USA > New York > Westchester County > History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the county of Westchester, from its foundation, 1693, to 1853 > Part 51
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We are with the greatest esteem and respect, Rev. Sir, your most obedient humble servants,
BEVERLY ROBINSON,
CHARLES MOORE. Church wardens.
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AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
For themselves and the rest of the vestry of St. Peter's Church."a
TO THE VENERABLE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPA- GATION OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS. THE PETITION OF THE WARDENS AND VESTRY OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH, IN THE MANOR OF CORTLANDT, NEAR PEEKSKILL, IN THE COUNTY OF WESTCHES- TER AND PROVINCE OF NEW YORK IN AMERICA.
HUMBLY SHEWETH,
"That your petitioners, in conjunction with the restof the peo- ple who form the congregations of the Churches aforesaid, hav- ing for some time labored under the lamentable circumstance of not enjoying an opportunity of publickly worshiping God in the decent and solemn order of the established Church of Eng- land, whose evangelical doctrine and discipline they profess and admire ; and being convinced of how great utility such a sacred establishment would be, the County being thickly in- habited and almost entirely destitute of every kind of public worship, towards promoting the salvation of many souls and the prosperity of the Church of Christ, have (tho' at present but few in number,) been at the expense of building a neat and convenient church, for which they have received a charter from his Honour Lieut. Governor Colden. That being well satisfied of the character and abilities of Mr. John Doty, a gentleman edu- cated at King's College, they have unanimously given him a call and agreed, when he shall be properly ordained by his Lord- ship the Bishop of London, or any other English Bishop ap- pointed for that purpose, to receive him as their minister for the said St. Peter's Church, and also for the neighborhood of Jacob Mandeville, in the lower end of Philipse's patent, in Dutchess County, where it is intended to build another church to be uni- ted as one congregation, and that they have cheerfully subscribed
New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. pp. 524-6. (Hawks.)
·
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
to the amount of £61 15s. New York currency, towards sup- porting him as such. But sensible that such a sum is not suffi- cient for that purpose, and being well assured of the benevo- lence and generosity of the Venerable Society, whose readiness upon all occasions, as far as possible to favor attempts of this nature has ever been deservedly admired, they take the liberty humbly to pray that they will appoint Mr. Doty their mission- ary to the aforesaid places, and to grant him such part of their bounty as they shall think proper.
Your petitioners humbly beg leave to recommend to your favorable notice the infant state of St. Peter's Church, and to assure you that we shall ever esteem it a singular honor and happiness to be in any degree patronized by the Society. May heaven ever smile upon and bless your laudible endeavours to promote the glory of God ; and at the great day of accounts crown all your faithful labors here with everlasting happiness.
Sealed by order of the Vestry, this 15th day of Oct. 1770.
JOHN JOHNSON, CLERK."a
The
REV. JOHN DOTY, A. M.
first rector of this parish, was the son of Joseph Doty of New York, where he was born circ. 1750.b In 1768 he was entered at King's College, where he was admitted B. A. pro forma in 1770. During the summer of that year he officiated in this parish as a lay reader, and in the fall went to England for holy orders. His license from the Bishop of London, to officiate in this Province, bears date Tuesday, the 1st of January, 1771. Soon after his return he accepted the call of
*New York, MSS. from archives at Fulham, vol. ii. 526-7. (Hawks.)
৳Joseph Doty was a member of the ancient family of the Doughtys or Douteys of Esher, Surrey, and Boston, Lincolnshire, England. There was a Samuel Doty graduated at Yale College in 1733. The arms of this family are :- ar, two bars, between three mullets of six points sa. pierced or.
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the vestry, and was thereupon inducted, as appears from the following documents :- " On the Sth of June, 1771, it was unani- mously agreed by the wardens and vestry, that the Rev. John Doty be presented to the rectory of St. Peter's Church, in the manor of Cortlandt, near Peekskill, and ordered that the war- dens do deliver him the key of the said church and give him possession according to law." Agreeable to the above resolution the churchwardens did on the same day deliver the key to the said Rev. John Doty, and possession of the said church.
GOVERNOR TRYON'S ADMISSION OF MR. DOTY TO THE REC- TORY OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH, PEEKSKILL.
" I, William Tryon, Esq. Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over the Province of New York and the Territories thereon depending in America, Chancel lor and Vice Admiral of the same, do admit you, John Doty, Clerk, to be Rec- tor of this parish, and parish church of St. Peter's, in the manor of Cortlandt, near Peekskul, in the Connty of Westchester, in the said Province, with all their rights, members and appartenances. Given under my hand and the prerogative seal of the Province of New York, the 16th day of July, in the year of our Lord 1771.
WILLIAM TRYON."
LETTERS OF INSTITUTION BY GOVERNOR TRYON TO MR. JOHN DOTY, CLERK.
" I, William Tryon, Esq. Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over the Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in America, Chancel- lor and Vice Admiral of the same, Do institute you, John Doty, Clerk, to be Rector of the parish of St. Peter's, in the manor of Cortlandt, near Peekskill, in ye County of Westchester in the said Province, to the care of the souls of the parishioners of ye said parish and take your cure and mine. Given under my hand and the Pro- vincial seal of the Province of New York, this 16th day of July, in the year of our Lord 1771.
WILLIAM TRYON."
" Upon which Mr. John Doty, having first produced a certificate to this board of his having, in the presence of several witnesses, declared his unfeigned assent and con- sent to the 39 Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops in the Convention, holden at L ondon, A. D. 1562, and having prefixed thereto His Majes- ties Royal Declaration, after which he was by virtue of certain letters mandatory, under the Prerogative seal, in due manner inducted into the real, actual and corporeal possession of the Rectory and parish church of St. Peter's afforesaid, which letters mandatory, are in the following words, viz :
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MANDATE FROM GOVERNOR TRYON TO INDUCT MR. JOHN DOTY INTO THE RECTORY OF ST. PETER'S CHURCH.
" His Excellency William Tryon, Esq., Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over the Province of New York and the Territories depending thereon in Ameri- ca, Chancellor and Vice Admiral of the same, To all and singular, Rectors and Parish Ministers whatsoever in the Province of New York, or to the churchwardens and vestrymen of the Parish of St. Peter's, in the manor of Cortlandt, near Peeks- kill, in the county of Westchester in the said Province, and to each and every of you, greeting : Whereas, I have admitted our beloved in Christ, John Doty, Clerk, to the Rectory of the parish and parish church of St. Peter's, in the manor of Cortlandt, near Peekskill, in the county of Westchester, within this Government, to which the said John Doty was presented by the churchwardens and vestrymen of the said parish, the true and undoubted patrons of the said parish, vacant, as never having before been supplied by any incumbent ; and him the said John Doty, I have instituted into the Rectory of the said parish and parish church, with all their rights, members and appurtenances, (observing the laws and canons of right in that behalf required, and to be observed:) To you therefore, jointly and severally, I do commit, and firmly enjoining do command, each and every of you, that in due manner, him the said John Doty, Clerk, or his lawfull proctor in his name, or for him, into the real, actual and corporeal posession of the said Rectory, parish and parish church of St. Peter's, and of all the rights and appurtenances whatever to the same belonging, you induct or cause to be inducted ; and him so inducted, you do defend ; and of what you shall have done in the premises thereof, you do duly certify unto me or other competent judges in that behalf, when thereunto you shall be duly required. Given under my hand and the Prerogative seal of the Province of New York, the 16th day of July, 1771.ª
WILLIAM TRYON."
During this year Governor Tryon also granted a special charter, in virtue whereof the vestry held a certain glebeb of two hun- dred acres of land given by Colonel Beverly Robinson, senior warden of this parish, for the use of the Rector officiating one half of his time at St. Philipse's in the Highlands. This pro- perty was subsequently sold, as we shall have occasion to show, under an order of the Court of Chancery in 1838, and equally divided between the two churches. Out of these funds (aided by a liberal donation from Trinity Church, New York, amount-
· Vestry book.
৳ The old church glebe is now the property of Mr. David McCoy.
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ing to $1000,) the present chapel was erected in the village of Peekskill.
For the following particulars, relative to the noble benefactor of this parish, the author is indebted to Mr. Sabine :- " Beverly Robinson, Esq. was a son of the Hon. John Robinson of Virginia, who was President of that Colony on the retirement of Governor Gooch, in 1734. He emigrated to New York, and married Susannah, daughter of Frederick Philipse, Esq., who owned an immense landed estate on the Hudson river. By this connection, Mr. Robinson became rich. When the Revolutionary controversy commenced, he was living upon that portion of the Philipse estate which had been given to his wife, and there he desired to remain in the quiet enjoyment of country life, and in the management of his large domain. That such was his inclination, is asserted by the late President Dwight, and is fully confirmed by circumstances and by hisdescendants. He was opposed to the Measures of the ministry, gave up the use of imported merchandise, and clothed himself and his family in fabrics of domestic manufacture. But he was also opposed to the separation of the Colonies from the mother country. Still, he wished to take no part in the conflict of arms. The impor- tunity of friends overruled his own judgement, and he entered the military service of the crown. His standing entitled him to high rank. Of the loyal American regiment, raised principally in New York by himself, he was accordingly commissioned the colonel. He also commanded the corps called the 'Guides' and ' Pioneers.' Of the former or the loyal Americans, his son Beverly was Lieutenant Colonel, and Thomas Barclay, Major. Besides his active duty in the field, Colonel Robinson was em- ployed to conduct several matters of consequence, and he figures conspicuously in cases of defection from the Whig cause.
Colonel Robinson at the peace, with a part of his family, went to England. The name appears as a member of the first Council of New Brunswick, but he never took his seat at that board. His wife is included in the confiscation act of New-York, and the whole estate derived from her father passed from the
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
family. The value of her interest may be estimated from the fact, that the British Government granted her husband the sum of £17000 sterling, which, though equal to eighty thousand dol- lars, was considered only a partial compensation. After going to England, Colonel Robinson lived in retirement. He was un- happy, and did not conceal the sufferings which preyed on his spirits. He resided at Thornbury, near Bath, and there closed his days in 1792, at the age of 69. His sons were, Col. Beverly Robinson of the British army, (who died in 1816, at New York while on a visit to his two sons, Beverly and Morris, who still continue to reside in that city), Col. Morris Robinson of the British army, and Col. John Robinson, speaker of the House of Assembly in New Brunswick."
Col. Beverly Robinson,.
.We return to the history of the parish. Upon the 23d of March, 1772, it was resolved by the vestry :- " To go and build Mr. Doty a house-also to agree with Jerediah Frost to get the timber, draw the same, (viz: the boards and other materials which he may want for the said house) to do all the carpenter's and joiner's work, and paint and glaze the same for seventy-five pounds."
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AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
Mr. Doty's incumbency here was short, not continuing over two years. From this place he removed to Schenectady, as appears by the following extract from the abstract of the Ven. Prop. Society for 1773 :- " At the request of the church wardens and vestry of Schenectady, the Rev. Mr. Doty, a gentleman educated at King's College, New York, and ordained sometime since for St. Peter's, at Peekskill, is appointed to succeed the Rev. Wm. Andrews, with the former salary." The Society, however, were greatly displeased at his removal, and through their Secre- tary informed him, " That the circumstances under which he left his congregation at Peekskill do not raise him in the opinion of the Society, to whom his conduct, in that particular, hath been reported to his disadvantage, and as an act of ingratitude."a He remained at Schenectady until 1777, when he removed to Canada, being obliged to sell his furniture to obtain the means of transportation.b "In 1775, (says Dr. O'Callaghan) divine ser- vice was suspended in his church, on account of the troubles, and he himself became the object of much harsh treatment. He was taken prisoner twice, and at length deemed it prudent, in the fall of 1777, to apply for liberty to remove to Canada, which he obtained. He thereupon proceeded to Montreal, where he was appointed chaplain to his Majesty's royal regiment of New York. Here he continued until October, 1781, when he re- paired to England. He returned to Canada 12th of June, 1784, having been appointed missionary at Sorel. Here, for the first four weeks, he performed divine service in the Roman Catholic church, and afterwards in the barracks, where he resided. A. place of worship was, however, afterwards erected, and Mr. Doty continued missionary at this place until 1793." " It is with concern, (says the Society) that it has received information that they are deprived of the useful services of this worthy missionary, (Mr. John Doty) by his removal into his native
* Copied from the original letter in the possession of the Rev. Wm. Payne, rector of St George's Church, Schenectady.
b Fowler's MS. Biographies of the clergy, p. 411, 533.
38
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HISTORY OF THE PARISH
country, to take charge of St. Anne's church, at Brooklyn, on Long Island, in the Province of New York." (abstracts of 1794.) His connection with this church must however have been brief, for his name occurs again in 1796, on the Society's list as missionary at Sorel, whither he must have returned the previous year. He finally resigned his mission in 1803, when his con- nection with the Society for Propagating the Gospel ceased alto- gether."
John Daly
Upon the resignation of Mr. Doty, the vestry must have adopted measures for obtaining the services of another minister, for on the 18th of September, 1775, it was resolved by that body, " to set on foot a subscription towards the support of the Rev. Bennet Page, during his preaching at St. Peter's church, at Peekskill." This individual was probably the
REV. BERNARD PAGE, A. M.,
who was licensed by the Bishop of London, August 24th, 1772, and appointed to Wyoming parish, Pennsylvania, from whence he removed to this Province. Mr. Page does not appear to have officiated here very long ; and no doubt left in consequence of the breaking out of the Revolutionary war. Several persons of this name were graduates of Harvard University, and staunch loyalists. After this, religious services were suspended in the parish, and no clergyman was called or settled for nearly seven- teen years. Seated near the Hudson river, the village of Peeks- kill suffered a great deal from the inroads of the enemy ; who frequently came out from New York in considerable force. In September, 1777, the whole place was sacked and burnt, and the neigboring country pillaged by them.
At the close of the war (the principal members of the Church having removed from the parish) the Presbyterians
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took advantage of the dissentions then existing, by attempting to seize the church and glebe, and, under the act of 1784,a choos- ing trustees, who it seems were all of one persuasion. But these nefarious schemes were happily frustrated, and the church finally incorporated under the old title.
According to a notice of this event given by the Rev. Andrew Fowler, in the year 1793, we learn :- " That three or four years ago the Presbyterians made an attempt to take the church and glebe by force ; they called the church by a new name 'Union Church,' and in order to carry their schemes they chose one half of the trustees, as they said, out of the Church. The truth is they had once professed themselves Episcopalians ; but most of them have since proved themselves to be rank Dissenters, which the Presbyterians no doubt knew." These facts were recorded in consequence of Mr. Silas Constant (a Presbyterian minister) having applied to the vestry for liberty to preach in the church. The latter, however, referred the matter to Mr. Fowler, who very improperly granted the request. It appears that only a short time previous to this Mr. Fowler had obtained the use of Mr. Constant's pulpit at Yorktown. Fourteen years afterwards, however, when the latter again applied for the same object, the vestry took a much firmer stand, voting as follows :- " that leave can- not be granted to the Rev. Mr. Constant to preach in the church of St. Peter's consistent, with the canons of the Church."b
According to notice given on Monday, 5th of April, 1790, be_ ing Monday in Easter week, (the day appointed by charter for choosing officers for St. Peter's Church, in the manor of Cort- land and St. Philipcs chapel in the Highlands,) the following persons were elected for the ensuing year, viz : Wm. Dunning and Caleb Ward, churchwardens ; Joshua Nelson, James Spock, Richard A. Arnold, Caleb Morgan, Silvanus Haight and Jarvis Dusenbury, vestrymen. Upon the 24th of November, 1791,
»Entitled an act to enable alt Religious Denominations in the State to appoint trus- tees.
»Vestry minutes, April 25, 1807.
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the vestry "agreed to pay the sum of £20 for the support of David Lamson, to read service in St. Peter's church, at Peeks. kill and St. Philips' chapel, in the Highlands, until the first of April next ; and it is further agreed that Joshua Nelson and Sil- vanus Haight, shall furnish him with necessarys agreeable to a person of his station, during said term."
The parish remained destitute of stated services until 1792, when the vestry called the
REV. ANDREW FOWLER.
He was the son of John Fowler of Rye, in this county, where he was born June, 1760. In 1784, he had charge of a school at New Rochelle, and the year following was chosen the first delegate from that parish to the Diocesan Convention. To his exertions, under God, the Church in this county is justly indebted for at the close of the Revolutionary war, he collected the dis. , persed congregations at Rye, White Plains, New Rochelle and Yonkers, in the capacity of a lay reader. In 1788, he was re- commended to the Bishop for holy orders, and was ordained Deacon by Bishop Provoost, in the month of June, 1789, and Priest, on the 18th day of the same month, 1790. He commenced his labors as a preacher of the Gospel over the united parishes of Brookhaven, Huntington and Oyster bay, L. I. He remained there but two years, when he was called, as we have seen, to the rectorship of this parish. Upon the 7th of August, 1792, the vestry agreed with the Rev. Andrew Fowler to officiate as rector, and to pay him for his services the sum of £70." They also agreed " to put him in possession of the glebe farm, from the 1st day of May next."
The same year Mr. Dunning, senior warden of the parish, certified to the Diocesan Convention, " that possession had been procured of the parsonage house and glebe, belonging to the churches of St. Philip's, at the Highlands, and St. Peter's, near Peekskill. That they had given a call to the Rev Mr. Fowler, and had provided for his support ; and that the people seemed much pleased with having the Gospel once more preached, and
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AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
divine service performed according to the usage of the Protes- tant Episcopal Church." At a vestry meeting held January 3d, 1793, it was resolved :--- " That the Rev. Mr. Fowler shall be in- ducted according to the mode of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this State, now in use, into the rectory of St. Peter's Church, in the manor of Cortlandt, and St. Philips' chapel, in Philips- town, now in connection together, and that the induction into St. Peter's shall be made on Sunday, the 6th of next January ; and the induction of St. Philips' chapel, whenever convenience will permit." Upon the 4th of January, 1794, the thanks of the vestry were given to Pierre Van Cortlandt for the great pains he had taken at the Legislature of this State, to obtain a title for the glebe belonging to the united churches. Mr. Fowler resigned the charge of this parish in 1794, and subsequently removed to Charleston, South Carolina, where he died December 29th, 1850, at the advanced age of ninety. The following notice of his death appeared in the Calendar for March 1st, 1851 :- " The Charles ton Gospel Messenger for February, contains an obituary notice from which we extract the following particulars :- 'It may be truly said of the departed he was a great missionary. In five or more of our Dioceses he officiated for more or less time ; but the greater part of his ministerial life, that is about forty years, was passed in South Carolina. He was the first mis- sionary of our ' Advancement Society,' and first missonary of the "' Society for Missions of young men and others,' instituted in Charleston ; which was intended to act out of the Dio. cese, the elder Society being trusted within the Diocese, and which continued until the 'General Missionary Society' super- ceded the occasion of it. The Churches now flourishing in Columbia, Choran, St. Augustin, (Florida) and Wadesborough, at Charleston, were planted by him. The old parishes of St. Bartholomew's, Edisto Island, and Christ Church, each of them for several years found the benefit of his ministrations.'
"Few more industrious men, physically, mentally and socially have ever lived. ' These hands' he could truly say, 'have minis- tered to my necessities, and those who were with me.' Into
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the garden, the field, the orchard, the vineyard and the forest he went, not for recreation, or to gain wealth, but to supply the deficiency of an inadequate salary, for he coveted no man's silver or gold, or apparel.
More contentment, with the allotments of Divine Providence ; more cheerfulness in narrow circumstances ; more confidence in God, as respected himself and family ; more meekness in his intercourse with men ; more resignation in sickness, sightlessness, adversity, bereavement and the last conflict, I have not wit- nessed. I might specify incidents known to several present. To one only I will advert :- " He had a son intended for Holy Orders, much care was bestowed and expense (involving serious self-denial) incurred on his education. It was finished with cre- dit at one of our chief Colleges. The youth was now compe. tent to provide for himself, and was just about to become a can- didate for the ministry ; but he (at that time the only son) died. It was a trial, met by his aged father in the temper of faithful Abraham, and with the resignation of holy Job. On the Feast of St. Thomas the Holy Communion was administred to our friend, and on the Sunday after Christmas he departed, as we trust, to be ever with the Lord, aged ninety years and seven months."
The
REV. SAMUEL HASKELL
succeeded Mr. Fowler, and continued minister of the parish un- til 1798. For two or three years the parish was again vacant. During this period another attempt appears to have been made to obtain possession of the church by a Mr. Palmer and others, for at a vestry meeting held on the 6th of November, 1801, it was ordered :- " That the doors of the churches (St. Peter's and St. Philip's) be shut against Mr. Palmer for the future." In the year 1803, Mr. James Mandeville paid the wardens and vestrymen for " one years rent of the parsonage farm, ending 15th of April, £35, and to one year's rent of the church land, situated round
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AND CHURCH OF CORTLANDT.
the church, at Peekskill £1."a The latter must refer to the cemetry which was confirmed to the church by the royal charter of 1770. Occasional services were performed at this time by the New York clergy, for on the 20th of May, 1804, Mr. James Mandeville charges the vestry with the expenses, " paid by him, for keeping of the Rev. Messrs. Cooper and Wilkins, £6 12s." In 1806, the
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