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EN
.ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY L
3 1833 02343 596 6
Gc 974.702 H92tu Turner, Charles William. Annals of St. John's church, Huntington, Suffolk County,.
Annals of st. John's Church buntinnton. L 1.
$22.00
1842 - 1905.
1747
Annals
of
St. John's Church,
huntington,
Suffolk County, TH. D.
ElIso,
historical and Descriptive Motes.
Edited by Rev. Chas. Vam. Turner, Rector.
The Stiles Printing House, Huntington, L. I. 1895.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
CONTENTS:
Annals of St. John's Church 1727
3
I744
1745 to 1748.
5-8
1749
IO
1750
IO
1751 to 1755 IO-II
1756 to 1761
I2
1762
13-16
1763
16
1764
17-18
1765 to 1768
18
1769
19-20
I770.
21
1775 to 1777
22
1779 to 1780
23
1782 to 1783
24
1788
25
1793 to 1806
26
1807 to 1809
27
1814 to 1823.
'28
1826 to 1834
29
1838 to 1843.
30
1844
31-32
1845
32
1847 to 1853
33
1856 to 1860
34
1861
35
1862
36-38
1865
38
1867 to 1868
39
1870
40
1871 to 1872
41
1873 to 1876.
42
1877 to 1878
43
1879 to 1885
44
1886
45
1887 to 1888
46
1889 to 1890 47
1891 to 1894.
48
Page
Page
Chronological List of Rectors
49-50
Historical Note on Rev. Samuel Seabury, Sr.
50-57
Rt. Rev. Samuel Seabury, D. D. 57-61
Rev. James Greaton
61-62
Rev. Edward K. Fowler
29-62
Rev. Samuel Seabury 29-62
Rev. Isaac Sherwood. 62
Rev. Moses Marcus 62
Rev. Chas. H. Hall, D. D. 62
Rev. C. Donald McLeod. 62
Rev. Frederick William Shelton, L.L. D ... 63
Rev. W. A. W. Maybin 63
Rev. Wm. G. Farrington, D. D
64
Rev. Jas. H. Williams
64
Rev. Wm. J. Lynd.
64
Rev. Caleb B. Ellsworth
65
Rev. Alfred J. Barrow
65
Rev. Thaddeus A. Snively
65 66
Rev. N. Barrows
66
Rev. Chas. W. Turner
66
List of Church Wardens.
67
List of Vestrymen.
68-70
Name of the Church
70
Extracts from Notes by Rev. C. B. Ellsworth
71-75
Communication on Old St. John's 76-78
Extracts, Published Sept. 3, 1844.
I. An Address to our Patrons. 79-80
2. The Ladies' Fair. 80-82
3. Note by Bishop Onderdonk 83
Deeds of the Glebe
84-87
Rev. Theo. M. Peck
PREFACE.
The writing of a preface to a book to be published without an index may be regarded as but an aggravation of a serious fault.
But the preface can be confined to the space available :- an index, to be worth anything, must be made complete. And as this book though not large, has already grown to a length considerably beyond the estimate in number of pages, it is hoped that the table of contents hereto appended, may serve all ordi- nary requirements of reference.
The writer is indebted to his predecessors, not only for val- uable material and notes, but also for the very idea of the work. To those in particular, who in succession immediately preceeded him, the Rev. N. Barrows and the Rev. Theo. M. Peck, he is thus indebted. Yet he might scarcely have set himself se- riously to the labor involved in the fulfilment of the purpose, which they had had in mind, or have ventured to count upon suffi- cient support to justify the publication, but for the kind encour- agement and aid given by friends among the laity, and in par- ticular by Mr. O. Egerton Schmidt, Mr. Temple Prime and Miss Cornelia Prime. The former, indeed, of his own motion, had prepared for publication a " List of Rectors" with dates, intend- ing to present copies to his fellow parishioners. He submitted the proof sheet of this to the writer for revision, and readily ap- proved the latter's suggestion that a few notes might be added.
The few notes have gradually grown, through many additions, corrections and rearrangements to the present work, in the pro- gress of which as well as in the details attending publication the other kind friends named have taken a deep and encourag- ing interest.
The various manuscripts and publications drawn upon have been indicated in the text. The writer will gladly receive, and. carefully preserve, any communications in regard to matters left undetermined or incorrectly stated, and also any additions to our scanty stock of material. He trusts that what his 'prentice hand has been able to set forth may be acceptable and inter- esting to his readers, and may perhaps prepare the way for a fuller and better story of the struggles and progress of this ancient parish by some one among his successors.
Ascension Day, C. W. T. May 23d, 1895.
T HE Episcopal Church in Huntington or, as it was then called, the Church of England, was planted by Mis- sionaries of the Church of England "Society for the Propagation " "of the Gospel," stationed at Hempstead, in Queens County. Their acts and missionary efforts are recorded in the Parish Register of St. George's Church in that place. From that register, an extract of Baptisms, Marriages, &c., relating to Huntington, was made on the 3d Sunday in August, 1846, by the Rev. Chas. H. Hall, D.D., of Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, then rector of this parish.
From the compilation above mentioned it appears that the first official act of which there is record was the marriage here on August 25th, 1727, of Benj. Treadwell, of Hempstead, and Phœbe Platt, of Huntington, by the Rev. Robert Jenney, of Hempstead, the first Missionary whose acts are on record in the Parish Register of St. George's Church.
But this one ministerial act seems to have been simply incidental to Mr. Jenney's work at Hempstead. The first mis- sionary there who made frequent visits and who put forth the effort which resulted in the building of a church and the gath- ering of a congregation was his successor, the REV. SAMUEL SEABURY, settled at Hempstead from August, 1742, to June, 1764. It will be seen from the following record that beginning with the year 1744, that honored Missionary visited Hunting- ton from time to time, baptized a number of persons, both children and adults, and was evidently so earnest in his efforts
4
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
that a church building, begun probably in 1747, was completed and in use in 1750, and that his son, Samuel Seabury, Jr., the future first Bishop of the American Church, was ministering therein, having been commissioned by the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel" to serve as Catechist or Lay - Reader.
A. D. 1744. In this year, the Rev. Samuel Seabury vis- ited Huntington, and on June 2Ist baptized Mary Bryan, daughter of John and Elizabeth Bryan. This is the first bap- tism on record.
June 23d. Thomas Keble, of Oyster Bay, writes to the Sec- retary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel :
" Since Mr. Seabury came, " (i. e. to Hempstead) "he has " visited and preached upon week days, and has roused them " up in all quarters of his parish, amongst all the denominations "and others, particularly in this place " (Oyster Bay) " where "I now live. " He has preached three times upon week-days, " besides several visits, and has baptised children of four fami- "lies, and one adult. " " And of late he has preached at " Huntington, an old Independent place within five miles of "Oyster Bay church, being invited by some of the people there " who of late came constantly to church at Oyster Bay, and " sometimes to Hempstead : for the Independent and voluntary " preachers have infused false notions into the people of these " parts of the discipline of the Church of England, particularly "of the Liturgy, which Mr. Seabury takes pains to explain at " all reasonable times." (Note by Mr. Henry Onderdonk, from copies of the S. P. G. papers, Dr. Hawks, Mss. ii, 168.)
5
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
A. D. 1745. This year is given, in the list of parishes appended to the Journals of the Diocesan Conventions, as the "date of organization " of this parish.
A. D. 1746. February 3d. Three baptisms by Rev. Samuel Seabury. (For names, &c,, see entries in Parish Register, copied from the Parish Register of St. George's, Hempstead.)
July 24th. Two baptisms by the Rev. Samuel Seabury. (For names, &c .; see entries, &c.)
A. D. 1747. March 18th. Two baptisms by Rev. S. Seabury. (For names, &c., see entries, &c.)
A. D. 1713. " In 1748 Mr. Seabury informed the Society "that at Huntington, a town about 18 miles distant from " Hempstead, a considerable number of people had conformed, "and built a Church for the worship of God according to the "Liturgy of the Church of England : that he had frequently " officiated there ; and that, at their requests, his son, who had " been educated at New Haven, read prayers and sermons, " under his direction." Such being the case, he requested that "his son, who would be recommended by the Commissary "might be appointed by the Society to be a Catechist, with "some small allowance. The Society accordingly appointed "Mr. Samuel Seabury, Junior, to act in this capacity, under "the direction of his father, and allowed him a salary of £Io a "year." (Extract from Hawkins' Colonial History, Note No. I in Parish Register.)
August 3d. Three baptisms by Rev. Samuel Seabury, . one being at Eaton's Neck. (For names, &c., see entries, &c.)
6
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
September 30th. One baptism. (See, &c.)
It is stated in the foregoing note that in 1748 Mr. Seabury informed the Society that people in Huntington had conformed "and built a Church." It is not easy to reconcile this with certain expressions in a " preamble and resolutions" which follow, under date of "September, 1749," unless, indeed, the correct date should be September, 1747.
The Secretary of the S. P. G. has kindly verified Canon Hawkins' statement by sending the following extracts from the original documents :
I. Extract from a letter of Rev. Samuel Seabury to the Society :
"HEMPSTEAD, September 30th, 1748.
"REVEREND SIR :
I embrace this opportunity to lay before "the Society the state of Huntington, a town about eighteen " miles distant from Hempstead : where a number of people " have conformed to the Established religion and have built a "Church for the worship of GOD according to our Lyturgie.
"SAMUEL SEABURY."
II. Extract from.
" The Humble address of the inhabitants of Huntington " (on Long Island, in New York Province) and places adjacent, " to the Honorable Society, &c.
" We have most heartily embraced the Established Church " .... In our zeal for which we have Built a Church, that in a " little time will be commodious for Publick use.
" HUNTINGTON, Sep. 30th, 1748."
7
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
These extracts are conclusive evidence that by Sep. 30th, 1748, some building or part of a building described as "a Church " had been erected ; but the concluding sentence of the "Humble Address" seems to indicate that it had not been completed, and apparently, that it would need not only furnish- ing but also enlargement to make it "commodious for publick use."
This request of the Rev. S. Seabury for the appointment of his son as Catechist was accompanied by a petition from the Churchmen of Huntington to the Venerable Society ;- from which the following is an extract :
" We are inhabitants of a town which till of late, has been " under great prejudices to the Church of England, a few ex- "cepted: but by late enthusiastic confusions,* which mightily " prevailed here, some of us have been awakened to consider "the consequences of those principles in which we have been "educated, and by the assistance of the Reverend Mr. Sea- "bury, the Society's Missionary at Hempstead, who has been " very ready to visit us on week days, and to perform divine " service among us, we have most heartily embraced the estab- "lished Church, and think it our duty, for our own. improye- "ment in true religion, for the good of our country, and for " the honour of God, to join with our neighbours, conformists, " and do all in our power for the promotion of the interests of "the established Church; in our zeal for which, we " have built a church, that, in a little time, will be com- " modious for public use ; but as we are eighteen miles distant
* The reference here is to some revival excitement; Rev. N. S. Prime mentions a "general awakening" in 1741 : a note by the late Dr. Moore, of Hempstead, mentions "Whitfield's operations."
8
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
"from Mr. Seabury, who is the nearest Missionary, and he " being obliged to attend two churches in his own parish, viz. : "those of Hempstead and Oyster Bay, we therefore most " humbly beg the Society to attend to our prayers, which is " that Mr. Samuel Seabury, the son of your worthy Missionary, "a young gentleman (lately educated and graduated at Yale "College) of a good character and excellent hopes, may be ap- "pointed the Society's Catechist at this place, and perform " divine service among us in a lay capacity, with some allow- "ance from the Honourable Society for that service.
" In testimony of our sincerity, we have to this affixed our " subscription of such sums of money as each of us respectively ' promise and oblige ourselves to pay to Mr. Samuel Seabury " aforesaid, yearly, in half-yearly payments, for the space of "three years, for officiating amongst us : which subscription, "we beg the Honourable Society to believe, will be punctually "paid by the Honourable Society's most humble petitioners, " the subscribers.
" H. LLOYD, and others."
(From Ch. Doc. Conn. Hawks and Perry. p. 247, and quoted by the late Rev. Dr. Moore in the History of St. George's Church, Hemp- stead.)
A. D. 1749. Eight children baptized at Huntington, and one adult, Elizabeth Bunt, at Hempstead. (Vide entries, &c.)
Here is inserted the original subscription list for the erec- tion of a church building, with its date and preamble, as given in an item which was probably copied from a paper on the His- tory of Huntington Township written by the late Hon. Chas. R. Street :-
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I. 9
" County of Suffolk, September, 1749.
" WHEREAS, There are a considerable number of persons in " and about the town of Huntington of the Church of England, "and there being no convenient house to meet in, we the sub -. " scribers do promise and agree to pay the respective sums to " our names annexed, unto Henry Lloyd of the Manor of Queens " Village, on or before the Ist day of May next after the date " hereof, to be used in erecting a decent and convenient house " for the worship of Almighty God according to the Liturgy of " the Church of England as by law established, on some con- " venient spot in the town of Huntington, which money so to "be raised and paid to the aforesaid Henry Lloyd or order, " shall be drawn out of his hands by a committee hereafter to " be chosen by the major part of the subscribers for the carrying "of ye building aforesaid. "
The following amounts were subscribed and duly paid by the persons named :-
" Timothy Tredwell, £20; Dennis Wright, £3,9 ; Hannah "Tredwell, £4; Isaiah Rogers, £20; Epenetus Platt, £5 ; Wil- € "liam Nicoll, Jr., £5 ; Richard Floyd, £3 ; Samuel De Honcur, " £1; Monsieur Viele, £Io; George Weiser, £5; Jos. Scid- " more, £Io; John Slaterly, £1; Isaac Brush, £20; Thomas ".Nethaway, £6; Monson Goold, £1 ; John Davis, £5; Wm. "Mott, £3; Thos. Jarvis, £5; Samuel Ackerly, £5 ; John Ben- "nett, £3 ; Benjamin Treadwell, £3; Eliphalet Smith, £3 : "given by Mr. Tredwell and others towards raising, £1, 11 ; "Total £140,1. The contribution of Henry Lloyd may be es- "timated at £145."
Afterwards a supplementary subscription of £19 was raised for glass for the windows which was brought from Boston. (Item in a Parish paper published by Rev. A. Whitaker).
IO
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
It appears from an item to be presently quoted that the land for the church building and for a burial ground was, in whole or in part, purchased in 1747.
An examination of the Lloyd letters (in possession of O. Egerton Schmidt, Esq.) has shown that as early as May 22, 1749, work on the church building was in progress. There are re- ceipts, allowances on subscriptions, and a list of expenditures for such work, the latter aggregating £127, 15,2 ; also a list of paid up subscriptions amounting to £140, 1,0; also, dated May 22, 1749, a certificate of an auditing committee attesting these accounts. The writer concludes therefore that the date given at the head of the subscription list Sept'r 1749" is a copyist's er- ror, and should be "Sept'r 1747."
Undoubtedly the work begun in 1747, or early in 1748, was completed sometime in 1750. And the following receipt, an interesting document in itself as relating to the early labors of the first Bishop of the American Church, also gives evidence that in 1750, service was rendered "in the church."
" Received of Henry Lloyd Thirty Shillings which is in " full of his three first half-year's of his subscription for my ser- " vice in the church at Huntington, Nov'r 30th, 1750.
"SAM'L SEABURY, JR." .
A. D. 1750. May 12th. Two infants baptized by the Rev. Sam'l Seabury. (See entries &c.)
Oct. 5th. Mr. Seabury writes to the Society :-
" The Church at Huntington is also rendered very com- "modious, and a congregation of fifty or sixty persons, and " sometimes more, constantly attend Divine service there, who
II
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
" behave very devoutly and perform their part in Divine wor- "ship very decently. They had taken from them in the late " mortal sickness four of their most substantial members, who "bore the principal part of building the church, which has " very much weakened their ability, and they have desired me " to ask of the Society a folio Bible and Common Prayer Book, " for the use of the church."
A. D. 1751. Two baptisms (see entries &c.) Also Aug. IIth, marriage of Jehiel Seymore and Rachel Wright. Also, Nov. 17th, marriage "by license" of Isaac Rogers and Elizabeth Davis.
A. D. 1752. Marriage of Isaac Townsend and Hannah Youngs, (of Oyster Bay.)
"In July 1752, Mr. Seabury went to Edinburgh to study "Physic. He was ultimately Bishop of Connecticut." (Note in Parish Register.)
Oct'r 13th. Mr. Seabury writes to the S. P. G.
" My son laid down his place as Catechist at Huntington " in July last, and embarked from New York for Edinburgh in " August, to spend one year in studying of physic and anato- "my. The church has gained ground in Huntington by his "assistance, and under a discreet minister it would be a flour- "ishing church, notwithstanding the loss by death of its best " members." (Extract from Scrap-book of Mr. Henry Onder- donk.)
A, D. 1753. Eight baptisms. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1754. One baptism. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1755. Four baptisms. (See entries &c.)
12
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
Feb. 21st. Mr. Seabury writes that the church in the province of New York is truly militant, being continually attacked on one side or the other; sometimes by the enemies of Revelation, at other times by the wild enthusiasts; but in the midst of them true religion gains ground, and his churches of Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Huntington are crowded in good weather.
" I attend a full church at Huntington twice a year, on Sun- " days: and at Huntington south, which is sixteen or seventeen "miles from any church or meeting-house except Quakers. "I have preached sundry times on week-days, to a congregation "of one hundred people, generally poor, who express great " thankfulness." (Extract from the Scrap-book of Mr. Henry Onderdonk.)
A. D. 1756. Eleven baptisms. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1757. One baptism. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1758. Five baptisms. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1759. Two baptisms. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1760. Six baptisms, four being at Oyster Bay, " negro slaves " of Dr. Platt. (See entries &c.)
" From comparison of several statements, it is probable that a " new church edifice was erected in 1760." (Note No. 2. in Parish register.) It does not appear by whom this note was written, nor has the present editor been able to trace or verify the statements referred to.
A. D. 1761. The Rev. Mr. Seabury, the Society's Mis- sionary at Hempstead, in his letter of Oct'r 21st, 1761, after reference to other places which he visits, writes as follows :-
I3
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
"The church at Huntington, where he can attend but "seldom, is well filled, and the zealous members always lament " their want of a minister." (From annals of the church on Long Island in Rev. A. Whitaker's Parish Record, March,,1885.)
Feb'y 26. Three baptisms by the Rev. S. Seabury. (See entries &c.)
April 28th. Married "by license," Isaac Ketcham and Freelove Carr.
July 5th. Nine baptisms by the Rev. S. Seabury. (See entries &c.)
Nov'r 15th. Four baptisms by the Rev. S. Seabury. (See entries &c.)
A. D. 1762. Extract from a letter of Mr. Seabury, Sen'r, dated Sept'r 30th, 1762, and published in the Abstract of the Proceedings of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. (England.)
" Abstract printed with the Sermon of 1763."
" He has also preached two Sundays to the people of Hunt- "ington, whose application for a missionary he begs leave to "recommend. The people of Huntington, as appears by their " own petition, and letters from Dr. Johnson and others, have "already erected an edifice for the worship of God according to " the Liturgy of the Church of England, and purchased a valu- " able House and Glebe worth about £200, that currency: which "they are ready to make a conveyance of for the use of the " church of Huntington forever, hoping to have leave within a "year or two, to send over a candidate for Holy Orders." (Note No. 3 in Parish Register.)
.
14
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
The mention, in this letter of Mr. Seabury's, of the " House and Glebe " makes a note upon that subject appropriate here. The tradition in the parish is that the land was of considerable ex- tent, that a house still standing on the south side of Shoe- maker Lane (formerly named Mill Dam Lane) is the house, and that the Rev. Mr. Greaton, the first rector, lived in it. The writer has been informed that the Rt. Rev. Horatio Potter, the late Bishop of New York, learned when in England attending the first Lambeth Conference that a deed or paper referring to a House and Glebe at Huntington was in the library at Lam- beth Palace, (or more probably at Fulham, the See House of the Bishops of London, Ed.) But the authority for this statement was not mentioned.
The loss of the property is generally accounted for by the al- leged moribund condition of the parish during the Revolution- ary war and for several decades subsequent : in fact for about fifty years. In Prime's History of Long Island it is stated that from the time of the death of the Rev. Mr. Greaton in 1773, no regular services were maintained. " Indeed for many years," the history reads, " the house was not opened, and was literally "the undisturbed possession of bats and owls. It was repaired, "however, about 40 years ago" ( i. e. about 1805 ) "and ser- " vice re-established, but with considerable irregularity."
Now the substantial accuracy of this and somewhat similar statements to be presently quoted is unquestioned : although the payment of £5,6,0 in 1807 "for fourteen years service in " keeping records, sweeping church &c." seems inconsistent with the assertion of a complete abandonment of the building to the bats and owls. And, as will presently be shown, we know that all through a period of twenty years following close
I5
Annals of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.
. upon the close of the war, though there appears to have been but occasional services, yet year by year the few faithful parish- ioners met to elect wardens and vestrymen, and thus the corpor- ate existence was maintained.
That that which had been so steadily cared for between 1789 and 1809 was allowed to lapse afterwards, when the church had been repaired, and when there were occasional services held by the missionaries of the Diocese of New York, is of course possible, but not probable : although, apparently, that consequent time (from 1809 to 1829) was the time of greatest weakness. If the organization then lapsed, as perhaps it did, that may account for the loss of the property, although there is no known record of any seizure or sale.
Since the foregoing note was written, I have obtained the following item from the Rev. A. Whitaker's " Parish Record " of Dec'r 1885 :--
" The ground upon which the present church at Hunting- " ton stands was purchased from Capt'n John Davis in 1747 "for £5. A few years later, this lot being found too small, " measures were taken to enlarge the premises, and accord- "ingly a committee purchased surrounding land to the extent " of five acres. This committee, composed of Isaiah Rogers, " Zopher Rogers, Jeremiah Rogers, Thomas Jarvis, Dr. Sam- "uel Allen, and John Bennett, held the property at first as " trustees. Fearing alienation, however, they conveyed the " property in trust to the Society for the Propagation of the "Gospel, to be held for the use of the Church of England.
" The land conveyed is described as five acres, bounded on " the north by the highway leading over the Mill Dam, west " by land of Timothy Kelsey, south by Israel Wood, and east
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