USA > New York > New York City > An historical sketch of Trinity Church, New-York > Part 3
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New-York, July 26, 1717.
ROB'T JENNY.
Whereupon it was Resolved, nemine contradicente, that a voluntary subscription be prepared, and carried on for the ensuing year, for the said Mr. Jenny, for his officiating in Trinity Church as usual, pay- able quarterly, to commence from Midsummer last.
He continued his services in the Parish for several years as Assistant to Mr. Vesey, and was then removed by the Society to the Parish of Rye.
On the death of Mr. Neau, the following proceed- ings took place in the Vestry :
A letter from this Board to Mr. Humphreys, Secretary to the Honble Society for propagation of the Gospell in foreign parts, was read in these words :
NEW-YORK, December 18th, 1722.
SIR : Since it has pleased God to take unto himself the pious Mr. Elias Neau, the Catechist of this city, we, the Rector, Church War-
* From this it would seem, that, in 1717, there were daily prayers in Trinity Church, again revived after the lapse of a hundred and thirty years.
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TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
dens, and Vestry of Trinity Church, most humbly Intreat the favour of the Honble Society to appoint a Presbyter of the Church of England to officiate in his stead, with the same annual allowance, and to give him directions to assist our Minister, who, in his declining age, is not so able as formerly to perform all the dutys of his calling, which daily Increase on his hands.
We have lately been obliged, by voluntary subscriptions, to enlarge our Church, but the subscriptions being insufficient, we have been under the necessity of taking up money at Interest to compleat the new building, which, by a modest computation, will cost more than twelve hundred pounds, and have no prospect of being discharged of the debts thereby contracted in some yeares : and therefore are not in a condition of allowing a competent maintenance to an Assistant, tho' one is absolutely necessary. But if the Honble Society will be so favourable to us, as to appoint a good Preacher Catechist for this place, wth directions to assist in our Church, we presume, for his farther encouragement, we shall be able to raise, by contribution, soe much as, with the salary from the Society, will be a comfortable subsistence for him.
We are in hopes the Society will judge it as absolutely necessary to appoint a catechist now for this city, as formerly, there being of late yeares such a vast Increase of Children, and Indians, and Negro servants, who cannot, without such assistance, be so well instructed in the principles of Christianity. And we Implore their favour to send one over in Orders, who in many respects will be more capable of dis- charging that office, and answering the pious designs of the Society than a Layman, especially in assisting the Minister of the Parish in the performance of all Parochiall dutys. This, on many accounts, will exceedingly advance the Honour and Interest of our Holy Church and Religion at this criticall juncture, when the Dissenters here have united their forces, and by Encouragement and liberal contributions from abroad, have been enabled to build two Meeting Houses, and to support Ministers to preach in them, according to their different opinions.
We desire you to present this our humble petition to the Honorable Society, with the assurance of our Prayers to Allmighty God to direct and prosper all their undertakings, for the advancement of God's
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glory and the good of his Church, and for all their acts of piety and charity, to Reward them in the End with a Crown of Glory.
We are, Sr, Your most affectionate humble servants.
To the Reverend Mr. David Humphreys, Secretary to the Honourable Society for propagating the Gospell in foreign parts.
Which letter was approved of, signed, and ordered to be sent home forthwith, and it was also signed by Mr. Barberie, the other Church Warden out of Vestry.
To which letter the Vestry received the following reply :
LONDON, March 2d. 1723.
GENTLEMEN ; The Society for the propagation of the Gospell in Foreign parts have some time since taken into consideration Your letter, dated the 18th. December 1722, wherein you desire the Society would send a person in Priest's orders to be an Assistant to the Rever- end Mr. Vesey and Lecturer, when they send a Catechist to succeed Mr. Neau. I do therefore acquaint you that the Society have appoint- ed the Reverend Mr. Wetmore to be Catechist at New-York in the place of Mr. Elias Neau, and to be assistant to Mr. Vesey in his Parochial dutys. The Society do expect that you will make him a sufficient allowance for his decent and commodious support, agreeable to your Engagement to the Society by your aforementioned Letter.
I am, Gentlemen, Yr most humble Servt.
DAVID HUMPHREYS, Secretary.
To the Church Wardens and Vestry of Trinity Church, New York.
Another letter was written to the Rev. Mr. Vesey, of the same tenor, but with the following addition :
I have wrote to the Rev. Mr. Wetmore by this Conveyance, and suppose he will soon wait upon you. I desire to hear from you, as soon as it is convenient, what Proceedings have been made in this affair, and hope it will succeed as the Society intend, towards your
,
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TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
relief in the better performing your Parochial duties, and the supplying Mr. Neau's place as Catechist.
I am, Reverend Sir, Your most humble servant,
DAVID HUMPHREYS, Secretary.
P.S. The Society, upon Your recommendation and that of the Mayor of New-York, have appointed Mr. Thos. Huddlestone to be school- master in the Room of his father, dec'd, with the same salary that was allowed him.
After which, another letter of the same date, to the Reverend Mr. Wetmore, was read in the words following, viz.
LONDON, March 2d. 1723.
REV'D SIR:
The Society for the propagation of the Gospell in foreign Parts have taken into consideration Your letter to them, dated New-York, November 11th. 1722, wherein you acquaint them that the Reverend Mr. Harrison is fixed at Staten Island by His Excellency the Gover- nor. The Society do therefore appoint you to be their Catechist at New-York, in the place of the late Mr. Neau, and do expect you would forthwith repair to the charge assigned you. The Society doe allow you for that service a salary of fifty pounds a year, to continue from your first admission here in London. And they have also appointed you to be the Assistant to the Reverend Mr. Vesey, Rector of Trinity Church in New-York, in his parochial dutys, and have wrote to the Church Wardens and Vestry of that Church, to make you a further handsome allowance as Assistant, towards your more decent and commodious support, which the Society expect they will, according to their promise made to them by the letter, readily doe.
It will be proper for you to let me know what steps you shall take in this matter, and what encouragement you meet with from the Parish.
I am, Reverend Sir, your most humble Servant,
DAVID HUMPHREYS, Secretary.
For the Reverend Mr. Wetmore, in New- York.
Whereupon it is ordered, that the subscription paper now before this Board, and subscribed by most of them, be carryed round to the 3
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Inhabitants of this City, to receive their subscription towards support- ing the said Mr. Wetmore.
The Rev. Mr. Wetmore entered upon his duties in 1723, as Catechist at New-York, in the room of Mr. Neau, and Assistant to the Rev. Mr. Vesey. It appears from the proceedings of the Society, that he attended to the catechizing of the blacks every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday evening, at his own house, besides in the Church every Sunday before Evening Service; and that he had sometimes nearly 200 children and servants to instruct, whom he taught the Church Catechism, and that he commonly added some practical discourse suitable to their capacities, joined with some appropriate devotions.
In 1726, a communication was received by the Vestry from the Rev. Mr. Wetmore, in which he acquainted this Board that he had lately been called by the Church Wardens and Vestry of the Parish of Rye, to be their Minister, in the room of the Reverend Mr. Jenny, whom the Society had appointed for the parish of Hempstead; and that he had been Inducted in the said Parish of Rye, by virtue of Letters of Induction from His Excellency Governour Burnet. And also, that if the Society should be pleased to approve thereof, he intended to accept of the said parish and remove thither, and he thanked the Vestry for their subscriptions & favours to him, and assured them that his intentions for removing did not proceed from any dislike, but purely because he conceived it would be for the better and more certain support and maintenance of himself and family.
Measures were immediately taken, as it appears from the minutes, for supplying his place.
Mr. Vesey, and the rest of the Committee, appointed by the order of the last Vestry, to prepare an address to the Honourable Society for appointing a person to officiate in the stead of the Reverend Mr.
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TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
Wetmore, and also another address to the Bishop of London, desiring his favour and Assistance therein, acquainted this Board, that in pur- suance of the said order, they had prepared the following letters, which were accordingly read :
NEW YORK, July 5th, 1726.
REVEREND SIR :
Wee, the Rector, Church Wardens, and Vestry of Trinity Church, in the City of New-York, in America, being informed by the Reverend Mr. Wetmore of his call and Induction to Rye, and his Resolution, with the Society's leave, to settle in that parish, Doe most humbly address that Venerable Body to appoint another Catechist, with the usual salary, to officiate in that place, there being about one thousand and four hundred Indian and Negro Slaves, and the number daily increasing by Births, and Importations from Guinea and other parts. A considerable number of those Negroes, by the Society's charity, have been already instructed in the principles of Christianity, have received Holy Baptism, are communicants of our Church, and fre- quently approach the Altar. We doubt not but the Society has received from Mr. Neau, their former Catechist, repeated accounts of the great success of his Mission ; and since Mr. Wetmore's appoint- ment, we have with great pleasure observed on Sunday upwards of an hundred English Children and negro servants attending him in the Church ; and their catechetical instructions being ended, singing Psalms and praising GOD with great devotion. The Honorable Society at all times, and more especially of late, has most Zealously patronized the cause of those poor Infidells, who otherwise might still have remained ignorant of the true GOD, and the only way to happiness ; and their great charity dispenced among them here having already produced such blessed effects, must raise in them an extraordinary Joy at present, will be a vast accession to their future happiness, and encrease their reward of Glory in another world. We could say much more on this occasion, but this we hope will be sufficient to guard them against any attempts to persuade them to turn their Bounty another way, and Induce them to believe that the Office of a Catechist here is of as great an importance as ever, and that his Salary is as well and charitably bestowed as any Missionary's in all those parts. If the Society, on these considerations, should be pleased to appoint a
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Catechist, we humbly pray that he may be one in orders, and directed to assist in our Church ; who in many respects will be more capable than a Layman to discharge that office, and answer their pious designs, by inculcating on the Catechumens the principles of Religion, both in public and private, with greater authority; visiting them in their sickness ; and as occasion requires, can Baptize them, and administer the Holy Communion to them in their dying hours. Besides, this will be an act of Charity to us, who being deeply involved in debt, enlarg- ing our Church, and at present having but small hopes of discharging it, are unable of ourselves to raise a sufficient maintenance for one to assist our Rector in his declining age, and to preach an afternoon sermon ; thoh it is of absolute necessity and great importance in this populous City, a place of considerable trade and resort, and the centre of America. A good English Preacher, of such a clear and audible voice as may reach our large Church, and the eares of the numerous hearers, will, by the Divine Influence, very much advance the Glory of God, the Interest of our Holy Church and Religion, at this time; and we shall be the more Capable of raising, by annual subscriptions, soe much, as, with the Society's salary, will be a comfortable subsist- ence for him, and a suitable encouragement for a man of piety & learning to come among us ; and if he has an inclination to teach a Latin school, he will also find a very good account in the discharge of that Office. Were it possible for the Society to have a perfect view of this Infant Church, planted among many different nations and severall Meeting Houses, wee persuade ourselves that her Interest would lye as near their hearts, as it does want their assistance. All which is nevertheless most humbly submitted to their consideration by us, who Heartily pray for their Health and Happiness ; and shall endeavour on all occasions to approve ourselves their and your most obedient humble Servts.
To the Revd. Mr. David Humphreys, Secretary to the Honorable Society for propagating the Gospell in Foreign parts.
Another letter on the same subject was addressed to the Bishop of London :
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TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
NEW-YORK, July 5th, 1726.
MY LORD :
Wee, the Rector, Church Wardens, and Vestry of Trinity Church, being assured of Mr. Wetmore's resolution to remove to Rye, with the leave of his Superiours, have most humbly addressed our- selves to your Lordship and the Honourable Society to appoint another Catechist in Orders to officiate in this city. Inclosed is a copy of our Address, which we humbly conceive will convince your Lordship, and all the worthy patrons of our Church, that the office is still as absolutely necessary and of as great Importance as ever, and the Society's charity as well bestowed this way as on any Missionary on the Continent. To whom should we goe, under God, but to our right Reverend Father, who, by Divine providence, is appointed the great Shepherd and Bishop of these American Churches ; and as you have authority and Interest, soe we are well assured of your good Inclinations to recommend our petition to that venerable Body, and by your powerful intercession render it successfull. My Lord, among the Infinite Blessings of Allmighty God vouchsafed this Country wherein we live, none is or can be more dear to us than the free exercise of our true Religion, and it is from hence, with Your Lord- ships great goodness and piety, that we take this encouragement to address you in this manner, and the more from the consideration of our aiming at that which your Lordship has very wisely made the supreme end of all your actions, the promoting of Gods glory and of being instrumentall in establishing and propagating the Gospell in foreign parts. And it is a vast advantage to our poor endeavours for this pious end, that they are sure of being countenanced by your Lordship's approbation of them, and by your zealous application in favour of our Christian Church, which God has purchased with his own Blood. May Allmighty God long preserve you, and may his Blessings be upon all your endeavours for this and other good purposes, and for all your acts of piety and charity may you be in some measure rewarded in this world, and finally receive the crown of righteousness laid up for you in Heaven. These are the hearty and most earnest wishes of, May it please your Lordship, your Lord- ship's most obedient humble servants.
To the Right Honorable and right Reverend Father in God Edmond,
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Lord Bishop of London, and one of his Majestys most honorable privy Councill.
The Revd Mr. Wetmore acquainted this Board that the Society had been pleased to appoint and send over the Revd Mr. Colgan, for the parish of Rye, unto which the said Mr. Wetmore had already been called and Inducted ; and that in as much as he was willing and desirous to officiate in the said parish, untill the Society's further pleasure should be known therein, he and Mr. Colgan had agreed that Mr. Colgan should officiate here in his stead, untill such time as they should receive further orders from the Society. And the said Mr. Colgan also appearing before this Board, and declaring his assent thereto, It was consented to and approved of accordingly; and It was thereupon ordered that a letter be writt to the Venerable Society, desiring them to appoint the said Mr. Colgan to officiate here in the stead of Mr. Wetmore, if they had not already been pleased to appoint some other person ; and that Mr. Vesey, the two Church Wardens, or either of them, and Mr. Livingston, be a committee to prepare the same. And it is further ordered, that a subscription paper be prepared and carryed about for Mr. Colgan, to commence from the first of November next.
The Committee appointed by the last Vestry to prepare a letter to the Venerable Society for propagating the Gospell in foreign parts, to appoint the Reverend Mr. Colgan to officiate here in the stead of the Reverend Mr. Wetmore, presented to this Board a letter for that purpose, which was read in these words following, viz.
NEW-YORK October 17th, 1726.
REV'D S'R :
We, the Rector, Church Wardens and Vestry of Trinity Church, in the City of New-York, in America, did, some time agoe, in a most humble manner pray the Honorable Society to send a Catechist in Priests' Orders to officiate here, if they should be pleased to order the Reverend Mr. Wetmore to settle in Rye, where he had been legally called and Inducted, pursuant to an Act of Assembly of this Province. But since that Address, the Reverend Mr. Colgan is arrived, with orders to officiate as the Society's Missionary at Rye, but finding that Mr. Wetmore had a great desire to live there, and the Vestry of that Town very much inclined that he should settle among them, he being
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TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
called by them, born in the Country, and best acquainted with their tempers, has agreed to an exchange if the Society should be pleased to approve of it.
Wee therefore heartily concur with them and the Vestry of Rye in ad- dressing that Venerable Body, humbly to desire that they would please to confirm that agreement, and to order the Reverend Mr. Colgan to officiate here if they have not already appointed another Catechist, for such an exchange, as we humbly conceive will, in the present posture of affairs, prevent some trouble and confusion, and most effectually promote the great end and design of the Society's pious and charitable endeavours, the peace and prosperity of the Church, and the interest of Religion in those parts. And tho' we have a great regard for the Reverend Mr. Wetmore, whose life and conversation is unexcep- tionable, and have hitherto expressed it by our subscriptions accord- ing to our abilitys, yet inasmuch, as he can't be so well heard and understood in our large Church, and since his call and Induction to Rye, we are not sure of raising a sufficient support for his family by voluntary subscriptions ; Whereas Mr. Colgan's clear, distinct and loud voice, can reach the remotest hearers in the Church, where he has read divine service and preached with great applause, and this with his Recommendations from England gives him a prospect of doing more good than in that parish to which he was sent, and leaves us no room to doubt of raising so much by subscriptions as, with the Society's annual allowance, may be a suitable encouragement to him to continue among us. All which is nevertheless most humbly submitted to the consideration of the Honble Society by us, who sincerely pray for their Temporall and Eternall Happiness, and subscribe ourselves their and your much obliged and most humble servants.
To the Reverend Mr. David Humphreys, Secretary to the Honorable Society for propagating the Gospell in foreign parts.
The Church Wardens and Vestry Men desired the favour of Revd Mr. Vesey, that when the Reverend Mr. Colgan comes to town from his Parish of Rye, he may have the liberty of reading prayers and preaching in the afternoon, which request Mr. Vesey readily granted and consented to.
Mr. Vesey presented to this Board a letter from the Revd Mr.
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David Humphreys, Secretary to the Society, which was read in the words following, vizt.
LONDON, Septr 19th, 1726.
REV'D SIR :
I have communicated to the Society the letter from yourself, and the Church Wardens and Vestry of your parish, and upon considering the state of your parish, as represented there, they have agreed to send a Catechist to succeed Mr. Wetmore, to continue to Instruct the Negroes and other Slaves in the principles of the Christian Religion. The Society have also agreed that such Catechist shall assist you in your parochial Cure, but with this consideration, that the people who have subscribed to Mr. Wetmore doe continue to pay the same subscriptions to the Catechist the Society sends, above the salary which the Society shall allow him. I am, Reverend Sr, Your most humble Servant,
DAVID HUMPHREYS, Sec'y.
P. S .- The Society have agreed to send a Missionary to Albany, To the Revd Mr. Vesey, New-York.
In answer to which, the following letter was wrote, vizt.
NEW-YORK, December 27th, 1726.
REVEREND SIR :
This day Mr. Vesey communicated to us, in Vestry, your's of the nineteenth of September last, wherein you inform us that the Honble Society has been pleased to agree to send a Catechist to succeed Mr. Wetmore, and to assist our Minister in his parochial cure. We are very sensible of their great goodness and charity, in continuing the office of a Catechist, to Instruct the great numbers of Negro Slaves in this city in the principles of Religion, do most gratefully acknowledge the favour thereby intended to our Infant Church, and shall cheerfully contribute to his support according to our several ability.
Wee observe that the Catechist is to assist our Minister, on con- sideration that the subscriptions shall amount to the same given Mr. Wetmore. We make no doubt of raising as much for a good preacher, who can be clearly understood, and distinctly heard ; and if the Society would be so favourable to us, as to appoint the
-
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TRINITY CHURCH, NEW-YORK.
Reverend Mr. Colgan Catechist, we believe the people would more generously subscribe, for the Congregation is very much pleased with his preaching and reading divine service ; his voice is clear and distinct, and reaches to the remotest parts of our large Church. However, by this we would not be understood to prescribe to our Superiours, but humbly beg it as a favour of great importance to the Interest of our Church and Religion in this place, and shall, never- theless, readily submitt to their most prudent choice and determina- tion, and on all occasions endeavour to approve ourselves the Society's and your much obliged and most obedient humble Servants.
Which letter was approved of, and signed, by all the members present, and ordered that the Church Wardens do send down the same by some safe hand to Capt. Downing, who went away this afternoon.
Mr. William Huddlestone, whose appointment has been already noticed, laboured faithfully and success- fully for thirteen years in his useful calling as School- master for the Society, for which he received the very moderate compensation of £15 sterling per annum. He was also appointed the Clerk of the Vestry, at a salary of £20 a year, New-York cur- rency, and likewise Clerk of the Church, for which he received £10 a year. It is a little remarkable, that, like Mr. Neau, he also was an object of so much consideration, as to have been elected annually a vestryman of Trinity Church, from 1697 to 1714.
Mr. William Huddlestone was succeeded by his son, Thomas Huddlestone, the appointment having been made by the Society, on the recommendation of Mr. Vesey and the Mayor of New-York. The latter also appeared before the Board, and proposed to execute the office of Clerk of Trinity Church, for fees incident and belonging to the same, as they were
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established, and had been usually taken by his father and predecessor, and that without any salary or other reward. And the said proposals having been consid- ered by the Vestry, he was unanimously chosen. In a liberal spirit, however, gratuities were made to him at times of £6, £10 and £16 for his past services, and for his future encouragement and better subsist- ence, and a salary was finally allowed him of £15 per annum.
In addition to his stated duty to his scholars, on the death of Mr. Neau, he also taught the blacks in the steeple of Trinity Church every Sunday before sermon, and after sermon at his own house.
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