USA > New York > New York City > A history of the parish of Trinity Church in the city of New York, pt 2 > Part 13
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" The covering of all the angles and horizontal projections of the steeples and every place where there is a probability of Fire lodging, with Lead or Tin, the cutting of openings in such places in the Steeples as may be thought necessary and to fix to each a good Rope and Slings- the providing of at least two axes and one or two saws in Each Section where any opening shall be made with a Lanthorn to hold two or three Lights, also to provide twelve additional leathern Buckets for each Church and to place a large capacious Stone cistern at the South West corner of each Church to receive the Rain Water from the Roof which Report in the several articles aforesaid was agreed to by the Board."
1 Records, liber ii., folio 57.
9 Ibid., folio 74. VOL. 11 .- 10
3 P. 193.
4 Records, liber ii., folio 81.
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Another measure of practical benefit to the whole community came before the Board : the regulation of the different clocks, so as to ensure a uniform standard of time. They therefore agreed that it would be better if the City Corporation were to employ some one person to regulate all the clocks of the different churches in the city, and they accordingly
" Resolved, that the Corporation of the City may employ (during the pleasure of this Board) a proper Person to regulate and keep in Repair the clocks in St. George's and St. Paul's Churches at the expence of said Corporation."
On the announcement of the death of Washington on December 13, 1799, a special meeting of the Corporation was convened at the Bishop's residence, when the several Churches belonging to the Corporation were ordered to be put in mourning.
The ordinary routine of parochial activities went on in the old Parish the same as before the Revolution. We get interesting glimpses of its work from the records in the New York papers of that date. Frequent notices occur of the sermons for the Charity-school preached in the Chapels of the Parish. On December 16th we read that the fall of snow on the Saturday before the sermon was preached
" prevented many from attending who wished to be present ; such well disposed persons may have an opportunity of making their donations at St. George's Chapel on Sunday next, in the forenoon, when another sermon will be preached for the same benevolent purpose." '
From the Records we learn that contributions in aid of the Charity-school were received not only from the Chapels of the Parish but also from the Roman Catholics. The
1 Loudon's New- York Packet, December 16, 1784.
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Charity Sermons
1796]
minutes expressly acknowledge the receipt of a sum from the " Minister of the Roman Catholic Congregation." 1
In November, 1790, we learn from the New- York Journal that the Charity-school consisted then of fifty-six boys and thirty girls2; that the sermon preached in the first week of December in St. Paul's Church was by Dr. Moore ; and that the collection amounted to £73 17s. 8d.3 The collection on the corresponding Sunday in 1791 was £275 55.4
The members of " The Corporation for the Relief of Widows and Children of Clergymen in Communion with the Church of England in America" were requested to meet on the first Sunday of the Feast of St. Michael, 1784.
At that meeting several new members were chosen, among them the Rev. Messrs. Benjamin Moore, Thomas Moore, Uzal Ogden, Sydenham Thorn, Charles Wharton, Joseph Hutchins, and Campbell ; and among the laity of New York, Hon. R. R. Livingston, Hon. John Jay, William Duer, John Rutherford, John Alsop, John Ste- vens, Jr., Morgan Lewis, Alexander Hamilton, and Walter Livingston. Lay members from New Jersey and Penn- sylvania were also elected.
On Sunday, October 10th, sermons on behalf of the Corporation were preached in the morning at St. Paul's and in the afternoon at St. George's by the Rev. Dr. William Smith, when £112 19s. 2d. was the total of the offerings.5
This Corporation was founded before the war. Its meetings in the early part of 1784 were helpful in drawing
1 Records, liber i., fol. 468.
2 New- York Journal and Packet Register, November 15, 1790.
3 Ibid., December 9, 1790.
4 Ibid., December 7, 1791. In proof of the constant interest in this Charity-school from the time of its foundation see Part I .. pp. 278-440 passim.
5 New- York Packet and American Advertiser, October 14, 1784.
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the Episcopal Clergy together and making them realize the necessity of bringing about a united Church in the new Republic.1
Among the marriage notices by the Clergy of Trinity we find names as distinguished then as now for their loyalty to the Church.
On March 30, 1786, the Hon. Rufus King was married to Miss Alsop by Mr. Provoost.
The following marriages were solemnized by Dr. Moore :
August 9, 1787, William Ustick to Miss Sally Harts- horne.
November 22d, Charles M'Evers, Jun., to Mary, daughter of Theophylact Bache.
April 26, 1788, the Hon. Alexander Cochran, brother to the Earl of Dundonald, to Lady Wheate, widow of the late Sir Jacob Wheate, Bart.
May 29th, Abraham Brevoort to Miss Nancy Divore.
September 29th, Miss Bache, another daughter of Theophylact Bache, to James Bleecker.
Sunday, February 22, 1789, David Ogden Hoffman to Mary Colden.
June 6th, John Wilkes to Mary Seton.
November 17th, Martin Hoffman to Miss Murray.
February 25, 1790, Nicholas Gouverneur to Miss Kortright.
The Bishop solemnized the marriage of Azarias Wil- liams to Sally Warner, December 29, 1788, and on May 30, 1789, that of John R. Livingston to Eliza M'Evers.
The following are some of the notable interments :
" the Lady of the Hon. Lewis William Otto, Esq. His most Chris- tian Majesty's Charge du Affairs2 to the United States of America, and yesterday her remains were interred in the Old Trinity Church Yard,
1 See Perry's History, vol. ii., pp. 6, 16 et al. º Sic.
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Burial of Maria Farmer
1796]
attended by the Foreign Ministers, the members of Congress, the Cler- gymen of the different Churches, and a number of the principal inhab- itants of the City." 1
This lady was the daughter of the Hon. P. V. B. Liv- ingston and was in the twenty-seventh year of her age at the time of her death.
" Mrs. Mary Jauncey, aged 67 years, the Lady of Jauncey, Esq. now in London. Her remains were interred yesterday afternoon in a vault in Trinity Church Yard."?
As exhibiting the manners and customs of old New York, the following account of the funeral of Mrs. Farmer may be given in full :
" On Tuesday last departed this life, in the 71st year of her age, af- ter a tedious illness, which she bore with great resignation and Chris- tian fortitude, Mrs. MARIA FARMER, a lady whose goodness of heart and cheerful disposition endeared her to all ranks and descriptions of people, who enjoyed the pleasure of her acquaintance ; the many dis- tressed objects who subsisted on her bounty in particular, have reason to lament her loss. Her dying request, was that her funeral might be conducted according to the ancient Dutch custom, strict observance of which, she had expressly enjoined in her last will and Testament. Her remains were accordingly interred on Friday last, near the chancel, in Trinity Church, next to the remains of her deceased husband, the late Captain JASPER FARMER. The followers, after being liberally sup- plied with spiced wines, pipes and tobacco, moved in Procession from her house in Hanover Square, and proceeded up Wall Street, in the follow- ing order :
SEXTON
Messrs.
Theophilas Bache. Corns. Clopper. Jacob Lefferts. Jeronimus Alstyne.
Dutch inscription.
copper plate, with a
black cloth, and a
CORPSE in a roofed coffin, covered with
Messrs. Henry Remsen. Abraham Walton. Johannes Alstyne. Petrus Bogart.
' Independent Journal, December 19, 1787.
2 New- York Packet, September 12, 1788.
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History of Trinity Church
RELATIONS DOCTORS Rev. Dr. ROGERS and Dominie GROSS Bishop and Clergy of the Episcopal Church Dutch Clergy Citizens.
"'She 's now released from a world of woe : Eternal Wisdom hath conceived it best, On her a crown of glory to bestow, With Saints above, in her Redeemer's rest.' " 1
One disinterment caused great excitement throughout the whole city. A body was stolen from the Churchyard. The Corporation immediately offered a reward for the dis- covery of the perpetrators of the outrage.
" 100 DOLLARS REWARD.
"WHEREAS one night last week the grave of a person recently in- terred in Trinity Church Yard was opened, and the Corpse, with part of the cloaths were carried off. Any person who will discover the offenders, so that they may be convicted and brought to justice, will receive the above reward from the Corporation of Trinity Church-
" By order of the Vestry, " ROBERT C. LIVINGSTON, " Treasurer. " New York, February 21, 1788." ?
From the minutes we learn that this reward of one hundred dollars was made up by a contribution of the Vestry of fifty dollars, and of a like amount by Mr. Robert.3
In June, 1785, we have a notice that
"It is expected that the subscription which is shortly to be opened for erecting an organ, in St. Paul's Church, in this City, will meet with
" Ibid., February 22, 1788.
1 Daily Advertiser, March 17, 1788. 3 Records, liber i., folio 502.
151
Yellow Fever Epidemic
1796]
very generous Encouragement ; as it is intended to build one equal, if not superior to that excellent one, destroyed by fire in Trinity Church." 1
On Sunday, October 7, 1787,
" the Company of Grenadiers and the Light Infantry of Col. Varick's regiment, paraded at the Burnt Church in the Broadway, and from thence marched to the Baptist Church." ?
From the New- York Magazine for August, 1790, we transcribe the following account of a musical performance in Trinity Church :
"Two Elegant pieces of sacred music were performed in Trinity Church, by the Reverend Benjamin Blagrove, from Virginia, whose voice was accompanied by the organ. In consequence of notice being given beforehand in the newspapers, and Mr. Blagrove's great reputation as a singer, the concourse of people upon this occasion was very great ; their expectations were amply gratified, and a very liberal collection made for Mr. Blagrove's benefit, testified their approbation of his per- formance." 3
The following is a vivid account of the state of New York during the prevalence of the yellow fever.
" This city has been in a truly melancholy situation-but the ac- counts of the mortality have been greatly exaggerated in the country. It would be like preaching to stocks to attempt to make those believe, whose natural habit is distrust on all occasions-but we place the most implicit confidence in the diurnal reports of our Health Committee, whose assiduities demand our thanks. The fever has lately extended along Water street but generally the west and north of the city are as healthy as usual. Consternation has added greatly to the distress of the city-instead of learning righteousness when the judgments of the Lord are abroad, many have apparently called upon the rocks to fall on them to hide them from the wrath of the most high. The poor of the city have suffered much, but their wants are liberally supplied from the hands of benevolent donors. Very little business has been done. A
1 New- York Packet, June 13, 1785.
? Daily Advertiser, October 9, 1787.
3 New York Magazine or Literary Repository, vol. i., p. 492.
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solemn calm has reigned through every street. Divine service, or con- certs of prayers, have been performed in one or other of the churches twice or thrice a week, besides Sundays, if it were possible, that the Lord would think upon the city, and distroy it not utterly. We are now blessed with salubrious western gales, which is conceived to be sent in mercy-and presages to our hopes, that the city will be free from the epidemic in a little time. It certainly puts on a less terrific liue-not more than one in twenty die. Those who have died were the greater part new residents." 1
It will perhaps be remembered that about the year 1710, Governor Hunter, while engaged in his heated con- tention with the first Rector of Trinity, Dr. William Vesey, executed a flank movement upon his clerical ad- versary by restoring and refitting the chapel in the Fort, in hopes to draw people off from the Parish Church, and that in connection with this restoration, the Governor caused a burial vault to be constructed. £ The New- York Journal and Patriotic Register of June 15, 1790, thus records the finding of that vault :
" A Vault was discovered a few days ago in Fort George, by those employed to demolish it, which seems to surpass, the memory of our oldest Citizens-by the inscription on the coffin plate, the person in- terred was the lady of Governor Hunter, and had lain in that silent cell seventy four years. A few of her bones and fragments of her burial apparel remained unconsumed."
The anniversary of independence was duly observed in 1790, by what is now the oldest and most exclusive of our patriotic societies.
"The Society of the Cincinnati Convened at the City Tavern, from whence they proceeded, under escort to St. Paul's Church where an Oration was delivered, which did honor to the orator, Brockholst Livingston, Esq. The auditory was brilliant and respectable ; the President, Vice President and both Houses of the Congress of the United States with many strangers of distinction. were present." "
1 New- York Journal and Patriotic Register, Oct. 17, 1795. 2 Ibid., July 6, 1790.
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Ordination by Bishop Provoost
1796]
The following records the arrival of the fourth Bishop of the American Church and of the first Bishop of the Roman Church.
"On Tuesday last the Ship Sampson, Capt Thomas More, Arrived here from London. In the same vessel also came passenger (and was landed in Virginia) the Right Rev. Doctor James Madison, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Virginia, who was on the 20th of Sept. last Consecrated, at Lambeth Chapel, London, by his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Assisted by the Bishops of London and Rochester. By the same Ship arrived John Carroll 'Bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States.' " 1
The newspaper is in error as to the date when Madison . was consecrated ; it was on September 19th.
If, as the reading of the above item would imply, the Roman Bishop landed on these shores after Bishop Madison, then there were four Bishops of the American Church on American soil before the first Roman Bishop reached it. Certainly three Bishops, Seabury, Provoost, and White, were already exercising jurisdiction and had done so for years before the first Roman Bishop arrived.
The New- York Journal of June 29, 1791, chronicles :
"On Saturday last one of those trees in front of Trinity Church, Broadway, was twisted by a whirlwind" ;
and the same paper, under date of June 27, 1792, contains the notice of the election on the 31st of May of Dr. Claggett to the See of Maryland.
The following refers to an ordination by Bishop Provoost.
"We learn, that on Sunday last, in St. Paul's Chapel, Priests Orders were conferred on the Revd. ROBERT GRIFFITH WETMORE, M.A. and Deacons Orders on Mr. PHILANDER CHASE, B.A. by the Right Revd. Samuel Provoost, D. D. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of New-York.
1 New - York Journal and Patriotic Register, Dec. 20, 1790.
⑈
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History of Trinity Church [1787-1796]
"We are also informed that the Revd. Mr. Chase is about to succeed Mr. Wetmore, in the office of Missionary." 1
Here is a record of what must have been an impressive function :
"On Tuesday, the 30th of April, was publicly celebrated the MEDICAL GRADUATION under the Faculty of Physic of COLUMBIA COL- LEGE. A procession, formed on the College green, proceeded for this purpose to St. Paul's Church. It was composed of the Students under the Faculty of Arts, the Medical Students, the Professors, the Presi- dent, the Trustees, the Regents of the University, the Mayor of the City, the Governor of the State, together with a number of the clergy and other respectable Citizens." 2
The same paper, under date of January 17, 1795, chronicles the marriage of Dr. Pilmore, of Christ Church, to "the amiable Mrs. Wood," by Bishop White,3 and seven days afterwards ' the appointment of Dr. Provoost as one of the Chaplains of the House.
If Bishop Seabury and the non-juring Bishops came in for criticism, the three Bishops of the English succession did not escape their share.
The New- York Journal copies a long tirade from The Boston Courier on the election of Dr. " Peaters" as Bishop of Vermont, and railing against the three "Geor- gite Bishops." 5
The following piece of information, if not ecclesiasti- cal, will nevertheless prove new to our readers. A corre- spondent to the New - York Journal positively asserts that
"Buonaparte is an assumed name, his family name is SHALER, from Middletown, in Connecticut, not a Corsican as at first reported by one of your friends." "
1 New- York Journal and Patriotic Register, June 13, 1798.
2 Ibid., May 8, 1793. 3 Ibid., January 17, 1795. + Ibid., January 24, 1795.
5 Ibid .. October 24, 1795. & Ibid., December 30, 1796.
CHAPTER XIV.
DR. PROVOOST'S RECTORSHIP.
Increase of Salaries of all the Clergy-Grants to Needy Clergy Elsewhere-Aid to Promotion of Religion throughout the State-Grants to Parishes and Congregations -Cases of Flushing and Hudson-Total of Grants in 1798-Grants to Be Considered as Endowments-Wisdom of Corporation-Grants to Roman Catholic Church-Offer from Mr. Stuyvesant for Building a Church-Response by Corporation-Erection of St. Mark's Parish-Consecration of St. Mark's-Further Grants to it from Trinity -- Centennial of St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery.
T HE financial status of the Corporation of Trinity Church was, as has been already observed, at a very low ebb at the close of the Revolutionary War. During the Rectorship of Dr. Provoost, thanks to changed conditions and to wise and prudent management, a great improvement took place. My venerable predecessor, the Rev. Dr. Berrian, in his brief historical sketch of the Par- ish, alludes, with pardonable pride, to the services rendered by it to the Church and religion.
" In the early part of the history of this Parish," he observes, "it stood in need of assistance itself, and was, therefore, altogether unable to at- tend to the wants of others. The first instance of its bounty towards a neighbouring church recorded in the minutes, was in the gift of the communion cloth, pulpit cloth, and cloth for the desk, to Mr. Peter Jay, for the church at Rye, in the year 1745. Since that time, in every alter- ation and improvement of Trinity Church and its Chapels, its gifts to needy congregations of articles of all kinds have been innumerable ; baptismal fonts, communion plate, chandeliers, lustres, pulpits, desks, stoves, bells, iron gates, iron railing and other fences, flagging stones, carpets for chancel and aisles, and almost everything which can enter into the construction and serve for the decoration of the Sanctuary.
155
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These, however, though a seasonable relief to parishes which were limited in their resources, are scarcely worthy of being noticed in connection with its lavish bounties and munificent grants to most of the churches throughout the State. There is hardly a form in which their liberality could promote the interests of religion that it has not assumed."
And then he adds, writing in the year 1847 :
" The aggregate amount of the gifts, loans, and grants of Trinity Church, rating the lands at their present prices, considerably exceeds TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, a sum more than equal, in the opinion of competent judges, to two-thirds of the value of the estate which remains. " 1
The dawning of financial prosperity was indicated by a generous increase in the salaries of the Clergy of the Parish, and handsome gifts to other clergymen in the States of New York and New Jersey .? In fact, the Corporation appears to have assumed the part of trustees for an " Aged and Infirm Clergy Fund," as we should call it to-day. Moreover, it acted as a " Society for the Promo- tion of Religion and Learning," for we find that at a meeting held in January, 1795,
" A letter from the revd John Cosens Ogden was read, and thereupon resolved that the Rector be at Liberty to draw from the Funds of this Corporation such sums as he may from time to time think proper, not exceeding in the whole One hundred and fifty Pounds, to be applied in such manner as he, with the advice of the Assistant Clergy may think most calculated for the promotion of religion upon the Frontiers of this State."
A few days afterward, on April 11th, the words "Fron- tiers of this State " having been considered objectionable, it was
" Resolved that the words Northern and Western Parts of the State be considered as inserted in the Resolution of the last meeting relative
1 Berrian's Historical Sketch, pp. 366, 386. 2 Records, liber ii., folio 48, 50, 52.
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Grants to Churches
1799]
to the Promotion of Religion instead of the words Frontiers of this State." 1
The prosperity of the Parish is evidenced not only by the increase in the salaries of their Clergy, and the relief of Clergy in distress, but much more by the generous re- sponse to the stream of applications which now began to pour in from congregations of Church people.
The following list represents but a few of the parishes and congregations that then appealed for aid, and not in vain, to the Mother of all the Churches :
St. Peter's, Albany ; St. Peter's, Westchester ; St. An- drew's Church, Ulster Co .; congregations at Salem, Wash- ington Co., Poughkeepsie, Peekskill, Hempstead, Flushing, East Chester, Waterford, Milton, Saratoga Co., Duanes- burgh, Fort Hunter, North Salem, Hudson, Rochelle, Highlands, Staten Island, Ballston, White Plains, Rye, Johnstown, Jamaica, New Town, Rensselaer, St. John's, Stillwater, a church in New Hampshire, etc.
Nor were these contributions made at haphazard. Each application, as it came in, was referred to a Special Committee created for the very purpose and designated as " The Committee upon Applications from Episcopal Con- gregations for Aid." Each application was investigated and in almost every case the money was given on the spe- cial condition that it should be invested in the purchase of a glebe for the clergyman.
Two of these agreements may be cited as examples ; that with Flushing and that with Hudson. To Flushing £500 was donated on February 13, 1797, on the distinct condition that the Flushing corporation bound itself to call a minister within fifteen months, and further that within the space of three years it was to vest the said sum of {500 in the purchase of a glebe.2 In the case of the grant
1 Records, liber ii., folio 53.
2 Ibid., folio 60.
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to Hudson, where the management of their affairs had not been businesslike, the action taken was as follows :
" Resolved that the sum of eight hundred Pounds be advanced to the Corporation of Christ's Church at Hudson to discharge the Debts incurred by them in Building their Church upon their giving such Se- curity as may be approved by the Rector and Committee appointed to consider of the Applications of different Churches for Relief that they will in five years apply an equal sum to the purchase of a Glebe for the use of their Minister or on Failure return the said sum to this Corporation." 1
On January 8, 1798, the " Committee upon Applications from Episcopal Congregations for Aid " reported as follows:
"The subscribers to whom were referred the Applications and Peti- tions of several Societies of Christians stiling themselves Members of Protestant Episcopal Church, soliciting the Assistance of this Corpora- tion for the use and accommodation of their respective Pastors and Churches do report, That after having investigated the Merits of the several applications as far as Testimony could be obtained, they are of opinion that whenever satisfactory Evidence is exhibited to the Bishop that an Episcopal Establishment is formed at Each or Either of those particular Districts according to the Rites Ceremonies and Principles of the Corporation of Trinity Church in this City of which the Bishop aforesaid is Rector that then the said Corporation will provide ways and means for the Payment of the under mentioned Sums on the express Condition, That the Said monies shall be appropriated to the purchase of Glebes for the accommodation and support of Episcopal Clergymen for the Time being of the said several Congregations, where no Provi- sion to the same amount is already permanently established. The same Donations to be made under the Direction and applied to the Satisfac- tion of the Bishop of this State and the Committee of the Vestry to whom the several Petitions aforesaid were referred viz :--
To the Episcopal Establishment at Brooklyn £ 400
at Westchester 200
at Peeks Kill 300
at the Highlands 300
at Goshen, Orange Co. 500
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