USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 14
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· Lambert's History of New Haven, p. 189.
b Trumbull's History of Connecticut, p. 300.
· Town Records of Rye.
.
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shall order for the gathering and payment thereof with the county rate."a
On the 8th of October, 1674; the General Court again em- powered Captain John Allyn, Mr. James Bishop, Major Robert Treat, with Mr. Gold, " to endeavour also the obliging and settling of a minister at Rye."b
" At a Court, holden at Hartford, May 17th, 1675, Major Nathan Gold, Major Robert Treat, and Mr. John Burr were nominated and appointed a committee to treat with the inhabitants of Rye and those concerned in lands there, and labour to accommodate matters, as that there may be suitable encouragement for Mr. Prudden to settle in the ministry, and such other suitable inhabi- tants with him as may promote the settlement of said town of Rye and the ministry therein ; and if they shall find any averse- ness or difficulty with the inhabitants or proprietors, in so just and necessary publique good of the town, "they are empowered to doe what they see meet for the end aforesaid, and make re- port to the Court in October next, for approbation ; and for the encouragement of the ministry at Rye, this Court, for this year, grants them a penny of the pound upon all the ratable estate of their town, to be pay'd out of their county rate, and shall be ready as need requires to continue such necessary encourage- ment as they shall judge suitable."c
Upon the 27th May, 1675, the town ordered that the home lot of Peter Disbrow, adjoining Timothy Knapp, be taken by the town in exchange for the land by the Blind brook, south of Jacob Bridge's. The above lot to be for Mr. Peter Prudden for a parsonage lot; if not thus disposed of, this agreement to be void.
February 26th, 1676. The town released Peter Disbrow's lot and cancelled the above agreement.
February 26th, 1677. John Brundige and John Purdy, were empowered to sell the frame intended for a parsonage house.
The same year the Rev. Thomas Denham appears to have
· Hartford Col. Rec. vol. iii. p. 12.
Hartford Col. Rec. vol. iii. p. 53.
· Hartford Col. Rec. vol. iii. p. 59.
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been minister here ; for, June 15th, a house lot is ordered for Mr. Thomas Denham, and on the 22d of November, following, we find the same individual admitted an inhabitant of the townof Rye. " June 21st, 1678, Mr. Thomas Denham is to have all the grass on the high-way, at the old town, besides an equal share with the proprietors of Poningoe neck."
March 5th, 1679. " 50 poles of land lying before his door, to- ward the brook, are granted to Mr. Thomas Denham, and the ensuing year he is to have all the grass on the highway at the first of the old town lots ; also £30 allowed for his maintenance."'ª The General Court of Connecticut, on the 14th of October, 1680, ordered : "that thirty pounds per annum, agreed by Rye to be paid to the minister, Mr. Denham, shall be gathered by the Constable with the County rate, in the same specie and prices as the County rate, and by him to be paid to the said minis- ter."b A. D. 1682, the town confirmed the sum of £30 as a salary to Mr. Denham and ordered the same to be paid in pro- visions.
In 1684, Mr. John Woodbridge was minister here ; but he must have resigned in 1687 ; for the historian Trumbull, in- forms us, that about the year 1688, the Rev. John Bowers, re- moved from Derby, and settled at Rye.c
· May 10, 1680 ; " The Town agree to allow £30 to Mr. Thomas Denham, for his maintenance, for this year ensueing, and to be gathered in way of rate, pro- vided the said Mr. Denham continue amongst us and preach the Gospel." Town Rec. p. 44. March 1681-2. " The Town gave Timothy Knapp, 40 shillings for the liberty of his house, to meet in, and for beating of the drum, for the time past."- Town Rec. p. 53. June 23. 1681. " The proprietors of Poningoe neck, granted to Mr. Thomas Denham, all the moveable grass in the highway, lying by the old town, so called, so long as the said Mr. Denham shall continue a preacher of the Gospel amongst us, &c .- and £20 to be paid him, upon the Ist of March, next ensueing this date ; as our maintenance to the minister." Town Rec. p. 54.
৳ Hartford Col. Rec. vol. iii. p. 59.
· Trumbull's Hist. of Connecticut, 523. The Rev. John Bowers graduated at Harvard College, in 1649.
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April 22d, 1690, Capt. Horton, Joseph Theall, and John Bron- dig, were chosen by the Town to procure a minister, and if possible, a school master.a
On the 24th of March, 1693, by an act of General Assembly, approved and ratified by and with the consent of the Governour of the province, it was ordered, that "there shall be called, in- ducted and established, a good, sufficient Protestant minister, to officiate and have the care of souls, within one year next, and after the publication hereof, that is to say : In the city of New- York one ; the county of Richmond one ; in the county of West- chester two; one to have the care of Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers and the manor of Pelham ; the other to have the care of Rye, Mamaroneck, and Bedford, &c., &c.b
On the 27th of June, 1693, Capt. Horton, Joseph Theall, John Brondig, Hachaliah Brown, George Lane, and Timothy Knapp, were appointed a committee to procure a minister as soon as possible." The people doubtless were becoming alarmed, lest the Governour should nominate under the new act.
Upon the 26th of February, 1694, it was ordered, " that the Townsmen make a rate to defray the expense of repairing the parsonage house.ª
Pursuant to the act of Assembly, passed in 1693, a town meet- ing was held February 28th, 1694-5, by virtue of a warrant granted by Justice Theall ; when George Lane and John Bron- dig were elected Churchwardens, and Jonathan Hart, Joseph Horton, Joseph Purdy, Timothy Knapp, Hachaliah Brown, Thomas Merritt, Deliverance Brown and Isaac Denham, Vestry- men, the two last being chosen for Bedford ..
· " At a Town meeting held in Rye, April 22d, 1690, at which Town meeting they did manifest their desire for the procuring of a minister amongst them, and in order thereunto, have made choice of Captain Horton, Joseph Theall, and John Brondig, who are to enquire and endeavour the best they can, for the pro- viding of a minister for the Town aforesaid"-Town Rec. p. 74.
Laws of New-York, vol. 1. chap. xxxvi.
· The original resolution reads thus :- " as a committee to take care for the pro- curing of a minister, with what speed they can for us." Town Rec. p. 76.
· Ibid.
· Ibid. 78.
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" On the 27th of May, 1697, Deliverance Brown, John Frost, John Lyon and Jonathan Hart, were chosen in the Town behalf, to discourse Mr. Woodbridge, concerning his settling amongst us." a The difference among the people, however, in the selection of a pastor, appears to have continued, for on the 22nd of July, 1697, another committee, consisting of Capt. Theall, Hachaliah Brown, George Lane and Thomas Merritt, were chosen by vote, " for the procuring of a minister for the town of Rye."b
Upon the 16th of June, A. D. 1701, the act for incorporating the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, was procured by the Rev. Thomas Bray, D. D., and several others who felt a deep interest in the religious welfare of the colonies, through the agency of Archbishop Tennison and Bishop Comp- ton. The year following, the Rev. John Bartow, was licensed by the latter prelate to officiate as a Missionary at Rye. In re- gard to this appointment, which had been made at the earnest solicitation of the people of Rye, Col. Heathcote writing to the Venerable Society, April 10th, 1701, observes :- " That I did in October last, give my Lord of London my reasons for the neces- sity of his (Mr. Bartow's) being settled at Westchester, the people in that place having been the first in this County, who desired a minister of the Church, and being disappointed, might have been of ill consequence, for no sooner was Mr. Bartow arrived but ye vestry immediately came to me and gave me no rest until I consented to use my interest with my Lord Cornbury, to have him inducted there, and the inhabitants of Rye supposing West- chester was first to be supplied, were easy in that matter, there being on one hand no fear of disobliging the people of Rye, and on the other great danger of hurting the interest of the Church at Westchester; I desired my Lord Cornbury to induct him there &c."c Dr. Humphreys, in his historical account of the Society, prior to 1728, says :- " The act of 1693, did not take ef- fect till about the year 1702, nor was the provision made there-
· Town Rec. p. 78.
৳ Ibid.
· See original letter in Westchester Parish.
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by, a sufficient maintenance for the ministers in country towns. These applied to the Society for help ; particularly the inhabi- tants of Westchester, were very pressing for a minister. Earnest memorials were sent from the inhabitants of New Rochelle, from those of Jamaica, and Hempstead, towns in Long Island ; from Staten Island, and from Rye ; and their desires have been com- plied with, and missionaries sent to those places.a
Mr. Bartow having accepted the call and been inducted to Westchester ; the vacant mission of Rye was now offered by Bishop Compton to the
REV. THOMAS PRITCHARD, A. M., b
a young gentleman in holy orders. He was born in Wales, about 1672, and descended from the family of the Pritchard's of Camp- stone, in Monmouthshire. He was educated, mostpro bably, in the University of Cambridge. Mr. Pritchard was pleased to ac- cept the appointment, and immediately sailed for New-York, where he arrived some time in the month of April 1704. Col. Heathcote, the senior warden of the parish, writing to the Vener- able Society the 10th of April, 1704, says :- " Since writing the former part of this letter, and whilst it was waiting for a passage, Mr. Pritchard is arrived, whom my Lord of London has directed to officiate in Rye Parish ; he is a promising young gent, and I question not, but will, with God's assistance, do great service to the Church. He shall not want any thing I can do for him, to make his pilgrimage easy, nor my advice which I can give him to answer the end of his coming."
ª Humphreys Hist. Account of the Ven. Prop. Society, &c. p. 28.
t The Venerable Thomas Pritchard, Archdeacon of Landaffe, who suffered and died under Cromwell's usurpation, was of this family. Walker's sufferings of the Clergy. A. D. 11th Nov. 1660, Thomas Pritchard, Subsiz. Mr. Bainbrigg. Ex- tract from the Admission Book of Trinity College, Cambridge. Thomas Pritch- ard of Trinity College, took his B. A. Degree in 1665, and his M. A. in 1669. Another of the same name, also of Trinity Col. received his B. A. degree in 1674, and his M. A. in 1678. Lists of Cambridge graduates. The arms of the Pritch- ards arc :- Barry of six or and az, on a chief of the first three pallets betw. two es- quires, base, dexter and sinister, of the second, an innescocheon ar. Crest-an arm, ppr., holding a battle axe, handle gu.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
The Rev. John Bartow, writing to the same on the 24th of May, 1704, says :- " I have only time to tell you that Mr. Pritchard is arrived, and fixed at Rye, to the general satisfaction of the people there."a
The following mandate was issued for his induction by Gov- ernor Cornbury, in April 1704 :
ORDER TO INDUCT REV. THOMAS PRITCHARD TO THE RECTORY OF RYE.
" Edward Viscount Cornbury, Capt. Gen. and Governour in Chief of the Provin- ces of New-York, New-Jersey, &c., and Vice Admiral of the same :
To all and singular Rectors, Vicars, Chaplains, Curates, Clerks and ministers, wheresoever constituted in ye said Province of New-York, and also to Caleb Heathcote, Esq. and Joseph Theall, Churchwardens of the Parish Church of Rye, in the County of Westchester ; I do hereby firmly enjoyne and command that you induct and present the Rev. Thomas Pritchard, as Rector to ye Rectory or Parish Church of Rye aforesaid, and that you put him in the real, actual and corpo- ral possession of the said Rectory or Parish Church of Rye aforesaid, and of all the Glebes, Rights, and appurtenances thereunto belonging ; and you are to make a return to me of what you shall have done herein. Given under my hand and prerogative Seal of ye said Province of New-York, this 1704."> day of
The subjoined letter from Col. Heathcote to the Secretary of the Venerable Society, shows the deep interest the former took in promoting the Church's welfare.
COL. HEATHCOTE TO THE SECRETARY.
New- York, 1st June, 1704.
SIR :
" I troubled you with a very long letter by the Virginia Fleet, wherein amongst many other of those thoughts, I gave you as my opinion for the best means of Propagating the Gospel in these parts of the world, that every minister who is sent over on that errand, should after having been some time in his Parish send the Society an exact list of his Parishioners, distinguishing them under three several heads, as first, how many are communi-
* Doc. Hist. of N. Y. vol. iii. p. 932.
৳ " Rye is served by Mr. Pritchard, lately arrived, (a very young man,) here is no Church built as yet." N. Y. M. S. S. vol. i. p. 44.
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cants; secondly, howmany come to hear him who are not so; and thirdly, those which wholly dissent from the church ; and that they should be also directed to use their best endeavours in their private conversation with the people, to persuade those who come to hear him, which are regular in their lives, and do not receive the sacrament, to come to the communion, and to use the like diligence in persuading such who where wholly Dissenters, to conform, and every six months at least, to give an account what progress they make therein, by which means the Society would have a true account of the service which is done by those they send over. I have since spent some further thought concerning that matter, and in my opinion it would be likewise very needfull for them to send an account of all in their Parish, both young and old, which are, and which are not baptized, being strictly order_ ed to use their best endeavours, to persuade those of riper years to come to the baptism, and others which have children to have them christened, returning likewise an account of their success therein, every six months. It would not likewise be amiss, that directions were given, that there should be four quarterly meet- ings of the clergy, annually, two in Westchester County, and Queens County two ; these counties being contiguous ; who by their preachings, resolving of doubts, and other ways, would not only be of considerable service, but might at those meetings, ta- king to their assistance the best of the people, consider of the best and most effettual ways to propagate the Church, transmitting to the Society an exact account of their proceedings at every meeting .- Sir, to be plain and free with you herein, if a more than ordinary care be not taken in these matters, to keep those gents to their duty, which are sent over, that they may carry on that great work with the zeal and earnestness, they ought ; the money which is expended thereon will be little better than squan- dered away, and in this I take my measures from what I have al- ready observed, and if the Society are pleased to direct accounts, to be sent them for the time past, according to the rules I have laid down, they will find what I say to be truth. I did in my last, acquaint you that I would put forward a school in Westchester County, which I hope in a few months to inform you I have done,
€
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
having the promise of an extraordinary good man for a school- master, one who is not only very firm to the Church, but I am sure will be indefatigable to instill those principles into the youth and children, of whom the greatest lopes are, I believe. At first setting out it will be attended with some difficulties, that I beg the favour of you to move the Society, that they would be pleased (until such tinie as we are able to carry it on without help) to give us £16 a year, or what they shall think convenient towards maintaining of the schoolmaster, and I will take care with the blessing of Almighty God, to make it as useful as I can to the church, and that satisfactory accounts shall be sent over, how the same is employed and what good is done for it; and I pray you likewise, to move that some catechisms and prayer books be sent over for the scholars. Sir, the people of Westchester county are more generally English than they are in any country of the government, and although there is not at present, above 2000 souls in it, yet it contains a very great body of land, and generally the best I have seen in any of these parts. That time will make it a very great peopled county, that were the Church with chris- tian schools well settled in its minority, it would in future ages probably bear no other spirit.
Sir, I hope you will be pleased to pardon the freedom I have taken, and to believe that nothing but my zeal to the church, would have made me thus troublesome, and that I am, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
CALEB HEATHCOTE."&
The school alluded to in the foregoing letter, was soon after organized at Rye, and Mr. Joseph Cleator, appointed School- master by Col. Heathcote. The Society also at once acted upon the request made them, and granted the sum of £15 per annum for his maintenance. In 1706-7, " the inhabitants and freehold- ers of the towns of Rye and Mamaroneck, in the Province of New-York, became humble supplicants to the Lord Bishop of
· New-York M. S. S. from Archives at Fulham, vol. i. p. 30-31-32. (Hawks'.)
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London, that Joseph Cleator, whose affairs required his attend- ance in England, might obtain such an allowance from the So- ciety, as with what they were able to give him, might encourage his return among them, to teach school, for the instruction of their children."a
Mr. Joseph Cleator, after a long and useful service died in March, 1732.
Mr. Pritchard's first report to the Secretary of the Venerable Society is as follows :-
MR. PRITCHARD TO THE SECRETARY.
Mamaroneck, 6th June, 1704.
HONOR'D SIR :
" Hoping that the extraordinary success wherewith the Al- mighty has been graciously pleased to bless my labours and en- deavours, during this my short residence in the Province of New-York ; will be a motive and inducement for the Illustrious and Venerable Society, to extend their generosity and bounty to me, as they have been pleased to do to gentlemen or mission- aries on the same account; questioning not of effecting the same, so you'l be pleased to communicate this my humble re- quest, to that gracious and venerable body ; being my Lord of London and other worthy members are pleased to appear in my behalf, in that particular, having, in order thereunto, left my letter of attorney with Sir Jeffrey Jeffrey's eldest son. The en- couragement they are pleased to give gentlemen, on this account, being, as I am informed, fifty pound per annum. What is settled upon us in this province by an Act of Assembly, is very inconsiderate, as being but fifty pound per annum, which falls short in the payment of ten pound, so that it will do little more
. Col. Heathcote writing to the Secretary, 24th Feb., 1707, says-" I have heard nothing of Mr. Cleator, so I suppose he is either dead or hath declined the ser- vice." N. Y. M. S. S. Sce Cor. vol. i. 13.
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than equip a gentleman, considering at what excessive rates most things are vended in this province. There, I must not omit, as being obliged thereunto in gratitude, to inform you that His Excellency, my Lord Cornbury, is pleased to show an un- paralleled and uninterrupted zeal for the carrying on of that great and glorious design of propagating the faith, and settling the church as well in this, as others of Her Majesty's planta. tions, thereby rescuing them from the grossest ignorance, stupid- ity, and obstinacy ; and therein righting them in those dam- nable and dangerous positions and tenets which have been im. bued and instilled into these poor, unwary, deluded souls in their minority, by blind, ignorant, and illiterate guides.ª The provi- dential care wherewith the Almighty has been graciously pleased to agitate that great, glorious, and publick spirited body, in seeking the good of souls, will entitle them to a more imme- diate immanation of God's glory by being enrolled next to those great and glorious martyrs that have been imbrued in their own blood, in testimony of the true Catholick and Christian faith and a good conscience.
I pray God to bless that great and glorious body with the choicest of his blessings, as well temporal as spiritual. Begging leave also, with all imaginable submission, to subscribe myself, Honor'd Sir, Your most obliged, Humble servant, THOMAS PRITCHARD."b
In a summary account of the state of the church in the Pro- vince of New York, as it was laid before the Clergy, convened
a Madame Knight, in her Journal, Dec. 1704, records the following : " From Merrinak we came to Horse Neck, where we baited, and they told me that one Church of England parsan officiated in all those three towns, ( Mamaroneck, Rye and Greenwich,) once every Sunday, in turns, throughout the year ; and that they all could but poorly maintain him, which they grudged todo, being a poor and quarrelesome crew as I understood by our host. Their quarreling about their choice of a minister they chose, to have none, but caused the Government to send this gentleman to them. Here we took leave of York Government, &c."
৳ New-York M. S. S. from Archives, at Fulham, vol. i. p. 20. (Hawks'.)
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at New York, October the 5th, 1704, &c., it was stated, that "at Rye, of which the Rev. Thomas Pritchard is Rector, there is no church, but the minister preaches in the town house. The par- ish is divided into three districts, viz., Rye, Bedford, and Mama- roneck. There is a salary of £50 per annum, established by Act of Assembly. The number of communicants are consider- ably increased since the first celebration of the Sacraments, &c.&
In a letter to the Secretary, about five months after the pre- ceding, Mr. Pritchard thus writes :
MR. PRITCHARD TO THE SECRETARY. Rye, November 1st, 1704.
HONOR'D SIR :
" It was no small pleasure and satisfactionto me to experience in a short time after my arrival, that the Almighty was gracious- ly pleased to succeed my preaching and poor endeavours, as to influence my auditors minds to so good an approbation of those two grand and indispensable duties, viz. :- Baptism and the Lord's Supper, notwithstanding others who were prejudicely aversed to them, absented themselves, calling the Cross in bap- tism, popery and downright idolatry. Others, our Liturgy, the gaggling of geese. Nay, they cast all the calumnies and asper- sions imaginable upon our most pure and Apostolick Church, as being prompted thereto by their blind and illiterate guides, as they are pleased to denominate them ; now, seeing the Almighty has been plesased to open their eyes, so as to see the ill conse- quence and tendency of such pernicious assertions. Their pas- tors, as they intimated to me, did never inculcate to them the indispensable duty of receiving the blessed Sacrament, nor never could explain those texts of Scripture that were proposed them, and being so far from explaining them, that they were embar- rassed with more amazing intricacy's; but, having since, fre- quent conferences with those persons, and answering their fool-
· Church Record, vol. i, No. 15. Rev. Francis L. Hawks', D. D., Editor.
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HISTORY OF' THE PARISH
ish objections, I have had (the Lord be praised) the good success of bringing many of them over, and I question not, (God being my help) but to bring more in time, to a good liking and ap- probation of both our Church and its discipline, esteeming it the only pure Church in the world. What steps and progress have been made hereto, are mostly owing to his Excellency, Lord Cornbury's influence and encouragement to us, the Attorney General being also very zealous for the thorough settlement of the Church. Hoping, therefore, Honor'd Sir, that the Society will be pleased to allow me £50 per annum, which is allowed Mr. Bartow and other Missionaries, otherwise, I design, (God willing) to return by next conveniency, being I can't make above £30 per annum of the £50 which is settled by an Act of As- sembly, it being paid in corn and other country pay, as they call it. So that we are at great charge in paying for the car- riage to New-York, in order to have it sold there, besides 12d per pound that's allowed the Collector, and a great part of the people are so very poor as to be incapacitated to pay their pro- portions, though otherwise very willing thereto. I perceive by the account of the Society, that one Mr. Stuart is recom- mended to Bedford, and £50 per annum allowed him, whereas Bedford is a part of my parish, as settled by an Act of Assem- bly, so that he can't be inducted there. Hoping therefore, that the Society will be so condescendingly pleased to allow it me, as also to send per next conveniency, the £15 worth of books of which mention is made in the account. The Society would do very well, if in their great wisdom they think it fit, to recom- mend Mr. Stuart to Hempstead, upon Long Island, where they Stand very much in need of a minister, and complain very much for a churchman, it being the best place in the Province of New- York, and the best affected for the Church. I design, (God wil- ling) to preach there frequently, in order to continue them in a good opinion of our Church till a minister comes. Mr. Vesey, Minister of the English Church in New-York, as also the people of Hempstead, have been very pressing upon me to remove there, teiling me that my Lord Cornbury would willingly con- sent thereto for my advantage, as having a great kindness for
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