Annals of St. John's church, Huntington, Suffolk County, N.Y., also historical and descriptive notes, Part 5

Author: Turner, Charles William
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Huntington : L.I. Stiles Printing House
Number of Pages: 114


USA > New York > Suffolk County > Huntington > Annals of St. John's church, Huntington, Suffolk County, N.Y., also historical and descriptive notes > Part 5


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REV. WM. G. FARRINGTON, D. D. Ordered deacon in Trinity church, New York, on St. Peter's Day 1856, by Bishop Horatio Potter ; assisted in Church of the Transfiguration, New York ; became rector of St. John's Church, Huntington, Nov. 2nd, 1856 ; advanced to the priesthood by Bishop Potter on St. Thomas' Day the same year ; resigned rectorship of this parish, July 4th, 1858 ; by appointment of the rector of Trinity Church, New York, assisted in that parish from Dec. 15th, 1858 to Eas- ter, 1862 ; organized Christ Church, Hackensack, N. J., April 12th, 1863, and became rector of the same Oct. 15th, the same year; was married Jan. 14th, 1865, to Anna Wilson Kip, daughter of Leonard W. Kip, Esq., of New York ; resigned rectorship of Christ Church, Hackensack, April 30th, 1870, and on Whitsunday, the same year, entered upon the rector- ship of St. Barnabas' Church, Newark, N. J., which he held until Easter, 1872 ; was in charge of the Church of the Holy Innocents, St. Cloud, West Orange, N. J., from May Ist, 1872 to April Ist, 1877; in 1872 received the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from the College of William and Mary ; was rector of Christ Church, Bloomfield, N. J., from April Ist, 1877 to Sept. 30th, 1889 ; Sept. Ist, 1889, became a member of the Editorial Staff of The Churchman of New York, whichi po- sition he still holds.


REV. JAMES H. WILLIAMS. Resigned in 1859. After- wards rector of Zion Church, Greenburgh, N. Y. His last res- idence was in the City of New York, with a Summer home near Lynchburg, Va., where he died, in or near the year 1889.


REV. WM. J. LYND. Mr. Lynd became interested in the early history of the parish, wrote a paper concerning it, and


65


Rectors of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.


went to Albany to enquire about the lost glebe. Was informed that the land could not be recovered. Resigned in 1860. Be- came rector of St. Barnabas' Church, Newark, N. J. In 1867 entered upon Missionary work in Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico. In 1883 engaged in . Missionary work in Northern California. Owing to defective eyesight, has not been in active service in late years. Resides in Oakland, Cal.


REV. CALEB B. ELLSWORTH, was a valued member of the Missionary Committee of the diocese. After an active rector- ship of ten years, resigned in 1870. Became rector of St. Saviour's, Maspeth, L. I. Died in 1891.


REV. ALFRED J. BARROW, entered upon the work of the ministry at Harrisburg, Pa., in 1864; subsequently laid the foundations of St. James' Parish, Bedford Springs ; became rec- tor of this parish, May Ist, 1871 ; resigned June Ist, 1877, to accept the rectorship of the Church of the Atonement, Brook- lyn, N. Y., serving there until Dec. Ist, 1879, when he under- took some special missionary work in Central Pennsylvania ; on Feb. Ist, 1881, accepted a call to St. John's, Baltimore and Harford Counties, Md. ; in December 1883, was called to St. Peter's, Bennington, Vermont, where he remained until July, 1887. After a visit to Europe and a year spent in Missouri was laid aside for a considerable time with cataract and had an op- eration performed. On May Ist, 1890, took charge of St. James' Parish, Lower Providence, Pa., thirty miles from Phila- delphia, and of a Mission at Royersford.


REV. THADDEUS A. SNIVELY, resigned in 1878. Became rector of St. John's Church, Troy, N. Y. Now rector of St. Chrysostom's, Chicago, Il1.


66


Rectors of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.


REV. N. BARROWS, was for several years a member of the Standing Committee of the diocese. Resigned in 1885. Be- came rector of Christ Church, Short Hills, N. J. where he now is.


REV. THEO. M. PECK, resigned in 1891. Became Mis- sionary in charge of the N. E. Convocation district, Diocese of Connecticut, with headquarters at Putnam, Ct. where he now is.


REV. CHAS. WM. TURNER. Graduated at St. Marks' College, Chelsea, London, England, July, 1864. Master at the Normal school there until Nov. 1866. Admitted to Deacon's Orders early in 1867. Master of St. Alban's School, Honolu- lu, Hawaii, until Sept. 1869. Assistant at Trinity Church, San Francisco, Cal. Nov. 1869, and in charge of that parish the greater part of the year following. Ordained Priest Nov. 1870. In May 1878, became rector of St. Paul's, Oakland, Cal. Came East Sept. 1874, and in Nov. of the same year, rector of St. John's church, Long Island City. Rector of St. Matthew's, Brooklyn, from Nov. 1876 to Oct. 1889. For two years rector of St. Matthew's Parish, Dallas, Texas, and Dean of the Cath- edral. Became rector of St. John's, Huntington, Nov. Ist, 1891.


67


Rectors of St. John's Church, Huntington, L. I.


Church Wardens of this Parish,


With their Terms of Service.


ADAMS, ISAAC, 1886.


BARR, GEORGE F., 1890.


CAMBRELING, CHURCHILL C., 1843, 1844, 1856.


CROSSMAN, FRANK M., 1875 to 1878.


DOYING, IRA E., 1879 to 1884.


DUSENBERRY, EDWIN B., 1891 to present time.


HAWTHORN, WILLIAM M., 1853, 1854.


HURD, ARTHUR T., 1875 to 1889.


HOLDEN, HENRY W., 1885, 1886 ..


JONES, JOHN, 1788 to 1790.


JOHNSON, JOHN, 1791 to 1800.


*KISSAM DANIEL W., 1800 to 1805, 1838.


KISSAM, EDWARD, 1868 to 1870.


LEFFORD, ADAM, 1788 to 1790.


NICOLL, WM., 1864 to 1867.


POST, RICHARD B., 1855, 1862, 1863.


PAULDING, HIRAM, JR., 1871 to 1874, 1885, 1886.


RHINELANDER, DR. JOHN R., 1838 to 1853. RAY, DR. JOSEPH, 1845 to 1853, 1856 to 1865.


SMITH, SHUBAEL, 1793 to 1805.


STOUT, WILLIAM C., 1840 to 1843, 1856 to 1861,


SCHMIDT, OSCAR EGERTON, 1887 to present time.


WILLIAMS, GILBERT, 1866 to 1871.


YOUNGS, DANIEL K., 1872 to 1874.


*Doct. Daniel Whitehead Kissam, son of Joseph and Mary (Hew- lett) Kissam, was born at Great Neck, L. I., March 23rd, 1763. He re- ceived his medical education under the tuition of Dr. Bayley of New York, and was a fellow student with the late Drs. Mitchell and Post, of that city. He commenced the practice of medicine at Glen Cove, and after the death of Dr. Sanford removed to this village, where he con- tinued his practice nearly forty years. As a physician, he was skilful, attentive, and faithful. As a citizen, he was distinguished for his integ- rity, punctuality and independence. He was ardently attached to the Episcopal Church of this village, and was its main supporter for many years in its languishing condition. Dr. Kissam was attacked by disease in 1830 with which he lingered until 1839, when he died, aged 76 years.


68


Vestrymen of the Parish.


Vestrymen of this parish,


With their terms of Service.


ADAMS, ISAAC, 1853, 1856 to 1869.


ATWATER, ELISHA M., 1858 to 1862.


ALSOP, JOHN, 1863.


ACKERMAN, GEORGE B., 1865 to 1868,


BLOODGOOD, NATHANIEL, 1838.


BRYAR, EDWARD K., 1856.


BARR GEORGE F., 1879 to 1881, 1883 to present time.


BRONSON, WILLETT, 1880 to 1887.


BERRIAN, CHAS. A., 1882, 1883.


CONKLIN, ELKANAH, 1804, 1805.


CONKLIN, JOSEPH O., 1843.


CAMBRELING, CHURCHILL C., 1842 to 1848, 1855 to 1858.


CROSSMAN, FRANK M., 1868 to 1874.


CAIRE, JOHN S., 1877 to 1880.


DOUGLAS, LEMUEL, 1795 to 1797.


DOYING, IRA E., 1872 to 1878.


DERBY, DR. RICHARD H., 1883, 1884, 1887 to present time.


DUSENBERRY, EDWIN B., 1889, 1890.


ECKERSON, M. B., 1872.


FORDHAM, AUSTIN S., 1845, 1846.


FLEET, CHAS. H., 1858 to 1873.


HEWLETT, WM., 1838.


HAWTHORN, WM. M., 1838 to 1848, 1855, 1856.


HURD, ARTHUR T., 1872 to 1874.


HOLDEN, HENRY W., 1875 to 1884, 1887, 1888.


HURD, RUSSELL, 1885.


HOLMES, CHAS. P., 1889 to 1891.


IRWIN, JAMES D., 1871.


IRWIN, JOSEPH, 1877 to present time. JOHNSON, JOHN, 1788 to 1790.


JOHNSON, WM., 1789, 1795, 1796. JOHNSON, JOHN, JR., 1797 to 1803. JOHNSON, JACOB, 1804, 1805.


JONES, SAMUEL W., 1872 to 1877.


69


Vestrymen of the Parish.


JOHNSON, CHAS. S., 1890,


KISSAM, EDWARD, 1864 to 1867.


KISSAM, AUGUSTUS, 1882,


LEFFORD, ADAM, 1800 to 1805.


LONG, HEWLETT J., 1861, 1862, 1866 to 1871, 1887 to pres- ent time.


LORD, THOMAS, JR., 1875, 1876.


MEADE, RICHARD W., 1878.


MASON, THOMAS, 1892 to present time.


NICOLL, WM., 1860 to 1863.


PLATT, JOEL, 1838.


PAULDING, HIRAM, 1838.


POST, RICHARD B., 1839 to 1848, 1853, 1857, 1858.


PIERSON, - - 1840.


*PRIME, RUFUS, 1863 to 1866, 1870 to 1882.


PAULDING, HIRAM, JR., 1867, to 1869, 1881, 1884.


PLATT, HENRY C., 1881 to 1884, 1890 to present time.


RAY, DR. JOSEPH, 1839 to 1845.


ROWLAND, JONATHAN, 1842.


ROWELL, WM. L., 1844.


ROGERS, STEPHEN C., 1862 to 1880. STEWART, CHAS. T., 1838.


STOUT WM. C., 1838, 1839, 1845, 1846, 1855.


SCUDDER, HENRY, 1840 to 1842. SCUDDER, HENRY T., 1846, 1855 to 1860,


SMALLWOOD, DR. SAM'L B., 1869 to 1871.


SCHMIDT, OSCAR E., 1884 to 1886.


SCUDDER, EDWARD M., 1884 to 1889.


SIMPSON, WM., 1885, 1886.


THURSTON, LEWIS M., 1840 to 1846, 1855, 1856, 1863, 1867 to 1870.


THURSTON, WM., 1874, 1875. THURSTON, CHAS. S., 1876.


VAN WYCK, ABRAHAM, 1838 to 1844.


VAN WYCK, SAMUEL, 1842 to 1845.


VAN WYCK, SAMUEL A., 1870.


VAN SCHAICK, EDWIN, 1891 to present time. WIGGINS, DANIEL, 1789. WOOD, STEPHEN, 1839, to 1842.


*Mr. Rufus Prime was elected Warden in 1875, but declined the honor, accepting however, the office of Vestryman, in which he had served before, and to which he was re-elected.


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Name of the Church.


WILLIAMS, GILBERT, 1844 to 1848, 1855 to 1865.


WEST, WILLIAM, 1855 to 1865, 1871 to 1874, 1884, 1885. WELLS, JOHN J., 1863, 1864. WOOD), WILTON W., 1885 to present time. YOUNGS, ISAAC, 1788,


YOUNGS, DANIEL K., 1866 to 1869. YOUNG, THOMAS, 1875 to 1883.


name of the Church.


The following brief extract from a letter of H. Lloyd, (2nd,) dated Boston, Nov. 20th, 1764, addressed to his brother Joseph Lloyd, at Queen's Village, seems to show that up to that date, nearly twenty years after the starting of the work, no name had been given to the Church or Parish. The latter had prob- ably been spoken of simply as the Church of England congre- gation at Huntington.


The extract appears as a postscript to a letter concerning a deed (No. 2) to the Glebe, and is as follows :-


" You'll find blanks left in the deed for the name of the "church. If not already named, it may be as proper, and more "so, to have it called Christ Church, than by any other name."


On this, the late Mr. H. Lloyd (4th) remarks: " The sug- gestion, it seems, was never acted upon." In fact, there does not seem to have been any definite decision as to the name, for in the deed itself, dated Nov. 21st, one blank is filled by the word " Trinity " but the other blank is left vacant.


7I


Extracts from Notes.


Extracts from notes


Unsigned, but apparently written at the time of the laying of the Corner-Stone of the new church, and probably by Rev. C. B. Ellsworth.


" The materials for a history of this venerable parish are, " so far as known, extremely limited.


" There is a tradition, which I think is entitled to credit, " that at the breaking out of the War of the Revolution, the "early records of this parish were taken by a Mr. Johnson, a "prominent member at that time, to Norwalk, in Connecticut, " along with his own papers for safe keeping during those trou- " blesome times. Having deposited them with a family by the " name of Mott, he departed for a visit to England, but never "returned, having been lost at sea. It is said that his papers " were afterwards destroyed by fire, and probably the Church " papers with them.


" There are therefore no sources of information known at " present, except the records of the Society for the Propagation " of the Gospel in London, Eng., and those of the neighboring " parish at Hempstead, L. I., and oral tradition."


·


Here follows a summary of the successive events, so far as known to the writer, which have been already set forth chrono- logically in this work. Some few matters of interest not inentioned therein are given in the following extracts :-


"Benjamin Treadwell of Hempstead and Phœbe Platt, of " Huntington, united in marriage by the Rev. Mr. Jenney, of


72


Extracts from Notes.


"the former place, in 1727, became the Great-Grand-parents of " the late Bishops of Pennsylvania and New York."-(Onder- donk.)


" The first settled minister " was "the Rev. James Grea- " ton, a gentleman from Boston, New England, of good abili- " ties, prominent family, and ample fortune. He had been "educated at Yale College, ordained in England, and settled at " Boston, as the assistant of Rev. Dr. Cutler, the first Rector of "Christ Church, Boston ; to the rectorship of which he suc- "ceeded, after the death of Dr. C. He remained in Boston till "1767," (should be "1769."-Ed.) when he removed to this "place and remained till his death in 1773. His remains were "deposited beneath the chancel of the church in which he min- " istered."


"In 1801 a charge was made against the parish by the " Treasurer, John Johnson, for cash paid to Judge Thompson "to give an account of the annual income."


"In 1806 the church edifice was new roofed by subscrip- "tion. Prominent among the subscribers were Timothy Wil- "liams, Abial Gould, Richard Budwell, Moses Ralph, Stephen " Fleet, David Rogers and Jonathan Smith."


"In 1838, the church edifice was partially repaired, and duly "consecrated to the worship of God by Bishop B. T. "Onderdonk in 1839."


"In 1843, the Rev. Moses Marcus was elected to the rec- "torship at a salary of $250 per annum.


"In 1844 the Ladies of the Parish realized from a Fair " $225, which they devoted towards the purchase of a parson- "age, and a Committee of three, -Doctors' Ray and Rhinelan-


73


Extracts from Notes.


" der and Gilbert P. Williams, was appointed to purchase a " parsonage.


"After one year Mr. Marcus resigned the rectorship in "consequence of the inadequacy of the support. He after- " wards became the Rector of the Church of St. George the " Martyr, in N. Y. While on a visit to England, his native " country, he died. As a scholar, he was thoroughly educated, "and he was energetic and faithful as a clergyman.


"In 1845 the Rev. Chas. H. Hall entered upon the rec- " torship. During the first year of his incumbency the church edifice was thoroughly overhauled and repaired." *


" In 1846, the parsonage fund was devoted to the purchase "of a second-hand organ." (Probably the instrument which, after 25 years of service here, was given to Grace Church, Riverhead, and has been in use there for 21 years .- Editor.)


"At Easter 1848 the congregation refused to proceed to " the election required by statute, but passed a resolution to " send a petition to the State Legislature praying them to dis- " solve the corporation of this church."


A very strange resolution, for which no reason is given in the minutes, and on which, apparently, no action was taken. -(Editor.)


" The old church was vacated the last Sunday in July, " 1861, with appropriate services, and the next day the work of " removing it commenced preparatory to the new.


"In excavating for the basement, the remains of three " bodies were found beneath the chancel of the old church. " One was known to be that of the first Rector, Jas. Greaton.


" Of the names of the others, or any circumstances concerning "them, nothing is known, except the well-defined tradition


74


Extracts from Notes.


" that they were clergymen. Their remains will be decently "re-interred to-day, under the chancel of the new church at the "laying of the corner-stone."


The tradition as to the two additional bodies being those of clergymen is somewhat doubtful. Mr. John W. Greaton, (grandson of the Rev. James Greaton,) who himself handled pick and shovel at the excavation, says that there was nothing in the placing of the bodies to suggest such a conclusion, and that one of the men having a bullet hole in the skull, had evi- dently been shot and probably buried where he fell.


The editor has found that the evidence for the various par- ish traditions that have come to his knowledge is very slight indeed. Inference has probably had not a little to do with the origin of those traditions ; in other words, they are more largely transmitted inferences and transmitted reports than they are transmitted testimony.


In digging a trench, 5 feet deep, for the pipes connecting with the Organ Motor, we came upon human remains close against the easterly foundation wall of the transept which forms the Organ Chamber ; but by slightly altering the direction of the trench, were enabled to leave them undisturbed.


In explanation of the finding of such remains in a part of the grounds where no headstones or tablets appear, we were told by a neighbor well advanced in years, a descendant of the Johnson family named as Church officers in the records, that some portion of the land had been used as a burial ground prior to its purchase for the church in 1747.


The final paragraph of the "Notes" from which the pre- ceding " extracts " have been taken is as follows :-


75


Extracts from Notes.


" The Corner Stone of this edifice is laid in the absence of " the Bishop, under the direction of the Rector, this 22nd day "of August, A. D. 1861."


The ceremony of the laying of the Corner Stone is thus de- scribed by a correspondent of the "Church Journal, " (New York.)


"The clergy present on this interesting occasion were the "Rev. C. B. Ellsworth, Rector, the Rev. E. F. Edwards " of the neighboring parish of Cold Spring Harbor, the Rey. "E. K. Fowler of Monticello, the Rev. W. A. W. Maybin, of " Williamsburgh, the Rev. J. H. Williams, of Dobbs Ferry, and " the Rev. Wm. G. Farrington, of New York, - the last four " being former rectors of the parish.


" The service used was that appointed by Bishop Hobart, "and the stone was laid, in the absence of the Bishop of the " Diocese, by the Rev. Mr. Fowler, who began his ministry "here about forty years ago. All the clergy were in surplices, "and participated in the service. The address by the Rev. "Mr. Maybin, was excellent in matter and style, and deeply " stirred the hearts of all present."


76


Communication on Old St. John's.


Communication on Old St. John's


BBy the TRev. TRichard JB. Post.


( RECEIVED THROUGH MISS NINA PRIME, JAN. 7, 1888.)


" The picture brought back to me so many memories. It "lacked one thing associated with the old church, namely, the " old red cedar-wood bier, which used to stand just opposite the "South porch, with " 1779" carved in rude figures upon one " side, and upon this bier we youngsters used to sit before ser- "vice, watching the various members of the congregation as " they walked up the yard. Then that South Porch, or Vestry " room, as it was afterwards made ; in it we ate our lunch when " busy dressing the church, at Christmas, i. e. after the Rev. "Mr. McLeod took charge of the parish ; for before that we "knew no better than not only to eat it in the church, but also " to warm various things on the church stove, Then there " was the old square pew in the northwest corner of the church, "which my father occupied, in the middle of which was a "square table, having between the four legs a few inches from " the floor, a piece corresponding with the top, on which I used "to crawl at the beginning of the sermon, and sweetly sleep "the droning time away. Those were the days when they " had a "two-decker" on the North side of the building, with " reading desk below and pulpit above, and a great sounding "board directly over the latter, and I used to speculate on the " chances and consequences if the fastenings of this ponderous


77


Communication on Old St. John's.


" thing should give way during the sermon. At the Commu- " nion Office the clergyman walked to the East end where the "altar was. Afterwards the interior was changed. The " square pews, except those of Rhinelander and Cambreling, " were taken away, and ordinary seats put in. The "two- " decker" came down, and a gallery was put up at the west " end, and an organ placed therein. Then the Choir took pos- " session, and the Canticles began to be chanted. And there "was a boy who used to sit in the gallery and assist in the "singing, and during the sermon I am afraid was not always " so attentive as he might have been. Whether this boy did "it, or some of his companions, or both, I do not remember, " but I know that people sitting under the gallery would more "or less often be startled out of their sleep by various sub- "stances falling on their heads, but the upward glance re- " vealed not whence they came. I do not remember ever hear- "ing that boy or the others being told much about the rever- "ence to be shown in the House of God. Not so much as


" other boys have been told and observed. These are among "many other recollections the picture brought forth, among " which is one of the old sea captain who, in the absence of the " choir, would start the hymn, giving out the name of the "tune first; and then, in the afternoon, stating in a voice in " which the main-top might have been hailed " We'll sing the "same tunes we sung this mornin' !" Outside, in the grave- "yard were the old stones, two dating "1749," and another "with a hole through the middle of it made by a six-pound " cannon-ball, and behind which tradition said a man was " killed."


.


78


Communication on Old St. John's.


" And now the old church is gone. None of the clergy " who were in charge of it as I first remember it are alive, and " but few of the people who worshipped there.


" In the days of the square pews, the entrance was at the "south porch. In the alterations which swept them away, " that was made a vestry room, and a new entrance was made " at the west end.


"Three of those who ministered there after the interior "changes are still alive :- Dr. Hall, Dr. Farrington and Mr. "Ellsworth."


The Rev. C. B. Ellsworth departed this life in 1891.


At the date of the writing of the foregoing note, Rev. J. H. Williams was also in this life, and the Rev. Wm. J. Lynd still survives .- (Ed.)


79


Extracts.


Ertracts.


FROM A FOUR-PAGE PAPER CALLED "THE SPIRIT OF THE FAIR." PUBLISHED AND SOLD AT A LADIES' FAIR, SEP, 3RD, 1844, FOR A "PARSONAGE FUND."


I. From an Address to Our Patrons.


Erected on yon summit stands A sacred fane-whose age demands Our best and largest care ; 'Twas reared by hearts that understood Religion is the greatest good, And now its glories share !


Thus pure devotion shows its sway, Thus works of love true faith display, Unto this present hour ; Nor can the bright memorial cease In us the like desire t' increase Whilst godliness hath power.


Ah ! never shall our CHURCH decay ! Time may, indeed, devour its prey, Her outward form deface ; Yet, Phonix-like, will she arise, And towering o'er her enemies,. Subdue proud Edom's race !


There, through the bless'd REDEEMERS' name, Did mighty men of God proclaim The counsel of His will ; There GREATON -- there our SEABURYS too- Goliaths were they ! to pursue Their mission to fulfil.


80


Extracts-The Ladies' Fair.


There HOBART-venerable man ! And our own loved DIOCESAN Brave champion of the Cross ! And RUDD-a name remembered well, Nor less esteemed-of JESUS tell And how He died for us !


Then bless, O HEAVENLY FATHER, bless The cause of truth and righteousness Which we, in CHRIST's name, plead ; That they who labor for our good, May be supplied with daily food, Nor 'mong us suffer need.


The Ladies' fair.


From a humorous description, in verse, (whose feet and rhymes occasionally need to be tested with not too fastidious ear, or, as regards the former, scanned with no critical eye,) the following extracts are made, Ist, because they make pleas- ant mention of workers whose lives and personalities may still be happily remembered, and secondly, because in the concluding stanzas the good ladies show that while holding a " Fair " as a means of raising money for church purposes they are fully sen- sible of the lack of fitness and dignity in such methods, and in words that we hope will commend themselves to the hearts and consciences of our people they most eloquently preach the " more excellent way."


* "See there is Mrs. Marcus yonder


Who o'er your kindness oft will ponder, There's Mrs. Rhinelander who, no less


81


The Ladies' Fair.


Will gratefully her thanks express For all donations you may give her For she's the Lady Treasurer. There's Mrs. Stout who-happy name Has gained at Fairs a deathless fame, - As Secretary, will record Whate'er your willing purse affords : There's Mrs. Cambreling who will too, Appreciate whate'er you may do ; And with her very smile contribute Pleasure around her to distribute : There's Mrs. Higbee-bless her soul- Who doth the hearts of all control, Will with all readiness receive As much as you're disposed to give ; There's Mrs. Thurston-light and airy, Flitting about you like a Fairy, -- With Mrs. Hawthorn-kind as ever, Who from her friend we will not sever,


That will to all your wants attend And sundry good things recommend :


And there is Mrs. Harrison Who, though from Princeton, is our great gun:


Nor are these all-there's Mrs. Post. Who of her charms, indeed, may boast ; And also Mrs. Schermerhorn For love itself and goodness born ! There's Mrs. Conklin-Mrs. Ray-


Who each have borne their part to-day ; There's Mrs. Williams-with her daughter, Whose face beams forth with mirth and laugh- ter ;


And Mrs. Rowell, who as well Can form her flowers, out of shell As any artist e'er attempted- Titian alone, perhaps, excepted ! And now, beside the married dames, We may recite some other names- The Misses Renwick, and Miss Barnwell, Whose every glance doth their true worth tell ! These for our Fair have labored far more


*


82


The Ladies' Fair.


Than we, in verse, can well recount o'er. There's Miss Eliza Scudder, who Will send you all a billet-doux- Whose zeal and labor in the cause Demand our praise and your applause, And there-(Miss Kate not to adduce-) Miss Mary Post-Miss Susan House- Who far more diligent than many We think will yet compare with any ! There's Miss Cornelia Scudder too Whom beaux from far and near would woo, And there's Miss Smith, and Miss Van Arsdale- Whose charms to please can never fail !


" The Ladies' Fair-ah ! fair indeed, When we are thus compelled to plead E'en for the best and holiest cause The Church of Christ :- and that because Men do not feel, as feel they ought, But, faithless stewards, must be bought ; Entrapped by female charms and beauty To do what well they know, their duty ! Yet how much fairer would it be, Could we but raise your piety By means which move and touch the heart, And thus persuade you to impart Freely as God hath prospered you ! Then should we not this course pursue ! Soon may the happy time arrive When we shall all our joy contrive From doing good from love to Him Who died our souls from death t' redeem ; Then will the scene be fair and bright And God in all our works delight."


The next, and concluding, extract has both personal and historical interest. It was written by Bishop Onderdonk for the N. Y. " Churchman," in making record of the Consecration of the Church, which was effected on July 9th, 1839.


83


The Ladies' Fair.


" This church is one of the oldest churches in the diocese, "having been built probably-for there is singular uncertainty " respecting its true history-more than a century ago ; and of "course long before we had bishops in this country. At the " time of its erection, therefore, it was not consecrated. Having " been for many years in a very neglected condition, and but " rarely opened for divine service, a few zealous and enterpris- "ing members of the Church, recently moving into the Parish, " determined upon its thorough repair. This having been ac- " complished, its consecration was asked of the Bishop of the " Diocese, and effected as above detailed. In the appointment "of the clergymen-father and son-for the services of the " desk, reference was had by the Bishop to the past history of " the parish-they having both been, at different times, in its "pastoral charge. The grandfather of the elder-the Rev. "Samuel Seabury, father of Bishop Seabury, had this church " included in his mission as a missionary of the Venerable So- "ciety in England for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts. " His son, the bishop, officiated there, before his ordination, as "a Catechist and Lay Reader of that Society, and probably "afterwards occasionally, in his clerical capacity, while settled "at Jamaica. Thus has that ancient building been supplied " with services by four successive generations of the same fam- "ily."


84


Deeds of the Glebe.


Deeds of the Glebe.


And Communication RReferring to Them.


In this paper, the Editor has collected, and arranged in their proper order, certain copies of Deeds and Letters which were quoted and referred to, but not in chronological sequence or with much note of connexion, by the late Mr. Henry Lloyd in a series of articles over the signature " A. N. Oldfell" in a local newspaper.


To these is added an extract (numbered 3) from a letter of the Rev. James Greaton which will show that the House and Glebe mentioned in Mr. Lloyd's letter (numbred 4) of the year following was not the same with the House and Glebe deeded to the S. P. G. in 1764. We have at present no positive evi- dence that the instructions given by Mr. Lloyd in his letter of 1770 were actually carried out. There is presumptive evidence that they were, for we know that in letters which passed be- tween Mrs. Greaton and Mr. Lloyd subsequent to Mr. Greaton's death in 1773, Mrs. Greaton writes as a tenant of the house and land belonging to the church. (See Lloyd letters quoted in the articles before referred to and lately given to the New York Historical Society by Mrs. O. E. Schmidt.) But whether the church wardens after the close of the Revolutionary war could show that they, or the Society for the Propagation of the Gos- pel, held the deeds mentioned in the letter of 1770, this we do not know. The deeds returned from London, and mentioned


85


Deeds of the Glebe.


in the letter (numbered 5) of June Ist, 1787, were those of "the Old Glebe."


I. Indenture made Aug. 21, 1764, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, with proviso that Mr. Kneeland be admitted to Holy Orders and have a Mission as Minister or Rec- tor. Being a conveyance of " five acres more or less" bounded "by the highway to the old mill dam, by land laid out for the churchyard, &c." (as given in the "Annals") By Thomas Jarvis, John Bennett, Isaiah Rogers, Zophar Rogers, Jeremiah Rogers and Samuel Allen.


Witness, WM. SMITH. Declared before RICH'D FLOYD, Judge.


2. Conveyance made Nov. 21, 1764, to the same, but without the proviso stated in No. I, the same property "five " acres more or less, bounded, &c., to endow the Parish Church " called -- before mentioned to the Society for the Propaga- " tion of the Gospel in foreign parts, but in trust, and for this " special intent and purpose, that is to say, that as soon as there "shall be a Rector or Minister according to the order of the "Church of England, etc., instituted and inducted into the said " Church called Trinity Church in Huntington aforesaid, the " premises shall then be, and inure to the use of the said rec- " tor incumbent and his successors, as the Glebe land of the " said church, in fee simple forever."


Executed by Thomas Jarvis and others as before, with the addition of Henry Lloyd, and with statement of obligation of


86


Deeds of the Glebe.


these parties and their heirs to defend the church in said hold- ing.


Witnesses for HENRY LLOYD'S signature, HENRY SMITH, PASCHAL NELSON SMITH.


Witnesses for the others, THOMAS WICKES, ANANIAS BRUSH.


Declared by MR. LLOYD before FOSTER HUTCHINSON, Justice.


Declared for the others before JOSEPH LEWIS, Justice.


3. Extract from a letter of the Rev. James Greaton, at Boston, on a visit, to the S. P. G. dated August 8th, 1769.


"I flatter myself that in time a flourishing church may be " raised up there, (i. e. at Huntington) if the people are so hap- "py as to continue to enjoy the smiles of the Society. The " people have purchased a new glebe, with a good house, at a "cost of £344, currency, which they propose to make over to " the Society in lieu of the old glebe, which cost only £120."


4. A letter from H. Lloyd 2nd, at Boston, Oct. Ist, 1770, to Joseph Lloyd.


"Enclosed you have a deed from the proprietors of the " House and Glebe now occupied by the Rev. Mr. Greaton, at "Huntington, and my separate deed for the same to the Church " Wardens, both executed by me ; one of them only to be made " use of, the other to be cancelled. The deed drawn here is


87


Deeds of the Glebe.


"judged safest, as in case the Society should by any change of " government or otherwise, be dissolved, it will remain under " the direction of the Wardens for the use of the Church, and " cannot be alienated. Enclosed also is the Church Wardens' " deed to the society.


"P. S .- When the deed to the society is finished you "may send it to me, and I will forward it to my friend in Lon- "don to be exchanged for the deeds of the Old Glebe, which is "all that is necessary to be done under that head."


5. A letter from Henry Smith, (a son of Margaret, sister to H. Lloyd, 2nd,) to John Lloyd, Jr. Esq., dated “ Boston, June Ist, 1787.


" Dear Sir :- By direction of our Uncle, Henry Lloyd, "Esq., I enclose to you two deeds of the Old Glebe, at Hunt- "ington, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in " foreign parts. You will please to be so good as to acknow- " ledge the receipt of this by a line when convenient."


" Your affectionate kinsman,"


" HENRY SMITH."


The late Mr. Lloyd refers to the above (No. 5) as "an ex- tract of a letter accompanying the document." (No. 2).


HECKMAN BINDERY INC.


DEC 94


MI LIAMAUCOTED





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