USA > New York > Orange County > New Windsor > History of the town of New Windsor, Orange County, N.Y. > Part 11
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*The Associate Presbytery represented what was known as the Seceders. The Reformed Presbyterian, another independent body united with the former in 1792, under the title of the Associate Reformed Church; hence the name sustained by the Little Britain Church.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
boarded. One peculiarity it maintained among the early settlers-it was universally called "The Meeting House." In 1826, it gave place to the building which is now occupied.
The first elders of the church were Matthew McDool (McDowell), Patrick McClaughry, and John Waugh. The first pastor was the Rev. Robert Annan, who was in charge in 1768. The records of the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania state :
"August 31 1762, Mr. Robert Annan was called to the exercise of the pastoral office in the congregations of Makle Creek and Cunawago in Pennsylvania, and on the 8th of June, 1763, he was ordained and install- ed. April 15th, 1767, he was called to "the congregations of Little Britain and Wallkill." April 21, 1768, the pastoral relation between him and the congregations of March Creek and Cunawago was dissolved and on October 2, 1772 he was installed pastor 'of the United Associate congregations of Little Britain and Wallkill.'"
Mr. Annan served the Little Britain and Neelytown (Wallkili) con- gregations until about 1783, when he removed to Boston. His successor was Rev. Thomas J. Smith, who was installed May I, 1791. On his re- tirement the pastorate was vacant until 1812, when the Rev. James Scrimegeour, who had served as pastor of the Associate Reformed Church of Newburgh from 1803, was installed. He remained in the charge until his death, Feb. 4, 1825. Rev. Robert H. Wallace was his successor, Oct. 6, 1825, and served until his death, when he was suc- ceeded by his son, Rev. R. Howard Wallace, who is now pastor.
The original Presbyterial connection of the church was maintained until a recent date when it united with the "Old School" branch of Pres- byterians.
UNION M. E. CHURCH, VAIL'S GATE.
The M. E. Church at Vail's Gate is called in old records the "Union Church of New Windsor," a name which was probably intended to imply that it was a neighborhood church in which professors of every creed had a common interest. It was the outgrowth of what was known in 1789 as the John Ellison class. Ellison had formerly belonged to the Church of England, which at that time had no organization in the vicin- ity, and hence he was readily led to give encouragement to the substi- tute which the Methodist Episcopal Church offered, embracing, as the creed of the latter did substantially, the creed of the Church of England of which it was originally a branch. In 1791, Mr. Ellison erected a building near his residence at Monticello, the first story of which he oc- cupied as a store and the second he fitted up as a hall for religious ser-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
vices. While itinerant preachers of all denominations were permitted to occupy the hall, it was especially reserved for those of the Methodist Church from which it became known as the Methodist Church. It was occupied by the Union Church until 1807, when the present building, which had been somewhat modernized since its erection, was constructed, and now forms the oldest church edifice of the denomination on the west bank of the Hudson River. In 1809, it was made the head of the New Windsor circuit, with Rev. Thomas Woolsey and James Coleman, preachers. At the quarterly conference of that year, held in the new Union Church, then the only one in the circuit. Andrew Cunningham and Benjamin Westlake appeared as local preachers, and Henry Still, James Benjamin, Thomas Collard and Jonathan Stephens as exhorters. The circuit embraced New Windsor, Sugar Loaf, Smith's Clove, Lower Clove, Oxford, Warwick, Amity, Bullet Hill, Ketchamtown, Pochuck, Newfoundland, Deepark, New Shawangunk (Bethel), Hamburgh, Bell- vale, Vernon and Cornwall. This circuit, which will be recognized as covering a wide district of country, was subsequently divided and sub- divided until it has finally substantially disappeared, only the society at Mountainville now being included with it. The first trustees of the church were elected April 6, 1804, and were Daniel Holmes and Samuel Fowler of Newburgh, and Jabish Atwater (Atwood?), Samuel Dusin- berry and Henry Still of New Windsor. The following list of circuit preachers from 1790* to 1880 was prepared by Rev. N. S. Tuthill :
1790-Benjamin Abbott, Joseph Lowell. 1791-Jetter Johnson, Joshua Taylor. 1792-Samuel Fowler, Lawrence McCombs.
1801-Samuel Fowler, Mathias Swain, David Best.
1802-James Herron,
1803-Thomas Stratton, Mitchell E. Bull.
1793-Lawrence McCombs, Smith Weeks.
1804-Robert Dillon,
Isaac Candee.
1794-Samuel Fowler, Moses Crane A
1805-Zenas Coxel.
Isaac Candee.
1806-Asa Cummins, Wm. Keith.
Wm. Storms. 1795-Matthias Swain, Daniel Buck. 1796-Jacob Egbert, John Finnegan. 1797-Samuel Fowler, Thomas Woolsey.
1807-John Crawford, Wm. Keith. 1808-John Robertson, J. Coleman, Wm. Jewett. 1809-Thomas Woolsey, James Coleman.
1798-9-Robert Green, Wm. Storms.
1800-Samuel Fowler, Elijah Woolsey.
1810-Samuel Fowler, Samuel Bushnell.
*From 1790 to 1809 the church was in the Newburgh Circuit. The New Wind- sor Circuit was established in the latter year.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
1
1811-John Keline, Hawley Sanford.
1834-James Covell, Nathan Rice.
1835-James Covell, John R. Rice, Thomas Edwards.
1836-37-Thomas Newman, Wm. Miller. Sylvester Strong.
1814-Luman Andrews, Bela Smith.
1838 J. Z. Nichols,
1839-40-Wm. W. Ferguson.
1841-John G. Smith.
1842-43-Ira Ferris.
1844-45-John Reynolds.
1846-Samuel W. King.
1847-48-James H. Romer.
1850-David Holmes.
1819-Almond Comber, Herman Bangs.
1853-54-A. C. Fields.
1820-Phineas Rice, Herman Bangs.
1856-J. C. Washburn D. C. Hull.
1821-Nicholas White, George Coles.
1857-John A. Selleck.
1822-Nicholas White, Gilbert Lyon.
Wm. E. Kekham.
1823-Gilbert Lyon,
Friend W. Smith.
1859-David B. Turner, N. Brusie. 1860-David B. Turner,
1824-William Jewett, Friend W. Smith.
D. D. Gillespie.
1825-Noah Biglow, Henry De Wolf.
1861-A. C. Fields,
1826-Jacob Hall,
Luarter Stewart.
D. D. Gillespie. 1862-A. C. Fields, George C. Esray.
1827-Jacob Wall, Raphael Gilbert.
1865-David Gibson.
1828 Jarvis Z. Nichols,
1866-67-David B. Turner.
Raphael Gilbert.
1868-69-David McCartney.
1829-30-Benjamin Griffin,
1870-71-George Daniels.
Humphrey Humphries.
1872-74-Charles Gorse.
1831-Phineas Rice
1875-O. P. Matthews.
Hiram Wing.
1876-78-Job H. Champion.
1832-33-Cyrus Silliman,
1879-81-N. S. Tuthill.
Noble W. Thomas.
LITTLE BRITAIN M. E. CHURCH.
Information solicited in regard to the history of this church has not been furnished. The records of the trustees ( which we have been per- mitted to examine through the kindness of Wm. R. Weed, Esq.) begin July 26, 1853, at which time the erection of a church edifice, thirty-four feet front by forty-four feet deep, was under contract with Harvey Alexander. The building appears to have been completed and occu- pied in the fall of 1854. It is near Jackson Avenue and has a buria! ground attached. The society is now in a circuit with Gardnertown.
1812-John Keline, James Edwards, Steplien Jacob. 1813-Nathan Emory Ezekiel Canfield.
1815-Zalman Lyon, Bela Smith. 1816-Zalman Lyon, James Kline.
1817-18-J. Hunt, J. Brown. Thomas Stratton.
1851-52-Wm. Bloomer.
1855-J. C. Washburn.
1858-John A. Selleck,
1
1863-64-Wm. Blake,
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
BURIAL GROUNDS.
In addition to the New Windsor Presbyterian Church burial ground. noticed in connection with that church, there is one attached to the Vail's Gate M. E. Church, one attached to the Little Britain Church, one attached to the Little Britain M. E. Church and one known as the "Mullinder Graveyard," west of Little Britain Church. There are quite a number of family burial plots, including those known as the Clinton, the McClaughry and the Belknap, and nearly all of them are in a wretched condition.
Woodlawn Cemetery, in charge of an association organized under the State law, is being rapidly improved. It is located in the northeast part of the town, nearly adjoining the City of Newburgh. The re- mains of many persons have been removed to it from other grounds, both in Newburgh and New Windsor, and many respectable monuments have been erected.
The burial grounds attached to the Goodwill Church and to the Neelytown Church contain the remains of many New Windsor fam- ilies.
On the farm of Adam G. Buchanan, in Little Britain, stands a solitary monument, although other graves are marked by its side, on which the inscription reads :
" In memory of Matthew McDowel, deceased, who departed this life on the 23d day of July, A. D. 1787, aged 72 years."
McDowell, then a boy was one of the Clinton immigrants of 1730, and one of the founders of the Little Britain Church.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
CHAPTER IX.
JOHN HUMPHREY.
Very little information can now be obtained in reference to the family history of John Humphrey. It is believed that he was a native of Eng- land, and that he was the first settler in Little Britain, his name appear- ing on the taxroll of 1724,* and on the military roll of 1738. James Humphrey, who seems to have been his son, gave testimony in 1785 that he was then 71 years of age and had lived in Little Britain 65 years, which would carry date of settlement back to 1720. Hugh Humphrey, had lived in Little Britain since his birth in 1724. He had several children, among whom were John, James, David, Robert, Hugh and Agnes. The latter married Col. James McClaughrey in 1763 and died without issue in 1808, in her 65th year. It was at the house of John Humphrey, Jr., that the precinct of New Windsor was organized in 1763. James (known as Capt. James) lived on his father's place, where he died in 1793, in his 79th year. His wife, Jane, died in 1789; aged 71 years. Robert died in New Windsor, Nov. 30, 1840, aged up- wards of 90 years. The town has never been without resident de -- scendants of the first settler, and although without distinction in the pro- fessions or in political life, they have not been without honor as citizens.
PETER MULLINDER.
The Mullinder or Mulliner family has been continued in Little Brit- ain since the settlement of Peter Mulliner in 1724-5. He was an immi- grant of an earlier date, however, his wife Anne, having received a patent for 1,000 acres of land in Plattekill, Ulster County, in 1718. One tradition is that he was of Norman-English extraction and connected with the nobility of England, and that, rather than submit to the will of his father and learn a trade, he ran away and came to America; that Governor Burnet employed him to superintend some of his landed inter- ests in the Highlands, and that, while so employed, he married a daugh-
*There is little room for doubt. The land conveyed to him by Patrick Hume, was surveyed by Caldwallader Colden in 1724. His associate purchaser was James Gemball. The latter, however, was not added to the tax roll until 1726.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
ter of one of the Palatine settlers of Newburgh. Burnet was governor in 1720, and the Palatines came to Newburgh in 1709. The dates would afford opportunity for the accomplishment of the tradition, and his name is in itself evidence of his Norman blood. His farm at Little Britain adjoined that of John Humphrey on the south. He built his first log cabin on the north side of his lot near a spring; the remains of the cellar can be seen at the present time ( 1886). He afterward; built on the south side of the main road that runs through the farm, opposite the late residence of his grandson, William Mulliner. He was a member of the Church of England. His neighbors, the Burnets, Falls, Clintons, etc., were Dissenters. Their intercourse with him dur- ing the week, when they met on business or otherwise, was always cord- ial ; but on Sundays they would not speak. His old farm, on the death of his grandson, William, in 1840, was sold and went out of the name. He had six children. His eldest son, Peter, never married; Elizabeth married an Oliver; Sarah married Isaac Bull, son of William Bull of Hamptonburgh; Mary married John Welling, and Rachel married Geo. Falls, (1760) ; William married Mary Denniston, daughter of Alexan- der Denniston, (1) sister of James(1) and of Colonel George Denniston, and lived and died on his father's place. He died young and after his death, his widow married Matthew DuBois. He left two children, a son, William, and a daughter, Elizabeth. The latter married Charles Clinton, son of Genl. James Clinton, and died in New York Aug. 15, 1865, in her 96th year. She had three children: Maria DeWitt, Alex- ander, (Dr.), and Ann Eliza; William married first, Elizabeth Dill, sec- ond, Lydia Stewart. He had nine children by his first wife and four by his second: 1, Caleb; 2, William; 3, Franklin ;* 4, Alexander C .;** 5. Marcus ; 6, James D .; 7, Peter ; 8, Mary, (married Geo. Denniston, Oct. 29, 1825, died 1830) ; 9, Euclid; 10, Antoinette; II, Jane; 12. ; 13, He died in 1831, in his 58th year. His first wife, Elizabeth Dill, *** died Feb. 22, 1817, in her 39th year ; his sec- ond wife, Lydia, in 1847. in her 59th year.
JOHN REID.
John Reid came from County Derry, Ireland, and settled on the An-
*Franklin Mulliner died May 5. 1870, aged 67 years. He married first, Jane Morrison, daughter of William Morrison, second, Caroline Palmer, and third, Susan Sly. He had three children by his first wife Robert, William, and Frank- lin; and one by his second wife, Charles.
** Postmaster at Newburgh, 1833.
*"One of the most amiable and respectable matrons of the county."-Index.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
drew Johnston patent in 1729. His farm was north of that subsequently owned by Alexander Denniston.
He had three daughters: Ann, who married Robert Burnet; Mary who married Patrick McClaughrey, and Jean, who married James Burns, a blacksmith. His will bears date April 2, 1768. He gave his landed estate to his daughters-one hundred acres to Mrs. Burnet ; seventy acres to Mrs. McClaughrey, with his home, barn and orchard, and seventy acres to William, Mary, Catharine and Jean Burns, children of his youngest daughter. His will reads: "But in case any of said four children shall at any time marry or cohabit with any papist, or notorious drunkard, or profane swearer, then said child or children shall forfeit all right and title to said land, and the said child or children's part so forfeited shall be given by my executors unto such child or children as shall behave regularly and free of said scandals. He died in the spring of 1771. The land willed to the children of Jean is now owned by Mr. Graham, formerly by Hamilton Denniston. Through his daughter, Mrs. Burnet and Mrs. McClaughry. Mr. Reid has descendants in numbers beyond enumeration.
THE BURNET FAMILY.
Robert Burnet, the progenitor of the Burnet family of Little Britain, came from Scotland near Edinburgh, about the year 1725. He first settled at Raritan, County of Somerset, N. J., where he followed his trade as 2 tailor. In the year 1729, he purchased of John Parker and Andrew Johnston, merchants of Perth Amboy, 200 acres of the Andrew John- ston patent, lying south of the main road and adjoining the farm prev- iously purchased by Peter Mullinder, "for sixty pounds current money of the said province of New Jersey at eight shillings per £." Accom- panied by his brother, who subsequently returned to New Jersey, he erected a log cabin* and made preparations for clearing and cultivation. He was also accompanied by John Reid, who purchased an adjoining farm lot and whose daughter, Ann, soon after became his wife. He was a Scot of pure type, six feet, two inches in height; a firm Presby- terian, and a rigid disciplinarian. He left by will the farm, on which he lived, to his two oldest sons, James and John, to be equally divided be- tween them; to his other children he gave land which he owned in other places. He died in the year 1774, in the 73d year of his age.
*This log cabin was on the southwest part of his farm, near a spring on the farm now of Joseph B. Burnet. He afterwards built a more commodious house on the other side of his land, now the farm of J. C. Terwilliger, where he resided until his death.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
Seven children were the issue of his marriage, viz: 1, James; 2, John; 3, Robert ; 4, Thomas ; 5, Patrick; 6, Sarah ; 7, Mary.
James (1), the oldest son, was born Jan. 25th, 1732. He married Mary, daughter of John Nicholson, about the year 1760. He was a man of good reputation. During the Revolution he served as an ensign in Capt. McClaughrey's company of militia and was on his way to Fort Montgomery with reinforcements when the fort was taken by the Brit- ish. He remained some days in the mountains near the fort collecting the men who escaped from the enemy, and then joined Genl. James Clinton at the Square and marched to the defence of Kingston. He
lived on the farm left him by his father until 1801, when he sold it to his son Robert, and with his wife removed to the residence of his grand- son George, near Little Britain Church, where he died Dec. 23d, 1807, at the age of 75 years. His wife died July 28th, 1808, aged 69 years. His children were: 1, Robert; 2, Ann; 3, Elizabeth ; 4, Sarah; 5, Chas .; 6, James ; 7, Thomas ; 8, Mary ; 9, Margaret; 10, George.
John (2), married Gertrude - He was an officer in the War of the Revolution, and actively engaged on the frontiers of Orange and Ulster Counties, and under Genl. Clinton in Sullivan's cam- paign against the Six Nations .* He resided on the farm left him by his father (now occupied by Joseph B. Burnet). In 1785 he sold twenty- five acres to his nephew, Robert Burnet, and in 1791, the remainder to the same party, and with his family removed to the western part of New York. He had four children: William and Frederick, and two daugh- ters, Elizabeth, one of his daughters married Charles Humphrey.
Robert (3), married Nancy, daughter of Patrick McClaughry. He had five children : 1. Henry ; 2. William ; 3. Abner ; 4. Samuel : 5. Jane- the latter married James Davis. He first settled on a farm south of Little Britain Church (now owned by R. Wallace Genung), but subse- quently exchanged it for a farm in Hamptonburgh, on which he died.
Thomas (4), known as "Uncle Blind Tommy," married a Johnston. He resided on a farm which his grandfather, John Reid, willed to his mother, Ann (Reid) Burnet. About 1794 he sold the place to John Mc- Lean and removed with his family to Western New York, in the vicini-
*Lossing, in his "Field Book of the Revolution," (vol 2, p. 117) refers to a letter written by Washington to Genl. Greene, dated "Newburgh, 6th July, 1782," in which he speaks of Major Burnet. The person referred to was Major John Burnet here mentioned, and not Robert Burnet to whom Mr. Lossing applies the reference. The latter was second lieutenant in Col. Lamb's Artillery at that time. John was a major in the Militia, and a second lieutenant in Continental Army and as such filed his claim for bounty lands.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
ty of his brother John .* He had seven children: I, John; 2, Benjamin ; 3. Robert; 4, James ; 5, Isaac ; 6, Elizabeth ; 7, Margaret.
Patrick (5) married Keziah Cook. He had two children: I, George, died 1797, aged 23 years ; 2, Robert, died 1803, in his 27th year, leaving a son Hiram. He died on his farm north of Little Britain Square, March 27, 1825, in his 75th year, and his wife, Keziah, died May 12, 1822, in her 74th year. His grandson, Hiram, sold the homestead in 1850, and removed to Wisconsin.
Sarah (6) married Henry ManNeely (his second wife). She had two sons, David and Robert, and one daughter, Ruth, who married Wil- liam McDabiel.
Mary (7) married Neil McCarty. They lived in Little Britain where Mrs. McCarty died in 1831, at the age of over 90 years. She had six children : 1, John ; 2, Alexander ; 3, Neil ; 4, Henry ; 5, Nancy ; 6, Mary. Alexander and Henry were printers. Alexander was in the employ of Solomon Southwick at Albany on the "Plough Boy," and Henry work- ed on "The Index," in Newburgh. Nancy married a Gray, and Mary married Samuel Finley, son of John Finley, an early settler on Hume's Patent.
The number of the children of Robert and Ann (Reid) Burnet was seven, and of their grandchildren, thirty-four. Dispersed as the latter became, a record of their descendants would be obtained with no little difficulty. Attention is therefore confined to a single branch, that of Rob- ert, the oldest son of James, a branch which has retained the ancient homestead and gathered around it a large local representation. Robert was born in Little Britain, February 22d, 1762. He resided with his father until his fifteenth year, and attended the school of the Rev. John Moffat .** When the Revolution came on he joined a military company, mainly composed of boys of from fourteen to sixteen years of age, for home protection, and with this company was several times under arms,
*John Burnet and his brother Thomas removed to what was called the "Gene- see Country." Other parties went from the neighborhood at the same time, among the number Oliver and Charles Humphrey and David Boyd. The Humphreys were grandsons of John Humphrey, the first settler on the Johnston patent. Charles Humphrey was Major Burnet's son-in-law. They located in the present town of Phelps, Ontario County. Charles, James, Thomas and George Burnet also removed to the same vicinity.
** This school was known as "Moffat's Academy," from the fact that he gave instruction in the higher branches. It was the only school in the neighborhood and drew its pupils in some cases from patrons nine and ten miles distant. It was situated on the road leading from Little Britain to Washingtonville on the place now (1879) owned by Robert Shaw. The house was one story and a half with basement. The school was kept in the upper rooms. Mr. Moffat's family, consisting of his wife and two daughters, occupying the basement. It was partly if not wholy broken up during the Revolution.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF NEW WINDSOR.
and especially assisted in guarding the Hessian prisoners from Bur- goyne's army in 1777, who, on their march through Little Britain, en- camped for a night at Major Telford's tavern opposite the Burnet home- stead. In June, 1781, then nineteen years of age, he received from Gov. Clinton a commission as second lieutenant in Colonel Lamb's regiment of artillery, then stationed at West Point, and with his regiment at the capture of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Returning with the regiment to West Point, he remained there until the disbandment of the army, and commanded the rear guard in the march into the city of New York as the British evacuated it in November, 1783, where, after bidding Wash- ington farewell, at Fraunce's tavern, he folded up his epaulette and laid it away-a memorial which is still preserved. While stationed at West Point, he was one of the delegates appointed to meet Washington at the Temple (March, 1783), and participated in the proceedings on that oc- casion. He was also present at a meeting of officers for the organization of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which he became a member .* Re- leased from military duty, he immediately entered upon his life-work at Little Britain. On the 9th of June, 1784, he married Rachael DeWitt, and in 1785, purchased twenty acres from his uncle, Major John Bur- net, and commenced housekeeping in the log cabin which his grand- father had occupied on his first settlement. In 1791, he purchased the remainder of his uncle's farm and took possession of the house which the latter had built. In 1801, he purchased of his father. James, one hundred acres, and thus became the owner of the original homestead of two hundred acres. In 1804. he erected the commodious mansion in which he resided at his death, now owned ( 1886) by his grandson, Jos- eph B. Burnet. He took an active part in the business affairs of his na- tive town and county ; was Justice of the Peace and Town Clerk for a number of years, and Member of Assembly for two terms, 1800 and 1804. He was frequently an executor and an administrator of estates, among others of the estate of General James Clinton and of Moses De- Witt, the latter, his wife's brother. In person he was tall and erect, with
*At the time of his death he was the last surviving, original member of the Society, as well as the last surviving officer of the army of the Revolution. He died Nov. 24th, 1854, in his 93d year. His wife Rachael DeWitt was the daughter of Jacob Rutsen DeWitt of Peenpack, Mrs. Genl. James Clinton's brother. The acquaintance which resulted in her marriage is said to have come through her visits to her aunt and especially from the continued residence of her father's fam- ily at Genl. Clinton's after the Brandt raid on Minisink in 1779. The General's son, Alexander and young Burnet were especially intimate and entered the army to- gether. Mrs. Burnett was a most excellent woman, and is especially remembered in her later years as a rotund, rosy-cheeked dame, who spoke the English language with a Dutch accent and idioms
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