USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 29
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CLARKE.".
At a vestry meeting, for this Parish, on the 7th of May, 1765,
· Book of Commissions, Secretary of State's office, Albany.
-
312
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
it was "ordered that the church wardens do take up on interest, thesum of twenty-five pounds to pay off the salary of the Rev. Mr. Punderson, deceased, in case his widow shall give security that it shall not be hereafter claimed by his executors or other per- sons as his estate."
The following month the Society were favored with another letter from their faithful friend and schoolmaster at Rye :-
MR. WETMORE TO THE SECRETARY.
EXTRACT.]
Rye, June 1st, 1765.
REV. SIR,
" The Venerable Society have, doubtless, long since heard that our Parish is again reduced to the melancholy state of being without a minister, exposed to the infection of schism, irreligion, profaneness, and deism, or rather atheism. Mr. Smith, some- thing of a popular dissenting preacher, is again introduced into Rye and the White Plains. I am sorry to say it, I think the appearances of religion, are not so favourable as they have here- tofore been, and though the necessity is so great, the neighbour- ing clergy are so attached to their proper missions, that we have not had, I think, the sacrament but once, and but two sermons preached in our Parish, since the death of Mr. Punderson. This being the melancholy state of the Church, and many mani- festly verging towards an indifferency about public worship; to prevent which, and the dreadful consequences thereof, and also to prevent as far as lay in my power, as many as possible from being habituated to the dissenting meeting, taverns, and sloth- fulness on the Lord's Day, vices to which many of our people are too much addicted, and which Mr. Punderson's successor might be obliged to struggle hard with before he would be able to master, as also that we may have an opportunity of publicly adoring our great Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifyer ; I have presumed again to enter the sacred desk and read prayers at
313
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
Rye and the White Plains, and elsewhere, occasionally, and such sermons, as I think, are best calculated for these purposes, and to propagate the great doctrines and practice of Christians ; and I have the satisfaction to think that my weak endeavours are not without a blessing ; many profess to be pleased, and established and comforted, thereby in the blessed hopes of the Gospel."a
Upon the 2nd of June, 1765, the
REV. EPHRAIM AVERY, A. M.,
was licensed and appointed to the vacant mission of Rye. He was the son of the Rev. Ephraim Avery, whose ancestors, originally seated at Wells, in Somersetshire, were among the early settlers of New England.b His father was installed pas- tor of the Second Congregational Society, at Pomfret, Windham County, Conn., Sept. 4th, 1735, and died Oct. 20th, 1754.c His mother, Deborah, in 1765 married the distinguished patriot, General Israel Putnam, who died in 1794; she died at his head- quarters, in the Highlands, in 1777, and was interred in the family vault of the well known Col. Beverly Robinson. Mr. Avery was born in Pomfret, on the 13th of April, 1741,d and graduated at Yale, in 1761. Soon after he left college, he went into New Jersey and taught school there, at a place called Second River, in the township of Newark.e The Society's
a New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii., pp. 392, 393. (Hawks'.) b William Avery received a grant of land, at Ipswich, in 1638. John Avery, of Boston, died 31st of July, 1654. Christopher Avery was a selectman, of Gloucester, in 1646. The arms of Avery, of Wells, are :- gu. a chev. between three bezants. Crest-two lions gambs, or, supporting a bezant.
c Trumbull's History of Connecticut, vol. ii., p. 532.
d " Ephraim Avery and Samuel Avery, sons of the Rev. Ephraim Avery, by Deborah his wife, were born April the 13th, 1741."-Extract from the Records of the town of Pomfret, Windham County, Conn. Ephraim and Samuel Avery, twin sons of the Rev. Ephraim Avery, were baptized at Pomfret, Sunday April 19th, 1741 .- Record of the 1st Ecclesiastical Society of Pomfret.
e Fowler's MSS., vol. iv., p. 726.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
Abstracts for 1763, say :- " The Rev. Isaac Brown, the Society's missionary, at Newark. in his letters, dated October 6th, 1762, and April 6th, 1763, acquaints the Society that Mr. Avery, a young gentleman, graduated at Yale College, has taken care of the school at Second River, from Dec. 1st, 1761, and proposes to continue it upon the encouragement of the Society's bounty and some allowance from the inhabitants. The Society have in consequence of Mr. Brown's recommendation, appointed Mr. Avery schoolmaster at Second River, with the usual salary, and given him leave to draw for the same from Christmas, 1761."a Whilst laboring here, he turned his attention to theology, in which he made good proficiency, and was considered a very promising young man. He then went to England for holy orders, and was ordained deacon and priest by Dr. Hinchman, Bishop of London.b From the Society's Abstracts for 1765, we learn, that " Mr. Ephraim Avery, being well recommended to the Society, by the clergy in New Jersey, and others, and found worthy by the Lord Bishop of London, to be admitted into holy orders, is appointed to the vacant mission of Rye, to which he has since been inducted by the Governour."c
At a meeting of the vestry of this Parish, held on the 24th day of August, 1765, "Mr. Jay presented a letter to the church- wardens and vestrymen from the Honourable Society, acquaint- ing them that the Society had appointed the Rev. Ephraim Avery, to be rector of the Parish Church of Rye. Upon reading the letter the vestry adjourned to meet at the house of Jotham Wright, on the 27th inst., at 2 o'clock, in the afternoon."
" Pursuant to adjournment, there met and was present, this 27th of August, 1765, James Horton, Jr., Samnel Purdy, William Griffen, Robert Bloomer, Timothy Wetmore and Roger Parke, Jr. The Rev. Mr. Avery having relinquished all claim to the salary due from the Parish, since the death of the Rev. Mr.
a Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc. from Feb. 18, 1763 to Feb. 17, 1764.
b Fowler's MSS.
c Printed abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc. for 1765.
315
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
Punderson, to this day, which he signifies by subscribing his hand hereunto ; the vestry gave him a call, and a presentation to the Hon. Cadwallader Colden, Esq., Lieut. Governour of the Province of New-York, to induct him accordingly."a
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOUR COLDEN'S ADMISSION OF MR. AVERY TO BE RECTOR OF THE PARISH CHURCH OF RYE, &c.
" I, CADWALLADER COLDEN, EsQ., His Majesty's Lieutenant Governour and Commander in Chief of the Province of New-York and the Territories depending thereon in America, Do admit you, Ephraim Avery, Clerk, to be Rector of the Parish Church of Rye, commonly called Grace Church, and of the Parish of Rye, including the several Districts or Precincts of Rye, Mamaroneck and Bed- ford, in the County of Westchester, within the said Province. Given under my hand and the prerogative seal of the Province of New-York, at Fort George, in the City of New-York, the 9th day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five.
CADWALLADER COLDEN."b
LETTERS OF INSTITUTION BY LIEUTENANT GOVER- NOUR COLDEN TO MR. AVERY.
" I, CADWALLADER COLDEN, EsQ., His Majesty's Lieutenant Governour and Commander in Chief of the Province of New-York and the Territories depend- ing thereon in America, Do Institute you, Ephraim Avery, Clerk, Rector of the Parish Church of Rye, commonly called Grace Church, and of the Parish of Rye, including the several Districts or Precincts of Rye, Mamaroneck and Bed- ford, in the County of Westchester, in the said Province, to have the care of the souls of the Parishioners of the said Parish, and take your cure and mine. Given under my hand and the prerogative seal of the Province of New-York, at Fort George, the 9th day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five.
CADWALLADER COLDEN."
MANDATE FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOUR COLDEN TO INDUCT MR. AVERY INTO THE RECTORSHIP OF THE PARISH OF RYE.
" THE HONOURABLE CADWALLADER COLDEN, EsQ., His Majesty's Lieutenant
a Church Records of Rye.
b Book of Commissions, Secretary of State's Office, Fol. v, 297.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
Governour and Commander in Chief of the Province of New-York, and the Terri- tories depending thereon in America. To all and singular, Rectors and Parish Min- isters whatsoever in the Province of New- York, and to Peter Jay and Elisha Budd, the present Churchwardens of the Parish of Rye, in the County of Westchester, and to the Vestrymen of the said Parish and to each and every of you Greeting : Whereas, I have admitted our beloved in Christ, Ephraim Avery, Clerk, to the Rectory of the Parish Church of Rye, commonly called Grace Church and of the Parish of Rye, including the several Districts or Precinets of Rye, Mamaroneck and Bedford, in the County of Westchester, within this Government, to which the sail Ephraim Avery was presented unto me, by the Churchwardens and Vestrymen of the said Parish, the true and undoubted patrons of the said Parish, vacant by the natural death of Ebenezer Punderson, the last incumbent there; and him, the said Ephraim Avery, I have instituted into the Rectory of the said Parish Church and Parish, with all their rights, members and appurtenances observing the Laws and Canons of Right in that behalf re- quired and to be observed. To you, therefore, jointly and severally I do commit and firmly enjoining, do command each and every of yon, that in due manner him, the said Ephraim Avery, or his lawful proctor in his name, and for him, into the real, actual and corporal possession of the Rectory of the said Parish Church and Parish, including the Districts or Precincts aforesaid, and of all their rights and appurtenances whatsoever, you induet or cause to be inducted, and him so inducted you do defend ; ant of what you shall have done in the premises thereof, you do duly certify unto me, or other competent judge in that behalf when thereunto you shall be duly required. Given under my hand and the pre- rogative seal of the province of New-York, at Fort George, in the City of New- York, the 9th day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five.
CADWALLADER COLDEŅ.">
On the 21st of January, 1766, the vestry of the Parish "al- lowed to the Rev. Ephraim Avery, for his service as rector of the Parish of Rye, from the 27th day of August last to the 1st of January, 1766, £16 13 4, added for three days Ss. 6d .; and rais- ed for the rector's salary, from January 1st, 1766 to January, 1767, the sum of £50;" also ordered, "That the Church . warden, Joshua Purdy, to pay unto the Rev. Mr. Avery, £17 1s., from this date, till paid on January, 1767." " At a vestry meeting held on the 18th day of March, 1766, the justices and vestry agreed to raise for the poor, &c., for the present year,
a Book of Commissions, Secretary of State's Office, Fol. V. 297-8.
317
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
£150, which was quoted in the following manner, viz. :-
Rye, - £81 13 9
White Plains, - 28 2 6
Manor of Scarsdale, 20 10 0
Mamaroneck, - 14 13 9
Bedford, 55 00 6
North Castle, - 68 15 0
£268 15 0"a
Extract of a letter from
MR. AVERY TO THE SECRETARY.
L
EXTRACT.]
Rye, March 25th, 1766.
REV. SIR,
" I have the pleasure to inform the Venerable Society, that the people of my Parish seem to be under very peaceable circum- stances, an entire harmony subsisting between them and myself, especially those who are professors of the Church of England, and indeed, the other party are very quiet. It gives me a good deal of satisfaction to find my people, in general, much more calm with respect to the stamp act than the most of others ; 'tis true, they esteem the act rather aggressive; but to resist the higher powers in a rebellious manner they think not only un- lawful, but unchristian. In this Parish are at present about forty communicants, some of which have come to the holy ordinance since my residence among them, and many more, I believe, would soon join themselves, could their too scrupulous con- sciences, be fully satisfied in a few points, that now seem to be a bar in their way ; for which reason I would beg of the Ven- erable Society a few pious tracts to be distributed among them.b
· Church Records of Rye.
৳ New-York MSS. from Archives at Fulham, vol. ii. (Hawks'.)
318
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
In 1767, Mr. Avery received the degree of Master of Arts, from King's College, New-York, a literary honor which he richly deserved.
Mr. Jolin Rand succeeded Mr. Timothy Wetmore, as the Society's schoolmaster and catechist for the Parish, in 1769. He must have removed, however, the same year, for the name of Mr. John Avery occurs on the Society's list, as schoolmaster at Rye, in 1770, with a salary of £10 per annum. In 1779, Mr. Avery left his school, being engaged in other employments, whereupon, Mr. James Wetmore, a brother of the former school- master, was appointed to the office.
In 1772, Mr. Avery writes, " That peace and unanimity subsists between him and his people."a
The Society's Abstracts for the year 1773, say :- " two letters have been received from Mr. Avery, whose congregation at Rye, continues as usual, ten or twelve children are regularly in- structed by Mr. Wetmore, the schoolmaster. The church at North Castle which hath been some time building, is in a tolera- bly decent state. Mr. Avery's notitia stands thus :- baptized ninety of white children and infants; of adults, six ; of black infants, five ; marriages, fifteen ; burials, ten."b
In 1774, " Mr. Avery assures the Society that Mr. Wetmore carefully attends upon his school ; instructs ten or twelve ; four children upon the bounty of the Society. He hath baptized thirty-seven white, and four black infants and four white adults ; married seven, and buried five."c
" Soon after this the clergy of the Church of England fell upon troublous times, which tried to the utmost the firmness of men, and often excruciated the minds of the scrupulous and conscientious. The Revolutionary War broke out, threatening an utter disruption of the ties which had so long bound the colonies and the mother country together. The relations of the clergy
a Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc., from Feb. 21st, 1772, to Feb. 19th, 1773.
b Ibid from Feb. 19th, 1773, to Feb. 18th, 1774.
e Ibid from Feb. 18th, 1774, to Feb. 17th, 1775.
r
319
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
with the latter, were perhaps of a more close and enduring character than those of almost any other class of men. They were for the most part employed and supported by the Society at home, they were nurtured in sentiments of loyalty, and they could not bring themselves to forsake at once, and forever, the ruler whom God in his providence had placed over them, and whom they had so long implored him to prosper and bless.
Whatever may be politically our view of this great question, in which men equally good, so widely differed, we must at least respect the scruples which no worldly considerations could over- come, and which led to the sacrifice of home, comfort and wealth, for conscience' sake. With these qualifications, I trust that I shall be open to no misconstruction, in the unvarnished narrative I am about to give."
In a letter, dated October 31, 1776, " Mr. Inglis assures the So- ciety, that all their missionaries, without excepting one, in New Jersey, New-York, Connecticut, and so far as he could learn in the other New England colonies, had proved themselves faith- ful, loyal subjects in those trying times, and had to the utmost of their power opposed the spirit of disaffection which had in- volved this continent in the greatest calamities ; and although their joint endeavours could not prevent the rebellion, yet for some time they had considerably checked it. Amidst all the suc- ceeding disorder and confusion, they went on steadily with their duty in their sermons ; confining themselves to the doctrines of the gospel, without touching on politics, using their influence to allay political heats and cherish a spirit of loyalty among their people. This conduct, however harmless, gave great offence. They were every where threatened, often reviled with the most opprobious language and sometimes treated with brutal violence." He then goes on with an enumeration of the many instances of insult, outrage and wrong, which had been inflicted on his brethren and friends; and concludes his account with the re- mark, "that if every case of the kind could be faithfully collect- ed, it is probable that the sufferings of the American clergy might appear in many respects not inferior to those of the same
320
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
order in the great rebellion of the last century, and that such a work would be no bad supplement to WALKER'S SUFFERINGS OF THE CLERGY."
"Some (say the Society's Abstracts) were carried prisoners by armed mobs into distant provinces, and were detained in close confinement for several weeks. Some flung into jails for frivo- lous suspicions. Some obliged to fly the provinces, have been taken prisoners and brought back, and threatened to be tried for their lives, because they fled from dangers. Some have been pulled out of the reading desk, because they have prayed for the King, and that before Independency was declared. Others have been warned to appear at militia musters with their arms, have been fined for not appearing, and threatened with impris- onment. Others have had their houses plundered, and their desks broken open, under pretence of their containing treason- able papers. After the Declaration of Independence, the clergy were greatly embarrassed to officiate publicly, and not to pray for the King, according to the Liturgy, was against their duty and oath, as well as the dictates of their conscience ; and to use the prayers, would have drawn on them inevitable destruction. The only course which they could pursue, to avoid both evils, was to suspend the public exercise of their functions, and shut up their churches."a This was done without any concert, through- out the whole extent of the above mentioned provinces. The venerable Mr. Beach, of Newtown, in Connecticut, is alone to be excepted, who officiated as usual after Independency was de- clared ; and upon being warned of his danger, he said, with more firmness and spirit than prudence and discretion, that he would do his duty, and pray and preach for the King till they should cut out his tongue. It is a little remarkable, that not- withstanding his contumacy, he was never disturbed.b
" The persecutions and privations to which the clergy were
* Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc.
৳ Hist. of Trinity Church, N. Y., by Dr. Berrian, p. 14].
321
ÅND CHURCH OF RYE.
exposed (says Dr. Hawkins) in the war, whether from the royalist or american armies, proved fatal to several of them. At Rye, Mr. Avery was a principal sufferer. His horses were seized, his cattle driven off, and his property plundered. His death, by some supposed to have been occasioned by these loss- es, happened soon afterwards."a
One letter from Mr. Avery, dated 5th June, 1776, containeth nothing material ; having lost the use of his right hand, he was incapable of writing, and sent no account of the state of his Parish. " Mr. Wetmore hath diligently attended his school, consisting, in the course of the year, of seventy-one scholars, whom he instructs to the satisfaction of their parents."b
The Society's Abstracts for 1776, say :- " By a private letter, since received from Mr. Inglis, it appears that Mr. Avery was murdered by the rebelsc in a most barbarous manner ou the 3d
· Hist. Not. of the Miss. of the Church of England, by Ernest Hawkins, B. D. ৳ Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc., from 16th Feb., 1776, to 21st Feb., 1777. The Abstracts for 1777, say :- " Mr. Wetmore, the Society's schoolmaster at Rye ; from whom three letters have been received in the course of the year, acquaints the Society that in October, 1776, he had sixty scholars, but was then obliged to fly to N. Y., leaving his numerous family in the power of the rebels. From Mr. Wetmore's last letter, it appears that he had taken a school on L. I., and hath fifty scholars."
· Printed Abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc. from 16th Feb., 1776, to 21st Feb., 1777 .- Tradition, however, reports that Mr. Avery was murdered by one Harris, an Irish Jesuit, who at that period kept a private school, which for many years stood upon, or near the site now occupied by a carriage shed, directly opposite the Church, at Rye. It is said that frequent discussions on religious topics had taken place between them ; on these occasions, Mr. Avery was always observed to maintain his argument with great coolness and moderation, while his antago- nist, who was naturally of a violent and hasty temper, would frequently betray the worst feelings. Under the garb of liberty, the murderer waylaid, and shot his innocent and defenceless victim; cut his throat, and dragged him into the public highway; thus adding to his crime, a vile attempt to defame the fair character of a worthy and excellent minister. But amid the turmoil of civil war, the conscience-stricken murderer found no rest ; he wandered from place to place, entirely dependant on the charity of others, and finally removed into the State of Ohio. Not long afterward he was tried for a second murder, and condemned to expiate his crime on the gallows. According to an account of his execution, published in one of the Ohio papers of the day, on the bolts being drawn, the rope
2.4
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
of last November, for refusing to pray for the Congress, his body having been shot through, his throat cut, and his body thrown into the public highway."
The full particulars of this melancholy event are thus related by Mr. Seabury, afterwards Bishop of Connecticut.
MR. SEABURY TO THE SECRETARY.
New- York, March 29th, 1777.
REV. SIR,
" When I last wrote, I neglected to inform the Society of the death of their missionary at Rye, the Rev. Mr. Avery. With re- gard to the circumstances of his unfortunate end, I can now only relate what has been commonly reported.
When the King's army were about to leave the County of Westchester, the latter end of October last, one brigade under the command of General Agnew, pushed forward about two miles beyond Rye, in hopes of bringing a large detachment of the rebel army which lay there, to an engagement, but not being able to come up with them, they returned on a Sunday afternoon to join the Royal army near the White Plains. That evening, the rebels returned to Rye, and as Mr. Avery and many of the loyalists had shown particular marks of joy when the King's troops came there, they became very obnoxious to the rebels, who showed their resentment by plundering their houses, dri- ving off their cattle, taking away their grain, and imprisoning some of them. Among the rest, Mr. Avery was a sufferer, and lost his cattle, horses, &c. On Tuesday morning, he desired a maid servant to give the children their breakfast, and went out.
broke, and the unfortunate man fell to the ground. While in this distressing situ- ation, he entreated the officers of justice to spare him a few moments, as he had something further to communicate ; when he solemnly declared that he first shot Mr. Avery, and then cut his throat."-Related on the testimony of Mrs. Wet- more and other aged inhabitants of this Parish, who have heard their parents speak of Harris, and remember to have seen an account of his execution in the papers of the day .- Editor.
1
323
AND CHURCH OF RYE.
Sometime after, he was found, some say, under a fence, or in an out-house, with his throat cut, either dead, or just expiring.a Many people are very confident that he was murdered by the rebels ; others suppose that his late repeated losses and disap- pointments, the insults and threats of the rebels, and the ab - sence of his best friends, who had the day before, gone off for fear of the rebels, drove him into a state of desperation too se- vere for his strength of mind. He had last spring, a stroke of the palsy, which deprived him of the use of one hand, and af- fected his reason a good deal. He also about the same time lost his wife, a prudent and cheerful woman, which affected him so much, that when I attended at her funeral, I did not think it right to leave him suddenly, but tarried with him several days till he was more composed. I visited him again a fortnight af- ter, and found him much better, and would have repeated my visits, but the times became too critical to admit of it. He has left five or six helpless orphans, I fear in great distress ; indeed I know not what is to become of them ; I have only heard that the rebels had humanity enough to permit them to be carried to Mr. Avery's friends at Norwalk, in Connecticut." b
From the above letter, it appears that Mr. Avery's death took place on Tuesday, November 5th, 1776. He had been rector of Rye nearly eleven years, and was the sixth minister who died incumbent of this Parish. His remains, with those of his wife, repose in the burying ground belonging to the Church, on the opposite side of Blind brook.
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