USA > New York > Westchester County > Huguenots of Westchester and Parish of Fordham > Part 4
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The family of Archer is of English origin, and held, for many centuries, large possessions in the county of Warwick. Fulbert L. Ar- cher, the first of whom any thing is known, came into England with William the Conquer- or. The representative of the senior branch, A.D. 1600, appears to have been John Archer, of Warwickshire. At what period the Ar-
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chers immigrated to this country is uncertain, but, as early as 1630, occurs the name of Samuel Archer, a freeman of Salem, Massa- chusetts.
John Archer, the first proprietor, accom- panied the early settlers from Fairfield, Con- necticut, to Westchester County, in 1654. He died in 1685. John Archer, eldest son of the said proprietor, was elected a vestryman for the precinct of Yonkers, in 1703, an official dignity which he held
for seven years. Little is known concern- ing the early history of religion here, ex- cept that as early as 1671, the inhabitants residing between the two kills of Harlem and the Bronx, were obliged to contribute toward the support of a minister of religion. In 1696, a society was organized here by the Col- legiate Reformed Dutch Congregation of New- York, over which the Rev. John Montaigne was appointed minister. Colonel Lewis Mor- ris, writing to the Propagation Society of London, in 1709, says : " I have used my en- deavors to persuade the Dutch in my neigh-
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borhood into a good opinion of the Church of England, and have had that success that they would, I believe, join the Church in the sacraments and other rites, had they the Dutch Common Prayer-Book, and a minister who understood their language. I have taken some pains with one of their ministers, Hen- ricus Beyse, and have prevailed on him to accept 'Episcopal Ordination.'"
The old Dutch meeting-house, erected in 1706, which has long since been destroyed, stood on the farm of Mr. James Valentine. Its last minister, previous to the Revolution, was the Rev. Peter Tetard. The following inscription is taken from a stone which form- ed part of the foundation of this building: I. V. S., 1706.
The Dutch, who constituted a large majori- ty of the inhabitants of Fordham, were not wholly regardless of their spiritual concerns, for shortly after New-York passed from Hol- land to Great Britain, we find the following petition presented to the Governor in council : " To the Hon. James De Lancey, His Ma-
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jesty's Lieutenant-Governor and Commander. in-Chief over the Province of New-York and the Territories depending thereon in America, in Council. That your Petitioners, intending to apply to the General Assembly of this Province for leave to bring a bill into that Honorable House, to enable them to sell and dispose of those lands known by the name of the Manor of Fordham, in the County of Westchester, either altogether or in parcels, as they shall judge best, to and for the use and benefit of their said Church, did (pursuant to His Majesty's Royal Instructions, relating to the passing of private Bills in this Province) cause an advertisement to be affixed to the door of the Parish Church, in Westchester, de- claring their said intentions, where the same remained upward of four weeks successively. Your Petitioners, therefore, humbly pray to make proof to your Honor, that the said ad- vertisement was affixed to the Parish Church, and that you will grant a certificate thereof, and your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray."
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PARISH OF FORDHAM.
NOTICE.
This is to certify that due canonical notice of the formation of a new church and parish in Fordham, Westchester County, New-York, to be known as St. James's Church, in the manor of Fordham, town of West-Farms, Coun- ty of Westchester, was given at the time of divine service, at Grace Church, West-Farms, on the morning of Sunday, July seventeenth, and also on the morning of Sunday, July twenty-fourth, both in the year 1853.
WASHINGTON RODMAN, Rector of Grace Church, West-Farms.
There being no Protestant Episcopal Church in the Manor of Fordham, where reside many members of that denomination of Christ- ians, who experience much inconvenience on account of having no place of worship within some miles of them, and considering, more- over, in the great increase of the population, that the cause of the Church might suffer by having no spiritual provision made for her
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members, where those of other sects are so amply provided for, a meeting was called, which assembled at the house of William Alexander Smith, Esq., on the fifth of July, 1853, for the purpose of organizing a parish, and adopting such measures as would most effectually conduce to the same. Oswald Cammann, Esq., was unanimously invited to take the chair, and William Watson Waldron was requested to act as Secretary. The meet- ing then proceeded to business, when the fol- lowing resolutions were adopted :
Resolved, That the persons present do pro- ceed to incorporate themselves into a religious society, in communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the United States of America, and that said church and congrega- tion be known in law by the name, style, and title of the Rector, Wardens, and Vestrymen of St. James's Church, in the Manor of Ford- ham, town of West-Farms, and County of Westchester.
Resolved, That the meeting do now proceed to choose two Wardens and eight Vestrymen.
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The latter resolution being duly acted upon, the following persons were elected
Church Wardens.
LEWIS G. MORRIS, WILLIAM ALEXANDER SMITH.
Vestrymen.
OSWALD CAMMANN,
FRANCIS MOFARLAN,
WILLIAM WATSON WALDRON,
GEORGE BEMENT BUTLER,
SAMUEL RAYMOND TROWBRIDGE,
GULIAN LUDLOW DASHWOOD,
WILLIAM OGDEN GILES,
NATHANIEL PLATT BAILEY.
Resolved, That the elections for Wardens and Vestrymen shall hereafter take place annually, on Monday of Easter Week.
Resolved, That the Secretary be requested to notify the members of the Vestry (not pres- ent) of their election.
The church being now organized, Mr. Cam- mann left the chair, and Mr. Smith was called
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thereto, when the thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. Cammann, previous to adjourn- ment.
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION.
To all these presents may concern :
We, whose names and seals are affixed to this instrument, do hereby certify that on the twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty- three, the male persons of full age belonging to churches and congregations worshipping in the town of West-Farms, at places in which divine worship is celebrated, according to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the State of New-York, assembled at the house of William Alexander Smith, Esq., in Fordham, pursuant to notice duly given at the time of morning service, on two Sundays previous thereto, for the purpose of incorpo- rating themselves, and of electing two Church Wardens and eight Vestrymen ; and we further testify that Oswald Cammann was, by a ma- jority of the persons so assembled, called to
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the chair, and he presided at said meeting. Lewis G. Morris and William Alexander Smith were duly elected Church Wardens of said congregation and church, and Oswald Cammann, Francis McFarlan, William Wat- son Waldron, George Bement Butler, Samuel Raymond Trowbridge, Gulian Ludlow Dash- wood, William Ogden Giles, and Nathaniel Platt Bailey were elected Vestrymen. That Monday in Easter Week was, by said meet- ing, determined and declared as the day on which the said offices of Church Wardens and Vestrymen should annually, hereafter, be va- cated, and successors be chosen to fill the vacant places, and the said meeting deter- mined that this congregation and church should be known, in law, by the name, style, and title of the "Rector, Wardens, and Ves- trymen " of St. James's Church, in the Manor of Fordham, town of West-Farms, County of Westchester.
In testimony whereof, We, the said Oswald Cammann, who presided, Wm. Alexander Smith, who was present, and Wm. Watson
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Waldron, the Secretary of the meeting, the witnesses of the proceedings aforesaid, have hereunto subscribed our names and affixed our seals this twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
OSWALD CAMMANN, WM. ALEXANDER SMITH, WM. WATSON WALDRON.
BENEFACTIONS TO THE PARISH.
Surplice, Bible and Prayer-Book, Miss Og- den ; Baptismal font and lectern, Rev. Mr. Weaver; Gothic chairs for chancel, Wm. C. Maitland; stained-glass windows, Misses Cammann and J. Morris; library of two hundred volumes, Wm. W. Waldron, A.B .; Communion-service, Ladies of the Parish ; two hundred dollars and books, Mrs. Alex- ander Brown .*
* Mother of Sir William R. Brown, Bart.
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SUNDAY-SCHOOL.
A LARGE Sunday-school was soon in opera- tion, which was attended by a hundred child- ren, and an efficient corps of teachers of both sexes. We consider the institution of Sab- bath instruction as being one of the most dis- tinguished feature of the times, and conducing as much to the cause of religion as the Church itself, inasmuch as it commences its work when the plant is tender, in compliance with the advice of the wise man: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
We have now given a short account of the organization of the first Protestant Episcopal Parish in the Manor of Fordham, and how- ever great the difficulties attending the un- dertaking, we feel amply repaid when reflect- ing on the prospective good that must result to the neighborhood from the fruits of the ten-
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der plant which has been placed in this part of the Lord's Vineyard :
O Thou, who canst with equal eye Regard the fate of all, A world from its bright orbit fly, The lowly sparrow fall ; Thine arm almighty, Lord, extend To guard this Church from harm,
The Christian pilgrim to defend, Thy saints from false alarm.
Oh ! may the plant we humbly rear, How slow soe'er it grows, Yet overspread the desert drear And blossom as the rose ; Long may its sov'reign balm impart To every soul distrest A cure to heal the broken heart, And to the weary-rest.
The parish being now duly organized, we had to consider how we were to raise a build- ing suitable; this difficulty was in some meas- ure obviated by the vestry hiring the Re- formed Dutch place of worship for the Sab- bath afternoons, at a specified price. When the short lease had expired for which it was engaged, an offer for renewal was made to the
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Presbytery, but rejected. No alternative now remained but to procure some place for wor- ship, and the old district school-house was of- fered for sale, when the Vestry purchasedit, and subsequently removed it to the lot previously bought for a cemetery and permanent site. It is a wild and romantic spot, still retaining vestiges of the primeval forest, appearing al- most indicative of the moral waste formerly overspreading this region, but now, we trust, cleared away never to return. How thankful should we be to the great Head of the Church for enabling us, in our time and generation, to accomplish an undertaking several times attempted in vain ! "Tis true, this " House of God " looks humble and lowly amid the state- ly mansions by which it is surrounded, but we trust the day is not far distant when a temple will be raised, in this parish, for the worship of the Deity, in unison with the spirit of the age, and commensurate with the respectability of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Though long in anticipation of the fact, it
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does not seem irrelevant to introduce thus early in our history some resolutions passed long subsequent to these events, as no more opportune place may occur for introducing them. At a meeting held to open a subscrip- tion-list for St. James's Church, the following Resolutions were passed :
Whereas, The building now used as a place of worship by the congregation of St. James's Church, Fordham, is unsuitable to the wants of said congregation, We, the under- signed, being duly impressed with the import- ant duty of making provision for all who may desire to be connected with said church, do hereby pledge ourselves to pay over to such person or persons as may be appointed by the Vestry of said St. James's Church, the several sums of money set opposite to our names, on the following conditions, namely : This money shall be expended, by said Vestry, in erecting a substantial stone church on the ground now owned by the Corporation of said church, the cost of which building, when completed, shall not be less than ten thousand dollars.
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The Vestry shall appoint a Treasurer, who shall give bonds for the true and faithful per- formance of his duties in receiving and dis- bursing said money, as they may direct. The money shall be paid so soon as an amount equal to ten thousand dollars has been sub- scribed. The corner-stone of said church shall be laid, if possible, on or before the first day of July next, and the church erected without unnecessary delay. Here follow the names of the subscribers. Four gentlemen, namely, Messrs. Bailey, Schwab, Camp, and Morris, subscribed a thousand dollars each.
The present church is situated between the parallel roads leading respectively to King's Bridge and the High Bridge, and is directly opposite to the Croton Aqueduct. We con- sidered it necessary to make this digression in order to render more explicit the events we have undertaken to record. All things being arranged for commencing operations, we shall proceed with our history, and accu- rately narrate a few of the principal events connected with the origin, rise, and progress
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of " Our Parish," until placed under the guard- ianship of its first Rector.
Sunday, June 11, 1854.
St. James's Church, Fordham, was opened for divine service on Sunday, June eleventh, 1854. The Rev. Washington Rodman, Rec- tor of Grace Church, West-Farms, officiated. This humble edifice, however modest in ap- pearance, enjoys a distinction which can never be possessed by any other temple erected for a similar purpose. It is the First Protestant Episcopal Church in the Manor of Fordham, and great and many were the difficulties at- tending the undertaking. A discourse was preached from the following text : "The king- dom of God suffereth violence, and the vio- lent take it by force." (Matt. 11 : 12.)
Sunday, June 18, 1854.
The Church was not less respectably at- tended than on the previous Sabbath. On this day the Sunday-school was organized, and there was a good attendance of pupils and
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teachers. I regard these humble institutions as constituting a remarkable feature of our time, and one for which the rising genera- tion should feel grateful, and show their grat- itude by obeying their instructors, who, with- out fee or reward, labor so assiduously " to lead them in the way they should go, that when they are old they may not depart from it !" Mr. Henry J. Cammann, A.B., under- took the superintendence of the school, a. duty which he so ably discharged at St. Thomas's Church, New-York. The services were performed by the Rev. Dr. Jackson, Rec- tor of Saint Peter's, Westchester. The text was : "My son, give me thy heart." (Prov. 23: 26.)
SUNDAY, June 25, 1854.
The heat of the weather was so intense, the congregation was not so large as on the for- mer occasions. Much difficulty was experi- enced in securing the attendance of efficient ministers to perform the services. The Rev. Mr. Murcher, from Ohio, officiated, and his
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sermon gave general satisfaction. The text was :
" Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that sow- eth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." (Gal. 6 : 7, 8.)
Sunday, July 2,1854.
This was the first time, since the opening of the church, that services were performed morning and afternoon. Mr. Murcher offici- ated at both services. In the morning the con- gregation was small. At the afternoon serv- ice a large number attended. Two good dis- courses were delivered by the reverend preach- er from the following texts :
" The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." (Deut. 29 : 29.)
" How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ??? (Jer. 4 : 14.)
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Sunday, July 9, 1854.
No regular minister being yet provided, the services were necessarily uncertain. The cler- gyman to-day not having arrived, Mr. Smith and Mr. Henry J. Cammann volunteered their services in reading the prayers and lessons. The choir were at their post and concluded by singing the following hymn :
Softly now the light of day Fades upon the sight away : Free from care, from labor free, Lord, I would commune with thee.
Thou, whose all-pervading eye Naught escapes, without, within, Pardon each infirmity, Open fault and secret sin.
Soon for me the light of day Shall for ever pass away, Then from sin and sorrow free, Take me, Lord, to dwell with thee.
Thou who, sinless, yet hast known All of man's infirmity, Then, from thine eternal throne, Jesus, look with pitying cye.
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PARISH OF FORDHAM.
Sunday, July 16, 1854.
This afternoon the attendance at church was larger than on any former occasion. The serv- ices were performed by the Rev. Mr. Rodman. The text on which he preached was the sev- enteenth verse of the fourth chapter of Mat- thew :
" From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent : for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Sunday, July 23, 1854.
This is the seventh Sabbath that divine serv- ice has been celebrated in our church, and we have reason to be thankful to Providence for the success that has hitherto attended the un- dertaking. The officiating minister was the Rev. Erskine M. Rodman, this being the first time since his ordination he was called upon to discharge the duties of his sacred office. His text was :
" What shall we do then ?" (Luke 3 : 10.) Sunday, July 30, 1854.
The same minister officiated to-day as on
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the preceding Sabbath. His words were prac- tical and such as to impart satisfaction to all present. The text was :
" What mean ye by this service ?" (Exo- dus 12 : 26.)
Sunday, August 5, 1854.
This being a very pleasant day, the attend- ance at church was larger than usual. The Rev. Mr. Flagg preached on the necessity of prayer. The text was :
"Pray without ceasing." (1 Thess. 5 : 17.) Sunday, August 13, 1854.
The Rev. Jesse Pound gave his services to- day; his sermon was simple and calculated to convey useful instruction. The text was : "Seeing then that all things shall be dis- solved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness ?" (2 Peter 3 : 11.)
Sunday, August 20, 1854.
The Rev. Cadwallader C. Hoffman, the Af- rican Missionary, was expected to preach, but being unavoidably detained elsewhere, he sent word that he would officiate in the evening.
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At the appointed time there was a good con- gregation assembled, who seemed much grati- fied by his discourse. The text was :
"For thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come : and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. And the silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts !" (Haggai 2 : 6,7,8.)
Sunday, August 27, 1854.
No minister being yet appointed, we were obliged to have recourse to lay services, and we availed ourselves of the assistance of Mr. Henry J. Cammann, Superintendent of the Sunday-school, as the clergyman we had en- gaged did not arrive. The volunteer choir closed the sacred ceremonies of the day with the following hymn :
Eternal Source of every joy, Well may thy praise our lips employ, While in thy temple we appear To hail thee Sovereign of the year.
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Wide as the wheels of nature roll, Thy hand supports and guards the whole ; The sun is taught by thee to rise, And darkness when to veil the skies.
The flowers of spring, at thy command, Perfume the air and paint the land ; The summer rays with vigor shine, To raise the corn and cheer the vine.
Sunday, September 3, 1854.
The weather being oppressively warm, the congregation was small. (The Rev. Mr. Dra- per, of Harlem, officiated. The discourse was excellent from the following text :
" And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." (Luke 16 : 9.)
Sunday, September 10, 1854.
After a long drought, the windows of heaven were opened and a storm of unusual length and violence was sent to refresh the parched earth. In this state of the weather very few could be expected, and as no clergy- man attended, lay services were observed.
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Sunday, September 17, 1854.
Beautiful did the earth appear on this bright Sabbath morning, clothed in its rich garments after the refreshing rains so lately sent from heaven. A large congrega- tion assembled to hear the Rev. Benjamin Akerly, who went through the services in his customary efficient manner. The text was :
" But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3 : 18.)
Sunday, September 24, 1854.
Our church commences, under its own rector, to-day. The Vestry have called the Rev. Joshua Weaver, A.M., to the pastorate, and he gave us an excellent discourse from the following text :
" Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." (Numbers 23 : 10.)
Sunday, October 1, 1854.
This may be considered THE BIRTHDAY of our Church, as we now work under our own
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rector, and it is the first time that we have enjoyed the full privileges of using the morn- ing and evening services, and the collect of the day seems so appropriate to our circum- stances that I shall transcribe it :
" O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy con- tinual pity cleanse and defend the Church ; and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succor, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen !"
Mr. Weaver preached from the following text :
" What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed ? for the end of those things is death." (Rom. 6 : 21.)
Afternoon.
The church was again opened at half-past three P.M., and Mr. Weaver gave as his text the following words:
" And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and be- lieveth on him, may have everlasting life:
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and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6 : 40.)
The Rector gave notice that the church building would be removed, during the en- suing week, to its final location, not having been taken from the lot on which it was erected originally.
Sunday, October 8, 1854.
The church building was moved from its site since last Sabbath, but not yet placed on what is to be its permanent destination, which is about a hundred feet from the place where it originally stood. Many persons who came to worship were afraid to enter the building, supposing that the structure was unsafe, in consequence of being so re- cently moved; these terrorists lost an edify- ing discourse delivered by the rector from the following text :
" And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee ; and they shall not lay in thee one stone upon another ; be- cause thou knewest not the time of thy vis- itation." (Luke 19 : 44.)
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Sunday Afternoon.
Service commenced at half-past three o'clock. The text was :
" For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now." (Philippians 1 : 5.)
Sunday, October 15, 1854.
In consequence of a severe storm, our " Tent in the Wilderness " had not arrived home. Still there was little doubt but that the next Sabbath would find her domiciled in her last resting-place, when we shall close this record of current events, as we trust all circum- stances connected with the church and parish are preserved in the minutes of the Vestry. The Rector preached from the text :
" Unto you it is given to know the mys- teries of the kingdom of God : but to others in parables ; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." (Luke 8 : 10.)
Sunday Afternoon.
. The weather having cleared up, the congre- gation was much larger than in the morning.
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Mr. Weaver preached an excellent discourse from the following text :
" Having the understanding darkened, be- ing alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts." (Ephes. 4 : 18.)
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