The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 109

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II > Part 109

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The presiding officers have been as follows : Albert Wood- ruff, 1854-'6 ; E. A. Lambert, 1856; Andrew A. Smith, 1857- '67; S. L. Parsons, 1867-8; James McGec, 1869; A. B. Cas- well, 1870-'1; Israel Barker, 1872-7; Benjamin Baylis, 1878- '82; George A. Bell, 1883-'4. The present officers are: George A. Bell, Pres .; Silas M. Giddings, Vice-Pres .; Edwin Ives, Cor. Sec .; John R. Morris, Rec. Scc .; James R. Lott, Treas .; R. H. Underhill, Counsel. Monthly meetings have been held, at which reports of the work of the Union are given.

Systematic Visitation. - This important work of the Union was carried into effect for several years, begin- ning in 1854, and with excellent results, under the direc- tion of Mr. Albert Woodruff, Chairman of the Missionary Committee. The city was divided into districts and assigned to the different churches, so that each visitor had the super- vision of eight or ten families, and every family had the help of a sympathetic friend. Many neglected children were gathered into Sunday-school, and the word of God carried to those who did not attend church services; the Christian activity of the churches was greatly quickened and re- warded, and a wonderful outpouring of the Spirit followed. The work was so practical, so well adapted to engage and reward Christian labor, to reach those who need to have the gospel brought to them, that its equal has not yet been found. We look in vain to a Bureau of Relief, to ingenious methods of avoiding imposition, to outside associations of any kind, however wisely and benevolently designed to take the place of the body of Christ in bringing about the salvation of any community. Of late years, however, systematic visitation has given place to the work of the Board of City Missions and its missionaries.

An interesting feature of the Sunday-School Union has been its anniversary celebration and parade. The first was held Tuesday, June 26th, 1838, when nineteen schools took part; George Hall, the first Mayor of Brooklyn, was chairman of the committee on arrangements. At the May parade of 1883, sixty thousand children were in line, from 172 schools. In the spring of 1864 the Union was incorporated, and by special act of the Legislature, in 1871, it was authorized to erect and maintain a public building for its uses. It is pro- posed to unite with the Young Men's Christian Association in erecting an edifice suitable for the accommodation of both.

The Union is conducted by a board of thirty-six managers divided into ten standing committees of six each, which have their separate special work for the year. The value of the chapels and buildings, used almost exclusively for the schools connected with the Union, is many hundred thous- and dollars. The libraries at last report numbered 86,219 volumes, and cost not less than $50,000, while the money an- nually contributed for benevolent purposes reaches a largs amount. The Sunday-school scholars of Brooklyn are as ons in seven of the population, in New York as one in eleven.

MR. ALBERT WOODRUFF's interest in Sunday-schools was early awakened. When he came from his Massachusetts home to New York City, in 1827, to begin his long and prosperous career as a merchant, he also entered into the Sunday-school work. First, he became Superintendent of the Sunday- school in Dr. Spring's Church, in Beekman st., then of the one in Public School No. 1, Centre st., near the present site of the Hall of Records. It is worthy of note, that in this school were first heard some of the popular Sunday-school songs that have since sung themselves around the world. A little hymn-book was published containing the words and music of "I want to be an Angel," "There is a Happy Land," "I think when I read that sweet story of old," and "We won't give up the Bible." Then crossing the river ho was superintendent in the Church of the Pilgrims; then of Mari- ners' Church School in Main st .; of the one in Granada Hall; then Warren St. Mission; several of these schools wero organized by him. Mr. Woodruff was diligent in business; and his firm, which was first E. P. & A. Woodruff, and then Woodruff & Robinson, became one of the foremost in their line. Mr. Woodruff had thus come into prominence as a Sunday-school worker; he was connected with the New York Sabbath-School Union; was a long time Vice-Presi- dent of the American Sunday-School Union, and was the

1093

SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORK IN BROOKLYN.

first President of the Brooklyn Sabbath-school Union, as else- where stated; but for the past twenty years, he is best known by his work in connection with the

Foreign Sunday-School Association .- In 1856, Mr. Wood- ruff laid aside the cares of business for a time, and, with his family, made a pleasure tour in Europe; expecting, at the same time, to observe the moral condition of the people among whom he traveled, and to sow good seed by the way. In Paris, he remarked the universal desecration of the Sabbath, both by the government in carrying on public works, and the people in their pursuit of business and pleasure. Knowing the futility of any appeal to adults, he felt it a duty, as well as a privilege, to introduce into pleasure-loving France the Sunday-school methods that had proved so powerful for good in England and America. There were but few Protestant Sunday-schools in all France, and they imperfectly organized, notwithstanding the fact that eighty years had elapsed since such schools had been opened across the channel. Mr. Woodruff procured from America a supply of our Sunday-school music, children's papers, and Sunday-school books adapted for use in France ; and, during his stay of six months, had the pleasure of seeing six schools in active operation as the result of his efforts, and, which was even better, the attention of French Protestants awakened to the wondrous possibilities of the Sunday-school system. Their gratitude to Mr. Woodruff took the form of a public farewell meeting, just previous to his return to America.

In 1861, he again visited Europe, for the purpose of estab- lishing Sunday-schools, remaining more than two years, ex- tending his travels through several countries, and establish- ing schools wherever practicable.

Italy was then ripe for the new movement, because of her emancipation from the temporal power of the Pope, and the progress of civil and religious liberty, but there was not a Protestant Sunday-school within her borders, and Sabbath instruction by lay teachers was unknown. Mr. Woodruff established the first Sunday-school in Naples, in connection with a little Scotch assembly, whose Pastor, Mr. Buscarlet, said: "Your Sabbath-school is just what I want. I have been praying to the Lord these eight or ten weeks past, that He would show me how to set my people at work, and here I have the answer." At the first meeting, the American mode of conducting Sunday-schools was described through an interpreter, and a number of young men and women signified their willingness to become teachers. A school was formed, which soon increased to eighty pupils, mostly boys ; for, at that day, few women or girls could be persuaded to attend a Protestant meeting of any kind. Afterwards, an association of young people commenced a systematic visitation from house to house, and gathered together another school. In Florence, the Italian patriot, Gavazzi, was preaching the Gospel in his own hired house. He kindly acted as inter- preter to the meeting that was called ; and, from his knowl- edge of the schools in England and America, assisted mate- rially in organizing a school.

Anti-Protestant bigots afterwards prevented the securing of a suitable place for holding meetings; and, during Gavaz- zi's absence, the congregation and Sunday-school were scat- tered. Another school that was opened in Florence was in connection with a day-school. The teacher, Damiano Bolognini acted as interpreter in presenting the Sunday- school idea to the people; became the Superintendent of the school, and afterwards editor of the Youth's Journal, called the Scuolu della Dominica, or "Sunday-school," a little weekly sheet, for whose publication Mr. Woodruff provided, that soon attained a large circulation, and was of material assistance in extending the new work.

After the beginning thus made in Italy, Mr. Woodruff passed through Southern Germany to Munich. He found the German nation, so great in numbers. power, learning and genius, to be sadly wanting in spiritual life. In his attempts to establish a school in Munich, he met with the strongest opposition. One said: ' Such schools cannot be wanted in Germany; our children hate the name of school, for they are compelled to go at the point of the bayonet all the week, and to the catechism on Sunday besides." At Heidelberg, Mr. Brockel- mann, the interpreter, exclaimed : "This Sunday-school is what we want to give religious life to Germany. This will cure Germany of its social, political and skeptical evils." So strongly was he impressed that le devoted himself wholly to the Sunday-school cause, acting as interpreter for Mr. Wood- ruff through the remainder of his travels in that country.

In Stuttgart, a German friend was requested to call to- gether some Christians, that they might learn the American method of conducting Sunday-schools. When he was asked why no ladies attended the meeting, he said in astonishment: " Is it contemplated to make women teachers of religion in Germany?" "Yes, certainly," was the reply. "In England and America they do more than half the teaching." "Butit would not be German to invite them," he answered, "and would not be permitted."

In Halle, the effort to establish a school was successfully made. Two hundred girls were soon under instruction. There was at the University of Halle, a theological student from New England, who had not lost sight of the children, but boldly putting his hand to the work, soon brought in a hundred boys to the same school. This union of the sexes, for educating the conscience under the restraint of religion, was quite a new thing in Germany.

In Berlin, the highest preacher in the realm gave a letter recommending Mr. Woodruff to his clergymen, some of whon called together their best membership, both men and women, to inquire of them whether lay-teaching and Sabbath-schools were a possibility in Germany. One lady of benevolent dis- position had invited the servant girls of the neighborhood to spend an hour each Sunday in social enjoyment, light work and reading. Among them was made the first attempt in Berlin to organize a Sunday-school. It failed, but the good woman caught the idea and spirit of the work, invited in her friends for teachers, and the youth as pupils, and still re- mains the successful superintendent of a large and flourishing school. Similar incidents occurred in various places.

Although Germany is the home of music, her religious songs, for adults and children alike, were in heavy chorals. Mr. Woodruff urged repeatedly that the Sunday-schools must be enlivened by the introduction of the American soul- stirring melodies, but met the reply "that would not be Ger- man, and cannot be." "But," he insisted, "these melodies have stirred the whole religious world through the Sunday- schools." "No matter," was the answer, " they are only fit for our beer-shops; nay, it was thence you Americans and English imported them." "But," returned Mr. Woodruff, " we have baptized them; and your own Luther says: the devil must not have all of the best music." A visit to the great organist, Haupt, won from him the opinion that "religious worship by children was most appropriately performed in melodies," which he consented might be published in the children's paper, although, as he said, "it will bring the musical wrath of Germany upon me." Marx, the great vocalist, approved the religious melodies like "There is a happy land," which was soon published in Die Sonntags- schule, with the tune also of " I want to be an angel;" and now the children throughout Germany, where there are to-day about 3,000 schools, 30,000 teachers, and 300,000 scholars, aro

1094

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

singing Sunday-school melodies. Money was needed for the support of the Sabbath-school paper. "Could it be raised in Berliu ?" "No, not in all Germany," was the reply. "Ger- mans do not give money to such things." But a few days' cffort, and the help of some English architects, procured the necessary funds, and to-day the paper is more than self-sus- taining. Mr. Woodruff remained longer in Germany than in any of the other European countries, because of the import- ance of the field. The geographical position of Germany, her political prominence and influence, the extent and profound- ness of her literature, her increasing commerce and her insti- tutions generally, are all favorable for a restoration of those evangelical principles which once placed her in the front rank of reforming nations.

In Holland, a great deal of interest was felt upon the sub- ject. One lady had just published, at her own expense, a Sabbath-school hymn book, containing some twenty tunes, but not one of them had a note in it shorter than the semi- breve. A large and influential assemblage gathered in Amsterdam and resolutions were passed, since pretty well kept, that Sabbath-schools should be introduced into every city and village in Holland. At Rotterdam, a Sabbath-school was established in the same room where the meeting was held. While these meetings were held in the evenings, the days were pleasantly and profitably spent with groups of earnest individuals, anxious to learn all that could be known by description of these schools. A Sunday-school Union is now at work in Holland to give the system to the Nether- lands, where the seeds of civil and religious liberty were germinated for the blessing of mankind.

In Switzerland, Mr. Woodruff found that rationalism had spread like a hlight over the land of Zuingle and Calvin. Through his exertions, several well-organized schools were established. There a Union committee was enabled, with the help of Rev. Mr. Jaulmes-Cook and his good lady, to extend Sabbath-schools over the Canton de Vaud and afterwards over other parts of Switzerland. In Geneva, was organized a school of more than a hundred boys and girls, superin- tended by the pious and gifted wife of Merle d'Aubigne, the historian of the Reformation. Later, the Sabbath-school Union was placed among the National Societies, and its meetings called together one of the largest religious assem- blies in Switzerland.

Mr. Woodruff's return to America in no degree diminished lis interest in the foreign work that had been so happily begun, and he was appointed by the Board of the American Foreign and Christian Union an Associate Secretary, with special reference to the Sabbath-school Department which they created at the same time.

The value placed on Mr. Woodruff's labors by those among whom he labored is best shown by the spontaneous utter- ances of various Continental speakers at the Sabbath-school Centennial, held in London in 1880.

Dr. J. Prochnow, of Berlin, traced the rise of secular Sun- day-schools in Germany, from the Revolution, through the age of Voltaire, when they died out. He told how, through a long and dark period, the nation passed, till Mr. Woodruff came. and enlisting the sympathy of three clergymen, started the organization that, in spite of much difficulty and oppo- sition has kept on growing until the present day, as shown by statistics below.

Speaking of Sunday-schools in France, Rev. H. Paumier said: "Since the first visit of our dear friend, Mr. Woodruff, there are 1,115 schools in France, with more than 40,000 chil- dren." Rev. Mr. Brockelmann, from Germany, said: " For many years it was considered highly improper in Germany for anybody but clergymen and school-masters to explain

the Bible to children; but, in 1863, a Sunday-school man from the new world, Mr. Albert Woodruff of Brooklyn, came over to Germany and blew the trumpet of Sunday- schools from one end of the country to the other, stirring, cheering, explaining all about the system, how to start a Sunday-school and so on. Mr. Woodruff was a practical Christian. He resembled those heroes in history who conquered the world, because they did not come before their time nor behind their time, but just at the right time. Meanwhile, Mr. Woodruff succeeded in establishing the Foreign Sunday-school Association at Brooklyn, which had afforded most useful help by appointing the ladies of their committee to keep up a most encouraging correspond- ence with German Sunday-school teachers, and to assist them when needed. Next to our gracious Lord, Germany owes the introduction of Sunday-schools to Mr. Albert Woodruff, and to the Sunday-school Union of England."

Said Pastor Basche: " While at the baths in Bohemia for my health, I became acquainted with an American family who told me of a girl who was very fond of Sunday-schools. Some weeks afterwards I received a letter from the young lady herself, urging on me the duty of establishing a Sun- day-school. Afterwards she wrote again, and at length I determined to make the attempt. We established one Sun- day-school, and the Lord has been with us."

At another time, Dr. Prochnow, from Berlin, paid a tribute of praise to the work that was done by Mr. Woodruff, stating that when he went to Germany some years ago, there were only three clergymen to look after the children, whereas, on a recent Sunday, 7,000 children assembled in one church to celebrate the centenary."

On Mr. Woodruff's way home from his field of labor in Continental Europe, he tarried awhile in London, urging the Sabbath-school Union of that city to co-operate in furnishing the continent with Sunday-schools. After several interviews, that noble union of workers appointed nine members to co- operate with the American friends, who, ever afterward, have heartily continued their labors.

After Mr. Woodruff's return to America, his interest in the European work so auspiciously opened, led to the frequent interchange of letters with the newly-awakened workers there, which came from beyond the sea, some with joyful tidings, and some with appeals for help, a vast freight of hopes and fears. So fast did they accumulate, and in such diverse languages, that recourse was had to the lady teachers in Packer Institute, Dr. West's, and other schools, for assist- ance in translating and answering them. The growing in- terest and demands of the work, its wonderful expansion, necessitated the organization of a society devoted exclusively to the foreign Sunday-school work. Therefore, in 1868, Mr. Woodruff withdrew from the Sunday-School Department of the Foreign Christian Union, and, with other earnest friends of the cause, organized

The Foreign Sunday-School Association, which was in- corporated April 4, 1878, with Mr. Woodruff as President, and a large membership among the best people in the city. It aims to extend to foreign countries the institution of the Sabbatlı-school, which has quickened Christian faith and zeal so mightily in Great Britain and America. There is in every foreign country a scattered numher, who in one way or another, have become Christians, and in some degree have yielded to convictions of self-restraint and duty. To search out these, wherever they are, and set them to teaching in cellars, parlors and garreta, or in the open air, on the Sunday-school theory, and finally to work with them, is the central idea of the Foreign Sunday-school Association. Written communications with these scattered workers are the

1095

SUNDAY-SCHOOL WORK IN BROOKLYN.

most available means, wherefore it becomes a prominent aim of the Association to restore the letter-writing system of the New Testament, which is itself so largely composed of letters written to stir up, to exhort, to rebuke, to instruct, and above all, to encourage, comfort and cheer the believers who have yielded to the force of Truth, and started on the Heavenly way.

The result of its work to April, 1884, is shown in the follow- ing partial statistics : In Germany and German-Switzerland, there are: Sunday-schools, 3,915; teachers, 17,643; scholars, 328,677. There are 7,735 Sunday-school scholars in Italy; and in Bohemia, 92 schools, 225 teachers and 2,875 scholars. Late statistics from other foreign countries where the work is equally prosperous, have not yet been received.

The officers of the Association for 1883-'84 are as follows: President, Albert Woodruff; Treasurer, C. B. Davenport; Cor. Secretaries, Rev. O. C. Morse (Cleveland, O.), Rev. H. C. Woodruff (Black Rock, Ct.); Rec. Sec., Miss M. E. Thal- heimer; Asst. Sec. Miss Sadie Woodruff; Sec. of Committees, Miss H. A. Dickinson.

After this cursory glance at the rise and progress of the all-important Sunday-school movement in our own and in foreign lands, which, it is hoped, will be of interest to the churches, it only remains to look briefly at the beginning and growth of this divine institution in the City of Brooklyn, with the hope that historians to come may be able to chronicle a future increase even more wonderful than the past growth of the

Sunday-schools in Brooklyn .- From a paper read by Mr. John R. Morris, we take the following account of early schools in Brooklyn:

In the Long Island Star of March 20, 1816, appeared this advertisement :-

" BROOKLYN SUNDAY-SCHOOL. The attention of the enlight- ened and benevolent inhabitants of Brooklyn are particu- larly invited to this institution. It is now in operation; the number of scholars is upward of seventy. The school is un- der the management of four superintendents, a standing committee of seven, and a number of male and female teach- ers who have kindly volunteered their services. As it is the design of this institution to combine religious and moral in- struction with ordinary school learning, it is expected that parents and guardians will give proper advice to their child- en as to their behavior at school; to forward them in study at home; to send them to the school in proper season; and particularly express their wishes as to what catechism they will have them to learn. It is requested that children may be sent to school as neat and clean as circumstances may permit. A subscription has been made to purchase a num- ber of books, slates, etc .; still they fall short. Whatever the citizens may contribute will be thankfully received hy any of the subscribers. The superintendents likewise invite those who will assist as teachers to make their intentions known and their offer will be accepted. The average num- ber of children is about seventy. The managers hope to be able to educate a much greater number; they, therefore, re- quest the citizens of Brooklyn generally to exert their influ- encs with the poor especially to persuade them to send their children; a number of poor children will be taken from that most destructive of all places to the morals of youth-we mean the street-on Sabbath-day. We ought to have ob- served that children are taught to spell, read and write. They will, likewise, be taken to such church as their parents may choose on the Sabbath-day."

This document is signed by Andrew Mercein, Robert Snow, Joseph S. Harrison and John Murphy.

In the school district there were 978 children between the ages of five and sixteen years.

In the Star of March 25, 1816, an advertisement appeared as follows :-

"Notice is hereby given that at 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening, 27th inst., in the school-room of Mr. Evan Beynan, will be held a public meeting, at which Christians of every

denomination in Brooklyn are invited to attend. The design of these meetings is to organize a rociety in the village simi- lar to the Sunday-school Society of New York, and the ob- ject of the society will be to establish a school in which child- ren or adults shall be taught gratuitously, on the Sabbath- day, to read the Holy Scriptures, and shall receive other re- ligious instruction. Monthly meetings of the society will le held, and quarterly meetings, at which reports as to the con- dition of the school and classes will be given. If the schola's are disorderly or profane in their language, and if, after be- ing admonished, they continue the offense, they will be ex- pelled from the school."

The officers of this society were: Joshua Sands, President; Andrew Mercein and Abraham Mercein, Vice-Presidents; Thomas Sands, Treas .; Rev. John Ireland, Sec .; William Cornwell, Robert Bache, David Anderson, Jonathan G. Pray, Joseph Harris, Robert Snow and Alexander Young, Examining Committee.

In the Star of April 10, 1816, is the Constitution and By- laws of the Brooklyn Sunday-school Union Society, adopted April 6. The school was divided into classes, graduated according to the pupils' knowledge; first class, those who knew not the alphabet; second, those who could spell words of two or more letters; third, those who could read one or two syllables; fourth, those who could spell three or more syllables; fifth, of those who could read sentences; sixth, of those who were capable of reading the New Testa- ment.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 109

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345