USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady > A history of St. George's church in the city of Schenectady, Volume I > Part 5
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Mr. Andrews, having married in the meantime, reached Sche- nectady early in January, 1771,7 and about the same time the Rev- erend John Stuart,8 who had been appointed to the mission at Fort Hunter, 9 arrived to take up his work at that post.
"Upon my delivering the Revd. Doctor Burton's letter, directed to the Church officers," wrote1º Mr. Andrews on March 15, in his first letter to the Society after reaching Schenectady, "several of the principal Inhabitants came to me, and congratulated me on my safe arrival, and expressed much satisfaction at my appoint- ment amongst them, as they had long expected a Missionary, hav- ing had no opportunity of hearing Divine Service, excepting the occasional visits Mr. Munro" made them from Albany.
"The first time I preached here," continues the letter, "was on Sunday the 6th of January last, and since that I only baptiz'd 5 children, buried 1, and administered the Sacrament12 to 20 Com-
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municants on St. Matthias' day, 5 of whom then communicated for the first time. Agreeable to the People's Request, I have preached twice every Sunday and intend so doing-In the Evening I cat- echise the children, several of whom are Dutch, which gives me some hopes that my congregation will increase, as they seem fond of being instructed in English."
On March 25, the wardens and vestry wrote13 to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to express their appreciation of be- ing granted a mission and their approval of the appointment of Mr. Andrews. "You may be assured we will support him," they promised, "as liberal as the Circumstances of the Congregation ('the majority of whom (are) not very opulent,') will admit."
"The income of the Pews," continued the letter, "and what- ever else comes into our Hands (except the Subscription for a Min- ister) we shall be under a necessity of expending to compleat the Church & for any other Contingency that may happen."
April 1, 1771, witnessed the first recorded election of officers14 for the church and on the same day the accounts from August 23, 1763, were examined and closed with a balance in the treasurer's hands of £12 8s. Iod.
Mr. Andrews continued to preach twice each Sunday and on June 24 in his second letter15 to the Society reported a following of "80 grown up persons, who attend(ed) regularly and decently, be- sides some of the other Denominations (who came) at times. My Church is particularly more fill'd in the Winter-time," he ex- plained, "as several of (the congregation) are Indian Traders or Batteaumen, who, when the Mohawk River is open, proceed in those kind of Vessels to Fort Detroit and even to Mishillinackanac in Sloops, which is upwards of 1000 miles from hence.
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"I have administered the Sacrament to 25 Communicants on Easter Sunday last," continued Mr. Andrews, "and to a less num- ber on Whitsunday, as many of them were then abroad. I have alto- gether baptized since I came here 10 children, 3 of whom were Negroes."
Scarcely had Mr. Andrews dispatched his second letter to the Society when he sustained a severe loss by reason of a fire which broke out in the house where he and Mrs. Andrews were lodging. Although they managed with difficulty to save a few of their per- sonal effects the greater part of their wearing apparel and house- hold goods and several of the rector's books were consumed by the flames.16
During the same week in which the fire occurred there came a letter17 from the Society informing Mr. Andrews that from the amounts of his drafts against them, they believed that he was la- boring under a false impression as to the amount of his yearly al- lowance and advising him that this allowance was but forty pounds instead of the fifty that he thought it to be.
Mr. Andrews acknowledged the Society's letter on June 30, taking occasion to inform them of his recent loss and of his gen- eral situation. "The People here," reads18 a portion of the letter, "have never furnished me with a House, agreeable to your Re- quest; - they pay me only £40 this currency this year, this added to what the Society are pleas'd to allow, I do assure you, is insuf- ficient to support me. I do not mean by this Representation of my Case, to make myself appear poor to the Society, I only desire to represent my Situation to them as it really is. And I believe had not this Accident happened and my Salary less than I thought, I shou'd have been able to live.
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"I shall, I hope, be regular to discharge my Duty with Strict- ness, and endeavor to make my Labors pleasing to my People, as I shall also expect to deserve the Esteem of the Society."
Mr. Andrews struggled along throughout the summer deriving some slight benefit from the lot that had been purchased for the erection of a house for the minister when circumstances would per- mit and which had been ploughed and fenced in at the expense of the church and turned over to him for a garden.19 Towards fall, how- ever, he determined to make some endeavor to augment his re- sources and to this end in September, opened a grammar school in connection with the church. "That I may make it the more generally useful," he wrote2º on September 28, to Sir William Johnson in advising him of his venture and soliciting his patron- age, "I shall give Instructions in Writing, Reading and Arithme- tic. At present I have Ten Scholars," continues the letter, "and as the Prices are moderate, I have the Prospect of getting more daily."
The project of the grammar school had scarcely been launched when Mr. Andrews determined upon a more ambitious scheme, --- that of making it an "Academy." By November 5, the number of scholars had increased to thirteen and as it was now planned to re- ceive boarders it was hoped that this number would be consider- ably augmented at an early date.
Mr. Andrews hastened to inform21 Sir William of his change in plan and at the same time to explain to him that because of the inadequacy of his allowances, it was only through the success of the undertaking that he could hope to continue at Schenectady. "The people subscribe as largely & willingly as they possibly can," he explained, "in short, they contribute all in their Power to make me live easy, and I do every Thing I can to please them, by doing my Duty amongst them.
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"What I only wish for," added Mr. Andrews, "is that the ven- erable Society would please to add something to My Income, either on Account of the School, or because of the Poverty of the Mis- sion .- For, I believe I may safely pronounce it to be one of the poorest Missions on the Continent. Still I wou'd not wish to ap- pear discontented, for I am far from being so-I only desire to have my Income so settled, in a moderate Way, that I can make it barely satisfy my few Wants."
The knowledge of Mr. Andrews' circumstances had, during the fall, brought a suggestion 22 from the Society that some of the income from the renting of the pews in the church be diverted to his account. To this suggestion the vestry were not inclined to listen. "(We) humbly beg leave to lay the State of the Church here be- fore you," they wrote23 under date of January 21, 1772, "and then flatter ourselves the Society will not be Displeased that we can- not allow our Minister any of the profits arising from the pews, the Church being in Debt £225.5.8. currency exclusive of Inter- est, nor have we either Steeple, Bell, Communion plate, or any kind of Church Furniture,24 and Mr. Andrews himself is so sensi- ble of our Inability, that He has declared,25 he wou'd not accept any of the pew rents if offer'd to him, well knowing that we have hardly any other Fund to finish the Edifice and keep it in Repair."
During the year 1771, Sir William Johnson had replaced the church at Johnstown by a larger and more suitable building26 of stone. He had been long in expectation of securing a missionary for the post through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel but when his efforts were unavailing he had written27 to several of his acquaintances requesting them to recommend any "gentleman in Orders of good Character" with whom they might meet, who
1
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was willing to accept the position. Sir William was in due time informed by one of his friends that he had secured an applicant who would shortly come to Johnstown.
Soon after Sir William had written to his friends Mr. Andrews, impelled, perhaps, by a desire to better his condition and to come in closer personal contact with the baronet, expressed a desire to remove to Johnstown. Sir William did not at once make a decision in the matter, feeling that it was not in his power to give an answer "with any degree of Certainty, least somebody had been already fixed upon in consequence of (his) former application."28 When this was definitely ascertained to be the case Sir William wrote29 to Mr. Andrews on June 25, 1772, so advising him and expressing the hope that should he find the applicant to his liking and there- fore be unable to gratify Mr. Andrews' wish, that it would be no material disappointment to him and that he would continue to persevere in his "pious endeavors" at Schenectady making up for the "slenderness" of the mission by the success of his "Academy."
Mr. Andrews answered3° Sir William's letter on July 23, express- ing great satisfaction at the possibility of his securing a minister and returning thanks for his expressions of consolation. "But the very Thing which enables me to continue in this Mission," he added "is the Grievance I complain of: For my constant Attendance on the School, prevents me from paying that Attention to my Con- gregation which I cou'd really wish, and from my being obliged to write two Discourses every Week I am confined from taking that Recreation which I find my Health requires."
On June 30, 1772, Mr. Andrews transmitted to the Society a somewhat fragmentary report of the progress of his mission during the year past. "Since the 30th June last," reads31 this report, "I
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have baptized 1 White and 24 Black Adults-16 White and 2 Black Children-Married 4 Couple- Buried 7-And have 43 Communicants-And also 16 Catechumens."
As had been anticipated constant confinement to the school and attention to the duties of the mission soon began to undermine Mr. Andrews' health. During the winter when he became apprehen- sive that his constitution could undergo little longer the "servitude" of his combined activities he again applied to Sir William for a letter of recommendation that he might seek another mission bet- ter suited to his needs.32 Mr. Andrews' health continued to decline and during the summer he suffered to such a degree that at the ad- vice of Dr. John Constable33 he determined to give up his work for the time being and to leave Schenectady in search of relief. His decision was influenced and his departure hastened by the oppor- tune arrival at Schenectady of a clergyman34 who kindly offered to supply his place and by satisfactory arrangements made under which the care of the school was committed to a "Person of Ca- pacity."
On August 16, 1773, Mr. Andrews wrote35 to Sir William from New York that the only expedients prescribed for the recovery of his health were exercise and a change of air both of which he in- tended enjoying in such a manner as his circumstances would per- mit. "But," continued he, "shou'd I ever recover, & return to the same Duties, a Relapse probably ending in a Consumption wou'd be the fatal Consequence." Mr. Andrews further expressed the hope that an understanding of the circumstances which gov- erned his departure would render his conduct justifiable in the eyes of the Society and of the people, the more so as he proposed not to relinquish the mission until it was properly supplied and not even then without Sir William's approbation.
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St. George's Church.
It would appear from a subsequent letter36 that Mr. Andrews took no particular pains to inform the vestry of St. George's of his phys- ical condition or to consult with them regarding his plans, simply announcing, before his departure, that by advice of Doctor Con- stable he was going "to the Seaside for three or four Weeks for the Recovery of his Health."
Mr. Andrews failed to return to Schenectady at the time desig- nated and subsequently word reached the congregation that "he had certainly sailed to Virginia in Quest of a better provision," to which purpose was now attributed his primary intention in leaving. When after a lapse of thirteen weeks both parish and school had suffered by his absence to such an extent that the latter was "nearly annihilated," the congregation of St. George's decided that they were justified in seeking another rector and in consequence extend- ed a call to the Reverend John Doty which was promptly accept- ed.37
Mr. Andrews returned to Schenectady in November and from here on the twenty-fifth addressed38 to the Society his resignation as rector of St. George's, adding that through the recommendation of Sir William Johnson he had procured a parish in Virginia39 and that his successor had already arrived in Schenectady.
Notes.
Chapter VI.
1. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 2, No. 35, p. 128.
2. "The Documentary History of the State of New York," IV, 421.
3. Mr. Daniel Campbell was born in Ireland, September 19, 1730, and died, Au- gust 16, 1802. He came to Schenectady some time during the year 1754 and com- menced business as an Indian trader, subsequently amassing a considerable fortune. He lived in the house now known as 101 State Street, which was erected for him in 1762 under the direction of Mr. Samuel Fuller (vide note 24, Chapter IV) and in which it is said that he frequently entertained Sir William Johnson with whom he was on terms of close friendship, when the latter came to Schenectady. Although Mr. Campbell contributed twelve pounds toward the erection of the church and was a pew holder from the year 1766 until his death, he appears to have taken little active interest in the affairs of the parish. After his death the name of his wife, Angelica Bradt Campbell, is conspicuous on the various church subscription lists for the liber- alness of her gifts.
4. Sir William Johnson Manuscripts, XVIII, 113.
5. "The Documentary History of the State of New York," IV, 421.
6. A copy of the letter is included among the Miscellaneous Papers of St. George's Church.
7. He had been delayed by illness for some time in Ireland, where he had gone to take passage.
8. He was born at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1740, was graduated from the Col- lege of Philadelphia and admitted to Holy Orders in 1770.
9. The mission, it will have been noted, had been without a resident minister since the withdrawal of the Reverend William Andrews some fifty-three years before.
Io. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 5.
II. An entry in the accounts during the year 1769 records the expenditure of £2 9s. "for four for Rev'd Mr. Monro,"-donated to him, perhaps, to show the appre- ciation of the congregation for these visits.
12. The following entries of expenditures under date of February 24, indicate the preparations made for the celebration :-
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St. George's Church.
1 Bottle Wine 5. 6.
I Table for the Commission
1. 10.0.
I Bottle Wine 5. 6.
I Loaf of Bread 6.
Bell ringing
2. 0.
1 lb. Candles 1. 6.
A further entry of thirteen shillings, "Charity to a poor woman," is interesting as being the first record of almsgiving by the church.
13. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 134.
14. John Brown
Wardens
Robert Clench
Matthew Lyne
John Shee
John Curry
Thomas Arnold
Vestrymen
James McDonald
John Winkworth
John Brown, Treasurer
Matthew Lyne, Clerk to the Vestry
15. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 6.
16. Ibid., No. 7. Mr. Andrews was later allowed twenty pounds by the Society to reimburse him for his loss.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 8.
20. "The Documentary History of the State of New York," IV, 466.
21. Ibid., p. 470.
22. A copy of the letter dated August 14, 1771, is included among the Miscella- neous Papers of St. George's Church.
23. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 8.
24. The church had evidently fared no better in this particular from the hands of Sir Henry Moore than in the matter of its charter (vide page 42, and note 21, Chapter V).
25. Mr. Andrews confirmed this in a letter to the Society dated April 23, 1772. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 9.
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St. George's Church.
26. It occupied part of the lot on which the present church now stands and was destroyed by fire in 1836.
27. "The Documentary History of the State of New York," IV, 475.
28. Ibid. 29. Ibid.
30. Ibid., p. 480.
31. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 10.
32. "The Documentary History of the State of New York," IV, 493.
33. A physician of some note practising in Schenectady whose professional advice was not infrequently sought by Sir William Johnson.
34. The only clue to his identity is the statement in a letter of Mr. Andrews' that "he is a Relation of Mr. Ellices. A Person of Good Abilities, & a fair Character." "The Documentary History of the State of New York," IV, 493.
35. Ibid.
36. The wardens of St. George's Church to the secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, December 10, 1773. Manuscript Records of the S. P. G., Series B, Vol. 3, No. 12.
37. Ibid.
38. Ibid., No. II.
39. There is no record to indicate that after his subsequent departure from Sche- nectady he ever returned to the Valley of the Mohawk.
Chapter VII.
The Rectorship of the Reverend John Doty.
T HE Reverend John Doty who had succeeded Mr. An- drews as rector of St. George's was a native of the Colonies, having been born in New York, May 8, 1745.' He had received his education at King's College (now Columbia Univer- sity), and subsequent to his graduation had been ordained by the Bishop of London.2 At the time of his call to Schenectady he was officiating at St. Peter's Church, Peekskill, "for a Slender contri- bution from some of the Inhabitants, The Society not (having found) it convenient to fix a Salary for that Mission when he was in London."3 Gradually this "slender contribution" had been de- creasing until the little support he had received during his last year at Peekskill had been obtained not without much difficulty. Of the deficiency Mr. Doty had often complained, making known the embarrassments under which he labored, but to very little purpose and it was the final failure to obtain "some security for a living" that had influenced him to leave his post and accept, subject to the approbation of the Society, the position at Schenectady.4
The care of the church and of the "Academy" had already been entrusted to Mr. Doty when, on December 10, 1773, the wardens and vestry of St. George's addressed the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in his behalf, seeking their approval of his appoint- ment and petitioning that he be permitted to enjoy the same an- nual fee that had been allowed Mr. Andrews.
"Permit us to observe," they wrotes in presenting their case for
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St. George's Church.
consideration, "First, (that) We are situated in a Country which tho' as yet poor, encreases very fast, and that the morals of its In- habitants and the encrease of the Members of the Church of Eng- land depend on the Support We now meet with.
"Secondly, that we have manifested a peculiar Zeal for our Re- ligion as well in the Expensive Building we have erected, as in the provision we have made for a Missionary to the utmost of our Abilities, and the firmness we have shewn under many Difficul- ties and obstructions little short of Oppression.
"Thirdly, as the School began by Mr. Andrews not only laid a Foundation of Improvement to our Posterity, but promised an Addition to the Members of our Church, which has visibly declined on Mr. Andrews Absence and of which our Neighbours of another Denomination have availed themselves by setting up a School and by various Artifices drawing away our children with a View to their being educated in different principles, which must inevitably hap- pen not only to them, but to many adults of our congregation, unless we can have the Mission revived in the person of Mr. Doty, as he is both from Character and abilities peculiarly calculated for the care of the parish and school. . . . . Permit us to add, that Mr. Doty accompanied by our Church Wardens is just returned from visiting our worthy Friend and Benefactor Sir William Johnson, who high- ly approves of our desires, and whose Zeal for our Church inclines us to have his Concurrence on every Occasion."
Soon after Mr. Andrews' departure he had written a letter to the wardens and vestry of St. George's in which he gave them to un- derstand that it was the opinion of Dr. Auchmuty and other gentle- men in New York that the "Society's Salary (would) not be con- tinued at Schenectady," and that they themselves felt that the
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money expended here was a perversion of "that Bounty which ought to be extended to much larger Bodies of People who (were) without divine worship in several parts of (New York) and the Neighboring Provinces."6 Later rumors of a similar nature excited a further apprehension for the future of the parish and on March 21, 1774, the matter was placed7 before Sir William. "I am in- clined to believe," answered8 he reassuringly on April 1, "that You are alarmed without sufficient cause, for, whatever misrepresenta- tions Mr. Andrews or any other person may have been Guilty of, It is improbable that the Society would withhold their Assistance without a particular enquiry into the state of the Congregation, and as I believe that the Mission was principally established thro' my recommendation thereof to the Society, I should naturally Con- clude that they would communicate their thoughts to me before they determined on Withdrawing it, from all which considerations I should think, you have not much to apprehend on that head, should it prove otherwise I shall willingly assist in recommending your Church to the farther attention of the society, as I am always its hearty well-wisher."
In June came the answer of the Society to the letter of the ves- try regarding the appointment of Mr. Doty. "Your letter came rather too late for the then nearly approaching general meeting of the Society," wrote9 Mr. Hind, the secretary, "but out of respect to Sir William Johnson whose concurrence you pleaded, and for whom I knew the Society's perfect Esteem, I made a point of lay- ing it before the Board at our late Anniversary. The event was that Mr. Doty was appointed, with the former Salary of 40 £ pr. Annum for 5 Years commencing from Mich's last, and to be reduced to 20 £ at the End of that Term, agreeable to a standing Order of the Soci-
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St. George's Church.
ety. Sr. Wm. hath been made acquainted with this resolution, and from him you will probably have been informed of it, before this Letter can reach you, which I have been prevented from writing sooner by the Multiplicity of Business in which I have been lately engaged. This delay hath given Time for some Accounts to Arrive from America in relation to yourselves and Mr. Doty, with which I must frankly tell you the Society are not well pleased. Indeed your hasty appointment of him to be your Minister without first consulting them, was by no means agreeable to them; but out of regard to Sr. Wm. Johnson, whose name you made use of, they delayed not to confirm your Appointment and to continue the Sal- ary. The Society now think they have cause to repent of that Meas- ure for if they are not much misinformed you are able to do more than you have done, or now profess yourselves able to do, for your Minister, and if Mr. Andrews was blamable for his sudden and un- noticed disertion of his Flock, his Flock appear to have been blame- able also, for laying him under a necessity of looking out for a better Provision for himself and his Family. I am likewise, thro' you, to inform Mr. Doty, that the Circumstances under which he left his Congregation at Peek's-kill, do not raise him in the opinion of the Society, to whom his Conduct in that particular hath been repre- sented to his Disadvantage as an Act of Ingratitude. As to yourselves, Gentlemen, whom I address as the representatives of the whole Congregation, muchas I should in General rejoice in your Temporal Prosperity, I cannot help wishing on this particular Occasion, that your Indigence and Inability may be real; and that your Treatment of the Society may appear to have been, in every Circumstance, perfectly consistent with the strictest Honour and veracity. But the Representations lately made of your Ability have led the Society to
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St. George's Church.
review their own Act and to scrutinize apparent Ambiguities, which in their zeal to oblige Sr. Wm. Johnson, they overlook'd or allow'd no weight to, at the Time of their Appointment of Mr. Doty. What follows will explain my meaning. In your Letter of the 10th of Dec'r, you say that Mr. Doty accompany'd by your Church Wardens is just return'd from Visiting Sr. Wm. J. who highly approves of your desires. Sir William, in a Letter but 7 days prior to yours declares that he hath never seen Mr. Doty, and ex- presseth not the least approbation of your Intention to recommend him to the Society. Certainly a Person whom Sir William had not seen on the 3d may have been introduced to him on or before the Ioth of December. But why Sir Wm. should in so short a space of Time, have become zealous in Mr. Doty's favour, and at the same Time should not have Authorized you to assure the Society in his Name that he had now adopted those favorable Sentiments, and really did highly approve of your desires are Circumstances, which I doubt not, but you can relieve from every Appearance and shadow of Inconsistency. I need not suggest to you how much it concerns you to do this, .... the satisfaction of the Society. Re- mote as they are from the Scene of Action, They must ever be lia- ble to Error and mistake, from Ignorance, and want of Right In- formation. But to Guard against Them to the utmost of their Power, and to dispense their Bounty, as nearly as they can, in proportion to the real wants of those who apply for it, is the Object of their most earnest Endeavors. And whenever, thro' misinformation, or fictitious Professors of Poverty, they are misled into a wrong Ap- plication of it, the Reflection upon it, when known, must be a very unpleasing one, and the Imposition neither should nor will be for- gotten.
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