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Gc 974.702 P86c v.1 1198571
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01179 0703
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/recordsofchristc01reyn
gravds of Chrint
THE REV. ALEXANDER GRISWOLD CUMMINS, A.M., LITT.D. INSTITUTED RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH December 2d, 1900
THE
Records of Christ Church,
POUGHKEEPSIE
NEW YORK
EDITED BY HELEN WILKINSON REYNOLDS
COR
HURCH
CHU
. ISIE
V.I
PUBLISHED BY THE WARDENS AND VESTRYMEN UPON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE RECTOR THE REVEREND ALEXANDER GRISWOLD CUMMINS, A.M., LITT.D.
POUGHKEEPSIE FRANK B. HOWARD 1911
No. 349
Copyright, 1911, By the Wardens and Vestrymen of Christ Church Poughkeepsie, N. Y.
1198571
THE VESTRY OF CHRIST CHURCH DECEMBER, 1910
00 0/ $
JOHN KELSEY SAGUE
JOHN CALHOUN OTIS, M.D.
VESTRYMEN
JESSE JAPHET GRAHAM Treasurer
WILLIAM DE GARMO SMITH
Secretary
WILLIAM HALL HART
AUGUSTUS BURDICK GRAY
ALBERT ADRIANCE SIMPSON
JAMES WILLIAM HINKLEY, 2d
CHARLES WINFIELD PILGRIM, M.D.
SAMUEL IRVING ROBINSON
COMMITTEE IN CHARGE OF THE PUBLICATION OF The Records of Christ Church
JOHN KELSEY SAGUE
JOHN CALHOUN OTIS, M.D. WILLIAM DE GARMO SMITH
CHARLES WINFIELD PILGRIM, M.D.
JAMES WILLIAM HINKLEY, 2d
V
Ohio BA. Store_
WARDENS
CONTENTS
PART I
1755-1810
CHAPTER I; 1755-1762 Page 1
The Visits to Dutchess County of the Rev. Samuel Seabury, Missionary from the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
CHAPTER II; 1763-1777 Page 12
The Rectorate of the Rev. John Beardsley. The Purchase of the Glebe. The Charter of Incorporation. The Erection of the First Church Building. The Removal of the Rector by Order of the Council of Safety. Names of Contributors to the Rector's Salary. 1766-1775.
CHAPTER III; 1777-1787 Page 55
From the Removal of Mr. Beardsley, the First Rector, to the Arrival of Mr. Van Dyck, the Second. The Revolution. The Glebe. Pewing the Church. The Arbitration with Trinity Church, Fishkill.
CHAPTER IV; 1787-1798 Page 78 The Organization of the Episcopal Church in the United States. The Relation of Christ Church to Extra-Parochial Conditions. The Debt on the Church Building. The Sale of the Glebe. Set- tlement with Trinity Church, Fishkill. Lawsuits with Trespass- ers on the Glebe. Short Rectorates. The Bell. The Steeple. Adoption of New Seal. Name of Corporation Altered. Vestry By-Laws. Episcopalians at Red Hook. St. Ann's Church, Beekman. Changes in Congregation of Christ Church. Gift from Trinity Church, New York City. Names of Pewholders, 1785-1798.
CHAPTER V; 1798-1810 Page 103 The Purchase of a Parsonage. The Rectorate of the Rev. Philander Chase. The Organization of St. Peter's Church, Lithgow. The Parish Register. Diocesan Convention Held in Christ Church. The Rectorate of the Rev. Barzillai Bulkley. The Settlement with the Rev. John Beardsley. Improvements to the Interior of the Church Building. Names of Pewholders, 1800-1809.
vii
CONTENTS
PART II 1810-1910
CHAPTER VI; 1810-1845 Page 135
The Rise of the Low Church Party. Bishop Hobart. His Churchmanship. The Rev. John Reed. His Life-Work in Christ Church. Personnel of His Congregation. Origin of the Connec- tion of the Potter Family with the Protestant Episcopal Church. The First Church Building as it was in 1820. The Communion Silver. The Founding of the Sunday School. The Purchase of a Burial-Ground. The Erection of the Second Church Building in 1834. The Spread of the Episcopal Church in Dutchess County. Dr. Reed's Old Age and the Call of an Assistant Minister. Dr. Reed's Death. Names of Pewholders, 1810-1832.
CHAPTER VII; 1845-1875 Page 172
The Rise of the High Church Party. Its Work for Church Exten- sion, Schools and Hospitals. Churchmanship in this Parish. The Rev. Homer Wheaton. The Parish Library. Repairs to the Church Building. The Font. The Chandeliers. The Dove. The Parish School. Social and Economic Conditions in Pough- keepsie. The Organization of the Church of the Holy Comforter. Church Schools. St. Barnabas's Hospital. Reminiscences of 1842-1847. Erection of a Sunday School Room, 1848. The Sun- day School. Church Bells. The Chancel Altered. Vestments. The Development in Church Music. Observance of Christmas. Personnel of the Congregation. Special Services. Business Matters. The Rev. Dr. Cady. Dutchess Convocation.
CHAPTER VIII; 1875-1910 Page 218 Origin of the Broad Churchmen. The Rev. Dr. Henry L. Ziegen- fuss. Christ Church Becomes a Broad Church Parish. Chancel Furnishings. Introduction of Organized Work. Chronological List of Parochial Organizations. Erection of the Third Church Building. The Parish House. The Tower. Death of Dr. Ziegenfuss. Social and Economic Changes. Rectorate of Dr. Cummins. Mrs. Charles H. Buckingham's Gift. The Future and the Need of an Endowment.
viii
CONTENTS
BIOGRAPHIES
Page
The Rectors of the Parish, Assistants, Curates, and Ministers in
Charge . 263
APPENDIX
Wardens of the Parish, 1773-1910 . 303
Vestrymen, 1773-1910 . 304
Delegates to Diocesan Convention, 1785-1910 307
Secretaries of the Vestry, 1773-1910 . 309
Treasurer of the Corporation, 1773-1910
.
. 310
Clerks-Choristers-Choirmasters, 1773-1910 . 310
Sextons, 1784-1910 314
Organists, 1808-1910
315
Representatives of Christ Church sent by the Diocese of New York to the General Convention . 315 Clergy, who, before ordination, were affiliated with Christ Church 316 Bibliography of Parish Records 319 List of Gifts and Memorials forming part of the fabric and furnish- ings of the present church building 324
Memoranda of Repairs and Improvements made to the church, the Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Buckingham . 335
Endowment Fund 337
Correspondence, proceedings, etc., of Christ Church, Poughkeep- sie, and Trinity Church, Fishkill, regarding their joint inter- ests in the Glebe . 340
Correspondence, proceedings, etc., of Christ Church, and the Rev. John Beardsley, regarding the twenty-three acre lot 362
Correspondence, proceedings, etc., in the call to the Rectorship ex- tended to the Rev. Henry Van Dyck . 399
INDEX
Index to Subjects
421
Index to Persons
. 425
ix
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Opposite Page
The Rector of the parish, the Rev. Alexander G. Cummins, A.M., Litt. D. Frontispiece
Christ Church from the northeast 1
The glebe-house. Erected 1767. Sold 1791 30
Map of the glebe, dated 1787, showing the trespass of Samuel Curry
92
The parsonage. Purchased 1799. Sold 1852
106
The Rev. Philander Chase. From a miniature, painted on ivory about 1798 110
The Rt. Rev. Philander Chase, D.D. 118
Interior of the first church building, about 1820 148
The present church building from the northwest; showing the location of the monument to Willoughby 158
Exterior of the second church building, erected 1834 160
Pen and ink sketch, made in 1834, of the screen which was in the second church from 1834 to 1854 . 164
The Rev. John Reed, S.T.D. 166
The Rev. Homer Wheaton 174
Interior of the study of the present church 178
The dove On page 178
The Parish School building, Market and Pine Streets 180
The Davies Memorial Parish School House. Erected 1889 182
The Rev. Samuel Buel, S.T.D. 194
Interior of the church that was erected 1834 196
The rectory. Erected 1853. Sold 1880 214
The Rev. Philander K. Cady, S.T.D. 216
·The Rev. Henry L. Ziegenfuss, S.T.D. 218
Easter decorations 1888. The last Easter in the second church
222
The southwest corner of the English burying-ground about 1884 244
The corner-stone and main entrance of the present church .
248
The tower. Erected 1889. The gift of Mr. Albert Tower 250
Interior of the present church. From a photograph taken in 1910 252
The Rev. Samuel A. Weikert, A.M. 254
The memorial service, May 29th, 1910 . 256
Out-of-door popular service, Sunday, October 2d, 1910 258
The Albert Tower, Jr., Memorial Rectory. Erected 1903.
The gift of Mr. A. Edward Tower 260
PART I
فقد انه
4619
TARTSA
VIEW OF THE PRESENT CHURCH BUILDING From the northeast Copyright, 1910, Frank B. Howard
PART I, 1755-1810 CHAPTER I
1755-1762
THE VISITS TO DUTCHESS COUNTY OF THE REV. SAMUEL SEABURY, MISSIONARY FROM THE VENERABLE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS.
I N 1755 the Rev. Samuel Seabury, Rector of St. George's Church, Hempstead, Long Island, made a missionary journey into Dutchess County. He came in response to an invitation from some of the members of the Church of England who were residents here, and who were anxious for the services of their Church from which they were cut off.
The visit occurred in November, as, upon his return to Hempstead, he entered upon the parish register of St. George's that, on November 1st, 2d and 3d, he had baptized "at Fishkill" one adult and ten children. Mr. Seabury gave an account of this visit to the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and the records1 of the Society, on file in their London office, thus refer to it: "The Rev. Mr. Seabury, the Society's Missionary at Hempstead in Long Island, writes, by his letter dated April 19, 1756, that his parish in general is in a good state, &, at the request of the people of Dutchess (Duchess) County (80 miles from Hempstead) he made them a visit, and staid six days, & preached four times to large assemblies; it is a country of a large extent, con-
1 S. P. G. Annual Report, February, 1757, pp. 48, 49.
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taining about 10,000 souls, with only one Dutch Minis- ter, one Presbyterian or Independent Minister, & one Quaker's Meeting but that little attended; & many of the people desired him to recommend them to the chari- table care of the Society, & assured him they would purchase a Glebe and build a Church, could they be assisted in the support of a minister; & there are also a great many Germans among them, who are averse to the joining themselves to any other Communion than that of the Church of England; in consideration of all which the Society hath directed Mr. Seabury to take these poor people under his care, & to do them what good services he can at present, consistent with his more peculiar care, & when they have built a Church & purchased a Glebe, as they promise, the Society propose to send a Missionary to them."
Mr. Seabury thus became Missionary to Dutchess County, by appointment of the S. P. G., in 1756. Under this commission he came again, in June, 1757, recording, later, at Hempstead, the baptisms of six children "at Fishkill" on June 26th and 27th, and of one child, June 29th, "at Philipse's Manor."
About this time the substance of the letter he had written on April 19th, 1756, to the S. P. G., became known in Dutchess County. Exception to it was taken, and there was published (anonymously) a pamphlet entitled A Letter from a Gentleman to his Friend in Dutchess County. The chief objections raised in this pamphlet were to Mr. Seabury's statement that it was at the re- quest of the people in Dutchess County he had visited them; to his statistics regarding the population of the county; and to his account of the friendly attitude of the Germans toward the Church of England. The
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anonymous writer said Mr. Seabury had visited "only in Rombout," implying he could not be well informed about the county in general.
Before replying to this attack upon him, Mr. Seabury, in March, 1759, made another journey to Dutchess, taking care not to visit "only in Rombout." His record of baptisms shows that March 16th he was "at Poughkeepsie," March 18th "at Fishkill," March 19th "at Rombout Precinct," and "at Bateman's Precinct" the same day.
Returning home he wrote a letter, dated Hempstead, March 30th, 1759, replying to his unknown critic, which he printed in pamphlet form. Two copies of this pam- phlet are known to be in existence, one in the library of Trinity College, Hartford, the other owned by Mr. Seabury's descendant, the Rev. Dr. William J. Seabury, of the General Theological Seminary, New York City. The title-page declares it to be A Modest Reply to A Letter From a Gentleman to his Friend in Dutchess County Lately published by an anon-i-mous writer. By Samuel Seabury, A.M., Missionary from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. New York. Printed in the Year MDCCLIX.
After reprinting the anonymous letter in full, Mr. Seabury made answer to it point by point. He said his authority for his statement of the number of other minis- ters in Dutchess County he had thought good, and "is assured the Gentleman, Bartholomew Noxon Esq., had no design to impose on me. The subject of the Gentle- man's Discourse with me was to convince me that Dutchess County was a place proper to be recommended to the charity of the Society. Upon this occasion the Gentleman observed, That he verily believed, that if a
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Clergyman of Abilities, Modesty & Virtue could be procured to officiate at stated Turns at the Fish-Kills, Rombout Precinct, Poughkeepsie and that Part of the Nine Partners, or Crom Elbow, bordering on the Fish- Kills and Poughkeepsie, a considerable Church would soon be gathered. And that from thence the Clergyman would frequently have occasional Calls to sundry other Places in the County."
Bartholomew Noxon, who, it thus appears, was consulted by Mr. Seabury in 1755, was a Beekman man of substantial property and standing. His father, Thomas Noxon, was some-time Master of Trinity School, New York City, and Bartholomew Noxon him- self was a staunch Churchman; he owned a house in Poughkeepsie, which he bequeathed by will to his son, Dr. Robert Noxon, and which is now one of the oldest houses standing in the city, being known as No. 81 and No. 83 Market street, near the corner of Noxon. Bartholo- mew Noxon's will also mentions his books on law and on divinity, Bible, and Common Prayer Books.
Henry and Jacobus TerBoss of Rombout Precinct had been Mr. Seabury's other informants upon the points called in question by the anonymous letter. The popu- lation of the county in 1755 had been represented to him by these men as 10,000, which was a fairly close guess to the figures of the official census of 1756,1 those being 14,147.
In defence of his statement that he had visited Dutch- ess County by request, Mr. Seabury reiterated that he had been invited to come to Fishkill, and added, "my invitation was signed by Messieurs John Bailey and
1 Documentary History of New York, Vol. 1, p. 696.
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Thomas Langdon Esqrs in their public character as Church Wardens."
An interesting issue is raised in this last clause, the question presenting itself, when, and by whom, were these "Church Wardens" appointed?
September 22d, 1693, the General Assembly of the Colony of New York passed an act entitled1 An Act for Settling a Ministry, and Raising a Maintenance for them in the City of New York, County of Richmond, West- chester and Queen's County, which provided for six "Protestant" ministers, who were to be supported by the tithes of the people. One was to be appointed in New York City, one in Richmond County, two in West- chester, and two in Queen's County. The passing of this Act was an attempt on the part of the English administration of the colony to "establish" the Church of England in New York, the Governor claiming, after it was passed, that, under the Crown, he had no legal right to appoint any ministers but those of the State Church in England. In its actual workings the law was attended by much opposition, and by many difficulties and complications. The injury thus done to the Church, by inflaming against it the minds of the Dutch and English Presbyterians, was considered so great that an effort was finally made in 17692 to repeal the Act. The Assembly bill for this purpose failed on a technicality, but the War of the Revolution soon accomplished the result intended by the bill.
The Act of 1693 provided for an established ministry in four counties, where wardens and vestrymen were
1 Ecclesiastical Records of the State of New York, pub. 1901 by the State, Vol. 2, p. 1076.
2 Dix: History of Trinity Parish, Vol. 1, p. 325.
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to be regularly elected, and tithes collected. There is no evidence that it was ever extended to cover Dutchess County, and it is difficult to conceive of its require- ments in regard to tithes being complied with in this community, composed, as then, of Friends and Pres- byterians.
Hence, it is hardly to be supposed that Mr. Seabury's invitation was extended under the operation of the Ministry Act. If some members of the Church of England met, and appointed two of their number "Church Wardens," whom they authorized to communi- cate with Mr. Seabury, no account of such action has been preserved, and its potency apparently ceased with the delivery of the invitation, for Messrs. Bailey and Lang- don are not again mentioned in connection with Church affairs. On the other hand, something of this kind must have occurred, if Mr. Seabury's statement is strictly accurate.
Proceeding in his argument, Mr. Seabury said:' "The places proposed for settling the Church are Rombout, Poughkeepsie, and the South Part of Crom Elbow pre- cincts. * * * * So great is the Encouragement for the settling of a Minister of the Church of England to serve in those places above mentioned & on the Borders of Beekman's and Philipse's Precincts, that not less than 103 Persons, ten of whom only are single, have already subscribed for the Building of a Church for the Worship of God according to the Liturgy of the Church of Eng- land. * * The Gentleman (Judge Terbus) who has the Care of the Subscription, assured me that he made no doubt but that there were Fifty more in those Places, to whom a Church might be set convenient, that would subscribe; exclusive of Poughkeepsie and Crom Elbow
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where the subscription had not been offered, but had been promised Encouragement by Persons of the best Credit and Influence; where, 'tis presumed, from the promised Encouragement, there will be not less than 100 more subscribers. And tho' I would not insinuate that all these Subscribers are Professors of the Church of England, yet it is certain that many of them are so, and sundrys of them are removed here from Hamstead, and all of them are Friends to the Church and see the Necessity of encouraging it."
The date of the opening of the subscription, to which Mr. Seabury refers, is not mentioned in his pamphlet, but the Rev. Dr. Ladd, in his Founding of the Episcopal Church in Dutchess County, New York, says it was first offered in 1756. The circulation of this subscrip- tion is the basis for the statement on the memorial tablet placed upon Trinity Church, Fishkill Village, that that parish was "organized" in 1756. In the light of Mr. Seabury's letters, all through the period of his connection with Dutchess County, the weight of sentiment, only, can be attached to this, for "organization," historically and literally considered, did not take place in the county until 1766.
Mr. Seabury made more and longer visits in Rombout Precinct than in other portions of the county, and it is evident a cordial welcome was given him there, for he speaks at length in his pamphlet of the crowded audien- ces to which he preached. His services were held in pri- vate houses and in the Dutch church at Fishkill Village. Mr. Seabury's commission from the S. P. G. in 1756 was as Missionary to the whole county, however, and his reports to the Society, combined with his entries upon the register of St. George's parish at Hempstead, afford
7
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a record of the dates of his six visits to this field. Briefly tabulated they occurred :
1755, November 1,2, 3, "at Fishkill."
1757, June 26, 27, "at Fishkill."
June 29, "at Philipse's Manor."
1759, March 16, "at Poughkeepsie."
March 18, "at Fishkill."
March 19, "at Rumbout Precinct."
March 19, "at Bateman's Precinct."
1760, June 19, "at Nine Partners."
1760, November 2, "at Fishkill." November 4, "at Beekman Precinct."
November 5, "at Rombout."
November 6, 7, 8, 9, "at Crum Elbow."
November 11, "at Philipse's Manor."
1762, June 6, 7, "at Fishkill." June 9, "at Beekman Precinct."
June 10, 11, "at Fishkill." June 13, "at Nine Partners." June 14, "at Rombout."
The archives of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel contain reports from Mr. Seabury on these visits, which evidence his faithful labor to extend the Church. April 28th, 1760, in a letter on file in London, he said, "I have made a visit to Dutchess County where I had the pleasure of being kindly received by a great number of people, many of which I believe would long ere now have joyned in erecting a Church and qualifying themselves for a Mission had it not been that they have been exposed to great expenses in the present day." These great expenses were probably incident to the campaign about Lake George, which had just occurred, and to which Dutchess County contributed many men.
Mr. Seabury made two visits in 1760, after the above was written, and on March 25th, 1761, wrote again, saying,
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"I have also visited Dutchess County Since my last, & on Sunday November 2d last I preached in the Dutch Church in Fish Kills to a more numerous assembly, both morning & evening, than had ever attended me there at any one time before, & on the Tuesday following I preached at Beekman's precinct in said County about 12 miles distant from Fish Kills, & on the Thursday & Sunday following I preached at Crom Elbow in sd County 20 miles from Fish Kills, & at the several places in said County I baptized 38 children & 5 adults.
"There is a great disposition among the people in Dutchess County to have the established Church fixed among them; but the friends of Church, in common with their neighbors, having been very much scattered in their situation from one another, it is hard to come to a resolution with regard to the place to fix the Church on; However being convinced that many have improved in Christian knowledge & in Christian tempers & Disposi- tion I shall continue to visit them, if it please God to preserve my health, according to the directions of the Society."
The difficulty to reach a decision regarding the loca- tion of a church continued. September 30th, 1762, Mr. Seabury reported to the Society: "Since my last I have made a journey into Dutchess County where I preached two Sundays to very Crowded assemblys And three Week Days in Different parts of the County And baptized one Adult and thirty-three children. The County being very extensive & the people Devoted to the Established Church Living in Different precincts, the Difficulty of Reconciling them to one place for fixing a Church I believe to be the Reason they have not yet begun that necessary work."
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His last mention of his work here is under date of March 26th, 1764: "It is now the 2d year since I visited Dutches County, where the harvest is Great, and where I intend, God willing, to make another visit, & where I hope the Society will Send Some very pious young Clergyman to make them a Tender of his service, Even though they Should not Qualify themselves for a Mission According to the Rules of the Society."
One hundred and eight baptisms (nine adults and ninety-nine children) were recorded by Mr. Seabury at Hempstead as the result of his ministrations in Dutchess County. Among these are to be found few family names that were afterward identified with the Church of Eng- land in Dutchess, or even associated with the county in other ways. The few exceptions are those of Southard at Fishkill, Crannell at Poughkeepsie, Carman and Noxon of Beekman and Germond and Beadle of Crom Elbow.
The Southards and Carmans and Germonds were Hempstead people (the Germonds originally, and pro- perly, Germaine), and had belonged to St. George's parish. St. George's register mentions, beside these, the families of Baldwin (Balding), Losee, Cornell and Kelsey, representatives of each of which settled in Dutch- ess.
Travelling conditions, in the years when Mr. Seabury went back and forth between Long Island and Dutchess County, were difficult and fatiguing; the journeys were on horseback, and the roads were few and heavy; the stops were at private houses, in most of which the plane of living must have been primitive. Communication between the several settlements was infrequent and events were few, so that the coming of the Missionary
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into each section was a matter of absorbing interest to the sparsely peopled neighborhoods.
Mr. Seabury's message was of the evangelical preach- ing type. Not but that he drew a clear distinction between the Church of England and other religious bodies, for he was a convinced Churchman, but his method of reaching the people, to whom he had been sent to minister, seemed confined to preaching sermons and baptizing. Nothing is said of the celebration of the Communion.
In organization of the scattered inhabitants of Dutch- ess County who belonged to the Church of England, Mr. Seabury accomplished little or nothing. This was primarily due to the fact that he already had the charge of St. George's, Hempstead, and was not free to give the amount of time necessary to effect an organization in the face of such adverse circumstances as existed.
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