USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Preakness and the Preakness Reformed Church : a history 1695-1902 : with genealogical notes, the records of the church and tombstone inscriptions > Part 13
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The oldest subscription list for minister's salary, as it may be termed, and probably the first one ever passed around in Preak- ness, is naturally of special interest. We will reproduce it.
"We the Subscribers Do Promise to Pay at the expiration of every Six Months the several sums as we have hereunto affixed our Names to be Paid unto the Consistory of Preakness Congregation for the Purpose of obtaining Divine Service in said Congregation. April 15th, 1802.
Nicholas Kip
$1.00
Samuel Van Saen
1.25
Cornelius Kip 1.25
Henry Kip
1.00
Isaac Van Saun
1.25
Martin H. Berry
.50
John Van W (inkle)
1.00
Abraham J. Blauvelt
.20
Enos Lyon
.20
George H. Dooremus
.50
John Van Riper
1.00
Francis Outwater
.50
George Dooremus
.50
John Van Ness
1.00
Henry Hennion
1.00
Theunis Hennion
.72
Hassel Hennion
.50
William Wilson
.18
Garrit Nafee
.50
John Dey
1.50
John Neafie
1.00
Cornelius Dooremus
.50
Galyn Accerman
.36
John H. Dooremus
.50
Henry Dooremus
.50
Peter Dey
.50
Phillip Dey
.75
On the back of this paper are a few endorsements, some of which may be interesting, viz:
1. Cornelis Kip Paid to George Barclow the sum of two Dol- lars & Fifty Cents august 1st, 1802.
2. Cornelius Kip Paid to steven ostrander the sus of fore Dol- lars & Fifty Cents august 1st, 1802.
3. Cornelius Kip Paid to James Romaine fore Dollars August the 29th, 1802.
NOTE .- Corwin's Manual informs us that Rev. George Barcolo died at Preakness in 1832.
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AND PREAKNESS REFORMED CHURCH.
4. Cornelius Kip Paid to Revd. Mr. Durye the sum of fifteen Dollars the Ninth of January, 1803.
Cents.
John Van Saun 0.36 Paid
Peter Dey
0.50
Gacob Acker 0.25
Besides this old list for 1802, we have a number of other old salary lists relating to this period, which it might be well to insert here. The first of these is for 1809 :
"We the Subscribers Do Promise and agree to Pay to the Consistory of the Preakness Congregation or their Successors in office at the Expiration of Every Six months Beginning on the First Day of october Next for the Purpose of Divine Service in the Preakness Church, the Several Sums affixed to our Names."
June 17, 1809.
Here follow the names and amounts, which we furnish in brief : John Van Order, $8.00; Cors. Mersieles, $2.00; John Van Winkle, Cornelus Kip, Isaac Van Saun, Garret Merselis, Albert Berdan, each $1.50; William Tearman, John G. Doremus, each $1.25; Andrew Van Norden, $1.00; Jeremiah Ryerson, Matthew Coe, Uriah Van Riper, Richard Van Riper, Elizabeth Van Riper, each $0.75 ; Pierson Dey, $0.72 ; James Ackerman, Jacob Polhemus, Nicholas Kip, John Courter, Isaac Van Blercum, John Veader, each $0.621/2 ; Martin H. Berry, $0.60; Jacob J. Eckerson, Junior, Abraham J. Blauvelt, Andries Smith, John J. Berry, Garret Van Riper, Richard Doremus, Rulef Van Houten, Nicholas Jones, Cor- nilius Acker, John Craeter, Edward Jones, Henry Cooper, Benja- min Spear, David Hogins, Christian Shurte, John Walden, each $0.50 ; Helmygh Van Houten, Thomas Dobbs, each $0.371/2; David Spear, Cornelius Doremus, Hassel H. Doremus, Garret Van Der- hoof, Hassel Henmion, Peter Redner, Lodewick Smith, Michael Doremus, Hermones Carlough, Peter Craeter, Abraham Crankhite, John Johnson, John Johnson, Junior, Henry Van Wart, James Lines, Henry Redner, James Ackerman, Jr., Peter Bush, each $0.25; Henry Cokorow, John Carlough, each $0.12.
The total of this list foots up $41.01.
The second list is for 1813, and is much better :
"We the Subscribers, Inhabitants of the Congregation. of Precaness do promise to pay to the Consistory of said Congregation the several sums affixed to our names at such times as the said Con- sistory of Precaness shall deem expedient in order to discharge a certain Contract made between the Consistory of Precaness Con-
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
gregation and the Revd. John Demarest who is to Perform divine service for the ensuing year in said Congregation the 13th Feby, 1813."
John Van Winkle, Corns. Mersieles, Albert Berdan, joo., Gar- ret Merselis, Henry Cooper, each $5.00; Jacob D. Berdan, Cornelius Kip, Peter Voorhis, Isaac Van Saun, each $4.00; Jacob Berdan, $3.50; William Tearman, Richard Doremus, David Demarest, Jr., John G. Doremus, each $3.00; Jacob Berdan, Jr., Uriah R. Van Riper, Matthew Coe, each $2.50; Jeremiah Ryerson, Christian Shurte, Benjamin Demarest, David Demarest, Martin H. Berry, Rem. Onderdonk, James Ackerman, Abner Armstrong, John Van Nurden, Isaac Van Blarcom, David Van Houten, each $2.00; Eliza beth Van Riper, $1.75; John Courter, Nicholas Jones, each $1.50; Jacob Polhemus, Jacob B. Doremus, Cornelius G. Eckerson, each $1.25; James Beam, Jr., Garet Van Riper, Hassel H. Doremus, Adrian Onderdonk, Cornelius G. Doremus, Benjamin B. Demarest, Peter Bush, David Andrews, James Ackerman, Jr., Peter T. Schuy- ler, Daniel Smith, Benjamin Spear, Thomas Dobbs, John Doremus, Harmon Carlough, John Walden, each $1.00 ; William Bogert, Elias Folly, each $0.75 ; Henry Van Wart, $0.62 ; Henrietta Van Norden, Caty Berdan, Juliann Bostic, Sophia Van Riper, John Dolehagen, John Carlough, Theunis Ryerson, each $0.50; Sam Van Riper, Jacob Spear, Michael Doremus, Henry Cokorow, Peter Tise, Case Spear, each $0.25.
This list footed up the respectable sum of $117.37. But one reason it was so good, perhaps, was because it was for the specific purpose of fulfilling the contract with the Rev. John Demarest, who only the year before had come to Ponds.
The next, or the third and last of these lists, not being for a specific purpose, i. e., for no particular minister, was nevertheless in proportion even better.
"We the Subscribers, Do hereby Promise and engage to Pay or cause to be Paid to the Consistory of the Preakness Congrega- tion, or their successors in office, the several sum or sums affixed opposite their Names at the expiration of every six months for Divine Service in the Preakness Church to Begin on the first Day of May one thousand eight Hundred and fourteen. Given under our hands."
Jacob D. Berdan, Cornelius Kip, Henry Cooper, each $4.00; Martynes Hogencamp, Peter Voorhees, Albert Berdan, Isaac Van Saun, Peter Row, Garret Merseles, each $2.00; Richard Doremus,
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AND PREAKNESS REFORMED CHURCH.
$1.75; Benjamin Demarest, Martin H. Berry, David D. Demarest, Jeremiah Ryerson, Jacob Berdan, George Barkalo, William Tear- man, John G. Doremus, each $1.50; Cornelius Van der belt, David Demarest, Rem Onderdonk, Jacob J. Berdan, Christian Shurte, Abner Armstrong, William Oliver, Uriah R. Van Riper, John Van Nurden, each $1.00 ; John Courter, Richard Van Riper, each $0.75; James Beam, Jacob Pulhemus, James Ackerman, each $0.621/2; Samuel Van Saun, Henry Roome, Jane Van Riper, Adrian Onder- donk, Benjamin Van Wart, Jr., Albert Voorhees, Jacob A. Berdan, Garret P. Haring, Cornelius Doremus, Samuel Bogert, Hassel Doremus, Edward Jones, Garret Bensen, Elizabeth Van Riper, Ben- jamin Spear, David Van Houten, each $0.50; Hermanes Carlough, Henry Van Wart, each $0.371% ; Henrietta Van Orden, Caty Ber- dan, Michael Doremus, William Blackney, each $0.25,-making a total of $60.371/2. Double this amount, for it was for only six months, and you have $120.75 for the year. This certainly shows progress up to 1814.
All the ministers around preached here more or less. But those who appear to have been the principal supplies up to 1817, were Revs. P. De Witt, John Duryee, John Cornelison, J. V. C. Romeyn, Peter Stryker, John Demarest, C. T. Demarest, Jacob T. Field, and Staats Van Santvoord.
The Rev. Peter De Witt is named as the first of these in the order of time. He came, as we have seen, to Ponds, in connection with the preaching station at Wyckoff, in 1798, (the year in which cur first church was built), and was pastor there until his death, in 1809. It was easy for him, as it was for his successors, now and then, or even statedly, to come to Preakness and preach, especially as some of the inhabitants of this section had been attending, and no doubt continued to attend at Ponds, when there was no service nearer. Classis also naturally, for the same reasons manifestly, appointed him, whenever the church asked for or could have sup- plies.
Peter De Witt was born in Flatbush, Long Island, February 17, 1739. He graduated from the College of New Jersey, at Prince- ton, in 1769; studied theology under the celebrated Dr. John H. Livingston; and was licensed by the General Meeting of Ministers and Elders, at Kingston, N. Y., October 6, 1778. For some reason, he did not receive a call for years, and, in 1783, was appointed a missionary to preach in the vicinity of Port Jervis, N. Y. In 1787, he received a call from the Churches of Rhinebeck, Rhine-
I36
HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
beck Flats, and Upper Red Hook, which Churches he served, living most of the time at Rhinebeck, until he came to Bergen County. He was received as a member of the Classis of Hackensack May 1, 1798; but his call to Ponds was not approved until May 7, 1799. When he moved to these parts, the people of the Ponds Congrega- tion went for his goods, with their own conveyances, to his home at Fishkill Hook, to which place he had gone, when he left Rhine- beck, a couple of years or so before, and where he owned a large farm, with a mill on it. After a successful pastorate at Ponds of ten or eleven years, having been sick but a few days of fever, he died October 7, 1809, and was consequently, at his death, nearly seventy-one years of age. The Sabbath after his decease, Domine Eltinge, of Paramus, preached his funeral sermon, when his remains were laid away in their final resting place, beneath the pulpit of the old church in which his labors ended. The Ponds people, after his death, took his family and goods back to the place whence they had gotten them years before, in the same way that they had brought them to Jersey.
As a preacher, De Witt was sound in argument and doctrine, slow in speech, jovial in conversation, but in the pulpit he fre- quently moved his audience to tears, often weeping much himself. About one-third of the time, he preached in English, and the rest in Dutch. The Church at Wyckoff, although the congregation there was not organized as a separate body until 1822, was built in 1806, in Domine De Witt's time, and cost $4,025. It has eighty-four pews on the floor, and twenty-four in the gallery. (Van Benschoten.) Domine De Witt's father's name was John, who, soon after his son's birth, removed to the town of Clinton, Dutchess County, N. Y., and, during the Revolutionary war, was Sheriff of that county. A part of the Green Brook Farm, of Preakness. which has been in the Court of Chancery for many years, was owned by Domine De Witt, and left by will to his heirs. The late John De Witt, of Preakness, was a descendant of the old domine's.
We have among our old Church papers a couple of receipts of Domine De Witt's, which, because of their peculiar wording, we will give here in full:
1st. "Received per me January the 15th 1805 of Mr. Cornelius Merselece Elder of the Congregation of Preckness the sum of seven pounds it being for salary. I say received by me. £7:0:0. "PETRUS DE WIT."
2nd. "Received January 14th 1809 of Yuery Van Rypen the
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AND PREAKNESS REFORMED CHURCH.
sum of foure Dollars on account of the Consistory of the Congrega- tion of Prekniss for service done there. I say received by - me. "PETRUS DE WIT."
During the time of De Witt, and along with him, at least for a while, in 1804, or perhaps in both 1803 and 1804, it appears from the records of the Classis of Bergen, that Rev. John Duryee, of Fairfield, or Horse Neck, also preached more or less in the Preak- ness Church. Rev. John Duryee was born about 1760; studied theology under Livingston; was licensed by the General Meeting of Ministers and Elders, in 1784; was pastor at Raritan, 1785-99; at Bedminster and Pottersdam, 1800-1; supplied Fairfield, 1801-17; and "died at the Notch, not far from Little Falls, Essex County, in 1836," aged seventy-six. "His remains rest in the cemetery at- tached to the Presbyterian Church at Caldwell, Essex County, by the side of his daughter, Mrs. Crane. He married late in life, and left a widow surviving him. He had been without a pastoral charge for many years, had given all his property to his children, and was himself often in straitened circumstances, but never in want. The Lord provided for him." (Dr. Messler's "His- torical Notes," p. 198.) He was elected a trustee of Queen's Col- lege, 1786. We know little else about him, except that at one time he owned nearly all the property that the Beatties now own on the south side of the River at Little Falls. (James M. Demarest, Two Bridges.)
We have Domine Duryee's receipt for eleven pounds English money, for half a year's salary, due January 1, 1805, which, to- gether with the report of Elder John Van Winkle, at Schraalen- burgh April 24, 1804, would indicate that he preached here any- how for a year, and perhaps longer ; i. e., earlier, not later,-for the implication is, from what follows, that he was not engaged after 1804, or after January 1, 1805.
Perhaps it would be well for us to insert here the contents of a paper in our hands, with sixty-six signatures attached to it, which must be as old as the fall of 1803. The paper, though simply a declaration of the wishes of the subscribers, is important, and must be as old as we say, because one of the signers, David Van BIarcom, died December 31, 1804; also Garret Neafy, (Nafee), removed to Hoboken in 1804; while Domine Duryee, as we believe, likewise concluded his labors as a supply in Preakness, with that year.
The paper is as follows:
"Whereas, the People of the Parish of Preakness are now
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
destitute of a Preacher, they having in contemplation to get one to preach every third Sabbath for the term of one year. The Revd. Mr. Dewitt having been nominated by some for the purpose, the Rev. Mr. Duryee by others, and some would wish to have both alternately every third Sabbath. A meeting having been ap- pointed on Saturday thirtieth Day of October (for the purpose of knowing the minds of the people concerning which of the Gentle- men nominated should serve, or both by turns,) and but few at- tended ; and those few preferred considering their absent Neighbors to have an equal voice in the point of electing their minister; did not proceed to an election, but concluded to have this declaration, with the three collums, and the candidates' names above them, handed round among the People, that each and every of the Parish- ioners might put his Name under the man's of his choice, and thereby make the election."
On this paper there are twenty-four names in the first column, for Rev. Mr. Dewitt alone, as follows :
Richard V. Riper, Jacob Berdan, Jacob B. Doremus, John Johnson, John Mc'Clermon, Henry Cooper, Rem onderdonk, James Ackerman, Abraham Spere, David van Blercom, Michael Dooremus, John T. Hennion, Roillof Van Houten, Thomas Dobbs, William Woods, John G. Dooremus, Andrew Van Nurden, John Van Nur- den, Albert Berdan, jun, Abraham accerman, John Dooremus, Uriah V. Riper, Ritchard V. Riper, Junior, Henry Hennion.
In the second column is only one name, for Rev. Mr. Duryee alone viz: Gilbert Sisko.
While in the third column, for both Dewitt and Duryee alter- nately, we find forty-one names :
Cornelius Mersielles, David I. Hennion, Henry I. Mead, Bar- tlemais Vannesenhysen, Peter Redenner, John Coouter, Garret Merselis, James maccoly, William Tearman, Thomas I. Hennion, John Merselis, W. W. Jenner, John Van Winkle, Samuel van Saen, Nicholas Kipp, Nicholas Kipp, jun, geoline Ackerman, Henry Kip, John Van Saun, James Lewrue, James Buchanan, Jeams Willon, Garret Neafy, David Speer, Justis Simoson, George Doremus, Mar- tin Berry, John Neafy, Philip Dey, John Dey, Nicholas Boice, Isaac Van Saun, John Van Riper, Cornelius Dooremus, George Doore- mus, Cornelius Dooremus, jun, John Berry, Cornelius Kip, Abra- ham J. Blauvelt, Richd Doyle, Sophia Van houten. .
But besides these men, and with them, both before and after 1804, up to De Witt's death, and later, to 1817 probably, as well
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AND PREAKNESS REFORMED CHURCH.
as afterwards, to some extent, which we have memoranda to prove, the pulpit here was supplied also by Revs. John Cornelison, J. V. C. Romeyn, and Peter Stryker; and likewise for two or three years before 1817, and later, to 1825, by several others, whom we will name when we come to them.
Rev. John Cornelison was born at Nyack, N. Y., in 1769. He studied under Drs. H. Myer and J. H. Livingston, and was licensed by the Synod of the Reformed Dutch Churches in 1791. From 1791 to 1793, he served as missionary in the Northern and Western States ; was pastor over the two Churches of Bergen and English Neighborhood from 1793 to 1806; in 1794, also visiting the Settle- ments on the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers; while in 1806, he gave up English Neighborhood, and was pastor of the Bergen Church alone from that time until his death in 1828. Dr. Corwin tells us : "He was much beloved, not only by his own people, but by all the fathers and brethren in the ministry. There was something in his speech and manner which won the reverence, regard, and affection of all." This brother, in his day, supplied our Church quite often.
The Rev. J. V. C. Romeyn was cotemporary with Cornelison. He was born at Minisink, N. J., in 1765; was graduated from the Schenectaday Academy, in 1784; studied theology under the Rev. D. Romeyn, his uncle, at Schenectaday; was licensed by the Synod of the Dutch Reformed Churches, in 1787; became pastor at Scho- dack and Greenbush, 1788, which engagement he kept until 1794; when he gave up Schodack, and served Wyantskill, with Green- bush, until 1799; in 1799, he was settled over the Second Church of Hackensack and the Second of Schraalenburgh, in which field he labored until 1833. He was elected a trustee of Queen's Col- lege in 1809, and died in 1840. Rev. J. V. C. Romeyn was one of four sons of Rev. Thomas Romeyn (b. at Pompton), all of whom studied for the ministry. Dr. Corwin tells us: "He walked with God in the cultivation of personal piety. During a double charge of thirty-five years, it is not known that there was an act of col- lision, or one unkind, unsettling word or circumstance, in his con- gregation,"-certainly a remarkable record.
Rev. Peter Stryker, Sr., the grandfather of the late Rev. Peter Stryker, D. D., of Asbury Park, was a cotemporary also of both these men. He was born in New York City, 1764; studied under Livingston ; was licensed by the Synod of Reformed Dutch Churches in 1788; served as pastor the Church of North and South Hamp-
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
ton from September 15, 1788, to August 19, 1790; Staten Island, 1790-4; Belleville, 1794-1809; also was stated supply at Stone House Plains, from the time of its organization in 1801, to 1809; had charge of the Presbyterian Church of Amboy, 1809-10 ;- when he returned to Belleville and Stone House Plains, which Churches he again served as pastor two or three years more, when, in 1812, much debilitated by bodily infirmity, he was compelled to resign his pastoral office. Later, having recovered his health, he preached in various churches for many years as stated or occasional supply, and died in 1847. He was a good man.
After the death of De Witt in 1809, the Church of Ponds, with the preaching station at Wyckoff, was supplied by Classis for a couple of years or so, when, on the third Sabbath in November, 1811, the Rev. John Demarest was installed pastor where De Witt had preached ; and he also more or less supplied Preakness. The installation of Demarest was by Rev. Peter Stryker, of Belleville, who had been appointed by Classis June 25, 1811, to perform that duty ; and at a meeting of Classis April 12, 1812, he reported that he had done as he had been ordered,-probably, as stated, on the third Sunday in November previous. Demarest was born at New Bridge, N. J., in 1763, and lived to the age of seventy-three. His academic education was received at the then celebrated School of Dr. P. Wilson, of Hackensack, N. J. Peter Wilson, L. L. D., was at one time the learned Professor of Languages in Columbia Col- lege, New York City, a zealous patriot and Christian, who died August 1, 1825, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. The subject of our present writing, after leaving Dr. Wilson's School, studied theology under his pastor, Rev. Solomon Freligh, D. D .; was licensed by the Synod of Dutch Reformed Churches in 1789; and had other charges at Niskayuna and Boght, 1790-1803; and at Minisink and Mahakemack, or Port Jervis, 1802-8. In 1822, he seceded from the Dutch Reformed Church, united with the True Dutch Reformed Church, and for that, in the year 1824, at the fall meeting of Classis, was suspended from the ministry. His suspension was on the following charges: "1. Public Schism. 2. Approving and signing a certain declaration in which the Re- formed Dutch Church is charged with corruption and heresy. 3. Violation of an express order of this Classis, (Bergen), on the third Tuesday of September, 1823, at Pompton." (This was probably a refusal to obey the first citation.)
Some idea may be drawn of the improvement under De Witt
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AND PREAKNESS REFORMED CHURCH.
and afterwards at the Ponds, by the salaries paid. De Witt was to receive $150, at first without a parsonage, but he had a parsonage and farm afterwards. Demarest had a parsonage, the use of a farm of sixty-four acres, sixty loads of wood, fifty bushels of grain, and $270 in money, an increase of almost fourfold of what De Witt received when he settled there.
As to talents and business capacity, Demarest was superior. The church records kept by him were among the most perfect in the Denomination, and it is a misfortune that they have been destroyed. "As a preacher, he was sound in doctrine, plain and pointed ; as a disciplinarian, strict and severe, especially as to the administration of baptism. As he said, so it must be, and no Con- sistory could move him. He preached mostly in English, and his records were in English. The first two or three years of his pas- torate were peaceful and prosperous, but then, with one thing or another, trouble came, until it resulted in the dissolution of the pastoral relation June 29, 1820.
The domine after this removed to Tappan, N. Y., where he bought the farm on which Major Andrè was executed and buried ; and from thence to New York City, where he died April 8, 1837, aged seventy-three years. He was buried, near Schraalenburgh, in what is called "the old French Burying Ground." He never had a charge after leaving Ponds. (Van Benschoten.)
At the exhumation of the remains of Major Andre in 1821, under the direction of His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, an uncle of the late Queen Victoria, in company with J. Buchanan, the British Consul at New York, and Captain Paul, of the British man-of-war on which they sailed up the Hudson, and which was sent over for the remains, the Rev. John Demarest, the subject of our writing, who had but lately come into possession of the prop- erty on which the remains were, distinguished himself by excep- tional and fitting courtesy, which was later on rewarded by the gift of a snuff-box, heavily lined with gold, made of the wood of the cedar tree whose roots were entwined about the intact skeleton of Andrè. The inscription on the inside of the lid of the box is as fol- lows: "From his Royal Highness, the Duke of York, to mark his sense of the Rev. John Demarest's liberal attention upon the occa- sion of the removal of the remains of the late Major John Andre, at Tappan, on the 10th of August, 1821." The remains of Andre were removed to England by the British Government on the special request of his two surviving sisters. (Corwin's Manual.)
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HISTORY OF PREAKNESS
This beautiful mark of appreciation subsequently fell into the possession of Catharine Demarest, the domine's daughter, and the mother also of James D. Berdan, and was at one time often seen by Preakness people. It is at present (1899) in the possession of Sarah Ann (Blauvelt) Andrus, of Newark.
A minute description of this box is given by William Nelson, in the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society for 1875, (Second Series, Vol. IV, No. 1, page 27), as follows :
"This box is round, just three inches in diameter externally, where the lid and top join, and two and one-half inches internal diameter. The cover and lid bevel outward from the joint, so that the extreme diameter across the top or bottom is three and one-half inches. It is one and one-eighth inch in thickness, the lid being slightly rounded on top. The snuff receptacle is five-eighths of an inch deep, and the lid which fits over it (without a hinge) is three-sixteenths of an inch deep. The box is lined with gold, the inlaying of the precious metal very thick. The box itself is of wood of the identical cedar that grew over Andre's grave, and which for years had drawn nourishment from his ashes. The wood shows the heart of the tree and is exquisitely polished. It shows, however, in the lid a bit of bullet which had been buried in the tree many years before the cedar was removed, and which had marred the symmetry of its growth on that side, and caused a sort of cicatrice in the efforts of nature to close the wound. The shrinkage of the wood of the lid has made a slight fissure in one side. On the inside of the lid on the golden lining is the inscription exquisitely en- graved," -- which we have already given.
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