USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 26
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Rev. Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, JAMES WETMORE."a
· New-York MSS. from Archives at Fuisam, vol. ii. p. 202. (Hawks'.)
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The Society it seems, complied with Mr. Wetmore's sugges. tion, for, at a Vestry meeting of this Parish, held at Mr. Benja- min Brown's, Sen., in Rye, January 16th, 1749, the Rev. James Wetmore delivered the following letter from the Rev. Philip Bearcroft, D. D., Secretary to the Venerable Propagation So- ciety :-
London, Charter House, June 27th, 1749.
GENTLEMEN,
" It is with much concern that the Society for the Propaga- tion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts are informed, that your church and parsonage house are very much out of repair, and that even the possession of the glebe is disputed against your very worthy pastor, Mr. Wetmore, whose great pains and abili- ties in the cause of God's Church, cannot but recommend him to every worthy member of it ; therefore, the Society hope and expect, that upon due consideration, you will give orders for the full repair of the church and the parsonage house, and defend Mr. Wetmore in the maintenance of all his just rights, as you desire his longer continuance among you.
I am, gentlemen, your very humble servant, PHILIP BEARCROFT, Secretary.
To the Churchwardens and Vestry of the Church of Rye, New- York."a
In a letter dated Rye, October the 5th, 1749, Mr. Wetmore writes to the Secretary as follows :-
REV. SIR.
" I use my utmost endeavours to answer the design of my mis- sion, and find that the several congregations where I officiate by turns, something increasing, and not at all lessened by the ef- forts of our adversaries, and that the tryal with the Dissenters,
a Church Rec. of Rye, 115.
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AND CHURCH OF RYE.
· concerning the parsonage lot, is to be the 24th of this month, according to notice of tryal given. The lot is of no great value, being but seven and a half acres, yet I have thought it my duty not to give it up withont tryal, altho' I am threatened by the same persons, to have an ejectment served upon me for the poor house, and two acres of land upon which I live, unless I will agree to some terms whereby the Presbyterians may have a share of what was anciently designed for a parsonage ; but as there is no more than two small lots, (which have been long in the possession of the Church) I think to show no concession unless obliged to it."a
That the Society's letter of June 27th, 1749, produced the de- sired effect, appears from the following :- 1751, the Rev. Mr. Wetmore, the Society's missionary at Rye, in this Province, writes, that " their Church had been lately improved, and is made neat and beautiful, and not only things, but persons are amended ; several who were formerly very negligent in their attendance on the Church, and very remiss in religion, being re- formed in those particulars."
The following extract is from a letter of Mr. Samuel Purdy, the Society's schoolmaster at Rye : ---
MR. PURDY TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
Rye, December 20th, 1749.
REV. SIR,
" I have for several years maintained in my house, a very capable master, well qualified, and employed wholly to tend the school ; whom I have inspected as to his diligence and care in teaching and catechising, and by the advice of the Rev. Mr. Wetmore, I have, a few months ago, agreed with the people where Mr. Dwight formerly kept his school, about three miles
a New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, Vol. ii. p. 222. (Hawks'.)
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and a half from the church, in a place where there is a good schoolhouse, built in Mr. Dwight's time, and a good number of children near to it, mostly of parents belonging to the Church -among whom I have a prospect of being more useful, by having a steady and constant school kept there, than in the place where I have always kept it, near which are many Dis- Senters, and their teacher having fixt himself near thereto, lately they have given me so much trouble and opposition, and made many endeavours of so little use, that I chose to be at some more trouble in having the care of my school at three miles dis- tance, and being at the expence to pay for the master's diet at a convenient house there, rather than labour to little purpose among an ungrateful people."a
" There is nothing with which I have been so much struck and impressed, (says Dr. Berrian) as the zeal, the earnestness, and devotedness of the schoolmasters and catechists of that day. The former appear to have been selected from among the laity with great caution and care, and to have been persons of respectability and worth. Some of these were men of liberal education, who, in the commencement of their professional life, were full of promise, and who ended it with respect and hon- or. But they all seem to have entered with the same spirit upon their humble labors, and to have prosecuted them with a patience, and interest, and a blessed result, which put ours to shame at the present day. Intellectual, was not then, to the ex- tent that it is now, separated from religious improvement, but both went hand in hand throughout the week. The whole of early life was, in a certain measure, devoted to Christian instruc- tion, and not merely reserved for the scanty intervals between the hours of worship on the Lord's day. It is delightful to ob- serve, in the annual reports of the schoolmasters and catechists to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, with what cheerfulness and industry they appear to have labored in their useful, but lowly employment, &c."b
2 New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii, p. 223. (Hawks'.)
b Rev. Dr. Berrian's Hist. of Trinity Church, N. Y., pp. 86, 87.
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AND CHURCH OF RYE.
The two following extracts are taken from Mr. Wetmore's reports for 1752 :-
MR WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
EXTRACT.]
Rye, April 2d, 1752.
REV. SIR,
* The party disputes which have run high among us for several years, to my great grief, obstruct the success which I might otherwise hope for, in my endeavours to promote a becoming zeal for piety and reformation of manners among the looser sort of my parishioners, which are too numerous.
I am glad to hear of more visible success among my breth- ren, especially in Stamford Parish, which I am told, flourishes happily, and increases by the diligeut endeavour of good Broth- er Dibblee, who nevertheless finds himself hard put to it, to sup- port a family with so small a salary as he has, and I am afraid the zeal of some young men in New England to undertake the ministry with such slender supports, and in expectation of more assistance from the poor people than they will find, may in the end prove of bad consequence in bringing contempt upon our order. a
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
Rye, October 2d, 1752.
REV. SIR,
* My Parish is not free from factions and par- ties, but I think as quiet as it has been for sundry years past, and the several dissenting teachers in the bounds of my Parish
* New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. p. 212. (Hawks'.)
-
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make no advances to the prejudice of my several congregations, although they use their utmost endeavours ; however, as licen- tiousness and wickedness evidently abound more than formerly, yet I can attribute it to nothing more than party factions, which have been occasioned by the introducing and settling among us these sort of teachers which we had no trouble with till a few years ago."a
Mr. Wetmore, in his report, for 1753, " acquaints the Society that his several congregations at Rye, White Plains, North Cas- tle and Bedford, are large and flourishing, and the disposition of those that opposed the interest of the Church in those places, seems changed for the better. The new light preacher is re- moved from Bedford, and there are some hopes of the people uniting with North Castle towards supporting a minister in the holy orders of our Church, to officiate alternately to them ; in the meantime, the Church hath suffered a loss by the death of Mr. Purdy, the Society's schoolmaster, who was a friend to reli- gion, and did many kind offices to the poor, as far as he was able. His corpse was attended to the church, on Ash-Wednes- day, by a great concourse of people of all persuasions, to whom Mr. Wetmore preached a sermon adapted to that day, and to the melancholy occasion." Mr. Wetmore also mentions the loss of another worthy communicant, of exemplary piety and virtue, praying God to fill the breach made in his flock, by the loss of two such worthy members.b Mr. Purdy was succeeded in his office of schoolmaster for the Parish, by Mr. Timothy Wetmore, eldest son of the Rector, the appointment having been made by the Society, on the recommendation of the inhabitants of Rye.
The Rev. James Wetmore, by his letter of October 4th, 1756, acknowledges the receipt of the Society's instructions, and prom- ises his best endeavours to observe and perform the contents of them ; in order to which, he had gone through all the parts of his extensive Parish, and preached in some adjacent places, where he had never been before, and where the people inuch wanted
2 New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulhain, vol. ii, p. 212. (Hawks'.)
Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc., from 16th Feb., 1753, to 15th Feb., 1754.
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AND CHURCH OF RYE.
and seemed very desirous of further instruction. Mr. Wetmore hath furnished his son, the Society's schoolmaster at Rye, with some proper sermons, and sends him on Sundays to read pray- ers, and officiate to them, which gives such good satisfaction, and affords such promising hopes of promoting christian know- ledge among them, that young Mr. Wetmore continues the la- bonr with great pleasure."a
The Abstracts of the Society's proceedings for 1759, say :-- " The Rev. Mr. Wetmore, the Society's missionary, at Rye, in the Colony of New- York, has the pleasure of acquainting the Society by his letter, dated April 7th, 1759, that a very worthy person, a native of England, but now living in New-York, has put into his hands £600 of that currency, of which he reserves to himself the interest during his life, and hath left by his will £400 more to be added to it after his death, to purchase a con- venient glebe for the use of the Society's missionary at Rye, for ever ; and he hath likewise intrusted several other charita- ble legacies to the care of the Society, besides the remainder of his estates for those good purposes for which the Society is in- corporated, and Mr. Wetmore makes not the least doubt of this good gentleman's perseverance in this resolution, he having given him leave to communicate thus much to the Society, and being always extraordinarily careful in the religious education of his family ; wherefore, the Society have returned their hearty thanks to this most worthy benefactor, for the £600 already given, and for his kind intentions of his other benefactions by his last will, with the assurance that they will most religiously ob- serve his directions concerning them, and to the utmost of their power fulfill the same."b
In a letter of April 7th, 1759, Mr. Wetmore acquaints the Society, " That a very worthy person, a native of England, (St. George Talbot, Esq.,) but now being in New-York, had put into his hands £600 currency, of which he reserves to himself the
* Soc. Abstracts from 20th Feb., 1756, to 18th Feb., 1757.
b Printed Abstracts of the Ven. Prop. Soc. for 1759.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
interest during life, and hath left by his will £400 more to be added after his death, to purchase a convenient glebe, and other liberal legacies."a
The Rev. James Wetmore, finished his earthly course, and fell asleep in the Lord, on Thursday, May 15th, 1760, having been nearly thirty-four years minister of this Parish. " The last scene of his life was such as afforded the most pleasing pros-, pect of the real Christian's ho; e. His views were clear, his love was strong, and his joy unspeakable and full of glory." His re- mains repose in the old Parish burial ground, on the north-west side of Blind brook. A plain monumental tablet marks the spot and bears the following inscription :-
Sacred to the Memory of The REV. MR. JAMES WETMORE, the late, Worthy, learned and faithful Minister of the Parish of Rye, for above 30 years, Who having strenuously defended the Church with his pen and adorned it by his Life and Doctrine, at-length being seized of the small pox, Departed this Life, May 15, 1760. Ætatis, 65. Cujus Memoriæ sit in Benedictione sempiterna.
The subjoined notice of his death appeared in the New-York Mercury, for May 29th, 1760. "On the 13th, of the small pox, in the 65th year of his age, the Rev. Mr. James Wetmore, Rec- tor of Rye, very much lamented. This worthy clergyman was blessed with an extensive understanding, which he improved by a due application to the most important studies. He was well versed in various parts of useful learning, and had a thorough knowledge of our happy constitution, both in Church and State,
* Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Society .- Mr. Wetmore's death is mentioned in the Society's Abstracts for 1761, where the following character is given of him by the Rev. Mr. Winslow : "He was a gentleman of extensive usefulness, and a father and exemplary pastor to the clergy in those parts."
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AND CHURCH OF RYE.
of which he was a staunch friend and an able advocate.a In the important discharge of his ministerial office he was zealous, con- stant, and unwearied ; and though he observed with grief, the great decay of true Christianity and genuine piety, (which he often heartily lamented to his friends,) yet he persevered warmly in the defence of the former, and in recommending the latter, both by precept and example. His church has lost a faithful pastor, his wife and family, an affectionate husband and a tender parent, and the publick, a worthy and useful member. But,- " Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."
"I have often heard some aged persons (says the Rev. Andrew Fowler) who recollected Mr. Wetmore, speak of him with great veneration, as a good man and a sound divine. He was not the eloquent orator, nor the fascinating speaker ;b but he
* The following is a list of his writings, as far as known, viz :-
1. Two Printed Letters in Answer to the Quakers, 1730.
2. Printed Dialogues in Answer to the same, 1732.
3. A Defence of Waterland's Discourse on Regeneration, 1744.
4. A Vindication of the Professors of the Church of England, in Connecticut, in reply to Mr. Hobart's Sermon in Favor of Presbyterian Ordination and a Re- joinder to Mr. Hobart's Serious Address, 1747.
5. The Englishman Directed, 1748.
6. Appendix, &c., to Rev. J. Beach's " Calm and Dispassionate Vindication of the professors of the Church of England," 1749.
b . It is reported of Mr. Wetmore, that being in the city of New-York on a visit, he was invited by the Rector of Trinity Church, Dr. Ogilvie, to preach for him; but no sooner was the sermon over, than a particular friend of the rector, asked him, privately, how he could invite that old f-l into his pulpit ? " Why," said the Rector, " did you not like him ?" His friend replied, " No: I never heard a more stupid discourse in my life." When the Rector came home, he desired Mr. Wetmore to lend him the sermon he had preached that day and promised to return it when he should see him again. Mr. Wetmore readily complied with his re- quest, and loaned him the discourse ; and not long after, the Rector thinking his friend had forgotten it, took it to church, where he happened to be as usual, and the Rector preached it instead of his own. His friend was pleased with the ser- mon, and told him after church, that he had outshone himself, and that his dis- course was the best he had ever heard in his life. The Rector replied that he felt highly gratified to think that he was well pleased with the sermon ; but added, it was none of his own ; it was the very one which the Old F-l, as you called him, at the time, delivered in my pulpit. "Well," said he to this Rector's friend, " if he preaches such sermons as that, I will never object to his preaching in your pulpit again." So apt are people to condemn a clergyman for what they them- selves do not understand."-Fowler's MSS. Biog. of the Clergy, vol. ii., p. 518.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
was the rational and evangelical divine, and few clergymen in his day wrote better. When a little work, entitled, " The Eng- lishman Directed in the Choice of his Religion," was republish- ed in the city of New-York, he wrote a preface or introduction to it, which was considered to be very good. He also wrote and printed several dialogues in answer to the Quakers, and in de- fence of the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England. One of his pamphlets 1 have in my possession, which appears well calculated for the purpose it was intended ; and I see not how the Quakers could answer it in a rational and spiritual manner. I believe the Christian Church could never boast of better men, take them as a body, than the Society's missionaries to this country. They chose their profession from a pure love to religion and the cause of Christ, not from the love of money or the praise of men. They sought for no honour but that which cometh alone from God, and an approving conscience. Like their beloved Master, they were despised and rejected, and their reli- gion was everywhere spoken against and villified. As the Apos- tles were a spectacle to men and angels, so were these men, and if they suffered not as martyrs, it was because the civil authority protected them."a
Mr. Wetmore left issue by his wife Anna, who died on the 25th of February, 1771, two sons, Timothy, for several years the Society's school-master at Rye, and a person of considerable influence in the county, who, after the close of the Revolutionary War, retired to New Brunswick, resided at St. John's, and held numerous situations of honor and trust. Thomas, the son of Timothy, also removed to New Brunswick, where he was ap- pointed Attorney General, and died in 1828.b James, second son of the Rev. James Wetmore, was also the Society's schoolmas-
* Fowler's MSS. Biog., of the Clergy, vol. ii, p. 212.
b Robert G. Wetmore, of New-York, eldest son of Timothy, also became a res- ident of New Brunswick, and abandoning the profession of the law, to which he was educated, devoted himself to the study of divinity, and was ordained a clergy- man of the Episcopal Church. He died in 1803, in Savannah, Geo., at the seat of the Hon. Joseph Clay."-See Sabine's American Loyalists.
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AND CHURCH OF RYE.
ter, at Rye, for a short time, and died in Nova Scotia, leaving several sons, one of these was the late Ezrahiah Wetmore, who died on the 7th of February, 1838, aged 81. Elizabeth, widow of the latter, is still living at the advanced age of 93. The Rev. James Wetmore left also four daughters, Alethea, wife of the Rev. Joseph Lamson; Auna, wife of Gilbert Brundage;a Charity, wife of Joseph Purdy, son of Samuel, the Society's school- master, from whom descend the Purdy's of Rye; and Esther, who married first, David Brown, and secondly, Jesse Hunt, Esq., high sheriff of this county, in 1780.
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF JAMES WETMORE, CLERK.
" IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. This sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord. 1759, I, James Wetmore, of Rye, in the County of Westchester, and Prov- ince of New-York, Clerk, being of sound mind and memory ; but calling to mind the uncertainty of human life, and that 'tis appointed for man, once to die, and after that, the judgement ; do make, and ordain, and appoint this, iny last will and testament, in manner following : That is to say : First of all, I bequeath my soul to God who gave it, hoping in his mercy, for everlasting life, through the alone merits of my blessed Redeemer ; and my body to the earth, to be buried in a christianlike manner, at the discretion of my executors hereinafter named, in an assured expectation of its heing raised up again at the last day by the Almigh- ty power of my Redeemer, to a state of greater glory and perfection, to remain forever ; and as to the small portion of my worldly estate, with which it has pleased God to bless me, I will, bequeath, and dispose of the same in manner fol. lowing. viz :- Imprimis: I give and bequeath unto my loving wife, Anna Wet- more, instead of a legal dowry, the use and emolument of all that land, orchard, meadow, and pasture, which Samuel Lane sold to Raphael Jacobs, lying in the town of Rye, with the house thereon, and all appurtenances thereto belonging, and also that pasture lot adjoining thereto, which formerly belonged to Peter Brown, on the east side of the road leading to Harrison's purchase, to the sole use of my said wife and her assigns, during the term of her natural life ; also, one eqnal half of linnen, bedding, and other household furniture, and the privi- ledge of what firewood she shall have occasion of for her own use; also, three cows and one horse. Item, I give, devise, and bequeath to my loving son, James Wetmore, the priviledge of the shop, and dam upon Blind brook, for accommo- dating a fulling mill, with the utensils belonging to said mill; also. the wood and pasture lott above the first stone fence, to extend from Abraham Brundige's land, south-westerly, half the width of my land bought of Joseph Haight, and from the stone fence that runs across my land near Brundige's house, north-westerly to the next fence that now runs across my land, together with a priviledge to cart and
· Mother of-Gilbert Brundage, the father of the present Mrs. Buckley, of Rye.
19
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
drive cattle thereto, from the bridge to the fulling mill, to him, his heirs, and as- signs forever. Item, I give and bequeath to my loving son, Timothy, that house, barn, and improvements, bought of Mr. Jacobs, lying in the town of Rye, with all the land on the west side of the road which formerly belonged to Peter Brown; and also that part of my land bought of Joseph Haight, on the west side of Blind brook, running from said brook. north-westerly to the stone fence that now runs cross my land, near Abraham Brundige's, and to extend northerly to the land I have sequestered for a glebe, which, at the upper end, by the stone fence, is to be half the width of my lot, to him, my said son Timothy, his heirs and assigns for- ever. Item, I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter, Alethea, wife of the Rev. Josephi Lamson, £30, to be paid by my executors in one year after my de- cease. Ilem, I give, devise, and bequeath to my loving daughter, Anne, wife of Gilbert Brundige, so much of my land at Bullock's meadow, as will be included by a line bearing the same course with the line between said Gilbert Brundige's land and that part of my farm he adjoins to, to begin at the south-east corner of said Gilbert Brundige's lot, bought of Henry Strang, to run cross meadow and woods, the course before specified. unto the land of William Haight, comprising that part of my farm that is north of said line, unto my said daughter Anne Brundige, her heirs and assigns forever ; also, £10, to be paid by my executors unto my said daughter within a year after my decease. Ilem, I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter, Charity, wife of Josiah Purdy, £30, to be paid by my executors in one year after my decease. Ilem, I will, devise, and bequeath unto my loving daughter, Esther Wetmore, the reversion of all that house, orchard, meadow, and pasture, which was formerly Samuel Lane's, and that pasture lot which did belong to Peter Brown, eastward of the road that leads to Harrison's purchase, with all the priviledges and appurtenances thereto belonging, after the decease of my wife, to whom I have given the use for life, the reversion and re- mainder to my said daughter, Esther Wetmore, to her heirs and assigns forever. I also give and bequeath unto my loving daughter, Esther, one equal half part of all my linnen, bedding, and other household furniture, the same to be equally di- vided between my wife and said daughter. All the residue and remainder of my estate. real and personal, after the payment of above legacies and all my just debts, I will, devise, and bequeath unto my two loving sons, James Wetmore and Timothy Wetmore, to each, in severalty, to be equally divided between them, af- ter the sale of so much as shall be necessary for payment of .my just debts and legacies, unto them, their heirs and assigns forever ; and I do hereby nominate and appoint my said loving sons, James and Timothy, to be executors of this, my last will and testament, disannulling all former wills by me made, or executors by me nominated, and do confirm this, contained in these two pages, alone to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my name and seal.
JAMES WETMORE.“
* Surrogate's office, N. Y., Lib. xxiv. 125, 126. This will was proved 10th June, 1760.
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AND CHURCH OF RYE.
Signed, sealed, pronounced and declared to be his last will and testament, in disposing mind and memory, in presence of Hachaliah Brown, Roger Park, Jr., Benjamin Brown, Jr."
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