USA > New York > Orange County > Montgomery > The history of Montgomery classis, R.C.A. To which is added sketches of Mohawk valley men and events of early days, the Iroquois, Palatines, Indian missions, etc > Part 4
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Early in 1830 the Rev. John Gray was installed and in a year and a half received forty-one members. Rev. Jacob W. Hangen who was the pastor at Columbia (cf) was installed March 15, 1832, and
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remained until 1837. Forty-eight members were received by him. A parsonage was built in 1833 costing $700. Rev. Harrison Heer- mance took up the work in 1837 and preached here thro 1840. As Chaplain of the 128th Regt. N. Y. V. Mr. Heermance con- tracted a weakness that followed him for twenty later years. He lost a son in the war, and he died in 1883, at Rhinebeck.
Rev. Thomas Frazer was pastor for the next four years (1840- 1843). He died in Montreal in 1884. Rev. Jasper Middlemas sup- plied the pulpit during 1844 and thro 1847. He entered the Presby- terian church, later coming into the Reformed, but returning in 1825 and for twenty-five years, or until he came to Currytown, remaining in that denomination. He resigned in 1851 after a four years pas- torate. Rev. William D. Buckelew came in 1851 from New Bruns- wick, and was ordained by the Classis of Montgomery. His last pastorate was in the Palisades church (1889-1893) in which field he died in the later years. Including Buckelew's pastorate the Curry- town church had been associated with the Mapletown church for twenty-five years.
Rev. John J. Quick succeeded Buckelew, coming to Currytown in 1855 and remaining thro a part of 1862, which was followed by a two years at Mapletown. He also supplied Fort Herkimer in 1867 and 1868, while living at Canajoharie without charge.
Rev. R. M. Whitbeck supplied thro 1863 and 1864 until Rev. J. M. Compton came the first time to preach here. Mr. Whitbeck while preaching at Currytown also supplied the Presbyterian church at Buel. After a four years pastorate in the Tyre church he entered school work at Lenox, Mass. for a few years.
Mr. Compton's first work at Currytown was from 1864 thro 1868 while he was also preaching at Mapletown. Rev. D. K. Van Doren followed in 1869 and remained five years, preaching also at Sprakers. Mr. Van Doren had a number of other pastorates in the Dutch church, besides spending a decade in the American Bible Society work. He died in 1908.
Rev. Edward G. Ackerman took up the work during the holidays of 1874, and continued until the Spring of 1879. He held several other charges in the church and died while pastor of the Clover Hill, N. J. church in 1899, December 1st. Mr. Compton again came to Curry- town, spending three years this time, or until May, 1882, at the same time supplying Sprakers, and for six months in 1882 supplying Maple- town. Mr. Compton spent a number of years at Columbia (cf).
Following Compton came Rev. John Minor in November, 1882, who supplied at first Mapletown, but for the last year or more Sprakers in connection with this charge. During this pastorate the old church, which had stood for seventy-four years, was taken down and on May 1, 1884, the present edifice was dedicated free of debt. It cost $7,000. Mr. Minor resigned May 1, 1885. Garret Wyckoff, 110W of Red Bank, N. J., was here from February, 1886, to September, 1887. Rev. Henry Hudson Sangrec began the work in February, 1888, and remained until June, 1893, also preaching at Mapletown (cf). Rev. Peter S. Beekman was installed on November 9, 1893, resigning August 25, 1901. He has now for some years been pastor at Johns- town.
Rev. Ephriam W. Florence was called and took up the work here and at Sprakers on New Years day, 1902. From here he went
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to the Philmont, N. Y., Reformed church, next going into the Canadian Presbyterian church, and has now for some years been in the Episco- pal church, for a while in Canada, then at Trinidad, California, and now at Sidney, Nova Scotia.
Rev. James B. Campbell was the next installed pastor, this oc- curring in February, 1905, in the Sprakers church. Mr. Campbell resigned in April, 1907. Mr. Campbell spent forty years in the ministry ere he died in 1911 while pastor of the 2d Port Jervis church, -a man of great power in prayer and success in winning a great multitude of souls to Christ.
From November, 1907, thro February, 1909, a Mr. E. L. Wade, son of a Gloversville Lutheran minister, conducted services in the church and at the Sprakers church. Rev. C. V. W. Bedford was the next stated supply, serving the church from June 1909 until New Years, 1912, when he took up the work of the Hagaman church. Mr. Harry A. Eliason occasionally supplied during 1912, then regularly thro 1913, and until July, 1914, when he was ordained to the ministry and installed as pastor of the church, and of that at Sprakers.
EPHRATAH REFORMED CHURCH
The town of Ephratah was form- ed from the town of Palatine on March 27, 1827. The first settlers of the town came in 1765. Be- fore the Revolution among the settlers were, Fredk. Get- man, Jacob Empie, Jacob Snell (all liv- ing near the village) and Nickolas Rec- tor, Henry Herring, Wm. Smith, Philip Kreitzer, John Cas- sleman, Jacob Fry, William Cool, Jo- hannes Winkle, Zachariah Tripp, Henry Hart, Peter Schutt, and Mr. Dussler. Most of these men were Germans, and some of them came from the Schoharie valley. Sir William Johnson erected the first grist mill, near where Wood's tannery was located. This was burned by the Tories during the war. William Cool was in the mill at the time and was killed and scalped. The miller was taken a prisoner and carried away captive. He had hidden his money in the walls of the mill, and on his return found it. Iweart have Record paragraph beyond
Johannes Winkle settled before the Revolution where James Yauney later lived, and built a grist mill where Yauney's mill now
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is. When this mill was burned it was later rebuilt by Mr. Shulls (Shults). Still later Henry Yauney bot it and built a woolen mill. In 1808 Henry Yauney built a saw mill where Levi Yauney's mill now is. Henry Yauney was a captain in the 1812 war and later major of the New York militia. In 1803 he bot a 100 acres of land, embracing the village site, and laid it out. Fredk. Empie settled where John F. Empie later lived. In 1815 Peter Schram built the first inn. In 1810 Thomas Benedict kept the store in Ephratah. Richard Young and Richard Coppernoll, two soldiers of the Revolu- tion settled down where later Hiram Lighthall lived. Aaron C. Whitlock of Ephratah was a brigader-general in the New York militia. He was also one of the three commissioners to locate the Court House and jail at Fonda.
Traverse paraguay
Nickolas Rector, a Revolutionary captain of militia, lived near where Chauncey Snell later lived. He and his family were attacked by the Indians but all escaped alive. Mrs. Rector went toward Stone Arabia. On the way she came across the body of a settler who had been killed by the Indians. She removed his boots and wore them the rest of the way. One boot it was said was almost filled with blood when she got to Stone Arabia.
The first church of which we have any record at Ephratah was a Presbyterian organization of 1823. On March 17th of that year a number of persons living in the northern part of the town of Palatine met in District No. 9 schoolhouse. William Lassels was the chairman of meeting and Christopher Getman was the clerk. They decided to call the society "The First Presbyterian Church and Society of the Town of Palatine," and selected these trustees, Peter G. Getman, Thomas Davies, Joseph Getman, Philip Kring, William Lassells, Jonathan Selter, Timothy Riggs, Chauncey Hutchinson, and Caleb Johnson. The record at Fonda is dated March 24, 1823.
Rev. Caleb Knight was the first supply of this church. It does not appear from the minutes as if he was ever installed. He began work on June 1, 1823 and continued till July 1, 1826. According to the receipts recorded the salary ranged around $275 a year. The last meeting (recorded) of this Board of Trustees was the annual meeting September 25, 1826, but no business was transacted.
The next efforts toward an established church at Ephratah is found in the county clerk's records at Fonda, where is recorded the incorporation of "The Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian Church of Ephratah." The record is dated June 1, 1829. At this time (1805- 1828) the Rev. John Wack was the supply at Stone Arabia, and, without doubt, he looked after the religious work at Ephratah, when there was no pastor there. A good many of the Ephratah folks were in the habit of attending the Stone Arabia church, while a few also went occasionally to the Tillaborough church (cf). The trus- tees of this 1829 church at Ephratah were John Rickard, Philip Kring, Harmanus Shaver, Christopher Getman and John Y. Ed- wards. Notice that Christopher Getman was the clerk of the original organization in 1823, and Philip Kring (whose name appears in con- nection with the Tillaborough church in the Stone Arabia records) was a trustee of the original church. Between the dates of 1835 and 1851 there are no minutes recorded of any election of trustees for this church, and in 1859 it was formally disbanded. No name of any
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minister is recorded in connection with this "Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian Church."
Under date of February 10, 1831, there is a record at Fonda of the Incorporation of "The St. John's Reformed Church of Ephratah," whose trustees were, Aaron C. Whitlock, Adam Hart, John Beck, and Frederick Empie. Nothing further is known of this work. In 1832, according to the same records, a "Union Society" was formed at Pleasant Valley (Rockwood) in the town of Ephratah. Rev. William Thomson was the pastor, and the trustees elected were, Joseph Deans, Rose Simmons, Dutec Joslin, Robert Weaver, Chaun- cey Orton, and Azel Hough. It was at Ephratah and Oppenheim that the first settlements were made in what is now Fulton county. These were in 1724, while that of Johnstown was about 1764 when Johnson Hall was built by Sir William Johnson. It was just beyond Ephratah that the Battle of Johnstown was fought between seven hundred Tories and Indians, commanded by Ross and Butler, and the forces under Col. Marinus Willet. In this engagement Walter Butler was killed by an Oneida Indian.
At a meeting of the Montgomery Classis held on July 2, 1832, a "Reformed Protestant Dutch Church" was organized at Ephratah, which was later incorporated (April 14, 1851). At this time and thro the year 1840 the clerk of the consistory frequently refers to the "Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian Church," and calls the con- sistory meetings "sessions," but all this is manifestly wrong be- cause Rev. Isaac S. Ketchum was called in 1833 and Rev. Benj. B. Westfall in 1837,-both Reformed Dutch ministers, and at the time preaching in the Dutch church at Stone Arabia.
Altho the church at Ephratah was organized in 1832 the first record of any members uniting with the church is made in November, 1841, when Ashbel Loomis was received by Rev. John Robb, the stated supply. On May 21, 1842, Josiah and Mrs. Elisabeth Wil- liamson were received, and this is the last record until January, 1845, when twenty were received on confession. However, we find the names of fifty-two members in the register under date of 1845. In the rear of the old record book is a long list of the names of those who were pew renters or other subscribers to the church expense, but this is not a complete list. The date of this record begins in 1834 and runs thro 1837.
The first installed minister at Ephratah was Rev. Isaac Ketchum (1833-1836), who was also, pastor at Stone Arabia (cf). The second pastor was Rev. Benjamin B. Westfall (1837-1838) who was also at Stone Arabia (cf). The pulpit seems to have been supplied for several years, the Rev. John Robb's service extending from 1841 thro 1843, following which another vacancy occurs for a year, tho it is likely that the pastor at Stone Arabia looked after the field. Rev. Charles Jukes was the pastor from 1844 thro a part of 1850, for whose history see Stone Arabia, where he was a pastor at the same time. There is not much of record concerning the first pas- torates of the Ephratah church, the work being tributary to the older and stronger organization at Stone Arabia, in whose records there is much recorded concerning the churches at Ephratah and Tillaborough.
Rev. John C. Van Liew began his pastoral work in 1851 and remained thro 1856 (cf Stone Arabia). He was followed by Rev.
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John P. Westervelt who was a licentiate of the "Wyckofite" church, stationed thro 1845-1855 in the Independent churches of Mayfield and Johnstown at the close of which pastorate he became a Pres- byterian, and for two years (1858-1859), he supplied Ephratah. Mr. . Westervelt died in 1879. Westervelt not only knew Greek and Hebrew and Latin, but could speak fluently in German, French and Dutch. Rev. George Hewlings supplied the pulpit during 1861, and Rev. Miles T. Merwin, a Presbyterian minister, thro 1862. Mr. Hewlings died in 1872 and Mr. Merwin in 1865.
Rev. William H. Smith became pastor in 1866, remaining two years. He also preached at Tillaborough occasionally. Rev. Smith was a Union College '63 man, who had allied himself at first with the Methodist church. Examined at Ephratah for ordination in the Reformed church, the classis vote stood,-For: Two ministers and five elders; against: Five ministers-thus evidencing the power of the eldership. Leaving the Ephratah church in 1868 Smith entered the Presbyterian ministry. He died in +000/880
Rev. James M. Compton came in 1868 and remained two years, tho he continued at Stone Arabia two years longer. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. William B. Van Benschoten, who also preached at Stone Arabia (cf) while acting as pastor at Ephratah (1872-1878). In 1877 eighty-seven members were added at one communion. Rev. Peter Quick Wilson was the next pastor, coming from a stated supply of Blue Mountain where just prior to leaving he received seventy-five persons into the church, remaining from 1882 thro 1885. His first charge was at East Greenbush (1861-1866), while his last work was at Cranesville. A good deal of his ministry was spent in supplying Presbyterian and Reformed churches. He died at Easton, February 26, 1902. Rev. Rufus M. Stanbrough, who had been at Manheim in 1861 and at Columbia in 1876, supplied Ephratah during 1881-1884. Next came Rev. William W. Whitney, who served the Ephratah church four years (1886-1889). He also preached some at the Tillaborough church. He came into the Classis from the Methodist church. He had other pastorates after leaving Ephratah and died at Eminence, Schoharie county, in 1903. Rev. Charles L. Palmer assumed the joint congregation of Ephratah and Stone Arabia in 1896 and staid with the congregation thro 1899. going to Shokan on leaving this church, and in 1903 to Kingston. Mr. Palmer's present charge is at Marlboro, N. J.
Mr. Palmer was the last settled pastor that either Ephratah or Stone Arabia had until the coming of Rev. Royal A. Stanton to these churches in 1914. Mr. Stanton had supplied these fields during the three previous summers, when a student in the Western Theological Seminary, and came to the fields to take up the work of reviving and strengthening the work, which he has done in a most successful way. During the long interval between the pastorates of Rev. Palmer and that of Rev. Stanton the church at Ephratah was supplied for longer or shorter periods by a few men, as Charles S. Lewis who was nearly three years with the congregation. Nothing is known of his ecclesiastical connections. Rev. E. J. Meeker was here
for a year's supply. Then
during certain summers the students from the seminary supplied the pulpit. In 1911 the Classis having appointed a Classical Missionary, Rev. W. N. P. Dailey, the work of preparing for a new pastorate was begun. At first preach-
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ing services were conducted, then the church repaired, and, finally, the way was opened for a pastorate over these two churches. The first printed report of the Ephratah church is in the Minutes of Particular Synod of Albany, 1835, which gives 225 families, 105 mem- bers, and a congregation of 1,200. Rev. Ketchum must have taken in the whole town of Ephratah and part of Palatine to get such a congregation.
The first church was built in 1833. This was extensively re- paired in 1890-1891 at a cost of $1,000, which included new pews, pulpit, and carpet. In 1901 the church was moved down from the top of "Church Hill" where it had been built in 1833, to its present site in the village. In 1913 the church was again given a thorough renovation, at a cost of about $1,700, which included new ceiling, electroilers, heater, windows, pulpit rails, side walls, etc. This last work was undertaken by the Ladies' Aid Society and Young People, under the direction of the Classical Missionary, Rev. W. N. P. Dailey. The cost was almost entirely raised at the re-dedication in Febru- ary, 1914. Since Mr. Stanton's coming the church dining room has been built and furnished. The present consistory is, Daniel Burdick, Daniel Duesler, Charles Gray, Elmer Lighthall and Alpha Christman, elders, and Clark Dockstader, Seymour Snell, Adam Swartz, John J. Saltsman and Frank F. Tittle, deacons. The trustees are, James H. Yauney, Norman Saltsman, and Jacob I. Christman. Levi Yauney gave to the church in 1911 thro his will, $500. Daniel Duesler has been the chorister since 1875 and Mrs. Ella Christman Lighthall the church organist since 1895.
FLORIDA REFORMED CHURCH
The Reformed Church of Florida is situated at Minaville in the town of Florida, hence its name. When Classis was formed in 1800, it
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REMAEnia Bush
was called the "Chukonot" church, said to be a corruption for the In- dian term, "Chuctanunda," and which means "stone house." However, the Indian term "Chukonot" means "place of the tameraek." Minaville in those early days was also called "Yankee Street" and not far away was "Remsen's Bush," where a Reformed church had been established before the Chukonot church was organized. In 1769 Lawrence Shuler settled about a mile east of the present site of the village. It was on a part of his farm of three hundred acres that the first church was built. The district in which the church was situated was called Caughnawaga, and was one of the eight districts of Tryon county, which in 1784 became Montgomery county. When the Montgomery Classis was formed in 1800, two churches in what is now Minaville, were included among the twenty-four or- ganizations, namely, Chykonot and Remsen's Bush, the latter being was thechurch the first congregation, whose house of worship was near the old burying ground, one of whose stones bears the burial date of 1786, and which building stood until 1840,-an unpainted, barn-like struc- ture, with galleries, high pulpit, and sounding board.
The Remsen's Bush Reformed Protestant Dutch church, as its title reads in the incorporation, and which bears date of February 9, 1789, was very likely organized soon after the settlement by Lawrence Shuler perhaps as early as 1784, the date usually assigned to it, tho we should give it an earlier date. The records at the County Clerk's office, after the one mentioned above are as follows, No- vember 20, 1806, the Florida Reformed Dutch church incorporated and the act was recorded January 22, 1807. The present consistory are, J. F. Ernest, John McClumpha, Charles Patterson, and William Kelly, elders, and Arthur Luke, Elbert Van Derveer Schuyler Van Horne, and Richard De Forest, deacons.
ayhantreEn Volit from
The oldest consistorial record extant bears date of June 2, 1808, which states the action whereby the Remsen's Bush and the Florida Celkonote churches were united into one body. This body was incorporated, according to the county clerk's record on June 6, 1808, tho it was not put on file till January 13, 1810. The elders were, Christian Servoss, Isaac Vedder, and Jacob Sharpentine; the deacons were Ruloff Covenhoven, Jacob Staley, John Davenpack, and John Van Derveer, with Winslow Paige, V. D. M., and Jacob Sharpentine, trustees. The first church of the united congregation was erected in 1808, with the usual tall spire without and the three galleries within, square pews, high pulpit and sounding board. In course of time it was considerably changed, but lasted the congregation for seventy- two years, when, in 1880 and 1881 a new building was erected at a cost of $5,000. In 1858 a parsonage was bought and repaired at a cost of about $2,000, but this was burned in 1886 and the present house then erected at a cost of $2,500. The church has $2,300 in in- vested bonds. In 1882 Rev. J. H. Enders, for many years Synodical Superintendent, erected a chapel for the church in memory of his wife, which chapel, together with the church, was burned in 1912, and a fourth church building was then built in 1913. The earliest known preacher in this section was Rev. James Maier, as early as 1794, while the ministers at Schenectady and Al- bany, also, doubtless ministered here. The first settled pastor was Rev. Thomas Romeyn (1800-1806), who was born at Caughnawaga,
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the son of Thomas Romeyn, Sr., pastor there during 1772-1794. For a score of years he was pastor at Niskayuna. Ill health compelled him to give up the ministry in 1827, tho he lived until 1857. The trustees elected were, Nathan Stanton, Ruloff Covenhoven (Conover), John DeGraff, Samuel Jackson, Isaac Vedder, John Van Derveer, John Shuler, Hendrick Van Derveer and Tunis Hubbard. Successors to Mr. Romeyn in the Florida pulpit were, Winslow Paige (1808-1820), who died in 1838; Peter P. Rouse (1822-1828), who died in 1832; James Stevenson (1829-1854), who died in 1864 and lies buried at Minaville; John Clancy (1855-1860), in whose pastorate the parsonage was built and sheds secured; on leaving Minaville he gave up the active ministry and removed to Schenectady where he spent the rest of his life; Josephus Krum (1861-1865) ordained by the Classis, who went into the Presbyterian ministry, later becoming an Episcopalian, and is now preaching at Ottawa, Kansas; Gilbert Lane (1866-1873), who had been a chaplain in the army, and who died in 1896. Rev. Richard A. Pearse came to the church in 1873 on his gradua- tion from New Brunswick, and has already passed the forty year mark of a single pastorate. (A classmate, C. E. Lasher, has had the same experience at Guilford, N. Y.). The Rev. Sheldon Jackson, the noted Alaskan missionary, was born and spent his youth under the shadow of the old church at Minaville, and lies buried in its beautiful cemetery along with his wife, and children, and parents, and grandparents, and the parents and grandparents of his wife, his brothers and sisters,-a multitude of kindred. Col. Samuel Jackson, his grandfather, was stationed at Plattsburgh during the war of 1812. Rev. Dr. Jackson was present at the centennial of the formation of the church in 1908 and delivered an historical address.
FONDA REFORMED CHURCH
The village was named after Douw Fonda who came from Schenectady and settled here in 1751. The former name for the village of Fonda was "Caughnawaga," the meaning of which is "stone in the water" or "at the rapids." The Caughnawagas of Tribes Hill were a family of the Wolf Tribe of the Mohawks, to which tribe Brant's mother belonged. In 1669 the Jesuits built a chapel here, called St. Peter's of logs on the Sand Flats of Caughna- waga near Fonda. Here in 1676 the Iroquois maiden, Te-ga-wi-ta, the white lily of the Mohawk, the now canonized saint of the Romanists,
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY CLASSIS
was baptised by James de Lamberville. The town of Caughnawaga originally embraced all that part of Montgomery county lying north of the Mohawk and east of a line extending from the "Nose" to Canada. In 1793 it was divided into Amsterdam, Broadalbin, Johns- town and Mayfield. As early as 1659 Arent Van Curler held a con- ference with the Mohawks at Caughnawaga, renewing the treaty of 1643. Douw Fonda came into this section in 1961, and after him the village was named. When Fonda had come to his eightieth year, on May 22, 1780, he was killed at his home, and two of his sons, John and Adam, were taken captives to Canada. There is a story current that the renegade Tory, Walter Butler, killed the old man who had been a great friend of Sir William Johnson.
The Reformed Protestant Dutch church of Caughnawaga, its title until 1883, when the term "Dutch" was dropped (Caughnawaga being changed to Fonda in 1872), was organized in 1758 by a Low Dutch element, the first building being erected of stone in 1763, to which was added a steeple in 1795. In the destruction of the village by the Johnsons in 1780 the church was about the only unburned building and this was due to the fact that it was built on the Butler estate land and was supposed to belong to the Butler family. This church was in what was called East Fonda and was used up to 1842, when, at the close of Rev. Fonda's pastorate, the old church and par- sonage, the glebe lands, the old bell, and all were sold, the congrega- tion going into the village and erecting a new church which was dedicated in 1843. Then the old church was transformed into a dwell- ing house, parlors, bedrooms, and kitchen taking the place of pulpit, pews, and aisles. There was a small wooden church erected near the Uppger Mohawk Castle, where the Fort Hunter (Queene Anne's chapel) missionary preached at times. The bell of this church, similar to that on Queene Anne's chapel, was stolen by the Indians and carried away into Canada. At first the church was supplied by the pastor of the old Dutch church at Schenectady, the Rev. Barent Vrooman. From the year 1772, when the first settled pastorate be- gan, the church at Fonda had had but twelve pastors. Excepting the twelve supplies, who served altogether about eight years, the pastor- ates have averaged twelve years, that of the Rev. Van Horne being the longest, thirty-eight years. Then, Romeyn twenty-two years and De Baun seventeen years. The preaching in Dutch ceased with Van Horne, who had had a record of twenty-three hundred baptisms and fifteen hundred marriages. The Classis of Montgomery was organized in the old Caughnawaga church on Wednesday, September 2, 1800 (cf Note), and the pastor of this church, Rev. Thomas Romeyn, Sr., became the first Stated Clerk of Classis, as he was the first in- stalled pastor of the church. He died while pastor in 1794. A parch- ment subscription list, dated July 24, 1790, refers to Romeyn's failing strength and calls for an assistant pastor. Eighty-eight names are on the list (pub. in Fonda "Democrat" of January 21, 1915). His son, Thomas, a member of the first class at Union College (1797) was a pastor at Florida (cf). There have been ten members of the Romeyn family in the ministry of the Reformed church. A brother of this first pastor, Dr. Dirck Romeyn, while pastor of the Dutch church in Schenectady, founded Union College. - He died in 1794 while pastor, aged sixty-five (cf DeBaun's Mem. Address in "Democrat" of Novem- ber 22, 1894). A writer in the "Christian Intelligencer" (August 14,
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