USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > Flemington > History of the Presbyterian Church in Flemington, New Jersey, for a century : with sketches of local matters for two hundred years > Part 3
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
33
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
Trenton was made the Capital of New Jersey and in that same year this act was passed: "In pursuance of an act of the Legislature the seat of Justice of the County of Hunterdon was, by a large majority (up- wards of three-fifths) of all the votes of the county, at. an election held in October of that year, located in Flemington." The election was held " at a place called Ringo Tavern."
In 1785 the courts first met in Flemington ; but it would seem that some hinderance prevented the final determination to locate the county-seat here.
At the first meeting of the Board of Justices and Freeholders in Flemington, January 3d, 1791, it was re- solved to raise £2500 for a court-house and jail. On the 27th of the same month, the Board met at the house of George Alexander, who offered to give half an acre of land for the court-house, jail, and jail yard. This was accepted. In May, 1793, the building was occupied. It cost £2500.
34
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
THE FLEMINGTON CHURCH.
F LEMINGTON was now the county-seat, and new families were moving in. Thomas Capner came here with John Hall, his uncle, in 1787. This John Hall was an intimate friend of Thomas Paine. Several others of the Capner family came in 1792. For many years they were a prominent family.
Also Peter Haward, father of Thomas C. Haward, Hugh Exton, wife and six children and three servants, bound for five years ; James Choyce, wife and four children ; Mrs. Hannah Clark and four children ; Robert Bottomer and son ; N. Bacon ; Hannah ; Doctor Moore. These landed in Philadelphia, September 16th, 1796, after a voyage of sixty-four days.
It was a ride of six miles to the Amwell Church, which was then situated where the old burying ground lies on the York Road. The two charges, sixteen miles long, were more than one pastor could properly attend to. The only public worship in the village was by a Baptist minister, once in three weeks. That denomination had had a building for years, but a pastor was not settled until 1798. The majority of the people in and about the vil- lage were Presbyterians and German Lutherans. It was natural, therefore, that the question of having a Presby- terian Church in Flemington began to be agitated. The subject first took this form. The First and Second Amwell Churches were about to give a call to Rev. Mr. Grant.
35
1212276
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
In April, 1791, a paper was circulated in Flemington, asking subscriptions for a fund to be paid to the cor- poration of First Amwell, toward the support of Mr. Grant, if he would preach in and about Flemington one-quarter of his time; stating, that the Baptist meet- ing house had been offered for that purpose, when not wanted by that congregation ; and that the court-room in the court-house, which was to be built the ensuing summer, could be used ; £21 were subscribed to be paid in hard money. But for some cause this project was abandoned. Jasper Smith then proposed that the old meeting house should be torn down, and a church erected at Flemington, as a spot much more central and better calculated to strengthen the congregation. In this he failed. Foiled in these efforts, the friends of a new church now took the preliminary steps towards its organization. A paper was circulated, bearing date June 23d, 1791, stating why it was desirable to form a Presbyterian Church in Flemington, and agreeing to enter into such an organization, and to place it under the care of the Presbytery of New Brunswick. The names appended are these : John Griggs, Martin Johnson, John Reading, Joseph Reading, F. V. Hicks, Jacob Painter, Nicholas Emmons, Peter Case, John Case, Samuel Groff, Rebecca Heavison, Samuel Griggs, Charles Reading, Jacob Johnson, Gilbert Van Camp, Jas. Alex- ander, Joakim Griggs, Isaac Hill, Jasper Smith, Henry Bailie, George Alexander, Daniel Reading, Richard Hill, Joseph Capner, John Derrick, Philip Yawger, Ely Pierson, John R. Reading, John Henry, Cornelius Pol- hemus, Thos. Reading, Hendrick Johnson, Arthur Gray, Joseph Gray, James Clark, Susannah Smith, Peter
36
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
Order, Samuel Hill, Peter Latourette, Jacob Hufman, John Gray, Henry Baker, Philip Case, Rem. Voorhees, John Phillips, John Hartpence, Thos. Carhart, Paul Cool, John Schenck, Peter Yawger, Jacob Polhemus, Amos Hartley, Richard Phillips, William Schenck, Jr., Elizabeth Blackwell, Wm. Case.
On the 27th of August the two congregations of First and Second Amwell were notified, by three of the trustees of First Amwell who had signed this paper, viz., Jasper Smith, Thos. Reading and Arthur Gray, that this application would be made at the meeting of Presbytery, to be held in October at Pennington. Jas- per Smith appeared before Presbytery in behalf of the petitioners, who asked to be enrolled "as a new formed Church, to have regular supplies ordered to them until they could build a church, and are able to support a regular and stated preacher of the Gospel among them." The reasons urged were: the distance of the old church, the very bad roads in winter, that the water was often so high in the streams during the spring as to be im- passable, and that no refreshment could be obtained. Gen- erally, in those times, a tavern was opposite the church, and the congregation in the intermission between the two services, when they were so arranged, went to the tavern for drink. It was considered a serious privation that no such opportunity was afforded at First Amwell Church. In 1704 a statute declared that "Keepers of public houses were not to allow tippling on the Lord's Day, except for necessary refreshment."
" Wherever God erects a house of prayer,
The devil always builds a chapel there."
37
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
The petition also stated, that a temporary place for holding service had been procured, and that of the fifty- five heads of families signing, thirteen only were connected with the old Church as subscribers toward the salary. This application was strenuously opposed by the two Amwells, through their representative, John Praull, Jr., because such a measure would be very in- jurious to them, so weakening them in their feeble condition, that they could not support a pastor. After hearing the parties at great length, Presbytery unani- mously resolved, that, " It would be imprudent to come to a decision upon the case at present ; but that the Pres- bytery meet at the First Presbyterian Church of Amwell, on the first Tuesday in November, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, to examine into and settle, if possible, the differences; and that all the members of said congre- gations, entitled to vote on congregational matters, and all the subscribers to the petition aforesaid, be desired to attend punctually at said time and place, as it is the ardent wish of Presbytery to promote the peace and "harmony of all parties." Dr. Stanhope Smith, of Princeton College, was appointed to preach at said church on the Sabbath previous to the meeting of Pres- bytery .* Presbytery convened on the day appointed. Great interest was taken in this case, as appears from the large attendance, and prominent members who were present, viz., Drs. Witherspoon and Smith, of the college, Armstrong, of Trenton, Joseph Clark, of Allentown, afterward of New Brunswick. I continue the record of Presbytery : "The parties having been heard to their
* See minutes of Presbytery of New Brunswick.
38
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
entire satisfaction, after mature deliberation, Presby- tery resolved unanimously, that, in the present circum- stances, matters do not appear ripe for forming the petitioners into a new congregation, as it would nullify the proceedings already had, in unanimously voting a call for Mr. Grant ; and as the Presbytery would cheer- fully form a new congregation at Flemington, if it had no appearance of weakening the congregations of Amwell, they earnestly advise all parties to unite in prosecuting the call for Mr. Grant, and that they would pursue such measures as tend to peace. Resolved also, that Mr. Grant (provided he accept the call prepared for him by said congregations) preach one-quarter part of his time at Amwell First Church, one other fourth part of his time at Flemington, and the remaining half of his time at Amwell Second Church, and that the salary be apportioned to the time at each place. And in order to promote the union and interest of these congregations. ordered that Dr. Witherspoon preach at Amwell First Church the first Sabbath of November, and that Dr. Smith preach at Flemington the first Sabbath of De- cember. The parties, having heard the minutes read, agreed to stand by the decision of the Presbytery, and to prosecute the call for Mr. Grant, agreeably to the meaning and intent of this decision, making the annual provision of £130, gold or silver,* besides the use of a parsonage of £700 or £800 value." At the same meeting, Mr. Grant having signified his acceptance of the call, the second Tuesday of December, at eleven o'clock, was appointed for his ordination and installa-
*Of this Flemington paid £32 IOS.
39
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
tion. This service was held December 13th, 1791. Rev. James F. Armstrong had been appointed to preside and preach, but on account of a severe storm he was not present. The Moderator of Presbytery, Rev. Joseph Clark, preached, and Rev. John Hanna presided and proposed the Constitutional questions. And Mr. Clark also gave charge to the "newly ordained bishop."
On January 9th, 1792, a meeting was held of the newly- formed congregation, in the Baptist meeting house, " where more than thirty families (of Presbyterians) statedly assembled for worship." Their purpose accord- ing to a notice previously given of which the original is on file) was to elect trustees, and thereby secure in- corporation. "Jasper Smith, counsellor-at-law, Thomas Reading, Esq., Captains Arthur Gray and Charles Reading, Messrs. Cornelius Polhemus, Samuel Hill and Joseph Capner," were elected and incorporated as "The Trustees of the Flemington English Presbyterian Church in Amwell, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey." And on the 28th of the same month they severally took the oath as prescribed by law, and chose Jasper Smith as their President.
In the spring of 1793 ground was broken for a build- ing. A lot had been purchased of Joseph Robeson, con- taining one acre, thirty-seven perches, for £40 silver. The deed was not given until July 17th, 1794. The edifice was 45×55 feet, built of stone. The walls were pointed, and the corners laid with hewn stone, brought "from Large's land, in Kingwood, where the like stones were got for the court-house." For the day in which it was built, it was a most creditable structure, showing the liberality and good taste of the people. It stood within
40
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
the present graveyard fence. The front was just where the south fence of the Metler plot runs. The front was to the south, where were two doors of entrance. On each of the sides were two rows of three windows. The windows on the upper row were arched. The north end had two arched windows. The outside was handsomely finished and painted, but the inside walls were not plastered. Rough benches, made of saw-mill slabs put on legs, furnished seats for the worshippers. Two aisles extended through the building. In the winter days, a little heat was produced from two pits, set in the floor of these aisles, about two-thirds up towards the pulpit. Each pit was about five feet long and one deep, and bricked. These were filled with glowing charcoal. About 1816 two stoves for burning wood were put in, but these did not warm the church sufficiently. When anthracite coal was introduced, two coal stoves, made of sheet iron, by Mahlon Smith, were used for years, in addition to the wood stoves. This partly finished build- ing cost £650 cash, besides material and labor which were given, to the value of £300 more; £250 additional were needed to put the house in complete order ; £400 were raised by subscription. The congregation were in debt to Jasper Smith £276 16s. 10d., which he had advanced. In April, 1795, an effort was made to pay this off. Toward this Mr. Smith subscribed £100. But an arrearage remained of £59 up to 1801. Probably this congregation has never had so liberal a benefactor as he was ; certainly never one who devoted more time and effort to its interest.
He presented the pulpit Bible which laid upon the desk for sixty-three years, until the Church was torn
DEDICATED MAY IITH, 1794.
41
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
down. This Bible is still preserved among the archives of our Church. The history of this edition of the Bible, which was the first printed in New Jersey, is so interest- ing that I may be pardoned for inserting a sketch of it here. A fuller account can be seen on the inside of the cover of the Bible. This quarto edition of the Bible was issued in 1791, by Isaac Collins, a member of the Society of Friends, and at that time an enterprising printer at Trenton, N. J. He printed the first news- paper in New Jersey, at Burlington, in 1777. In the Acts of the General Assembly of New Jersey, printed in 1776, he calls himself "Printer to the King." In 1788, Mr. Collins issued proposals to print a quarto edition of the Bible in 984 pages, at the price of four Spanish dollars. The Synod of New Jersey the same year recommended the undertaking. In 1789, the General Assembly appointed a committee of sixteen, to lay Mr. Collins's proposal before the Presbyteries, and recommended that subscriptions be solicited in each congregation. This recommendation was repeated in 1790 and 1791. The edition of 5000 copies was issued in 1791. So far as I have been able to learn only one other Bible has ever been published in New Jersey. This was in Morristown, in 1805. On the title page of the Morristown Bible is this statement:
Printed by Mann and Douglass, for themselves : for J. Tiebout, S. Stephens, S. Gould & Co., Ronalds & Loudon, Sage S. Thompson, D.D. Smith, C. Flanigan, J. Harrison, G. & R. Waite, T. Kirk, C. Brown, D. Long- worth, R. McGill, G. Sinclair, New York ; Daniel Brewer, Jr., Taunton, Mass .; S. Kollock, Elizabeth- town; J. Oram, Trenton, N. J., 1805.
42
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
Jasper Smith was an ardent patriot of the Revolution, a devoted Christian, a strong Presbyterian, and one of the leading lawyers of the county.
The name Jasper Smith, probably the grandfather of this Jasper, appears among certain persons to whom, in March, 1699, was conveyed a piece of ground "for the erecting of a meeting house and for a burying-ground and a school house, inhabitants of Maidenhead (now Lawrenceville) and parts adjacent." In 1721, a Jasper Smith was a Justice of the Peace. In 1754, a Jasper Smith was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Probably this was the father of the Jasper who settled in Fleming- ton. The Jasper Smith to whom this church was so much indebted, graduated from Princeton College in 1758, and probably soon after came to Flemington. In 1763 he was a practising lawyer. Because in the grave- yard is a tombstone bearing this inscription : "Here lieth the body of Eleanor Smith, wife of Jasper Smith of Amwell, Esq., and daughter of Colonel Ryerson, of Readingtown, who died November 22nd, 1766, in the twenty-sixth year of her age."
His name appears as one of the trustees of the Am- well Church in 1779. He was soon made President of the Board, which post he held until the Flemington Church was organized. And to his thoughtfulness, in preserving the papers connected with the business of the First Amwell and Flemington Churches, I am greatly indebted. Without them this history would have been meagre. He was very active in church matters, and a very benevolent man. His name is on every subscription paper, and generally for the largest sum. He was a
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY. 43
lawyer and lived in Flemington. He built the house now occupied by John L. Jones, Esq.
He removed to his native Lawrenceville after the year 1801. He died October 5th, 1813. On the tomb- stone is the following inscription :
"In him, while living, the congregations of Fleming- ton and Maidenhead had an active and vigilant guardian, and in death a liberal benefactor."
His name appears as an elder in that Church in 1807 He built for his own use the house which is now the Presbyterian Parsonage at Lawrenceville. His son, Jasper, bequeathed the property, over two hundred acres to the congregation ; and it is now in their possession.
On May 11th, 1794, Mr. Grant for the first time preached in the new house. The dedication sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Armstrong, of Trenton. Al- though the congregation had a Board of Trustees, there was no Session, for the Session of the First Amwell acted in that capacity. It appears that the pastor was not always able to meet his appointments. So the trustees convened the congregation, who chose over- seers, "To keep order in the church in the time of wor- ship, and to conduct divine worship and read a sermon when the pastor is absent. Jacob Mattison, Joakim Griggs, Thomas Reading, and Jasper Smith were ap- pointed." On July 16th, 1797, the first elders were or- dained-Thomas Reading and Jasper Smith-to whom a "lengthy charge " was given by Mr. Grant.
But the congregation labored under serious disad- vantages. The pastor preached here but once in three Sundays. He lived near Reaville. Consequently the people saw him seldom, and this church was little more
1
44
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
than a preaching post. Also the population had not in- creased as was expected. The cause was that the young people were drawn to the great west of that day-Central New York and Northern Pennsylvania. An old record of this church states, that collections were taken by order of Presbytery, to support missionaries on those frontiers. In ten years Hunterdon had added to her population only 1108, while Western New York had increased from 1000 to 60,000.
Besides, religion was at a low ebb all over the nation. French infidelity attained the largest influence which it ever possessed in this country. Everywhere " the habits of the people were loose and irreligious." The Sabbath was made a day of visiting, business, or pastime. İn- temperance prevailed to a frightful extent. The early settlers here, like all the Dutch and Germans, used malt liquors as a beverage ; spirituous liquors were employed mostly for medicine. The wars of 1756, and of the Revolution, brought rum into general use. The drink- ing of ardent spirits, acquired in the army, was con- tinued by the soldiers on their return home, and their practice was followed by others. More liquor was drunk per capita in this country, for the two or three decades after the war, than in any other nation on the face of the earth. Its manufacture made extensive progress in the United States. Thirteen thousand re- tail licenses were issued in 1800, and intemperance grew, so that it came to pass that we were denominated over the civilized world as a nation of drunkards. In one township along the Raritan, at the commencement of this century, eight distilleries were in operation.
45
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
Custom required each hand, in hay or harvest, to be fur- · nished with one pint of rum per day. Almost every farmer had his cellar stocked with barrels of cider spirits. A large quantity of apple whiskey was carted to Trenton and Philadelphia, and sold at from twenty-five to thirty cents a gallon. Along the line of the Somerville and Easton Turnpike, which passed through Hunterdon County from near White House to Bloomsbury, and which in its day was one of the great thoroughfares of the State, were forty taverns, an average of nearly one for every mile.
In addition to these general causes, religion declined, especially in this church, at that time, because Mr. Grant's health was so delicate, that frequently he was unable to discharge the duties of his ministry here. For these reasons, the zeal by which the congregation was at first animated greatly declined. Also they were in arrears in money matters. The same difficulty existed in the congregations of Amwell. In April, 1809, Mr. Grant requested that the pastoral relation between him and the several congregations should be dissolved urging his want of health to perform the duties required. This was granted. In less than two years he died, March, 1811. I have not been able to obtain information respecting Mr. Grant, except that he graduated at Princeton in 1786, and that he married a granddaughter of Governor Reading.
Flemington at this date, 1809, was a small village. From the Presbyterian Church to the Baptist there were sixteen houses, of these three were occupied as taverns. The road to the east of the Presbyterian Church crossed at this point, and proceeded in a straight line to Mine
46
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
Street, crossing it where Mr. T. Bellis's coal yard now is ; so that there were two triangles here. There was a tavern on the ground on which the church stands. It was a point along which there was a great deal of travel. The tavern sign swung just where the Soldiers' Monu- ment is. Along the west side of the tavern, and extend- ing to the first church, was a green, open yard, which was occupied on training days by the militia. It was often the scene of fights and carousals. In December of that year a debating society was formed. Water was often scarce, through the failure of wells, so that people were compelled to haul it, sometimes from the Branch. This led to the introduction of water in 1808. In 1805 an infantry company was formed, called the Flemington Volunteers. In September, 1807, all the members of this company volunteered to be ready to march at a moment's notice, whenever called by the Governor. Women, at that time, went to the polls and voted, as they were permitted under the old Constitution of the State. In 1801 a library association was formed. Books were donated by individuals. But it always remained a small affair, and finally the books were sold and the proceeds were given to a charitable object.
A whipping-post stood near the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the whipper was one of the inferior officers of the township. In all the early legislation of New Jersey corporal punishment was frequently imposed, as the pen- alty for small offences. It was inflicted upon slaves more frequently than on other offenders. In 1732, the court ordered the managers of the public money to "cause to be built a good and sufficient pair of stocks and whip- ping-post, to be placed by the prison." And in 1773 the
REV. THOMAS GRANT, PASTOR 1791-1809.
47
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY.
. Board of Justices and Freeholders provided for repairs on court-house and jail, which were then in Trenton, and to get a new pair of stocks, post, and pillory. And as a part of the modes of punishment connected with the administration of the law in the court-house of Flemington, there must be not only the jail, but also the whipping-post.
The church was served by supplies for one year. Meanwhile this congregation proposed to the German congregation at Larison's, which had also become vacant, to join with them in the call and support of one and the same pastor. This proposal would probably have been accepted, had not the First Amwell, on be- coming acquainted with the overture, offered to unite with them on the same terms. This last seemed to them the more desirable and natural union, as it was. Thus the old house (First Amwell, Reaville), the new house, (Second Amwell, Mt. Airy), and the German congrega- tion united for the support of one pastor, together pos- sessing funds, the interest of which amounted to $600,* while the Flemington portion was left by itself, without funds, and even in debt. Probably this church has never been in so deplorable a condition. Piety had de- clined ; numbers were few ; circumstances seemed to conspire against them ; they found no sympathy or help from others. That long-tried and ever-ready Jasper Smith was no longer with them. But there were those who called upon the Lord in that day of trouble, and He heard and delivered them. He inspired the hearts of two or three individuals to undertake the apparently
* 1806. First Amwell sold their parsonage to Nathaniel Wilson for $6,429.33. It contained 175 acres.
48
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
hopeless task of raising, by subscription, support for a pastor for the whole of his time; and He moved the people to respond with a most unexpected liberality, so that in the spring of 1810, the congregation made a call to Mr. Jacob Field, a licentiate of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, on a salary of $500 yearly the first two years, and then to increase at the rate of $20 a year until it amounted to $600. Under the circumstances, this was a large salary. It equaled that paid by con- gregations far more able, and it proves what a church can do, when thoroughly aroused and quickened by provocation. Would that a sense of duty could keep a congregation up to the same standard ! Ten years after, this same people, when stronger, found it harder to pay one-half this sum. This call was laid before Presbytery at the same meeting, when a call was pre- sented for Jacob Kirkpatrick, from the First and Second Amwell (the German Church being by mutual agree- ment considered as a branch of the former) .* Mr. Field preferred to supply the congregation for six months, before deciding to accept the call. On the 28th of November, 1810, he was ordained and installed.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.