USA > New York > New York City > Annals of St. Michael's ; being the history of St. Michael's Protestant Episcopal Church, New York, for one hundred years 1807-1907 ; > Part 5
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On the faith of this grant the 2 Churches entered into engagements with the present Rector; Whatever is there- fore deducted from the donation is subtracting from his Salary; since their incidental expenses, and the requisite repairs of the buildings, with allowance of the Clerk & Sextons, will for a length of time amount to if not exceed, any surplus funds in their respective treasuries, and put it out of their power to make good the deficiency. As it is we are informed, that the Rector's Salary is barely suffi- cient for his support, and is altogether disproportioned to that given to the majority of the Clergy of this City; besides the withholding of this aid took place during the existence of the annual donation, and is likely therefore to put the Rector to great inconveniences, resulting from engage- ments predicated of its continuance for the year at least: and of the present deduction from which he was not ad- vised, and which he could not anticipate.
Doubts are said to exist in the minds of some of your Vestry, and are openly avowed, we greatly regret to learn, as to the practical benefits consequential upon the con- tinuance of St. Michael's and St. James' Congregations, as such.
We are the more surprised at these suggestions, as we feel fully persuaded that the advantages resulting from these Establishments, are progressively increasing, and that their existence is loudly demanded by the growing
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Annals of St. Michael's
population, and unparalleled extension of the City. We cherish with grateful pleasure the recollection of the pious concern that originally dictated the erection of these Churches; where the fugitives from the pestilence, which then closed the Sanctuaries of Episcopal Worship; the neighbouring poor; and the piously inclined: could worship the God of their Fathers after their own peculiar Com- munion; and we admire the foresight of the original pro- jectors of a plan, matured by your predecessors in office, supported by the late and present head of the Diocese themselves, and hitherto fostered by the spontaneous generosity of Trinity Corporation.
These infant Establishments we are confident will be the means of more widely disseminating the doctrines of the Church, and of laying the corner stone for other and similar erections on this part of the Island; and we are therefore the more desirous that the foundations already laid, may be strengthened to enable them to maintain their present "Vantage ground," and to conduct to maturity under your favouring auspices, an experiment so happily tested, and of such essential results to their respective congregations, and to the community at large, for at present about fifty families attend the services of these Churches; most of whom would if they were closed altogether neglect Divine Worship or stray into other places not Episcopal, besides the inconvenience, if not impracticability which would be generally felt (should such an event through the want of your pecuniary assistance happen) of educating in the doctrines of the Church the junior Members, who now attend upon its Services.
The Congregation of St. Michael's Church has for some years past supported a Charity School principally by Subscription; in which about 40 poor Children of parents not generally in communion with our Church have been instructed in its doctrines and discipline, as well as in other branches of Education. And it is greatly to be
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Claims of Trinity's Lawful Children
feared that the effect of the Resolution referred to (if acted upon) will be to discontinue this School. This Congrega- tion has also lately purchased an Organ with the aid of voluntary Subscriptions; which has been found a bene- ficial supplement to the divine services of the Church, in fixing the attention and animating the devotion of the Congregation.
Probably half of the Freeholders of St. Michael's and all but one of St. James'; also hold pews in Churches in the lower parts of the City, and contribute there their full proportion towards the same, and the many charitable objects and Institutions supported by the friends of Epis- copacy generally. But independently of the considerations above presented, if a deduction is to be carried into effect, we firmly hope and intreat that the Churches we represent may not be made the Sufferers for the advantage of others, or to add to their resources by the contraction of that munificence which has hitherto sustained St. Michael's and St. James'; and without which they must wither and decay; and if some reduction is indispensably demanded to give to each according to its just and merited claims, and to extend a fostering hand to the Churches generally on the Island, that such a deduction may embrace all without distinction, and may not be made by the invidious sacrifice of a few. Against such a decision there could properly neither be murmur or complaint.
Whilst therefore the Churches and Congregations gen- erally on the Island, not of Trinity Corporation, are in- debted to the liberal patronage which has been extended in common towards them; we can indulge in the pleasing reflection that the individual Churches in whose behalf the appeal is now made, present their claims to your favor- able notice under the sanction of the additional and privi- leged character of lawful Children of a wealthy and impartial parent, soliciting from her that pecuniary relief which has hitherto been their support, and which we flatter ourselves
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Annals of St. Michael's
will be continued to them, distributively with her other and adopted Children.
New York September 1825.
Signed.
WM. WEYMAN, N. SCOVELL,
Committee of St. Michael's Church.
JAMES F. DEPEYSTER, MARTIN HOFFMAN, - Committee of St.
DAVID WAGSTAFF,
EDWARD R. JONES.
James' Church.
It should be said, that for some years Trinity Cor- poration had found itself pecuniarily embarrassed. Mention of this is made in successive Convention reports, commencing about 1818. In 1822 attention is called to the fact that the new Christ Church was built without assistance from Trinity, because the latter Corporation was too straitened to grant such assistance. Withdrawal of the annual donation to St. Michael's and St. James's was part of a policy of re- trenchment, although several churches, which one would have thought better able to take care of themselves, continued to be assisted to a much later date, such as St. Stephen's, Zion, St. Thomas's, St. Andrew's, and others. The result of the memorial was that Trinity Corporation voted to continue the original appro- priation for the current year, ending April 1, 1826, making the reduction commence with the following year. In point of fact, beginning on that date, the Trinity grant was diminished more than one-half, and by 1832 ceased altogether.
One immediate result of the withdrawal of the Trinity subsidy was the closing of St. Michael's Charity School, or rather the transfer of that school to the New York Public School Society. As already stated, it was, in the commencement of the nineteenth century,
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Religious Instruction in Schools
regarded as the duty of churches of different denomina- tions to provide schools for the instruction of the poor in the principles of religion and knowledge; but, as it proved that there were many who could not go to pay schools and for whom no provision was made in these denominational schools, because they did not belong to the denominations maintaining the schools, therefore, the New York Free School Society was in- corporated in 1805, to provide schools for those for whom no provision was made at that time, and the first school of this Society was opened in 1807.1 While this society was professedly undenominational and while there were among its supporters members of various denominations, the real credit for the move- ment belongs to the Friends. The Society's schools were eleemosynary, and, besides knowledge, clothes, food, and the like were distributed to the children. Largely as a result of this movement, both state and city began to contribute toward the support of public education in 1807, the money appropriated for this purpose from the excise tax, lotteries, and the like, being given to this society, along with the New York Orphan Asylum and a couple of other more limited organizations. While the schools of the Society were undenominational, arrangements were made in all of them for the religious instruction of the children. At one time the children went to the churches of their respective denominations with their monitors. At another time a committee of women taught the cate- chisms of the various denominations to the children in their respective schools on Tuesday afternoons. The method of instruction pursued in these schools was what was called the Lancasterian, or Monitorial sys-
1 According to Palmer, The New York Public School, in 1806, in Madison Street, near Pearl.
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Annals of St. Michael's
tem, which was economical, in that it required few teachers in proportion to the number of children, and ! was supposed to be especially efficient, because the children who were monitors enjoyed a peculiar oppor- tunity to perfect their knowledge by teaching others, while the younger children were supposed to learn better from one of their own number than from an adult teacher.
In 1812 an act was passed apportioning the school fund not only to the schools of the Free School Society, the New York Orphan Asylum and other organizations theretofore receiving assistance from that source, but also "to such incorporated religious societies in said city as now support or hereafter shall establish charity schools within the said city who might apply for the same," the money so appropriated to be used, however, only for teachers' salaries. This was a recognition of the charity schools maintained by the different churches and which had, up to this time, been supported by the private contributions of the members of those churches. It was also an inducement to other churches to estab- lish such schools.
Payments under this act began in 1815 and in that year we find the first mention in the report to Conven- tion of a charity school in connection with St. Michael's Church. This was, however, at that time, apparently a very insignificant thing, a personal venture of the rector, Mr. Jarvis. The following year the matter was taken up by the Vestry, and, at a meeting held November 27, 1816, the following resolutions were passed :
That Whereas by the Fourth Section of an Act Supple- mentary to an Act for the establishment of Common Schools, passed March 12, 1812, by the Legislature of
6 I
St. Michael's Charity School
this State, it is provided that the School Commissioners appointed by the Common Council of the City of New York shall on or before the Ist day of May in each year, distri- bute and pay the monies appropriated by said Act, to the support of Common Schools in said City to the Trustees of such incorporated religious Societies in said City, as now support or hereafter shall establish Charity Schools within the said City who may apply for the same, and such distribution shall be made to each School, in pro- portion to the average number of children between the ages of four and fifteen years, taught there in the year preceding such distribution free of expense.
And Whereas it is further provided That no money shall be distributed by the Commissioners aforesaid to the Trustees of such Charity Schools as shall not have been kept for the term of at least 9 months, during the year preceding such distribution as aforesaid.
Therefore be it Resolved by the Rector, Wardens & Vestrymen of St. Michael's Church Bloomingdale, that they will establish a Charity School, to be known and distinguished by the name of "St. Michael's Charity School," of which the Rector, Wardens & Vestrymen of said Church for the time being shall be Trustees, and that they will take immediate measures for the erection of a suitable house, for the accommodation of the teacher & family, as well as for that of the Children, and also for the support of the teacher, for one year agreeably to the provisions of the act.
Resolved further that a subscription paper be presented in the name of the Corporation of St. Michael's Church to the members of the Congregation, & to all other char- itable individuals, who may be disposed to aid so benevo- lent a design, that the Rev. Rector and Wm. Weyman be appointed a Committee to carry these resolutions into effect.
From a report made to the Vestry, April 11, 1818,
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Annals of St. Michael's
it seems that this school was, in fact, organized May 6, 1817, with Mr. William Morgan as teacher, at a salary of $400; and that from subscription list and communion alms $260 had been raised for the support of the school. The school sessions lasted through the entire year and were divided into four quarters. Dur- ing the first quarter, May to August, the number of scholars is reported as 26, 18 boys and 8 girls; for the second quarter, August to November, 30 scholars, 21 boys and 9 girls; for the third quarter, November 1817 to February 1818, 44 scholars, 28 boys and 16 girls, and for the fourth quarter 45 scholars, 29 boys and 16 girls.
In 1817 the vestry of St. James's Church also voted to organize a Charity School and appointed a commit- tee to raise funds. It would appear, however, from the Convention reports, that while Mr. Jarvis conducted a school for the blacks in Yorkville, no parish charity school was at that time established in connection with St. James's. In 1822, after Mr. Richmond became rec- tor, the Vestry petitioned the city corporation for a gift of land for an " Academy or Free School." Appar- ently their request was refused, for in the following year the school committee was authorized to lease ground east of the church. In 1825 the school com- mittee reports itself unable to make further progress, and is discharged, and a new committee appointed, which is authorized to lease land and build a school. Evidently up to this time no school had been estab- lished. In the following year the committee again reported no progress, and was authorized to enlarge itself by adding to its number from the neighbors not members of the Church. With this change the matter passed out of the control of the vestry and became a
1
63
Sectarian Controversy
neighborhood affair, and on this basis Mr. Richmond finally succeeded in establishing the Yorkville School on 86th Street, between 4th and 5th avenues.1 He was for a long time the most active trustee of this school and for some years its treasurer; his principal supporter in the work being Dr. A. V. Williams of St. Michael's Vestry. Mr. Richmond also extended his educational activities to Manhattanville, receiving the same intelligent support from a few members of St. Michael's Vestry, notably Dr. Williams. On the very day on which St. Mary's Church was fully organized by the election of Mr. Richmond as rector, Dec. 27, 1823, it was resolved to establish the Free School of St. Mary's Church in the village of Manhattanville, and under the act of legislature of March 28, 1820, a claim was made upon the trustees of the Harlem Commons Fund for $2500 for that purpose, and, in the following year, it was voted that the school should be open equally to all denominations. The Manhattan- ville school was, in fact, established on the same basis as the Yorkville school, as a neighborhood enterprise, under trustees, and open to all denominations. Re- ferring to the attitude assumed by Mr. Richmond, with Dr. Williams and his other supporters, in both those enterprises, a writer in the local paper, the Northender, in 1867, says:
In the Ward Board of School Officers and in the Board of Education, as also in other Departments connected with the general diffusion of knowledge, the members of this congregation have always favored a general plan, distinguished from a narrow and sectarian course of edu- cation, as the correct policy of liberal Christians and legal American citizens.
1 It was destroyed in the draft riots of July, 1863.
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Annals of St. Michael's
These two schools were finally discontinued after many years of usefulness, when the general school system of the city was extended to the Yorkville and Manhattanville districts.
St. Michael's Charity School had a somewhat dif- ferent history. The distribution of the public funds to religious organizations finally resulted in sectarian strife. In 1822 the trustees of the Bethlehem Baptist Church in DeLancey Street obtained from the Legisla- ture a special act authorizing them to use any surplus from their appropriation for the instruction of teachers, erection of buildings, etc. This was regarded as an effort to obtain an increased appropriation for the benefit of the sectarian propaganda of that church, to enable it to enlarge its plant and in other ways promote its distinctly religious work. The Free School Society, with a number of the other churches, petitioned the Legislature to repeal the bill, and a factional and sec- tarian fight resulted. Finally, in 1824, the Legislature placed the matter of the distribution of the school funds in the hands of the Common Council of New York, and in the following year the Common Council passed an ordinance providing that no appropriation should be made from those funds to religious societies. While not affecting the Yorkville and Manhattanville Schools, this meant the discontinuance of St. Michael's Charity School, which depended in large part on the public appropriation. Heretofore the Vestry had appropri- ated each year a small sum to make up the deficiency not provided for by subscription, but, with the dis- continuance of the Trinity donation, the Vestry would be unable to make any appropriation for such a pur- pose, much less to carry the whole burden of the school.
A committee of the Vestry was at once appointed to
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Public School No. 9
confer with the trustees of the New York Free School Society, and in the following year an arrangement was entered into with that society "to have the school attached to this parish kept open, as usual, but under the direction of the trustees of the Public Schools,1 who had provided a tutor and superintended his duties; that this committee had further agreed with the trustees to continue the school in the same manner, provided they did the like on their part by gratui- tously furnishing the preceptor and attending to the performance of his duties." This arrangement was reported to the vestry meeting of December 21, 1826, but it had already gone into effect some time before that date, Mr. Morgan, the teacher of the school hav- ing resigned on April Ist of that year. Mention is made of this transaction in the minutes of the Public School Society of New York, May 12, 1826, in which the school is described as being "about six miles from this city attached to St. Michael's Church." It ap- pears from the record that the trustees of the society felt a certain moral responsibility in regard to this school, as they had been chiefly responsible for the cutting off of public moneys from Church schools, and at the same time, as it contained no more than sixty children of both sexes, its maintenance was regarded as "a very considerable tax on the funds of the Society." With the change of control the name was changed from St. Michael's Charity School to Public School No. 9, and St. Michael's School was, therefore, directly the parent of our present Public School No. 9. For the first few years after the change the school seems to have been continued in the same place or neighbor-
1 In 1826 the name of the New York Free School Society was changed to the Public School Society of New York.
5
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Annals of St. Michael's
hood as before; but in 1830 a new building was erected on 82nd Street, and what is now West End Avenue, about midway between the two Bloomingdale centres at St. Michael's and the Bloomingdale Reformed Church, and to this building the school was removed in 1830.
It may be added that the same denominational diffi- culties which had caused the withdrawal of public appropriations from church schools, ultimately led to their withdrawal from the trustees of the New York Public School Society also. That organization, while nominally undenominational, was thoroughly Protest- ant. With the increase of foreign immigrants of Roman Catholic connection in the city, the latter began to demand a share of the school fund for their schools. The first fight was waged over the Orphan Asylum in 1831, the Roman Catholics demanding that their orphan asylum should be placed on the same footing as the Protestant institution. A decade later they demanded an appropriation for their parochial schools, alleging with considerable justice the denominational and sectarian character of some of the text-books used in the public schools of that day. Finally in 1842, as a result of their demands, the State Common School system was extended to New York City, and the public appropriation to private schools withdrawn altogether. For the next few years the city had two systems of public schools, those under the care of the trustees of the New York Public School Society, which continued to be maintained by private subscription, and those directly under the authority of the State. At last in January, 1853, the two systems were united in our present public school system.
The withdrawal of the annual Trinity donation,
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The Church of the Rich
while for a time it hampered the parish, causing also the abandonment of the charity school, proved ulti- mately to be a blessing in disguise. Forced to provide for itself and not to depend upon others, the parish did not "wither and decay," as the memorialists had feared it would, but grew and thrived. Successive treasurers' reports (and the treasurer, Mr. James F. DePeyster, was a very careful manager, to whom is due much credit for the financial soundness of the church), show that the church managed to maintain a balance between receipts and expenditures, generally with a very small margin of credit. But at the same time the regular expenses of the church were not cur- tailed. Little by little the salary of the rector was increased and various repairs and improvements made as occasion demanded. The main support of the church was the income from the Trinity endowment which, in spite of the long leases, was gradually in- creasing. In 1817, it is true the Vestry had decided to double the pew-rents; but apparently the pewholders had refused to consent; for, in 1836, we find the Vestry again voting to increase the pew rentals to $10. But if the amount contributed for the support of its own services was not all that could be desired, apparently a more healthy sense of responsibility for the work of the Church was being developed in the congregation. In 1835 Mr. Richmond reports to Convention a con- tribution of $2000 from the church for special objects, presumably the new free church work which he was about to start, and in 1840 Rev. James Richmond reports $1933 contributed for Jubilee College, which Bishop Chase was just founding in Illinois.
In 1830 Bishop Onderdonk succeeded Bishop Hobart as Bishop of New York, and with his consecration a new -
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Annals of St. Michael's
era commenced in the church work of New York City and St. Michael's parish. Up to this time the Episco- pal Church in New York had been the church of the rich and fashionable, and while charity schools were conducted in a number of parishes for the children of the poorer classes, there was no place in the parish churches for clerks, mechanics, artisans, and the like, much less for the very poor. With the increase of the city many young men, sometimes with their families, were flocking in from other places, who, finding no church home to welcome them, became careless or drifted away from the Church and religion altogether. If these persons were to be reached it was plain that something must be provided different from our churches as then organized.
To meet this want the New York Protestant Episco- pal City Mission Society was founded in 1831, with the Bishop of the Diocese as its head, the Rector of Grace Church as chairman of the Executive Committee, and the Vicar of St. John's Chapel as secretary. The pur- pose of this society was to provide "free sittings in mission churches for a large class of Episcopalians and others disposed to become members of the Church, who were at that time virtually excluded from parish churches, the class referred to comprising the families of poorer mechanics, widows, merchants' clerks, jour- neymen, apprentices, domestics and others unable to pay for sittings, besides strangers, emigrants, etc."1 The society " applied for and received from the Legisla- ture an unusually liberal charter," leaving it "un- limited as to income or property except by the demands of the charity itself." In the Convention of the same year it was recognized by canon as the diocesan agent
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