USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 28
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62
Given under my hand and the prerogative seal of the Province of New-York, at Fort George, in the City of New-York. the seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three."2
CADWALLADER COLDEN."
CERTIFICATE OF MR. PUNDERSON'S INDUCTION INTO THE REC- TORSHIP OF THE PARISH OF RYE, &c.
" I, John Milner, Rector of the Parish of Westchester, in the County of West- chester and Province of New-York, do hereby certifye, that by virtue of a warrant hereunto annexed, from the Honourable Cadwallader Colden, Esquire, his Majesty's Lieutenant Governour and Commander in Chief of the Province of New-York, aforesaid, and the Territories depending thereon, in America ; I have this day in- ducted the Rev. Ebenezer Punderson, into the real, actual, and corporal possession of the Rectory of the Parish Church of Rye, commonly called Grace Church. and of the Parish of Rye, including the several districts or precincts of Rye, Mama- runeck, and Bedford, in the County of Westchester aforesaid, with all their rights, members, and appurtenances, the 21st day of November, Anno Domini, 1763.
a Rec. of Commissions at Albany, fol. v., 274-5 .- The original documents are in the possession of John C. Jay, Esq.
303
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
The induction of the Rev. Ebenezer Punderson being executed, the above cer- tificate was signed, in consequence thereof, by the Rev. John Milner, in the presence of us, who subscribe our names as witnesses thereunto.
JOHN MILNER, Rector of St. Peter's Church, Westchester, and twenty-one others."
"I, Ebenezer Punderson, do here declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and everything contained and prescribed in and by ye Book entitled the Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of ye Sacraments; and ye Rites and Cere_ monies of ye Church, according to the use of the Church of England; together with ye Psalter or Psalms of David, pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches, and the form or manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating Bish- ops, Priests, and Deacons."
" Upon the 4th day of December, 1763, the above mentioned Ebenezer Punder- son, after divine service was began, and before it was ended, read distinctly the thirty-nine Articles of Religion, and declared his unfeigned assent and consent to them ; and also made the above declaration.
Witness, HACHALIAHI BROWN, TIMOTHY WETMORE. "a
The following extract is from Mr. Punderson's first report to the Secretary :-
MR. PUNDERSON TO THE SECRETARY.
[EXTRACT.]
Rye, November 12th, 1762.
REV. SIR, .
"J am now entered upon the thirtieth year in the service of the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, &c., and notwithstanding I have laboured under many infirmities,
a Copied from the original documents in the possession of John C. Jay, Esq. " The ancient mode of induction was as follows :- The person who executed the induction, took the individual to be inducted by the hand, laid it on the key of the Church, in the door, and pronounced these words, viz :- ' By virtue of this warrant, I induct you into the real, actual, and corporal possession of the Parish Church of Rye, commonly called Grace Church, and of the Parish of Rye, in- cluding the several Districts or Precincts of Rye, Mamaroneck, and Bedford, in the County of Westchester, within this Province of New-York, with all their rights, members, and appurtenances'-Then he opened the door of the Church, and put the person in possession thereof, who usually tolled the Church bell-
304
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
yet have by divine goodness been enabled to perform divine service every Sunday, save one, during the long term ; and have rid, and preached more than two sermons in three weeks, ye whole of the time. Upwards of nine years have I been in the Society's service, at New Haven, Guilford, and Brandford, where I have six churches, and have more than one hundred and sixty communicants, and by the blessing of heaven upon my zealous and painful endeavours to serve the Church of God which he has purchased with his own blood; I have almost solely raised up eleven churches in Connecticut, and from the force and fraud of the powers of darkness and evil, and wicked men, who are their instruments, have suffered more than probably almost any man now alive; but blessed be God whose property it is to bring light out of darkness, good out of evil, and order out of confusion, has made all these things work together for my best good, the increase of my faith, and patience and fer- vent zeal to promote the salvation of immortal souls.a
Rev. Sir, &c., EBENEZER PUNDERSON."
At a meeting of the Vestry held at the house of Abraham Theall, on the 1st of February, 1763, the Vestry "allowed to the Rev. Ebenezer Punderson, for his service in the Church, from the 1st day of July, 1762, to the 1st day of February, 1763, the sum of £25 0 0; also, for his salary to January Ist, 1764, £50."
Upon the 9th of April, 1763, " The Justices and Vestry voted
then the inductor certified the induction, which he endorsed on the warrant, and also all those who were present usually set their hands to it as witnesses. The person thus inducted, had to, within two months afterward, read the thirty-nine Articles, and declare his unfeigned assent and consent to them, after the Com- mon Prayer was began, and before it was ended, and likewise within the said two months, he had upon Sunday, to read the whole service for that day, out of the Book of Common Prayer, and deilver his assent to it in that very Church to which he was inducted, in the words as above.
· New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. pp. 311, 312. (Hawks'.)
305
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
the sum of two hundred and forty-five pounds on the several districts of the Parish, in manner following, viz :-
Rye, - - -
£68 18 7
Manor of Scarsdale, 25 4 6
Bedford, 50 18 6
Mamaroneck, 18 10 0
White Playns, 24 90
North Castle,
56 19 5
£245 00 0
At this meeting, " The Vestry considered that there was not money in the Churchwardens hands to pay the Rev. Mr. Pun- derson the twenty-five pounds that was voated, for services done in the Church by said Mr. Punderson, from July the 1st, 1762, to January 1st, 1763 .- There then appeared Mr. Peter Jay, John Thomas, Esq., Mr. Benjamin Griffen, Elisha Budd, Esq., and Mr. William Sutton, and advanced five pounds a piece, ma- king the twenty-five pound. Ordered that the aforesaid be paid as soon as it shall be collected by the constables, and paid to said persons above, by the Churchwardens."a
The Society's Abstracts for 1763, say :- " The Rev. Mr. Pun- derson, the Society's missionary at Rye, in his letter dated Oc- tober 10th, 1763, writes, since his removal to Rye, in May last, besides preaching two-thirds of the Sundays at Rye, and the other third at White Plains, North Castle and Bedford, (the first, seven, and the other, twenty miles from Rye Church) he has been twice to Crumpond and once to Croton, each thirty miles from Rye. In his occasional visits, and since his residence at Rye, he has christened nineteen adults, and ninety-two children, and he has added several to our communion, and is preparing many more. Upon Mr. Punderson's representation of a great want of Prayer Books, a large number have been sent him to be distributed among his poor parishioners."b
· Church Records of Rye.
b Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc. from 18th of Feb., 1763, to 17th of Feb., 1764.
20
306
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
Thus actively engaged in the glorious work of extending the Redeemer's kingdom, the life of this faithful and virtuous sol- dier of the Cross glided peacefully along, until the 22d day of September, 1764, when his Master called hun home tothe rest that remaineth for the people of God. His remains are interred be- side those of Wetmore, in the Episcopal burying ground at Rye, where a neat monument is erected, with the following inscrip- tion : -
Sacred to the Memory of the Rev'd. Ebenezer Punderson, Late Missionary to the Rev'd. Society for Propagating the Gospel in foreign Parts, who died 22d SeP., A. D. 1764, Being 60 Years of Age. With Pure Religion Was his Spirit fraught, Practis'd Himself what he to others Taught.
The following notice of his death appeared in the "New- York Post Boy," for October 4th, 1764 :-
"We hear from Rye, that the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Punderson, late Minister of that place, missionary from the Honourable So- ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel, &c., died there on Sat- urday, the 22d ult., after a few days illness, much lamented."a
Mr. Punderson left two sons, Ebenezer, the eldest, graduated at Yale College in 1755, and settled at Preston, Connecticut, where he died, A. D., 1809.b His son, Ebenezer, died in 1846- 7, leaving two sons, Francis, of Hudson, Columbia County, N. Y., and the Rev. Ephraim Punderson, of Western New- York ; besides two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. Cyrus
a The Boston Gazette for the 15th of October, 1764, says :- "that he died at Rye, on Sunday, the 22d ult.," but this must be a mistake, as the 22d occurred on a Saturday .- See Cresswell's Secular Diary, published in N. Y., A. D., 1819. b The following obituary notice appeared in the Churchman's Mag., for 1809. " Died at Preston, in Connecticut, on Thursday, the 6th of April last, after about a fortnight's illness of the epidemic, typhus fever, Mr. Ebenezer Punderson, Mer- chant, eldest son of the Rev. Ebenezer Punderson, deceased, who was formerly a missionary for the Ven. Soc. for the Propagation of the Gospel, in Connecticut, afterwards at New Haven, and finally at Rye."
307
AND CHURCH OF RYE."
Punderson, the second son of the Rev. Ebenezer, was born at North Groton, Conn., April 17th, 1737, educated at Yale, and was admitted Master of Arts of Kings College, N. Y., in 1758. He entered the medical profession, and married Catharine, el- dest daughter of Dr. George Muirson, (only son of the Rev. George Muirson, second Rector of this Parish,) by whom he left issue, six children, viz :- Elizabeth, George Mnirson, Cyrus Mi- ner, Thomas, Anna, and Gloriana. The latter, who was born August 9th, 1778, and married Capt. Jedediah Hart, is still liv- ing at Setauket. Dr. Punderson died at New-York, January 10th, 1789, and was buried beside his wife, under Caroline Church, Setauket, Long Island. a
Upon the 19th day of December, 1764, Grace Church, Rye, received the following charter from King George the Third :-
ROYAL CHARTER OF GRACE CHURCH, RYE.
" George the Third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ire- land, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting : Whereas our loving subjects, Peter Jay, Elisha Budd, Christopher Isinghart, Timothy Wetmore, Caleb Purdy, Joshua Purdy, John Guion, Joseph Purdy, Gilbert Willet, John Carhart, Thomas Sawyer, Gilbert Brundige, John Thomas, William Sutton, Anthony Miller and John Adee, in- habitants of the Parish of Rye, in the County of Westchester, in our province of New-York, in communion of the Church of England as by law established ; by their humble petition presented on the sixteenth day of November last past, to our trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden, Esquire, our Lieutenant Governour and Commander in chief of our Province of New-York and the territories de- pending thereon in America, in Council, did set forth that the inhabitants of the said Parish of Rye, in communion of the Church of England as by law established, have by voluntary contributions erected and finished a decent and convenient church in the town of Rye, in the said Parish, for the celebration of divine service,
according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, but that from a want of some persons legally authorized to superintend the same and manage the affairs and interests thereof, the said church is greatly decayed, and the petitioners discouraged from contributing to the repair thereof, least the money given for that purpose may be mis-applied, and that on that account also, charitable and well disposed people are discouraged in their design of establishing proper funds for the future support of the said church and the better maintenance of the ministry,
* Kindly furnished by the Rev. F. M. Noll, Rector of Setauket.
308
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
and therefore humbly prayed in behalf of themselves and the rest of the inhabitants of the said Parish in communion of the Church of England as by law established, our letters patent incorporating them and the rector and inhabitants of the said Parish in communion of the Church of England as by law established, for the time being, a body corporate and politick, with such rights, privileges, and immu- nities, as should appear proper and expedient to answer the purposes aforesaid. Now, We being willing to encourage the pious intentions of our said loving sub- jects and to grant this their reasonable request, Know Ye, that of our espe- cial grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, we have ordained, given, grant- ed and declared, and by these presents for us, our heirs, and successors, do ordain, give, grant and declare, that they the said petitioners and the rest of the inhabi- tants of the said Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, and their successors the inhabitants of the said Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, with the rector of the said Parish of Rye for the time being, for ever, shall forever hereafter be one body corporate and politick in deed, fact and name, by the name, stile and title of the rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye, in communion of the Church of England as by law established, and them and their successors by the same name, we do by these presents, for us our heirs and successors really and fully make ; erect, create and constitute one body politick and corporate in deed, fact and name for ever, and will, give, grant, and ordain, that they and their successors, the rec- tor and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, by the same name shall and may have perpetnal succes- sion, and shall and may be capable in law to sue and be sued, implead and be impleaded, answer and be answered unto, defend and be defended in all courts and elsewhere, in all manner of actions, suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters and demands whatsoever, as fully and amply as any other our liege subjects of our said Province of New-York may or can sue or be sued, implead or be im- pleaded, defend or be defended, by any lawful ways or means whatsoever, and that they and their successors by the same name shall be for ever hereafter capa- ble and able in the law to purchase, take, hold, receive, and enjoy any mes- suages, tenements, houses, and real estate whatsoever, in fee simple, for term of life or lives, or in any other manner howsoever, for the use of the said church, and also any goods, chattels, or personal estate whatsoever; Provided always, that the clear yearly value of the said real estate (exclusive of the said church and the ground whereon the same is built and the cemetery belonging to the same) doth not at any time exceed the sum of five hundred pounds current money of our said province, and that they and their successors by the same name shall have full power and authority to give, grant, sell, lease and dispose of the same real estate for life or lives, or years, or for ever, under certain yearly rents, and all goods, chattels and personal estate whatsoever, at their will and pleasure, and that it shall and may be lawful for them and their successors to have and use a common seal, and our will and pleasure further is, and we do hereby for us, our heirs and suc- cessors, ordain and appoint that there shall be for ever hereafter belonging to the said church, one rector of the Church of England as by law established, duly qualified for the cure of souls, two churchwardens and eight vestrymen, who shall
309
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
conduct and manage the affairs and business of the said church and corporation in manner as hereafter is declared and appointed, and for the more immediate carrying into execution our royal will and pleasure herein, we do hereby assign, constitute and appoint Peter Jay and Elisha Budd to be present churchwardens, and John Thomas, Joshua Purdy. Christopher Isinghart, William Sutton, John Adee, Caleb Pardy, Anthony Miller and Timothy Wetmore, to be the present ves- trymen of the said church, who shall hold, possess, and enjoy their said respective offices until Tuesday in Easter week, which shall come and be in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six, and for the keeping up the succes- sion in the said offices, our royal will and pleasure is, and we do hereby establish, direct and require, that on the said Tuesday in Easter week in the said year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six, and yearly and every year thereafter for ever, on Tuesday in Easter week in every year, the rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, shall meet at the said church, and there by the majority of voices of such of them as shall so meet, elect and choose two of their members to be churchwardens, and eight others of their members to be vestrymen of the said church for the ensuing year, which said church wardens and vestrymen so elected and chosen, shall immediately enter upon their respective offices, and hold, exer- cise and enjoy the same respectively from the time of such elections for and du - ring the space of one year, and until other fit persons shall be elected and chosen in their respective places, and in case the churchwardens or vestrymen, or either of them, by these presents named and appointed or which shall be hereafter elect- ed and chosen by virtue of these presents, shall die or remove from the said Par- ish of Rye before the time of their respective appointed services shall be expired, or refuse or neglect to act in the office for which he or they is or are herein nomi- nated and appointed, or whereunto he or they shall or may be so elected and chosen, then our royal will and pleasure is, and we do hereby direct, ordain and require the rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion as aforesaid, for the time being to meet at the said church, and choose other or others of their members in the place and stead of him or them so dying, removing or refusing to act within thirty days next after such contingency, and in this case for the more due and orderly conducting the said elections and to prevent any undue proceedings therein, we do hereby give full power and authority to, and ordain and require that the rector and the said churchwardens of the said church for the time being, or any two of them, shall appoint the time for such election and elections, and that the rec - tor of said church, or in his absence, one of the said churchwardens for the time being, shall give public notice thereof by publishing the same at the said church, imme- diately after divine service on the Sunday next preceeding the day appointed for such election, hereby giving and granting that such person or persons as shall be so chosen from time to time by the rector and inhabitants of the said Parish of Rye in communion as aforesaid, or the majority of such of thiem as shall in such case meet in manner hereby directed, shall have, hold, exercise and enjoy such the office or offices to which he or they shall be so elected and chosen from the time of such elec- tion, until the Tuesday in Easter week theuce next ensuing, and until other or others
310
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
be legally chosen in his or their place or stead, as fully and amply as the person or persons in whose place he or they shall be chosen might or could have done by vir- tue of these presents ; and we do hereby will and direct that this method shall for ever hereafter be used for the filling up all vacancies that shall happen in either the said offices between the annual elections above directed ; and our royal will and pleasure further is, aud we do hereby for us, our heirs and successors, give and grant that as well the churchwardens and vestrymen in these presents nominated and appointed, as such as shall from time to time be hereafter elected and chosen as is herein directed, shall have and they are hereby invested with full power and authority to execute their several and respective offices in as full and ample manner as any churchwardens or vestrymen in that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, or in this our province of New-York, can or lawfully may execute their said respective offices ; and further our royal will and pleasure is, and we do by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors, give, grant, ordain and appoint, that the rector and the said churchwardens of the said church for the time being, or any two of them, shall and may from time to time, as occasion shall require, summon and call together, at such day and place as they shall think proper, the said rector, churchwardens and vestry- men for the time being, to meet in vestry, giving them at the least, one day's notice thereof, and we hereby require them to meet accordingly ; and we do hereby give, grant and ordain, that the said rector and one of the said churchwardens for the time being at least, together with the majority of the said vestrymen of the said church for the time being, being met in vestry as above directed, shall forever hereafter have, and they are hereby invested with full power and authority by a majority of their voices, to do and execute in the name of the rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, all and singular, the powers and authorities hereinbefore given and granted to the said rector and in- habitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, any wise touching or relating to such lands, messuages and tenements, real and personal estate whatsoever, as they the said rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion as aforesaid, shall or may acquire for the use of the said church, and also in like manner to order, direct, manage and transact the general in- terest, business and affairs of our said corporation, and also shall have full power and authority in like manner to make and ordain such rules, orders and ordinances as they shall judge convenient for the good government and discipline of the members of the said church, provided such rules, orders and ordinances be not repugnant to the laws of that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called England, or of this our pro- vince of New-York, but as near as may be agreeable thereto, and that the same be fairly entered in a book or books to be kept for that purpose ; and also in like man- ner to appoint the form of the common seal hereinbefore granted, and the same to alter, break, and new make at their discretion ; and also in like manner to appoint such officer or officers as they shall stand in need of ; always provided, that the rector of the said church for the time being shall have the sole power of nominating and ap- pointing the clerk to assist him in performing divine service, as also the sexton, any thing hereinbefore contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding ; which
311
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
clerk and sexton shall hold and enjoy their respective offices during the will and pleasure of the rector of the said church for the time being. And whereas by the death of the late minister of the said church the same is now in avoidance, our royal will and pleasure is, that in this case, and also in case of every future avoidance of the said church, either by the death of the rector thereof or otherwise, that the pow- ers and authorities hereby vested in the rector, churchwardens and vestrymen, in vestry met as above mentioned, shall, until the said church be legally supplied with another incumbent, vest in and be executed by the said churchwardens of the said church for the time being ; provided always, they have the concurrence and consent of the major number of the whole vestrymen of the said church appointed by these presents, or chosen by virtue hereof, for the time being, in every thing they shall in such case do by virtue hereof. And further, we do by these presents, for us, onr heirs and successors, give and grant unto the rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, and their successors for ever, that this our present grant shall be deemed, adjudged and construed in all cases most favorably and for the best benefit and advantage of the said rector and in- habitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, and that this our present grant being entered on record as is hereinafter particularly expressed, shall be good and effectual in the law to all intents, construc- tions and purposes whatsoever, against us, our heirs and successors, according to our truo intent and meaning herein before declared, notwithstanding the not reciting or misreciting, not naming or misnaming of any of the aforesaid franchises, privileges, immunities, offices or other the premises, or any of them, and although no writ of ad quod damnum, or other writs, inquisitions or precepts hath or have been upon this account had, made, issued or prosecuted ; to have and to hold all and singular the privileges, liberties, advantages and immunities hereby granted or meant, mentioned or intended so to be, unto them the said rector and inhabitants of the Parish of Rye in communion of the Church of England as by law established, and to their succes- sors for ever. In testimony whereof, we have caused these our letters to be made patent, and the great seal of our said province to be hereunto affixed, and the same to be entered on record in our secretary's office in our city of New-York, in one of the books of patents there remaining. Witness, our trusty and well beloved Cadwallader Colden, Esquire, our Lieutenant Governour and Commander in chief of our Province of New-York, and territories thereon in America, at our Fort in our city of New- York, by and with the advice and consent of our Council for our said province, the nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-four, and of our reign the fifth. First skin, line the fortieth, the words or with, and second skin, line the twenty seventh, the word is are interlined.
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.