USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Trenton > History of the Presbyterian Church in Trenton, N.J. : from the first settlement of the town > Part 2
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** "Journal of an Excursion," p. 106.
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HISTORY OF THE
scription is given of the navigation of the Delaware river in 1749-53: "From Philadelphia to Trent-Town Falls are thirty-five miles; these are the first falls in the river, and the tide reaches up so high; these falls are practicable, and the river navigable with boats that carry eight or nine tons iron, forty miles higher to Durham iron works. * From Trent-Town Falls this river is practicable upwards of one hundred and fifty miles for Indian canoe navigation, several small falls or carrying places intervening."*
It was at the Falls that Mahlon Stacy, a Yorkshireman, found the tract of land that commended itself as the most suitable site for a new settlement. He was one of the emigrants to Burlington (or Bridlington) in 1678, and being a creditor of Byllinge, he obtained from his assignees eight hundred acres, lying on both sides of the Assanpink, a creek which empties into the Delaware at Trenton. Here he took up his own abode and built a grist mill.7 If, according to Smith's "History of New Jersey," the first name given to the settlement at the Falls was "Little- worth," the disparaging title must have been disdained by Stacy, who pronounced it "a most brave place, whatever envy or evil spies may speak of it."8
In letters dated from "the Falls of Delaware" in 1680, Stacy extols the fertility of the whole region, the abund- ance of fruit ("peaches in such plenty that some people took their carts a peach-gathering. I could not but smile at the conceit of it''), berries, game and fish, whilst he "hon- estly declares there is some barren land, as (I suppose) there is in most places of the world, and more wood than some would have upon their lands; neither will the country produce corn without labor, nor cattle be got without some- thing to buy them, nor bread with idleness; else it would be a good country indeed." The good Friend would not
* ("A Summary. historical and political, of the first planting, progressive im- provements, and present state of the British Settlements in North America." By William Douglass, M.D. Boston. Vol. I. 1749. Vol. II. 1753. Vol. II., p. 312.)
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
overlook the guidance of Providence in his own case, nor encourage his Yorkshire correspondents to follow him over the sea, unless they felt the same inward direction. "When I am walking alone, and the sense of the Lord's good dealings is brought before me, I cannot but admire him for his mercies, and often in secret bless his name that ever he turned my face hitherward, and gave me con- fidence in himself, and boldness by faith to oppose all gain- sayers, though never so strong. * * * If you have clear- ness to come to New Jersey, let nothing hinder ; but if you have a stop within yourself, let not anything farther you, until the way clears to your full satisfaction."
CHAPTER II. THE CHURCHES OF HOPEWELL AND MAIDENHEAD.
1698-1736.
HUNTERDON
HO
PENNINGTON
HEAD
E
LAWRENCEVILL N
W
EWING E
OIVW
ASSANPINK
CR
PE
OLD CHURCH
N
DELAWARE RIVER
OTRENTON
N.A
This little map will serve to explain the topography of the region embraced in the history of the united churches of Hopewell and Maidenhead, which is the history of the churches of Trenton.1 In 1694 the Assanpink was made the northern boundary of the county of Burlington; and in 1714 the new county of Hunterdon was formed, reach- ing from the Assanpink, as its southern line, to the north- ern extremity of West Jersey. Of this large and for the most part unsettled territory, now divided into several of the most populous and important counties of the State, Hopewell and Maidenhead were adjoining townships. It is reasonable to suppose that the Presbyterian inhabitants, scattered over the twin townships, were for some time de- pendent on itinerant or missionary preachers for the oppor-
(13)
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HISTORY OF THE
tunities of public worship, and that, when such opportunities opened, the people would congregate from long distances in schoolrooms, or private houses, or in the shade of woods, in different neighborhoods, as convenience or some system of rotation might appoint.2 It is not strange, on this sup- position, that the names "Hopewell" and "people of Hope- well," should be used in the ecclesiastical records in refer- ence to different neighborhoods, and even parishes, so that after the lapse of a century and a half it would not be pos- sible to determine in every instance what particular locality, if any, is designated. The present churches of Ewing, Pen- nington and Trenton were in Hopewell; that of Lawrence- ville was in Maidenhead. It is not improbable that the Presbyterians in the latter township were sometimes in- cluded in the general reference of "Hopewell."
Some of my readers may need to be reminded of a New England peculiarity which then obtained in this Province, and will still further account for the confusion. I may ex- plain it in the words of Colonel (afterwards Governor) Lewis Morris, in 1700, when referring to the "towns" of East Jersey. "These towns are not like the towns in Eng- land, the houses built close together on a small spot of ground, but they include large portions of the country of four, five, eight, ten, twelve, fifteen miles in length, and as much in breadth; and all the settlements within such state and bounds is said to be within such a township; but in most of those townships there is some place where a part of the inhabitants set down nearer together than the rest, and con- fine themselves to smaller portions of ground, and the town is more peculiarly designed by that settlement."*
The first authentic notice of any effort on the part of the inhabitants of the two townships to provide a permanent place of worship is found in a deed dated March 18,
* "The Papers of Lewis Morris." N. J. Hist. Soc., 1852.
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1698-9 .* In that instrument, Jeremiah Basse, Governor of East and West Jersey, and Thomas Revell, "Agents for the Honorable the West Jersey Society in England," con- veyed one hundred acres "for the accommodation and serv- ice of the inhabitants of the township of Maidenhead, within the liberties or precincts of the said county of Bur- lington and the inhabitants near adjacent, being purchasers of the said society's lands there, for the erecting of a meet- ing-house, and for burying-ground and school-house, and land suitable for the same."; The names of many of the grantees will be recognized as still represented in this region.
Ralph Hunt, John Bainbridge [or Ban- bridge],3
Johannes Lawrenson,
William Hixon.
John Bryerly [Brearley ?],4
Samuel Hunt,
Cornelius Andris,
Theophilus Phillips,
Jonathan Davis,
Thomas Smith,
Jasper Smith,
Hezekiah Bonham,
Thomas Coleman,
Benjamin Maple,
Benjamin Hardin,
Lawrence Updike,
William Akers,
Joseph Sackett,
Robert Lannen [ Lanning], Philip Phillips,
Joshua Andris [sometimes Andrus and Andrews, and Anderson],
Samuel Davis,
Elnathan Davis,
Enoch Andris,
James Price,
John Runion,
Thomas Runion,
Edward Hunt.
The strong presumption is, that from the beginning this was a Presbyterian congregation, and that although the pre- cise year in which a church was erected on the ground thus conveyed, cannot be ascertained, the first house of worship
* In this part of my researches I have availed myself of the collections kindly placed at my disposal by the Rev. George Hale, pastor of Pennington.
Recorded Book B., No. 2, p. 655. in the State House at Trenton.
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HISTORY OF THE
for any denomination in the two townships was that at Maidenhead, now Lawrenceville. John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was baptized by the Rev. Jedediah Andrews, at Maidenhead, December 31, 1713. As Edward Hart, his father, lived in Hopewell, three miles below Pennington, it is probable that there was a church at Maidenhead to which the child was taken. There were ten baptisms at Maidenhead in April, 1713, which goes to in- crease the probability of a permanent place of worship being there at that date. There is positive evidence of its
existence three years later, for in the records of the Court of Sessions for Hunterdon county, dated Tuesday, June 5, 1716, is the entry : "Proclamation made and the court ad- journed to the meeting-house in Maidenhead in half an hour."
I regret that I am not able to produce views of any of the original churches. The engraving here presented is a copy of the Lawrenceville Church as it now stands, but excluding the lecture and school building, which stands at the extremity of the front of the lot, and excluding also
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
the extensive graveyard which surrounds the church. The present front ( forty-five feet) and about thirty-two feet of the depth, is the same structure that was raised in 1764. The church was enlarged in 1833, to the dimensions of forty-five by sixty feet, and in 1853, fifteen feet were added to the length. I may add that in 1819 this congregation came into possession of a valuable farm and parsonage devised to them by Jasper Smith, Esq., an elder of the church.
The earliest sign of preparation for a church in Hope- well is found in two deeds of April 20, 1703 .* In the first of these, John Hutchinson conveyed to Andrew Heath, Richard Eayre,5 Abiall Davis and Zebulon Heston, a lot of two acres, in trust. The second and concurrent deed declares the purpose of the trust. It is addressed, "To all Christian people to whom these presents shall come," and sets forth that the trust is "for the inhabitants of the said township of Hopewell and their successors inhabiting and dwelling within the said township forever; for the public and common use and benefit of the whole township, for the erection and building of a public meeting house there- on, and also for a place of burial, and for no other uses, intents or purposes whatsoever." The ground thus con- veyed is within three miles of Trenton (marked "Old Church" on our map), a short distance beyond the State Lunatic Asylum. A church was erected on this site which seems to have become the exclusive property of Episco- palians,6 as that denomination occupied it until St. Michael's Church was built in the town, and the congre- gation sold the ground in 1838-the house having long be- fore disappeared.
It is probable that if the history of this church could be ascertained, it would read somewhat like the following record in the Minutes of the Presbytery of New Bruns- wick, September 19, 1738 :
* Deed Book AAA, 105 and 114. State House.
2 PRES
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"The affair of Cranberry concerning the Meeting-house was opened up before the Presbytery, wherein it appeared that the people of the Presbyterian and Church of England persuasion have a conjunct inter- est in the Meeting-house, by virtue of an agreement between such of the Presbyterians as assisted the building of it, and their neighbors of the Church of England; and therefore upon the proposal of the rest of our persuasion who are not willing to have any concern with the said house upon that foundation, the Presbytery do advise and judge it most proper that the gentlemen of the Church of England do either buy or sell their interest, that so the Presbyterians may all have a house for worship by themselves alone, and so that this whole body may be united."
When St. Michael's Church made the conveyance of 1838, by which the old church plot was added to a sur- rounding farm, reservation was made of an inclosure measuring thirty-two feet by twenty-seven, occupied by graves. The inclosure is made by a stone wall, now falling into ruins, and has the appearance of having been designed for a family cemetery. The only gravestones remaining are those of Samuel Tucker, 1789, and Mrs. Tucker, 1787, which will be described hereafter; one "in memory of John, son of William and Elizabeth Cleayton, who died November 6, 1757 [possibly 1737], aged 19 years"; an- other of "Ma- [probably Margaret], the wife of John Dagworthy. Esq.,7 who died May 16, 1729, aged 37 years" ; and a few more which cannot be deciphered beyond "Grace Da-," or "Hend-," etc. It is said that the widow of William Trent, whose name was given to the town, was buried here, but there is no trace of the grave.
In less than six years from Hutchinson's deed to Heath and others, the Hopewell Presbyterians took measures for the erection of a church for themselves, within three miles of the one just described. This was the beginning of the congregation, which, after the foundation of the township of Trenton (1719-20), was called the "Trenton First Church," but which now takes the name of the new town- ship of Ewing. The original deed was dated March 9,
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
1709, and conveyed two acres of land from Alexander Lockart, a Scotchman, to
Richard Scudder,s
Jacob Reeder, 8 Cornelius Anderson,
John Burroughs,9
Ebenezer Prout, Daniel Howell,
John Silerons [or Siferons, Severance, Severns],
John Deane,
Simon Sacket, 10
John Davis,
George Farley,
Jonathan Davis,
Caleb Farley,
Enoch Anderson,
William Reed,
William Osborne,
Joseph Sacket.10
There are no original records or documents to remove the obscurity that surrounds the first action under this deed; but in the following minute of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, May II, 1709, Hopewell may refer to this people-perhaps in connection with those of what is now Pennington :
"Ordered, that Mr. [Joseph] Smith go to the people of Maidenhead and Hopewell, and confer with them on such matters as shall be propounded to him by them, concerning his being called to be their minister; and that Mr. Smith preach to the people aforesaid on his way to New England, or return from it, or both; and that this be in- timated to Mr. Smith, and the people aforesaid be writ to by Mr. Andrews."
The first church on this ground was built of logs (1712) ; this made room, about 1726, for a frame building, which was used until 1795,11 when one of brick was erected. In 1839 the church was remodeled. The cut represents the church of 1795 before alteration ; and here I take the liberty of quoting a few verses from a poem, written for the amuse- ment of her grandchildren by an estimable member of this church,12 and prompted by the destruction of one of the two old oaks in the churchyard in 1852.
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*
* * * *
"Two hundred years, or more, the storms you braved Unharmed, while round your head the tempest raved. A faithful guard, for all that time, you kept, Above the throng that 'neath your shadow slept. The wild tornado's breath hath o'er thee past, And prostrate on the earth you lie at last. * "And here they stood when the forefathers came, To build an altar to their Maker's name. Men from afar-perchance across the deep, This place they chose their Sabbath rest to keep.
*
They built an altar of materials rude, Unhewn the stone, and roughly dressed the wood, 'Twas blest of Him, whose promised dwelling place Is where His people meet to seek His grace. * * * *
"Once in three weeks the stated pastor came With gracious message in his Master's name, Reciprocated all the greetings kind, Rejoiced in health and peace his flock to find. The morning service o'er, beneath your shade They ate their bread, and kind inquiries made:
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
'How fared it with the brother pioneers, What were their prospects, what their hopes and fears; What news from home, afar-beyond the sea- Fight Hampden, Cromwell, still for liberty? Or to his kingdom is King Charles restored? Has promised, but again to break his word? Has Scotland sheathed the sword, or does she still For conscience sake oppose her sovereign's will Worship the faithful still in caves and dens, In forest deep, or wild secluded glens?
For Wales who strikes to put oppression down? Who nobly dares to wear a martyr's crown?' *
*
*
*
*
"One to the other thus the tidings bore, Of clime and kindred they would see no more. That duty done, once more to praise and pray, The church they entered-thus they spent the day. * * *
* * *
" "Time levels all,' the old church passed away, It served a holy purpose in its day ; And faithful men a new foundation laid, Offerings of patient toil and substance made ; Well wrought, the building rose by careful hands, Memorial of their zeal, the church now stands.
* * * * *
"Now, many a mossy stone the name discloses Of faithful Reeds and Scudders, Howells, Roses, Reeder, Clarke, Hart, Carle, Furman, and the Moores, Fish, Welling, Hendrickson, Temples, Greens by scores, Lanning, Hunt, Cook, Burroughs, and Jones and Lott, And hundreds lie without a stone to mark the spot."
*
At the time of the formation of this venerable church, the Presbytery of Philadelphia was the only one in America. It was formed in 1704 or 1705, and included seven min- isters, who were pastors in Pennsylvania, Maryland and what is now Delaware. In 1706 a member was added from New Jersey. To this body the Presbyterians, whether or- ganized or not into congregations, or represented on the roll, would naturally look for counsel and aid, especially for the obtaining of the ordinances of worship. In Sep-
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HISTORY OF THE
tember, 1710, the Presbytery, writing to the Presbytery of Dublin and Synod of Glasgow, in entreaty for their help in furnishing ministers, say that they have but two con- gregations "in the Jerseys"; "the number of our ministers from the respective Provinces is ten in all-three from Maryland, five from Pennsylvania and two from East Jer- sey."
Under date of September 27, 17II, the following minute appears :
"Upon the desire of the people of Maidenhead and Hopewell, signi- fied by Mr. William Yard, for our assisting them in getting a min- ister, it was agreed that in case the people of Maidenhead and Hope- well are not engaged with Mr. Sacket, that they use all opportunities they have for a speedy supply, and apply themselves to the neighboring ministers for assistance in getting a minister for them."13
There is no further reference in the Records of Pres- bytery to the congregations of this neighborhood until September, 1715, when Philip Ringo presented a call from Maidenhead and Hopewell to Mr. ROBERT ORR, which was approved by Presbytery, accepted by him, and his ordina- tion appointed for October 20. This took place on the day specified, when Mr. Orr was "solemnly set apart to the work of the ministry, by Masters Andrews, Morgan, Dick- inson, Evans and Bradner, at Maidenhead, before a numer- ous assembly."*
As an old tablet, now in the wall of the first church in the city of Trenton, gives 1712 as the year in which the Presbyterian church was "Formed," that is supposed to be the date when the parent congregation was formally or- ganized in view of taking possession of the ground cori- veyed by Lockart in 1709. This, then, would be one of the centers of Mr. Orr's ministry for Hopewell. He ap- pears to have resided on what is now the boundary line be-
* Letter Book of Presbytery. Printed Records, p. 41.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
tween the townships of Lawrence and Ewing. A son of his, who died during his pastorate, was buried in the Lock- art ground, and the gravestone is visible from the present church. Mr. Orr remained in this charge nearly four years. His name occurs for the last time in ecclesiastical records, in the minutes of the Synod, September 19, 1719, where he is spoken of as "having at present no pastoral charge," and the usual testimonials were given to him and another minister, it "being uncertain how and where Providence may dispose of them."
The age of the Hopewell church at Pennington14 is not precisely known, but the building was used in 1725-6, as the township records of March 9 of that year show that it was "agreed upon by the majority of the town, to hold their town meetings ensuing at the new meeting-house by John Smith's." Smith is known to have been owner of the land adjoining the lot which is still the site of the church. There is a tradition that prior to the building of a church, a school- house was used for some time, which stood on what is now the southern part of the graveyard, and long known as "the school-house lot." This lot was conveyed by John Smith for the consideration of ten pounds, to Nathaniel Moore, William Cornwell, John Everitt, Ralph Hunt, Jonathan Furman, Reuben Armitage and Stephen Baldwin.
The Rev. Robert Orr was followed in the Hopewell charge by the Rev. MOSES DICKINSON, a younger brother of the first president of the College of New Jersey, and a graduate of Yale when the whole senior class numbered but five, all of whom entered the ministry. This was in 1717, the year in which the college was removed from Saybrook to New Haven. The history of Mr. Dickinson's Presbyterial connection cannot be given, as the records of that period are not extant; but according to the minutes of the Synod he attended the sessions of that body in 1722, 1724 and 1725. Among the delegates of those three
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HISTORY OF THE
years appears the name of Enoch Armitage, who was a ruling elder of Hopewell. Mr. Dickinson removed to the Congregational Church of Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1727, and continued to be its pastor until his death, May 1, 1778, in the 83d year of his age, and 51st of his ministry. In his seventieth year he took a colleague from the Presbytery of New Brunswick, the Rev. William Tennent, Jr. There are two printed sermons of Mr. Dickinson's: one of them was preached at the ordination of the Rev. Elisha Kent, grandfather of the distinguished Chancellor of New York.
Mr. Armitage, who was a native of Yorkshire in Eng- land, was an active elder. He officiated in Hopewell when no minister was present, not only in reading "the works of approved divines," as our elders and deacons are author- ized to do in such an emergency, but occasionally reading his own compositions. The Rev. Mr. Hale has in his pos- session a manuscript of the usual length of a sermon, in the handwriting of Mr. Armitage, headed, "Some Medita- tions Upon the 15th, 16th and 17th verses of the 27th chapter of Numbers, occasioned by the removal of Mr. Dickinson, and delivered at Hopewell meeting-house by E. A., 1727." The text of the "meditations" is: "And Moses spoke unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in be- fore them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in : that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd."
The discourse opens in these modest terms :
"Beloved Friends: I having no book of any subject suitable to the present outward circumstances of the congregation, and being some- thing more than ordinarily affected with our present desolate condition, I thought meet to deliver my own meditations on the forementioned subject, though I know not whether they will be of any use to you, or meet with acceptance from you; yet hoping they may at least do no harm to any, and presuming on your favorable construction, and
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
being encouraged by your kind acceptance of what I have been enabled to do in your service, since Divine Providence cast my lot amongst you, I therefore humbly proceed to deliver my meditations on these words."
I quote the annexed paragraph from the Meditations for the sake of the intimation it contains that there was more than one place of worship within reach of the people of Hopewell-the reference being probably to Maidenhead; Mr. Armitage's farm was within a mile of Pennington.
"Now this being the case of this congregation, we are as sheep that have no shepherd by the removal of our minister from us: and whether the same Providence that removed him, notwithstanding all our en- deavors to the contrary, will permit his return, as some hope, I know not : but as however that may be, as affairs now stand, it seems likely that some part of the congregation will be as sheep that have no shepherd, therefore I hope," etc.
Mr. Dickinson was followed in 1729 by the Rev. JOSEPH MORGAN. He is supposed to have come from Wales, but was educated at Yale, and was one of the six first gradu- ates in 1702. President Woolsey, in a letter to Mr. Hale, remarks that "some interest is attached to Mr. Morgan from the fact that he was not only one of the members of the first class in Yale College, but also the only one of the class who did not also take his degree at Harvard, that is, the only one veritably educated at Yale alone."* He came into New Jersey from Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1710, and was pastor at Freehold from that time until called to the united congregations of Hopewell and Maid- enhead.
In the "Presbyterian Magazine" of November, 1857, is preserved a long letter from Morgan to Dr. Cotton Mather, written at Freehold in September, 1721. It is wholly in
* Mr. Morgan was never an undergraduate of Yale College. He received an honorary degree in 1719. See letter of Prof. Dexter, of Yale University, quoted by Judge Lanning in "Sketch of Ewing Presbyterian Church," Journal of Presbyt. Hist. Soc., Vol. VI., No. 5, p. 173.
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