USA > New York > Orange County > Montgomery > The Goodwill memorial, or, The first one hundred and fifty years of the Goodwill Presbyterian Church : Montgomery, Orange Co., N.Y. > Part 7
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BEATTY, WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA IN 1729," gives some intelligence which is of general interest.
His early education had been thorough, and in this, as in his after career, the band of Providence was manifest. Some time after arriving in America, he started out in life for himself as a merchant in a very humble way, carrying his goods for sale about the country in a pack on his back. In this capacity he met the elder William Tennent-then in charge of the Log College at Neshaminy, who induced him to study for the ministry. He was licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, Oct. 12th, 1742, and was ordained and installed pastor at the Forks of Neshaminy, Dec. 14th, 1743. Full of the missionary spirit himself, his life was full of noble labors. Rev. David Brainard, in his efforts to evangelize the Indians, found in him a sympathizing friend. In 1754 he was appointed with Mr. Bostwick and others to make a missionary tour of three months in Virginia and North Carolina, at that time a long and toilsome journey, which, however, he cheerfully performed. In 1750, he made a missionary tour through West Jersey as far as Cape May, preaching constantly by the way and with great success. He twice acted as chaplain of the provincial forces, raised for the defence of the fron- tiers-the Synod in the meantime supplying his pulpit. He made two trips to Europe, first in the interest of "the fund for the relief of poor Presbyterian min- isters, and ministers' widows and their children," and secondly for the health of his wife, who died and was buried at Greenock. In 1766 he was appointed with Mr. Duffield to explore the frontier settlements and ascertain the condition of the Indian tribes. His last public service was in the interest of the College of New Jersey. Dr. Witherspoon, who had been appointed to visit the West Indies to solicit funds for the college, being unable to go, Mr. Beatty was sent in his place, and on the 13th of August, 1772, he died of yellow fever at Bridgeton. He mar- ried Ann, daughter of John Reading of New Jersey, President of the Council and afterwards Governor of the Province. To them were born eleven children, whose numerous descendants have occupied places of honor and trust in the ministry and eldership of the Presbyterian Church and in the civil and military offices in the land, among whom is Rev. Charles C. Beatty, D.D., LL.D., of Steuben- ville, O.
This somewhat lengthy digression, which gives only a hint at the descendants of Christiana Clinton (who afterwards married a James Scott, and died in New York about 1776, at the advanced age of 91), suggests the inquiry whether as a moral power in the land she, through her son Charles Beatty, has not surpassed her brother, Charles, with all his success in life taken in connection with that of his sons-among whom was James, general in the revolutionary army and the father of DeWitt Clinton, and George, for eighteen years governor of New York, and for two terms Vice-President of the United States ?
What relation John Beatty, the father of Arthur Beatty, bore to John Beatty the husband of Christiana Clinton, cannot be stated, but he was probably near of kin
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Archibald, married (1) Annie Strachan ; (2) Polly McKee.
Alexander, married a Welling. The Beattys at E. Colden- ham are among his descendants. ·
William, married Margaret Strachan. The Henry Beatty family of Little Britain are among his descendants.
Joseph, married a Smiley.
Peggy, married William Hunter, son of the elder Robert Hunter.
Arthur, married and settled at Coxsackie.
Mary, married a Tilton, a teacher at Goshen and afterwards at Coxsackie.
Lilly, died young.
William, Archibald, and Joseph, all served in the war of the Revolution. Of Arthur Beatty we know nothing further, except that he endeavored, like Abraham of old, to " com- mand his children and his household after him." According to the stone that marks his grave in our burying-place, he died March 9th, 1774, in the sixtieth year of his age.
MATTHEW RHEA.
Matthew Rhea-the son of the former Elder of the name- was born August 6th, 1719, and consequently was but a small boy when his parents came to the precinct. Nov. 30th, 1758, he married Catherine, daughter of James Hunter. Their children were Janet-Mrs. John Barber, Frances, Stephen, James, Matthew, John, Martha, Robert, William, and David.
He was one of the members of the Provincial Congress of New York from Ulster county, from 1775 to 1777, or until the adoption of the State Constitution of Oct., 1777 ; and a mem- ber of the Assembly from 1777 to 1779. His eldership extended from 1770 to Nov. 1801, the time of his death.
DAVID JAGGER.
David Jagger, who served the church, first as trustee and afterwards for twenty-six years as an elder, was a descendant of John Jagger, who settled at Southampton, L. I.,* not far
* From Southampton came also Benjamin Haines, who purchased land among " the people of Wallkill" as early as 1739. He was descended from Benjamin
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from 1650. When he came to this section of country cannot be ascertained. It was probably while he was yet a young man, as he died Aug. 21, 1769, when only in his sixty-sixth year. His wife, Mary, survived him till Nov. 11th, 1798, when she departed this life in her sixty-third year. Their children were John, Stephen, David, and Mary. John mar- ried Mary Smiley. To them were born five children :
I. Elsie-who married Alexander Cox;
2. Mary-who married David Clark ;
3. Sarah-who married Solomon Roat ;
4. Jane-who married David Kyle; and
5. David, who, May Ist. 1839, married Esther Dickson, and who, after acting as trustee for years, now serves in the elder- ship of the church-following in the steps of his grandfather, whose church record, like that of many others, perpetuates his memory; just as of Joseph of . Arimathæa, though "an honorable counsellor," we would never have heard even the name, had he not furnished a sepulchre for the Saviour.
ABRAHAM DICKERSON.
Abraham Dickerson (as the name is written in all the family records, though in the church records we find it Dickinson) was born on Long Island, April 10th, 1741. When yet a young man he came with his sister, Rowanna, to the Wallkill precinct. He married Annie Mould, and his sister married Christopher Mould, Annie's brother. To Abraham and his wife Annie were born four children: Polly, who married Jacobus Alsdorf; Annie, who married Jacob Millspaugh : Ellen, who married William Soper, and Adam (born March 12th, 1779), who married (June 28, 1798) Jane Houston, a
Haines, who appears in the records of Southampton in 1657. The line of descent from him to the Haines family, lately so broken in upon by death, is Benjamin- Samuel-Samuel-John S.
From Southampton, too, but later in the century, came the progenitors of the Howell family at E. Coldenham and elsewhere throughout the county. They are descended from Edward Howell, who came to Southampton from Boston in 1640.
Also, the Harris family, descended from George Harris of 1657; the Woodruff family, descended from John Woodruff of 1657; the Topping family, descended from Thomas Topping, of Milford, 1639; and the Goodale family, descended from Joseph Goodale of 1698.
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granddaughter of Rev. Joseph Houston. The children of Adam and Jane (Houston) Dickerson, several of whom are still living, were: 1. Johannes Miller, who married Catherine Crawford ; 2. Ann, who married John B. Bodine; 3. Maria, who married Joseph Hasbrouck Decker; 4. Harriet, who married Francis Crawford; 5. Abraham, who married Ann Goodjion ; 6. Sarah Jane, who married Alanson Youngblood ; 7. Catherine, who married Alfred Weller; 8. Eleanor, who married Jacob Y. Shafer.
Abraham Dickerson died December 8th, 1814, having ser- ved in the eldership from 1770.
ARTHUR PARKS.
Joseph Young, M.D., of New York, the second son of John Young of Little Britain, thus wrote of Mr. Parks in 1807, the account also touching several other families :
"James Clinton, Esquire, who lived near Belfast in the North of Ireland, had a sister named Margaret, and one son named Charles, and two daughters, viz .: Christina and Mary. Margaret, the sister of James above mentioned, married John Parks, who had a son named John, who had a son named William, who mar- ried Jennet Beatty, by whom he had two children, Arthur and Margaret. Arthur is now living at Ward's Bridge on the Wallkill. He is a man of good natural abilities, which he greatly improved by reading, of which he was always very fond. He was elected a member of the State Legislature at a very early period of the war (1776), and was successively re-elected for several years, and was a very valu- able member. He married Miss - Howell, daughter of Hezekiah Howell of Smith's Clove, by whom he had a son Charles, who studied physic and attended the medical lectures in New York. His sister Margaret, an accomplished woman, was married to Mr. David Bostwick, son of Mr. Bostwick, formerly a minister in New York. She is now a widow, and removed to Troy. John Parks and Mar- garet Clinton (above named) had two daughters, Jane and Barbary. Jane mar- ried John Young, and had a son John Young, who settled in Little Britain. Bar- bary married John Crawford and had three sons, Matthew, Alexander, and Joseph, and a daughter Mary, who married John Young and settled with him at Little Britain.
The Orange Co. Republican of August 14th, 1806, con- tained the following :
"Died on Thursday, August 11th, 1806, Arthur Parks, Esq., of Montgomery, in the 70th year of his age. He was a member of the first Provincial Congress,
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a member of the State Convention that formed our State Constitution, and of the late convention that amended it. During eleven years he represented the middle district in the senate, and lived and died a warm patriot and a sincere Christian."
He was about twenty years an elder in this church. In addition to his son Charles, M.D., mentioned by Dr. Young, Mr. Parks had also a son named William Arthur, who lived with the doctor at Montgomery, then Ward's Bridge. A son of the doctor's, named William Arthur, resides at Montgom- ery, and another son, Charles Howell, resides in Pennsyl- vania.
JOHN BARBER.
John Barber, whose early life has been dwelt upon in con- nection with that of his father, Patrick Barber, was born in New Jersey, Feb. 26, 1753. On the first of December, 1780, he was married to Janet Rhea, the eldest daughter of Matthew Rhea, the second of the name who served in the eldership of this church. Their children who survived infancy were : Catherine, Mrs. William James, of Albany ; Janet, Mrs. Archi- bald Gourlay, of Newburgh ; Margaret, Mrs. Moses D. Bur- net, late of Syracuse, and John I. Barber. When he was ordained an elder in the church cannot be definitely known through defectiveness of the church records. We first find his name in this capacity under date of May 7th, 1796; but in an account of his life, written shortly after his death, it is stated that he had been an elder " more than half a century." According to this he was called to the exercise of the office when not over thirty-three years of age, and, if punctual attendance at meetings of the session can be taken as an evi- dence of faithfulness, he, like others in the same office, was eminently faithful. One whose right to speak of him would not be questioned, has thus characterized him: "He was a man of inflexible rectitude, great decision of character, almost stern in his obedience to every dictate of conscience and the moral law, and scrupulously exact in the discharge of every personal duty and obilgation. He was tall, slender, and very erect. His manner was dignified, almost serious. His home
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attachments were very strong, his affection for his family deep and constant, his habits abstemious and very regular. He was very industrious and economical, and left at his death a com- fortable property. He commanded great respect and influ- ence in his neighborhood and throughout the county. He held at one time the office of associate judge of the county court, and was once or twice a member of the State legisla- ture. He was a long time one of the most faithful and active officers in the Goodwill church, and one of the most earnest and consistent christians of his day and generation." To this may be added, by way of more definitely stating his position in the legislature, that he was a member of the Assembly from Ulster county in 1798, and from Orange county in 1804-5. He died February 12th, 1836, in the 83d year of his age. His wife, who was born September 3d, 1759, died ten years before him. As Patrick Barber may have been in the eldership years before the time when his name first appears in the frag- mentary records of the church, it may safely be said that the official life of these two men-father and son-extends through nearly, if not quite, half the period of the existence of the church.
WILLIAM CODDINGTON.
William Coddington came, when a young man, from Long Island. He lived some time at Goshen, probably occupied at his trade as a tanner, but came to the precinct of New- burgh previous to 1775, in which year he seems to have made his first purchase of land. He married Susannah Wood, daughter of Timothy Wood. To them were born no chil- dren, but they acted the part of parents to Kezia O. Smedes, who became the wife of elder Nathaniel Brewster, and to her mother, Kezia Oldfield, afterwards Mrs. Jacob Smedes, before her. When he united with the church we do not know. He was ordained an elder about 1786, in which capacity he served till his death, a period of about forty years. He died Septem- ber 24th, 1826, aged eighty-four years. His wife died Febru- ary 24th of the same year, aged eighty. In his will, which
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was executed May 9th, 1820, he shows his love for and inter- est in the church. He puts it among his friends, and though the times are inauspicious previous to the calling of Mr. Con- dit, in his bequests, first towards building the parsonage, and second towards the support of the ordinances, he manifests confidence that all will yet be bright. These hints as to his home and his relation to the church speak sufficiently dis- tinctly for the man. To pen this in perpetuation of his mem- ory is a privilege indeed.
WILLIAM FAULKNER.
William Faulkner was born August 27th, 1746. His parent- age cannot be stated positively, but he was probably the son of William Faulkner, one of the early settlers of the section of county in which he had his home-between what is now known as Franklin Square and Stony Ford, in the town of Wallkill. June 17th, 1736, James Rogers bought of Thomas Noxon, school-master, three hundred acres of land bordering on the land of Robert McCord, and among the witnesses to the delivery of the land are Israel Rogers and William Faulk- ner. June Ist, 1779, he married Jane Rogers, and to them were born two sons and five daughters. They were: 1. Susan, who married Archibald McBride ; 2. Esther, who mar- ried William Morrison, among whose descendants are Mrs. Robert Lipsett and Joseph A. Morrison and brothers: 3. Priscilla, who married Dr. Joseph Faulkner; 4. John, who married Isabella Bushfield; 5. Jane ; 6. Martha ; 7. Thomas, who married Susan Van Voories.
Mr. Eager, in his history of the county, thus speaks of him in connection with his town : " During the war of the revolu- tion this town was patriotic and nobly bore her share in pub- lic duty. Col. William Faulkner-then a captain-was in the service at the taking of Fort Montgomery by the English, and received a bayonet wound in the side which afflicted him more or less through life, though he lived to be an old man. He was brave, fearless, and a true patriot." He was for
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nearly forty-five years an elder in this church. He died December 31st, 1831, in the eighty-sixth year of his age.
HENRY MILLER.
" It is all well, and yet no pastor that has served this church more richly deserves to be remembered than does that good man in the eldership, Henry Miller." Such was the ex- pression of one who knew Mr. Miller well during his later years, and who looked with approval on the tablets erected in the church in 1871 to the memory of the deceased pastors. It was not intended as a comparison of his worth with that of other elders who had served with him. It was rather a hearty expression of what was felt to have been his personal value to the church, on the part of one who knew him better than he knew the rest. To his memory, then, this sketch is prepared ; and if there is aught in his example which will tend to make others of this and coming generations better, as his own gen- eration was the better on his account, it will not have been prepared in vain. He was born in Germany, November 12th, 1767, but while he was yet young he came with his parents to Nova Scotia, which was thenceforth their home. Of their characteristics we know nothing ; but if we may judge of them by this their son, we must entertain for them the highest re- gard. Henry was the eldest son, and consequently had special rights in so far as the property of the family was concerned ; but on arriving at twenty-one years of age, he voluntary re- linquished all claims to the estate, in the interests of the younger members of the family, and with good health, a clear conscience, true moral courage, and the world all before him, started in life for himself. Making his way to the States, we find him soon after in the neighboring county of Duchess, an industrious, prudent young man, slowly but surely making his way in the world. He had early been taught a trade, that of shoe-making, to which he could at any time resort; but he seems to have devoted himself principally to agriculture. While there he married Hannah Chatterton, and soon after re- moved to Orange county, to the very tract of land on which
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LIST OF ELDERS.
he spent the remainder of his life, and where he died, leaving a fine property to his children. His worldly success was due, under God, to the continuance through life of the industry and prudence that had early characterized him, for the verdict of all who testify of him is that he was strictly honest.
He was a kind husband and father, and a good neighbor and citizen. In natural disposition he was cheerful, almost jovial. In his immediate community he was looked to as a pattern. His religion was of that uniform character which made it always seem in place for him to speak to others of their souls' interests, which he was by no means backward to do. In his home he worshipped the God of his fathers, whom he . had early chosen as his God, and in the prayer-meeting he was always ready to take an active part. His great activity and untiring energies brought all his faculties into use, so that his influence was greater than that of many of larger endowments and superior opportunities for culture. A self-made man, he tried to make the most of himself personally, and in his relations to others, that he well could. When he first made a profes- sion of religion, or when he united with the Goodwill church, cannot be ascertained. He was ordained an elder in 1819. In the duties of this office he was evidently faithful. Though living at a distance of some five miles from the church, he was seldom absent from a meeting of the session, and in him great confidence was manifestly reposed. An incident is related of him that perhaps better portrays his interest in the church's welfare than any other words can. In was in the spring or early summer of 1830-one of the critical points in the history of this church-Rev. Mr. Condit had resigned his charge and was gone. Influential members were moving in the direction of organizing a Presbyterian church in the village of Mont- gomery-and it was but natural that they should wish to have the Goodwill church go with them in a body. A meeting of the session was called at the house of William Graham to con- sider the matter. One and another had arrived, and Elder Brewster had expressed himself strongly against any such move. He believed the old church would occupy its present site and
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continue to do its work till the millennium. Mr. Miller came in a little late, but with his face all aglow with happiness. He had been to Newburgh to see Dr. Johnston and had brought back the intelligence that there would probably be no difficulty in securing the services of Rev. William Blain as pastor. Mr. Miller was at once authorized to visit Cold Spring, where Mr. Blain was settled, to ascertain what could be done. The re- sult was that in less than three months from the time Mr. Con- dit took leave of the people. Mr. Blain was duly installed their pastor, and for twenty-three years he found Mr. Miller one of his most faithful helpers.
He died August 2d, 1853, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. His wife, who was born September 25th, 1773, died four days after. Four only of their eight children survived them: Wil- liam H., Lewis S., Sarah-Mrs. John S. Haines, and Jane Smith-Mrs. E. G. Keeler. Children's children should rise up and call them blessed, for such is the memory of the righteous.
NATHANIEL, BREWSTER.
In attempting a sketch of this noble man one is led back to his ancestry in this land through more than two centuries and a half. When on the 20th of December, 1620, the pil- grims landed from the Mayflower, at Plymouth, chief among their noble band was Elder William Brewster, well styled " Chief of the Pilgrims "-their elder indeed, for he was at the same time, to all intents and purposes, their pastor and teacher. One would fain trace his life back to its springs in a noble ancestry and the grace of a covenant God ; but his arrival here must be our point of departure. It is sufficient to say, that for twenty-three or four years he lived to further the interests of the colony in things temporal and spiritual ere he went to his reward. With his descendants we have to do, and happy are they who, with his blood in their veins, can look back to and emulate the virtues of such an one, if indeed they prize, as they should do, this their privilege. The line of descent is a little broken and vet sufficiently connected. Web-
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ster, in his history of the Presbyterian Church in America, page 363, says: "Brookhaven, an eight-sided township, the largest on Long Island, was settled from Boston in 1655. . . . For thirty-five years the town had for its minister Nathaniel Brewster, the grandson of the ruling Elder of the Pilgrim church of Plymouth." Samuel Brewster, a grandson or great grandson of this Rev. Nathaniel Brewster, was born on Long Island, July 18th, 1718. His eldest son inherited his property, and his other three sons removed to this region. Samuel, one of the three, settled in New Windsor. In the old abandoned graveyard at New Windsor, overlooking the Hudson river, his brown headstone bears the inscription: "In memory of Deacon Samuel Brewster, who departed this life February Ioth, 1802, in the 83d year of his age."
This Samuel Brewster's second son, Timothy, the father of Nathaniel, was born in New Windsor November 3d, 1746. On the 17th of October, 1774, he married Phebe Wood, born near Huntington, L. I., February 17th, 1754. He afterwards removed to New Jersey, and at Woodbridge, N. J., October 17th, 1786, Nathaniel was born.
About 1812, Nathaniel removed to Orange county, where his life of usefulness was to be spent. On the 21st of January, 1813, he married Kezia O. Smedes, and on the 13th of October, in the same year he made public profession of his faith in Christ in connection with this church. Then in his twenty-seventh year he wrote, " Much of my precious time has already run to waste; the Lord enable me to devote the remainder of my days to His service and glory ; the Lord make me faithful unto death that I may receive a crown of life." In accordance with this he aimed to shape his Christian life and labor to the end. It was his covenant for life. On the 11th of May, 1823. he was ordained an elder. Under that date he wrote, "This day ordained an elder in the congregation of Goodwill, Mont- gomery. Lord, I beseech Thee to grant me all needed wisdom and grace to enable me to discharge all those important duties that hereby devolve upon me. Help me to make an unre- served dedication of myself and all I am to Thee, and may I be
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enabled ever to conduct myself in such a manner as shall meet with Thy divine approbation, and at last be welcomed to the joys of Thine everlasting kingdom, through the precious and richest grace abounding in Christ, the glorious Redeemer." His life was what might be expected of one who thus cast himself upon the Lord and sought to do His will. "He was a model man, a model citizen, a model church member, a model church officer." Thus wrote his pastor of him at the time of his death, and after ten years his praise is still on the lips of all who knew him. That pastor writes to-day: "Take him all and in all, he was, I think, the most excellent man I have ever known. His example, his life, so consistent, so useful, made him a power in the community in which he dwelt. All who knew him respected, loved and trusted him. His Chris- tianity was genuine, large-hearted and liberal. His love, like his Master's, embraced the world. For truth, honor and honesty, he was unsurpassed. No man that ever knew him would think of doubting his word or suspecting his integrity. In his dealings with his fellow-men, should a doubt arise he always gave his neighbor the benefit of the doubt. He would wrong himself of a hundred dollars before he would run the possible risk of wronging another of a cent. What a bene-
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