A history of St. George's church in the city of Schenectady, Volume I, Part 8

Author: Hanson, Willis T. (Willis Tracy)
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Schenectady, Priv. print.
Number of Pages: 310


USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady > A history of St. George's church in the city of Schenectady, Volume I > Part 8


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A committee appointed "to try what Sum could be raised by Subscription" for his maintenance was able to report "with great Satisfaction" a week later that they had succeeded beyond their expectation and had secured pledges to the amount of five hundred dollars. A call was now extended to Mr. Stebbins contingent upon his being regularly received into the Episcopal Church, "without which," wrote one of the vestry, "neither (he) nor any other will be admitted to afficiate at St. George's."


While it was appreciated that the sum of five hundred dollars was scarcely sufficient for the support of a minister with a large


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family, it was hoped by the vestry that, as Mr. Stebbins' family consisted of but himself and wife, he would find this amount sat- isfactory. In this hope they were not disappointed and Mr. Steb- bins appears to have accepted the arrangement without hesitation, and, early in November, to have commenced his ministration as a lay reader, pending his ordination, plans to secure which were at once started upon his acceptance of the call.


"I hope," commented one of the vestry in giving his personal reasons for desiring an early ordination, "(that) Bishop Moore will find him fit & worthy to be ordained so that our Church may be filled & the regular Offices performed for altho our family have regularly attended the Presbyterian, yet some of its Doctrines are difficult to comprehend & the whole Service very different from, & as we think, inferior to ours."


On November 1, 1804, Bishop Moore addressed the vestry on their application in behalf of Mr. Stebbins. "The moral character of Mr. Stebbins," he commented, "is altogether unexceptionable, & the difficulty arising from the want3 of literary qualifications may be surmounted, on very urgent occasions. But it would be entirely inconsistent with the Rules of the Church to admit him immediately into Holy Orders. He must be for a season, in a state of probation; and for this purpose, I have directed him, with the approbation of your Vestry, to read prayers & a sermon in your Church, for a few months to come; and, as soon as it can with pro- priety be done, he shall be ordained."


Mr. Stebbins carefully followed the suggestions of Bishop Moore and early in January the vestry again made application for his ordination excusing their impatience on the plea that, although Mr. Stebbins had given perfect satisfaction as a reader, yet he had


Reverend Cyrus Stebbins


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not filled the church as he would have done had he been "a preach- er." "He is so well known as well as acceptable to the congrega- tion," read the letter of the vestry, "that it is extremely desired by all that he should be authorized to perform such of the Offices of religion as he can be admitted to with propriety especially that of Baptism, for which there are several Objects. Mr. Stebbins has not as yet taken up his residence with us and travels from Albany week- ly which he should be exempted from could he remove & take Possession of a Home provided for him. A good Opportunity also offers for his going to N. York in about a fortnight hence, when one of our Vestry purposes to set off; it will be a pleasant Convey- ance without Expence, and this indeed is an additional Cause for our taking the Liberty of addressing you at this time, the article money being of great Consequence both to him & to us."


"Although I am very much disposed to do everything which may be conducive to the welfare of your Church in Schenectady," replied Bishop Moore on January 14, 1805, "still I cannot help thinking that the general interest of the Prot. Ep. Church requires that Mr. Stebbins should remain a few months longer in a state of probation. You know the Canon directs every Candidate to con- tinue in that state one year before he is admitted to Holy Orders, and that when he is admitted he shall possess certain literary quali- fications. In the case of Mr. Stebbins, a dispensation has been grant- ed. The unexceptionable character of that gentleman, his abilities to promote the cause of religion as a popular Preacher, and the declining condition of your Church seemed to require a relaxation of the rule. But still, I am afraid of opening the door too wide, lest I should be embarrassed with improper applications in future."


"The situation of the Church at Duanesburgh," continued


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Bishop Moore, "gives me much concern. Is there no way of form- ing an union with that congregation? When Mr. Stebbins comes to be regularly settled as your Minister I sincerely wish it might be agreeable to you and to him to devote a part of his time to those destitute people. They are of various denominations, but if the ser- vice of our Church were performed there it is probable that many of them would become good steady Episcopalians."


The suggestion of Bishop Moore that the services of Mr. Steb- bins be shared with the church at Duanesburgh was not at all fav- orably received and when the few who were approached on the subject were found to be entirely averse to the scheme the vestry reported, on February 12, that they were unable to adopt any plan by which assistance could be rendered and further that they had every reason to believe that were a proposal of this nature made to those who had subscribed to Mr. Stebbins' support the majority of them would withdraw their subscriptions.


On March 20, 1806, a letter sent to Mr. Stebbins informed him that the Bishop was ready to proceed with his ordination "as soon as he should present himself with the necessary formalities-one of which (was) that he produce vouchers of his regular life & con- versation for three years last past." Three weeks later the vestry of St. George's forwarded a testimonial of their regard for Mr. Steb- bins adding that they had "full confidence that he (would) be found faithful & ornamental" to the Church and particularly use- ful to the parish in Schenectady.


Although no record of the exact date appears it is probable that Mr. Stebbins was ordained soon after the receipt of this testimonial · for on April 22 he was formally chosen rector of St. George's.4


In July, 1806, the question of sharing the services of Mr. Steb-


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bins with the church at Duanesburgh was again brought before the vestry by the receipt of a copy of a resolution of Trinity Church which proposed that five hundred dollars be granted to St. George's to be applied towards the support of their minister on condition that he hold services at Duanesburgh5 at least four times during the year.


Without waiting to reflect upon the terms of the grant the vestry eagerly voted to accept the funds. That they had erred in their judgment was, however, soon apparent, for gossip reporting the attitude of the congregation showed them cold to the proposed arrangement, and a petition was therefore forwarded to Trinity Church on September 16, in which, with many apologies, permis- sion was asked to reconsider the acceptance of the gift on the terms suggested and a plea entered that the use of the money be per- mitted with no conditions imposed.


"In the first place," argued the vestry in stating their case, "the Expence of the Clergyman's going thither four times a Year will am't to Forty dollars which exceeds by 5 Dls. the annual Int. on 500 doll's by which measure we shall in process of time pay back the whole of the principal and if the Condition is to be perpetual it will be a very heavy Tax on our Church.


"In the next place the Collections in the Church which are generally from 2 to 2 1/2 dollars per day not being rec'd the Clergy- man's absence will be a further loss to us of from 8 to 10 doll's per Annum.


"And in the last place our Clergyman's Salary is paid by Sub- scription the condition of which is that he shall officiate at least ea. Sabbath day of the Year-The Congregation6 is not regularly form'd; are much attached to their Minister & his absence 4 times


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a Year would have a very bad effect indeed we believe many would withdraw their Subscriptions if such an arrangement was to take place: in fact some have already expressed their dissatisfaction to the idea of it."


With the aid of Bishop Moore who represented to the vestry of Trinity Church "the laudable exertions" they had made in repair- ing the church and in providing "a decent maintenance" for their rector, the vestry of St. George's won their point and Bishop Moore was able to report on December 3, that they were released from all conditions and were free to use the money as they saw fit.7


The affairs of the parish now, for a time, moved smoothly, pros- perity being reflected during the year 1807 by the vestry being able to lease all the pews in the church, even those to which free use had hitherto been granted the students of the college, these young gentlemen now being transferred to the gallery. In June, 1808, the church acquired through the beneficence of Mrs. Campbell "a Sett of Brass Chandeliers, Sconces &c," and in August, by pur- chase, a new "set of Silver Furniture" for the altar, the old set be- ing sold to the church at Charlton.


The prosperity of the parish was, however, but short lived and in December, 1808, the vestry found it necessary to call the atten- tion of Trinity Church to the fact that they were again in "great pecuniary distress" and to earnestly entreat assistance. The sum that had been allowed Mr. Stebbins, the vestry wrote in substance, had failed in view of his increasing family to preserve him from want and a more liberal allowance had become imperative and this added to the fact that several of the more liberal subscribers8 had removed or were on the point of removing from the city pointed to a future that was all "to comfortless" unless relief were granted.


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The petition of the vestry was answered by a gift of three hun- dred dollars and this sum appears to have enabled the parish to suc- cessfully carry on its activities until September, 1809,9 when a con- traction in the amount of subscriptions due to "an almost total stagnation of business in the town," necessitated a further appeal. This petition met with quite as favorable a response as the former one and by June, 1810, the financial condition of the parish appears to have justified the undertaking of several improvements, notably the erection10 of chimneys in the corners of the church into which to conduct the stovepipes, the alteration of the seats in the gallery "to accomodate such of the Congregation as (should) assemble there for the purpose of singing," and later, in the fall," the signing of a contract with Mr. William Redstone of New York for the deliv- ery and erection of an organ12 during the following spring.


In June, 1811, favorable action was taken by the vestry on the proposal of Mr. Solomon Kelly to buy the farm in Princetown that had been purchased by the church as a glebe nine years before.13 The resolution authorizing the sale stipulated that the proceeds were to be used for the purchase of real estate only ;- a wise pro- vision, for it was this fund that eleven14 years later made possible the acquisition of the property of Ahasueras Wendell on the north of the church and the financing of repairs whereby the house stand- ing upon it was made a suitable home for the rector.


During the spring of 1812 the finances15 of the parish again be- came a matter of concern. "We concieve it unnecessary to detail the particular circumstances of our Church," read the usual appeal to the vestry of Trinity Church, "further than to say that the whole amount of Pew Rent for the current year is only $475.45, $100 of which depends on the life of Mrs. Campbell, whose frail state of


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health renders it doubtfull whether it will last through the year,16 her death would of course reduce our rent to $375.45 unless we should loose or gain by the acquisition or removal of some of our society which happens annually .- Mr. Stebbens lately informed us that he could hardly support his family with $750 per year- our receipts beyond the Pew Rent is about sufficient to pay our Sexton, Clerk and other contingent charges. The expenses of Mr. Stebbens will be considerably augmented the present year in con- sequence of the ill state of health of his wife, who has been under the care of a physician for 12 mos. past without a prospect of immediate restoration. Under the circumstances our Rector, will shortly be involved in debt without means to extricate himself, unless your honorable Body find it convenient to continue your for- mer annuity of $300 on which he has continued to rely. We con- ceive it important to the interest of the Church in general, that it should be supported in this city, as here is a college which may furnish Converts to the Church, who may be usefull as Ministers. There are now two in orders, and two candidates for orders from this College since Mr. S. has resided with us. Three of those gen- tlemen have been Converts from other denominations in conse- quence of attending the service of our truly Apostolick Church and we doubt not the number would increase if the church can be kept open."


As on previous occasions, the request for aid was granted, and this contribution was followed during the next two years by gifts of like amount. During the year 1815, however, the vestry of Trinity Church made it quite plain by their circular letter of Au- gust 15, that the aid which had hitherto been so liberally afforded to numerous small congregations would be diminished or entirely discontinued unless these parishes extricated themselves from debt.


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Although convinced that the action taken by the vestry of Trin- ity Church "(was) the result of imperious necessity," the vestry of St. George's hoped for a relaxation of the terms of the measure as applied to themselves and in October submitted for consideration the following statement of the condition of their church:


"The Episcopal congregation in this place, tho' of long standing is still very small,17 and within a short period some of its most wealthy families have removed from the place and discontinued their support. The annual pew rents, and subscriptions of individ- uals amount only to 372 Dollars and far the greater part of this is divided among about ten individuals-the rest of the congregation being in low or indigent circumstances. This sum, with the avails of permanent funds, and the donation of Trinity Church have for the two years past made up a Salary to the Rector of only Seven hundred & fifty Dollars pr. Annum. The consequence has been that with the high price of the means of living, and the tedious and dis- tressing sickness with which it has pleased Providence to afflict his family, his expenses have considerably exceeded his income and he has become burthened with debts. The congregation were just about to circulate a subscription for the purpose of relieving him from these embarrassments, but should Trinity Church now with- draw her aid, it is believed that so far from doing this we shall be totally unable to raise a Sum sufficient to make up his stipulated Sal- ary. Bad however as this state of things appears it may not clearly distinguish us from that of some other necessitous congregations. But there is one other consideration, connected with the general good of the Church, which we trust will recommend us to your particular attention-We allude to the large and flourishing liter- ary institution in this place. We doubt not you will appreciate the


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importance of maintaining a regular place of worship for more than forty youth from episcopal families, apart from the beneficial effects to be expected from making the youth of other denomina- tions in the institution acquainted with the doctrines, discipline and liturgy of our church.


"Under these peculiar circumstances we submit to your discre- tion the expediency of a continuation of the whole or the greater part of that aid which we have heretofore experienced, and we assure you that on our part new exertions shall be made for the better support of our Rector and for the general prosperity of the Church .- "


This appeal of the vestry appears to have met with no encour- agement, for the answer received indicated that the vestry of Trin- ity Church would adhere strictly to the terms laid down in their letter. During the following spring, therefore, a committee was appointed to visit the members of the congregation, in order to ascertain to what extent the deficit caused by the withdrawal of aid by Trinity Church could be made up by subscription. The result of the canvass was not altogether satisfactory, for but one hundred and thirty dollars was pledged. The readjustment of the budget to meet the decrease in available funds now, of necessity, forced a re- duction in the salary of Mr. Stebbins to a minimum of seven hun- dred dollars for a year with no assurance that even this sum could be met in future years, and it was with deep regret, that the vestry, "sensible of the faithfulness & utility of (his) services," acquainted Mr. Stebbins with their disappointment at not being able to afford him a more adequate salary although they pledged themselves to add to it most cheerfully whenever they could raise additional sums.


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The new arrangement, overshadowed by the lack of future pos- sibilities, as might have been expected, was unsatisfactory to Mr. Stebbins and when after three years of waiting, conditions showed no signs of betterment,18 he resigned his post on February 4, 1819, to accept a call from Christ Church, Hudson, N. Y.


Mr. Stebbins subsequently, during the year 1832, accepted a call from the vestry of Grace Church, Waterford, N. Y., and re- mained the devoted and well-beloved rector19 of that parish until his death on February 8, 1841, at the age of sixty-nine years.


Notes.


Chapter X.


1. Mr. Jonathan Judd, who was ordered a deacon and engaged as a missionary in February, 1804, and the Reverend Gamaliel Thatcher, who was also engaged as a missionary in June, held services in St. George's during the year. Report of John H. Hobart, Secretary of the S. P. G., October 4, 1804.


2. Mr. Stebbins had preached in Brooklyn before coming to Albany.


3. He was not a classical scholar.


4. He was regularly inducted into office on November 5.


5. There were reported to be but two or three families of the Episcopal "per- suasion" in the town and the church had been for upwards of a year in charge of a Presbyterian minister.


6. The communicants numbered thirty.


7. To encourage the people at Duanesburgh the vestry of Trinity Church offered them, at the same time, the sum of five hundred dollars to be given whenever they might call a minister and "show a proper disposition to afford him a decent support."


8. The number of communicants reported in October, 1808, was forty-two.


9. The number of communicants increased one during this year.


IO. The cost was met from surplus funds of the year 1809, much to the dissatis- faction of Mr. Stebbins who felt that this surplus should have been paid to him. To remove "the unpleasant feeling" that had arisen over the matter, the vestry, two years later, paid Mr. Stebbins the amount expended, with interest.


II. The matter was suggested in the spring by Mr. Tomlinson who wrote to a friend in Connecticut to inquire the name of one who made "organs to play with keys and by turning" or, as he facetiously termed it "grinding music." Mr. Tomlinson was prompted to take this step for the reason that it was felt that the purchase of the organ depended largely upon the bounty of Mrs. Campbell and to induce her to act more promptly it was thought important to be able to speak of the price.


12. The organ was to be in a plain case, ten feet high and six feet wide, and the front and sides were to be of cherry. The purchase price was $650. The organ was not finished or put into place until May, 1812.


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13. Vide Chapter IX, p. 103.


14. The deed is dated April 29, 1822.


15. In the hope, perhaps, of materially increasing the income of the church, the vestry voted "that a fine of one dollar be imposed on each delinquent member of the board for each neglect to attend any meeting." Sickness or absence from town were alone accepted as an excuse for non-attendance. Four years later the amount of the fine was reduced to fifty cents and a half-hour's grace was allowed from the time ap- pointed.


16. She died on September 28, 1812. In her will she arranged for an assignment of stock sufficient to yield to St. George's annually one hundred and twenty-five dol- lars,-this, however, on condition that the family vault, erected in the church yard, should be always kept in repair.


17. The number of communicants had increased to sixty-four.


18. The number of communicants had dropped to fifty-eight.


19. There is a tablet erected to his memory on the wall of Grace Church, directly behind the pulpit.


Chapter XI.


The Ministrations of Alonzo Potter and the Rector- ship of the Reverend Alexis P. Proal.


O N September 5, 1813, in St. George's Church, the Rev- erend Cyrus Stebbins administered the rite of baptism to Thomas Church Brownell, then a lecturer in chemistry at Union College, from which institution he had been graduated with the class of 1804. For approximately twelve years after his graduation Mr. Brownell had been connected with his Alma Mater as tutor, professor and lecturer. Although he had entered Union Col- lege with the intention of becoming a Presbyterian minister and to that end had studied under Dr. Eliphalet Nott, Mr. Brownell had subsequently altered his decision and in less than three years after his baptism he had been admitted to the diaconate in Trinity Church, New York, advanced to the priesthood four months later and on October 27, 1819, consecrated bishop of Connecticut.


During the last few years of his sojourn in Schenectady, Mr. Brownell had taken a keen interest in the affairs of St. George's Church and from him had come the suggestion, when the finances of the parish were at low tide, that some arrangement might be made whereby a person qualified to fill some position at the college could be selected to act as rector of the church,-college and church each paying their share of his salary, but with an appre- ciable saving to both. Bearing in mind this suggestion, and believ- ing that no one knew so well their wants, or felt "so sensibly" for them as did he, the vestry, on February 6, 1819, addressed Mr.


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Brownell in solicitation of his aid and advice in securing a successor to Mr. Stebbins.


Mr. Brownell hastened to reply to the letter of the vestry and in accord with his earlier suggestion, on February 10, recommended the Reverend Mr. Wainwright2 of Hartford, as a gentleman "ex- actly suited for the double position." "I think him decidedly the best preacher I know in the Episcopal Church," read the letter, "and one of the most interesting men in his manners that I have ever known." "I shall recommend (him) as a Professor of Belles Lettres in the College," added Mr. Brownell, "(as he) is well qual- ified for this place by spending 5 years in Cambridge College as a resident Graduate, and 2 years as an assistant Professor."


Four years before the withdrawal of Mr. Stebbins from the rec- torship of St. George's, Alonzo Potter, a lad of fifteen3 years of age, entered the freshman class of Union College. Those who were at first inclined to smile at his "rustic look" and seeming verdancy very quickly changed their attitude to one of respect and Mr. Pot- · ter was graduated before he had reached the age of nineteen with the highest honors that could be bestowed. Soon after his gradua- tion he moved to Philadelphia, where a determination to devote his life to the ministry directed him to the study of theology. In this activity he was engaged in February, 1819, when Dr. Nott, also acting under the suggestion of Mr. Brownell, recommended him for the dual role of tutor and minister.


Mr. Tomlinson, in behalf of the vestry, wrote to Mr. Brownell on February 12 (before Mr. Brownell's letter suggesting Mr. Wainwright was received) and expressed the opinion, in view of the "high reputation" with which he left Schenectady, that Mr. Potter would be very agreeable to the congregation and that all


.


Reverend & Honze Potter at the age of twenty nine.


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would be quite satisfied to have him "read in the desk" until he could obtain orders.


With the matter apparently satisfactorily settled, Mr. Wain- wright was not approached and in due course Mr. Potter was offered a tutorship in Union College at a salary of five hundred dollars a year and a position as lay reader in St. George's Church at two hundred and fifty dollars a year, until he was in orders when this sum was to be increased to five hundred dollars. These offers Mr. Potter did not at once accept and when in April there seemed little prospect of obtaining his services, the vestry sought an alternative to whom the position in the church might be offered in case of a final refusal. Fortunately, their fears were unfounded for in May came a favorable decision and early in June Mr. Potter com- menced4 his ministrations in the church.




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