chapel organ,
9
Say 17 small items,
55 46
1,571 63
[Similar full reports were made annually by Mr. Hull, during his treasurership.]
sembly. The four-twelfths above stated shall constitute the Session fund, to be dis- tributed according to our present church system of benevolence."
Mr. A. B. Hull was re-elected Treasurer. The following persons were elected Trus- tees : Mr. Lewis Pierson, Jr., Henry M. Olmsted, George E. Voorhees, Edward Pier- son, Joseph C. Bird, David Gillespie, Wm. C. Caskey. Mr. James R. Voorhees was re- elected Parish Clerk.
Mr. Wm. E. Church, Supt. of the Sunday School, represented to the meeting that the school was outgrowing its quarters, already it is much cramped for room, and increased accommodations is imperatively demanded. Upon his motion it was, after much discus- cussion, resolved [ayes 8, noes 6], That it be referred to the Board of Trustees, to take into consideration some plan for enlarging the accommodations of the Sunday-school, and to report to the Parish such plan as shall seem most suitable, as soon as con- veniently may be.
Dec. 14, 1874. Trustees. The following paper was adopted : Whereas, the Treasur- er, A. B. Hull, Esq., has addressed a letter to the Board of Trustees and Session of the Ist Pres. Church conjointly, bearing date Dec. 12, 1874, in which he rendered a state- ment of finances showing a probable deficit in the Treasury on the Ist of April, 1875 of $600, and notifying them that until other- wise advised he will retain in the Treasury. all moneys of the Sunday offerings not con- tributed or designated for a specific object. Therefore, Resolved, That a committee of
A communication from the Session in re- gard to the disposition of moneys, was adopted and ordered copied in the minutes, and is as follows: "The Session having carefully considered the plan of church sup- port as adopted by the parish meeting of March 11th, 1873, hereby express to the Parish their willingness to' concur in the same so long as it shall be for the best in- terest of the church ; although by Presby- terian law and usage the benevolent funds of the church are always under the care of the Session. They would also call the at- tention of the Parish to the recommenda- tion of the General Assembly (Minutes of 1873, page 499), that the churches remit monthly, or at least quarterly ; and request be appointed by the chair to meet a like committee of the Session at such time as the Session may appoint, to consider to- gether the Treasurer's communication. The resolution was lost by three voting for and three against its adoption. them so to alter that part of their previous action contained in section third of their resolutions, so that they may read as follows : The Treasurer shall first pay on the order of the Trustees all expenses necessary for our home work, not, however, exceeding The following preamble and resolution was then offered, viz : That, Whereas, the Treasurer, A. B. Hull, Esq., having notified the Board of Trustees that he is in receipt of the sum of $594.45. being a bequest, abso- lute and subject to no condition, by the late Abel Minard to the Ist Pres. Church, and Whereas, The Testator having in his Will expressed his desire that the sum be used and applied by the Pastor of said the amount designated by the Parish Meet- ing; and the balance, excepting four- twelfths of the undesignated contributions, he shall remit monthly to the Treasurer of the Assembly's Committee of benevolence, to be distributed by him as follows: The special contributions to be sent to the dif- ferent Boards designated and the remainder divided among the eight boards in the pro- portion recommended by the General As- Church for purposes indicated by him,
154
PASTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.
therefore,"Resolved, That the Treasurer be requested to hold the said sum of $594.45., subject to the order of the Pastor and Ses- sion of said Church.
Jan. 5. 1875. Trustees. Resolved, That in view of the impracticability of altering the Treasurer of the Church be requested, from and after this date, to pay all Church expenses on order of Trustees monthly, the Pastor's salary in advance.
March 16, 1875. Parish Meeting, 27 persons present. Mr. Enoch T.Caskey, Chairman. On motion of Mr, Wm. E. Church, Resolved, That the Parish year be considered as closi- ing with the second Sabbath of March, and the Annual Parish Meeting be held the first Tuseday thereafter. Adopted.
Mr. Wm. E. Church repeated his motion of last year in regard to the accommoda- tions for the Sabbath-school, which was again adopted.
The following were elected Trustees : Lewis Pierson, Jr., George E. Voorhees, Joseph C. Bird, William C. Caskey, Daniel H. Leek, Aaron D. Whitehead, J. Duryee Stevenson ; Mr. A. B. Hull, Treasurer ; and Mr. James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk. Re- solved, That the Pastor be requested to urge all pew holders, so far as possible, to pledge the amount which they are willing to pay towards our home work promptly at the beginning of the Parish year, this be- ing essential to the proper working of our system of church support.
Resolved, That inasmuch as the success of any plan of Church support depends up- on the co-operation of all in it, that the Treasurer is hereby requested from time to time, in the name of the Parish, to invite all regular attendants upon the church, to con- tribute to its support under the plan now, in force, by liberal annual pledge and prompt monthly payment, and to forward statements of account to any in arrears.
March 14th, 1876. Parish Meeting. About 150 persons present, and the meeting was called to order at twenty minutes after three o'clock. Mr. William W. Stone, Chair- man.
The Trustees submitted the following re- port of a Com. of the Board: Your committee were specially appointed at the last meet- VICTOR FLEURY (Deacons), ing of the Board, held Dec. 17th, 1875, un- HENRY C. PITNEY (Congregation), der the following resolution : " Upon mo- tion of Trustee Stevenson it was resolved be hereby appointed Special Trustees of the
That in view of the critical position of our Church in its present manifest need of larger accommodations and its utter want of preparation for future responsibilities,and the present building, the President, Clerk, and Trustees Voorhees, Caskey and Leek. be appointed a special committee to con- sider the establishment of a new Church Building Fund, looking to the erection of a new church, and if the same be considered wise, to report a scheme for such fund with details of collection."
Your committee now respectfully report to the Board : That we have carefully con- sidered the matter given us in charge, and do unanimously favor the establishment of a new Church Building Fund for the pur- pose proposed, and advise that the Board recommend the same to the Parish ; that we have also considered and herewith report a Y scheme with details of collection for said fund, to be adopted by the Parish. All of which is respectfully submitted.
Dated March 6th, 1876. Lewis Pierson, Jr., J. Duryee Stevenson, George E. Voor- hees, William C. Caskey, Daniel H. Leek- Special Committee.
Scheme for a new Church Building Fund to be adopted by the Parish :
Resolved, That this Parish do erect to the honor and worship of Almighty God a new Church building on the following basis :
First. That nothing be done other than the raising of funds until $50,000 be reliably subscribed, and that we solemnly pledge ourselves not to dedicate or occupy the new Church until all indebtedness upon it be paid or provided for by responsible pledges.
Second. That the following persons (rep- resenting the Session, the Board of Trus- Sin tees, the Board of Deacons, the Treasurer- ship, the Sabbath School, and the Congre- gation at large' :)
Messrs. L. B. WARD (Session),
LEWIS PIERSON, JR., (Trustees),
HENRY M. OLMSTED (Deacons),
AURELIUS B. HULL (Treasurer), THEODORE LITTLE (Session), 1 ... GEORGE E. VOORHEES (Trustees),
WILLIAM E. CHURCH (Sabbath School),
1 155
TRUSTEES AND PARISH.
new Church Building Fund, the same to be gathered and invested by them, and to be held subject to the order of the Parish.
Third. That the collection taken upon the third Sabbath of each month to be devoted to this Fund (the present plan of Church support and beneficence being modified in accordance herewith) and be paid over by the Treasurer to the Special Trustees of the new Church Building Fund, and that they be requested to take such other steps as they shall think wise, to obtain subscrip- tions to their Fund.
The Trustees also reported, That upon receiving said report, so vital to the Church did your Board consider this subject to be, that we invited the Session, Deacons, Treasurer, Parish Clerk and Sabbath School Superintendent to meet and advise with us upon the same. That meeting was largely attended, and after careful consultation, reached a union of opinion suggesting some changes in the form of the report, until it appeared as above given, whereupon the report was unanimously adopted by your Board. We now present the same report and scheme annexed as our official recom- mendation to the Parish.
Under the circumstances of the Parish, and the recommendation above presented, your Board see no way to provide for an extension of the Sabbath School building at this time.
The Treasurer reported :
Total Receipts,
$6,806.13
" Disbursements, 6,674.07
Balance in hand, $132.06
The following Trustees were elected : Lewis Pierson, Jr., George E. Voorhees, Joseph C. Bird, William C. Caskey, Daniel H. Leek, Aaron D. Whitehead, J. Duryee Stevenson ; with Mr. A. B. Hull, Treasurer ; and Mr. James R. Voorhees, Parish Clerk. The discussion on the scheme for a new Church lasted one and one-half hours, and when put to a vote was passed unanimously with one exception.
On motion of. Rev. J. A. French, the Parish Clerk was requested to place on re- cord as full minutes of the meeting as pos- Ltsible, which he has endeavored to do, and " respectfully submit to; the Parish for ap-
proval what has already been read, and also what is to follow.
The Pastor stated that it was about one hundred years ago, that this Parish was called together, to discuss the plan of build- ing a Church, the present building that we worship in, and at that time there was a strong opposition to the project lead by two of the Session of the Church, but now every officer of the Church was in favor of the movement.
It was requested that all persons present should give in their names to the Parish Clerk to be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The Parish Clerk procured 122 names. The following were obtained : Rev. John A. French, Mrs. Emily L. French, Mrs. Henry C. Pitney. Henry C. Pitney, Cyrus Pruden, Joseph H. Berry, Miss F. E. Stone, Mrs. Sarah V. Davis, Rev. T. E, Souper, Mrs. T. E. Souper, Mrs. Ellen M. Crane, Joel Davis, A. C. Powelson, H. M. Dalrymple, Wm. C. Caskey, Miss Ella J. Easton, A. B. Hull, Frank L. Whitehead, A. I. Olmsted, Dr. Stephen Pierson, Victor Fleury, Geo. E. Voorhees, Mrs. Geo. E. Voorhees, Master G.IE. Voorhees, Master W. E. Bailey, Miss M. VanPelt, Miss Ida C. Homan, Miss Fan- nie Sayre, Mrs. W. J. Easton, J. H, Van Doren, Mrs. J. H. VanDoren, Master W. C. VanDoren, Mrs. S. D. Loree, L. B. Ward, Mrs. L. B. Ward, Charles Masker, Stephen H. Noe, Miss L. A. Roy, W. W. Cutler. A. D. Whitehead, Mrs. S. S. Holloway, J. Henry Johnson, Lewis Pierson, Jr., Wm. E. Church, Miss M. L. Gibbs, Mrs. T. H. Butterworth, Sam'l Pierson, Mrs. Mary W. Cooper, Miss Mary E. Cooper, Wm. J. Cooper, Mrs. Wm. J. Cooper, James Cooper, Winthrop Con- dict, Miss Matilda Rowe, S. C. Burnet, Mrs. S. C. Burnet, Mrs. Geo. Fleury, Marcus 'L. Force, Miss Isabel M. Force, Mrs. Ellen L. Stevenson, Miss Louisa Stevenson, Miss Minnie Stevenson, J. Duryee Stevenson, Geo. Udall, Miss M. E. Speer, Mrs. Charlotte E. Lee, Joseph M. Lee, Mrs. G. N. Homan S. B. Condict, Jacob J. Davis, Mrs. Edward Pierson, Mrs. Stephen Pierson, E. T. Caskey, Mrs. E. T. Caskey, Miss Emma Cory, Lemel E. Pierson, Miss Laura A. Pierson, Master Charles S. Bird, Miss Hannah L. Fleury, J. O. H. Pitney, Miss M. E. Roy, Mrs. James S, Pierson, Edward Pierson, Wm. W. Beers. Wm. A. Halsted, Miss Julia E. Pierson, Miss
1 56
PASTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.
Sarah E. VanPelt, Miss Emma F. R. Camp- bell, Miss Valina J. Woodhull, Miss Sarah A. Carter, Miss Gertrude M. Oliver, Silas D. Cory, Geo. W. Drake, Mrs. Geo. W. Drake, Wm. Baldwin, Harrie A. Freeman, Theodore Little, D. Gillespie, Mrs. D. Gillespie, Miss Irene Duryee, Miss Kate C. Emmell, C. A. DeCamp, Mrs. H. W. Knox, Miss Addie N. Caskey, Jacob Crane, Wm. Sayre, Miss C. F. Campbell, Miss Kate Stevenson, Mrs. S. B. Condict, Augustus Whitehead, J. Frank Johnson, C. R. Whitehead, Mrs. R. M. Stites, W. W. Stone, D. S. Brink, Joseph A. Blanchard, Miss Lilian Duryee, Joseph C. Bird, D. H. Leek, Wm. Moore, James R. Voorhees, James Mills.
A number of persons passed out before the clerk could get their names, but fully one hundred and fifty (150) were present.
Jan. 16, 1877, Parish meeting. There was a large attendance of the congregation, Mr. Henry M. Dalrymple being called to the chair.
Our pastor was called upon to open the meeting with prayer, after which he tendered his resignation to the Parish, for the reasons as stated from the pulpit. on the previous Sunday, that he was unable to perform the pastoral duty of the Church as it should be performed, and therefore he wished to ac- cept the call of the Fourth Presbyterian church of Chicago.
The resignation was accepted. and Messrs. J. Duryee Stevenson and William E. Church were appointed to act with our pastor be- fore Presbytery.
Resolved, [Ist,] That a committee of twelve be appointed to select six from their own number and the church to find a pastor after our present pastoral connection is .
dissolved.
On motion of Mr. H. M. Olmsted it was [2d,] That the chair appoint the committee three from the session, three from the trus- tees, and six from the congregation at large, and that the committee be announced from the pulpit next Sunday morning ; also, that the committee have power to fill any va- cancy that may occur.
[3d], That a call be extended to any minis- ter whom the committee of six shall unani- mously agree upon, and also, that the pul- pit be not open to candidates.
[4th,] That the salary be fixed at $3,000 per annum and a parsonage.
Mr. French having been requested to withdraw from the meeting, the following resolutions were unanimously ·adopted : Whereas, our pastor, Rev. John A. French, has been constrained by the impaired state of his health to request this Church and congregation to unite with him in asking Presbytery to release him from his pastoral charge : Resolved Ist, That while we re- cognize and appreciate the force of the reasons stated by our pastor for this re- quest, and believe that he has sincerely sought through it, to promote the best spiritual interests of this Church, as well as our own future usefulness, and do therefore unite with him in his application, we desire to place on record an expression of an un- feigned regret that any necessity exists for the dissolution of the relation which has existed so happily for the past eight years. 2d, That it is to us no less a pleasure than a duty, in view of the resignation of our Pastor, and his intended removal to another portion of the great field, to bear our testi- mony to his special pulpit ability and to his catholicity of spirit, and that his ministry among us has been marked by " a deport- ment in all respects becoming a minister of the gospel of Christ;" and to assure him that he will carry with him the respect and kind regard not only of every member of this Church and congregation, but also as we believe of Christians of every name in our midst, who will unite with us in pray- ing for the happiness of himself and family and for his eminent success in his future ministerial work. 3d, That a copy of these resolutions, signed by the officers of this meeting be sent to the Pastor.
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