History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1885 pt 1, Part 21

Author: First Presbyterian Church (Morristown, N.J.)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Morristown, N.J. : "Banner" Steam Print
Number of Pages: 1014


USA > New Jersey > Morris County > Morristown > History of the First Presbyterian Church, Morristown, N.J., 1742-1885 pt 1 > Part 21


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Nov. 18, '67. Trustees. Mr. Requa re- ported that he had made a verbal contract for the sale of the Parsonage House and lot in Courtlandt St., to Mrs. Gertrude N. Ho- man for $7,500., payment to be made in Bonds and Mtt'gs assigned to the church. interest reserved until the ist of April. 1868, and possession given on Ist of April, 1868. The Pres., (Mr. Requa.) was authori- zed to execute a warranty deed for the


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TRUSTEES AND PARISH.


said Parsonage House and Lot to Mrs. Homan, and affix the seal of the corpo- ration on the terms aforesaid.


Dec. 20, '67, Trustees. Considered the request of our Pastor for an extension of his leave of absence to June ist, 1868. Mr. Requa was appointed to see the session and others in reference to the raising of the ne- cessary funds for supplying pulpit during the time indicated above. Resolved, That the secretary give timely notice to the tenant of the "Mrs. Cobb House" to vacate the same Ist April, 1868; and that the said House be sold for whatever can be obtained for it as it stands, and that it must be moved off the grounds by the 15th of April next.


Dec. 27, '67. Trustees. Mr. Requa re- ported that the necessary funds, for supply- ing the pulpit for the next 6 months, had been subscribed ; whereupon it was unani- mously resolved, That we extend our Pas- tor's leave of absence to June 1, '68.


January 6, '68. Messrs. Requa and Pit- ney were appointed to confer with the "Trustees of the Green" in regard to fixing the location for the new Lecture and Sab- bath School room. Mr. Requa was author- ized to act conjointly with Mr. Rockwell and Mr. Little to procure plans for a new parsonage ; and also to make contract for stone necessary to build Lecture and Sab- bath School room and Parsonage.


March 28, 1868. Trustees. It being be- lieved that the Parsonage would not be built the present season, it was deem- ed best to let the "Mrs. Cobb House"


stand ; and Mr. Requa was authorized to rent the same to Mr. Coriell for the term of one year for $300., provided said Coriell would agree to leave the same upon the first of March following, he having re- ceived one month's previous notice, in which case the abatement of rent for the month of March to be $25., or at the rate of $300. per annum.


May 4, '68. Trustees. A deed of con- veyance of the Morristown Green to the Trustees of the green having been present- ed to the Trustees, Resolved, That the President be and he is hereby authorized to execute the same under the seal of the Church, and deliver the same to said Trus- tees of the Green, upon execution by said Trustees of said Green, to the church, of the counterpart thereof.


Morristown, June 1, '68. Parish meeting : Mr. H. M. Olmsted, President ; and Geo. E. Voorhees, Clerk pro tem. The resigna- tion of Mr. Langmuir was accepted. Mr. Ezra Mills, of the Session, and Mr. Austin Requa, of the Trustees, were appointed to meet the Presbytery at Newark on the 9th inst., to effect a dissolution of the Pastoral relation. The whole matter of supplies was left to the session. The committee ap- pointed to meet Presbytery was requested to prepare resolutions of sympathy, to be sent to our late Pastor, on account of his feeble health which caused him to resign. The building committee of three was in- creased to five ; Messrs H. M. Olmsted and J. B. Headley being added.


PASTORATE VACANT, JUNE TO DEC. 1868.


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MINUTES OF THE SESSION.


[There are no minutes of special interest for this interval.]


meeting of the Parish be called to be held in the Church on Monday, June 22nd. at 4 o'clock P. M., to take into considera- tion the expediency of increasing the rate of rent of the pews, it being manifest that


TRUSTEES AND PARISH. June 19, 1868, Trustees, Resolved, that we should be obliged to pay a salary of


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PASTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.


$2,500, or $3,000, in order to get a suitable preacher.


June 22, '66. Parish meeting : Wm. Sayre. Chairman. Resolved, That the committee of a revaluation at this meeting. (See dia- supplies be authorized to offer a salary of gram of lower part of the church in Church $3,000, with the use of the Parsonage. The | Ledger).


Trustees were instructed to make a revalua- Sept. 21, '68. Annual Parish meeting : Jacob tion of the pews, and to lay such an assess- ! Crane, Chairman. The old Board of Trustees ment as will meet the annual expenses of the church.


was re-elected. The Trustees were requested to give special attention to collecting in Sept. 7, 1868. Parish meeting : Henry C. Pitney, Chairman ; and J. Duryee Steven- son, Secretary. Objections were made to the present method of hearing candidates. subscriptions made for building Lecture room,&c., of which about $5,000. remain un- paid. A motion, " That in the view of this meeting it is inexpedient for the Trustees Resolved, That a committee of six persons |to grant the use of the church for any other than religious purposes," was laid on the table.


be appointed, whose duty it shall be, at the expense of this congregation, to seek and choose a pastor for this church ; and this congregation pledges itself to make out a call for such pastor as such committee shall unanimously recommend. The following persons were named for said committee : David Olyphant, J. Boyd Headley, J. Henry Johnson, J. C. Youngblood, W. C. Caskey, Lebbeus B. Ward, Geo. Vail, V. M. Bokee, Ezra Mills, Theo. Little, H. C. Pitney, Jno. R. Runyon, Silas B. Condict, J. Elliot Con- dict, Isaac N. Whitehead, A. N. Cutler, H. M. Dalrymple, joel Davis. The chair ap- pointed Dr. Marvin, H. M. Olmsted and Sam'l C. Burnet a com'tee to select the committee of six from the above named persons. The last named committee re- tired, and, after deliberation. reported, as the committee of six to select a Pastor, Theo. Little, H. C. Pitney, J. Elliot Condict, Ezra Mills, H. M. Dalrymple, Lebbeus B. Ward.


Nov. 18, 1868. Parish meeting. The Rev. J. B. Hyndshaw, Moderator. Upon recom- mendation by Mr. Theodore Little, Chair- man of the Com. appointed to select a Pas- tor, a call was unanimously voted to the Rev. John A. French, at a salary of $3,000. and use of Parsonage ; the call to be signed, and prosecuted before Presbytery, by Messrs. Theo. Little and Ezra Mills for the Session, H. C. Pitney and H. M. Dalrymple for the Trustees, and J. Elliot Condict and Lebbeus B. Ward for the Congregation.


November 18, 1868. Trustees. On mo- tion, 3 per cent. commission for collecting pew rents was allowed the Treasurer. Re- solved, That the pew rents be fixed in ac- cordance with the late revaluation of the pews and collected for the quarter com- mencing Sept. 12, '68.


PASTORATE OF REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.


From Dec. 1868 to Jan. 1877.


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MINUTES OF THE SESSION.


December 21st, 1868, The Presbytery of Passaic met in the Church and installed Rev. John A. French as Pastor. The Rev. Dr. Ogden of Chatham preached the ser-


Sept. 16, 1868. The Board of Trustees, having been directed by a Parish meeting to revalue the pews (down stairs), adopted


mon. Rev. Mr. Roberts, of Elizabeth, de- livered the charge to the people, and Rev. Dr. Irving gave the charge to the Pastor. Dec. 30, 1868. The Session met at the re- quest of the Pastor, at the house of Mr. Little. Present : The Pastor, and Elders ;


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MINUTES OF THE SESSION.


Mills, Marvin, Davis, Olyphant and Little. Absent: Messrs. Stevenson and Prudden, on ac. of illness.


The meeting was opened with prayer by the Pastor. The minutes of the last meet- ing were read and approved.


The observance of the week of prayer be- ing brought up for consideration, it was Re- solved, That we will observe the week, commencing on the first Sabbath of Jan- uary, as a week of prayer; and that we meet with the other Congregations of the town, who may observe that week, in such ser- vices as may be agreed on.


Resolved, That the Session will hereafter hold a meeting on the First Wednesday of each month, at three o'clock P. M .; and at such other times as the Pastor may request it.


Adjourned to Wednesday, Jan'y 6, 1869 ; with prayer.


Theo. Little, Clerk.


Jan. 6, 1869. The matter of systematic benevolence being under consideration, it was Resolved, That it be referred to the Pastor and Elder Little to divide the Con- gregation into suitable and convenient dis- tricts, for the purpose of carrying into ef- fect the recent action of the Presbytery in reference to making our contributions for benevolence ; and that said Committee re- port to the Session at its next meeting.


Jan. 25, 1869. The Committee, appointed at the last meeting to district the Congre- gation, reported a plan dividing the Con- gregation into sixteen districts ; which re- port was accepted and the plan adopted. The Session then selected a Collector for each district, and directed the necessary cards to be provided for the Collectors.


March 14, 1869. The object of the meet- ing having been stated by the Pastor to be the election of a Treasurer of " The Founda- tion Fund," Mr. Henry M. Olmsted, one of the Deacons of the Church, was, on motion, unanimously elected to that office.


April 7, 1869. The Session, after consid- ering the matter, determined that hereafter the Service preparatory to the Communion shall be held on Thursday, instead of Sat- urday.


June 18, 1869. The Pastor having read to Session a paper which he had prepared at their request, explaining and enforcing


the plan of systematic benevolence recently adopted by Session ; the same was unani- mously approved and, on motion, it was re- solved that the Clerk be directed to have 500 copies printed for distribution among the Congregation.


Nov. 4, 1869. The subject of making ad- dition to the Session having been for a long time under consideration, and being again duly considered, it was unanimously agreed to recommend to the Church as Elders, Messrs. Henry M. Dalrymple, Vernon Bo- kee and James D. Stevenson ; and the Pas- tor was directed to announce such recom- mendation to the Church on the ensuing Sabbath, and to notify the Church that the matter will be submitted for their action on the day of the preparatory service for next Communion, and that the Church would have an opportunity of making other nomi- nations as they may desire.


Dec. 2, 1869. This being the day ap- pointed for the election of new Elders, (no- tice thereof having been given for two Sab- baths,) the Pastor announced to the Con- gregation that Mr. Vernon Bokee declined to be elected, and invited other nomina- tions by the Church ; whereupon Mr. Enoch T. Caskey was nominated. In view of this new nomination, the election was postponed until it could be ascertained whether Mr. Caskey would accept the office if elected, and until the congregation could be noti- fied of the nomination and have time to consider the same.


Dec. 19, 1869. It having been ascertained, upon conference with Mr. Caskey, that he would not accept the office of Elder, to which he had been nominated, the nomina- tion of Messrs. Henry M. Dalrymple and James D. Stevenson was regulary submitted to the Church for its action, after the morn- ing service, and they were duly elected Elders.


Jan 5, 1870. It appearing that the breth- ren, Henry M. Dalrymple and James D. Stevenson, have been duly elected by the Church to the office of Ruling Elder, and that they were ordained to that office on Sabbath, January 2d, 1870, and they being present, were cordially welcomed as Mem- bers of the Session ; and their names were ordered to be enrolled.


Mr. Vernon Bokee was unanimously


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PASTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.


elected Chorister of the Church, and the Clerk was directed to notify both the Trus- tees and Mr. Bokee of such election.


The Pastor, Mr. Olyphant and Mr. Bokee were appointed a committee to select a suitable book for use in the Chapel.


Feb. 3, 1870. The Pastor, as Chairman of the Committee in relation to the death of Elder Prudden, reported the following reso- lutions :-


Whereas, our esteemned brother Stephen A. Prudden has recently been removed by death, after a very lingering illness which he bore with marked Christian patience and resignation, Resolved, that while, with humble submission to the dispensation of God's Holy Providence, we record the death of our venerable brother, we cannot but also record our high appreciation of his Christian character and example, and cherish for his memory the kindest recollection.


The Session of the South St. Presbyterian Church having extended to the Session an invitation to unite with that Church in a joint Communion service on the next Sab- bath, Feb. 6th inst., it was unanimously


Resolved, That the invitation be accepted in behalf of the Church. and that the Pas- tor and Elders Marvin, Mills, Olyphant and Little be appointed to act in concert with a similar committee, to be appointed by the South St. Church, in all matters pertaining to such service.


March 3, 1870. The matter of systematic benevolence being under consideration, it was resolved to continue the collection for the Foundation Fund during the current year; and also that special collections for our Boards be made by the same collectors, as follows : In March for the Board of Edu- cation, in April for the Board of Publica- tion, in May for the American Bible Society, in July for the Board of Domestic Missions, in August for the Freedmen's Committee, in Sept. for the Board of Foreign Missions, in November for Disabled Ministers, in January for the Board of Church Extension. Messrs. Little, Olyphant and Olmsted, Treasurer, were appointed a general Com- mittee on the benevolence of the Church.


March 31, 1870, Resolved, That hereafter the meeting of Session preceding each Com- munion shall be held on Wednesday, in- stead of Thursday as at present.


May 4, 1870. A communication having been received from the Committee having charge of the preparation for the meeting of the Evangelical Alliance in New York, in September next, asking for a contribution towards the expenses of said meeting, it was ordered that a special collection for that purpose be taken up in the Church on the 3d Sabbath of this month.


May 8, 1870. After conference, it was re- solved to recommend the Church to elect Lebbeus B. Ward who has heretofore been a ruling elder in


in New York City, and Austin Requa, here- tofore an elder in Spring Street Presbyterian Church in New York, but who are now, and have been for some time, members of this Church, as Elders of the Church, if their consent to the same can be obtained ; and the Pastor was requested to see them and secure their consent if possible.


June 12, 1870. The only business being the appointment of a delegate to attend the Session of the Synod of New Jersey, to be held at Elizabeth on the 21st June, inst., by direction of the General Assembly, Mr. Lit- tle was appointed such delegate and Mr. Davis alternate. [First Synod after Re- union.]


July 7, 1870. Messrs. Dalrymple and Stevenson were appointed a committee to whom shall be referred all matters pertain- ing to the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion of the Church.


It was after deliberation resolved, That a special collection be taken up in the Church on the 3d Sabbath in July, for the benefit of the Sabbath School ; and a special collec- tion on the 4th Sabbath in July, for the benefit of the Young Men's Christian As- sociation. [This Y. M. C. A. was confined to this Congregation.]


Resolved, That the Session present its thanks to the Methodist Episcopal Church of this Town, for the Christian courtesy ex- tended to us. during the recent repairs of our own Church building ; and that the Clerk be directed to communicate this resolution to the Pastor of the M. E. Church.


Aug. 3, 1870. Dr. R. W. Stevenson sent to the Session, in meeting, his resignation of the office of Ruling Elder ; and the Ses- sion, well knowing the infirmity of his health and his continued inability to dis-


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MINUTES OF THE SESSION.


charge the duties of the Eldership, direct that his letter be placed on file, and, in con- formity with the Book of Discipline, directed that he be relieved from the active duties of the Eldership.


The Committee on Benevolence presented the following report, viz : That they have received and considered certain documents, relating to the Five Million Memorial Fund, issued by the General Assembly's Cominittee, and recommend the appointment of a Com- mittee by the Session to take charge of the collections for that fund. While making this recommendation out of deference to the action of the General Assembly in the matter, the Committee cannot with-hold the expression of their fear that the effort to raise so large a sum, outside of the ordinary benevolence of the Church, will seriously diminish the receipts and cripple the useful- ness of our regular Boards. While, therefore, they recommend that this matter of the Five Million Fund be fully explained to the Church by the Pastor, at as early a day as practicable, they also suggest and recom- mend, that he be directed at the same time to urge upon the Church the importance, and the obligation, of not permitting any decrease of our contributions to our own Boards through the agency of the Founda- tion Fund. The report was considered by the Session and ordered to be recorded in the Minutes, and Messrs. Olyphant.Little and Davis were appointed a Committee in refer- ence to the collections for the Five Million Memorial Fund, with power to appoint such sub-committees, from the members of the Church, as they may think necessary.


Messrs. Olyphant and Stevenson were also appointed a Committee on the Music of the Church.


Nov. 30, 1870. It was Resolved, That the Session recommend to the Congregation to stand during the singing of the second hymn in the Sabbath services.


Dec. 15, 1870. After consultation and having a report from Messrs. Olyphant and Stevenson, Committee on the Music of the Church, Mr. John R. Runyon was elected Chorister until the rat of October, 1871, at such salary as may be agreed on with the Trustees.


the Session, from the active duties of the Eldership ; and, in consideration of his ad- vanced age and increasing infirmities, his request was unanimously granted.


Feb. 12, 1871. After consultation, it was Resolved, That the Treasurer be directed to pay to the Trustees, out of the amount col- lected for the Memorial Fund, so much as, with the funds in their hands, will pay the debt of the Church.


Sept. 21, 1871. Mr. French, as chairman of the Committee appointed at the last meeting, report a plan for systematic be- nevolence, recommending a collection each Sabbath morning, &c. Realizing that the success of any plan must depend largely on the cordiality with which it is accepted by the Church, it was resolved to submit the proposed plan to the Church, for its ap- proval, after the Preparatory lecture, on the 28th Sept. inst., notice thereof being given on the preceding Sabbath.


Sept. 27, 1871. After consultation it was resolved. That, in accordance with the re- commendation of the General Assembly, we will hereafter observe the First Thursday evening of each month, as a concert of prayer for God's blessing on the Missionary work of the Church.


Nov. 7, 1871. The subject of a further in- crease of the Session having been consid- ered heretofore, and again at this meeting, it was Resolved to recommend to the Church to elect Messrs. Lebbeus B. Ward, Austin Requa, Isaac N. Whitehead, Joseph H. Van Doren, Enoch T. Caskey and Wil- liam G. Anderson, if their consent to such recommendation can be procured. The Pastor was requested to see said persons, and, if their consent is obtained, to an- nounce such recommendation to the Church two Sabbaths prior to the service prepara- tory to the next Communion ; and to no- tify the Church that the matter will be sub- mitted for their action at that time, and that an opportunity would also then be of- fered for any other nominations which may be desired.


Dec. 17, 1871. Mr. Wm. W. Stone (receiv- ed this day by letter,) having been hereto- fore an Elder in the University Place Pres- byterian Church, in the City of New York, Session unanimously agreed to recommend


Dr. J. D. Marvin made a request, through the Pastor, to be relieved, by a resolution of to the Church his election as a member of


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PASTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN ABBOTT FRENCH.


the Session of this Church ; and the Pastor was directed to so notify the Church.


Dec. 28, 1871. Notice of the election of Elders at this time having been duly given on the two preceding Sabbaths, the persons recommended by the Session were unani- mously elected. no other nominations being made. [All of those named above, with the exception of Isaac N. Whitehead, who · " declined to be elected," and his name was not submitted.]


Dec. 31, 1871. Messrs. Caskey, Van Doren and Anderson were ordained as El- ders of the Presbyterian Church ; and all those elected at the last meeting of the Church appeared and publicly accepted the office of Ruling Elders in this Church.


. Jan. 10, 2872. The Treasurer having re- ported to Session that the amount realized for the Memorial Fund amounts to $1, 582.10, which is in his hands subject to appropria- tion, it was Resolved, That $250 be appro- priated to the Pres. Church at Flanders, Morris County, to aid in payment of their debt, and that the balance, $1.332.10, be given to the German Theological Seminary at Newark :


Resolved, That the Treasurer be directed to dispose of the amount now in his hands, collected for the Boards of the Church, and which may hereafter be contributed for them, unless otherwise directed by the do- nors, in the following manner, to-wit :


To the Board of Foreign Missions, 32 pr. ct.


" Education 12


=


Home Missions 24


Church Erection 12


Publication 5


Committee of Ministerial Relief 6


Freedmen 6


Sustentation 3


Jan. 31, 1871. The Treasurer reported that the collections for the month of Janu- ary amount to $377.68.


The communication from the Presbyterial Committee on Church Extension, asking for aid to pay the debt of the German Church at Orange, was considered, and the Treas- urer was directed to pay to the Committee, for that purpose, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars out of the Contingent fund of the Session.


The Treasurer was also directed to pay the further sum of one hundred and fifty


dollars to the Committee of the Presbytery of Chicago, towards the fund for rebuilding the Presbyterian Churches of that City, which were destroyed by the late fire.


Resolved, That the Session heartily ap- proves of the sermon, preached by our Pas- tor last Sabbath, on the subject of Temper- ance : and requests that he permit it to be published and circulated in the Congre- gation.


Feb. 23, 1872. Resolved, That the collec- tion, to be taken up the first Sabbath of March next, be appropriated, so far as not especially given by the donors, to the Sea- men's Friend Society.


March 19. 1872. The meeting having been called to take some action on the matter laid over at the previous meeting, and Ses- sion having, in the meantime, conferred with the Trustees and with other members of Church, it was unanimously Resolved, That, in view of the state of health of our Pastor, the Session unanimously recom- mend to the Trustees, to grant to the Pas- tor leave of absence for a period of four months'; that his salary be continued in the mean time; and that the pulpit be filled by the Session at the expense of the Church.


March 27, 1872. Resolved, That, during the absence of the Pastor, no certificate of dismission be granted except at a regular meeting of Session.


May 31, 1872. The Treasurer was, on mo- tion, directed to pay to the Treasurer of the Church Extension Committee, of the Pres- bytery of Morris and Orange, the sum of one hundred and thirty-five dollars, the amount apportioned to our Church, out of the Session fund. He was also directed to pay to the Treasurer of the Sabbath School, out of the same fund, the sum of one hun- dred and thirty dollars.


July 3, 1872. Letters from the Pastor, dated respectively May 30th and July ist, 1872, were read ; and the Clerk was directed to acknowledge them in behalf of the Ses- sion, and to add that, while the Session realizes the importance of his return, yet that if his own judgment is that his health would be materially benefitted by an ex- tension of his rest from pastoral labor, Session would assume the responsibility of


دايان جائ املاته لك: ٠ ٠٫


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MINUTES OF THE SESSION.


granting such extension until the first of September next.


The following was adopted in reference to the recent death of Mr. Ezra Mills, one of the members of Session. Whereas, our es- teemed brother, Ezra Mills, who for so long a period discharged the duties of an Elder of this Church with marked acceptance, has been recently removed by death ; Resolved, That, while as a Session we would bow with submission to this dispensation of the Great Head of the Church, we are con- strained to place upon record our deep sense of the loss which the Church has sus- tained, our high appreciation of the worth and pure Christian character of our de- ceased brother and friend, and our joyful assurance that for him to die is gain. For his memory we will cherish ever the kind- est recollections. Resolved, that a copy of this resolution be sent by the Clerk to the family of Mr. Mills.




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