USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 43
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In 1702 the Rev. John Bartow, one of the first missionaries sent out by the Ven. Propagation Society, was inducted by the mandate of his Excellency, Governor Cornbury, rector of the parish church of Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers, and the Manor of Pelham.
The following year Mr. Bartow commenced his services within this precinct. In a summary account of the state of the Church in the Province of New York, as it was laid before the Clergy, convened at New York, October 5th, 1704, we have the subjoined account of this precinct :- " At Yonkers there is a small congregation of Dutch, who have only a reader, and therefore some of them who understand English, repair to the church of Westchester."b
September 5th, 1708, Mr. Bartow writes to the Venerable So- ciety :-- " That he occasionally preaches at Yonkers, where the population was then 250 souls."
· Westchester Town Records.
In 1704 there were 20 families in the Lower Yonkers, and 40 in the Manor of Philipsburgh.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
In 1713 the Society founded a charity school for the education of the children in this precinct. Their abstracts say :- " To a schoolmaster at Yonkers, in the province of New York, where there is a large congregation of Dutch and Eng- lish for instructing the younger sort of both nations in the Cat- echism and Liturgy, of £5 per annum, upon producing a certif- icate of his teaching thirty children, in that summer ; to whom also the people of Eastchester are willing to allow £20 per annum, if some well instructed master would teach them al- ternately."a
Mr. Bartow writing to the Secretary on the 12th of September, 1717, says :- " Yonkers has no church, but we as- semble for divine worship, sometimes in an house of Joseph Bebts, deceased, and sometimes in a barn when empty, but the people begin to be in a disposition to build a church."
"A. D. 1719, Mr. Jones was allowed fifty shillings for teaching children to read at Mile Square."
In the year 1724 Mr. Bartow informs the Bishop of London, "That he officiates on Sundays, in the four towns under his care, according to their several quotas in the payment of the £50 per annum, and that he preaches three times a year at Yon- kers, &c."
Upon the death of Mr. Bartow in 1725, the Rev. Thomas Standard was inducted rector of the parish of Westchester, including the precinct of Yonkers. During his incumbency, the present parish church was erected. Its first founder and patron, as we have already seen, was the Hon. Frederick Philipse, son of Philip Philipse. This distinguished personage was born upon the Springhead estate, island of Barbadoes, A. D. 1698. From 1721 to 1725, he filled the office of Speaker to the House of As- sembly, in the province of New York, and in 1733 was Baron of the Exchequer. In his will, which'is dated the 6th day of June, A. .D. 1751, he directs as follows :- " That out of the rents that are or shall be due to me from the Manor of Philipsburgh, the sum
a Printed abstracts of Ven. Soc. for 1713.2
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AND CHURCH OF YONKERS.
of £400 be, by my executors, laid out and expended towards erecting, building and finishing a church of England as by law established, on the farm near and to the north ward of the house now in the possession of William Jones, senior, by Saw Mill river, unless I shall erect, build and finish the same in my life- time, and I do devise all the said farm now in the tenure of the said William Jones, with all the buildings thereon and appur- tenances thereunto belonging, nnto my children and their heirs in trust to and for the use of such ministers of the Church of England. as by law established, as shall from time to time be admitted, instituted and inducted in the said Church, and so for ever to remain as and for a glebe to the said Church."a
The site of the church was afterwards changed, however, by his son Frederick, to it's present location in the village. Col. Philipse contributed the money necessary for the building and all the labor, except such as he taxed his tenants with who lived in the town.b This tax, which was very trifling, was levied in proportion to the abilities of his tenants. The building of the church must have commenced in 1752, for among the Philipse MSS. is an account of the expenses on the church at Philipsborough to the estate of Frederick Philipse, debtor, " com- mencing November, 1752, closing December, 1753, whole amount £623, 6s, 9d. This sum shows that his executrix had exceeded the original bequest in the will, £223. The curious reader will not be displeased with one or two more of these accounts, showing the expenses attendant on building a church at that early period :- " Benjamin Fowler's account in full for ye church, May 11th, 1753, dito 6 1-2 days works at gitting timber for the dors and the winder frames for the church, at 5 shillings per day, £1, 12, 6 :- September the 20th, to working and going to
a Surrogate's office, N. Y., vol. xviii. 3. This will was proved on the 14th of Octo- ber, 1751. In a map of the manor of Philipsburgh, surveyed agreeable to the orders and instructions of Isaac Stoutenburgh and Philip Van Cortlandt, Commissioners of Forfeitures in 17-5, the glebe or parsonage is laid down at 107 acres .- Editor.
' The bricks used in the construction of this edifice were manufactured in the vi- cinity of Pidgeon Hill, about one mile south of the village of Yonkers .- Editor.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
ask the people to come to work at the church, 8 days, &c., &c. John Underhill's receipt for supplying the workmen at the church with beef, commencing August 31st, Madame Philipse debtor, 69 pounds of beef at 2s 3d per pound £15, 10, 3.
Received of Beverly Robinson, the above amount in full.
John Underhill."
The Honorable Frederick Philipse married in 1726, Joanna daughter of the Hon. Anthony Brockholes, of an old Lancash- ire family, by this lady he had issue two sons, Frederick and Philip, also three daughters, Susannah, Mary and Margaret. The eldest son, Frederick Philipse, being heir of his father be- came devisee of the manor of Philipsburgh. Philip, the second son inherited the upper Highland patent of Philips- town, married Mary Marston, and died at New York, May 9th, 1768.ª His son Frederick, who died in 1829, was the grandfather of the present Frederick Philipse Esqr., proprietor of Philips- town, Putnam Co. The Hon. Frederick Philipse, founder of this Church, died at New York, 26th of July, 1751, and was buried in the family vault, in the Dutch Church at Sleepy Hollow, on the 28th of the same month. The following notice of his death ap- peared in the New York Gazette, for July 29th, 1751 :- "New York, July 29th,-Last Friday Evening departed this Life, in the 56th year of his age, the Honourable Frederick Philipse Esqr., one of his Majesty's Justices of the Supreme Court of this Province, and a Representative in our General Assembly for the County of Westchester. He was a Gentleman conspic- uous for an abundant Fortune ; but it was not his wealth that constituted his Merit ; His Indulgence and Tenderness to his . Tenants ; his more than parental affection for his Children, and his incessant liberality to the Indigent, surpassed the splen- dor of his Estate, and procured him a more unfeigned regard than can be purchased with opulence, or gained by Interest. There
" The following obituary notice appeared in the New York Mercury for May 16th, 1768 :- " Monday last, departed this life at his house in King Street, in this city, Philip Philipse, Esq., in the 41th year of his age."
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. AND CHURCH OF YONKERS.
were perhaps few Men, that ever equalled him in those obliging and benevolent Manners, which, at the same time that they at- tracted the Love of his Inferiors, created him all the Respect and Veneration due to his rank and station. That he was a Lover of his Country, is gloriously attested by his being repeatedly elected into the Assembly for the last 27 years of his Life. He had a disposition extremely social, and was what few ever at- tain to be, a good Companion. But what I have said of his Character is far from being a finished Portrait; it is only a sketch of some few of his Excellent Qualities, many features, I am sure, have escaped me; but I dare say, that those I have attempted, are not set off with false colours, but drawn faithful- ly from the Life."
His eldest son and heir, Colonel Frederick Philipse, was of King's College, and became a most accomplished gentleman, and a person of considerable literary attainments. He was also an ar- dent Churchman, and a liberal benefactor. In fact, to his un- tiring efforts, under God, does this parish owe much of her present prosperity. He was elected a member of the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in 1764, and his name appears among the list of vestrymen of Trinity Church, New York, from 1779 to 1782. He was also a member of the House of Assembly, held the commission of Colonel in the Provin- cial Militia, upon the confiscation of his property, and retired to Chester in England. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Charles Williams Esqr., and had with other issue, Frederick, who married Harriet Griffiths of Rhent, North Wales, father of Colo- nel Frederick C. Philipse, who married Mary Ann R. daughter of Sir Hugh Palliser, bart. of the Vatch, Bucks, and has two sons, Frederick of Rhent, and Edwin William Philipse. Colonel Frederick Philipse died at Chester, 30th of April, 1785, and was buried in the Cathedral church of that city, where there is a monument erected to his memory, on which is the following in- scription :
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
" Sacred to the Memory of FREDERICK PHILIPSE, ESQUIRE, late of the Province of New York :
A gentleman, in whom the various social, domestic, and religious virtues were eminently united. The uniform Rectitude of his condu d the es- teem of others; whilst the Benevolence of his heart and gentleness of his man- ners secured their love. Firmly attached to his Sovereign and the British Con- stitution, he opposed, at the hazard of his life, the late Rebellion in North America, and for this faithful discharge of his duty to his King and Country, he was proscribed, and his estate, one of the largest in New York, was confiscated by the usurped Legislature of that Province. When the British Troops were withdrawn from New York, in 1783, he quitted'a Province to which he had always been an or- nament and Benefactor, and came to England, leaving all his property behind him : which reverse of fortune he bore with that calmness, fortitude and dignity, which had distingished him through every former stage of life.
He was born at New York, the 12th Day of September, in the year 1720, and died in this Place the 30th day of April, in the year 1785, aged 65 years." a
For some time after building the church, the precinct had no settled clergyman-but was supplied four times a year by the rectors of the parish and by occasional visits of the neighboring clergy.
The state of the precinct about six months prior to Mr. Stan- dard's death, is thus described by Dr. Johnson, in a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, from which we extract the follow- ing :-
DR JOHNSON TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTER- BURY.
" KING'S COLLEGE, New- York, July 25th, 1759.
The next thing is to give your Grace an account of those places where Missions are wanted, and here I beg leave first to mention a great part of this Province, I mean all that Tract on the East side of Hudson's River, from Westchester upwards, quite as far as we have any settlements, abounding in people, but almost
& The above inscription was kindly furnished the author by the Rev. W. P. Hutton, of Stanley Place, Chester, England. 3
-
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AND CHURCH OF YONKERS.
destitute of Ministers of any Denomination, except two Dutch and two Germans, and many people have almost lost all sense of Christianity. Indeed in the large County of Westchester there is only good Mr. Wetmore and two Dissenting Teachers that are capable of Duty. Northward of that is Col. Philips' mannour in which are people enough for a large Congregation, without any minister at all-The Colonel has himself built a neat, small church, and set off land for a glebe which will be considerable in time, and he and his tenants are very desirous of a minister, but will need the Society's assistance." a
In October 1761, the Rev. John Milner, who succeeded Mr. Standard as rector of the parish, informs the Propagation Soci- ety, "that one of his churches is a new edifice, raised by the generosity of Col. Frederick Philips, who has given to its service a fine farm, as a glebe, consisting of two hundred acres, upon which he purposes to build a good house for a minister." b
Mr. Dibblee writing to the same from Stamford, Conn. Sep- tember 29th, 1761, says :- " Rev. Sir,-August 19th. At the earnest request of some poor people in Philipse's Patent, I preached a lecture to a large auditory and found a great want of a regular Clergyman to officiate in those parts, to prevent those confusions in religion, which hath too much obtained, and there seems a general good disposition to the Church, if they could be favored with a settled teacher."c
The Society's abstracts for 1764 say :- " The Society have re- ceived a letter from Col. Frederick Philips, of Philipsburgh in this Province, dated New York, October 23rd, 1764, representing that at the expence of himself and family, there is erected in the Manor of Philipsburgh a handsome stone church, complete- ly finished, and every thing necessary for the decent perform- ance of divine service prepared, that about three quarters of a mile from the church, he has laid out and appropriated two
· Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulham. (Hawks.)
h Printed abstracts of Ven. Prop. Soc. for 1761.
e Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulham, p. 432. (Hawks.)
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
hundred and fifty acres of excellent arable and wood land, for a glebe for a Minister for ever; and that he fully intends, as soon as they are so happy as to have a worthy clergyman of the Church of England, settled among them, to build him a genteel and handsome house upon the said glebe. The materials for which are now providing, and which will cost in building at least £400 currency. He therefore earnestly requests the Soci- ety to send them a Missionary that he and his poor tenants, near one hundred and fifty families, may be no longer destitute of the worship of the Church of England, which as British subjects and christians they petition and hope for. The Board taking this letter into consideration, have appointed the Rev. Mr. Mun- ro, a gentleman recommended to them from all the clergy of New Jersey, and the Rev. Messr's Charlton, Auchmuty, Seabury, Milner and Neill, met in Convention at Perth Amboy, Septem- ber 20th, 1764, and by other very ample Testimonials, to be the Society's Missionary at Philipsburgh, with a salary of £30 per annum."
The
REV. HARRY MUNRO, A. M.,
was the eldest son of Dr. Robert Munro of Dingwall, in Rosse, by his wife Anne, the daughter of Dr. John Munro, fourth laird of Teanourd.a His father was the second son of Alexander Munro, laird of Killichoan in Rosshire and great grandson of Sir Robert Munro, 24th baron of Foulis, and third baronet.
He was born in 1730, -- entered St. Andrew's University when about sixteen years of age, went through the regular course and took the usual degrees of Bachelor and Master of Arts. Soon after graduating he commenced the study of Theology at Edinburgh, where in 1753 and 1754 he attended the Divinity School of the University, then under the charge of Professors Gowdie and Hamilton. In 1757 he was ordained a minister of
3 The Arms of the Munro's of Foulis, Baronets, are-or, an eagle's head, erased, gu-Crest, an eagle, close, ppr. ; over the crest the following motto, " DREAD GOD."
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AND CHURCH OF YONKERS.
the Scottish Kirk, and on the 12th of January, in the same year, was commissioned chaplain to the Ist Highland battalion of Foot, then commanded by the Hon. Col. Archibald Montgomery, afterwards Earl of Eglintoun. The same year Mr. Munro was ordered with his regiment to America, and accompanied it to its destination, Charleston, South Carolina. The next year he served with it in Gen. Forbes expedition against Fort Du Ques- ne. In 1759 they were with Gen. Amherst during his campaign in northern New York, and present at the taking of Ticondero- ga and Crown Point. In 1760 the Regiment joined Gen. Am- herst at Oswego and took part in his expedition against Montre- al : after the taking of which city Mr. Munro preached the " Thanksgiving Sermon," to the victorious army. During the au- tumn of that year the regiment was ordered to Halifax, via New York, the ships sailed from New York, Nov. 20 inst., met with bad weather, were all dispersed, and that which carried Mr. Munro's regiment, was driven nearly to Ireland. The course was now changed to the Bahamas, where she finally arrived. There they remained till the Greyhound man of war conveyed them to Charleston. where they arrived in March, 1761. From hence they were immediately ordered to join Col. Grant's expe- dition against the Cherokees, and had marched some distance, when counter orders reached them to return and proceed to New York, and join Lord Rollo's forces which were sent against and which captured the Island of Dominica. In January, 1762, they were with Gen. Moncton at the taking of Martinico. Mr. Mun- ro accompanied his regiment upon all these expeditions, and performed the duties of his office, but his health became affec- ted, and while in Martinico, he was twice attacked with yellow fever, from the effects of which he never entirely recovered ; so that when the regiment was ordered to Havana, he was un- able to join it, and obtained leave to return to New York. He resided there and in Philadelphia and New Jersey, till the au- tumn of 1764.
During this period his theological opinions became changed and under Dr. Auchmuty's influence he determined to receive orders in the Church of England. The Doctor thus recom-
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
mends him in a letter to the Secretary of the Ven. Society, within a few days prior to his embarkation for England.
MR. AUCHMUTY TO THE SECRETARY.
(EXTRACT.)
No date, probably October, 1764.
REV. SIR,
" One principal motive of my writing now, is to recommend to you the bearer of this, the Mr. Harry Munro, a gentleman who has served as chaplain to one of his Majesty's Highland Regi- ments here, during the late war, in which station he has pre- served an unblemished character. After a serious and studious nquiry into the constitution and government of the Church of England, he (to the great mortification and disappointment of the Dissenters, who were fond of him) declared that he could not in conscience continue any longer amongst them, and was fully resolved to receive Episcopal ordination as soon as he could. Upon this his declaration and application to me, after having fully satisfied myself in regard to his character, which is fair and unsullied, and his abilities and prudent conduct, I recom- mended him to one Col. Philipse, a gentleman of family and fortune, who lives about twenty miles from this City, as a proper person for his purpose. Col. Philipse having built a church some time ago upon his manor and being very desirous of establish- ing a minister of the Church of England among his people, ap- plied to the General Assembly of the Province, for leave to bring in a bill to erect part of his said manor into a parish, and to tax his tenants for the support of a minister. The determination of the Assembly with a copy of the proposed bill the Colonel does himself the honor to send you by Mr. Munro. The Colo- nel upon conversing with Mr. Munro, and inquiring into hischar- acter, was sensible that he could be of infinite service as a min- ister among his tenants, and the adjacent farmers-He has therefore, as he has failed in his application to the Assembly (ow- ing to the inveteracy of some of the Dutch, and all the Dissen-
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AND CHURCH OF YONKERS.
ting members) taken some pains and procured a subscription paper, in which the subscribers have obliged themselves and their heirs, to pay annually, so much money towards the support of a minister. Now Sir, considering what the Colonel has done, as will appear by his letter, and what he must still do towards Mr. Munro's support, should he be so happy as to have him re- turn to him, considering the cruel and unjust treatment he has met from our Assembly, the poverty of his tenants, the great want of a worthy clergyman in his extensive manor, where the far greatest part of the people, who are numerous, will immedi- ately join the Church-the ignorance the poor people labor under for want of an able instructor, and lastly the great expence he has been at, and must be daily at-considering I say these things, the Colonel flatters himself that the Venerable Soci- ety will assist him a little, and open a new Mission in that part of the world, which is greatly wanted ; there being no Mission- ary, except Mr. Milner at Westchester, who has employment enough there, and at Eastchester, for miles along the banks of Hudson's River. Should the Society think that the Assembly's refusing to pass an act in favor of the Church, tho' requested and petitioned by the people, that were to be taxed by said act, is a very great hardship, and prejudice to the Church in these parts, and conceive it proper to endeavor to obtain an act of Parliament similar to the act (a copy of which the Colonel encloses) he is willing to go to the expence, provided it does not exceed one hundred guineas. If a request for such an act should be thought advisable, would it not greatly promote the interest and increase of the established Church in these parts, if every County at least, through the Government, as it is a King's govern- ment, and not a Charter one, should by the same act be erected into parishes. I need but mention to you that the Dissenters even to this day, deny that the Church of Eng- land is established in these his Majesty's Colonies, and will deny it, and avail themselves of what they say is the fact, till an act of Parliament puts it beyond all doubt. I would beg leave further to observe to you, that if Col. Philipse should fail in procuring the aid and assistance of the Venerable Society in
32
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
some shape or other, that it will be a great discouragement to other well wishers to, and promoters of the Church of England in these parts. I decline saying any thing further on the subject, as Mr. Munro is perfectly well acquainted with what the Colo- nel has done, and the steps that have been taken in this affair.
Rev. Sir, Yours, &c.,
SAMUEL AUCHMUTY."a
On the 27th of January, 1765, Mr. Munro was 'ordained dea- con in Park street Chapel, Grosvenor Square, London, by Dr. Philip Young, Bishop of Norwich, acting for Dr. Richard Ter- rick, Bishop of London, and on the 10th of February fol- lowing, was ordained priest by Dr. Edward-Bishop of Dro- more, who also acted at Dr. Terrick's request. The next day he received his license to act as a missionary in the province of New York, from the Bishop of London. In the spring of 1765, Mr. Munro returned to New York, and took charge, as we have seen, of Yonkers as a missionary of the Venerable Propagation Society, on Whitsunday in that year.
In a letter dated June Sth, 1765, he acquaints the Society :- " that on his arrival at his mission, he found every thing promi- sing and agreeable, a neat church (always kept in good repair by Col. Frederick Philipse and family) and a decent Congrega- tion, materials already for a parsonage, the glebe well fenced, plenty of wood, and a sufficient quantity of arable land."
About nine months after the date of the above letter, he ad- dresses their Secretary as follows :--
1
MR. MUNRO TO THE SECRETARY
EXTRACT.] " Philipsburgh, Feb. 1st, 1766. REV SIR, I now beg leave to send you my Notitia Parochialis, commen-
a New-York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 339 to 341, (Hawks.)
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AND CHURCH OF YONKERS.
cing from the time of my arrival in this place. It was not in my power to send it sooner, for this Mission being yet in its infancy and the people for the most part Dissenters of various denomina- tions and living at a great distance from cach other, it took me some considerable time and pains to unite them, and get acquainted with the state of religion among them, beside as the Sacrament of our Lord's Supper was never administered in this place. according to the form prescribed in our Liturgy, I found my Church destitute of a communion table, cups, chalice, &c., which were provided only last Xmas, when I performed that solemn and important part of my duty, for the first time, and these obstacles being now removed, I intend to miss no op- portunity of administering the same, as often as the circumstan- ces of my Congregation will permit, particularly on the Festi- vals of Xmas, Easter Sunday and Whitsunday, as prescribed in · the rubric.
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