USA > New York > Suffolk County > Southampton > The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York, with genealogies, 2nd ed. > Part 9
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Feb. 17:74 i. e. 1674."
Where the reading is in doubt brackets are used.
This shows that Mr. Harriman was first settled here as colleague pastor with Mr. Fordham and so continued until the death of the latter in September 1674. He continued here until the early part of 1676, when he returned to New Haven" and in July of that year became stated supply of the church there established, and so con- tinued for the most of the time until 1682. Then a year or two
* Hatfield.
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THE EARLY CHURCH.
in East Haven as supply and pastor. Then employed October 1684 in surveying the boundary line between New York and Connecticut, for it seems he had no small skill in this business. Then installed as pastor of the church in Elizabethtown, N. J. probably September 30, 1687. He was very exact in his accounts and careful in his business enterprises which were numerous. "*Not content with preaching, pastoral visitation, farming and carrying on a flour mill, he had, also, a cider press ; he had an agency for furnishing glass to his neighbors; he surveyed lands now and then ; he attended the Legislature as a Deputy, having been thus elected, in 1693, 1694, 1695 and 1698. Like most of his pro- fession, he kept a boarding school also." He married as early as 1673 Hannah daughter of Richard Bryan of Milford, Ct. She was born in 1654 and her twin sister Mary married Edward How- ell of Southampton. He had children John b. 1674 who became a surveyor, Samuel b. June 25, 1676, Ann b. July 5, 1678, Mary in 1680, Leonard in 1683 and Richard in 1685, and' three others born in Elizabeth. He died August 20, 1705, in the 58th year of his age.
4. SETH FLETCHER.
The next minister of this church was the Rev. Seth Fletcher who was the son of Robert Fletcher* of Concord, Mass. He came to Southampton in 1676 and remained about three years, when he removed to Elizabethtown, N. J., and was installed there in 1680. He married (1st) Mary daughter of Bryan Pendleton of Portsmouth, N. H., and (2d) Mary widow of Henry Pierson of Southampton May 1682. He died in 1682, leaving estate valued at £559, 5, 8, of which his books were rated at £175, 4, 4.
5. JOSEPH TAYLOR.
Rev. Joseph Taylor was the son of Mr. John Taylor, of Cam- bridge, Mass., and was born in 1651. He was graduated at Har- vard in 1669, and was appointed a tutor in that institution the following year. He then studied for the ministry, and was em- ployed as a preacher in New Haven until the spring of 1679.
* Hatfield.
14
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
The Rev. John Taylor buried in the Southend burying ground was his son.
" At a Town meeting Aprill 1st, 1679. By Major voat it is con- cluded that a man shall be chosen to goe over to Mr. Tayler the minister, and to presente the Towne's former request by letter unto him, namely to come over to us and give us a visit and if possible to prevaile with Mr. Tayler to come along with him ; which sd messenger is also to follow such Instructions as shall bee given him touching this occation.
" By Major voat Mr. Justice Topping is desired to be the man to go over on the aforesaid occation, namely to procure Mr. Tay- ler to give us a visit if possible as soon as may be."
Later in the same year we find the following record :
" Nov. 5, 1679. It is declared by a general voat, but one ex- cepted of the towne that ye Rev. Mr. Joseph Tayler is the man they pitch upon and desire in the work of the ministry amongst us according to former voat of the Towne and endeavours put forth to procure him."
The call.was accepted and he entered upon his labors, being in- , stalled as pastor of the church about 1680. The following is an abstract of the " agreement " for the temporal support of Mr. Taylor, dated March 22, 1679-80.
1. To be paid to him £100 per annum raised in proportion to each man's estate. To be paid in winter wheat at 5 shillings per bushel, or summer wheat at 3s per bushel, or Indian corn at 2s per bushel, and sundry other products with prices attached.
2. The use of a Parsonage and four acres attached and privi- lege of a 150 of commonage.
3. One hundred acres of land in woods or commons to him and his heirs forever; together with other four acres in fee and de- scribed.
4. To do a certain amount of fencing for him.
We cannot but take a just pride in this as in other evidences of our forefathers making a generous provision for the wants of their ministers. They believed the words of our Saviour, that "the laborer is worthy of his hire," and acted accordingly.
The labors of Mr. Taylor, however, were cut short by an early
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death on April 4, 1682, in the thirty-second year of his age. Ilis tombstone still stands in the old burying ground, in the rear of the residence of the late Captain James Post.
6. JOSEPH WHITING.
He was the son of Rev. Samuel, who was the second son of John, mayor of Boston, Lineolnshire, England, where Sanmel was born November 20, 1597 .* Samuel took the degree of B. A. at Emanuel College, Cambridge, 1616 and M. A. 1620. Ar- rived in New England in May, 1636, at Boston. He had three sons and three daughters who lived to maturity. Of these Sam- nel, born 1633, was a graduate of Harvard, entered the ministry and died while a pastor of the church at Billerica, Massachusetts. John, the second son, was also graduate of Harvard, returned to England and continued there until his death." Joseph, the third son, was born April 6, 1641, graduated at Harvard in 1661, and assisted his father several years and was installed as his successor in 1679. He was twice married-first to Sarah, daughter of Hon. Thomas Danforth, deputy governor of Massachusetts, and presi- dent of Maine, and again to Rebecca, who died April 21, 1726.
Mr. Whiting wills, April 27, 1717, to wife Rebecca and children, eldest son John, Sarah Sparhawk, second son Samuel, third son Joseph, fourth son Benjamin, fifth son Ebenezer (not 21) and two youngest daughters, Elizabeth and Dorothy, not 18. Letters granted to son Ebenezer June 8, 1726, his wife Rebecca being then also dead. N. Y. Surrogate's Office.
On the 27th day of June, 1682, a committee were appointed to go to Lynn, Mass., to invite Mr. Whiting to come over and preach to the Southampton people on trial. It is not certain when he first came, nor when he was installed as pastor, but probably in the year 1683.
In 1688 we find an "agreement" with him in relation to his salary an abstract of which is here given.
1. £100 per annum to be paid in same manner as Mr. Taylors.
2. Use of the Parsonage and four acres and a 150 of common- age.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
3. If he continue till his discease, in the ministry in this town, then his widow is to have from the town £100 in money and merchantable produce.
His labors in the ministry must have been acceptable to the people since he continued with them till the infirmities of age demanded a cessation of labor. His pastorate covered about thirty-three years, and his death occurred April 7, 1723, in the eighty-second year of his age. He sleeps among his flock in the old burying ground, and with them awaits his resurrection to eternal life.
7. SAMUEL GELSTON.
The coming of this minister marks a change in the form of government of the church and in its ecclesiastical connection. From Webster's History of the Presbyterian Church in America, we obtain the following account of him :
" He was born in the north of Ireland, in 1692, and came as a probationer to New England in 1715. He was received in the fall under the care of the Philadelphia Presbytery, and was sent to the people of Kent on Delaware. Though desired to stay, he left without the consent of Presbytery, and went to Southampton on Long Island. There his brother Hugh resided ; he was called as colleague with the pastor, Joseph Whiting, and the congrega- tion placed itself under the Presbytery's care. The Presbytery of Long Island on its organization, took him on trial, and ordained and installed him April 17th, 1717. His stay was about ten years; and Aug. 27, 1728, he was received as a member of Newcastle Presbytery, and took into consideration a call to New- castle. The next month he was called to New London, Chester County, Pennsylvania."
After many changes and wanderings and some trouble, he is said to have died October 22, 1782, aged ninety.
The Long Island Presbytery (being the first judicatory of that name in the Province of New York), was set off from the Pres- bytery of Philadelphia in 1716. It was organized at Southamp- ton April 17, 1717, and was composed of the following ministers : Mr. MacNish of Jamaica, Mr. Phillips of Brookhaven, Mr.
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THE EARLY CHURCH.
Pomeroy (or Pumry) of Newtown and Mr. Gelston of Southamp- ton. The church of Southampton having thus united with the Presbyterian body has remained ever since in connection with the same. The Reformed church of Holland, Independency and Presbyterianisin appear to have occupied almost the whole ground throughout New York for many years after the settlement. It is said# that as late as 1664 there was not a single Episcopal church in the whole province.
S. SYLVANUS WHITE.
The eighth pastor was the Rev. Sylvanus White. Webster says of him: "He was born in 1704. His father, Rev. Ebenezer White, came with his parents from England to Massachusetts at an early age, and was the minister of Bridgehampton, Long Island, from its first organization as a parish in 1695."+
May 27, 1695. The town voted to give him fifteen acres of land if he came as pastor of the church at Sagg.
Rev. Sylvanus was graduated at Harvard University in 1722, and ordained by a council, November 17, 1727, pastor of the church of Southampton. He married Phebe, daughter of Heze- kiah Howell of that town.
While in every town on the island, there were confusions and divisions growing out of the great revival [1741-2] Southamp- ton seems to have dwelt in peace, united in their minister. In the formation of Suffolk Presbytery, Mr. White and his vener- able father took an active part, and Southampton promptly and unanimously placed itself under its care, April 27. 1747. Bridge- hampton was in circumstances of great difficulty : a separation had occurred and much animosity existed. The presbytery "treated with the venerable and aged minister to resign." IIe consented to do so, and then on the settlement of Rev. James Brown, they spent much time at Mr. Job Pierson's with the people of the sep- aration on the point, whether they had not violated the rules of the gospel in their treatment of Mr. White. "Much seeming
* Doc. Ilist. of N. Y.
+ But Webster is incorrect as to one point - the grandfather of Rev. Ebenezer was the em- igrant as appears in the family genealogy.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
stiffness " appeared ; but at length sixteen men and twelve women signed an acknowledgement " that, though according to their present light, they were right as to the cause, they were wrong in the manner .? ' The aged minister signed a full humble avowal that under " the sore and awful frown of a holy God, in a time of much disorder, temptation and provocation, he had spoken unad- visedly with his lips, and asked forgiveness for having spoken to the disparagement of a work of grace, while intending to con- demn what seemed fraught with evil." On the 3d of October he wrote to the presbytery expressing his opinion that the sep- aratists who had been received back had been treated with too much lenity. They replied : " the object of church government was edification, not destruction." Still, the separating party as a whole, must have persisted in their separation for some time, for we find them soon after erecting a small church edifice in which Mr. Elisha Paine was installed pastor. This was known at that day as the " new-light" movement, and the organization was called the New Light church. However, as the original actors in the separation died off, none rose to fill their places - the or- ganization dwindled, and finally about the close of the eighteenth century, whatever remnant remained was swept away in a great revival, and merged into the Presbyterian church. The tomb stone of Mr. Paine bears the following Epitaph :
In memory of the Rev | Mr. Elisha Paine V D M who ] died Augst 26 A D 1775 ÆE 83 | was born upon Cape Cod | and from thence with his | Hond Father Mr Elisha Paine | Removed to Canterbury in | Connecticut where he prac- tised the law as an Attor. | with great aprobation and Fidelity and untill 1742 | from thence became preach- | er of ye Gospel and was | Ordained ye first minister over ye congregational | church of Christ in this | Place May 11 A D 1752 | Thenceforth he rests from his labors.
Mr. Silvanus White " lived in uninterrupted health through a ministry of fifty-five years, and after a week's illness, died Oeto- ber 22, 1782, his mind not enfeebled by age, and his hope strong and cheerful. He lived, honored and revered, happy in the af- fections of a large and warmly attached congregation. He left
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seven sons and one daughter ; most of these lived to advanced age. They removed, but his son, Dr. Henry White, remained in his native town, and died there at the age of ninety in 1840."
Some further particulars of his family are given in another chapter.
Mr. White used to regard his people as his children and kept an eye upon the reading matter which fell into their hands. On one occasion hearing of a new book going the rounds, bearing the suspicious title of "The Devil on two Sticks," he took pains to ascertain where it was, and marched off at once to examine and confiscate it (politely of course) should it prove contraband of Church.
After the death of Mr. White, October 22, 1752, it appears there was a vacancy in the pulpit until 1784. During this inter- val the pulpit was supplied by Mr. Osias Eels, and Mr. James Eels, of whom nothing is known to the writer save their names. Doubtless they are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and they themselves gone to their rest.
9. JOSHUA WILLIAMS.
The ninth pastor was the Rev. Joshua Williams. He preached as a candidate as it appears from his own record from September to December 1784. Tuesday December 14 the parish held a meeting and came to a determination to call Mr. Williams to the pastorate. After some time spent in negotiation an agreement was entered into upon the following terms :
"Copy of a covenant between the inhabitants of the First Parish in Southampton and Joshua Williams, A. M.
" To all people to whom these presents shall come greeting :
" Know ye that we ye subscribers inhabitants of the first Parish of the town of Southampton, in the County of Suffolk and State of New York do each of us covenant and oblige ourselves to pay unto Mr. Joshına Williams or his certain attorney Executors Administrators or Assigns yearly and every year during his con- tinuance in sd Parish (a Collector being appointed to collect the same) a full and just suin of seventy pounds current money of the state of New York. Likewise to deliver to sd Williams at his
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
door forty loads of wood yearly. Likewise to put the fences of the parsonage land in good repairs, sd Williams to keep them in . repair hereafter so long as he shall improve said lands. Likewise we covenant to keep the buildings and well in repair. And (in case he should leave a widow) to give her the sum of forty pounds of ye aforesaid currency. On the receipt of which she shall quit the Parsonage. Sd Williams to carry no manure off sd lands nor eut more wood or timber than is necessary to keep the fences in repair or for his own firing in case he shall need more than what is above sd to be found him.
" Sd Williams to have the full improvement of sd lands and the buildings thereon, during the above said term. And for the true performance of the abovesaid covenant, We the subscribers have hereunto set our hands in Southampton this thirtieth day of December anno D. 1784.
" N. B. Be it remembered that one half of the above £70 for the first year is to be paid in three months from this date."
David Burnett. John Bishop. John Bishop, Jr. James Bishop. Samuel Bishop. William Brewster.
[30]
Joseph Goldsmith.
Silas Halsey, Jr. Elias Howell, 3d. Benj. Huntting. Zebulon Howell.
Stephen Howell. Deac. Samuel Howell.
Ephraim Howell.
Wm. Hallock. Ebenezer Howell. Samuel Howell, Jr.
Charles Cooper. Obadiah Cooper. Samuel Cooper, Jr. Widow Ruth Cooper.
Elias Howell, 2d.
Obadiah Howell. Richard Howell.
Sylvanus Howell. William Herrick. John Howell.
[20] Christopher Foster. Benj. Foster. Abraham Fordham, Jr. Deac. David H. Foster. Abraham Fordham. Wid. Ann Foster. Elias Foster. Nathan Foster.
Hugh Gelston.
[50] Stephen Howell, Jr. Zebulun Halsey. Joseph Hildreth. Joseph Hildreth, Jr. John Howell, 3d. George Herrick. Wid. Mary Haines. Henry Harris.
[10]
Zebulon Cooper. Widow Hannah Cooper. Moses Culver, Jr. Caleb Cooper. Zophar Cooper. William Culver. Silas Cooper. James Culver. Gershom Culver.
[40] John Halsey. Elias Howell. Wid. Eunice Howell. Wid. Martha Herrick.
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THE EARLY CHURCH.
[60]
Henry Hudson. Isaac Halsey. Daniel Hildreth. David Howell. David Howell, Jr. David Halsey.
Wid. Eleanor Jacobs.
Wid. Mary Jones.
Zebulun Jessup. Ebenezer Jagger.
Wid. Phebe Jagger. Thomas Jessup.
[100] Moses Rose.
David Rose. Wid. Deborah Rugg. Joel Reeves.
[70] Lemuel Jennings. Samuel Jennings. Sylvanus Jennings. Wid. Rachel Jennings. Samuel Jagger. Nathaniel Jagger.
Wid. Mary Reeves.
Paul Sayre.
Wid. Ruth Smith.
Abraham Sayre, Jr. Matthew Sayre. David Sayre.
Stephen Jagger. Jeremialı Jagger, Jr. Thomas Jones. Elias Pelletreau.
[110] Abraham Sayre. John Sayre. Wid. Mehetabel Stevens.
[80] Elias Pelletreau, Jr. Timothy Pierson. Elias Pierson, Jr. Henry Post. Elias Pierson.
Jackson Scott. James White. Henry White. John White, Jr. William White.
Stephen Post.
Samuel Pierson.
Charles White. Zebulun Wick.
Isaac Post. Isaac Post, Jr.
[120] Silas Woolley.
On May 26, 1785, the Presbytery of Long Island met at Southampton, and, after examination of the pastor eleet on the next day, proceeded to ordain and instal him over the church founded there in 1640. According to Mr. Williams' minutes of this occasion " Mr. Goldsmith made the first prayer. Mr. Buel preached a sermon. Mr. Goldsmith enquired concerning ye [rates ?] Mr. Stores the ordaining prayer. Mr. Buel the charge. Mr. Davenport the right hand. Mr. Hart ye exhortation to ye people and concluding prayer."
The next June Thomas Jessup was chosen to be a deacon, and Christopher Foster and David Burnett to be elders.
Mr. Williams labored as pastor until April, 1789, a period of three years and eleven months, having admitted to communion in that time, as he says, 486 persons.
15
[90]
Jeremiah Post. James Post. Jolin Pelletreau. Uriah Rogers. Jeremiah Rogers. Zephaniah Rogers.
Adonijah Raynor. Stephen Reeves, 3d.
Stephen Reeves. John Reeves. Stephen Reeves, Jr.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
10. HERMAN DAGGETT.
From Dr. Sprague's Annals the following account is taken : He was born at Walpole, Mass., September 11, 1766. He was a son of Dr. Ebenezer Daggett, a highly respectable physician in his day, who was a brother of the Rev. Naphtali Daggett one of the Presidents of Yale College. The first ancestor of the family in this country was John Daggett, who, a few years after the set- tlement of Plymouth, came and took up his residence on the Island of Martha's Vineyard. Dr. Daggett removed with his family from Walpole to Wrentham, when his son Herman was a boy, and there continued in medical practice till his death, which occurred February 26, 1782. The son was at his father's decease between fifteen and sixteen years of age. He had the reputation of being an amiable and discreet youth, and withal had an un- common thirst for knowledge. Quickened however in his efforts, by his zeal for knowledge, he passed rapidly and successfully through his course preparatory to College, and became a member of Brown's University in 1784. His standing there as a scholar was highly respectable, and he graduated in 1788. In the second year of his college course, his mind, which had before been seri- ously directed by the influence of a Christian education, became deeply impressed with the subject of religion as a practical con- cern ; and it was to this period that he referred the commence- ment of his religious fife. His ardor in literary pursuits, seems not to have been at all repressed by the change in his moral feel- ings, though all his faculties and attainments were from this time evidently consecrated to the glory of God and the benefit of his fellow creatures. Shortly after his graduation he placed himself as a theological student under Dr. Emmons, who even at that early period, had acquired the reputation of being very learned in his profession. Having spent about a year in his preparatory studies, he was licensed to preach by the Association, holding its session at Northbridge, in October, 1789, and preaching for the first time on the succeeding Sabbath in Dr. Emmons's pulpit. Within a short time after he was licensed, he visited Long Island with a view of being engaged as a preacher, thinking that the
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THE EARLY CHURCH.
climate would prove more congenial to his health than that of New England. Here he was received with more than common favor. For a year he supplied the Presbyterian congregation at Southold ; and though they gave him a unanimous call, yet being unwilling to practice on the "Half-way Covenant, "" he felt con- strained to decline it. Thence he was called to preach at South- ampton, where also he was unanimously invited to the pastorship. This latter invitation after considerable hesitation, he accepted, and was set apart by the presbytery to the pastoral office, April 12, 1792. On the 3d of September, following, Mr. Daggett was married to Sarah, daughter of Colonel Matthewson, a respectable and wealthy citizen of Providence, R. I. Mrs. Daggett was a lady of fine accomplishments and most exemplary character, and survived her husband many years. She died, having never had. any children, November 20, 1843.
Mr. Daggett's continuance at Southampton was for less than four years. Almost immediately after his settlement, a difficulty arose between him and a part of his people on the subject of the " Half-way Covenant " (he being unwilling to practice on that principle), which ultimately extended to many other churches, and was the principal, if not the entire canse, of his resigning his charge He behaved with great moderation and dignity through- out the whole controversy, and his character for discretion was never impugned. It was a sufficient evidence that he came out of this controversy at Southampton unscathed, that, almost imme- diately after he was at liberty, he was called to the pastoral care of the church at West Hampton, a village in the immediate neighborhood of the one he had left. Here he continned greatly respected and beloved by his people from September, 1797, to September, 1801, when he was dismissed chiefly on account of an inadequate support.
In October following he was installed pastor of the church at Fire Place and Middle Island in the town of Brookhaven, and
* A very bad practice originated early in New England (Records of Synod of Boston, 1662), of administering the rite of baptism to children of baptised persous who made no preten- sions whatever to personal piety upon their "owning the covenant," though they neglected every other ordinance. This was called the "Half-way Covenant," and was productive of immense evil in the churches.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
preached alternately to the two congregations till April, 1807, when his health had become so far reduced that he resigned his charge with an intention of never resuming the responsibilities of the pastoral office. During the eighteen years of Mr. Dag- gett's residence on Long Island, and in each of the four several charges with which he was connected, he enjoyed a large measure of public respect, and his labors were, by no means, unattended with success. He was greatly esteemed, especially by his breth- ren in the ministry for the wisdom of his counsels, not less than for the consistency of his general deportment.
After leaving Long Island his health was considerably improved so that he was able to preach frequently, and even for a consider- able time without interruption. For a year he preached and taught school at Cairo, Greene county, N. Y. For some time he preached also at Patterson, Putnam county, and for two years he preached and taught an Academy at North Salem, Westchester county. Thence he went to New Canaan, Conn., where he took charge of an Academy.
When the Foreign Mission School was established by the American Board of Foreign Com., at Cornwall, Conn., Mr. Daggett was placed at the head of it, May 6, 1818. Here a great and important work devolved upon him of harmonizing and in- structing youth of all ages from the mere child to manhood, and of many various races. Although but about thirty in number, there were natives of Sumatra, China, Bengal, Hindostan, Mexico, New Zealand; of the Society and the Marquesas Islands; of the Isles of Greece and the Azores; and Cherokees, Choctaws, Osages, Oneidas, Tuscaroras and Senecas of the North American Indians. Here he labored with success for nearly six years until 1824. Ill health then terminated his labors and for the next eight years he rested, waiting for his eternal Sabbath rest to which he was called in peace on the 19th of May, 1832.
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