USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 47
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In reference to this event, Mr. Talbot thus writes :-
ST. GEORGE TALBOT TO THE SECRETARY.
(EXTRACT.) " New- York, September 10th, 1762. REV. SIR,
I received your favor of the 24th of February last, in July,- &c., &c.
In October last I desired the Rev. Mr Dibblee of Stamford, who is indefatigable in his endeavours to serve the interests of true religion, and our Holy Church, whose services I find uni- versally acceptable, and his life agreeable to his public charac- ter, to meet me at St. George's church, at North Castle, second Sunday in October last, and was surprised both at the number, and devout behaviour of the people, for the church could not contain them. The particular service he performed, beyond
" Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulham, p. 438. (Hawks.)
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AND CHURCH OF NEW CASTLE.
doubt he will transmit to you, if he hath not done it. He ac- companied me from thence to Bedford, Crumpond, Peach Kills, Croton, and returned by the White Plains. The state of religion I truly found deplorable enough, for excepting Bedford, they were as sheep without a shepherd, a prey to various sectaries and enthusiastic lay teachers. There are many well-wishers and professors of the Church among them, which doth not hear the liturgy in several years. The late worthy Mr. Wetmore hath made the same tour with mne, nay larger, even to Fish Kills. (There I offered them £1000 to purchase a glebe and a house, and he agreed for the same, if they would do their part, and subscribed £40 per annum to administer support, since they have had the concurrence of the Society in their favor, but zeal is too cold there.) I think it would be happy if an itinerant missionary could be fixed at North Castle, for whenever the va- caney at Rye shall be supplied, as the Rev. Mr. Punderson, whom I met at convention at Derby in June last, said, that if he had a call to Rye, he would gladly accept it, (with the liberty of the Society,) as I know that he is called and hath accepted it. The Rev Mr. Lamson preached the convention sermon to the great satisfaction not only of the brethren, but myself, and I think they are all a set of worthy, pious clergymen, and are usefully employed in their several Missions. I have proposed to Mr. Dibblee to take another tour to the former places, and to visit some others, who hath requested the favor of me, for the which the Rev Messrs. Lamson and Leming hath also consent- ed to take a tour with me, for I cannot but be sorry to see such numbers of people live without God in the world, for where there is no regard to Sundays, or to the public worship of Almigh- ty God, there is scarce any sense of religion among a people, and their moral state is soon as deplorable as their religious. After which a more particular account of those, their number, particular profession, distances, each place from the other, and from any clergyman in Holy Orders of our Church, I shall lay before the Venerable Board, together with my humble opin- ion, what ought in charity to be done for the support of their spiritual wants, my mite yearly, whilst life, by the blessing of
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
the Almighty, shall always be moving."a Again in a letter dated, Barn Island, July 10th, 1763, he writes :-- " I am humbly of the opinion, that with the advantage of my benefactions, the Church of Rye may be able, with the salary the government hath settled to maintain their minister, if the present salary from the Society of £50 be withdrawn, which was partly agreed to by the late worthy Mr. Wetmore, whom the parishioners never treated according to his merit. The people are wealthy, and have taken very irregular steps since the death of the worthy missionary. At North Castle, about eighteen miles from Rye, there is great want of a missionary ; the church there is within five miles of Bedford, and about seven or eight miles off Crum- pond, which hath applied to me, and if New Rochelle was joined to East and Westchester, I am humbly of opinion that church might well be supplied, as it is not four miles from church to church. The French Protestants understand English very well, and it's also my humble opinion that Col. Frederick Phil- ipse's estate is able to build several churches, and to settle two hundred acres of land to every one of them, and that he and his tenants are able to maintain ministers without any assistance from the Venerable Board."b The subjoined extract is from Mr. Dibble's report for that year. 2
MR. DIBBLEE TO THE SECRETARY.
" Stamford, Conn., New England, Oct. 28, 1765.
REV. SIR, .
Mr. Talbot returning with me I waited upon him the next week to North Castle, and on the 24th inst. preached a lecture at the church there to a good congregation, in consideration of the short notice, and baptized sundry children. Mr. Avery, happily settled at Rye, tells me he shall be ready to afford them his pious assistance, as often as is consistant with his more im- portant cure."c
* New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. p. 308-9-10. (Hawks )
& New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 310. (Hawks.)
· Conn. MSS. from archives at Fulham, p. 506. (Hawks.)
AND CHURCH OF NEW CASTLE. 541
Mr. Talbot whose name is so intimately connected with this parish, was the son of Thomas Talbot, Esq., a lineal de- scendant of the ancient and illustrious house of Talbot or Tale- bot,a as the name was originally written. He was born at Dover, in the County of Kent, England, 25th of July, 1662, O. S., was graduated at one of the Universities about 1683, and came to America in the early part of the 18th century. He was a vestryman of Trinity church, New York, from 1720 to 1724, and was elected a member of the Venerable Propagation Society in 1759. Mr. Talbot appears to have been a pious, learned and zealous man, lived to the great age of one hundred and five, and spent much of his life in labouring to propagate and settle the Protestant Episcopal Church in this Province. The follow- ing testimonial in regard to him was sent to the Society, by his friend Mr. Dibble, in 1762 :- " He is indefatigable in his endea- vors to serve the interests of true religion and our Holy Church, whose services I find universally acceptable, and his life agreeable to his public character."b But it seems he had some eccentricities, which gave rise to many false reports touching his reputation." The following notice of his death appeared in the New York Gazette, for May 14th, 1767 :- " Thursday last, died in an ad- vanced age, on Pipon's Island, St. George Talbot, a gentleman, noted for more things than one in his life time, and we are assured his last will and testament will come under- as odd a description ; some extracts and strictures on which, 'tis said will hereafter be made public." The Society's abstracts for 1767 say :- "By letters from the Rev. Dr. Auchmuty, rector of Trinity Church, the Rev. Dr. Cooper, President of King's Col- lege, and from Mr. Livingston and the Rev. Mr. Leming, execu- tors, dated May 16, 20 and 27, 1767, the Society are informed
* The family of Talbot deduces its descent from a period antecedent to the Con- quest ; but the first of note upon record is Richard De Talbot, one of the witnesses to that grant which Walter Gifford, Earl of Buckingham, made to the monks of Cerasic in Normandy, in the reigu of William the Conqueror. Arms :- gu. a lion rampant, or. within a bordure, indented of the second. Collins's Peerag.
৳ Hawkin's His. Not. of the Church of England. Original MSS. in Lambeth Coll., vol. xix, p. 208.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
of the death of Mr. St. George Talbot, a gentleman often men- tioned in the abstracts, on account of his charitable donations to several Churches in America, who departed this life the 6th of May, 1767, and has left the Society, after a few legacies, sole heirs to his estate, real and personal."a The subjoined ex- tracts are from the last will and testament of St. George Talbot, Esq., executed on the 11th day of May, 1765 :-
" J, St George Talbot, of the Town and Port of Dover in the Kingdom of Great Britain, now an inhabitant of the city of New York, in America, (was born ye 25th day of July, 1662, now ye 5th of August.) I being in perfect health and sound memory, blessed be Almighty God, I do make this my last will and testament as followeth : First for my soul, I do recommend it to Him, whose due it is by three fold right, as my Creator who infused it into me, my Redeemer, who fully ransomed it with his dearest blood, my Sanctifier, who assisteth me in greatest assaults and temp- tations, &c. I do now every day expect with joy to appear before and behold the great Jehovah Elohim, praise the Lord, I always loved and praised him, praised be his holy name, the omniscient, omnipresent and almighty God, &c., &c.
ITEM, I give and bequeath unto Mrs. Rachel Gould, my faithful housekeeper, as a reward for her fidelity, the following sums of money, to be paid her yearly as long as she shall survive me, from the several parishes where I have given several sums of money as the several deeds relating thereto will make appear : first Rye, North Castle, and Bedford, £21 yearly, from Stamford £24 10 yearly, from Derby, £3 10 yearly, all New York currency ; from Fairfield £7 yearly. Other donations designed for her, I shall give her, or make provision for her and others, in a codicil annexed to this my will ; all on condition that she Rachel Gould, remain and con- tinue single, chaste and virtuous, as she hath done more than twenty-seven years past, since I became first acquainted with her, &c. ITEM, I have given for ye promoting of true religion in the parish of Rye, in yo County of Westchester, and Colony of New York, £300 current money of New York, which I delivered in trust for the use of the Von. Society to ye late Rev. James Wetmore deceased, on ye 24th of Febuary, 1759, for which' he and his son Timothy Wetmore, did give Bond dated ye 11th day of April, 1759, &c. ITEM, I have given for ye use of promoting true religion in North Castle and Bedford, in the County of Westchester in the Province of New York, £600, current money of New York, which I delivered iu trust under the patronage and for the use of the Ven Society, and put into the hands of Col.
a Printed abstracts from 20th of February, 1767 to 19th of February, 1768. One of the missionaries writing May 27th, 1767, says :- " Mr. Talbot has left a nephew and one relative more, and bequeathed the greatest part of his estate to the Society. His executors Mr. Jno. Livingston a worthy parishioner, Rev. Mr. Leaming the Society's missionary of Norwalk, and Mrs. Gould his housekeeper." New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 420. (Hawks.)
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543
AND CHURCH OF NEW CASTLE.
. v . McDonald, of Bedford, Caleb Fowler, William Ogden and Charles Haight of North Castle, all in the said County and Province, on ye 6th day of June, 1759, when they gavo their obligation Bond. My will is, that the one shall be kept out at interest for ever for ye benefit of the parishioners, church, minister, schoolmastor, good, poor and needy, for the timo being, in the behalf of ye incorporated Honorable Society, for ye propagation of ye gospel, and to be continued to them so long as they the parishioners shall be counted worthy, and to stand in need of the same, and no longer, then it shall be in the trust of my over living heirs, the Venerable Society to move the samo, supply the money to any place or places, where they shall see it more needful, and that shall stand in want of such charitable assistance, &c."s
St Gés Tacos! 1730
The above will was proved on the 20th of November, 1767. The Society's abstracts for 1770, say :- " From letters received by Dr. Auchmuly, rector of Trinity Church, and Mr. Living- ston, (executor of the late Mr. St. George 'Talbot,) dated Decem- ber 8th, 1769, it appears that the heirs at law leave no method untried to defeat the purposes of Mr. Talbot's will, and that by evasive practises in law, the cause is still undetermined."
In 1771, Mr. John Livingston informs the Propagation Society, " that with regard to Mr. 'Talbot's will, the attorneys have judged it expedient to come to an agreement with the heirs of Mr. Tal- bot, by which the executors should pay them £1300, in full for their claim and demand on the real and personal estate." It will be seen, however, that this parish did not receive her por- tion of the legacy until the year 1803.
Upon the death of the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Punderson, rector of the parish in 1764, the new church continued to be supplied by his successor, the Rev Ephraim Avery, until the war of the
„ Surrogato's office, N. Y., vol. xxv. p. 68. The other Legatees namod in his will, were the children of his brother Thomas Talbot, and of his two sisters Catherine and Arabella Talbot.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
Revolution. In 1773 the latter informs the Society :- " That the church at North Castle, which hath been some time building is in a tolerably decent state."
During the war, this part of the country was greatly annoyed by the enemy, who frequently made sudden inroads, plundering and capturing the defenceless inhabitants. Religious services were consequently suspended, and for a long time St George's church was occupied as a guard-house and hospital by the Con- tinental troops.
The first incorporation of this Church, subsequent to the Revolution, took place on the 19th of April, 1789, under the style and title of " the Trustees of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the townships of Bedford and North Castle."a
In consequence of an Act passed for the relief of the Protes- tant Episcopal Church on the 17th of March, 1795, this Church was again incorporated under the name and title of "the Pro- testant Episcopal Church in the united towns of Bedford and New Castle, to continue by the regular name of St. George's Church." Charles Haight of New Castle, and William Miller, Esq. of Bedford, churchwardens ; Samuel Raymond, Gabriel Smith, David Haight, James McDonald, Marmaduke Forster, Gilbert Martin, Nicholas Haight and Samuel Smith, vestry- men.b At this period the
REV. THEODOSIUS BARTOW,
appears to have been officiating minister for the united parishes of Bedford and New Castle. From 1804 to 1819 services were performed here by the clergy of Bedford. At a meeting of the vestry, November 12th, 1796, it was ordered :-- " that William Miller, Esq. be empowered to conimence and carry on a suit against. Philip I. Livingston, for money left by St. George Tal- bot to the Churches of Bedford and North Castle." At a meet- ing of the same held on the 3d of March, 1803, " Mr. Miller in-
ª Incorporation of Religious Societies, Lib. A, 12.
৳ Incorporation of Religious Societies, Lib. A, 64.
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AND CHURCH OF NEW CASTLE.
formed the board, that the money bequeathed to the united Churches by the late St. George Talbot, had been recovered by a judgment, obtained in the Supreme Court, against Philip I. Liv- ingston, and the said money, after deducting charges, will pro- bably amount to about twenty-five hundred dollars." In 1804 Trinity Church, New York, liberally endowed the united parishes with the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars ; also in 1808, the further sum of one hundred and fifty dollars.
St. George's church, which had stood for nearly sixty years, was dismantled in 1819, and (by Mr. Godfrey Haines acting un- der authority of the vestry) sold at public auction for the paltry sum of forty shillings. It deserves however to be recorded that Judge Miller, one of the wardens of the united parishes, stren- uously opposed its destruction. The principal part of the tim- . ber is still preserved in a barn on the property of Mr. Hezekiah Raymond, a short distance only from the old burying ground. From that time, until within a short period, services have been entirely confined to Bedford.
THE CHURCH.
In 1852, through the zealous efforts of the Rev. Dr. Harris of White Plains, a new church was built within a few yards of the site of old St. George's. It is a very neat and church-like struc - ture, and is pleasantly situated on the west side of Kirby's pond, the waters of which empty into the Pepemighting or Kisco river. St. Mark's church was opened for divine service, Jan- uary 25th, 1852, on which occasion the Rev. Dr. Harris preached a sermon from Haggai ii. 9 :- " The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts : and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." The following notice of the consecration appeared in the Protestant Churchman for April, 1852 :- "' This edifice was con- secrated to the service of Almighty God, on Wednesday last, by the Rt. Rev. Carlton Chase, D. D., Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. The congregation was large, and the services impressive. There were present beside the Bishop and
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
the rector of the church, nine of the clergy.a At the request of the Bishop, the Rev. Dr. Haight preached. The building was much admired, as a beautiful model for a country church. It is fifty by thirty feet, with a tower projecting eight feet in front, and is constructed of the best materials in a sub- stantial manner. Its cost, exclusive of a window of stained glass in the church and the furniture, was $2050. Nearly three quarters of this amount was raised by the rector, out of the place, his parish at White Plains contributing in a collection, upwards of $350, and other neighboring parishes aiding also, in addition to the liberal gifts of individual funds. The ' Pas- toral Aid Society' by an appropriation of $300, secured the building from debt. Thus, through the blessing of God, this new church has been completed, and our services revived where long since they had ceased to be celebrated. The old church, which was opened in 1761 by the Rev. Mr. Dibble, a missionary of the 'Society for propagating the gospel,' and which was taken down in 1819, stood in the same grave yard, and was named 'St. George's church.' With the removal of that edifice every vestige of the Church was effaced. It is our devout prayer, that such neglect may not again be witnessed, but that this second attempt to establish our worship may prove permanently successful."
St. Mark's Church was incorporated on the 7th of October, 1850, Gilbert Martin and Henry D. Tyler, wardens, Gilbert Brundage, Thomas Wright, Thomas Searles, John Cary, Andrew Dunn, Simeon Woolsey, George W. Brower, and Lewis Tripp, vestrymen.
In April, 1852, the Rev. Robert W. Harris, D. D. resigned the charge of this parish, and St. Stephen's, North Castle. Both are now united under the pastoral care of the Rev. Isaac Dyckman Vermilye.
& The instrument of donation was read by the Rector, the Rev. Dr. Harris, and the sentence of conseciation by the Rev. S. Weaver ; morning prayer was read by the Rev. W. F. Halsey and the Rev. Isaac D. Vermilye, Deacon.
547
AND CHURCH OF NEW CASTLE.
TOMBSTONES.
In memory of Isaac Lounsberry, who was born Oct. 11th, 1703, and died March 3rd, 1773. In memory of James Wright, who was born March 14, 1721, and departed this life, May the 17th, 1776, aged 55 years 1 month and 25 days. In memory of Charles Haight, who departed this life the 3d of October, 1799, aged SS years and 1 month. In memory of Deborah Haight, wife of Charles Haight, who died November 23d, 179S, in the 78th year of her age, &c.
NOTITIA PAROCHIALIS.
A. D. 1746, 1762 1853
Communicants, -
-
12 -
Baptisms, 14, 11, 2.
The first delegate from this parish to the Diocesan Conven- tion in 1787, was Stephen James de Lancey, Esq.
In 1728, the Precinct of North Castle contained 30 heads of families and young men, upon whom the tax was levied.
In 1782, North Castle contained 558 white inhabitants. In 1840, the population of New Castle alone was 1,529. In 1850, the population was 1, 716.
St. Mark's Church.
HISTORY
OF THE
PARISH AND CHURCH
OF
NORTH SALEM.
Prior to the Revolution the two districts of upper and lower Salem constituted the old township of Salem proper, within Cortlandt's manor, but in 1788 they were separately organized.
Stephanus Van Cortlandt, Lord of the manor of Cortlandt, who purchased these lands of the Indians in 1699, by his will in 1700, devised the whole manor to his eleven children. In 1734 the devisees made a partition thereof among themselves. By this division upper Salem fell principally to the share of Eti- enne de Lancey, Esq., who married Anne Van Cortlandt, the second daughter of the proprietor of the manor.
1
The De Lancey's, from whom a large portion of Salem obtained the appellation of De Lancey's patent, are a branch of the ancient and honorable house of De Lanci of Picardy, France, spring- ing from Jean de Lanci, ecuyer, Vicompte of Laval and Nouvian, who was born in the latter part of the 15th century and died May, 1525. Etienne or Stephen de Lan- cey was born at Caen in Normandy, A. D., 1662, and was one of those Huguenots who fled from France on the
$49
AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685. By this step he forfe:ted his right to the ancestral title and estates, to which he was then heir. Obliged to depart suddenly, he took nothing with him but his mother's blessing, and some family jewels which she concealed about his person. He went to Rotterdam in Holland, from whence, after a short stay, he crossed over to London, where on March the 11th, 1686, he took out letters patent of denization under the great seal, and shortly after sailed for New York, where he arrived June 7th, 1686, and on the 12th of July following was admitted a freeman under the seal of the city. He at once began the business of a merchant. His integ- rity, education, and the proceeds of the sale of the jewels given him by his mother, being his only capital. He soon became an eminent and wealthy man, was appointed a member of the Court of Admiralty in 1690, was Alderman of the south ward, from 1691 to 1694, represented the city in the Assembly of the Province from 1702 to 1716, and again from 1725 to 1737. He was a liberal benefactor to Trinity Church and a vestryman of the same at his death in 1741, and for many years preceding that event. By his wife Anne Van Cortlandt, he left four sons, James, Peter, Stephen and Oliver, and two daughters, Susannah, (Lady Warren) and Anne, (Mrs. Watts,) to whom he devised all his property in equal shares. To his eldest son James fell all his lands in this parish. This individual, who was born in 1702, received his education at Corpus Christi College, in the University of Cambridge, England. He returned to his native land in 1725, and afterwards held the first honors which the country could bestow, first, as a member of the Gov- ernor's Council in 1728, Justice of the Supreme Court in 1731, Chief Justice in 1733, and Lieutenant Governora of the Province
" Being a NATIVE AMERICAN, he could not be appointed Governor directly, it being contrary to the then policy of tho British Government to appoint natives of Colonies to supreme command. Desiring' that Mr. Do Lancey should rule the Province in 1757, the Ministry, on the resignation of Sir Charlos Hardy, the Governor in that year, declined to appoint a new Governor, and thus made Mr. De Lancey Governor in fact, though not in name.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
in 1747. He married Anne, daughter of the Hon. Caleb Heath- cote, Lord of the manor of Scarsdale, and died 30th of July, 1760. The following notice of his death appeared in the Bos- ton Gazette for August 11th, 1760 :- " New York, August 4th. On Wednesday morning last, died at his seat, the Hon. James de Lancey, our Lieutenant Governor, in the 57th year of his age. This unexpected event, for he was in perfect health the evening before, threw the whole city into the deepest sorrow and amazement. A pain in the breast awaked him at three and continued with intermission till about nine in the morning, when, before he apprehended the necessity of a physician, seized with a fit, he suddenly expired." His remains were deposited with great ceremony in the family vault in the middle aisle of old Trinity church, New York. In 1744 he conveyed all his property here to his second son, Stephen James de Lancey, who in 1750 began the settlement of. the tract, and was the founder and a liberal benefactor of this parish, and for some time a lay reader in the Protestant Episcopal Church. He died on the 1st of January, 1795, without issue, and was buried at Fish- kill. He was succeeded in his estate here by his brother John Peter de Lancey of Mamaroneck, (father of the Rt. Rev. William Heathcote de Lancey, D. D. D. C. L. Bishop of the Diocese of Western New York,) who in 1823 devised all his farms and lands at North Salem, to his daughters, Elizabeth Caroline, and Martha Arabella de Lancey, and Susan Augusta, wife of Feni- more Cooper.
This parish, which appears to have been formerly united with Ridgefield and Ridgebury, was first organized under the minis- try of Mr. Dibble of Stamford, Conn, about the year 1750. At that period, we are informed, there was no minister of the Church in the county nearer than Rye, between thirty and forty miles distant from Salem. The
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