USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 49
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563
AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
had now included them within this mission. Should the Ven Society mention Ridgefield and Ridgebury in an abstract as parts of my mission, together with Salem ; or should they in a letter to the Churchwardens and Vestry of Ridgefield and Ridgebury, or in some other method, give assurance that Ridge- field and Ridgebury belong to my mission, it must be of advan- tage to me, as it would remove all doubt whether I was by the laws of that Colony entitled to the Church people's rates in those places."a
In the year 1771, the Rev. Epenetus Townsend again ad- dresses the Society as follows :-
MR. TOWNSEND TO THE SECRETARY.
(EXTRACT.) " Salem, Westchester Co., March 25th, 1771.
REV. SIR,
This is a large County, full of people without any constant public worship in any method ; and as they have not enjoyed the benefit of any regular and constant administration of God's word and Sacraments, since the first settlement of the country, vice and immorality abound among them. The sabbath is by great numbers spent in riding, visiting, hunting, fishing and such like diversions, and by some it is profaned by practices still worse. There are some Church people, Presbyterians, Bap- tists and Quakers scattered among them, and great numbers who dont belong to any particular denomination of Christians. It has been proposed by some of them to build a church or Presbyterian meeting house, but nothing is yet concluded. I believe the Church people would exert themselves and imme- diately build a small church, were there any hopes the mission might be divided so as they might be included, and enjoy some stated portion of a minister's labors, and indeed considering
a New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 490, 491, 492, 493. (Hawks.)
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
their destitute circumstances and the prospect of advancing the interest of the Church and promoting piety among them, or at least of stopping the growth of immorality, considering also the increasing fatigue of this mission, in which are three churches at present, and a fourth building ; I would humbly request, with submission to the Society, that such a division might be made ; and if Danbury also was included, which is in great need of a minister of the Church, it might conveniently be divided into two equal parts, each containing three churches, and after some time as the people grow more able, another mission might be added to great advantage, each of the three having the care of two churches."a The Society's abstracts for 1772 say :- " That Mr. Townsend, missionary at Salem, states his congregations to be increasing. Hath baptized sixty-two infants and two adults."b In 1775 they say " that Mr. Townsend is constant in the performance of his duty in his own parish and preaches frequently in the parts adjacent. From Lady day to Michael- mas he baptized twenty-one infants and one adult, and admitted two new communicants."c The abstracts for 1776 add :- " That one letter from Mr. Townsend of September 29th, 1775, gives the same account of his mission, in which he hath bap- tized thirty infants, buried seven, and married three couple in the preceding half year."d
The last communication the Society received from Mr. Townsend was in June, 1777, soon after he had been compelled to leave the scene of his labors by the threatening state of affairs.
MR. TOWNSEND TO THE SECRETARY.
" Salem, province of New- York, June, A. D. 1777. REV. SIR,
From the first existence of the present rebellion, I could give
. New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 549-50. (Hawks.)
৳ Society's abstract from 21st of February, 1772 to 19th of February, 1773.
· Ditto ditto from 17th Feb. 1775, to 16th Feb. 1776.
à Ditto ditto from 16th Feb. 1776 to 21st Feb. 1777.
565
AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
the Honorable Society no account of my conduct with respect to public affairs because my distance from New York and the excessive vigilance of the Rebel committees in getting and ex- amining all letters, rendered such a step extremely dangerous. But being now, by God's good providence, banished from among the Rebels for my loyalty to his Majesty, I think it my duty to give the Honorable Society a short account of my conduct from the beginning of those troubles, and of the treatment I have met with from the Rebels.
In the latter part of the year 1773 and the beginning of 1774, I strongly suspected that the leaders of the opposition to govern- ment in America were aiming at Independence, and the Eastern Provinces at the subversion of the Church likewise, and that in pursuit of those ends, they would if possible. influence the people to a revolt ; but when the first Congress approved the re- bellious resolves of the County of Suffolk in Massachusetts Bay, I had no longer any doubt of their intentions. In this state of things therefore, I did every thing that lay in my power, by preaching, reading the Homilies against. Rebellion, and by con- versation, to give my Parish and others, a just idea of the sacred obligations laid upon us by Christianity, to be good and peace- ful subjects, even if it had been our lot to have lived under wicked and oppressive rulers, and much more so, as Providence hath blessed us with one of the wisest and best of princes. This I chose to do before any blood was shed, while people's tempers were yet cool, lest if the instruction had been deferred till some blow was struck, the acts of misrepresentation which had been used from the beginning might influence their passions and hurry them into criminal acts before reason could resume its place and tend to the obligations of religion. And blessed be God, I have this satisfaction, that the Church people in all my parishes have almost unanimously (there being but three or four exceptions) maintained their loyalty from the first, for which many of them suffered greately.
In May, 1776, I was called before the Rebel Committee of Cortlandt's manor, who invited me to join their association upon
566
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
which I told them freely that I esteemed their resistance of his Majesty's authority to be repugnant to the precepts of the Gospel, and therefore could not give it my countenance. I was soon after required to furnish some blankets for the use of the Rebel Soldiers, which not consenting to, I was sent under guard to the Committee and at the same time, a guard was set at my house, who, after their savage manner, were very lavish of their insults to Mrs. 'Townsend. The Committee after having in vain endeavoured to persuade me to furnish the blankets, gave orders to search my house and get them, but the proper steps having been taken none were found. The next time the Committee met, they ordered me to pay upwards of thirty shillings to these guards, which I refused, and was again put under guard till I did pay it. I was soon after sent to the County Committee of Westchester, on a complaint from the Committee of Cortlandt's manor, that I entertained principles inconsistant with the Ameri- can cause. The County Committee referred the matter to the Provincial Committee, but as my principles were only com- plained of, without any part of my conduct being impeached ; and the Declaration of Independence being then just at hand, which it was thought would bring the clergy in general under persecution, I was for that time dismissed.
I continued the services of the Church within my mission for three Sundays after the Declaration of Independence by the Congress, and should have proceeded still and took the conse- quences, but I was informed that all the clergy, in this, and the neighboring Provinces, had discontinued the public service till it might be performed under the protection of his Majesty, excepting only Mr. Beach of Conn., who hath continued his Church till very lately. Under these circumstances I considered that my dissenting from the practise of my brethren would not only set me up as a single mark of vengeance, and as every appea- rance of disunion among the clergy might be disadvantageous to the Church hereafter ; viewing the matter in this light, I thought it best to comply with the general practise of the clergy. On the 21st of October, I was made a prisoner and sent to the
567
AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
Court of Fishkill as an enemy to the Independence of America, when (except that sometimes I was indulged to visit my family a few days) I was kept on parole through the winter at my own expense, which was very great. The shocking insolence and in- humanity of the Rebels toward the friends of Government of which I was a daily spectator, rendered the place of my imprisonment very disagreeable, and the cruel treatment which my family re- ceived from them in my absence, was exceedingly distressing. They had taken me from a wife and four small children, the two youngest not sixteen months old, which was my whole family, and during my confinement they forbade people coming to my house, and they threatened all that should assist the family in any respect ; by this means they suffered much for want of a free intercource with their friends, those that would gladly have assisted them, not daring to do it unless when it might be done privately. In this situation I know not how they could have long subsisted had it not been for a man with a small family who had removed from the seat of war at the White Plains, and had as yet no settled habitation, by taking this family into my house about Christmas, Mrs. Townsend had a friend of Government, though under some disguise, who living under the same roof was able to do many things for her benefit. To this, as well as many other instances during my imprisonment, the good providence of God always found some method unforseen by us, to support us under the greatest difficul - ties, and after he had thus continued us under the Rebel dis- cipline for near six months, he then granted us a happy delive- rance ; for on the 31st of March, in consequence of my refusing the oath of allegiance to the State of New York, I received an order to depart within eight days with my family, apparel and household furniture, to some place in possession of the King's troops, on penalty of my being confined in close jail and other- wise treated as an open enemy of the State. With this order I readily complied, and after procuring a flag from a Rebel general to transport my family and furniture to Long Island, I set out. The Convention taking a genteel house which my
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
father had enabled me to build, 60 acres of land which he had bought for me, with 30 acres of wood land, a horse and small stock of cattle into their possession. At Norwalk, where I had procured a boat to cross the Sound, I was stopped four days, most of my furniture after being put on board was relanded, and all of it ransacked under pretence of searching for letters, prohibited articles, &c., whereby many things were much damaged, and others stolen. I was then obliged to pay the ex- penses of these abuses in detaining, searching, &c., which amounted to nine pound currency, and then was permitted to proceed. On the 11th of April we landed on Long Island, with hearts full of gratitude to God for having at length deliver- ed us from the malice and cruelty of the Rebels.
I am, Rev. Sir, &c.,
EPENETUS TOWNSEND. "a
In 1779, Mr. Townsend was appointed chaplain to one of the loyal battalions then stationed at New York. Here he re- mained until it was ordered to Nova Scotia, when himself and family embarked on board a vessel bound for that Province. This ship foundered in Boston bay and every soul on board perished. Thus terminated the short and sad carcer of the first rector of this parish, whose "only crime was, that he was a clergyman of the Church of England, and of course attached to the government and the constitution of Church and State." The names of Townsend, Avery and Babcock, belong to the catalogue of worthies, who once faithful soldiers of Christ Church Militant, are now singing praises to Him who redeemed them with His blood, in the Church Triumphant above.
The last account the Venerable Society received of their faith- ful missionary was the following :-
· New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 621,622, 623, 624. (Hawks.)
AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
569
MR. INGLIS TO THE SECRETARY.
" New York, Nov. 26th, 1779.
REV. SIR,
Mr. Townsend, the Society's missionary for Salem in this Pro- vince, after being driven within the King's lines by the Rebels was appointed chaplain to one of the new raised loyal battal- ions. His battalion was ordered for Halifax, and he embarked here, with his wife and five children to join it. A violent storm rose, soon after the fleet in which he sailed left Sandy Hook, the fleet was dispersed, several of the ships perished, and poor Townsend has not since been heard of. I greately fear the ves- sel in which he went has shared the same fate."a
" Sleep on-sleep on-the glittering depths Of Ocean's coral caves :- Are thy bright urn-thy requiem The music of its waves :- The purple gems for ever burn In fadeless beauty round thy urn ; Aud pure and deep as infant love, The blue sea rolls its waves above."
G. D. Prentice.
The names of the children, with the dates of their birth, as recorded by Mr. Townsend himself, are as follows : - " Epene- tus, born 31st of October, 1770; Lucy, born 3d of November, 1772 ; Micajah and John, twins, born 28th of June, 1775." Mr. Townsend, when he removed to Salem left a younger brother, Jotham, who continued at Oyster bay, and died in 1815. He left a son, Col. Micajah Townsend, now living at Cedar Swamp, L. I. Micah, another brother, is the father of the Rev. Micajah Townsend of Clarenceville, Canada East.
Previous to his embarkation, Mr. Townsend had deposited in the hands of the Rev. Benj. Moore, (afterwards Bishop Moore)
· New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 636. (Hawks.)
570.
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
the library, silver chalice and velvet cushion, belonging to St. James' church, desiring him to keep them until called for. The latter in 1785 informed Mr. John Wallace and Ebenezer Lobdell, churchwardens of this parish, " that the above men- tioned articles were left with him for safe keeping, and that St. James' church might have them by sending an order for that purpose." The Rev. David Perry was accordingly de- puted to receive them in the name of the vestry.
The Rev. Micajah Townsend, in a letter addressed to the author, says :- " A few ancient theological books had strayed from the library of my uncle Epenetus to that of my father, and are now in my possession." .
Soon after the Revolutionary war, the
REV. DAVID PERRY, A. M. M. D.
officiated here and in the neighboring parishes. This indi- vidual, who was born in Conn. about 1750, graduated M. A. at Yale College in 1772, studied medicine, and settled at Ridge- field as a physician. He was ordained Deacon by Bishop Sea- bury, June 6th, 1790, Priest 16th of October, 1791, and took charge of the parishes of Salem, Reading, Ridgefield and Dan- bury. Neglecting to attend the Convocations of the clergy and the Conventions of the Diocese of Connecticut, (probably be- cause of his practise as a physician,) he fell under censure : finally resigned his letter of orders, and relinquished the cler- ical profession June 3d, 1795. He continued the practise of medicine and died in 1817."a
The parish appears to have been favored with occasional servi- ces only, until 1804, when the Churches of Bedford, North Salem and Stephentown, united for the purpose of settling a minister, " who should perforni Divine service in the different towns of Bedford, New Castle, North Salem and Stephentown so often as
" Hist. Not. of Clergy ordained by Bps. Seabury and Jarvis, appended to the Con- vocation Journal of Convention No. 38.
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AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
should be in proportion to the amount of their several subscrip- tions."
Upon the 4th of September, 1804, the
REV. GEORGE STREBECK
was called to and accepted the rectorship of the united parishes, which he resigned in March, 1S05.
" In 1807, the Rev. Dr. Moore and the Rev. Messrs. Wilkins and Rogers were directed by the Diocesan Convention to sup- ply North Salem, and the other congregations in Westchester County, on some days in the same week of their appointments at Bedford." For nearly four years the parish appears to have been vacant, but in the spring of 1810, the .
REV. NATHAN FELCH
was called as minister. The same year he makes report to the Convention,-" that the Episcopal congregation in North Sa- lem is exceedingly prosperous, many have been added to them in a few months past, and they are now erecting a church." Mr. Felch was succeeded in June, 1816, by the
REV. GEORGE WELLER, A. M.
In the fall of that year Mr. Weller reported to the Convention, " that the church at North Salem is now well attended and the people much encouraged. Number of communicants 10." For Mr. Weller's successors see list of ministers and rectors.
THE CHURCH.
St. James' churchi occupies an elevated situation directly op- posite the junction of the cross roads at Salem Centre, and presents quite a picturesque object when viewed from the valley of the Mutighticoos. It is constructed of wood, and consists of a nave, vestry room, and a bell tower over the southern gable.
In the year 1797, the old church edifice (which stood east of the present structure, upon the property of Epenetus Wallace,
572
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
M. D.) was found to be in a ruinous condition ; whereupon it was dismantled, and sold at public auction, May 25th, 1797. Upon the decease of John Wallace and Ebenezer Lobde'l, first wardens of the parish, their successors, Benjamin Close and Gershom Hanford, together with the vestry, resolved on the erection of the present building. The corner stone of which was laid on the 30th of August, 1810, by the Rev. Nathan Felch, who delivered a well adapted discourse upon the occasion. The principal benefactors were Epenetus Wallace, M. 1). and Joseph Purdy, Esq., with others. Trinity Church, New York, also liberally contributed the sum of one thousand dollars in 1813.
The parochial church of St. James was consecrated to the service of Almighty God in 1816, by the Rt. Rev. John H. Hobart, D. D., and was first incorporated on the 3d of June, 1786, under the name and title of the "Episcopal Reformed Protestant Church at Upper Salem ;" Ebenezer Lobdell, Daniel Smith and Joseph Purdy, trustees. A third incorporation occurs on the 30th of June, 1797, James Bailey and Ben- jamin Close, churchwardens ; Epenetus Wallace, John Lob- dell, Gershom Hanford, Joshua Purdy, Gilbert Bailey, Daniel Sherwood, Jacob Lobdell and Joseph Knox, vestrymen. The first delegate from this parish to the Diocesan Convention was Joseph Purdy, Esq.
Mr. Stebbins Baxter, a resident of this town, who died on the 28th of February, 1820, bequeathed his entire property to St. James' parish, amounting (according to an inventory of his es- tate) to $3000, which, after deducting general expenses, &c. left a balance of $2000. The parish however, owing to the failure of his executors, only obtained the sum of $1100. In 1837, the present vestry room was added to the church at a cost of $100. In 1842, the wardens and vestry erected the par- sonage house and barn, &c., the expenses being defrayed by public subscription, amounting to $1100. It deserves to be mentioned that the former parsonage was erected by the ves- try, about 1767, upon the Church glebe, which was pur- chased in 1766. From a petition to the Court of Chancery in
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AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
1842, it appears that all the real estate then held or owned by the Rector, Wardens and Vestry, except the church edifice and a small lot of land on which it stood, consisted of about six acres of land situated in the town of North Salem, and bounded as follows, viz :- " On the west by land of Charles Cable and land of Epenetus Howe, and on the north by the land of Benja- min B. Gray, on the cast by land of the above named Epenetus Howe, and on the south by the highway leading from Ridge- field to Somers."a
In 1767-8 the church was furnished by the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, with a parochial library, and a quarto Bible and Prayer Book. The two last are still preserved in the parish. The Bible is handsomely bound in parchment, and was printed by Mark Baskett, printer to the University of Oxford, A. D. 1765. The Book of Common Prayer was printed at Cambridge, by Joseph Bentham in 1764. About the same time, Susannah de Lancey presented a silver chalice, which was subsequently sold by order of the vestry. This lady was the youngest daughter of the Hon. James de Lancey, Lieutenant Governor of the Province in 1747, and Anne Heathcote. She died unmarried in 1815, and was buried at Mamaroneck.
A new organ was presented by the ladies of the congregation in December, 1851.
Upon an elevated piece of ground, on the west side of the church, is a large enclosure in which numerous interments have taken place. Here repose the mortal remains of the celebrated Sarah Bishop, the hermitess.
* Extraet from a petition to mortgage said property in fee, to secure the sum of $350.
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
NOTITIA PAROCHIALIS.
A. D. 1766, Communicants 30
Baptisms 15
66 1772 16
64
1775 66 32
22
1816 10
68 1844
18
9
1853
27
! !
5
In 1712, the population of Cortlandt's patent was 121. " 1782, the white population of the east ward of Cortlandt was 1567.
In 1782, the white population of Salem, was 912. 1840, the population of North Salem, 1161. " 1850, 66 1335.
No. of families belonging to this parish in 1853, 14. No. of souls, 69.
MINISTERS AND RECTORS.
INST. OR CALL. INCUMBENTS. VACA'D BY A. D. 1750, Rev. Ebenezer Dibble, D. D., Clericus, resig.
A. D. 1764, Rev. Richard S. Clark, A. M., Clericus, " 29th May, 1768, Rev. Epenetus Townsend, A. M., Cl. death. 1790, Rev. David Perry, M. D., Presb. per resig. 4th Sept., 1804, Rev. George Strebeck, Presb. 1810, Rev. Nathan Felch, Deacon.
16th June, 1816, Rev. George Weller, A. M., Deacon, 1820, Rev. Samuel Nichols, Presb. 1829, Rev. Hiram Jelliff, Presb. 66
1835, Rev. Alexander Fraser, Presb. 66
23d July, 1836, Rev. Benjamin Evans, Presb. 1841, Rev. David Short, Presb. 66
1842, Rev. Albert P. Smith, Presb. 1847, Rev. Nathan W. Munroe, Presb. June, 1848, Rev. Orsamus H. Smith, Presb. 24th May, 1851, Rev. John Wells Moore, A. M., Presb, present incumbent.
.
575
AND CHURCH OF NORTH SALEM.
WARDENS OF ST. JAMES' CHURCH.
1765 to 1785.
John Wallace, Ebenezer Lobdell.
1797 to 1801.
James Bailey, Benjamin Close.
1802 to 1809.
Benjamin Close,
Joshua Purdy.
1810 to 1811.
Benjamin Close.
Richard Sherwood.
1812 to 1814.
Gershom Hanford.
Epenetus Wallace.
1815 to 1822.
Epenetus Wallace,
Joshua Purdy.
1823 to 1834.
Joshua Purdy, Richard Sherwood.
1835 to 1840.
Joshua Purdy,
Samuel Field.
1841 to 1853.
Samuel Field,
John Hanford.
St. James' Church, erected A. D. 1810.
HISTORY
OF THE
PARISH AND CHURCH
OF
CORTLANDT.
This parish formerly belonged to the great manor of Cortlandt, which also comprehended the present parishes of North and South Salem, Somers and Yorktown. The name itself is de- rived from the ancient family of the Van Cortlandts, the Mesne Lords and first Grantees under the Indian Sachems of Sachus and Kitchawong.
In 1697 Stephanus Van Cortlandt being possessed of these lands, the whole consisting of eighty three thousand acres, was by Royal Charter erected into the Lordship and Manor of Cortlandt, and was held by the feudal tenure of paying there- for yearly to the crown, upon the feast day of the annuncia- tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the rent of forty shillings. Under this charter the Van Cortlandts were possessed of the impropriation and the patronage of all and every the church and churches erected or to be erected in the manor.
In the year 1700, Stephanus Van Cortlandt devised the whole manor of Cortlandt to his children, who in 1734 made a par-
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AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
tion of it among themselves. Philip, his eldest surviving son, was the father of Pierre Van Cortlandt, first Lieutenant Gover- nor of this State, and grandfather of the late General Pierre Van Cortlandt, for many years senior warden of this parish, and one of its most liberal benefactors. The following notice of the death of the latter, appeared in the Westchester Herald for June, 1848 :- " Died at his residence, near Peekskill, on Tuesday, the 13th instant, Gen. Pierre Van Cortlandt, in the 86th year of his age."
Such is the announcement of the death of one of the oldest and most prominent citizens of our county. Gen. Van Cortlandt was born at Croton River, on the 29th of August, 1762. He was the son of the late Pierre Van Cortlandt, formerly Lieu- tenant Governor of this State, and Joanna. Livingston. At an early age he entered Queen's College, New Jersey, and at the time of his death was the oldest living graduate. His Alma Mater had conferred upon him the degree of L.L. D.
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