USA > New York > Ulster County > Marlborough > The history of the town of Marlborough, Ulster County, New York: from the first settlement in 1712, by Capt. Wm. Bond, to 1887 > Part 9
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
There was a good deal of dancing in Lattintown, and hops at the hotel were frequent.
As navigation in the Hudson grew with the establishment of steamboats, the river villages of Milton and Marlborough began to draw from the life and activity of Lattintown, which has suffered a gradual decadence, until to-day there is little more than a country cross road left of what was once a thriving village. There is a church, a blacksmith shop, a school house, and a small store. The dwellings thicken at the centre, but all the trade comes to Marl- borough and Milion.
104
The History of Marlborough.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
The first physician to locate in Marlborough, of whom there is any record, was Dr. Abijah Perkins. He practiced here before the Revolution, and died in 1776. Dr. Cornelius Roosa practiced here previous to 1814, when he died. Dr. David Lynch died here in 1822. A Dr. Fowler prescribed here about the same time. Dr. Marcus Dougherty and Dr. Nathaniel Deyo ministered to the sick about 1830 or later. Dr. James S. Knapp was in practice here for many years, and died in 1879. Dr. S. E. Hasbrouck succeeded him. Then Dr. J. N. Miller settled here for four years, removing to Highland. Drs. A. H. Palmer and David Mosher are the present resident physicians in the village.
Dr. Benjamin Ely practiced in the town about 1810 and '15, and owned a farm of 85 acres a mile and a quarter from Lewis DuBois' landing.
Dr. William Gedney settled in Milton in 1817, and had a large practice from that time until his demise in 1849. He was Supervisor in 1825. His son, Dr. William H. Gedney, entered the profession in 1846, succeeding to his father's prac- tice. He has now retired. Dr. Theodore Quick and Dr. Wm. B. Pierson each practiced several years at Milton. Dr. Edward W. Carhart is now the only practicing physician in the village.
CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES.
-
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF MARLBOROUGHI.
In 1763 the following subscription was raised to found the Presbyterian church :
"We, the subscribers, for an encouragement towards building a meeting-house for the worship of God, near the Old Man's Creek, in Ulster County, to be founded in the Presbyterian foundation and government of the Kirk of Scotland, do promise for ourselves, heirs, and assigns, to pay on demand the following sums annexed to our names to those that are trustees of said building, providing that Lewis Du Bois does give two acres of land to remain for that use forever.
Lewis DuBois, £ S.
15
Stephen Case,
5
John Woolsey, 2
David Brewster.
I 10
Joseph Presley,
O
8
Henry Case, Jr.,
I
8
Benjamin Woolsey,
Lewis Adams, 3
O
10
Thos. Quick,
O
16
Thos. Woolsey,
2
Matthew Presler,
O
8
John Jackson,
O
8
John Harris, O
5
Micajah Lewis,
I
Phineas Lattin, .
I
James Merritt,
0
I5
Michael Wygant,
2
106
The History of Marlborough.
£
S.
Joseph Hallett,
I 4
George Stanton,
I 5
Joseph Cain,
I 10
Urian Mackey,
I
10
Lattery Carpenter,
I
John Carmon,
Daniel Thurston, . I
Zachariah Thurston, .
O
8
William Mitchell,
1
Silas Travis, O
16
Richard Wodey,
3
Benjamin Carpenter,
2
Thomas Knowton.
2
Eliphalet Platt,
2
Elijah Lewis, I
3
Nehemiah Fowler,
O 16
Alexander Culden, .
O
16
Jonathan Hasbrouck,
I
4
And sixteen others, in all, .
73 2
A second subscription, amounting to $17, s. I, was raised Feb. 25, 1765, to finish the meeting house.
From a centennial discourse by Rev. S. H. Jagger, in 1867, the following is compiled :
On the fifth day of April, 1764, Lewis DuBois conveyed a tract of land to John Woolsey and Stephen Case, as Trus- tees of this Society. But the Society having come to the conclusion that an acre and a half was sufficient lor their use, the lot was reduced to that size. The motives of the donor are thus expressed in the deed of conveyance : "For that paternal love he hath for and towards the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, agreeable to the Articles of the Kirk of Scotland, in the Presbyterian faith." The uses to which the land was set apart are thus defined : " To build a meeting house on, and for a burying yard, for the use,
James Quimby,
107
The History of Marlborough.
benefit and advantage of the said Marlborough Society, and their heirs forever." The conditions on which the Society were to hold the grant of land are thus expressed : "Provided always, and it is upon this consideration, that if the said Marlborough Society do from time to time, and at all times forever hereafter, call, choose, appoint, and settle a minister of the Gospel whose principles shall be to main- tain, and fulfill, and keep the Articles of the Kirk of Scot- land, agreeable to their Confession of Faith." If they should settle 'any other minister, the deed was to be void, and the land was to revert to its former owner or his heirs.
()n this land a small building, about thirty-five by twenty- five feet, was erected, and was so far completed the ensuing summer, as to be occupied for Divine worship. The nature of the building may be learned when it is stated that its whole cost was not more than one hundred and seventeen pounds. The first sermon delivered in it, on the 26th day of August, 1764, was by the Rev. Charles Jeffrey Smith, of Long Island, a graduate of Yale College, who had studied Theology with Dr. Whelock of New Lebanon, the celebrated teacher of the Indians. After laboring awhile with the In- dians, Mr. Smith was induced to go to Virginia for the instruction of the slaves. Returning to Long Island to set- tle his affairs, he went out one morning with a fowling piece and was found dead-by some supposed to have been mur- dered, by others to have shot himself accidentally. He was but just ordained when he preached here, and died just six years afterwards. He was a young man of much wealth and eminent for gifts and graces, and died greatly lamented.
The first burial in the church-yard was on the 3d day of March, 1764. The 13th day of December of the next year, the congregation chose a committee of five to procure a clergyman, and to provide the means for his support for one year. They secured, accordingly, the service of the Rev. Abner Brush, a member of the Presbytery of New York. He remained with them and was virtually their pastor for several years. On the 24th day of September, 1773, the people secured the services of the Rev. John Mccallah, who
1
108
The History of Marlborough.
was to preach one-half the time at Marlborough and the other half towards Newburgh.
During all this time there was no Ecclesiastical organiza- tion in this Society, and the ordinance of the Lord's Supper had never been administered among them. On the 23d day of April. 1775, for the first time, this Sacrament was admin- istered, by the Rev. Nathan Kerr, to Doctor Abijah Perkins, John Woolsey, John Polhemus, John Stratton, Mrs. John Stratton and Mrs. Jehiel Clark. We have no evidence that any Ruling Elders were set apart at this time, or that the ordinance of the Supper was again administered for many years. This Mr. Kerr was the pastor of the Church at Goshen, where he died in 1804, after a long pastorate ol thirty-eight years. The Sacrament of Baptism had already been administered to thirty infants. And we learn how much importance they attached to the ordinance when we know that is was made the duty of their Clerk to ascertain and record, in connection with every burial, whether the deceased had been baptized or not. When they were with- out a stated preacher, as was often the case during the ten years and more of which we have been speaking, they em- braced the earliest opportunity to have their children bap- tized by the neighboring clergymen, who were called in to supply their pulpit. We find in this way the Rev. Francis Peppard, of New Windsor, and the Rev, Wheeler Case, of Pleasant Valley, Duchess County, preaching and baptizing children among them. The celebrated Indian preacher, Samson Occom, spent some little time here, in the beginning of the year 1775, and on 22d day of January, baptized Lewis, the son of Lieutenant DuBois, among others .*
The next ten years embrace the stormy days of the Revolu- tion ; and Marlborough felt their effects beyond many other places, as it was the refuge of an unusual number of Whigs.
* Samson Cccum was one of the Mohegan tribe, who had been educated by Dr. Whelock at Lebanon, Cl. Shortly after being ordained to the Ministry, he was sent out to England, to raise funds for the education of the Indians. Here he attracted much attention, and drew large audiences to hear him, as the first Indian preacher who had ever visited England. He was successful in his mission, raising about $40,000. And this eventually laid the foundation for the establishment of Dartmouth College. Ile finished his days as a missionary to the Oneidas.
109
The History of Marlborough.
During all this time, this Congregation was without any stated ministry. depending on the services of such clergy- men in the neighborhood as they could obtain, for one or more Sabbaths at a time. Among these were the Rev. John Close, the learned and eloquent pastor of the Churches of New Windsor and Bethlehem, the Rev. John Maffit, pastor of the Church of Goodwill, and the Rev. Andrew King, the witty but dignified, the talented, but not learned, the carnest, faithful and useful pastor of the Wallkill Congregation, for thirty years. The Rev. Robert Annan, of the Associate Re- formed Church, also preached here, a man of talents, of ardent temperament, and of decided patriotism ; of whom one of his hearers was wont to say : " A capital preacher and a capital Whig." The Rev. Stephen Gostshins, of the Re- formed Dutch Church of New Paltz and New Hurley, sup. plied the pulpit. They had also supplies from the other side of the river. The Rev. Samuel Sackett, of Long Island, who had been driven from his charge at Bedford, by his attachment to the views of Edwards and Bellamy -- which led him to refuse baptism to those who were not in full com- munion-was one. This man sympathized strongly with the revival movements of that day, which created so much dis- cussion in the Church ; and his monument pronounces him a " judicious, laborious, faithful and successful minister." The Rev. John Graham, for many year's stated Clerk of the Pres- bytery of Duchess, and the Principal of Fishkill Academy, was another. Ilis views of the revival were like those of Mr. Sackett.
The Legislature of the State of New York having passed " An Act to enable all the Religious Denominations of the State to appoint Trustees, who shall be a body corporate, for the purpose of taking care of the temporalties of their respective Congregations." April 6th, 1784, after legal notice, the Congregation of Marlborough met, and chose nine Trustees, viz: Anning Smith, Jonathan Brown, Michael Wygant, Isaac Fowler, Junr., Reuben Tooker, Nathaniel DuBois, Daniel Kelsey, Samuel Stratton, and Wolvert Ecker, Esq. This proceeding was proved, acknowledged,
IIO
The History of Marlborough.
and recorded, according to law. These Trustees chose Benjamin Ely, M. D., Treasurer, Collector and Clerk.
On the 30th day of September following, the Trustees met to transact some business which they would have blushed to record had they not lived in the days of ignorance. It appears that, like most others of that day, they had not learned the evil of lotteries, and they did not hesitate to resort to them to raise funds for religious purposes. They have accordingly left a record of a meeting to settle the ac- counts of a lottery, which had been " drawn for the benefit and use of the meeting house."
The War of the Revolution, with its disturbing influences, being past, the people appear to have been animated with new zeal to promote the cause of religion, and to secure for themselves a stated ministry. On the ist day of March, 1786, they commenced a subscription to pay for the services of a minister of the Gospel, who should preach in Marlborough, and in some convenient place in the Precinct of New Paltz. This subscription was signed by ninety men, nearly one-half as many as all the male heads of families, at that time, resid- in the township. Little more than one-third of the names upon it are now known among us. The sum raised was liberal for that day, and afforded a salary of four hundred dollars to the minister; better than twenty-five hundred at this day.
On the 10th day of June, the Trustees appointed Doctor Benjamin Ely to secure for them the services of a clergyman for one year; instructing him to obtain a man from some part of New England. Some of the leading men of the Society, at this time, were from New England, and their re- cent supplies had come from that direction. The following ordinance is also entered on the records of the Trustees: " Resolved, That no Baptist or Separate Minister be allowed or admitted to preach, in the Meeting House, under any pre- tence whatever, without the joint and mutual consent of the trustees, or a majority of them, for the time being."
The Rev. Ethan Osborn was the supply obtained by Doc- tor Ely ; and he labored in this place, in connection with
IIÌ
The History of Marlborough.
Paltz, probably till 1792. About the same time, also, the house of worship underwent some repairs.
The Congregation, finding itself again without a clergy- man, in May, 1792, sought and obtained the services of Mr. Abel Jackson, a licentiate under the care of the Morris County Association. On the 22d day of November follow- ing, he was ordained and installed, by that Association. He was the first minister, so far as we can learn, who had a formal installation over this Congregation. On the ist day of October. 1793, a Committee of the same Association 'or- ganized a Church of eight members, viz: Jonathan Brown, Cornelius Polhemus, Andrew Ely, Abigail Polhemus, Dorcas Olford, Elizabeth Cropsey, Hannah Ely and Electa Pol- hemus. Five of these persons, at least, were received by certificate from Churches in Connecticut. This was the first Ecclesiastical organization, of which we have any account ; and it was formed in violation of the deed by which they held their Church property. That required them to be Presbyterians, settling only Presbyterian clergymen ; they had now become Independents, and had settled a Congrega- tional pastor. Accordingly the Congregation chose a new board of Trustees, and altered their style to suit their new Church connections. Efforts were made to obtain a new and appropriate grant of land, previously given to the Society, but without success. Still, they held the Church property, valued at that time at one thousand dollars, undisturbed ; and Mr. Jackson remained their pastor about seven years.
For about ten years after Mr. Jackson left them, the Church was without any settled minister. During this time the pulpit was supplied by Isaac Sergeant, Wm. Bull, Am- brose Porter, Richard Andrews, Joel T. Benedict, and others, all of the same Ecclesiastical order as Mr. Jackson. Mr. Bull, who supplied the pulpit for some length of time, was an Englishman, exceedingly eccentric, and very prolix in his performances. He was a bachelor ; and sometimes, in the family where he boarded, continued so long in prayer, at family worship, that all deserted him. At a funeral he was known to protract his address till interrupted and admon-
.
If2
The History of Marlborough.
ished that it would be too dark to bury the dead. Mr. Bene- clict is said to have been a man of ardent piety, untiring zeal, and much eloquence, and to have drawn crowds to listen to his preaching.
So far there had never been any special awakening of the Church, but of late there had been a general accession to their numbers. The whole number that had been admitted to the Church, up to 1808, was 71, of whom 53 were still members.
Being wearied with difficulties growing out of their Church government, and discouraged about obtaining per- manent supplies of their present denomination, in 1809, the people began to turn their attention again to the Presbyter- ian Church. Mr. Jas I. Ostram, a candidate for the Gospel ministry, under the care of the Presbytery of Hudson, occa- sionally attended religious meetings among them for some months. They also obtained some supplies from that Pres- bytcry. In April, 1810, they applied, by their Commis- sioners, Charles Millard and Leonard Smith, to be taken under the care of Hudson Presbytery. At the same meet- ing of Presbytery, Mr. Ostram was licensed to preach the Gospel, and on the first Sabbath after, agreed to accept a call from this people, in connection with the Congregation of New Paltz. He labored among them as a licentiate till September, when he was ordained and installed over them by the Presbytery of Hudson.
The Congregation soon became enlarged, and a few more were added to the Church. In October, 1811, a special sea- son of Divine influence began, in this Congregation, and continued till the following Spring, adding to the Church 116 members. During the period of this work, nothing special appeared in Paltz, although within six miles, and en- joying precisely the same means of grace ; illustrating most clearly the sovereignty of Divine Grace, and teaching us that the Lord " will have mercy on whom he will have mercy." About the middle of February, 1820, it pleased the Lord to visit them with another revival, which added to the Church 150 more, go in a single day, of whom Go had not been before baptized.
113
The History of Marlborough.
Being thus increased in numbers, and having enlarged their house of worship to double its former size, in 1827 the Congregation was separated from that of Paltz, the pastoral relation of Mr. Ostram to Paltz dissolved, and his labors con- fined to Marlborough. Here he continued his labors till March, 1829, when, having accepted a call from the Church in Salina, his relation to this Church was dissolved.
The first bench of Ruling Elders ordained and installed here, in 1810, when the Church was organized in a Presby- terian form, was composed as follows, viz: Charles Millard, Leonard Smith, Allen Lester, Andrew Ely, and Nathaniel Bailey. Of these, Charles Millard departed this life, April 30th, 1827. He was a man of blessed memory ; a devout Christian, and ready for every good work. His character, and not wealth, made him a controlling spirit among' the people. Andrew Ely was a soldier of the Revolution. Of Allen Lester we have the following record : " He departed this life July 24th, 1834, in the 78th year of his age. He was the first deacon (he was both deacon and elder) in this Church ; had lived a useful life and died lamented." We have no doubt, from the business entrusted to Col. Smith, and the fidelity with which he discharged it, that he was a man of worth.
In November, 1829, this Church extended a call to the Rev. John H. Leggett, of Peekskill, and he was installed their pastor the 7th day of January following. Next Spring it pleased God to visit the Church with " a time of refresh- ing," and it received an addition of more than forty mem- bers. Again, in the Fall of 1832, the Lord poured out his Spirit among them, and about forty more were added to the Church. In April of next year, Mr. Leggett, having re- ceived a call from the Church at Hopewell, Orange County, the pastoral relation between him and this Church was dis- solved. It may seem strange that a revival of religion was followed so soon by such a result. But some awakenings have always been fruitful in such results. Mr. Leggett con- tinued his labors in Hopewell till 1854, when, feeling his health inadequate to such a charge, he accepted a call to the Church in the village of Middletown.
114
The History of Marlborough.
On the 16th day of September following, this Church made a call for the services of the Rev. Leonard Johnson, who was installed their pastor on the 2d day of October, 1833. He labored here a little more than one year, and on the 29th day of January, 1835, his relation to this Church being dissolved, he removed to Triangle, Broome County, where after a long pastorate of nearly a quarter of a century, he died in 1859.
Weary with changes, the people began to turn their minds again towards their old pastor, who had left them seven years since ; and they resolved now to extend to him a call, offering a larger salary than before and seeking to induce him to return. This call he accepted, and was installed again over them in the Spring of 1835. This time, however, his stay among them was brief : being but little more than three years. Yet he left behind some substantial results. He was instrumental in leading the people to erect a cheap parson- age, which has greatly increased the comfort and usefulness of his successors. In July, 1838, Mr. Ostram, having re- ceived a call from the 4th Free Presbyterian Church, in New York city, the pastoral relation was again dissolved. Here he continued to labor till 1852, when, under the infirmities of age, he left the city and retired to the village of New Wind- sor. Here he continues to reside, performing more or less pastoral labor, as his health will permit.
At the time of the division of the General Assembly, which took place this year, this Church was found in the New School body. Accordingly, Mr. Henry Belden. a licentiate of the 3d Presbytery of New York, came among them, and supplied the pulpit from Jan. Ist to April 15th, 1839. At that time he received from them a call, and was installed their pastor the 2d day of May. He continued his labors here about seventeen months, and was instrumental in adding about forty to the Church. But his doctrinal views, and the measures which he adopted, were such that a large ma- jority of the Congregation became dissatisfied, and in Octo. ber, 1840, the pastoral relation was dissolved. Mr. Belden was afterwards suspended from the functions of the Gospel ministry, by his Presbytery, for want of doctrinal soundness.
115
The History of Marlborough.
Soon afterwards, having received license from Oberlin, he built a Church at Washingtonville, Orange County, of his his own order, in which he labored for a short time. Thence he removed to the city of New York, where he still resides.
A portion of this Congregation, who sympathized more strongly with the New School body than others, at this time erected a house of worship in Milton ; and (September 27th, 1841,) certificates were granted to fifteen of these persons, residing in and near Milton, for the purpose of being consti- tuted a separate Church. The remainder of the Congrega- tion appointed delegates to meet the Old School Presbytery of North River, and to renew their connection with that body.
On the 25th day of January, 1841, the Presbytery appointed the Rev. John H. Carle as stated supply of the Church of Marlborough. He continued his labors here till the Spring of 1842, when he went to the Church of Rondout to officiate in the same capacity. After a few years labor in that place, he returned to the Dutch Church, and labored for some time near Canajoharie. At present he is believed to be laid aside by ill health from all active labor.
In the Spring of 1842, the Congregation sent to Princeton for supplies, and were directed by the professors, among others, to Rev. S. H. Jagger, then a licentiate of the Presby- tery of Long Island. He commenced preaching here on the 15th day of May, and, on the 27th day of June, the people gave him a unanimous call to become their pastor, which he accepted. He found the Church much divided, owing to the recent change of Ecclesiastical relation, and other things. Many, having deserted their own Church, were worshipping elsewhere. Although, in a short time, most of these breaches were healed, the pastor labored eighteen years without wit- nessing any extensive revival, and was instrumental in adding but one hundred to the Church during this long period.
At the beginning of his pastorate, the Parsonage was mortgaged for nearly its full value. This debt was soon paid ; and the house, barn and grounds have since been much enlarged.
-
116
The History of Marlborough.
This ends Rev. S. H. Jagger's sketch of the Church. Its history since he left the Congregation is too recent to require production here. The following additional points of inter- est have been gathered from other sources :
List of pastors of the Presbyterian church : Sept., 1806, Rev. Ambrose Porter was ordained pastor. The subsequent pastors have been Rev. James Ostram, 1810-29; Rev. John H. Leggett, 1832-33; Rev. Leonard Johnson, 1833-33 ; Rev. James 1. Ostram, 1835-38; Rev. Henry Belden, 1839-40; Rev. John H. Earl, stated supply, one year ; Rev. Sam'l H. Jagger, 1842-69; Rev. Charles W. Cooper, 1870-75 ; Rev. Duncan C. Niven, 1875-83; Rev. Charles E. Bronson, 1884.
The elders of the church since organization, 1810: Gen. Leonard Smith, Charles Millard, Andrew Ely, Allen Lester, Nathaniel Bailey, Michael Wygant, Joshua Conklin, Gilbert Kniffin, Daniel Wygant, Jonathan Cosman, Bernard Bailey, Peter V. Fowler, Thomas D. Bloomer, James O. Conklin, Asbury Wygant, Augustus G. Clark, Charles E. Bingham, Charles M. Purdy, and Cornelius D. Bloomer.
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.