History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 122

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 122

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

1 The language of the act refers only to a "Protestant Minister.", .'There can be no doubt," says Mr. Dawson, in the " Historical Maga- zine," "that it was the intention of the Assembly to provide for the main- tenance of the Dissenting clergy. The act was very loosely worded, which, as things stood when it was made, could not be avoided. The Dissenters could claim the benefit of it as well as Churchmen, and unless

The Puritans were keenly affected by this issue. Francis Doughty, who had been expelled by the Con- gregationalists from Taunton, Mass., is said to have been the first Puritan or Presbyterian minister in New York. He officiated from 1643 to 1648, and was supported by voluntary coutributions from the Puri- tans and Duteh of the city. Puritans were certainly among the early settlers of Westchester. In volume iii. page 557, of the Documentary History of New York, there is an interesting description of a Puritan service at Westehester in 1656, conducted by two lay- men, Robert Bassett and a Mr. Bayley, who were prob- ably ruling elders, one reading a sermou and the other leading in prayer. When the colony was surrendered to the Duke of York, in September, 1644, there were within its bounds six Puritan ministers settled with their flocks. There were Puritan bands at Rye and Westchester without pastors. 2

Governor Andros did not trouble the Puritan churches, which lost some of their veteran pastors, but continued to increase in numbers. Nathaniel Brewster settled at Brookhaven and supplied East Chester in 1665. In 1674 Eliphalet Jones supplied Rye and Ezekiel Fogg supplied East Chester. In 1675 Peter Prudden preached at Rye, and Thomas Deuham settled there in 1677. Thus within twelve years there were five Presbyterian clergymen exercis- ing their functions in Westchester County. They and their flocks shared in the struggle which all Dissenters had to make with Governor Sloughter's efforts to estab- lish the Church of England as the State Church, but still Presbyterianism flourished. In Westehester County Rev. John Woodbridge located at Rye and Rev. Warham Mather at Westchester in 1684.

These two clergymen were among the most import- ant personages in the lively episode which followed the conversion of Rev. William Vesey, a Puritan pastor in New York, to the Church of England His change of faith is said to have been proeured by Colonel Ileathcote, who, upon his settlement at Scarsdale, Westchester County, in 1692, showed himself a still zealous proselyter for the Church of England. In a letter to the Society for the Propagation of the Gos- pel, dated April 10, 1704, he relates a contention that was of great moment at the time :

" The people of Westchester, East Chester and a place called Lower Yonkers agreed with one War- ren Mather, and the people of Rye with one Mr. Woodbridge, both of New England, there being at

wrested from its true bearing, it admitted a construction in their favor. In fact, it was arbitrarily and illegally wrested from its true bear- ing and made to answer the purpose of the English Church party, which was a very small minority of the people affected by the operation of the law. The act itself is a conclusive argument against the alleged establishment of the Church of England in the province of New York. It was not established of any law of the province, nor by the ecclesiasti- cal law of England extending over the province, which was thus ex- cluded or modified by express law made by competent authority.

2 " Puritanism in New York," by Rev. Charles A. Briggs, D. D. Mug- uzine of American History, January, 1885.

472℮

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

that time scarce six in the whole county who so much as inclined to the church. After Mather had been with them some time, Westchester parish made choice of me for one of their church wardens in hopes of using my influence with Colonel (Governor) Fletch- er to have Mather inducted to the living. I told them it was altogether impossible for me to comply with their desires, it being wholly repugnant to the laws of England to compel the subject to pay for the maintenance of any minister who was not of the Na- tional Church, and that it lay not iu any Governor's power to help them, but since they were so zealous for having religion and good order settled amongst 'em, I would propose a medium in that matter, which was that there being at Boston a French Protestant Minister, Mr. Bondett, a very good man, who was in orders from my Lord (Archbishop) of London, and the people of New Rochelle being destitute of a min- ister, we would call Mr. Bondett to the living, and the parish being large enough to maintain two, we would likewise continue Mr. Mather and support him by subscription. The vestry seemed to be extreamly well pleased with this proposal and desired inc to send for Mr. Bondett, which I immediately did, hoping by that means to bring them over to the church ; but Mather, apprehending what I aimed at, persuaded the vestry to alter their resolutions, and when he came they refused to call him, so that projection failing me, and finding that it was impossible to make any progress toward settling the church so long as Mather contin- ued among us, I made it my business in the next place to devise ways to gett him out of the country, which I was not long in contriving, which being effected and having gained some few proselytes in every town, and those who were of the best esteem amongst 'em, who having none to oppose them, and being assisted by Mr. Vesey and Mr. Bondett, who very often preached in several parts of the country, baptizing the children, by easy methods the people were soon wrought into a good opinion of the church and indeed beyond my expectations."

It is not explained by what means Heathcote drove the Puritan clergymen out of the country, but it is not doubtful that he turned many of the Presbyterians over to the Anglican faith and prepared the way for the work of the Society for the Propagation of Chris- tian Knowledge, an organization of the Church of England, which sent John Bartow out as a mission- ary. He was placed in charge of the Puritan Churches of East Chester, Westchester and Jamaica by Governor Cornbury, and the Puritan ministers, Joseph Morgan, of Westchester, and John Hubbard, of Jamaica, were forced to retire from their church buildings and parsonages.1 The latter made a fight,

but Cornbury ousted him in favor of Bartow, who then attacked Morgan, with the result narrated in his own letter of December 1, 1707, to the secretary of the Society :

" Not long after this my Lord (Cornbury) requested me to go and preach at East Chester; accordingly I went (tho' somc there had given out threatening words should I darc to come), but tho' I was there very early and the people had notice of my coming, their Presbyterian minister, Mr. Morgan, had begun service in the meeting-house, to which I went straitway and continued the whole time of service without interruption, and in the afternoon I was per- mitted to perform the Church of England services, Mr. Morgan being present, and neither he or the people seemed to be dissatisfied, and after some time of preaching there afterwards they desired mie to come oftener, and I concluded to minister there once a month, which now I have done for about three years, and Mr. Morgan is retired into New England." 2

Puritanism lost somewhat of its hold upou the people in consequence of the opposition of Cornbury ; but with the accession of the house of Hanover to the English throne, in 1714, persecution of the Puri- tans in America ceased. On November 22, 1718, Rev. Wm. Tennent settled at East Chester and began to rebuild Puritanism in the county. He removed to Bedford May 1, 1720, and remained until August, 1726, preaching in allthe townships. When Methodism divided the churches of the colony into antagonistic forces he became one of its leaders. An impetuous revival of faith occurred, which was guided by Thomas Smith at Rye and Samuel Sackett at Bedford. Ten- nent and his adherents were excluded from the Synod of Philadelphia in 1741, in the absence of the entire Presbytery of New York. The excluded Methodists rallied around the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and in 1745 it combined with the Presbytery of New York in erecting the Synod of New York, all of whose churches were in sympathy with the Meth- odists. In 1752 the Rye Church united with the Synod and thus all the original Puritan Churches of New York, organized in the seventeenth century, were combined in one compact Synodical organization. On

possession of churches, glebes and parsonages. This was done, or at- tempted, at Westchester and East Chester, Rye and Bedford. In Rye only, of all these towns, no church had been built; but a tax was levied upon the inhabitants for its erection, and meanwhile the house and lands which had been provided for a minister aud held by a suc- cession of pastors, were taken for the missionary." ("The Presby- terians in the Province of New York," Rev. Charles W. Baird, Mag. Amer. Hist., 1879, Vol. III., Part II.)

2 "Colonel Heathcote represents that Morgan was ready to conform. But in this case he was hasty in judgment. Morgan was of tougher fibre than Vesey. Ile resisted all the influence brought to bear npon him and remained faithful. He labored for many years as a Presby- terian minister and died in New Jersey in connection with the Synod of Philadelphia. Rye was taken possession of by Thomas Pritchard and afterwards by Mr. Mnirson, and John Jones, pastor of Bedford, was forced to retire to Connecticut after arrest and reprimand before the Council."-Briggs' " Puritanism in New York."

1 " Lord Cornbury, equally zealous with his predecessor, Fletcher for the spread of the Church of England, assumed the right that Fletcher had claimed to indnet ministers into parishes, and, under color of a law that had no existence, put the unssionaries of the Society in

472d

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

the order that "every township is obliged to pay their minister according to such agreement as they shall make with him, and no man to refuse his proportion, the minister being elected by the major part of the honseholders inhabitants of the town." It was the original scheme of the English that in each parish a church "should be built in the most convenient part thereof, capable to receive and accommodate two hundred persons," but this was found impracticable, for in 1655 it was provided that such churches should be built within three years afterward, and to that end a town rate or tax was authorized to begin that year. In default of payment of the church rates by towns or individuals, a summary process was authorized for the collection of the assessments and subscriptions.

It must not, however, be taken for granted that the Church of England immediately became the Estab- lished Church in New York. The controversy be- tween Governor Sloughter and the Assembly, in 1693, points the religious history of the time. All the members of the Assembly but one were Dissenters, and in considering a bill for settling a ministry they obstinately refused to incorporate an amendment sub- mitted by the Governor, providing that the bill should be presented to him, " to be approved and collated." His object was to construct it to the advantage of the Church of England, and as the Assemblymen could not be coerced or persuaded, he prorogued the session and scolded them vigorously in an address wherein he notified them that he "would take care that neither heresy, schism nor rebellion be preached amongst you."

This enactment of September 22, 1693, required the establishment of a "a good, sufficient Protestant minister, to officiate and have the care of souls within one year next" in specified districts. Two were ordered for Westchester County-"one to have the care of Westchester, East Chester, Yonkers and the Manor of Pelham; the other to have the care of Rye, Mamaroneck and Bedford." Each was to be paid fifty pounds per aunum by a levy laid upon the peo- ple, which they might pay "in country produce at money price." Iron-clad enactments protected the pastor against the possibility of non-payment of salary. The justices of the county were required to issue warrants to the constables to summon the free- holders on the second Tuesday of January, to choose ten vestrymen and two church wardens; the justices and the vestrymen laid the tax, and if it was not paid, the constables had the power to distrain for it. At each stage of the proceedings fines were provided for persons or officials who failed to discharge their duties.1

1 The language of the act refers only to a "Protestant Minister.', .'There can be no doubt," says Mr. Dawson, in the " Historical Maga- zine," "that it was the intention of the Assembly to provide for the main- tenance of the Dissenting clergy. The act was very loosely worded, which, as things stood when it was made, could not be avoided. The Dissenters could claim the benefit of it as well as Churchmen, and unless

The Puritaus were keenly affected by this issue. Francis Donghty, who had been expelled by the Con- gregationalists from Taunton, Mass., is said to have been the first Puritan or Presbyterian minister in New York. He officiated from 1643 to 1648, and was supported by voluntary contributions from the Puri- tans and Dutch of the city. Puritans were certainly among the early settlers of Westchester. In volume iii. page 557, of the Documentary History of New York, there is an interesting description of a Puritan service at Westchester in 1656, conducted by two lay- men, Robert Bassett and a Mr. Bayley, who were prob- ably ruling elders, one reading a sermon and the other leading in prayer. When the colony was surrendered to the Duke of York, in September, 1644, there were within its bounds six Puritan ministers settled with their flocks. There were Puritan bands at Rye and Westchester without pastors. 2

Governor Andros did not trouble the Puritan churches, which lost some of their veteran pastors, but continued to increase iu numbers. Nathaniel Brewster settled at Brookhaven aud supplied East Chester in 1665. In 1674 Eliphalet Joncs supplied Rye and Ezekiel Fogg supplied East Chester. In 1675 Peter Prudden preached at Rye, and Thomas Denham settled there in 1677. Thus within twelve years there were five Presbyterian clergymen exercis- ing their functions in Westchester County. They and their flocks shared in the struggle which all Dissenters had to make with Governor Sloughter's efforts to estab- lish the Church of England as the State Church, but still Presbyterianism flourished. In Westchester County Rev. John Woodbridge located at Rye and Rev. Warham Mather at Westchester in 1684.

These two clergymen were among the most import- ant personages in the lively episode which followed the conversion of Rev. William Vesey, a Puritan pastor in New York, to the Church of England His change of faith is said to have been procured by Colonel Heathcote, who, upon his settlement at Scarsdale, Westchester County, in 1692, showed himself a still zealons proselyter for the Church of England. In a letter to the Society for the Propagation of the Gos- pel, dated April 10, 1704, he relates a contention that was of great moment at the time :

"The people of Westchester, East Chester and a place called Lower Yonkers agreed with one War- ren Mather, and the people of Rye with one Mr. Woodbridge, both of New England, there being at

" " Puritanism in New York," by Rev. t'harles A. Briggs, D.D. Mag- uzine of American History, January, 1885.

472e

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.

that time scarce six in the whole county who so much as inclined to the church. After Mather had been with them some time, Westchester parish made choice of me for one of their church wardens in hopes of using iny influence with Colonel (Governor) Fletch- er to have Mather inducted to the living. I told them it was altogether impossible for me to comply with their desires, it being wholly repugnant to the laws of England to compel the subject to pay for the maintenance of any minister who was not of the Na- tional Church, and that it lay not in any Governor's power to help them, but since they were so zealous for having religion and good order settled amongst 'em, I would propose a medium in that matter, which was that there being at Boston a French Protestant Minister, Mr. Bondett, a very good man, who was in orders from my Lord (Archbishop) of London, and the people of New Rochelle being destitute of a min- ister, we would call Mr. Bondett to the living, and the parish being large enough to maintain two, we would likewise continue Mr. Mather and support him by subscription. The vestry seemed to be extreamly well pleased with this proposal and desired inc to send for Mr. Bondett, which I immediately did, hoping by that means to bring them over to the church ; but Mather, apprehending what I aimed at, persuaded the vestry to alter their resolutions, and when he came they refused to call him, so that projection failing me, and finding that it was impossible to make any progress toward settling the church so long as Mather contin- med among us, I made it my business in the next place to devise ways to gett him out of the country, which I was not long in contriving, which being effected and having gained some few proselytes in every town, and those who were of the best esteem amongst 'em, who having none to oppose them, and being assisted by Mr. Vesey and Mr. Bondett, who very often preached in several parts of the country, baptizing the children, by easy methods the people were soon wrought into a good opinion of the church and indeed beyond my expectations."

but Cornbury ousted him in favor of Bartow, who then attacked Morgan, with the result narrated in his own letter of December 1, 1707, to the secretary of the Society :

" Not long after this my Lord (Cornbury) requested me to go and preach at East Chester; accordingly I went (tho' some there had given out threatening words should I dare to come), but tho' I was there very early and the people had notice of my coming, their Presbyterian minister, Mr. Morgan, had begun service in the meeting-house, to which I went straitway and continued the whole time of service withont interruption, and in the afternoon I was per- mitted to perform the Church of England services, Mr. Morgan being present, and neither he or the people seemed to be dissatisfied, and after some time of preaching there afterwards they desired me to come oftener, and I conchided to minister there once a month, which now I have done for about three years, and Mr. Morgan is retired into New England." 2

Puritanism lost somewhat of its hold upon the people in consequence of the opposition of Cornbury ; but with the accession of the house of Hanover to the English throne, in 1714, persecution of the Puri- tans in America ceased. On November 22, 1718, Rev. Wm. Tennent settled at East Chester and began to rebuild Puritanism in the county. He removed to Bedford May 1, 1720, and remained until August, 1726, preaching in all the townships. When Methodism divided the churches of the colony into antagonistic forces he became one of its leaders. An impetuous revival of faith occurred, which was guided by Thomas Smith at Rye and Samuel Sackett at Bedford. Ten- nent and his adherents were excluded from the Synod of Philadelphia in 1741, in the absence of the entire Presbytery of New York. The excluded Methodists rallied around the Presbytery of New Brunswick, and in 1745 it combined with the Presbytery of New York in erecting the Synod of New York, all of whose churches were in sympathy with the Meth- odists. In 1752 the Rye Church united with the Synod and thus all the original Puritan Churches of New York, organized in the seventeenth century, were combined in one compact Synodical organization. On

possession of churches, glebes and parsonages. This was done, or at- tempted, at Westchester and East Chester, Rye and Bedford. In Rye only, of all these towus, no church had been built; but a tax was levied upon the inhabitants for its erection, and meanwhile the house and lands which had been provided for a minister and held by a suc- cession of pastors, were taken for the missionary." (" The Preshy- terians in the Province of New York," Rev. Charles W. Baird, Mag. Amer. Hist., 1879, Vol. III., Part II.)

2 "Colonel Heathcote represents that Morgan was ready to conform. But in this case he was hasty in judgment. Morgan was of tougher fibre than Vesey. Ile resisted all the influence brought to bear upon him and remained faithful. Hle labored for many years as a Presby- terian minister and died in New Jersey in connection with the Synod of Philadelphia. Rye was taken possession of by Thomas Pritchard and afterwards by Mr. Muirson. and John Jones, pastor of Bedford, was forced to retire to Connectient after arrest and reprimand before the Council."-Briggs' " Puritanism in New York."

1 " Lord Cornbury, equally zealons with his predecessor, Fletcher for the spread of the Church of England, assumed the right that Fletcher had claimed to induct ministers into parishes, and, under color of a law that had no existence, put the missionaries of the Society in

472f

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

November 29, 1769, Mr. De Witt offered in the As- sembly a bill " to exempt the inhabitants of the Coun- ties of Westchester, New York, Queens and Richmond from any taxation for support of the Ministers of churches to which they do not belong." And this was finally passed with amendments applying it es- pecially to persons not in communion with the Church of England.

The Dutch pioneers on Manhattan found it con- venient to adopt the currency of the Indians, who took the common periwinkle, called by them "Metean- hock," found in great quantitics along the shores, and having broken it so as to secure the thick portion at the stem, they made of this beads about the size of a straw and a third of an inch in length.1 This was the white sewan of least value. A black bead of the same description was made from the large round clam called the " quahaug." These beads were woven into belts, and divided into pieces of different values. .

Dol

ARS

duurty Do Mars

No. 148206

RECTE

FACIE S .

Thirty Dollars. THE Bearer is en- titled to receive Thirty Spanish milled D O L- LARS, or an equal Sum in Gold or Silver, according to a Refo- Iution of CONGRESS of the 14th January, 1779.

30 Dollars.

Holter

CONTINENTAL CURRENCY.

Four beads counted for a stuyver or two for a cent, and a braided string a fathom long was valued at four guilders, equivalent to $1.66. Sewant was commonly measured by spans, and the Indians, in their traffic with the Dutch, always chose as traders their mien who could cover the greatest length between finger and thumb.

But counterfcits sprung up, and the currency in course of time became debased. The Indian moncy was even imported from Europe, where imitations were made of porcelain, but this base article could not impose on the natives, and the counterfeit failed as a speculation. The " good splendid sewant of Man- hattans " was the genuine article and passed in all the Indian country roundabout, for this island and the neighboring sections were the great mint of the Indians. Up the North River, in Westchester and

elsewhere, sewant had its legal tender value well de- fined until so many broken, unstrung and badly made pieces came into circulation that the Dutch govern- ment-coin still being scarce-was obliged to find , new currency. Beaver-skins supplied the de- ficiency and became the next fiat money of the day. This was an article less subject to fluctuations and was divided into " whole beavers " and "half bcav- ers," the former being rated at about three dollars. What little of the Dutch currency was in circulation was known as " Hollands." In contracts for sale and purchase of real estate and personal property, the distinctive sorts of payment were usually expressed ; and if not stated, it was understood that sewant was the consideration. There were certain sorts of con- tracts, however, such as ocean freights, in which, by the customs of merchants, it was implied that pay- ment was to be made in beavers. On account of the debasement of the sewant currency, the Council or- dered in May, 1650, that six white or three black sewants should pass for one stuyver (half a cent), and the base strung scwant, eight white or four black for one stuyver.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 122

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354