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 24
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The congregation, after their disunion from that of Jamaica, called their present pastor, the Rev. Thomas C. Strong, late of Ulster county, N. Y. who was duly installed Dec. 12th, 1849. He is a son of the Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Strong, of Flatbush. Preparations are now making to enlarge the church edifice. Early in the ministry of Dr. Schoonmaker, the old church was repaired, but it was finally taken down on the 4th of Sept. 1831, having stood ninety-eight years, and the corner stone of the new one laid on the 16th Sept. by Mr. Francis Duryea, one of the elders of the church, with an appropriate address by the pastor. The new edifice was dedicated to the worship of God on Sunday, July 29th, 1832, a discourse being delivered by Dr. Schoonmaker, from 1st Chronicles, 29th chapter, 16th and 17th verses. The bell of this church was cast at Amsterdam, in Holland, in 1792, as appears by an inscription upon it.
With a view of promoting religion in their midst, a few re- residents at Hallett's Cove, belonging to several denominations of christians, erected there a house of worship, in which they were generously sustained by the contributions of the friends of religion round about. The corner stone was laid Oct. 6th, 1836, and the building dedicated June 11th, 1837. Messrs. Goldsmith and Garretson, of Newtown, supplied the pulpit al- ternately on the afternoon of each Sabbath for a length of time. After two years the few christians who had been wont to at- tend here, resolved themselves into a Reformed Dutch congre- gation, and making application to the classis July 2d, 1839, a committee was appointed to organize a church, which was ac- complished on July 11th succeeding, and consisted of eight members, three of whom were from the Newtown congrega- tion, and the rest chiefly from New-York. The Rev. A. Ha- milton Bishop was ordained its pastor Nov. 11th, 1840, and yet remains in the charge.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
At the first efforts under the governors Fletcher and Corn- bury to introduce the Church of England in this province, the religious preferences of the people were of quite another cast, and clearly averse to the forms and doctrine of the established
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church. Hence, so little progress was made for some years, that, but for the countenance and support rendered by the go- vernment, the enterprise must have failed; at the same time, the harsh means used by the provincial governors to force the people into conformity, only "alarmed the dissenters, and in- creased their prejudices against the Church."
The Rev. Mr. Urquhart, of the Jamaica parish, whose mi- nistry began in 1704, had the most difficult task of any Episco- pal missionary in the province, for, though accounted a very good man and unusually industrious in the discharge of his duties, yet " having a Presbyterian meeting-house on the one hand, and the Quakers on the other," and receiving very little assistance from his parish, his work went on very heavily. "He gained not many converts," says Col. Morris, "yet his conduct was so good that I don't think he lost any." His chief support was an allowance of £50 per annum from the Society for Pro- pagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, under whose patronage and direction were the several Episcopal rectors in this country down to the close of the American Revolution.
The ministry of his successor, the Rev. Thomas Poyer, who was inducted July 18th, 1710, was marred by unhappy conten- tions respecting the church and parsonage at Jamaica, as well as the salary authorized by law to be paid him by the parish ; the continuance of which dispute, till near the close of his ministry, hindered the mission, though the members of the congregation wrote to the venerable society, expressing their joy that, notwithstanding these events, their congregation had very considerably increased, through " the singular care, pains, and industry of their laborious minister, Mr. Poyer." And it appears that during the first five years of his ministry, the communicants doubled in number, and now amounted to above sixty in the three towns where he officiated alternately. There is happy evidence that Mr. Poyer was a diligent, self-denying christian. He spent his strength in this field, and oppressed by the peculiar trials of his station and the infirmities of old age, death afforded him sweet relief Jan. 15th, 1732.
His successor was the Rev. Thomas Colgan, who had ar- rived here from England in 1726, sent out by the society to of- ficiate at Rye. He entered upon his mission, but, at the earnest desire of the congregation of Trinity Church, New-York, who
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were " very much pleased with his preaching, and reading di- vine service," the society authorized his removal to that city, where he became catechist to the colored people, and assis- tant to the Rev. Mr. Vesey, rector of that parish. In 1732 he was transferred to the mission at Jamaica, through the recom- mendations of the rector and vestry of Trinity Church, receiv- ing thereafter the same allowance from the venerable society as his predecessors had enjoyed. He found the parish sadly declining, not more than twenty or thirty persons attending divine worship, but in the course of a year the attendance in- creased to two hundred, or more, Mr. Colgan proving himself to be " a laborious and worthy missionary." Two years after his settlement, he himself writes to the venerable society after this wise: "Now our church is in a flourishing state, and by the blessing of God, many are added to it; now we are at peace with those several sectaries that are round about us, and I hope that, by God's help, peace will subsist amongst us. To sow the seeds thereof shall be my endeavour ; to be of a lov- ing charitable demeanour to all men, of whatever persuasion in matters of religion, shall be, by God's help, my practice, that so discharging my duty herein, I may contribute my mite to the good of the Church of Christ." It is easy to foretell the result of labors prosecuted in this truly Christian spirit, hence the distinguished success which attended his ministry. Prac- tical piety was materially promoted, and Mr. Colgan, in speak- ing of his flock at Newtown, remarks, "They are a people who, by their lives and conversation, adorn their religion and profession, and I have hopes that others, seeing their good works, will be induced to follow their example."
The members of the congregation increased so much in number and means in the three towns embraced within his parish, as to be able to erect churches in the several villages of Jamaica, Newtown and Flushing. The prudent bearing of Mr. Colgan seems to have done much to reconcile opposing sects and dissipate denominational prejudices. And it is gra- tifying to know that this was so far effected, that when the Episcopalians contemplated the erection of a church edifice in Newtown, and applied to the town for a piece of ground as a site for their edifice, the people willingly complied with their
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application. A deed1 for a part of the town lot was drawn up, April 19th, 1733, to which the signatures of ninety of the freeholders were secured. These were obtained by Joseph Moore, a gentleman of known liberality, who, at the desire of the church, spent three days in riding about the town for that purpose. Two years elapsed before the building was com- menced, but subscriptions were obtained to the amount of £221 2s. 4d. Early in the spring of 1735, materials being pro- cured, the builders began the work, and on the 8th of May the frame was raised, on which occasion a table was spread out, and good cheer marked the pleasure caused by the circum- stance. News of the erection of the church was transmitted to the society in England by Mr. Colgan the same year. The interior of the building was not immediately completed, and five years passed before it was furnished with pews. A mect ing was held, March 10th, 1740, to consider this deficieney, the following record of which is taken from a memorandum book of Joseph Moore, above named, who was on the build- ing committee .? " At a meeting at the church at Newtown, of the overseers of the church and the most part of the church people belonging to that society, met about scating of the church; it was agreed upon by all that were there that the seats should be made through the four quarters of the house, and then the overseers had liberty to choose their seats, and so they did, and all the rest that were entitled to a seat, and numbered them. James Hazard, Esq. on the right hand as you go in at the door, number one, Joseph Moore number two, William Sackett number three, Benjamin Moore number four, Richard Alsop number five ; this is the first quarter. The sc- eond quarter is the north-east corner of the house; Joseph Sackett, Esq. his seat is number one, John McDonnaugh and Charles Palmer and Thomas Morrell's seat is number two, Sam- uel Washburn, and Samuel Moore younger's seat is number three, Samuel Hallett Jun's seat is number four, Capt. Samuel
1 This deed is recorded in " Newtown Great Book of Records," p. 332.
2 Mr. Moore's bill of refreshments at the raising runs thus : " The charge of raising the church was to me one gammon that weighed nineteen pound, four loaves of bread and five gallons of cider, and one quarter of veal with crust, and three fowls, and one bottle of mustard, and a pound and a half of butter."
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Moore's seat is number five. The third quarter is the north nor'west part of the house; William Moses Hallett's seat is number one, John Hallett's seat is number two, Thomas Hal- lett's seat is number three, Jacob Blackwell's seat is number four, Joseph Hallett, Esq. his seat is number five. There's no more seats nor ground taken up in the church."
In 1741, Mr. Colgan reported to the society that the three churches under his care were in a flourishing condition, and the members of them leading a good life and conversation. Years rolled on, and while Mr. Colgan was still able to bear testimony to the continued prosperity of his churches, death ended his labors in December, 1755, causing great sorrow, for he was "a gentleman that was much esteemed by all his ac- quaintance." He appears to have been a truly good man, and his death was regarded as a great loss to the church. His clear, distinct and loud voice never failed to reach the remotest hear- er in the largest assembly, and he was withal a pleasing and popular preacher.1
At the death of Mr. Colgan, the old feud which had ex- isted in the Jamaica parish between the Episcopalians and dissenters was partially revived. The latter forming still a majority in the vestry, made choice of the Rev. Simon Horton, of the Presbyterian church, and presented his name to Gov. Hardy, for induction into the parish. "But the governor, in obedience to his instructions from his Majesty, would not admit him into that cure, because he could not procure a cer- tificate under the Episcopal seal of the Bishop of London of his conformity to the Church of England; and when no per- son thus qualified, had been presented to the governor, after more than six months, his excellency was pleased to collate to the cure of the church, the Rev. Samuel Seabury, Jun." He was also in the employ of the society, and the first rector of
1 Mr. Colgan left a widow, Mary, (whose maiden name was Reed,) and children, Reed Colgan who, in 1764, was in the West Indies; John, who died unmarried in 1758 ; Fleming, Thomas; Mary, who married Christopher Smith; Jane, who married Wynant Van Zandt, and Sarah, who married Thomas Hammersley. Thomas and Fleming Colgan lived at Jamaica till after the Revolution. The Rev. Colgan had two brothers in this country, namely, John and Fleming; the last, a sea captain, lived in New-York, and died childless in 1771, leaving his estate to his eldest brother, John, and the children of his brother Thomas. This name still exists in New-York city.
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American birth, being a native of New London, and the son of Rev. Samuel Seabury. He was born in 1728, graduated at Yale College, took holy orders at London in 1753, and on his return to this country, settled at New Brunswick, but removed hither in 1757 as above stated.
It seems that Mr. Seabury's labors did not meet with the success that he desired. In 1759 he writes, " Preaching once in three weeks at a place, I find by experience, will do little more than keep up the present languid sense of religion, and was it not for the steady tho' slow increase of the congregation at Newtown, I should be almost discouraged." The irregular observance of divine worship had been a source of regret to the Episcopalians at Newtown, so much so, that it was now resolved to obtain an act of incorporation by which they might be empowered to call a clergyman, separate from the rest of the parish. With this intent a petition was presented to the governor in council on the 2d of September, 1761, signed by thirty-four members of the congregation,1 and setting forth that the inhabitants of Newtown, in communion of the Church of England, had long labored under great inconvenience from the want of a due and regular administration of divine service in the said town, and that it had been found, by experience, very discouraging to the cause of religion, that the public wor- ship of Almighty God had so seldom been performed there, one pastor having hitherto officiated to the different Episcopal congregations in the three towns of Jamaica, Newtown and Flushing. That the aforementioned inhabitants had, therefore, at a very great expense, erected a decent church in the said town and dedicated the same to the worship of God, according
1 James Hazard,
Charles Palmer,
Joseph Hallett,
Richard Alsop,
William Sackett, 3d,
Samuel Hallett,
William Sackett,
Thomas Sackett, John Greenoak,
Samuel Renne, Richard Hallett,
Samuel Moore,
Samuel Culver,
William Hallett,
Jacob Blackwell, William Hazard, Robert Morrell, Jacob Hallett, William Weyman,
John MeDonnaugh, Robert Hallett,
Richard Alsop, 4th,
William Hallett, Jun.
Samuel Washburn,
John Moore,
James Hallett,
Nathaniel Moore,
John Moore, Jun.
Samuel Moore, 3d,
Samuel Moore, Jun.
Thomas Hallett, Samuel Hallett, Jun. Thomas Morrell, Jun.
Nathaniel Moore,
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ANNALS OF NEWTOWN.
to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England as by law established, by the name of St. James' Church, and obtained about a quarter of an acre of land adjoining thereto for the use of a cemetery, and were determined to make a suitable pro- vision for the support of a minister or pastor, to be called and appointed to the care of the said church, that religious duties for the time to come may be duly and regularly celebrated therein ; but that they cannot carry on this good design to ad- vantage except they be incorporated, and thus empowered to receive, dispose of and improve the donations and contribu- tions that may be given for this purpose by pious and cha- ritable people.
Under these representations, Lt. Gov. Colden granted them letters patent, dated Sept. 9th, 1761, constituting them a body politic, with the following privileges, namely: power to call a minister of the Church of England, who, with two church- wardens and six vestrymen, annually chosen on Tuesday in Easter, and entering immediately on their respective offices, should superintend the affairs of the church, the minister and wardens, or any two of them, with a majority of vestrymen, forming a quorum for the transaction of business ; and to have, moreover, a common seal, with power to break or change the same; their real estate, or property, not to exceed the yearly rent of £500 above the present church and cemetery property ; their said property to be held in free and common socage, pay- ing to the government an annual rent of one shilling, in lieu of all other demands on the premises;1 not, however, exempt- ing any from paying a share towards the support of the cler- gyman of the parish of Jamaica, as required by law. Further- more, James Hazard and Richard Alsop were appointed ward- ens, and Samuel Moore, Jacob Blackwell, William Hazard, Jacob Hallett, Richard Alsop, fourth, and William Sackett, third, vestrymen, to serve till the annual election should occur.
Only a few days after, namely, on Sept. 29th, 1761, Dr. Jacob Ogden, of Jamaica, gave the church a deed for the house and ground previously occupied by William Sackett, Esq. who
1 Probably out of courtesy this quit rent was never collected, and the charter was finally relieved of the obligation, pursuant to a law of 1815, by which the comptroller was authorized to cancel on his books the quit rent charged on all patents to churches.
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had recently deccased, leaving the same, by will, to Dr. Og- den, obviously in trust for the church. These premises now contain, with other buildings, the present Episcopal parsonage house and the new church. But it appears that for some rea- son, the church failed at that time to prosecute the design of calling a separate minister, though the distribution of tlie rec- tor's services continued to be the source of much dissatisfaction, and finally causing a separation of the churches. Mr. Scabury continued over the parish till 1766, when he removed to St. Peter's Church, Westchester. He had long been of opinion that without a resident bishop, the churches in America could not prosper. After the Revolution he was elected to the episco- pate, went to Europe, obtained ordination in Scotland, and then returned home to resume his parish duties at New London, where he had been settled, being the first Episcopal bishop in the United States. He died in his 68th year, Feb. 25th, 1796.
The society in England had paid £50 a year to the suc- cessive rectors up to Mr. Seabury, and the ministry act al- lowed them £60 per annum from the parish. But as great trouble had been experienced in collecting the latter, the so- ciety at first refused either to provide a successor to Mr. Sea- bury or make any allowance for one. Eventually, at the request of a few influential persons in Jamaica, the society appointed the Rev. Joshua Bloomer to the station, the three congregations having agreed, prior to his departure from Eng- land, to pay him £50 per annum. The society consented to allow him £30. He arrived and was inducted into this parish May 23d, 1769.
Mr. Bloomer had graduated at King's College, New-York, in 1758, and the following year accepted a captaincy in the provincial forces raised in Westchester county, for operation against Canada. Ilis services in this campaign gained for him a majority, and in that rank he participated in the military scenes of 1760. After the war he became a merchant in New-York, but relinquished that pursuit for the study of divi- nity, and in 1765 went to England for ordination. On entering upon his duties in the Jamaica parish he sent home to the society a favorable report of his people, and again, more than a year after, he wrote that he had been happy in their affec- tions since the day of his arrival, that they were constant. in
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their attendance on public worship, and lived in the fear of God, that he officiated in course at the three churches, and expounded the scriptures in the week, and endeavored to cul- tivate peace and love with the other denominations. In 1773 he wrote that his congregations were in a prosperous condition and had entered into a voluntary contribution for the enlarge- ment of the churches of Newtown and Flushing. Soon after this began the stormy period of the Revolution, but except the slight interruption which took place just before the entrance of the enemy, Mr. Bloomer remained in the constant discharge of his duties, officiating regularly in the three churches, being assisted at Newtown in 1780 by the Rev. John Sayre, from Fairfield, Ct. He reported to the society, in 1782, that the at- tendance upon his ministrations was good. After the war the venerable society withdrew its support from the missions in this country, and Mr. Bloomer was left dependent on his parish- ioners. At the first meeting in the United States to form the Episcopal churches into one body he was present and took part. Mr. Bloomer died at Jamaica, June 23d, 1790, aged 55 years. He was of a large commanding figure, and his surplice is still preserved in the Newtown church. His immediate successor was the Rev. William Hammel, to whose salary the Newtown congregation contributed £40. But becoming very infirm in health, and losing his sight, he was compelled to resign in Au- gust, 1795, though he survived till a few years since, support- ed in part by the benevolence of Trinity Church, N. Y.
During the Revolution the churches had purchased a glebe in the village of Jamaica, about which some dissatisfaction now arose, and this with other causes eventuated in a disunion of the parish; Newtown withdrew from the other churches and put in execution the long cherished design of calling their own rector. The Rev. Henry Van Dyke was obtained and induct- ed into this parish in 1797, where he officiated for five years, and then removed in 1802. In April, 1803, the churches of Newtown and Flushing formed a union and called the Rev. - Abraham L. Clarke, of Rhode Island, who had graduated at Yale College in 1785. Each was to raise £150 for his sup- port. He served the two congregations till 1809, when the connection between these parishes was dissolved and Mr. Clarke continued at Newtown. He died after a lingering ill-
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ness, Dec. 31st, 1810, aged 42 years. The vacancy was filled in 1812 by the Rev. (now Dr.) William E. Wyatt, a graduate of Columbia College in 1809. But he was soon after called to the rectorship of St. Paul's church, Baltimore, which connec- tion he yet sustains with honor and ability.
The Rev. Evan Malbone Johnson was the next rector ; born at Newport, Rhode Island, June 6th, 1792. He complet- ed his education at Brown University in 1812. In 1814 he settled here and remained till 1827, when he removed to St. John's church, Brooklyn, which he had caused to be erceted in the preceding year, and where he has ever since continued. His first wife was Maria L. daughter of Rev. John B. John- son, and his second is Maria, daughter of David Purdy, de- ceased, of Newtown.
The present rector, Rev. George A. Shelton, was born in 1800, being the son of the late Rev. Philo Shelton, of Trinity church, Fairfield, Conn. Having graduated at Yale in 1820, he settled here March 18th, 1827. The old church edifice erected in 1735 was repaired in 1760, and the steeple rebuilt from the ground, at a considerable expense. The church was enlarged just before the Revolution, and was again repaired in 1816. But of late, becoming unsuited to the wants and feelings of the congregation, it was decided to build another ; and divine service was held in it for the last time on Sunday, July 16th, 1848, upon the morning of which day an appropri- ate historical discourse was delivered by the pastor. The new building, then just finished, was immediately opened for divine service, though it was not formally consecrated till Thurs- day, Nov. 15th, 1849. This edifice, built in the gothic style of architecture,is an ornament to the village. A town clock occupies one of its spires.
A sister church was erected at Hallett's Cove in 1828, and incorporated several years after by the title of St. George's church. Its first pastor was the Rev. Samuel Seabury, who left after a brief stay, and is now rector of the church of the Annunciation, in the city of New-York. The congregation being too feeble to sustain a pastor, Mr. Shelton, of Newtown, consented, in 1832, to devote to them a portion of his labors, and officiated for between four and five years, when the church having increased, were enabled to call the Rev. John W. Brown,
17
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who was inducted into this charge Oct. 1st, 1837. Mr. Brown was the son of John Brown, of Schenectady, N. Y. and a gra- duate of Union College. He was a man of high intellectual attainments, and was greatly beloved by his congregation for his fervent but unobtrusive piety. But disease stole upon him, and to recover his health he left home in November, 1848, on a voyage to the Mediterranean. At Malta his illness in- creased, and he died in that island April 9th, 1849, aged nearly 35 years. The vacancy in the rectorship of the Astoria church, occasioned by this afflictive event, has been filled by the induc- tion of the Rev. Tapping Reeves Chipman, from Le Roy, N. Y.
Within several years an Episcopal society has been orga- nized at Maspeth, and a chapel erected, under the name of St. Saviour's church. The Rev. Wm. Walsh is rector. The late Judge Jones contributed greatly to the establishment of this church, of which he was senior warden at the time of his de- cease. A neat Episcopal chapel, called St. Thomas's church, has been lately built at Ravenswood, and is under the charge of the Rev. E. R. T. Cook.
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