USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > The history of Newark, New Jersey : being a narrative of its rise and progress, from the settlement in May, 1666, by emigrants from Connecticut to the present time, including a sketch of the press of Newark, from 1791 to 1878 > Part 5
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It has been alleged that the inhabitants of Newark joined in the disgraceful proceedings, which for a time thrust aside the lawful Governor and substituted a weak and worthless bar-sinister Carteret. In the answer to the Bill in Chancery, which makes the charge, it is distinctly set forth that " these defendants further answering do deny that they, or those under whom they claim, did ever apply to James Carteret, in the bill mentioned, to prevail on him to assume the powers of government, as in and by the said bill of complaint is, as they believe, most untruly suggested." Here is a popular Roland for the Proprietary Oliver. This flat counter alle- gation, together with the Proprietary tribute to Newark previously quoted, as also the generally admitted fact that the whole affair is surrounded with obscurity, we regard as warrant for giving Newark
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38
A LOVER OF LAW AND ORDER.
the benefit of the doubt, and claiming for her an unblemished repu- tation as a lover of law and order, and of being always possessed of a controlling respect for properly constituted authority, even when that authority might be distasteful, and even hateful. One thing placed beyond cavil by the Town Records is this : During the entire period of Proprietary Government provision was regularly made, in years of order as well as those of disorder, for the payment of the quit-rents. Moreover, in the absence of acknowledged gen- eral laws and authority, the people of the town fell back on their own local ordinances, enacted by themselves in accord with their "Fundamental Agreements." Indeed, there is abundance of proof to show that they cared comparatively little who it was that ruled the Province, provided they were guaranteed non-interference with their domestic concerns, and provided the spirit of the Carteret- Berkeley Concessions was carried out in the general government of the Province. The action of the town at the time of the Dutch Conquest in 1673 is a strong illustration in point. In March, 1672, war was declared between England and Holland, and Holland undertook to repeat history with regard to the Colonies by treating the authority of England as England had treated hers a few years before. In July, 1673, a squadron of five vessels arrived from Holland in New York harbor, and within five days New York was once more in full possession of the Dutch. The name of the place was changed to New Orange, and a proclamation was issued by the Dutch authorities guaranteeing continued possession of rights, &c., on condition of swearing allegiance to the States General. New Jersey was considered a portion of New York and was included, of course, in the conquest. Five days after the surrender the people of Newark ordered a petition to be drawn up and sent to "the generals at New Orange," praying certain privileges. This petition, with others sent from Elizabethtown and Piscataway, had prompt consideration, and the people were confirmed in the possession of their lands, and placed on a footing with natural born subjects of Holland. Provided they conducted themselves orderly, they were not to be required to take up arms against England. The terms were altogether so fair and liberal that the people eagerly accepted them ; those of Woodbridge, Shrewsbury and Middletown, along with those of Newark, Elizabethtown and Piscataway. In Septem- ber, Commissioners were appointed by the New Orange authorities
39
GOVERNOR ANDROS'S USURPATION.
to proceed to the villages of the Province of Achter Kol and require the inhabitants to take an oath to stand by their new allegiance. It is recorded that 73 took the oath in Newark, II being reported absent-showing that the male population of Newark in the Fall of 1673 was eighty-four, thirteen more than in Elizabethtown at the same time.
Another radical governmental change soon came. The war be- tween England and Holland reached its end. A treaty was signed at Westminster, February 9th, 1674, which restored to the English their Provincial authority. The Proprietary Government was re-established. Under it the people of Newark had their full share of trouble. In the first place Sir Edmund Andros, sent out by the Duke of York as Governor of New York, occasioned a great deal of disorder and confusion by setting up a claim to the control of New Jersey as a dependency of New York, and attempting to ignore the Carteret authority. Again, the Concessions were materially broken by a "declaration of their true intent and meaning" made by the rulers, who apparently became jealous of the power secured to the people by the original "Articles," and whose avarice, as Bancroft says, paid court to freedom in the beginning when the country was valueless without inhabitants. But avarice made no further obei- sance to freedom, its ends not having been secured. As regards the troubles and indifference of the Newark people to the personnel of their rulers, further proof is found in the Town Records, which tell us under date of July 28th, 1669, that : "The Town made choice of Mr. Crane and Mr. Treat to take the first opportu- nity to go over to York to advise with Col. Lovelace concerning our standing, whether we are designed to be a part of the Duke's Colony or no." This seemed immaterial so long as their solemnly guaranteed Agreements were not fatally abridged. Ten years later, in 1679, when Andros boldly usurped authority over New Jersey, relying for effective assistance on the support of some persons dis- affected towards the Carteret government, the people of Newark gave a fresh proof of their inherent love of law, order, right and justice. Andros undertook to seize the reins of government in the name of the Duke of York. He issued a proclamation abrogating the Carteret government and requiring " all persons to submit forthwith to the King's authority as embodied in himself." To this Newark answered, after due deliberation : " The Town being met
40
PETER WATSON'S PRAISE.
together, give their positive answer to the Governor of York's writ, that they have taken the oath of allegiance to the King, and fidelity to the present Government, and until we have sufficient order from his Majesty we will stand by the same." Subsequently Carteret himself wrote to Andros : " It was by his Majesty's commands that this government was established, and without the same commands shall never be resigned but with our lives and fortunes, the people resolving to live and die with the name of true subjects, and not traitors." The disputes between Andros and Carteret, in which the former behaved most arbitrarily, and even in a revolutionary spirit, and the latter as a brave if not an over-wise man, were finally quieted by a reaffirmation from England of Carteret's author- ity, and a complete renunciation by the Duke of York of govern- mental right in New Jersey.
Through all this stirring period the people of Newark especially seem to have been "slow to anger and of great kindness," not void of human frailties, not by any means perfect, but yet as near to the ideal of true men as could anywhere be found in the Old or the New World. In 1684, Peter Watson, a Scotchman, who had come to this country the year before, as a servant in the employ of David Barclay, wrote from "New Perth" to John Watson, his " cusing," residing in Selkirk, Scotland, as follows: "There are here very good Religious people: they go under the name of Independents, but are most like to the Presbyterians, only they will not receive every one to their Society. We have great need of good and Faithful Ministers ; we have none within all the Provinces of East Jersey, except one, who is a Preacher in Newark; there were one or two Preachers more in the Provinces, but they are dead, and now the People they meet together every Sabbath day and Read and Pray and Sing Psalms in their Meeting-Houses. This countrey is very well settled with People; most part of the first settlers first came out of New England ; very KIND AND LOVING PEOPLE, KINDER than in Scotland or England."
This is the contemporaneous testimony of an honest Scot, who, doubtless, was as " canny " of his praise as his race proverbially are regarding things generally. Very probably his mind's eye was mainly riveted on Newark and its people, when he thus wrote to his "cusing" John.' From Peter's praise we will now pass to another chapter.
-
ABRAHAMUS PIERSOM
PRIMUS
COLLEGIO YALENISI
PRAE SEDIT
PIERSON'S STATUE AT YALE COLLEGE.
CHAPTER III.
1684 TO 1736.
Inextricable Entwining of Church and Local History-The Second Pierson-His Pastorate and First Presidency of Yale College-Interesting Memorials-Patrick Falconer, the " Real Saint, who suffered much for Christ and did not faint"-Pastoral Successors of the Piersons-Parsonage Lands-Breaking through the " Fundamental Agreements "- First steps towards Separation of Church and Town Governments-Troublous Times in the Province-The Governments of Andros and Cornbury-Newarkers Rebuking a Selfish Ruler-An Ignoble English Noble-What Queen Anne would not Countenance in Her nearest Relations-The Second Mceting-House-Population of Newark in 1714-Estab- lishment of The First Church at Orange-Presbyterianism entirely Supersedes Con- gregationalism -- The Sunday Law in 1736-Col. Josiah Ogden's Wheat-Saving Episode -The Spark of Presbyterian Discipline which Kindled Episcopalianism in Newark- Foundation of Trinity Church-A Long and Bitter Local Religious Feud-Burying Ground Reminiscences.
NEXTRICABLY entwined with the history of Newark, especially during the first century of its settlement, is the history of the First Presbyterian Church of Newark. The historian of one is, necessarily, the historian of the other. Indeed, as we have already seen, it was to enjoy the spiritual freedom of the one that the scene of the temporalities of the other was sought and settled upon. From this intimacy of relation-this conjugality of existence, so to speak-it need not surprise the reader if it be found, in succeeding pages, that the First Church, its pastors and its membership, continue to constitute silver threads in the warp and woof of our historical weaving,
The second pastor of the church was Rev. Abraham Pierson, junior, son of the first pastor. Some years prior to his father's death, the junior "Pierson assisted his parent in the ministry, the weight of years having pressed heavily upon the reverend sire. Upon the death of his father, Mr. Pierson, junior, was regularly installed as sole pastor, and served as such for fourteen years.
ABRAHAM PIERSON, junior, was born at Lynn, Mass., in 1641. He was educated at Harvard College, whence he graduated in 1668. He was called to Newark as assistant pastor, July 28th, 1669, and was in the service of the church altogether about twenty-three
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THE SECOND PASTOR PIERSON.
years. Obadiah Bruen, writing to his children in Connecticut, soon after the death of the elder Pierson, refers to that event feelingly, and continues : " Yet hath He (God) not left us destitute of spiritual enjoyments, but hath given us a faithful dispenser of the Word of God-a young Timothy-a man after God's own heart, well-rooted and grounded in the faith, one with whom we can comfortably walk in the doctrines of the faith. Praise be to our God! Upon good experience of him he was called and ordained to be our teacher-Mr. Abraham Pierson, who follows in the footsteps of his ancient father in Godliness. Praise to God !" The "young Timothy " is described as being in his 37th year, above the medium height, " a fleshy, well-favoured and comely-looking man." He sev- ered his pastoral relations, and was "dismissed " in the early part of 1692. The cause of his severance was a difference of views between
pastor and people, touching matters of church government.
It
appears Mr. Pierson rather disliked the strictly Congregational plan upon which the church was founded. He preferred a moderate form of Presbyterian government, but appears to have been the reverse of extreme in his preferences. An increase of membership, emigrants from Scotland and from New England, all of his way of thinking, is given by high authority as the mainspring of an actual dispute between the pastor and the church. One of the most distinguished successors to his pastorate, says he "had neither the meekness, patience nor prudence of his father." Upon his formal withdrawal as pastor, Mr. Pierson disposed of his estate and returned to his birth-place-Connecticut. He settled at Killing- worth in 1694, and became pastor of the church there. A number of years later, in 1701, when Yale College was founded, Mr. Pierson was chosen to be its first Rector or President, by the ministerial incorporators; but so great were the esteem and affection he was held in by the Killingworth congregation, that the College authori- ties allowed it to be temporarily established there to suit Mr. Pierson's convenience and the desire of his people. He continued as pastor of the church and rector of the College until his death, on March 5th, 1707, he being then in his sixty-sixth or sixty-seventh year. Trumbull, the Connecticut historian, speaking of Mr. Pierson, says: " He had the character of a hard student, a good scholar and a great divine. In his whole conduct he was wise, steady and amiable. He was greatly respected as a pastor, and he
PIERSON'S MEMORIAL CHAIR AT YALE.
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YALE COLLEGE MEMORIALS.
instructed and governed the College with great approbation." Mr. Pierson is also spoken of as having been an excellent preacher, a purely pious man, and "very kind and charitable to the poor and indigent, who, in a special manner, lamented his death." Here it is proper to remark, as a matter of suggestive fact, that posterity has been kinder to the memory of the distinguished son than to that of the no less distinguished father. In the Summer of 1874, through the liberality of Mr. Charles Morgan, of New York, there was erected a handsome bronze statue of Rector Pierson, designed by the artist, Launt Thompson. It was presented to the College by the gentleman named, and stands in front of the Art Gallery building of Yale. The statue is not properly a likeness, but an ideal, assisted, however, by reference to portraits of the Pierson family. "The straight figure and aquiline features of the fine old Puritan scholar were something typical and even prophetic, carrying the mind back to the times when, Teucro duce et auspice Teucro, the students were weekly caused memoriter to recite the Assembly Catechism in Latin, and Ames' Theological Theses." There is also preserved at Yale a memorial of Rector Pierson-his antique chair, which, doubtless, is the "one great wainscot chair," conveyed to him by John Catlin and John Ward, administrators of Deacon Laurence Ward's estate, which conveyance, together with a dwelling-house, land, &c., was made "with consent of Elizabeth Ward, relict of Deacon L. Ward."
Mr. Pierson was succeeded as pastor by Rev. John Prudden, his college classmate and associate at Harvard. Mr. Prudden was called by a vote of the town, the choice being cordial and unanimous. His father, Rev. Peter Prudden, was a genuine English Puritan, who was ordained pastor of the Milford church in 1640, and whose ministry is said to have been "attended with uncommon success." In the latter part of 1692 Mr. Prudden was duly installed. Before further recital of his pastoral record, let us observe the great change made in the personnel of the town-the great change wrought by nature. During the intervening years between the death of the elder Pierson and the removal of his son to Connecticut, death made serious havoc with the town venerables. Prior to the first event, in 1678, the virgin soil of " the plot set apart for a Burying Ground " had been broken to make final resting places for good old Deacon Laurence Ward, Sergeant
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PATRICK FALCONER, A " REALL SAINT."
Riggs, Robert Kitchel, Hugh Roberts, Matthew Camfield, Delivered Crane, Stephen Freeman, John Harrison, son of the Sergeant ; and Josiah Ward. These, doubtless, were all buried by the first Pierson. By the year 1691, just before the younger Pierson's severance from the church, there were also " gathered to Abraham's bosom," besides the first pastor, sturdy Jasper Crane, Martin Tichenor, George Day, Samuel Swaine, Obadiah Bruen, Sergeant Richard Harrison, John Ward, "the turner; " Thomas Huntington, John Rogers, Joseph Walters, Joseph Riggs, John Brown, senior, John Baldwin, jr., Stephen Davis, Samuel Kitchel, Micah Tomp- kins and Richard Laurence. The next year, one of the later settlers died,-one who seems to have been a more than ordinary man. This was Patrick Falconer. . He is described as having been the near neighbor and special friend of the second Pastor Pierson. His birthplace is unknown, but probably he was a native of the north of Ireland. In old documents he is referred to as a preacher, but his will describes him as a merchant. As he married a daughter of Deputy Governor Jones, of New Haven, it is nearly certain that he was in Connecticut before he came to Newark. Writing to Maurice Trent from "Elizabeth Town in East Jersey," under date of October 28th, 1684, Mr. Falconer speaks of Maryland, through which he had travelled, as " a good countrey, but its possessed with a Debauched, Idle, Leasie People." Of New Jersey, however, he had nothing but good words. "It is," said he, " a good Countrey for men who resolve to be laborious," but "not a Countrey for idle people." This worthy died ere he had reached the meridian of life, and was buried in the ancient place of sepulchre. The ravages of time and the carelessness of posterity have conjoined to obliterate all traces of his grave, as in the cases of Pastor Pierson and a multitude of others; but, within a few years past, the author discovered the remains of the Falconer headstone among a heap of tombstones in the Old Burying Ground, and, after diligent examination, made the following accurate copy of the quaint and curious memorial :
Here lyeth ye body of PATRICK FALCONER,
who died Jan. 27th, 1692 Aged 33 yrs. Here lyeth ye remains of a Reall Saint who suffered Much for Christ and did Not Faint And when his Race was run Ending his story He sweetly Passed through Deth To Endless Glory
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THE SECOND GENERATION.
The senior John Ward, Thomas Johnson, an excellent man, and the father of the first drummer of the town ; Ephraim Pennington, the founder of the Newark Pennington family; Thomas Lyon, Ebenezer Camfield, John Brown, jr., John Crane and Stephen Bond, were likewise called to their final account a few years later. In making his will, Joseph Riggs (the wolf-slayer) left his estate to his wife and children, the latter being minors. He excepted two guns and one sword. The sword and one gun were specially bequeathed to his son John, and the other gun to his son Samuel.
In a word, about the time the Rev. Mr. Prudden was chosen pastor, the first generation of Newarkers-the original settlers-had nearly all passed away. The fathers had gone, and the "young men " had become the patriarchs of the town. Azariah and Jasper Crane, sons of the original Jasper; John Treat, son of the heroic Robert; John Curtis, Jonathan Sargeant, Daniel Dod, Samuel and Joseph Harrison, Theophilus Pierson, Joseph Johnson, Seth Tomp- kins, Nathaniel Ward and Jabez Rogers, all of whom were "young men " and boys at the time of the exodus from Connecticut, were now full of years, cares and responsibilities. The number of surviving original settlers who continued to take an active part in town affairs, was so small that the first generation had almost entirely given place, in the way of nature, to the second.
The growth of the town was very slow during its infant years. About the time Mr. Prudden's ministry began, and soon after, there were accessions numbering some eleven planters, namely: Joseph Wood, Caleb Ward, Hendrick Hendrickson, Tunis Johnson, Hans Hendrickson, Bostyan Vangiese, Garret Laydicker, Eleazer Lampson, Jonathan Tichenor and William Brant, James Clizbie, James Nesbit, Robert Young, John Cooper, James Nutman, Thomas Hayes, Samuel Alling, Joseph Peck, John Medlis, and Stephen, Joseph and Timothy Tuttle, sons of Stephen Tuttle, of Woodbridge. Clizbie, Nesbit and Young were exiles from Scotland, fugitives from " the impolitick and mad persecution under that headlong and debauched King-Charles II," as Dr. Macwhorter states in his "Century Sermon."
About the year 1712, a. " Town Pattent was procured in accordance with a resolution passed at a town meeting, held February 21, 1711, authorizing a designated committee to take all care and use all regular means for the procurement thereof. At a
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REV. MR. PRUDDEN.
meeting held the following year, May 25th, 1713, it was "agreed upon by vote," that the charges for procuring the " pattent " should be raised by rate the same as Mr. Bowers' salary. The "Town Records" of this period contain the following entry : "Newark, County of Essex, at a Town Meeting held April 12th, 1714, by virtue of a warrant given under the hands of the Trustees for the said Town for the time being, the Inhabitants being met, the Town Pattent was published." At the same meeting, John Cooper was chosen Town Clerk "by vote of the Inhabitants." This "Town Pattent " has long since disappeared from among the town archives.
To return to Mr. Prudden. The salary allotted him was only fifty pounds a year and "his firewood,"-thirty pounds less than the sum given to his two predecessors. Whether this is attribu- table to a diminution of local material prosperity or a lessening of esteem for the pastoral head of the community, cannot be determined. The benefit of the doubt should be given in favor of the first theory, however, for, once during the elder Pierson's life, when the town supported two ministers, there came a year of " hard times," during which the pastors agreed to remit twenty pounds and accept conjointly one hundred pounds, though it is uncertain whether reduction was actually made. It is recorded that Mr. Prudden was a man of considerable substance when he came to Newark, his father having left an estate of over £2,000- quite a fortune in those days. Rev. Mr. Prudden's pastoral relations continued only about seven years. It is intimated in the records that he was not " a popular preacher," and that he was not altogether in accord with the popular notions of ecclesiastical government. The circumstances attending and following his dismission show that he was held in high esteem, nevertheless. After he had retired, he was asked to continue the spiritual conduct of the church until a successor should be found ; and on June 9th, 1699, the town voted him its thanks " for past services." This was after his formal resignation. As long as he preached, his full salary was given him. He continued to reside in Newark until his death in 1725, aged eighty years. Mr. Prudden outlived two, and sat under the ministry of three of his own pastoral successors. His remains were placed in the Old Burying Ground, but more than a hundred years later-about 1848-were disinterred and placed in a grave in the burial ground at the rear of the present First Church edifice.
.
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PARSONAGE LANDS .- PASTOR WAKEMAN.
A matter of great importance to the Church in Newark took place during Mr. Prudden's ministry-the execution of a deed conveying to it valuable property.
In pursuance of authority granted by the Provincial government the town took out a warrant for the survey of two hundred acres of land, and meadow in proportion, for parsonage purposes, and "also so much as shall be convenient for landing places, school house, town house, meeting house, market places," &c. This was in October, 1676. Under this warrant, two hundred and twelve acres were surveyed. This included three acres for a burying place, three for a market place, and six for a "training " ground. The records show that during the thirty years following, the only portions of the land taken for religious purposes were the ground for a church site and the Burying Ground. On December 10th, 1696, a deed was executed by the Proprietors conveying to John Curtis, John Treat, Theophilus Pierson and Robert Young, (the duly appointed town's representatives,) "to the only proper use, benefit and behoof of the old settlers of the town of Newark, their heirs and assigns for ever," to be for the several uses expressed in the deed, and for "no other use or uses whatsoever," they paying annually, on March 20th, forever after, "six-pence sterling." Under this title the church has always held that portion of its property which came from the original settlers.
From Mr. Prudden the pastoral authority passed to Rev. Jabez Wakeman, a young man of such decided merit that while filling a year's probation in Newark, the people waited for only six months to pass when they unanimously agreed to call him. This was on April 15th, 1700.
The records of this period give the first sign of a tendency to separate the church from the town government. The town records show that on the dismission of Mr. Prudden, a committee of three planters was appointed "to join with such as the church shall appoint," in providing for a successor. Another committee was chosen " to join with the church committee to treat with Mr. Jabez Wakeman about his taking the office of pastor upon him." He was presented with a parsonage "as the town act and deed," but, properly speaking, this expense as well as others pertaining to the maintenance of the minister, was not levied pro rata, per capita on the inhabitants, as in the cases of the earlier
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