USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 21
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In the 9th of Richard II, (1385) Thomas, son of Sir Thomas De Gyney, Knt. enfeoffed his manor of Gislingham in Suffolk, called Geneys, which he had there purchased of John De Wayland. This manor still bears the name of Jennies. The arms of this family are :- Erm, a bend gu. cotised or. Crest, on a glove in fess arg. a hawk or falcon close or, belled of the last .- Burkes Hist. of the Commo- ners, vol. iii. 446.
e The following extract is taken from the Matriculation Book of Trinity Col- lege, Dublin. " October 13,-1704, Robertus Jenney, Pentionarius filius Hen. T. D. Aun age 16-nat in Com. Ardmachensi-Educ. Dublin, sub Dr. Jones-Coll tutor Jolin Wetherby."
219
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
Rye, by the Rev. Thomas Poyer, of Jamaica, I. I., in virtue of Governour Burnet's mandate, bearing date, June the 7th, 1722, of which the following is a copy :-
INDUCTION OF THE REV. ROBERT JENNEY.
" Gulielmus Burnet armiger Provincia, Novi Eboraci, nec non Novæ Cæsariæ in America, Strategus et Imperator Ejusdemq Vice Admiralis &c.
Universis et singulis Clericis et ministris Ecclesia Anglicanæ Quibuscumque in et per totam provinciam Novi Eboraci ubilibet constitutis sive Ædilibus Eccle- siæ parochialis de Rye infra provinciam Novi Eboraci prædict pro hoc tempore Salutem.
Cum Dilectum in Christo Robertum Jenney, Clericum ad Rectoriam sive Ec- clesiam parochialem prædict parochiæ de Rye, in dicta provincia Novi Eboraci in America, jam vacantem ipsumque præsentatum Rectorem Ejusdem Rectoriæ sive Ecclesia parochialis in et de eadem institutus, vobis conjunctim et devisim committo et fermiter injungendo mando quatenus eundem Robertum Jenney, Clericum sive procuratorem suum legitimum ejus nomine et pro se in realem, actualem et Corporalem possessionem ipsins Rectoriæ et Ecclesia parochialis de Rye prædicto Glæbarum Juriumque et pertinentium suorum universorum confe- ratis inducatis inducive faciatis et Inductum Defendatis et quid in præmissis feceritis seu ant alium judicem in hac parte competentem quemcumque debite (cum ad id congrue fueritis requisiti) certificetis, seu sic certificet ille vestrum qui præsens hoc meum mandatum fuerit executus. Datum sub sigillo præroga- tivo dietæ provincia Novi Eboraci Septimo die Junii, Anno Salutis, MDCCXXII.
GULIELMUS BURNET.ª
By his Excellency's command,
JAS. ROBIN, Dep. Sec."
At an adjourned meeting of the vestry, held June the 25th. 1722, present the Rev. Mr. Jenney and others, " It was resolved by a majority of votes, that the parsonage house be repaired by a tax laid on the parish, and that the salary (viz. £50) for this present year, be also raised as follows :-
.
Rye, £ 33 6 0.
To be laid out and paid,
To ye Minister 50 0 0.
Bedford, 10 11 9. 'To ye Clerk of the vestry 1 0 0.
Mamaroneck, 7 13 3.
To ye Drummer 1 0 0.
Scarsdale, 3 6 6. To Constable for collecting 2 12 0.
£54 12 0.
£54 12 0.
a Record of Commissions, Scc. of State's office, vol. p. 497.
220
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
In December following, Mr. Jenney made his first report to the Society.
MR. JENNEY TO THE SECRETARY.
Rye, Dec. 15th, 1722.
DEAR SIR,
" I had the honour of yours, dated August 30th, which brought me an account that the Venerable Society has accepted me as their missionary to settle at Rye, with a salary of £50 per an- num, and which, with humble and hearty thanks, I readily ac- cept, and my desiring a larger salary, in my last to the Venera- ble Society, was for no other reason, but because £60 per an- num with the county encouragement, would but amount to what I have quitted in the fort for their service, and because this parish, with respect to the encouragement here, stands upon a much worse footing than any of the rest of this province, in relation to the salary, house, and glebe. Those on Long Island, having £10 per annum more, and all of them glebes much beyond what this Parish ; affords and this being the nearest parish to New Eng land, and the only one on the post road, and consequently attended with greater expenses than any of the rest, I did not think it unreasonable to request an addition of £10 to the Society's sala- ry ; but in this and all other things, I humbly submit to the So- ciety's pleasure.
You may remember, I sent you the vestry's call, what they gave me according to an act of Assembly, of this Province, and their humble address to the Venerable Society for their confirma- tion, dated June 4th, 1722, and it was then that I entered upon the care of this parish and have since continued diligently, to serve it, excepting sometimes the Governor required me to offi- ciate at the Fort, my successor there having not yet received his commission. I observe in the Society's collection ye_ papers which I received from Mr. Huddleston, with two copies of the missionary sermon, by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bristol, that the Society expects from their missionaries an exact and
221
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
particular account of the state of their respective parishes, in compliance with which I take the liberty to send enclosed a draft of the two lots of land, which make up the glebe, with a copy of the survey which the violent opposition of some dissen- ters have obliged me to obtain for the proprietors of this town, being the most part such as were desirous of having a dissent- ing teacher settled here, gave me great trouble at my first com- ing, and especially in relation to the house and glebe ; and had not His Excellency been so kind as to grant his warrant to the surveyor General to survey, it is believed they would have kept me by force, from taking possession, and here I cannot but men- tion the kindness of the Surveyor General, Cad wallader Col- den, Esq., and Mr. Wm. Forster, the society's schoolmaster at Westchester, whom he appointed his deputy for that purpose, who have refused the fees which by law are due for that ser- vice, and have remarkably exerted themselves in the service of our Church at Rye.
When I first examined into the glebe, I found one lot called the parsonage point, containing about 5 acres, as I am informed, alienated from the church by patent, to my predecesssor Mr. Bridge and his family forever, and is now possessed by his ex- ecutrix, for the use of his children ; that remaining, is represent- ed in the enclosed draft of two lots, one of which, called the house lot, having the house at the south east corner, contains a little above two acres, the other about 7 and a half, and is about a mile off, but is so encompassed with other men's land that the road to it is about two miles, so that I fear I shall have little or no use of it. The house is of timber, and so much out of repair that nothing but the frame stands good, and the lots of land are whol'y out of fence. 'The Church also, though built in Mr. Muir- son's time is not yet finished ; the roof decays, but if not quick- ly fitted up, is not likely to stand long. These repairs call for a good supply of money, and the people will not contribute vol- untarily, so that I have been forced to demand of the vestry, to raise for that use, so much of the salary since Mr. Bridge's death, as has been omitted, and upon their refusal I have thought my- self obliged to engage a lawyer, Mr. Bickelcy, (who because it is
222
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
the church's cause, has refused his fee) to move the chief Justice for a mandamus, to oblige them to raise it, and when it shall be raised, I am resolved to lay it out for the use as aforesaid. I have taken all possible care to prevent my successor from the like oppositions, by having the enclosed draft aud survey record- ed in the Surveyor's office, and in the office of the Clerk of the county, and a copy thereof filed in the Secretary's office. My Parish is of a very large extent, and contains a great deal of land well settled, besides a large wilderness, in which are some few settlements ; there are three townships in it, Rye, Bedford and Mamaroneck, wherein there are some few settlements in the woods, so dispersed, that I have not yet been able to learn the number of inhabitants. There is a Presbyterian preacher at Bedford, and there was another at Rye, when I came here, but now he has left us, and settled in one of the towns in Con- necticut. There cannot be any certain judgement made of the number of my hearers. Sometimes the church, which will hold about 300, is full, and I have seldom less than 100. At the sacrament of the Lord's supper, I had 25. We have no papists among us that I can find, a few Quakers, a pretty many inde- pendents or presbyterians, (they themselves dont know which) and a great number who are indifferent as to any religion and mind, only their worldly interest, so that I have a large field to work in, and much business before me, which I shall spare no pains to undergo, and I pray God, give me his assistance, to go through with it. I pray God, give his blessing to the pious and charitable endeavours of that venerable body, and I presume to subscribe myself, their most sincere and dutiful missionary.
ROBERT JENNEY.
P. S. If the Venerable Society will please to send some prayer books, with the new version of Psalms, and some Whole Dnty of Man, it would be of great service to us here."a
· New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. i. 584, 589. (Hawks'.)
1
223
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
The mandamus referred to in the above letter, must have been granted soon after, as appears from the following minutes in the Vestry Book : " At a meeting of the Justices and Vestrymen held on the 16th of January, 1722, ye Rev. Robert Jenney, our Rector, delivered a writt of mandamus in his Majesty's name, from ye Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, held at the City of New-York, for the Province of New-York, commanding the Jus- tiees and Vestrymen to raise and pay into the hands of the Churchwardens, all arrearages since the year 1719, to ye last of December, 1721."a
At a subsequent meeting, in compliance with the command of the mandamus, it was agreed to raise the sum of sixty pounds, &e.
" Which sum above mentioned, viz, ye £60 0 0
With ye collecting thereof
3 3 6
63 3 6
Was quoted as follows :
Rye,
£37 0 9
Bedford,
12 8 8
Mamaroneck,
8 3 6
North Castle,
2 0
1
Manor of Scarsdale.b
3 10 6
63 3 6
The following petition from the Churchwardens of Rye, was addressed to the Governor for the warrant mentioned in Mr. Jenney's letter :-
CHURCH LOT IN RYE.
" To his Excellency, William Burnet, Esq., Captain General and Gover- nour in Chief in and over his Majesty's Provinces of New-York and
Church Records, p. 21.
b Church Records, p. 25.
224
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
New-Jersey, and Territories depending thereon, in America, and Vice Admiral of the same, &c.
The humble petition of the Churchwardens of the Parish of Rye, in ye Prov- ince of New-York :-
May it please your Excellency :
Whereas, there is a parcel of Land in this town, which for many years has been in the possession of the Minister of our parish, for the time being, but now by rea- son of our long want of a settled minister to possess it, is encroached upon and very much lessened by the Inhabitants that bound upon it; we therefore, the Church- wardens of the parish of Rye aforesaid, believing ourselves in duty bound to se- cure and defend the rights of our parish Church, do humbly pray your Excellen- cy to grant your warrant to the Surveyor General to survey the said parcel, and adjust the true bounds thereof, to prevent any such encroachments for the future, and your Petitioners be in duty bound,
1722.
Shall ever pray, SAMUEL PURDY, HENRY F. FOWLER, Jr.
To the Secretary,
Let a warrant be
prepared accordingly. W. BURNET."ª
The subjoined documents are the warrant for the survey of the land in question, and the report of the surveyor general thereon :
" William Burnet, Esq., Capt. Gen. and Governour in Chief of the Province of New-York, New Jersey and Territories thereon depending in America, and Vice Admiral of the same :
To Cadwallader Colden, Esq.,
Surveyor General of the Province of New-York.
At the request of the Churchwardens of the parish of Rye, in this Province, I have thought fit hereby to authorize and commission you to survey, run out and ascertain the Lymitts and Boundrys of all such parcel or parcels of land as have been formerly possessed and enjoyed by the minister of the said church, notice being given to whom it may anyways concerne, of the time of your proceeding on said survey, and all Officers within this Province, both magesteriall or min- isteriall, are hereby commanded to give you all suitable countenance and assist- ance in the execution hereof, and what you shall doe herein, you are duly to certify.
Given under my hand at Fort George, this 5th day of July, 1722, and in the 8th year of his Majesty's reign.
Pursuant to a warrant from his Excellency, bearing date the fifth day of July, 1722.
I have. by Mr. William Forster, one of my Deputys, run out and ascertained the limits and boundaries of such parcels of land as have been formerly possessed
a Documentary Hist. of New-York, vol. iii. p. 950.
225
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
and enjoyed by the minister of the parish of Rye, in the county of Westchester, as the same were shown to my said Deputy by the Churchwardens of the said parish, viz. : one parcel situate in the Town field, beginning at a white oak bush, near the fence of Ebenezer Kniffen, and runs thence south seventy-four degrees, thirty minutes, east twenty-three chains seventy-eight inches, to a heap of stones, thence south twenty-three degrees twenty minutes, west three chains seventy links, to a walnut stump, thence north seventy-two degrees, twenty minutes, west twen- ty-four chains twenty links, to a stone set in the ground, and thence north-east and by north very near distant two chains and seventy links, to the place where it began, and contains seven acres and about half an acre.
Another parcel called the Home lot, in which the Town or Parsonage house stands, beginning at a heap of stones near the said house, and runs thence north nine degrees, forty-five minutes, east three chains, thence north twelve degrees, west four chains, fifty links, to stones near Peter Brown's house, thence south eighty-seven degrees, west four chains, to a maple by blind brook, thence along the said brook, south eighty degrees, east five chains, fifty links, and south seven- teen degrees, west one chain, fifty-four links, and thence from the brook, south eighty-six degrees, east four chains, twenty links, to the stones where we began, containing two acres, three roods and thirty-six poles.
Given under my hand, the 14th day of September, in the ninth year of his Majestie's Reign, Anno Dom., 1722.
CADWALLADER COLDEN, Sur. Gen.
MR. JENNEY TO THE SECRETARY.
Rye, July 1st, 1723.
DEAR SIR,
" Last December 15th, I had the honour to answer yours of August 30th, sent to me by the order of the Venerable Society, wherein I gave an account of the state of my parish, as exactly as I could, which I hope came to hand ; I have no more to add but that my congregation seems to increase, being generally above 300, as near as I can guess ; my communicants are but few, but I am in hopes in a short time to have more. We have a new settlement amongst us in the woods, which began about the time of my predecessor's death, 1719 ; the inhabitants are very loose in their principals of religion, inclining rather to the Qua- kers than any other sect. I have been amongst them with good success, having baptized a whole family, parents and children ; I have heard that more of them intend to make a confession of their faith, in order to Baptismn. Books are our greatest wants,
15
326
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
for stupid ignorance in point of religion, is almost general among us, and as the Venerable Society have usually extended their charity this way, so I hope they will at this time to us, by send- ing prayer books with the version of psalms by Tate and Brady, bound up with them, and instead of the usual tracts, I humbly conceive the Whole Duty of Man would be most useful. There is a small present made to our Chuch, by Mr. Isaac Denham,a of this place, of a piece of land containing about 50 square rods, ly- ing before the front of the parsonage house, which though a small spot is of great use to the house, and the donor shows hin- self on all occasions a hearty promoter of the Church's interest; he is a constant attendant at the ordinances and a communi- cant ; he hath given me a deed of gift for the land and posses- sion, according to the forms of law, for my use and my succes- sors, the ministers of Rye. I conclude with my hearty prayers for that pious and charitable body, desiring theirs, for us, their missionaries, that we may be able to discharge the great trust they have been pleased to commit to us. I beg you will please to assure them that I am their faithful missionary.
I am Sir, &c., ROBERT JENNEY."b
The same year the Rev. Mr. Jenney, minister at Rye, in the Province of New-York, informed the Secretary that besides Rye, he serves several other townships and distinct liberties, all of which, excepting Rye, being too great distance from the church, constantly to attend it, he visits them in their turns; that since his admission in 1722, he has baptized 10 adults, and 50 chil- dren, that the number of his communicants is 26, two of which have been admitted the first time by him.
At a meeting of the Vestry, held on the 13th of July, 1724,
Mr. Isaac Denham was the son of Thomas Denham, Congregational minister of Rye, in 1677.
b New- York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. i. 607, 608. (Hawks'.)
227
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
the following order was issued ; " whereas several of ye Parish have talked of building pews in ye Church, ye vestry have thought fitt to order that there be allowed an ile, of five foot from ye west door to ye communion table, also, an ile of two feet from ye kneeling couch, round ye Rails of ye Communion table, also, an ile of six foot from ye south door to ye desk, also that there be a partition ile between each sett of pews on ye south side of ye church, of two foot, and that all pews be built to front ye desk, and for ye more certain compliance with this order, every one that builds a pew, shall apply themselves to ye Justi- ces, Churchwardens and Rector, or any three of them."a
In 1721, it was decided by a majority of votes, that a drum be provided for ye church this year."b
REV. ROBERT JENNEY'S ANSWERS TO THE QUERIES OF THE BISHOP OF LONDON.
[QUERIES TO BE ANSWERED BY EVERY MINISTER.]
At Rye, in the province of New- York, July 18th, 1724.
Q. How long is it since you went over to the plantations as a missionary ?
A. Please your Lordship, it is ten years since I was first received into the ser- vice of the Honourable Society, as appears by my Missionary letters, bearing date the 18th of June, Anno Domini, 1714.
Q. Have you had any other Church before you came to that which you now possess ; and if you had, what church was it, and how long have you here removed ? A. I was chaplain in the Navy, from A. D. 1710, to 1714, from thence to 1717, I was in the service of the Honourable Society as assistant, first to the late Rev. Mr. Evans, of Philadelphia, afterwards to the Rev. Mr. Vesey, of New-York ; from 1717, to 1722, I was chaplain to the fort and forces in New-York, there I was appointed the Honourable Society's missionary at Rye, where I now remain.
Q. Have you been licensed by the Bishop of London, to officiate as a mission- ary, in the government where you now are ?
A. I have two licenses from the Right Rev. Father in God, John, late Lord Bishop of London, both bearing date the 7th of July, 1714, the one to be assistant
a Church Records, p. 28.
b Church Records, p. 29.
228
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
to the late Rev. Mr. Evans of Philadelphia, the other to be schoolmaster of the same place, and for my removal to this province, I have the Honourable Society's, and the late Bishop of London's order, by their letters, both bearing date March 5th, 1714.
Q. How long have you been inducted into your living ?
. A. I was inducted into my living by the Rev. Mr. Thomas Poyer, Rector of Jamaica, on Long Island, in this Province, on the 13th of June, A. D., 1722, by virtue of his Excellency our Governour's mandate, bearing date the 7th of June, 1722.
Q. Are you ordinarily resident in the parish to which you have been inducted ?
A. I am constantly resident in the town of Rye.
Q. Of what extent is your parish, and how many families in it ?
A. My parish contains three townships, a manor and two distinct purchases, in length about thirty miles, but at most eight in breadth, containing as near as I can guess, about two hundred families or rather more.
Q. Are there any Infidels, bond or free, within your parish, and what means are used for their conversion ?
A. There are a few Negroes and Indian slaves, but no free infidels in my par- ish; the catechist, a schoolmaster from the Honourable Society, has often pro- posed to teach them the catechism, but we cannot prevail upon their masters to spare them from their labour for that good work.
Q. How often is divine service performed in your church, and what portion of the parishioners attend it ?
A. The inhabitants of the parish are so scattered, and so few are well affected to our excellent liturgy, especially those who live near the church, that were it not for preaching, I should have no congregation. so that I am forced to be con- tent with the performance of the service, every sunday twice, when I also preach in the summer season, and once during the winter ; the number of my auditors is very uncertain, sometimes not thirty, sometimes three hundred, as the weather serves for travelling.
Q. How often is the sacrament of the Lord's supper administered; and what proportion of the parishioners attend it ?
A. I administer the sacrament of the Lord's supper four times per annum, viz. : on Christmas, Easter, Whitsunday, and the sunday after the Feast of St. Michael ; the number of my communicants have never yet exceeded twenty-six.
Q. At what time do you catechise the youth of your parish ?
A. Neither can the Schoolmaster persuade the people to send their children to him to be taught the catechism, nor can I persuade them to send them to the church to be catechized, for which reason I often make some part of the catechism the subject of my sermons, and often exhort the people but in vain, to send their chil- dren to be catechised.
Q. Are all things duly disposed and provided in the Church, for the decent and orderly performance of di ine service ?
A. The only Church in the parish, is in the town of Rye, built of stone, well plaistered and sealed, fifty feet in length and thirty-five in breadth, with a pulpit and reading desk, but no pews; the communion table is railed in. We have a
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AND CHURCH OF RYE
Bible and Prayer book, both to be for divine service and a silver cup, holding about a quart, and a paten ; but linen for the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper and our Church are much out of repair.
Q. Of what value is your living in sterling money, and how does it arise ?
A. The Honourable Society is pleased to allow me £50 sterling, and by act of assembly here, there is raised upon the whole parish, by a vote proportioned to the several estates of the parishioners, £50, this currency (i. e.) allowing sixty-five per cent. difference, which is the common exchange, about £30 and a half, sterling, so that my whole salary is about £80 6 8 sterling, per annum. I have no perqui- sites nor accidental advantages, excepting that very seldom, I have six shillings this money, which is scarce three and sixpence sterling, for a marriage.
Q. Have you a house and glebe; Is your glebe in lease or let by the year, or is it occupied by yourself ?
A. I have a small framed house with two acres, three roods and thirty-six poles of land, as it was surveyed at my first comeing, with about a quarter of an acre given for the use of the minister, by Mr. Isaac Denham, deceased. I have also a lot of near eight acres but tis so encompassed with other mens farms, that I can make no use of it, so that I am forced to hire pasture for my horses.
Q. Is due care taken to preserve your house in good repair, and at whose ex- pense is it done ?
A. There is no care taken to preserve the house in good repair, for altho' we have an act of assembly yet in force empowering the trustees of the Town to re- pair the Church and other public buildings, yet the town does not choose such officers, and if they would we cannot hope that where the dissenters so much pre- vail, any persons would be chosen who would repair either the church or the house, so that if I will live in the house I must keep it in repair myself.
Q. Have you more cures than one, if you have, what are they, and in what manner served ?
A. My parish is so large that I am obliged to travel, notwithstanding that our friends are so few, that were they altogether they would not make a large congre- gation. I officiate at Bedford and North-castle, eight times per annum, the form- er is about eighteen miles distant from here, the latter about twelve; also, eight times per annum at Mamaroneck, for that place and Scarsdale and Foxes mead- ows, about three miles off; and four times at the White Plains, about four miles, the remaining Sundays here at Rye.
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