USA > New Jersey > Burlington County > Burlington > History of the church in Burlington, New Jersey : comprising the facts and incidents of nearly two hundred years, from original, contemporaneous sources > Part 22
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LAYMEN MARRY TEN COUPLES TO MR. CAMPBELL'S ONE. Mr. Campbell to the Secretary. Extract. " Burlington Oct. 8, 1739. " REVP SIR :
-"I must likewise acquaint the Society not so much by way of complaint, since I am in friendship and good under- standing with the Persons, That Messrs. Allen and Bustel,. the former my Churchwarden and the latter one of the vestry, do marry ten couple to my one, to my great prejudice."-
THE SOCIETY TAKES LITTLE NOTICE OF ITS HOUSE.
Mr. Campbell to the Secretary. Extract. " Burlington May 3ª 1740. " REVP SIR : * "I am heartily sorry the society takes so little notice of their house here, which if not timely look'd to will inevitably go to ruin and decay ; I heard last Year by a private letter, the Society had concluded to give the charge of that House to the Revª M' Cummings at Philadelphia and myself, but their instructions concerning this, has not yet come either to him or me."
THE PENALTY FOR STEALING TWO SKEINS OF YARN.
" Oct 8, 1741, a Warr granted at the Sute of Elizarabeth
Elinor Holms a
The King Hough for Stealing &c & the Sa being Con- victed before the Mayr & Recorder on the 9th Inst was Sentenced to be Whipped at the publick whipping post in this City which was performed on the 10th Inst by Benj"
257
IN BURLINGTON.
Wheat the City Whipper & said Elinor Holmes departed the City according to the Sentence of the Said Court. She was whipped on the Bare Back wth tenn Lashes-being convicted of Stealing two Skains of Yarn valued by the plaintiff under 20 Shillings."-MS. Docket of the " Court of Conscience."
LARGE BEQUEST LOST. Mr. Campbell to the Secretary. Extract. " Burlington May 12, 1742. " R. D. SIR:
-"I have sent inclosed the Copy of a Will wherein there is a large bequest made to my Church, if justice were done it, its pity our old Mission, & a Mission of as great consequence to ye Society as many in North America (considering it has a footing in the center of ye Kingdom of Quakers) Should thro' length of time & villany be divested of its proper rights. I have at my own Expence in consultations of Lawyers expended £5 Sters already upon it, and all of them agree that the church has a good right and the subject in debate if recover'd is worth at least £300 Sterling .-
"R D Sir Your most humble Servant "COLIN CAMPBELL."
MARRIAGE OF THE REV. MR. CAMPBELL.
" June 9th 1742 The Revª Mr Colin Campbell missionary at Burlington was married to Mrs Mary Martha Bard,t of the Same place Gent"" married by the Revd M' Currie."-Parish Register.
Other records state further, that this solemnization took place in St. Mary's Church; the Rev. Wm. Currie who officiated, being at that time, missionary at Radnor, Pa.
+ This lady was the daughter, (born March 10th, 1719, and baptized on the 29th of the same month by Rev. Mr. Talbot,) of Col. Peter Bard, one of his Majesty's Council and Second Judge of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Her mother was Dinah Marmion, who left Leicestershire, at seven years of age, with her parents, Samuel and Elizabeth Marmion, whose graves are in the centre of St. Mary's Church yard.
R
258
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
OBSTRUCTIONS WHICH THE MISSIONARIES MEET WITH.
Mr. Campbell to the Secretary. Extract. "Burlington Novr 2ª 1742. "RDS:
-- " I must now beg leave to shew the Society (and that plainly) what are the obstructions that I and our Missionarys in Pennsylvania & New Jersey meet with ; & does & will render our labours the less effectuall, Let our endeavours be never so faithfull & diligent ; The Society I hope know that the majority of the People here especially on the Western Division of this Province as well as in Pennsylvania are Quakers, and it is com- mon with the Mobb ; for so I must call them who are not truly Governors ; to measure Orthodoxy in Religion from numbers & power, our Govr tho' a Member of your Society, yet allows the majority of the Representatives in Assemblys of his Council, Judges of the Courts & Justices of the Peace to be Quakers- How to accompt for this I cannot tell but so it is and what the consequences are Government itself beginns now to feel, altho' we have felt it to our sad experience long agoe. Let the Society judge how inconsistent with English Liberty that Judges sitting on our Benches, Justices of the Peace &c shall exact Oaths of English Subjects, who by no means will take them themselves or Juries who sit before them who by bare Affirmations will take away our Lives & Fortunes & laugh at Men who offer to take the Oath they themselves impose nay sue & imprison them if they refuse ; they are the execution of English Laws here the Quakers scorn rendered and England's shame, thus Men against their consciences are forced to embrace Quakerism for their power and number .-
"I have often before now complained of Justices of the Peace's Marriage, not that I contended for taking away the power of any sect to marry among themselves, but when they marry promiscously, & men of bad Morals in yt station, who neither care for our form nor any other yet daily marry, brings Religion into contempt-None can know the abuses committed here in these matters but one on the spot. Poligamy & every other unnatural thing is committed & incestuous Marriages.
259
IN BURLINGTON.
Were a meer Stranger to come that had never seen the English Laws nor known he wou'd personally think they were founded on villany & deceit, and all a farce; while things are suffered to go on as they do. In a word the Church seems to be like the Greek Church under the Ottoman Yoke; if any or all these things are redress'd let this Letter be publish'd (if not we must be silent under our load) For in point of prudence I have be- haved myself since I came here, in amity with those People, yet I think it my duty in discharging my conscience thus to my Employers and Superiors, and think if that correspondence which is kept up among Jews Jesuits & Quakers in iniquity were kept up in integrity among us it would be better for us what is the effect of Quakerism now in Pennsylvania but a nursery of Jesuits, no less than two Priests are in Philadelphia & 4 in Conestogoe, a County in the Country and what the end of the Quaker power will prove we may plainly guess, many Irish Papists turn Quakers and get into places as well as Germans, O English policy alas for it, and a Quaker Author lately sent his Books here, one Elves from London, making our Blessed Lord to be the meer Son of Joseph & Mary, one would think that England wants now to give the finishing stroke to Christianity being wearied of such an obsolete Religion & introduce Atheism at once, my heart bleeds to write more on this subject & concludes "R D S. Your most Humble Servt
" COLIN CAMPBELL."
CHURCH BUILT AT MOUNT HOLLY.
In 1742, Mr. Campbell writes, that " at a place called Mount Holly, about eight miles from Burlington, the people have built a handsome Church, and given it, by a deed of gift, to the Society and three other trustees, of whom the missionary at Burlington is to be always one." He also records the liberality of " the worthy Peter Baynton, in roofing and shingling St. Mary's Church at his own expense." }
+ The Will of Peter Baynton of Philadelphia, who died in March, 1743- and whose tomb, as well as that of his son, Benjamin, is among the more notice- able in the older portion of St. Mary's Churchyard-gives these particulars : "I will and bequeath to my Dear Wife Mary six hundred Pounds and Forty Pounds pr Annm during her natural life to be raised out of my estate
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
MR. CAMPBELL'S FIRST CHILD.
The birth, and baptism on the eighth day after, of the first child of Rev. Mr. Campbell, is thus noted in the Parish Regis- ter: "July 2d, 1743, was born the Daughter of Colin and Mary Campbell, and Baptized July 10th, by the Rev'd M' Jenney, Rector of Christ Church, Philad'a and Commissary Pensilvania; Mary Ann Campbell."
Likewise all and every part of Estate Real and Personal came by her to me and my Negro Woman Amorest and during her Widowhood her Choise to live & abide in any House in Philadelphia or Burlington that I may be posses'd of at my Decease Clear of Rent all which I declare to be in Lieu of her right of Dower I will and bequeath to my Youngest Son Benjamin Bayn- ton Four hundred Pounds to be put out to Interest as soon as it may be Con- veniently done without distressing other parts my Estate and both Principal and Interest to be paid him when at age Likewise I give him the House and Lotts in Philadelphia the North side Arch Street which I bought of William Pywell And that he be brought up and Educated till he be bound apprentice out of the Rents and Issues of my Estate I will and bequeath to my Cozen Elizabeth Derkinderen the Brick House and Corner Lott in the High Street in Burlington which I bought Last of Simon Nightengale to her and her heirs and Assigns for ever Likewise the Bed and all the furniture belonging to the Room She usually Lodges in I give to my Father in Law John Budd Ten Pounds pr annm during his Natural Life I give To my Sister in Law Ann Wheeler as a token of my Love Twenty-five Pounds and to my late appren- tice John Stapleford five pounds to my Dear Sister Ruth Banfill Twenty five Pounds Sterling to my Aunt Elizabeth Devit Twenty five pounds Irish Cur- rency to the Poor of Philadelphia in General Ten Pounds. To the Poor Com- municants of the Episcopal Church in that City five pounds to the Church at Burlington Ten pounds to be Disposed of as the Vestry may think proper and to my good friend Benjamin Pollard of Boston as a token of my friendship I give him my Two Volums of Chambers's Dictionary in Case he survives me I will they be sent him Moreover I will and bequeath to my Dear Wife Mary over & above what is already mentioned One hundred Pounds Value in such of my Household Goods as she shall please to make Choise of And I give will and Bequeath all the Residue and Remainder of my Estate both Real and Personal (subject nevertheless to the above) wherever it may be found to my Eledest Son John Baynton to him and his Heirs and assigns forever And I appoint and Ordain my Dear Wife so long as she remains a Widow my Son John together with my very good Friends Jossua Madox and Thomas Bourn of Philadelphia Merchts to be Executors of this my Last Will and Testament To whom I give as a token of my most friendly regards To Jossua Madox my Gold ring set with Emeraulds and to Thomas Bourn my Gold Clasps. * my three Silver Tankards to my Nephew Peter Banfill * * to Ten Poor Widows three of them in Burlington and Seven in Philadelphia such as my Executors may nominate Ten pounds to each and to my God children Daniel Jone's Daughter Ann Josua Madox's Daughter Mary Charles Willings : son Thomas Samuel Hassell's son Samuel and to Alexander Wood- rofs Daughter Sarah to each the said Children fifty pounds And out of the Residue or Remainder of my Estate two hundred & fifty pounds towards the building of a New Episcopal Church in Philadelphia-if began to be built within one year after my childrens decease And my Will is that those Several Legacy's be paid within two years after my Childrens decease * * Declared by the Testator to be his Last Will in the Presence of us Colin Campbell Mary Campbell Rebecca Bard."
261
IN BURLINGTON.
LEGACIES FROM THOMAS LEEDS.
Memorandm
That the sum of Eight pounds being a legacy left to the Revd Mr Camp- bell by Thos Leeds late of Burling- ton Deceasd, was paid to Him by John Allen of the same place Esq. one of the Executors of the sd Will the 14 of Decbr 1743 in full of sd Legacy of which he the sd Colin Campbell acknowledge himself fully satisfied and paid as } Rect of ye sd Date.
£8 00
Also That the sd John Allen paid into the hands of the Church Wardens Revel Elton & William Lyndon for this pres- ent year 1744 the sum of twenty pounds being also a legacy of the said Thos Leeds left to the sd Church as acknow- ledged by their receipt bearing date March 17th 1743.
Also paid by Jno. Allen into the Hands of the above said Church Wardens the sum of Nine pounds being 9 another Legacy left by sd Leeds to the Church afd as by their Receipt dated August the 9th 1744 -MS. Account Bool :.
20
..
..
GIFT OF SILVER PLATE.
In 1745, the Parish received a piece of silver which, in Sep- tember, 1839,-nearly a hundred years afterwards-was made into an alms-bason, having engraved in its centre, a plain Latin cross, above which are the letters J H S surmounted with a semi-circular halo. On the bottom of the bason, in Roman let- ters, is the following : "This plate given to the Rev'd Mr. Campbell by Mrs. Katherine Pierce, for the use of St. Mary's Church in Burlington. 1745."
UNUSUALLY IMPORTANT ACTION OF THE VESTRY.
" AN ABSTRACT of the proceedings of the Minister Ch : War- dens and Vestry of St Anne's Church in Burlington on the 19th day of November A D 1745, of & Concerning the Sale of a Tract of Town bound Land belonging to the said Church toward the purchaseing of a Convenient House & Lot for a Glebe or Par-
262
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
sonage house for the accommodation and Use of the present Incumbent & his Successors &c
" Being met. Present the Revª M' COLIN CAMPBELL
" MR WILLIAM LYNDON
" MR JOSEPH WHITE jun' S Church Wardens
" JOHN ALLEN ESQR
" REVEL ELTON ESQR
" DOCTR THOS SHAW
" MR WM HEULING
Vestry men
" MR STEPHEN WILLIAMS
" MR JOHN BUDD
" MR ROWLAND ELLIS
" The Revd M' Campbell having at Sundry times heretofore signified to the Vestry the difficulties he labour'd under for want of a Convenient house to dwell in, the old parsonage house being gone to Decay and Scituated in a very unhealthy place to live at (if repaird) That in a former Vestry it was Resolved that the Land belonging to this Church adjoyning to Schuylers Plantation sho'd be sold in order to buy or build a dwelling house for yt use and purpose, which remains yet to be done for want of buyers ; That the sd Land for years past is found by ex- perience to have been much diminish'd in its value by reason of the waste & Consumption made by ill minded people cutting and clandestinely carrying away the wood & timber thereof and in process of Time (if not disposed of now to Richard Smith jun" who offers a valuable consideration for it) in all probability it will fetch but a mean price: That by the sale of this Tract of Land which brings neither profit to the Church nor any advan- tage to the Minister as it lies, together with some Legacies and other moneys being now become the property of the Church such a Conveniency may be had, by purchasing the house & Lot of Jnº Kemble at this juncture on Sale; Upon this Remon- strance the Vestry went to view the aforesd House and Lot of sª Kemble and finding ye premises very suitable and Commodi- ous for the purposes aforesd returned to the House Of Thomas Hunloke at the sign of the Angel in Burlington to Treat with said Kemble and further to consult proper measures for Effect- ing and accomplishing the same.
263
IN BURLINGTON.
" Her late Majesty Queen Ann's Charter being openly read and the powers and priviledges therein largely contained tho- roughly weighed and rightly consider'd and Council had thereon " AND the Question being put whether the above mention'd Tract of Land be sold after some Debate had about the sale thereof Resolved Nemine Contradicente That the aforesd Tract of Land adjoyning to Schuylers Plantation and belonging to this Church be Conveyd by Deed from this Corporation to Richard Smith jun" of Burl" to whom the same is sold for the sum of Seventy five pounds Lawful proclamation money in hand paid, which said Sum of Seventy five pounds being bona fide the full value for which the same Land is sold together with other moneys given to the said Church is now laid out in the purchase of the same John Kembles House and premises which this Corporation after some offers purchased of the same Jnº Kemble and Anne his Wife for the sum of one hundred and Seventy five pounds procla money as an Augmention to the Church to Continue in Succession to perpetuity pursuant to the Charter as by a firm and absolute Conveyance thereof made by the sd John Kemble and Anne his wife to the use of ye sd Church bearing Date De- cember the 24 A D 1745 or the Inrollment thereof in the Secre- tarys Office at Burlington more largely appears In which Deed by Consent of the Minister Church Wardens & Vestry men now present this Clause is incerted, Viz. That in Case of ye Death or removal of the present Minister or of any other Lawful and Orthodox Minister that may hereafter succeed in the Cure of this Church ; Its consented to and agreed, That the sd Dwelling house and premises as now purchas'd with the Church's money, shall be and remain in the Trust and Care of the Church War- dens then being who are hereby Order'd and directed to take Care thereof and to Lett the Same for the benefit of the Church during such vacancy as it shall seem most meet and Convenient to them with the advice and Concurrence of the Vestry for ye uses aforesaid any thing in the said Deed contained to the Con- trary thereof in any wise Notwithstanding : And for a further satisfaction to those that shall come hereafter and may be Con- cerned in the affairs of this Church as this Vestry is at present, Its Ordered and Agreed that the above minute be drawn at
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HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
Large and Engrossed in the Church Book whereby it appears upon what grounds the Vestry proceeded in this matter and the necessity requiring the sale of the one and the purchase made of the other and both justified and Supported by our Excellent Charter
"By Order of the Vestry ROWLAND ELLIS Secry." -MS. Account Book.
A CENTENNARIAN.
The Parish Register has this entry : " May 30th, 1746, mem- orandum. This day came to hear me preach at the house of Henry Cooper in Northampton Township ; the Widdow Bell ; born in New England a poor woman mantained by said town- ship ; aged as she told me before my whole Congregation there, one hundred and two years ; had her eye sight and hearing per- fectly well, walked upright, and had the entire use all her other faculties ; witness. Colin Campbell, minr at Burlington."
A PARSONAGE PURCHASED.
Minister and Churchwardens of Burlington to the Secretary. " Burlington New Jersey June 2ª 1746. " REVP SIR
" We the Minister & Churchwardens of St Marys Church in Burlington in behalf of the Vestry and congregation of sª Church beg leave to embrace this opportunity of returning our thankful Acknowledgmt to the Honble Society and our worthy benefactrix (if alive) for the handsome donation, of forty pounds sterl. which we received November last and in as much as we have a Bell already and a parsonage house being very much wanting we unanimously concluded the money could not be better laid out than in purchasing of such a house which we have now done with a convenient garden lott at the rate of £110 sterl. $ Ex- chge for the use and benefit of our present incumbent and his successors in office forever-the which we could not have done nor accomplished without that donation-We cannot indeed boast of our liberality hitherto to our Missionary because several of our wealthiest of our Members are lately dead and the remain- ing among us are realy not of ability but our purchaseing of this house and new fencing our burying [ground] may be Testimo-
265
IN BURLINGTON.
nies of our good will-We can say with truth that mutual love and respect subsists between us and our Missionary which will we hope induce the Society to continue the means of grace among us and not think the worse of us because poor-We hope ere this comes to hand the Providence of God who sets bounds to the rageings of the Sea and the madness of the people has put a check to that unnatural rebellion we hear has broke out in our mother Country and the nation restored to peace in the free ex- ercise of their Religion and liberties which with our hearty prayers to God for the success of the Gospell which may God continue to prosper in your hands as worthy instruments is and shall be the sincere prayers of
" Dr ST " Your most obliged & sincere " Friends & hble Servants
" COLIN CAMPBELL Min". " WILLIAM LYNDON -
" JOSEPH WHITE ju" Cen Wardens."
THE SOCIETY'S HOUSE BURNT TO THE GROUND.
Mr. Campbell to the Secretary. " Burlington June 28, 1748.
" REVP DEAR SIR,
"I wrote Nov" last two Letters the one by the Ship Widow Capt" White, who I hear is taken, the other by Capt" Mann of New York; but knows not whether either reach'd your hands, wherein I acknowledged the receipt of yours by Mr Sturgeon ; and one since the Postscript dated Nov" last the 3ª I have now nothing material to acquaint you with respect to my Cure, but that we remain in the same unity & good order as I formerly wrote; But I'm sorry to acquaint you that on the eighth day of March last, the wind strong at N West, a poor Man liveing in the Societys House either by his carelessness in not sweeping the Chimneys or by some other Accident unknown the House at Midday catch'd Fire & marr'd all endeavours to quench it, burnt down to the Ground ; and little or nothing
266
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
saved but some old Iron & the Bricks, t I happened that day to be burying a Man at Bristol, but was told when I return'd that it was impossible to save it, the shingles being so old & dry ; The Society are certainly at no great loss by this Accident; altho' I'm heartily sorry it happened ; because I have from time to time acquainted them of its runious condition and would have fallen to ground of itself in a year or two more ; and but three Months before the Accident happened I enquired of some Trades- men here what they would give for the Materials & pull it down themselves (they answer'd no more than Ten pound Sterling pr exchange) so dear is the price of all labour here ; and as to the Societys ordering £15 Sterling to defend their rights agst Burge, I find since that Decon has made a private bargain with Burge of his share in debate & would have me alone carry on a Law Suit with Burge in the Society's Name which I refused to do until I had acquainted them and therefore have not drawn upon the Society till further orders ; I beg you'l be pleased to acquaint the Society that I want to be indulged with their leave to come to London to transact the Executory of a Brother of mine lately deceased in the West Indies most of his affairs being in the hands of Merchants in London ; I have now been upwards of 10 years in the Society's service and cannot reproach myself with any misconduct in my station tho' matters don't turn out here agree- able to our wishes, yet I think I have by the Grace of God done what I could ; I have drawn upon the Treasurer for one half years Salary ; let me know the Society's mind concerning the above request as soon as conveniently you can-
" I am Revª Dear Sir, " Your most obliged humble Servant " COLIN CAMPBELL."
+ "Old men among us still remember a cellar, which was said in their boy- hood to belong to this house. This cellar was filled up, when improvements were made, some years ago, in that quarter. The huge buttonwoods and wil- lows, in that vicinity, are possibly, the only survivors of its trees." Rev. Wm. Allen Johnson's MS. lecture, delivered at Library Hall, Burlington, Feb. 14th, 1870.
267
IN BURLINGTON.
MUTUAL LOVE BETWEEN PASTOR AND PEOPLE.
Mr. Campbell to the Secretary. Extract.
" Burlington July 5th 1749.
" REVP DEAR SIR
-" I cheerfully and conscientiously make it my study to -
answer the Society's good purposes by Preaching, statedly to my three Congregations of Burlington Bristol and Mountholly, who are all peaceable and orderly, mutuall love subsisting between us ; since my last have baptized 8 Adults 26 Infants and receive to the Communion at Burlington 50-at Bristol 14 and at Mountholly 10 persons ; I love not to amuse the Society with pompous accounts, but shall always strictly keep to truth, altho' not generally rewarded with that favour, that impudence and pompous Boasting without modesty and distant from truth meets with ; which I hope the coming of Bishops here which I hear the Parliament have taken into consideration, will effectu- ally prevent ; and reward conscientious missionarys and dis- courage those that are not."
INCREASED FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL.
" In 1751, a boat left 'Crooked billet wharf,' Philadelphia, once a week for Burlington, whence 'a stage wagon with a good awning'-kept by Fretwell Wright at the 'Blue Anchor in Burlington,' John Predmore at Cranberry, and James Wilson at Amboy Ferry -- ran to the latter place, where 'good enter- tainment for man and horse would be found' at the house of Obadiah Ayres. Great dependence seems to have been laid upon the attractions of their passage-boat between Amboy and New York, which was commanded by Matthew Iseltine. She is described as having 'a fine commodious cabin, fitted up with a tea table, and sundry other conveniences.' It was believed that by this route passengers could go through in twenty-four or thirty hours less time than by any other."- Whitehead's Perth Amboy.
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