USA > New York > Suffolk County > Shelter Island > Historical papers on Shelter Island and its Presbyterian church, with genealogical tables > Part 7
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62
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
WHITES.
BLACKS.
Males
under 16
Males from 16 to 60
Males
60 and up
Females
under 16
Females
above 16
Males
under 16
from 16 to 60
Males
Females
under 16
Females
above 16
I. Jonathan Havens.
2. Thomas Dering.
2
2
I
I
I
2
2
3. Daniel Brown ..
I
I
I
I
2
2
I
I
2
2
6. James Sawyer
I
I
I
I
I
7. Thomas Conkling
8. Joel Bowditch. .
9. Nicoll Havens
I
I
2
I
I
I
I
IO. Samuel Case ..
I
3
2
2
13. Benjamin Sawyer
3
I
I
I
15. Thomas Conkling, Jr.
4
I
I
I
16. James Havens.
5
2
I
I
17. Abraham King
2
I
2
18. Deliverance Pain
I
I
2
I
19. Walter Havens.
I
I
2
I
20. John Duval .
I
I
21. George Duval
I
2
2
I
22. Obadiah Havens.
I
I
I
3
23. Jonathan Havens, Jr.
I
I
I
I
I
24. George Havens.
I
I
I
25. Samuel Case, Jr
I
I
I
I
I
2
I
33
37
5
3I
34
7
6 |
2
4
8
Total Whites. . . . 140
Total Blacks . ... 27
The above account of the number of the people on Shelter Island was taken the 18 day of February, 1771. JONATHAN HAVENS, JR., Constable.
SUFFOLK Ess: SHELTER ISLAND.
COUNTY
I
I
I
26. Joseph Havens.
27. Moses Horton.
I
I
2
I
2
I
I
I
4. William Nicoll
5. William Havens
1
3
2
I
2
I
I
I
II. Abraham Parker
I
4
2
3
I
I
I
I
14. Moses Sawyer ..
3
I
4
I
12. Joseph L'Hommedieu.
I
I
I
I
I
Males
60 and up
HEADS OF FAMILIES.
I
In compliance of a requisition to me from George Murison, Esq., High Sheriff of ye said County of Suffolk, as also in pursuance of a warrant to him from His Ex- cellency, the Right Honorable John Earl, of Dunsmore, etc., I send the above as an exact account of all the inhabitants within my District, the heads of the families being included in the number of one hundred and forty Whites.
sense the labors and privileges of a resident preacher up to that time. The resolution of 1771 likewise gives evidence of religious interest. It then is hardly probable that such a religious dearth existed among them during the last century as has been pictured
63
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
WHITES.
NEGROES.
HEADS OF FAMILIES.
MALES.
FEMALES.
Over 50
Over 16
Under 16
Over 16
Under 16
Males.
Females.
Thomas Dering.
I
2
I
2
I
4
I
Nichol Havens.
I
I
5
4
8
6
Daniel Brown ..
I
I
I
I
I
William Nicoll.
I
I
I
James Havens .
I
2
I
I
I
Thomas Conkling
I
I
I
3
3
I
I
Joel Bowditch.
I
I
I
I
Abraham Parker.
I
I
2
Benjamin Sawyer
3
3
2
2
Moses Sawyer
I
2
2
2
Samuel Case, Jr
I
I
3
Phineas Parker
1
I
I
I
Thomas Conkling, Jr.
I
4
I
2
Walter Havens.
I
2
I
2
John Bowditch
I
I
I
I
Thomas Harlow.
I
I
I
I
David Conkling.
I
I
I
Noah Terry.
I
2
I
I
William Havens, Jr.
I
I
I
I
William Brown.
I
I
Moses Horton.
I
I
I
2
Deliverance Pain
George Daval.
I
I
John Daval.
I
I
IO
29
29
38
32
2I
I2
1776. Capt. Sam'l Case appeared before me, and made oath to the within list, that it contained a true and faithful account of the inhabitants of the Township of Shelter Island.
THOMAS DERING,
Chairman Town Committee.
7
3
2
4
I
3
William Havens.
Obadiah Havens
4
Samuel Case
I
I
by some writers regarding Shelter Island. With a meeting house erected by the citizens of the place; with a resident clergyman in the home of one, who likewise was called by the community to be its pastor; with a fund or legacy of five hundred dollars (a considerable sum in those days), the interest of which was to help in the sup- port of a regular orthodox Presbyterian minister; with the care and oversight of Long Island Presbytery, kindly bestowed in occa- sional supplies, of preachers in Presbyterial meetings and ordina- tion; with a community largely made up of Pilgrim and Puritan descendants, visited by renowned preachers and mighty evangelists,
I
3
64
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
and in constant touch with the religious communities of Southold, Easthampton, Bridgehampton and Southampton-it is more than probable that the people enjoyed the privileges of the gospel and the ordinances of God's house fully equal to their ability. No doubt the Revolutionary war led to the suspension of the outward means of grace, as it drove some of the inhabitants, among them the more prominent, into exile. And this brings us to a highly important period in the history of Shelter Island, the period of the Revolution. Some of the incidents that happened here have already been touched upon in the review of Mr. Thomas Dering's life. But only some. For there were other patriots here who played an important part in that mighty struggle. Indeed, Shelter Island was not behind any other place in its loyalty and devotion to the cause of liberty. Not only "not behind," but way ahead of many another community, as the paper here inserted fully proves. This paper, which is a pledge to support the Colonies in resisting British oppression, was cir- culated upon Shelter Island shortly after the battle of Lexington, which was the signal for war with Great Britain. It was signed with but one or perhaps two exceptions, by every man on Shelter Island. What a record is this! What a display of patriotism! Does it not lift the inhabitants of Shelter Island into the very front rank of noble citizens, ardent patriots and lovers of freedom? That paper is a crown of glory to Shelter Island that shall not fade away so long as history is true in its record and just in its meed of praise. Let the present and future generations of this place en- shrine it in undying affection, for what the Declaration of Inde- pendence is to the nation, this instrument is to Shelter Island, namely, its Magna Charta.
Besides Mr. Thomas Dering, who, as we have already seen, was a member of the Provincial Convention of New York that unani- mously adopted the Declaration of Independence, upon which the Convention assumed the title of "The Representatives of the State of New York," besides Mr. Dering, Shelter Island was repre- sented by Capt. James Havens, who kept a store in the house now occupied by his great grandson, Mr. Henry P. Havens, and known as "Hearts-Ease." Still a third member was sent from here in the person of Capt. Daniel Brown, so that our little island furnished three members of the various Provisional Congresses that met in 1775 and 1776. I doubt whether another community in all Suffolk County did as much. As early as the summer of 1775, the British
Shelter Island and Ite Presbyterian Church
65
Country of Suffolk may
Mout Ain 1775.
A General Affociation, agmed to, and fubfcribed by the Freeholders, Som and Inhabitants of the Giant County of Many
ERSUADED, that the Salvation of the Rights and Liberties of America, depends, under GOD, on the firm Union of its Inhabitants. in a vigorous Profecution of the Meafures necef- Tary for its Safety ; and convinced of the Neceffity of preventing the Anarchy and Confufiona which attend a Diffolution of the Powers of
Inhabitants, of the-Giyead County of government; We. the Fran Freeholders, and As, being greatly alarmed at the avowed Delign of "the Miniftry, to raife a Revenue in America ; and, fhocked, by the bloody Scene, now acting in the Maffachufetts Bay, DO, in the moft folemn Manner refolve, never to become Slaves; and do affociate under all the Ties of Religion, Honour, and Love to our Country, to adopt and endeavour to carry into Execution, whatever Meafures may, be recommended by the Continental Congrefs; or -. refolved upon by our Provincial Convention, for the Purpose of preferving our Constitution, and oppofing the Execution of the feveral arbitrary, and oppreffive Aas of the British Parliament ; Reconciliation between Great - Britain and America, on Constitutional Principles, (which we mot ardently Defrepan Demianed. And that we will, in all Things follow the Advice of our =
Contre respecting. .. " Purposes aforefaid, the Prefervation of Peace and good Order, and the Safety of Individuals; and private ruperty.
Suffolk Comity
Dated in < May, 1775;
Joshua Horton Thou Harley
Thom Dering odhow
Donich Brown
1 Sylwester Dering
Ebeneser Havens
Jonathan Nº Havenu
Motel Horten Walter Havens - BurgonDovol Nathaniel Nathan fand Johni Daval.
Suthive Phinchas Larken
ThomasConkling for William Bodin's theadeach Combling Rogersh Sie Ravens 2 Men Lawyer! -
y -! imin (avcyer ) Samuel Page
1 $
IT Jefeph Pape
Chickand Sucheyer Abraham Larken famusont les
John Hagens William Flaunt
Moses mabler Gravyer
William Hannogin Sight Mavery !" 1 Graph glavens
SHELTER ISLAND'S "DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE"
Janur Havani
Jod Bow ditch Jonathan Howell
Isuse Barno
Samuel Broth operate!
Hillary Brown pelle havens Elisha Paine Mariah Havens
Samuel Pase June
JG4
65
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
navy appeared in these waters, prowling around this island, to the number of thirteen ships of war, and during the progress of the war as many as twenty-one vessels lay at one time in Gardiner's Bay. That body of water became the rendezvous of the enemy's ships of war. The names of some of the vessels were as follows: The London, 120 guns; Grand Duke, 120 guns; Royal Oak, 100 guns; Bedford, 100 guns; Centurion, 80 Guns; Robust, 74 guns; Royal George, 74 guns, and the Culloden, 74 guns. Upon the disastrous result of the battle of Long Island to the American side, in August, 1776, the British took possession of the whole of Long Island, with its adjacent islands, and continued their sway of martial law throughout the war from 1776 to 1783.
During these years the inhabitants of Shelter Island suffered terribly for their loyalty to the cause of the Colonists. The officers of the enemy's vessels anchored in these waters would come ashore and compel the inhabitants to provide whatever they demanded. They forced every one at the point of the bayonet to swear allegiance to the king. Nothing was safe from the hands of the enemy, and not only from the enemy, but from some of their neighbors who were Tories.
Thompson in his history tells us that "the Tory inhabitants, whether natives or refugees (by which he means those who sympa- thized with the British) that the Tory inhabitants were the constant dread of those on the other side, who had anything to lose, or who had by their patriotism rendered themselves obnoxious to their despicable malice. Even the more inoffensive, who remained at home with their suffering families, were often harassed, and per- petually exposed to the predatory disposition of the worst men, and could hardly be said to have anything which they could call their own. In some instances the lives of peaceable citizens were sacrificed in the most unprovoked and wanton manner, disgraceful even to barbarians, because they would not discover their money and other valuables to the robbers. The property of those who had fled from their homes, and especially those engaged in the American service, was particularly the object of rapine, and in many instances the damages were immense. Woods and fences were lavishly used for fuel, and in any other way which served the purposes of those stationed in the neighborhood as well as for the garrisons of Brooklyn and New York."
During this time the administration of justice, according to
66
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
historian Woods, was suspended and the British army became a sanctuary for crimes and robbery, the grossest offences being atoned for by enlistment therein. Those who had served in any wise in the cause of liberty had to fly into the American lines for safety, while those who remained at home were harassed and plun- dered of their property, the inhabitants of Suffolk County being perpetually exposed to the grossest insult and abuse. They had no property of a movable kind that they could, properly speaking, call their own; they were oftentimes deprived of the stock neces- sary to the management of their farms, and were deterred from en- deavoring to produce more than a bare subsistence by the appre- hension that a surplus would be wrested from them either by the military authority of the purveyor or the ruffian hand of the plun- derer. The officers seized and occupied the best rooms in the houses of the inhabitants; they compelled them to furnish blankets and fuel for the soldiers, and hay and grain for their horses; they took away their cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry, and seized without ceremony and without any compensation whatever they desired to gratify their wants and wishes."
But these pecuniary losses were not the sorest trials that the in- habitants of Long Island endured under the tyranny of their op- pressors. Besides these violations of the rights of person and property, the British officers did many acts of barbarity, for which there could be no apology. They made garrisons, storehouses or stables of the houses of public worship in several towns, and par- ticularly of such as belonged to the Presbyterians. Among the Presbyterian churches that were thus pillaged was the one of New- town, from which "they actually sawed off the steeple in derision, smashed its pews, tore off its siding and turned the sacred place into a prison, guard house, hospital and stable, and as a parting indignity demolished the whole."
The Presbyterian church of Islip was literally carried off by piecemeal to Jamaica to be used as barracks for the British soldiers. The church at Southold, our next of kin ecclesiastically, and the mother of this church, had no services in it during the whole eight years of the war. Its pastor, the Rev. John Storrs, went into the army as chaplain. Our Presbytery, the Presbytery of Long Island, could not gather during this time of trial, persecution and blood. One of its members, the Rev. Joshua Hart, languished for two years in the awful prison ships of the enemy anchored in the Wallabout
67
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
of Brooklyn. All persons of importance in this region were driven into exile, only slaves and servants remained. Not even the farms could be tilled. From all this you can imagine the hardships that the people of this island had to endure during these eventful years.
As a sample of what they had to endure, I give you this extract bearing date of Sept. 15th, 1781: "On the evening of the 15th the British ransacked the house of Nicoll Havens on Shelter Island, took two fowling pieces, a silver hilted sword, a silver mounted hanger, some tea, &c. At Capt. James Havens' they took a watch, coat, fowling piece, &c. Then they went to widow Payne's, in- sulted the inmates of the house and threatened to burn it, made them produce a silver tankard, linen, a watch, a coat, and a fowling piece, &c." No wonder that at the close of the war, as the enemy's fleet departed, the people of this place assembled on the hills at Prospect and held a jubilee over their departure. One of the enemy's vessels, the Culloden, ran ashore on the east point of Fort Pond and became a total loss, the accident resulting from a blind- ing snowstorm that set in just as the squadron was rounding Gardi- ner's Point. Because of this, that point is designated as "Culloden's Point" on all charts to this day.
Dr. Woodworth, in his dedicatory sermon preached upon the dedication of the present church building, in 1817, speaking of this period, said: "The calamities and disastrous connections of the Revolutionary war were here experienced in great weight. The destruction of property, though great, was by no means the worst evil. The demoralizing effects were much more to be deplored. The public means of grace were suspended; the Sabbath of the Lord profaned, and that sense of God and the claims of serious religion, which rested but too lightly on the public mind, now seemed to be wholly erased. Vice in its various forms prevailed and failed not to produce its legitimate effects." Such in part were the vicissitudes of this people. But it was not in vain. The cause for which it had all been born, was not only worthy of it, but had gloriously triumphed.
At the close of the war the Legislature of New York passed on April 6th, 1784, a law governing the incorporation of religious societies, by the selection of a Board of Trustees, who should have charge of the temporalities and discharge such other duties as are therein stated. On that same day Shelter Island held its Town meeting, the first one after the war, and after selecting its officers,
68
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
appointed a committee, consisting of Sylvester Dering and Jona- than N. Havens, to "inquire into and take charge of the monnies left by Brinley Sylvester, Esq., toward the support of the Gospel on Shelter Island and make report thereof to the Inhabitants of the Island." The next year a special meeting was called of the in- habitants of the Society of Shelter Island for the 26th of April, when the Church Society was duly organized, as the following record will show:
"These are to certify that a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Society of Shelter Island, held on the 26th day of April, 1785, legally named agreeable to a Law of this State to Enable all Religious De- nominations to choose Trustees to take charge of their Temporali- ties, by the name and stile of Trustees of the Freeholders and In- habitants of the Township of Shelter Island, the following Persons were chosen Trustees:
JONATHAN N. HAVENS, SYLVESTER DERING, Trustees.
WILLIAM BOWDITCH,
JAS. HAVENS,
JONATHAN N. HAVENS, Inspectors of the Election.
Suffolk County.
MEMORANDUM, that on this third day of May, 1785, personally appeared be- fore me James Havens and Jonathan N. Havens, of Shelter Island, Inspectors of the Election, held at said Island on the 26th day of April, 1785, for the purpose of choosing Trustees to take charge of their temporalities, and acknowledged that Jonathan N. Havens, Sylvester Dering and William Bowditch were duly elected as Trustees for said Island, agreeably to this Certificate, and finding no material error therein do allow it to be recorded. THOS. YOUNGS, Judge.
Recorded this 18th day of June, 1785, in Suffolk County Register for record- ing the names of the persons elected to serve as Trustees for Religious Denominations in Lib. A, page 4. Per E. L'HOMMEDIEU, Clke.
The above is the first entry in the records of this society. After it comes another, which tells us the order in which the members of the Board served the society:
SUFFOLK COUNTY, ss.
At a meeting of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the Town of Shelter Island on the 25th Day of April, 1786, The Trustees of said Island provided according to the Law of this State Intitled ("an Act for Improving Re- ligious Societies throughout this State") to draw Lots for their Numbers, which were as follows:
William Bowditch, No. I.
Jonathan N. Havens, No. 2. Sylvester Dering, No. 3.
69
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
They then Proceeded to the choice of a Trustee in the place of the one that by Law then became vacant, when William Bowditch was re-chosen.
The first inventory made by the Trustees according to law was made the 16th of March, 1789, and is as follows:
AN INVENTORY OF ALL THE ESTATE, BOTH REAL AND PERSONAL, BELONGING TO THE CONGREGATION AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF THE TOWN OF SHELTER ISLAND, TAKEN ON THE 16TH OF MARCH, 1789.
Real Estate.
PERSONAL ESTATE.
ANNUAL REVINEW.
I State Certificate of £ 50 : 0 :0, payable January I, 1790, bear- ing interest of 5 per cent. from January 1, 1785, and signed by GERARD BAUCKER, Treas.
50
I State Certificate of £28 : 0 :9, payable January I, 1790, bear- ing interest of 6 per cent. from January 1, 1785, and signed by GERARD BAUCKER, Treas.
28
. ..
9
[None]
I State Certificate for interest of £14: 13:2, payable on the Ist of May, 1787, one-fourth part paid and signed
GERARD BAUCKER, Treas.
10
19
II
I Bond against Jno. Franks of £ 58:3:3, bearing date the 25th of December, 1787. .. . . . .
58
3
3
4
I
5
I Bond against Sylvester Dering of £ 19 : 10 : 814, bearing date January I, 1789 .
19
IO
8 14
I
3
5
48
I66
I4
714
5
4
IO
The society was now duly incorporated by the selection of these three men as trustees. One of them was the Supervisor of the Town; I refer to Jonathan N. Havens, a great-grandson of the first George Havens and a man of note; perhaps the greatest man native to this soil. He was the son of Nicoll Havens and Sarah Fosdick, his first wife, while Nicoll Havens was the son of Jonathan Havens and Catherine Nicoll. The subject of this sketch, Jonathan Nicoll Havens, thus bore the given name of his father and grandfather. He was born on the 18th of June, 1757. In 1773 he entered Yale College, at the age of sixteen, and graduated with honor in 1777. While in College he was president of the Linonian Society, from which it may be inferred that he was not inattentive to the uses of public speaking and composition. After graduating he returned to
70
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
his home on this island, where he became partly engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. His principal occupation, however, was of a lit- erary kind, the pursuit of the higher branches of learning. Several years were thus passed in retirement, seclusion and study. So en- grossed was he at times in thought that he was unconscious of per- sons or things about him, as the following incident will show. A certain Major Jessup, of Southampton, a personal friend of Mr. Jonathan Nicoll Havens, while on a visit to Shelter Island one day, made a call on Mr. Havens, who saluted him as he entered the house, but immediately returned to his studies, forgetting altogether of his visitor, who after staying a long time departed without notice. On the day after he called again, in company with Mr. Sylvester Dering, and in conversation related the circumstance of his call on the day previous, upon which Mr. Havens assured him that he had felt unaware of his visit, so deeply had he been absorbed by the sub- ject of his inquiry. Upon the death of his father, also a man of great prominence and highly esteemed, Jonathan N. Havens was chosen Clerk of the Town. This office his father had held from 1759, except during the period of the Revolution, to the time of his death, in 1783. His father also, with the office of Town Clerk, held the office of Supervisor for seven years before the beginning of the war, and at its close in the spring of the year in which he died, was again elected to both offices. Now the son, at a special meeting held Dec. 4th, 1783, is chosen to succeed his father as Town Clerk, and with this office begins a public career which gained for him a great name in the annals of his country. He continued to serve as Town Clerk until 1787, when he was chosen Supervisor, which office he discharged until 1793. In the meantime his ability had been spread abroad, so that in 1786 he was elected an Assemblyman from Suffolk County, to which office he was re-elected for ten con- secutive years. In this body he became distinguished for his in- tegrity and ability as a statesman. Among other important posi- tions he was chairman of the committee which originated the law es- tablishing public schools in the State of New York. Then, too, he was a member of the State Convention which met at Poughkeepsie on June 17, 1788, and adopted the Constitution of the United States. He was also elected a Justice of the Peace of the County of Suf- folk in 1795. After his ten years of service in the Assembly of the State, he was chosen a United States Representative, being elected a member of the Fourth Congress, in which body he served until
71
Shelter Island and Its Presbyterian Church
his death, in 1799, at the early age of 42. His death was a great shock to the community and to all who knew him. Thompson says: "He was not only a man of extraordinary abilities, but was distin- guished likewise for industry and promptitude in everything which he undertook. The death of such a man at the age of 40 years (it should be 42) could not be otherwise felt than a subject of general regret with all who knew his worth." He was buried in the South churchyard, and over his remains was raised a tablet that bears this high eulogy: "Erected to the memory of Jonathan Nicoll Havens, Esq., Representative in the Congress of the United States. He was esteemed by a numerous acquaintance as a man of superior talent aud erudition, a philosopher, statesman and patriot, and died greatly lamented Oct. 25th, 1799, in the 42 yr. of his age." As Shelter Island can with pride point to her first supervisor, the Hon. William Nicoll, so can this religious corporation point with equal satisfaction to her first selected Trustee, the Hon. Jonathan Nicoll Havens.
Mr. Havens belonged to a distinguished family. One of his sisters, Esther Sarah Havens, married General Sylvester Dering, the second trustee, of whom we shall have occasion to speak later. Another sister, Mary Catherine, married the Hon. Ezra L'Hommedieu, also a noted statesman for more than thirty years, born in Southold, and considered by Dr. Epher Whitaker "the foremost of all the men who have lived all their life from birth to death in that noted town." A brother of Jonathan Nicoll Havens, named Rensselaer Havens, became a distinguished merchant, finan- cier and patriot in New York City. He, with another gentleman, fitted out a vessel and presented it to the government during the war of 1812. While in Yale College Mr. Jonathan Nicoll Havens wrote the following letter, which is here given because of its interest in many ways, among them the parental respect it displays, the inconvenience of travel in those days, the use of the pillow case, etc., etc.
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