History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 50

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703

USA > New York > Queens County > History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals. > Part 50

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Mr. Seabury writes in 1762 that the church had been completely repaired, chiefly at the expense of John Troup, who also presented a silver collecting plate, large prayer book and communion table. The amount of as- sistance given by others is shown in the following sub- scription paper, dated Jamaica, May Ist 1761:

Whereas it becomes neccessary for the preservation and decency of the parish church of Jamaica that the building should be thoroughly repaired, especially the steeple, windows, etc., and also that the church-yard be more decently enclosed; therefore we, the subscribers, being desirous to promote and secure the order and decency of the public worship of God, do voluntarily en- gage and oblige ourselves to pay to John Troup or Thomas Braine the sum annexed to our names for the above purpose:

€

John Troup 20

S. John Betts

Phillip V. Cortland. I IO

Richard Betts. 2

Thomas Betts . 2

Benj. Carpenter. . . John Comes.

Thomas Truxton. . . Dr. John Innes

2 IO

4 8

Joseph Oldfield. 2

WVm. Sherlock .. . . . 2 Thomas Hinchman. 2 Joseph Robinson .. . 2

Robert Troup. . .. John Burnett. I 2

5 IO Dan. Horsmanden .. Old school - house sold for .. 3

Thomas Jones 2

£93 18

was

February Ist 1762 the following advertisement published :

"To be sold and entered on when the purchaser pleases, a small plantation [since Walter Nichols's] half a mile east of Jamaica village, on which Mr. Seabury, rector of the church, now lives. It contains twenty-eight acres of good land, a good dwelling-house (one end new), a genteel building, a dry cellar under the whole house, a well of good water, new barn, hovel and smoke-house. There is a fine orchard that makes fifty barrels of cider ; also a screw-press and cider mill of a new invention, that grinds fifty bushels of apples in an hour. Also, fourteen acres of woodland two miles from the farm, and eight acres of salt meadow that cuts twenty loads of salt hay. Apply to the above said Samuel Seabury jr., who will give a good title."

In 1766 Mr. Seabury, whose necessary expenses at Ja- maica far exceeded the amount of liis professional income, seeing but little hope of the congregation redeeming the p'edge which they gave on his coming among them, of

providing him with a parsonage house, intimated to the venerable society his wish to accept the offer of the mission at Westchester, made to him by the church ward- ens and vestry. He was installed there Decem- ber 30th.

Joshua Bloomer was appointed missionary, with a grant of £30 yearly, to the parish of Jamaica, including Flush- ing and Newtown, at the earnest request of the people, signified to the society by the church wardens of those towns. He came to Jamaica in those troublous times that intervened between the passage of the Stamp act and the breaking out of the Revolution. He was inducted May 23d 1769. He writes (February 15th 1770): "I preach generally to crowded assemblies, who behave whith deco- rum. Though I enjoy the love and esteem of my hearers I have a troublesome lawsuit against the parish for f60 yearly salary which they refuse to pay me." He had to institute a suit in chancery against Hendrickson & Edsall, church wardens. It was long pending, and not till April 1774 did Governor Tryon, the chancellor, decide in Bloomer's favor, each party to pay their own costs. To alleviate the misfortune of the losing party, Mrs. Tryon, before her departure for London, kindly made them a present of the costs, amounting to £80. The chancellor's decree was as follows:

" I decree that the defendants shall, on or before the fourth day of June next, at the door of the parish church of Jamaica, between the hours of ten and twelve in the forenoon, pay Mr. Bloomer his salary from the time of his induction to the commencement of his suit in this court, out of any moneys that may have accrued under the Ministry act and have been received by the defend- ants, as church wardens, prior to the filing of the bill, but without any interest .. And I recommend the parish of Jamaica to pay all arrears of salary to the Rev. Mr. Bloomer that are due him since filing the bill, as any de- lay or further dispute would justly subject them to pay- ment of costs."

In 1778 was published the following:

" Scheme of a lottery for raising the sum of £780 for the benefit of the established church in the parish of Jamaica, on Nassau Island, toward purchasing a glebe near said parish church.

" The lottery will be drawn under the inspection of a number of persons of character, who are appointed for that purpose.

"Adventurers in the first class are desired to renew their tickets within ten days after drawing each class, otherwise they will be excluded. Very little more than two blanks to a prize. The whole subject to a deduction of fifteen per cent.

Ist class, 2,000 tickets at 45., Ss., 2,000

$1,000

2nd 6 2,000

2,000

= 16s.,

4,000

4th 2,000

2.4S., 6,000."

With the money realized from this lottery a farm was bought, but it did not suit Mr. Bloomer, and it was after some years offered for sale, as appears by the following advertisement, February 9th 1786:

" For sale, the farm belonging to the Epicsopal church, Jamaica, pleasantly situated, a mile west of the village. It contains seventy acres (six of which are wood), good for pasture or tillage, a house, barn and young orchard, with a variety of other fruit.

Enquire of Christophe:

Thomas Cornell jr. Hutchins & Howell

16 16

I Tunis Polhemus ... William Howard .. . Isaac Van Hook ... 3 Fleming Colgan .. . . John Jauncey .. I Thos. Hammersly .. I

Thomas Braine. Jacob Ogden . . 2 IO Benj. Whitehead ... 2 IO William Murray .. .. Sam. Smith jr .. . George Dunbar. 2 John Smith, Union .. William Betts. .

John Armstrong .. . I

242

HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

Smith, Jamaica; Daniel Kissam, Flushing Fly, or Rev. pecially the sick. He left abruptly August 17th 1804. Mr. Bloomer, Newtown."

Mr. Bloomer writes (April 9th 1777) that the principal members of his congregation, who refused to join in the measures of the Congress in 1775-6 had their houses plundered, were seized, some put in prison, and others sent under guard to Connecticut, where they were de- tained as prisoners several weeks. "I administered the sacrament at Newtown, where I had but four or five male communicants, the rest being driven off or carried away prisoners. I was forbidden to read the prayers for the king and royal family. On consulting my wardens and vestry, rather than omit any portion of the liturgy, we shut up our church for five Sundays; but on the arrival of the king's troops services were resumed, and in 1777 I had sixty-six communicants; and since my last have baptized twenty four infants and two adults."

In 1779-80 Rev. John Sayre, a refugee, then residing at Flushing, assisted Mr. Bloomer. The Rev. John Bow- den, who occupied the vacated Dutch parsonage at Ja- maica, occasionally assisted also. The Dutch church was taken by the British and occupied as a storehouse. Whenever their ministers (Schoonmaker and Rubell came to Jamaica they were allowed the use of the English church.

Mr. Bloomer wrote in 1781 that his mission went on her nicce Mary. The engagement was broken off by

well. He was punctual in the duties of his office and mutual consent. The people would not let the matter drop thus, but took sides for and against the girl. She the people were regular in their attendance on public worship. He died unmarried and intestate, June 23d brought suit against Mr. Clowes for slander and recovered 1790, aged 55, universally regretted, and was buried in $4,000 damages. the chancel of the church.

In 1786 the church was shingled, painted and other- wise repaired. In 1790 Rev. William Hammell was called, at a salary of $40 from Newtown, £35 from Flushing, £40 from Jamaica, and £30 additional in lieu of the glebe, which was sold for £603. He was present- ed with a horse, saddle and bridle. His eyesight be- came so weak that he could not read the prayers. He resigned in 1795 and received £100 yearly from Trinity Church for thirty years.

Rev. Charles Seabury, son of the bishop, was called January 15th 1796, and continued till March 2nd.

March 3d 1797 a church glebe was bought for £300, and it being out of repair £1oo was expended on it.

Newtown having withdrawn from the three united churches Elijah D. Rattoone was called May 12th 1797 by Jamaica and Flushing, at a salary of $500 and the in- terest of £900, the glebe money. He purchased for himself a country seat of 110 acres, with 1,200 peach trees on it and a fine large house, having a widely ex- tended prospect. In 1802 he resigned and went to Balti- more.

Rev. Calvin White was called December 10th 1802. He soon complained that his house was out of repair, leaky and smoky. The vestry complained of his neglect in visiting the people in a friendly way, and more es-

Rev. George Strebeck, who had been a Methodist and also a Lutheran minister, was called for six months from May Ist 1805. April 8th 1806 Rev. Andrew Fowler was called for six months, and May ist 1807 Rev. John Ire- land for six months.

April Ist 1808 Rev. Edmund D. Barry, a teacher in New York, was called for a year at a salary of $500, the vestry engaging to pay his stage expenses and board from Sat- urday night till Monday morning.

The church was now at a low ebb. The communi- cants on June 6th 1808 were John and Mrs. Hewlett, Mrs. King, Aaron Van Nostrand, Jeremiah Valentine, David Rowland, James Mackrell sen. and his wife, Mrs. Barry, John Hogland, Mrs. Elizabeth Brewer and Tom, a black. The communion money was only $2.34. Some members had gone over to the Methodist church, which was now being started.

Rufus King, who had settled in Jamaica, procured for the church a gift from Trinity Church of three lots in New York, which yielded floo per year for the support of a clergyman.

Rev. Timothy Clowes was called'April 23d 1809, at a salary of $700 per year; but left April 23d 1810. He boarded at the widow Dunbar's and became engaged to

Rev. Gilbert H. Sayres was called May Ist 1810, at a salary of $750 per year. At his first coming he wore the conventional dress of that day, viz., breeches buckled at the knee, black stockings and shoes. His health failing him he retired from the charge May Ist 1830, on an allowance of $100 per year for five years; though a grate- ful vestry made him further allowances till near the time of his death, April 27th 1867, aged 80.

May 5th 1812, the old glebe having been sold, the farm of Smith Hicks was bought for £1,800; a part was sold off at once, and the remainder Mr. Sayres bought for himself in 1826 for $1,400.

The old church had been often repaired, but kept getting out of order, so that on receipt of a gift of $1,000 from Trinity Church, and $1,000 by home subscription, the plan of a new church was adopted September 7th 1820; $750 was borrowed. The church was consecrated July 15th 1822. Rufus King gave $500 and a stove, and he with Timothy Nostrand and L. E. A. Eigenbrodt assisted the carpenters in planning the edifice. The taste for church music was at a low ebb. Music books were few and not much studied, the singing being by rote rather than by note. Music such as it was was vocal. In 1827 a flute was introduced, and then a bassoon. Not till 1835 was an organ introduced, a gift of the ladies of the missionary society.

GRACE CHURCH, JAMAICA.

243

GRACE CHURCH, JAMAICA. CONSECRATED JULY 15 1822.

On December 3d 1829 Geo. E. Ryerson was arrested for stealing prayer books, altar decorations and carpet from Grace Church.

Rev. Wm. L. Johnson commenced his labors here May Ist 1830, at a salary of $600 a year and finding his own dwelling. He was then rich in Brooklyn lots, but, being a better minister than a financier, he lived to see the end of his wealth. Being a good classical scholar of a literary turn he published several sermons. He died August 4th 1870, aged 70. Masonic honors were superadded to the usual funeral solemnities.

In January 1837 a free school for negroes was estab- lished by the church, It had 55 scholars. Soon after this a Sunday-school was started; but it did not succeed very well till Jeremiah Valentine became superintendent and Miss Anne Van Wyck taught and drilled the scholars in singing. On December 30th 1856 the grateful scholars and teachers presented Mr. Valentine with a gold pen and pencil worth $22; and January Ist 1860 they gave him a handsome Bible.

April 20th 1841 the vestry voted to repair the church, at a cost of $1,550.

In 1860 the church was repaired, improved and beauti- fied at a cost of $3,200, stained glass windows being put in at a cost of $300, mostly given by the ladies through Miss Anne Van Wyck; but on New Year's morning of 1861 this comely edifice was burned to the ground by a fire originating in the flues of the furnace. The organ, two tablets containing the Lord's Prayer, creed and ten com- mandments, a communion table of English oak and

graceful pattern, a bell weighing over 400 lbs. cast in 1748, two old locust trees and some tombstones were included in the ruin.

On May 21st 1861 the vestry contracted with Hendrick Brinkerhoff and Anders Peter- sen to build for $14,900 a gothic edifice of Jersey blue stone, 43 by 90 feet. The corner stone was laid by Bishop Potter July 6th 1861, and the building consecrated January 8th 1863. The rector being infirm Rev. S. J. Corneille was engaged as assistant Nov. Ist 1852. Rev. Augustine Cornell was settled as assistant in January 1864. Rev. Thos. Cook was called May 10th 1866, at a salary of $800 per year, as assistant.

Rev. George Williamson Smith was called January 18th 1872. He was the twelfth rector and twenty-second minister of this ancient parish. His salary was $2,000 and the use of the parsonage, which was bought in' May 1872 at a cost of $8,000. He preached his farewell sermon August 28th 1881.

The church has been robbed several times. On Tuesday night December 17th 1855 thieves entered the church by placing a barrel under one of the rear windows and so climbing inside; carpets, pulpit cushions, etc., to the value of $50 were stolen. On the night of May 31st 1866 the church was robbed of its carpets in the center and one side aisle. The thieves entered in the rear by the northwest window.

On the night of February 26th 1874 thieves entered the church by breaking a pane of glass from the west window near the organ. They tore up the carpets in the aisles, cut the letters from the altar cloth and destroyed one surplice, leaving a gown and another surplice un- harmed. The vestry had a burglar alarm put in; but on the night of June 17th 1881 some thieves set up a ladder and took a pane of glass out of a rear window, detached the wires of the burglar alarm and carried off the altar cloth, the rector's black gown and vest, and the com- munion wine.

The greatest benefactors of the church have been the King family. Rufus King procured much help to the church from "Old Trinity." His son, Governor John A. King, besides bountiful contributions in money gave land for enlarging the church yard at different times. In 1847 he gave a baptismal font of Italian marble. In 1862 an organ was given the church in the name of John A. King and Mary, his wife. Mrs. James G. King gave a large Oxford Bible and four large prayer books. Mrs. James G. King sen, gave a beautiful stone font. The bishop's chair and books for the reading desk were gifts of the King family. On January 15th 1867 Mrs. Charles King had three tablets for the creed, the Lord's Prayer and the ten commandments set up in the rear of the chancel. On the death of John A. King it appeared that he had left $1,000 to the church to keep the bury- ing ground in good order, and his executors gave the

244

HISTORY OF QUEENS COUNTY.

GRACE CHURCH, JAMAICA. OPENED FOR WORSHIP SUNDAY SEPT. 21 1862; CONSECRATED THURSDAY JAN. 8 1863.

church more land for a cemetery at a nominal price. On St. John's day 1873 the children of Mrs. Mary King endowed a bed in St. John's hospital for the needy sick, to be at the disposal of the vestry. On August 7th 1878 a memorial lectern of carved oak was placed on the steps of the choir. The inscription on it was, "A. D. 1878. In memoriam Mary King, 1873." On the north wall of the church is a marble tablet with a raised profile of John Alsop King, who was born January 3d 1788 and died July 7th 1867.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, JAMAICA.

In 1767 Captain Webb, a converted soldier of the Brit- ish army, having a relative living in Jamaica, came here on a visit, hired a house and preached in it, and 24 per- sons received justifying faith. From that time till 1784 (when Philip Cox was sent to the circuit) we hear noth- ing more of that denomination. Jamaica was at first included in the Long Island circuit and then in the Brooklyn circuit-called circuit from the fact that the ministers rode around from place to place-and was not made into a separate appointment till 1843, when Rev. Joseph Henson was pastor. Jamaica first appears in the printed annals of the Methodist church in 1810, with Francis Ward and Isaac Candee as pastors, who reported for the circuit (which included all of Queens county and the western part of Suffolk) 629 members. In a private manuscript of 1807 Luman Andrews, John Kline and Joseph Lockwood are named as preachers and Joseph Crawford as presiding elder.

The site of the first Methodist church was the free gift of Israel Disosway and his sister Ann, of New York, who on July 28th 1810 "sell for one dollar to Mark Disosway, Peter Poillon and John Dunn, of Jamaica; to Joseph Harper and Thomas Hyatt, of Newtown; to Andrew Mercein, John Garretson and Joseph Mason, of Brooklyn, and to Israel Disosway, of New York, as trustees, 8 lots that were conveyed by Edward and Mary Bardin Janu- ary 27th 1803 to Nicholas Roosevelt, bounded east by Church street and west by Division street, being 100 by 225 feet on the north and south sides, to build thereon a place of worship for the use of the meeting of the Methodist Episcopal church in the United States of America, to permit Methodist preachers and none others to preach in and expound God's word."

A subscription list of December 4th 1809 reads as follows:

" Whereas the Methodist society in Jamaica are about to build a house there for the worship of God, we, willing to encourage the undertaking, promise to pay the sums an- nexed to our names: Mark Disosway, $75; Peter Poillon, $50; George Codwise, $10; James Denton, $5; Abraham D. Ditmars, $15; Abraham Ditmars, $3.50; John Ryder, $3: John Thatford, $3; William Creed, $4; a friend, $30; William Sales, $3; Smith Hicks, $5; John Martson, $2; Mary P. Austin, $2; Daniel Rhodes, $2.50; Michael Skidmore, $2; John S .. Messenger, $2; Cary Dunn jr., $5; Joseph Seeley, $4; Joseph Robinson, SI0; B. T. Rowland, $1; Silas Roe, SI; David Lamberson, $3; Nicholas Ludlum, $2; Miss Clarissa Keteltas, $2; Anna Scriba, $5; J. P., $2.50; Elizabeth Brewer, $4; S. S. Carman, $1; Abraham Snedeker, St; Elisha Sweet, $3; from a friend (C. Elderd , $3; Jacob Smith, $5; Wash- shington Smith, two days' work."

Besides the above $711 were subscribed by residents in New York.

A class paper of 1808 has the following names of mem- bers : Mark and Judith P. Disosway, John, Deborah and Amasa Dunn, Adra and Peter Poillon, Elizabeth and Rebecca Jones, Joseph and Hannah Dunbar, Abraham and William Cole, Mary Pettit, Lenah Leech, William and Charity Francis, Garret Murphy, Daniel Stringham.

The frame was got out by contract and transported from Smithtown to Jamaica. At the raising of it a serious accident occurred. All the frame had been erected except the rafters, and, instead of erecting these two by two, they were first all piled together on the beams of the newly erected frame, which broke down under the superincumbent weight and severely injured Smith Hicks and Joseph Dunbar.

Several of the Methodists had withdrawn from the Episcopal church, such as Mark Disosway, John Dudley, John Dunn, Obadiah and Abraham Leech, Joseph Dun- bar and others. Before the erection of the church, meet- ings were held in private houses, Disosway was the fa-

245

CHURCHES-SOCIETIES.

ther and chief patron of the denomination in Jamaica. He lived in the house now George Nostrand's. He was im- poverished by his unbounded hospitality. The ministers were then itinerant and rode the circuit on horseback, with saddle bags which contained their books and cloth- ing. Sometimes nine horses at once stood in Mr. Disos- way's stables, feeding from his mangers, while the riders sat at his table and slept under his roof.

The Methodist congregation did not increase much for some years. In 1844 there were only 33 members; but under the ministry of Rev. M. E. Willing about 90 joined the church on probation.

In 1846 a second church was erected, on the corner of Fulton street and New York avenue, at a cost of nearly $4,000. The building committee consisted of O. P. Leech, A. D. Snedeker and Harvey Parcel. At his death Mr. Leech left $300 to buy a bell for the church. An organ costing $500 was put in the church in 1868. In 1866 an acre of ground was bought of Rev. J. M. Hunt- ting for $9,000, and the place was used as a parsonage till 1873, when the old house was sold and removed. The corner stone of a new church was laid October 9th 1873 by Rev. R. C. Putney, the pastor. The building was dedicated by the pastor, Rev. William T. Hill, October Ist 1874. It was a frame structure 50 by 80 feet, and cost about $14,000.

A parsonage on the same lot with the church was com- pleted in April 1874. In the rear of the church is a Sunday school building and lecture room. The plan of the church and parsonage was devised and drawn by John C. Acker, who with Rev. W. T. Hill, Isaac B. Strang, John B. Hopkins, John W. Selover, Thomas W. Clary, Smith B. Crossman and Isaac B. Remsen constituted the building committee. The total cost of the church prop- erty was about $40,000.

The present membership is about 240. Rev. Thomas Stephenson is now the pastor.

The Sunday-school in 1844 numbered only 34 scholars. In 1881 it had increased to 149 scholars, with 29 officers and teachers ; John C. Acker being superintendent, Geo. E. Tilly assistant, and Richard W. Rhoades secretary. The library has about 400 volumes.

OTHER CHURCHES.

The first Roman Catholic church (St. Monica) was a small edifice of wood, erected in 1839, in the pastorate of Rev. James O'Donnel, at a cost of $1,000. The pres- ent building, of brick, costing $25,000, was planned by Rev. Anthony Farley, the pastor, and erected on lots given by a lady in New York, in 1856.

The Baptist church was organized November 11th 1868. A church was built at a cost of $1,800. The pastors have been Revs. George H. Pendleton, Mr. Fuller, A. Stewart Walsh, Charles Colman, Charles Edwards and Samuel Taylor.

The Baptist Shiloh negro church was organized December 22nd 1872, and the building, valued at $1,200, was dedicated in November 1877. There are 25 church members. The Sunday-school was started in 1873. The

preachers have been Charles Colman, Joseph Francis and John Cary.

The German Reformed church of St. Paul was erected in 1873, at a cost of $5,000. The society was taken under the care of the north classis of Long Island in 1876. The pastors have been P. Quirn, S. H. Gundt, Ernest Oxee, Julius Hones and Henry Frech.

SOCIETIES.

FREE MASONS.

Morton Lodge (1802) .- R. W. Isaac Hagner, M .; W. William Mott, S. W .; W. Henry Hagner, J. W .; Abram Bedell, treasurer; Silvanus Smith, secretary; Daniel Be- dell, S. D .; Wright Nichols, J. D .; William Anson, stew- ard; William Crooker, tiler; R. W. David R. Floyd-Jones, P. M. Number of members, 40.

Jamaica Lodge, No. 546, was organized under dispen- sation from the grand lodge of the State of New York March 3d 1864. The first communication was held March 15th 1864, when the officers were as follows: Henry Pooley Cooper, master; Peter Waters, S. W .; Thomas Barker, J. W .; Clinton A. Beldin, treasurer; Pier- pont Potter, secretary; P. D. Hoffman, S. deacon; Ber- nard Muldoon, J. deacon; William L. Johnson, chaplain; Benjamin B. Wood, S. master of ceremonies; Joseph Hawkins, J. master of ceremonies; Michael Shaw, tiler.

A charter was granted and the lodge constituted by the officers of the grand lodge June 14th 1864.

The officers in 1882 were: George M. Gale, W. mas- ter; John Ryder, S. warden; Charles H. Acker, J. war- den; Pierpont Potter, chaplain; Samuel S. Aymar, secre- tary; Charles H. Stevens, treasurer; John S. Denton, S. deacon; J. E. Spillett, J. deacon; David L. Brinkerhoff, S. M. of C .; Elijah Raynor, J. M. of C .; George W. Al- len, musical director; Theodore J. Armstrong, organist; Stephen Ryder, marshal; William F. Rosst, tiler; John J. Armstrong, John H. Brinckerhoff and George W. Allen, trustees.

Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday evenings in each month.

QUEENS COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.

There have been three medical societies. The first was formed October Ist 1806, with Daniel Minema pres- ident, Henry Mott vice-president, Thomas Cock secretary, and James Searing treasurer.

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History of Queens County, New York : with illustrations, portraits, and sketches of prominent families and individuals., Part 50

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co. Number of Pages: 703

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell and Co.
Number of Pages: 703