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 52
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" Rome, Casa Zuccari, April 2d, 1864.
"REV. AND DEAR SIR-Through your letter of 15th Feb- ruary, which was somewhat delayed on its way, I learn with
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sincere thanfulness of the hope you have to relieve St. Mary's from debt ; I trust indeed that your efforts will be crowned with success ; to secure which, I am most happy to relinquish my small claim of $679.25, which is the remainder of an ad- vance I made as a loan, and for which I have no security but an acknowledgment from Mr. Thomas Milnor. This I have left in America, but my now writing will cancel that, should I not live to return.
" SARAH P. CLEVELAND."
On motion of Dr. Pugh, the Wardens and Treasurer were directed to write a suitable acknowledgment to the letter of Mrs. Cleveland.
LETTER TO MRS. CLEVELAND.
St. Mary's Vestry Room, June 20th, 1864 .- An adjourned meeting of the Vestry was held this evening, J. W. Odenheimer, Senior Warden, in the chair.
The Committee appointed to write a letter to Mrs. Sarah P. Cleveland, presented the following, which was approved, viz. :
" Burlington, June 26th, 1864.
" DEAR MADAM-We beg leave to address you as a Com- mittee of the Vestry of St. Mary's Church, Burlington, in dis- charge of the duty assigned to us, of acknowledging your gen- erous action in relinquishing your claim of $679.25, as conveyed to us by your letter to the late Rector, the Rev. E. A. Hoffman, dated Rome, April 2d, 1864. We feel the highest satisfaction in having been selected by the Vestry to convey to you an ex- pression of their grateful acknowledgment of your liberality. This sentiment of gratitude is shared in by the entire congrega- tion of St. Mary's Parish, which is so greatly indebted to you for repeated manifestations of your munificence. For the interest which, by word and deed, you have taken in the pros- perity of the schools, and the poor of St. Mary's Church, as well as in your generous contributions to relieve the parish from debt, you have the lasting gratitude of the Vestry and Congregation. Together with our thanks, we add the prayer that the benedic-
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tion of the Divine Head of the Church may rest upon you, both now and forever.
" With sentiments of the highest regard, we remain, dear Madam, most respectfully yours,
"J. W. ODENHEIMER, " EDWARD B. GRUBB, " FRANKLIN GAUNTT,
" Com. of the Vestry of St. Mary's Church, Burlington, N. J.
" To Mrs. Sarah P. Cleveland, Casa Zuccari, Rome, Italy."
THE BALANCE OF THE DEBT REMOVED. " Brooklyn N. Y., 22 July, 1864.
" MY DEAR SIR-I was delighted to learn from your letter of the 19th, that the balance of the debt had been removed from St. Mary's Church. I was in Burlington, for two days last week, and finding nothing had been done since I left, succeeded in getting Dr. Pugh to push the plan of selling to two or three of the Vestry, a piece of the Church property for $1600, to cancel the debt, and am glad to hear that it has been ac- complished. I hope you will write to Miss McIlvaine, and inform her that the debt is paid, as she seemed last week when I called on her, discouraged about the way the Vestry had treated her proposition, and inclined to think her offer would not be accepted after all.
"I should like very much to see you about the matter. Can- not you come on to New York on Monday or Tuesday next ? I am going in the country on Tuesday evening, and shall not be at home again for more than a day at a time until the first of September, but could meet you here, if you desire it, on Wed- nesday, 3d Aug., or Tuesday, 9th August. But hope you will come on early next week if you can.
" Yours very sincerely, " E. A. HOFFMAN. "P. S .- My house is 41 Remsen street, first over the Wall street ferry.
"E. A. H."
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THE TOWER DESIGNED FOR A CHIME.
" Brattleboro, Vt., 19 Aug., 1864. " J. H. Castle, Esqr.
" MY DEAR SIR-Your letter of the 16th, is just at hand with the enclosed from the Messrs. Meneely. I am satisfied that if they will take the responsibility of hanging them prop- erly, (and they can easily do it by examining how the chime in Trinity Church, New York, is hung,) I would give the order to them. Before giving the order, I should however, like to compare the list of the weights and notes of the bells, with the lists of English chimes which I have in my library. I shall be at home about the 6th of September, and shall be glad to see you then, or will meet you in Burlington some day shortly after that.
" In reference to the tower of St. Mary's Church, it does not need any alterations at all. It was designed by Upjohn and Bishop Doane for a chime. Upjohn built and completed the Church, and just after an interview, as you suggested, I requested him to make a drawing of the interior of the tower for the bells, which he is doing. It will hardly be necessary to employ Not- man. When in Burlington, I can show you how the bells can be arranged very easily. Upjohn spent a day with me there last Spring, and we talked it all over.
" Very sincerely yours, " E. A. HOFFMAN.
" P. S .- Please return the enclosed letters as requested, and let me have Meneely's again.
"E. A. H."
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BELLS. " Brooklyn, N. Y., 3 October, 1864. "James H. Castle, Esq.
" MY DEAR SIR-Since our last interview with Mr. Me- neely, I have been thinking over his statements, and must say that after careful consideration and examination of some of the best English authorities, my judgment is that you will do a great deal better to order the bells from England. My reasons
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for this, (apart from the fact that Mr. Meneely, according to his own confession, is simply an experimenter in the matter of chimes, and should be unwilling to pay him for the benefit of making experiments, which are more than likely to prove unsat- isfactory,) are simply these: Meneely's bells are made on the American principle of attempting to make good things cheaper than they can be obtained from abroad. In some things this will answer, but in all matters of art, (of which bell founding is one,) it generally ends in failure. In pursuance of this princi- ple, his bells are all very much thinner and lighter than the English bells, which give the same musical note. I am satis- fied, that the heavier a bell can be cast to produce the required note, the more satisfactory will be the tone. You can see the principle illustrated in the deep booming of the bell of a Yankee clock, which, (excuse the Irishism,) is only a wire coiled. Meneely's patterns for bells are all made on the American principle of light bells, and he has no moulds to cast bells of the English pattern and weight. He would not undertake to recast the Christ Church cracked bell of the same weight and note. The bells of Christ Church and St. Stephen's, Philadel- phia, are fair examples of the two principles.
"The Hon. E. B. Denison, who is the highest English authority on bells, and referred to by Meneely himself, says on this subject :
"' The desire of modern bell founders to produce grand effects cheaply, has led them to pretend that they can imitate the tones of large and heavy bells by smaller thin ones. This not only fails to do what is intended, but does exactly the reverse ; since copying the note of a large thick bell by a smaller thin one, prevents all resemblance in the quality of the tone, which is really much better imitated by a smaller bell of proper thickness and a higher note. The object of a peal of bells being not to make a noise, but a pleasant and melodious noise, it is only a truism to say, (what is constantly treated as if it were not true,) that a moderate number of good bells is better than a larger peal of bad ones. In the cases I referred to the money was wasted in trying to increase the number of the peal beyond
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what was suitable to their weight. No peal of ten can be a really fine one with a tenor of less than two tons ; nor a peal of eight with less than 25 cwt. The trebles, (which are the smallest bells,) should run from 7 to 5 cwt., below which no bell ever sounds well in a peal.'
" When now you compare the last remark with the weight of Mr. Meneely's proposed peal, you will find that four of his eight bells are below the weight given by Denison for the smallest bell and the least that will sound well in a peal.
"On inquiry, I find that a peal of eight bells, weighing 10,000. lbs., can be had from Mears, in London, with all the hangings and frame complete, delivered on board ship, for about 700 pounds sterling. The freight, insurance, and hang- ing, (which could then be done at a trifling cost by any good mechanic,) would not add much to the price. What the duty is I am not aware, but all that added up would not make the cost any more than the price of Meneely's peal.
" Whatever you decide on, I will do the best I can to help you, but my own judgment in the matter is clear. If you should decide to order them from Mears, I have a friend, in a large firm in London, (who was once a Warden of my Church in Elizabeth, and an amateur in all such Church matters,) who would gladly attend to the ordering and shipping of the bells, and effecting all the financial arrangements.
" Very sincerely yours, "E. A. HOFFMAN.
"P. S .- I needly scarcely add that there is every probability that exchange will be much lower than now, before another month is past."
AN ENGLISH PEAL DECIDED UPON.
" Brooklyn, N. Y., 11 October, 1864. "Jas. H. Castle, Esqr.
"DEAR SIR-I am very glad that Miss McIlvaine has decided to allow you to send to England for the bells, for I am very sure that they will be in every way more satisfactory. In your letter, however, I think you overestimate the cost of the English bells. The duty is, I find, 35 per cent., but it will not
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cost more than $250 to put them in the tower of St. Mary's, after they are landed in Philadelphia or New York.
" The name of the English Bell Founders is G. C. Mears & Co., White Chapel, London, and of my friend there, who I think would gladly attend to 'anything we might desire about the bells, is Chas. H. Edwards, Esq. He is occupied both in London and Liverpool, and may be addressed care of Alex. Bell & Sons, London. I suppose that you will write to Mears. for an estimate on the bells, frame, &c., all complete delivered on board ship. He should have the size of the room in the tower of St. Mary's, in which the bells are to be hung, both width and height-size, width, and height of windows, and height of window-sill from the floor-position where the door enters the room-and before the bells are ordered, it would be well to give him the position and size of the timbers, which support the floor of the bell-chamber. They may be seen from the Church, and cross each other thus :
+++ ++
" A general measurement would do for an estimate, but I would suggest the propriety of getting Upjohn to send a young man to Burlington to measure and make a rough draft of the tower, before the order is given. The mouth of the bells should hang on a level with the window sills.
" He should be directed to put the bells all in ringing order, even to the ropes. Each bell must have a stay or stop, (fastened to the stock and not to the wheel,) with proper catch or slides that the bell may be set. Also, a separate hammer, for chiming as in plate VII of Ellacombe's practical remarks on Belfries and Ringers. The bell clappers should be boxed in brass, and pro- vided with mufflers to ring a muffled peal for funerals, &c. All the bells are to have inscriptions. The whole peal to weigh, say 10,000 or 11,000 lbs., and the treble bell to be not less than 550 lbs. The peal to have but 8 bells. Pulleys of hard wood, brass bushed, must be provided for the floor where the ropes. pass through. Let me hear what you determine upon.
" Very sincerely yours,
"E. A. HOFFMAN.".
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THE REV. WM. ALLEN JOHNSON ELECTED RECTOR OF ST. MARY'S PARISH.}
"St. Mary's Vestry Room, October 18th, 1864 .- An ad- journed meeting of the Vestry was held this evening; F. Gauntt, M. D., (Junior Warden) in the chair.
" On motion it was resolved that the Vestry go into an elec- tion for Rector.
" Whereupon a vote being taken, the Rev. Wm. Allen John- son was unanimously elected Rector of this Parish."
THE REV. MR. JOHNSON ACCEPTS THE RECTORSHIP.
"St. Mary's Vestry Room, November 14th, 1864 .- A stated meeting of the Vestry was held this evening ; J. W. Oden- heimer, Senior Warden, in the chair.
" The Committee appointed to inform the Rev. Wm. Allen Johnson of his election to the Rectorship of this Parish, report that they have received a letter of acceptance, which stated he would enter upon his duties on the twenty-sixth Sunday after Trinity (the 20th of November).
" SAML. ROGERS, " FRANKLIN GAUNTT, Committee."
ORDER FOR A PEAL OF EIGHT BELLS. " Philadelphia, Penn., Nov. 22, 1864.
" G. C. MEARS & Co .- A year ago, two ladies, Margaret S. and Mary McIlvaine of Burlington, New Jersey, made provision for a peal of bells for St. Mary's Church, Burlington, and re- qusted me to procure the bells, and have them properly hung. Owing to the high rate of Exchange on London, and other con-
William Allen Johnson, second son of the Rev. Samuel Roosevelt John" son, D. D., was born at Hyde Park, Dutchess Co., N. Y., August 4th, 1833 ; graduated at Columbia College, N. Y., July 27th, 1853, and at the General Theological Seminary, N. Y., June 24th, 1857; was ordained Deacon, in Trinity Church, N. Y., June 28th, 1857, by Bishop Horatio Potter; proceeded M. A. at Columbia College, June 30th of same year ; became the minister of St. Peter's Church, Bainbridge and Christ Church, Guilford, in the Diocese of Western New York, September 6th, 1857 ; was advanced to the Priesthood in St. John's Church, Whitestown, N. Y., October 31st, 1858, by Bishop DeLancey ; and was Missionary at Clifton and parts adjacent, in the Diocese of Michigan, from November 9th, 1862, to August 28th, 1864.
THE. REV. WM. ALLEN JOHNSON.
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siderations, the matter has been suffered to rest until the present time. In the mean while I am sorry to have to add, one of these good ladies, (Miss Margaret S. McIlvaine,) has died.
" After consultation with the former Rector of the Church, Rev. E. A. Hoffman, (now of Grace Church, Brooklyn, N. Y.,) I have determined to place this order for the bells in your hands for execution, having the fullest confidence, from the high character of your firm, that we shall not be disappointed in the quality or tone of the peal.
"You will therefore, please consider this letter, unless you desire something more formal, as an order for a peal of Eight Bells, to weigh about 10,000 lbs., or 90 cwt., the treble bell to be not less than 6 cwt .- the bells to be perfectly sound, and in tone and tune as perfect as you can possibly make them. We have at Christ Church, in this city, a peal of 8 bells, cast at your foundry in 1754, by Lester & Pack, and we shall consider our- selves fortunate, if the peal now ordered for St. Mary's should prove equally as satisfactory.
" The Rev. Mr. Hoffman who has given some attention to the subject, has kindly drawn up for me some specifications for the bells, which I desire you to adhere to. They are-
"1. The bells to be hung ready for ringing a peal, in a good strong frame, on the same level, not one above another.
" 2. The bells to be made on the Doncaster Pattern, com- posed of 4 lbs. of tin to 13 lbs. of copper, and no bell to be cast with its sound bow less than 1-13 its diameter. The treble bell to weigh not less than 6 cwt.
" 3. Each bell to be provided with a stop (to set the bells) and a slider to run in a circular groove, struck from the gudgeon as a centre, and covered with a board to prevent the oil from dropping on it.
" 4. Each bell to be provided with a chiming hammer, with an inch hole drilled in it, and a piece of wood inserted where it is to strike the bell, and made as shown in Plate VII of Ella- combe's treatise on Belfries and Ringers.
" 5. The clappers to be properly boxed to the bolts with brass or wood, and provided with mufflers for funerals.
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"6. Pulleys bushed with brass and fitted up in carriages to be provided for the ropes where they pass through the floor.
" 7. All the wood and iron work of frame and hangings to be painted three good coats of dark brown color.
" 8. Good ropes to be provided for ringing, and the necessary ropes, &c., for chiming.
"I enclose a drawing of the bell chamber, floors, &c., which will give you such information as you may need for making the frame work and arranging the bells. The chamber is 18 ft. 8 in. in width, by 16 ft. 10 in. in height. It is proposed to have a frame put up for the bells to rest upon at the point marked A in the sketch. The frame for the bells must be made to rest on the timbers, and not fastened to the walls of the tower or bell chamber. We deem it unfortunate that the bells will have to be rung from the floor of the Church, but this cannot at present be obviated. When they are not in use the ropes can be drawn up into the belfry. The arrangement for chiming can be made at a point near the pulpit, which is on one of the piers of the tower.
" It is important that the frame work for the bells should be made at your establishment, and so marked for putting up that a tolerably good mechanic would find no difficulty in arranging the frame and putting the bells in their proper position for im- mediate use. ,
" It would be desirable to have the bells shipped from Liver- pool to Philadelphia, as Burlington is on the River Delaware, about 20 miles above this City, but if shipped to New York we can readily receive them, as there is direct railroad communica- tion with Burlington. On this subject I will write again. Sat- isfactory arrangements will be made with some London house to pay for the bells on delivery at Liverpool, but I am unable by this mail to name the house. My friend, Mr. Hoffman, will write by this or the next mail to Charles H. Edwards, Esq., of the house of Alexander Bell & Sons, of London, in reference to this order for the bells, and it is probable that I can make ar- rangements with this firm to attend to the payment.
" Enclosed you will please find the inscriptions we desire to have put on the bells. On the tenor you will observe we wish
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to have the date of presentation, Christmas, 1863, as the ladies were both living at that date, and had at that time made pro- vision for the bells.
" I understand that you guarantee all bells for one year.
" Will you please make up an estimate of the cost of the bells- and frame work, &c., &c., up to delivery at Liverpool, and let me know as early as possible. Also please inform me about what time we may expect the bells to be ready for delivery, and give me such items of information as you may deem of import- ance to us.
" Yours, very respectfully, "JAMES H. CASTLE." THE ORDER FOR THE BELLS ACKNOWLEDGED.
" Bell Foundry, Whitechapel, E., " London, 8th December, 1864. " James H. Castle, Esq., 115 South 5th street, Philadelphia.
"SIR-We are much obliged by your order for a peal of 8 bells, treble not less than 6 cwt., whole peal about 90 cwt., with Frame, Stock, Wheels, &c., complete, and chiming hammers.
" Attention shall be paid to your instructions-but we think you had better leave to our judgment and experience the exact proportion of Tin and Copper and thickness of sound bow, and we will promise you a first rate peal of bells-we hope and wish as good, if not better, than those made by our predecessors in 1754-if, however, you think it better the bells should be made as you direct-they shall be.
"We presume by Doncaster pattern you mean button instead of crown heads.
" We will send the estimate desired by a future post.
" And are your ob. serv., "G. MEARS & Co."
THE "DONCASTER PATTERN " RECOMMENDED. " Philadelphia, January 5, 1865. " Messrs. G. C. Mcars & Co.
" GENTLEMEN-Yours of December 8th, was duly received. As the specifications in my letter of Nov. 22 were drawn up by
2 R
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my friend, Rev. Mr. Hoffman, I submitted to him your note, and have just received his reply. I copy such portions of his letter as relates to the bells: 'I should hardly be inclined to allow them to make any bell of the peal thinner in the sound bow than directed. They may make them thicker if they desire. And I am inclined to believe from my reading, that the nearer they keep to the proportion of the metals specified, the better the quality of the bells. Still on this point I should not insist very strenuously. I would have them follow the 'Doncaster pattern ' as far as possible in all particulars, unless they have good and decided reasons for departing from it. The directions which were given were all founded on the experience of the best writers on the subject, and they (Messrs. Mears) ought to be able and willing to warrant us a first-rate peal by following them.'
" You will observe that in one particular (the sound bow) Mr. Hoffman thinks the specified thickness should be adhered to, and unless there are very good objections, I would like you to make the bells in accordance with his wishes.
" We are anxious for a good peal, and are glad to have your promise that we shall not be disappointed.
" Will you do me the favor to send to my address any cir- cular you may have issued. I wish to have, if possible, a list of the bells made at your foundry-a printed copy I think I saw a year ago in the belfry of one of our Churches.
" Yours very respectfully, " JAMES H. CASTLE, " 115 South 5th."
A FINE PEAL GUARANTEED.
" 267 Whitechapel Road, " London, 21st January, 1865.
"James H. Castle, Esqr., 115 So. 5th street, Philadelphia.
"SIR-We beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of 5th inst. If you will allow us to make your new bells as we think best, we will guarantee you a fine peal. You shall name any
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person you please to hear them before they are sent away or paid for. More than this we cannot say.
" If, however, you prefer it, we will make them according to the plan recommended by Mr. Hoffman, but in that case we cannot guarantee the quality, as we do not approve either the metal or form. With every respect for that gentleman, we must repeat that we are the most experienced bell founders in the world, and altho' we do not write books, deliver lectures, or puff ourselves in other ways, we believe we know our business both theoretically and practically.
"It is an easy matter to write a book and make an assertion, but it is not so easy to make a peal of bells in perfect harmony with each other. The assertion made by Mr. Dennison that the sound bow of a bell ought to be 1-13 its diameter, was based on this : One day when at this foundry he heard a very good bell of about 6 cwt. In the course of conversation he asked the thickness and diameter, which were 2 3-8 in. and 2 ft. 7 in. The crook from which that bell was made had been in use per- haps fifty years. In his next lecture he announced he had discovered that the sound bow of a bell ought to be 1-13th its diameter. This altho' quite true of some bells is only appli- cable to bells of a certain weight and size. We have now in our foundry a splendid bell, 252 cwt., the sound bow of which is 1-15th its diameter. Large bells have to be made thinner, small bells thicker than the proportion named by Mr. Dennison. We vary the thickness of our bells according to the notes we wish to produce. We think you will see the truth of our re- marks, and it will be some proof to you they are not theory only, if you will have the kindness to inspect and measure the bells you like so much in Christ Church in your city.
" We assure you we are willing and anxious to accede to your wishes in every respect, but knowing from experience the metal and proportion you name will not produce what you want, a 'first rate peal of bells,' we trust you will excuse our so strongly recommending your leaving these matters to our own judgment.
" We shall be glad to know whether you prefer sharp or flat,
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that is deep toned bells. We have not any very recently published lists of peals. We send one of the latest we have by Book Post,
"And are yours very respectfully, "G. MEARS & Co."
THE CHURCH STRUCK BY LIGHTNING THE SECOND TIME. "St. Mary's Vestry Room, July 11th, 1865 .- A special meeting of the Vestry was held this evening at the call of the Rector, who presented the following :
"WHEREAS, On Tuesday, June 20th, at a little past 6 P. M., St. Mary's Church was struck by lightning for the second time, but not severely injured, this Vestry desire to place on record the following Minute as a matter of historical and scientific interest ; and to testify their thankfuluess to Almighty GOD for the protection of the sacred building from destruction :
" Minute :
" A few minutes after the congregation, met together for the daily evening prayer, had dispersed, the electric fluid was dis- charged from the earth upward, following the gas pipe which supplies the Corona, until near the apex of the chancel roof, where it left the pipe, scorching one of the rafters, struck the roof, raising the boards, bending outwards one of the plates of tin, and finally piercing a hole through it, as though a crowbar had been forcibly thrust through. In another place also, out- side, the hydrant was struck and damaged, and a stone in one of the buttments near the Vestry room moved from its place. Most providentially no fire was communicated to the building. On the next Sunday the following prayer was read at morning and afternoon service, adapted from the prayer book, the words in parenthesis being inserted :
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