USA > New York > Queens County > Newtown > The annals of Newtown, in Queens County, New York; containing its history from its first settlement, together with many interesting facts concerning the adjacent towns; > Part 22
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Municipal government was maintained in Newtown (at least in form) during the whole period of the war, the annual election of town officers being regularly observed. On the 22d of Dec. 1783, the first town officers were chosen in the name of the people of the state of New-York. Samuel Riker was elected supervisor; John Morrell and Joseph Gosline, trustees ; William Howard, John Gosline, William Lawrence, and Richard Bragaw, assessors; John Gosline, constable and collector ; Philip Edsall, town clerk ; &c. all to remain in office till the next annual meeting in April. As may be supposed, the town's finances had suffered, and the following year the old trustees were called to account respecting the moneys that had accrued during the war, from renting the town-house and land. It was also resolved that all contracts entered into by individuals while the British had possession should remain binding, and a committee was chosen to examine such as were of a publie nature, and see them duly executed. By the adop- tion of wise and prudent measures adapted to the peculiar state of their affairs, the people of Newtown sought to repair the ruin that on every side prevailed, and restore good order and prosperity to the township, happy in the reflection that they were a free people.
Only years of toil and much expense could make good the damage inflicted on the premises of the whigs while in exile. Their dwellings and outhouses dilapidated, fences destroyed, and acres upon acres of valuable timber cut and removed. Riker's Island was stript of a grove of fine trees, not one then remaining. Few were fortunate enough to obtain any indem-
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nification for their losses. The farm of the late Judge Coe (now Abraham Whitson's) was, from the year 1777 to 1783, in possession of the family of Licut. Alex. Grant, of the 42d regiment, who was killed at the battle of Fort Montgomery. But as Grant fortunately left property in New-York, the state, in 1785, allowed Mr. Coe to file a declaration against Grant's heirs, so that Coe was compensated for the waste and injury of his farm. Numerous prosecutions for trespass took place, and some of the inhabitants were fined for having by order . of the British cut timber on their neighbors' woodlands, not being permitted to plead the military order of the enemy in extenuation. This was obviously unjust. The only property in Newtown confiscated by the state was the farm of Capt. Dow Van Duyn. It was sold by the commissioners of for- feiture, in 1784, to Thomas McFarran, a merchant of New- York, was afterwards bought by Dr. Isaac Ledyard, and is now the property of David S. Mills.
But the demoralizing effect of the Revolutionary period was more to be deplored than the waste of property. Says one, religion was entirely down. Its movement was rather retrograde than otherwise, while a loose rein was given to passion. The Sabbath was desccrated; that sacred day was often ushered in, not by the solemn peal of the church bell, but by the beat of the reveille, and the tramp of British rank and file. In the camp profanity and debauchery prevailed. A body of troops which in the summer before the evacuation occupied the rising ground east of A. Paynter's, at the Dutch Kills, were accustomed to drink a hogshead of rum every three days. The moral contagion spread, and many learned to imitate the dissipation to which they thus became familiar- ized. And then the malignancy of party feeling which ex- isted was most lamentable. Well was it that the active loyal- ists retired, for the long-smothered anger of the whigs burst forth like a volcanic eruption, and sent its torrents of popular indignation as burning lava over the land. It was not till the fury of the storm was spent that many of the objects of it ventured to return to the States. But the whigs could not easily forget the wrongs they endured in the day of their weakness, while the loyalists, chagrined and mortified at their defeat, cherished in their hearts much of their former ani-
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mosity. This asperity of feeling was not confined to the arena of politics, but was carried into private life, and produced grievous alienations among kindred, severing all the tender ties of friendship and neighborly kindness. The social and domestic circles of Newtown felt for years the blighting influ- ence of these decp-seated feuds ; indeed the alienations thus cherished only terminated in many instances at the grave, and dicd as the generation itself passed away. " Tante molis erat Romanam condere gentem."
CHAPTER XII.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHII .- Its history under the Reverend Samuel Pumroy, George Macnish, Simon Horton, Andrew Bay, James Lyon, Peter Fish, Elihu Pal- mer, Nathan Woodhull, Peter Fish, William Boardman, John Goldsmith .---- Presbyterian Church organized at Astoria; Rev. Frederick G. Clark .- RE- FORMED DUTCH CHURCH .- Its ministers, Dominie Van Basten, Johannes H. Goetschius, Thomas Romeyn, Hermanus L. Boelen, Solomon Froeligh, Rynier Van Nest, Zachariah H. Kuypers, Jacob Schoonmaker, Garret J. Garretson, Thomas C. Strong .- Sister Church at Astoria ; Rev. A. H. Bishop .- EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- Its rectors, Rev. William Urquhart, Thomas Poyer, Thomas Colgan, Samuel Seabury, Joshua Bloomer, William IIammel, Henry Van Dyke, Abra- ham L. Clarke, William E. Wyatt, Evan M. Johnson, George A. Shelton .-- Sister Church at Astoria ; Rev. Samuel Seabury, John W. Brown, Tapping R. Chipman .- New Episcopal Churches at Maspeth and Ravenswood .- Notices of the FRIENDS, BAPTISTS, and METHODISTS.
No candid mind can review the preceding history without discerning that the people of Newtown owed much of the pros- perity, social and public, which they enjoyed, to the conserva- tive influence of religious principles in their society. Religion and her institutions were dear to them, as, witness the concern manifested when unhallowed rulers endeavored to invade them. Piety had been nurtured with tender care, when, amid the hardships of a wilderness, they most needed its solace. It exerted a controling influence over the morals of the commu- nity in succeeding times; gave a healthful tone to their public acts, and in all their checkered history is happily visible. If so, it becomes important to take a view of the religious his-
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tory of the town subsequent to the time when it ceased to be treated of in connection with the civil annals.
HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
At the settlement of Mr. Pumroy his church comprised only eight members in full communion, but it was eminently increased and prospered under the ministry of that gentleman. After his union with the Presbytery of Philadelphia, Mr. Pumroy exerted himself in connection with other clerical brethren for the dissemination of Presbyterianism on Long Island, and when the growth of that denomination in this country required the formation of additional presbyteries, he united, in 1717, with Messrs. Macnish of Jamaica, and Phillips of Setauket, in organizing Long Island Presbytery ; the first association of the kind in this province, and to which all the Presbyterian churches of Westchester and New-York city, as well as Long Island, were for many years subject.
As yet, however, the church at Newtown was destitute of that distinctive feature of Presbyterianism, the office of ruling elder ; and the sole charge of its spiritual concerns rested upon the pastor. This continued till 1724, when, at the suggestion of Mr Pumroy, three ruling elders were chosen, and of which he gives us the following account. " Whereas, some time ago the Rev. Mr. Samuel Pumroy, pastor of the church of Christ, in Newtown, did complain to the church, of his wanting some assistance in the business of governing thereof; there was by him nominated to the church and congregation Content Titus, James Renne, and Samuel Coc, to serve in the affairs relating to the church, as ruling elders; and desired if there were any person or persons that had anything to object against any of them, their taking upon them that office, and their subjec- tion to them as officers of authority in the business of govern- ment, that they would signify it to the said Mr. Pumroy, in some convenient time. This was repeated afterwards. After a considerable time, (nothing being objected,) Mr. Pumroy, upon the Lord's day, after the evening sermon, did rehearse the above declaration, and not one person opposing the mo- tion and purpose, did propose to the men in nomination whether they were freely willing to undertake the office.
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AHNALS OF NEWTOWN.
They answered they were willing to do what service they were able to do for Christ in his church. Upon which, after prayer, they were solemnly appointed to the office of ruling elders, and did engage and promise to take care of this branch of the Lord's vine, as far as God should enable them. The members of the church were also required and exhorted to acknowledge them as men in authority, and to subject to them in their government in the Lord. This was done upon the 28th June, 1724."1
The session met for the first time on July 15th, and their earliest care was to admonish the wayward and encourage the faithful. On their recommendation the 22d of the same month was observed by the congregation as a day of public thanks- giving, "having been blest with a good and great harvest and a plentiful rain immediately after." Thence it continued
1 The following is a list of the elders of this church :-
Content Titus.
Chosen 1724. Died Jan. 17, 1730, aged 86.
Samuel Coe.
Rem'd to Rockland co. N. Y. 1734.
James Renne.
66 Died Aug. 5, 1759. aged -
Silas Titus.
Serving, 1740.
Nov. 2, 1748. -
Philip Edsall.
1742.
Jan. 14, 1758, 66 50
Samuel Fish.
1756.
July 9, 1767, 78.
John Alburtis.
66
1767. "
Oct. 6, 1780,
46.
Benjamin Coe.
Jacob Palmer.
Chosen 1791.
Aug. 5, 1819,
79
Richard Bragaw. 66
46 1794.
Oct. 3, 1829,
73.
Edward Howard.
Serving 1812.
May 14, 1815,
48.
William Leverich.
May 20, 1831,
71.
Charles Palmer.
Chosen 1820.
Aug. 30, 1822,
32.
Adrian Van Sinderen.
"
Ang. 27, 1843,
71.
William Howard.
66
1824.
Removed to Elmira, N. Y. 1829.
Benjamin Howard.
1830. Died Sept. 14, 1833, aged 61.
Jacob Palmer Leverich.
1833.
Now serving.
Andrew B. Ryerson.
Samuel Leverich.
1835.
Removed to Southport, N. Y. 1837. Died Aug. 26, 1843, aged 56.
Thomas Divine.
66
1843.
John L. Riker.
¥
1849.
Julius C. Wright.
"
Mar. 27, 1818, 70
Jesse Leverich.
Mar. 9, 1821,
79.
Now serving.
Simeon Benjamin.
Abel Sammis.
1838.
Now serving.
William Raiman.
Feb. 21, 1791, 66 78.
Cornelius Berrien.
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ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.
to be the custom of the church once a year, near the holydays, and sometimes oftener, to keep a thanksgiving day, with reli- gious services, and a suitable discourse by the pastor. The state of the church was much improved, as its affairs pro- cceded more orderly. Better to secure the regular and decent observance of Christian ordinances, and that a record thereof might be kept, it was ordered, in session, Aug. 30th, 1725, " that James Renne1 take care to have a book bought for the church records, also that he buy a small bason, two platters, and a napkin, for the use of the church; and that with the money of the church that is in his hands." The book was procured, is yet extant, and contains valuable records.
Mr. Pumroy sustained the character of a systematic, learned and eminently pious man. He is said to have prepared a number of youth for admission into college, and he labored with " approbation and great satisfaction" to his people. Dur- ing his ministry the Lord's Supper was celebrated once in about four months, accompanied by a sermon, and preceded by preaching on Friday evening. Days set apart for fasting and prayer, (Wednesday being usually selected,) were also observed from time to time, which occasions Mr. Pumroy endeavored to improve to the spiritual good of his flock.
Mr. Pumroy's pecuniary support was the contributions of his people, and the profits of the parsonage property, which at this time consisted of the dwelling-house, bought of Mr. Coe in 1695, and an adjoining farm, fifty acres " laid out for the parsonage " in 1678, but increased to seventy-four acres in 1700. During Mr. Pumroy's settlement, these premises, by authority of the town, were secured to the Presbyterian church, by two several deeds, one from Mr. Coe, the other from the purchasers. Here Mr. Pumroy resided during his
: James Renne, whose descendants are yet to be found among us, was of French birth or extraction, and by trade a tailor. He was one of the first trustees of this church, as well as an elder, and in both capacities he served long and faithfully. For seventeen years he was a trustee of the town. Mr. Renne died Aug. 5th, 1759. He was twiee married, and by his first wife, Sarah, daughter of Jonathan Hazard, had issue James, John, Peter, Margaret, who married John Burroughs ; Elizabeth, who married Joseph Burroughs ; Mary, who married Eliakim Anderson ; and Hannah, who married Alexander Sloan. Peter Renne settled in Dutchess county.
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ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.
ministry. Losing his wife Lydia, Feb. 3d, 1722, he married, three years after, Elizabeth the daughter of Rev. Joseph Webb, of Fairfield, Ct. who survived him twenty-four years.1 Mr. Pumroy, (says a notice of his death,) "preached his last sermon on the 20th day of May, 1744, his text was in the first of John, 2d chapter and the 15th verse. He was taken amiss the same evening, departed this life the 30th day of June following, about 8 o'clock in the morning, and was in- terred the first day of July, at the burying-place in Newtown, and has left his dear bosom friend and congregation to bewail an unspeakable loss." His tombstone in the old publie grave- yard bears the following inscription :-
Here lies the body of ye Reud Mr. Samuel Pumroy who depd. This life the 30th of Iune 1744, In the 57th year of his age. Kind earth keep safe my sleeping dust, Till Christ shall raise it with the Iust ; My ministerial work is done For you dear people of Newtown. Years almost thirty-six I try'd To spouse you for Christ Iesus bride. If you do still refuse to hear, Gainst you at last I must appear, When Christ shall come to raise the Dead And call me from this gloomy bed.
The Rev. George Macnish, an only son of the former pas- tor of Jamaica, of that name, was called the same year to supply the place made vacant by the demise of Mr. Pumroy. Mr. Macnish occupied the parsonage house. He labored about two years in this congregation, but subsequently settled in the town of Walkill, Orange (then Ulster) county, N. Y. at which place his father had owned an extensive tract of land. There he ended his days, in 1779, aged about 65 years, having ministered for a time in the church at Goshen. His wife was
1 Mr. Pumroy's children were Catharine, born May 4th, 1708, who married Jacob Riker, Abigail, born July 8th, 1710, who married Jonathan Hazard ; Noah, born Nov. 20th, 1712, who died in infancy ; Lemuel, born May 23d, 1716, who died in the Island of Curacoa, Oct. 11th, 1737; and Elizabeth, born Nov. 16th, 1717, who married Philip Edsall, Esq.
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ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.
Mary Fitch, whom he married in 1738, and their descendants are yet residents of Orange county.
Mr. Macnish was succeeded at Newtown by the Rev. Si- mon Horton, who was installed pastor of this church in 1746. He was the son of Mrs. Elizabeth Horton, daughter of Simon Grover, a resident of Southold, L. I. who died in 1706, and from whom he derived his name. He was born (probably at the above place) on March 30th, 1711, graduated at Yale Col- lege in 1731, and was ordained to the work of the ministry, by the Presbytery of East Jersey, in 1734. The union of this presbytery and that of Long Island in 1738, under the name of the New-York Presbytery, probably led Mr. Horton to form an acquaintance with the Newtown congregation, and opened a door for his subsequent settlement here, previous to which he was located at Springfield and Connecticut Farms, N. J. He was a man of unquestioned piety, and always sustained a good character and standing. But after a ministry here of more than a quarter of a century, and having spent the ardor of his youth, a portion of his charge began to complain that his preaching had become dull and unattractive. Others, it is said, murmured at his close attention to the employments of the farm. Mr. Horton was apprised of this discontent, and it is a fact very creditable to him, that upon making this dis- covery, he prudently took his dismission, and removed from the parsonage to a residence of his own adjoining.1
He was succeeded by the Rev. Andrew Bay, from Albany, in 1773. Mr. Bay is represented as "a broad Scotchman," but it is uncertain whether he was licensed and ordained at home or in this country, where he first appears in 1748, as a member of the New Side Presbytery of New Castle. Thence for nearly twenty years he was settled successively at Marsh
1 Mr. Horton lost his wife Abigail May 5th, 1752, and on Jan. 7th, 1762, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Fish, Esq. who also died Jan. 13th, 1767. Phebe, his only child who arrived to years of maturity, married the late Hon. Benjamin Coe, of Newtown. Mr. Horton was in exile during the Revolution, living with his son-in-law at Warwick, Orange county, with whom he returned to Newtown in the fall of 1783. Here he closed his life at the residence of Judge Coe, May 8th, 1786, aged 75 years. In person Mr. Horton was of a middle size; and of a solemn deportment. He enjoyed good health till the close of life.
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Creek, Pa. and Deer Creek, (now Churchville,) Maryland. In 1768, he was requested by the synod to spend six Sabbaths in the vicinity of Albany, the Scotch settlements in Montgomery and Washington counties. His services in these parts proved so acceptable, that he was retained at Albany, where he con- tinued five years, and at their expiration entered upon his labors at Newtown, as above stated, where he was duly in- stalled pastor. Several authorities agree in pronouncing Mr. Bay a highly talented and eloquent preacher. But his mi- nistry at Newtown ended unfortunately. Falling into discredit with his people, an application was made to the New-York Presbytery for his dismissal. "The congregation generally seemed disaffected with Mr. Bay, and for various reasons urged his removal." On June 20th, 1775, the presbytery met at Newtown, to examine the grounds of complaint, but Mr. Bay evaded such an inquiry by agreeing to submit to a decision of the congregation. The next day a ballot being taken it was found "that more than two to one voted for his dismission ; and that some of those who chose his continuance for them- selves, seemed of opinion that it would not be for the edifi- cation of the congregation that he should be continued with them." The presbytery thereupon dissolved his pastoral rela- tion the same day. On reflection, Mr. Bay thought proper to appeal from this judgment to the synod ; but that body sus- tained the action of presbytery, on which Mr. Bay appeared in synod May 28th, 1776, and "in a solemn manner" re- nounced their connection.
While his case was before the presbytery, "many charges were implied against Mr. Bay's prudential and moral charac- ter," though the elders declined to prefer a formal complaint. There is much reason to believe that he indulged to excess in the intoxicating cup, thereby tarnished his good name and de- stroyed his usefulness. He is said to have died soon after, at the parsonage, where his family continued to reside after the church was broken up and dispersed by the Revolutionary troubles. How appropriate the divine injunction, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
At the close of the struggle for Independence the church was re-gathered. Only five members appeared at their first meetings. These were Benjamin Coe, Philip Edsall and his
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ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.
wife, and Benjamin Cornish and his wife. The enemy having destroyed their meeting-house, the Dutch congregation kindly gave them the use of their edifice once a fortnight, the Dutch rarely having service as often as this. The church was now in- corporated conformably to the terms of a law passed April 6th, 1784, entitled " An act to enable all religious denominations in this state, to appoint trustees, who should be a body corpo- rate, for the purpose of taking care of the temporalities of their respective congregations, and for other purposes therein mentioned." On May 4th, after the passage of this act, the congregation met (two justices of the peace, William Law- rence and Daniel Lawrence presiding,) and elected a board of trustees, consisting of Capt. Thomas Lawrence, William Sackett, Peter Alburtis, William Leverich, and Dr. John B. Riker, to whom were intrusted the management of the revenue and real estate of the church.
The Rev. James Lyon, from New Jersey, was engaged to supply the Newtown pulpit after the peace. Mr. Lyon, who is thought to have been of Irish birth, was graduated at Prince- ton College in 1759 ; was licensed to preach the gospel by the Presbytery of New Brunswick in 1762, and ordained by the same body Dec. 5th, 1764, to go to Nova Scotia, where he labored in the ministry for several years, and then returned. His engagement at Newtown was not protracted, though he is still spoken of with kind regard, and left behind him at least one soul to date her conversion, under God, to his faithfulness. He left in the spring of 1785, and his after history I have not been able to learn.
He was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Fish, who commenced preaching at Newtown in May, 1785. He was the son of Na- thaniel Fish, of this town, where he was born Nov. 23d, 1751. Says one, "he was an Abijah from his youth ;" manifesting an early piety that seemed to point to the gospel ministry as a most befitting vocation. IIis first religious impressions were received under the preaching of the Rev. Mr. Whitefield, when he was about thirteen years of age. He graduated at New Jersey College in 1774, and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New-York in 1779. On Oct. 20th, 1785, he was appointed by the same presbytery stated supply at New- town. It was owing probably to the feebleness of his health
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ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.
that he was not a settled pastor until after he left this town. The congregation here were from the first very solicitous that he should assume the pastoral relation, but he declined, though he continued to serve their pulpit till November, 1788, and with his family occupied the parsonage house. It was during his ministry, namely, in 1787, that the present church edifice was begun to be erected, under the direction of John Ketcham, builder, but before its completion the people were left desti- tute of a minister by the removal of Mr. Fish to Connecticut Farms, N. Jersey, where he was ordained and installed March 25th, 1789.
During an interval that ensued, the congregation enjoyed the preaching of Elihu Palmer. He was born in 1763, in or near Norwich, Conn. and graduated at Dartmouth College in 1787, having sustained a good reputation for integrity and literary proficiency. He studied divinity a short time with the Rev. Dr. John Foster, of Massachusetts, and soon after made an engagement to preach at Newtown. He displayed good qualifications for the sacred office; a strong, musical voice, eloquent and solemn in his address, and evincing much ardor and sincerity. But it was soon discovered that his views were far from orthodox. While staying a short time at the house of Dr. Riker, during the operation of an inoculation, he was engaged one evening in study, when he repeated the lines of Dr. Watts which begin with
" Lord I am vile, conceived in sin, " And born unholy and unclean ;"
setting forth the doctrine of original sin. Then turning to Mrs. R. he declared that he did not believe a word of it, no, not one word, he repeated with emphasis. Surprised at this announcement, she advised him not to give utterance to such sentiments in publie, for the people would not hear him. His preaching, however, soon gave dissatisfaction, and after a stay of six months he not only left the congregation, but renounced the Presbyterian ministry, and associated himself with the Universalists, and next became an avowed Deist. The asser- tion formerly made that Palmer was converted to Deism while in Newtown, by Dr. Ledyard, is said to be incorrect.
After an attempt to preach against the divinity of our Sa- vior, in the city of Philadelphia, from which he was forcibly
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restrained by the good people of that place, Palmer relinquished his profession as preacher for that of the law, and after due preparation was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia. But ere long Providence visited him in judgment. In 1793, the yel- low fever swept over that city, causing the death of his wife and the total loss of his sight. Now being obliged to quit the practice of law, he resumed his office as a preacher of Deism, and travelled in different parts of the United States, dissemi- nating his views with great zeal and boldness, and acquiring the unenviable reputation of being one of the most notorious advocates of Deism that has ever appeared in this country. His career was terminated by death in his 42d year, April, 1806, at Philadelphia. It has been asserted that Palmer bore a good moral character, but however true this may have been, his case affords a melancholy instance of perverted talents and shameful apostacy.
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