USA > New York > Dutchess County > Poughkeepsie > The records of Christ church, Poughkeepsie, New York, Vol I > Part 2
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 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33
He was a man of spiritual zeal and consecration, who ministered faithfully to the souls in his care, but it remained for another to build on his foundations the organized body of the Church of England in Dutchess County.
11
CHAPTER II
THE RECTORATE OF THE REV. JOHN BEARDSLEY. THE PUR- CHASE OF THE GLEBE. THE CHARTER OF INCORPORA- TION. THE ERECTION OF THE FIRST CHURCH BUILDING. THE REMOVAL OF THE RECTOR BY ORDER OF THE COUN- CIL OF SAFETY. NAMES OF CONTRIBUTORS TO THE REC- TOR'S SALARY, 1766-1775.
S AMUEL SEABURY came to Dutchess County for the last time in June, 1762. Not long after, his health failed and he died June 15th, 1764.
Meanwhile the need for a resident missionary in the county had begun to be more generally realized. The President of King's College, New York, Dr. Samuel Johnson, wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury on € July 25th, 1759:"The next thing is to give your Grace an account of those places where Ministers are wanted. And here, I beg leave first to mention a great part of this province; I mean all that tract on the East side of Hudson's River, from West Chester upwards, quite as far as we have any settlements, abounding with people, but almost destitute of Ministers of any denomination." "Next above" West Chester "is Dutchess County, a large tract which Mr. Seabury represented, where there is the greatest need of a Mission. Indeed in this, with the Mannours and Frontiers above, part of the County of Albany, there is large and laborious work for at least two Missionaries: And I have two or three hopeful Candidates under my direction, and are within a year
12
The Records of Christ Church
or two of age for orders, who I hope may be provided for in these places."1
These "hopeful Candidates," whom Dr. Johnson had under direction in 1759, may very well have included John Beardsley, a student at King's, who, early in 1761, went to England, in company with Thomas Davies and Samuel Andrews, to be ordained. Returning to America in 1762, John Beardsley assumed the charge of the par- ishes at Norwich and Groton, Connecticut, in fulfillment of a promise made by him to that end in 1760.
The pledges made to him, however, by the people of those places, were not equally well kept, as their sub- scriptions toward his salary soon lapsed.
Being a man of restless energy and much executive ability, he set about creating for himself a new field of labor. Knowing of the opening in Dutchess County, New York, for a Church of England clergyman (possibly through Dr. Johnson, as suggested), he came from Connecticut to investigate it for himself. In the two years and a half between the spring of 1762 and the autumn of 1764, he journeyed here six times. Septem- ber 26th, 1764, he wrote to the Society for the Propaga- tion of the Gospel, reporting his visits, of which letter the Society made note: "Mr. Beardsley has within these three years, with the consent of his people, made six visits to Dutchess County in New York Province, at 120 miles distant from Groton, preached to crowded audi- ences in various parts of that extensive County, and baptized more adults and infants than in his own Mission. The number of communicants among them is considerable, who greatly lament the want of an In-
1 Documents relating to the Colonial History of New York, Vol. 7, pp. 396-398.
13
The Records of Christ Church
cumbent. They have set about building a Church and are determined to procure 100 acres of land for a Glebe, a decent House & a title of £30.0.0 sterling, in hopes the Society will be pleased to consider them."1
During 1765 Mr. Beardsley must have worked in- dustriously to arouse the interest of the Churchmen of Dutchess and to band them together for a decided step forward, for, early in 1766, he succeeded in raising a sufficient sum to guarantee the purchase of a glebe, and thus to obtain the cooperation of the Venerable Society in the erection of a mission.
A torn fragment of the original subscription paper has survived the changes and chances of a hundred and forty- odd years. It bears a few of the signatures, and, for- tunately, untorn and unfaded, the date stands out conspicuously,-April ye 2ª, 1766.
These few names and also those which were on the lost portion of the document are all preserved in a manuscript volume, Accompts of the Glebe for Poughkeepsie, and are important and interesting to Christ Church:
Abner Armstrong £ 4.0.0
Eli Emons ?
Isaac Baldwin 6. 0. 0 John Emons
P
John Beardsley
3.0.0 William Emott £ 1.0.0
Daniel Cooke 1. 0.0 Clear Everitt . 8. 0
Ebenezer Cooper .10. 0
John F(elton?)
1. 0. 0
John Coapman 1.10. 0
Zachariah Ferdon 4. 0. 0
Bartholomew Crannell 12.10. 0
Jacob Ferdon 2.0.0
Charles Crooke. 10. 0. 0
John Ferdon
4. 0. 0
Richard Davis 8.00. 0 John Davis 2.0.0
Johannes Ferdon 7. 0.0
William Forman . 8. 0
Thomas Dearing 1. 0.0
John Frear . 4. 0
Jacobus Depeyster 6.10. 0
Peter Harris 10. 0. 0
Lewis Du Bois .10. 0
Peter Heyser .16. 0
Thomas Duncan
1. 0. 0
William Jecox 1. 0. 0
1 S. P. G. Journal, No. 16, p. 268.
14
The Records of Christ Church
Moss Kent £ 2.0.0
Benjamin Payn
£ .16.0
Peter Lausing
1.10. 0
John M. Retsey 1. 0.0
Johannes P. Lausing
1. 0.0 Daniel Roberts
10. 0. 0
William Lausing 1. 0.0
Henry Sands
1. 0.0
Peter A. Lausing .16. 0
George Sands
.16. 0
Johannes Lausing
15. 0
Maurice Smith
1. 4.0
James Livingston
15. 0. 0
Samuel Smith
2.0.0
Gilbert Livingston
2.0.0
Richard Snedeker
5.0.0
John Lovett
1.10. 0
Thomas Stuart
1. 0.0
William Ludlow
1. 0.0
Hannah Ten Broeck
2.0.0
Johannes Medler
3.0.0
William Terry
3. 7.11
Aaron Medler
1.10. 0
Robert Thompson
1. 0.0
Henry Metcalf
3.0.0
Richard Vandeburgh 1. 0.0
Malcolm Morrison
1.16. 0
Henry Vandeburgh 5. 0
Matias Moss 5.0.0
Balthus Van Kleeck
2.0.0
John Neill .16. 0
Leonard Van Kleeck
5.0. 0
John Neilson
2.0.0
Lawrence Van Kleeck
2.0.0
Theophilus Neilson 2.0.0
Lawrence B. VanKleeck 2. 0. 0
"From Nine Partners" 19. 0. 0
Myndert Van Kleeck 1.0.0
Peter Parmenter
.10. 0
Richard Warner 2.0.0
With a subscription for a glebe at last successfully circulated it was possible to make a definite application for aid to the Society, which had made the purchase of a glebe a condition precedent to their financial help. A letter was therefore written, which is now on file in London, and which clearly sets forth the local situation:1
Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County Province of New York in America April 10th, 1766.
Reverend Sir
We, the professors of the Church of England in Dutchess County, beg leave to Inform you, and desire it may be Repre- sented to the Venerable Society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts of which you are Secretary, That this County is
1 The editor has paragraphed and punctuated all old manuscripts at her discretion, to render them easily intelligible. Words and spell- ing have been followed with exactness.
15
The Records of Christ Church
in extent along Hudson River upwards of Sixty miles and in breadth about Twenty miles, and tho very full of Inhabitants, improving slowly under low circumstances, yet the number of Churchmen, interspersed through the county without any regular church, is small in comparison of the Great Number and Variety of Sectaries in the County.
That the late Reverend and Worthy Mr. Samuel Seabury, for many years of the latter part of his days took much pains to unite the professors of the Church in raising a support for and settling a ministry in some parts of this County, and tho, in his life time, his pious Designs did not take their full effect, Occasioned by the poverty of the people and their being set- tled widely apart from each other, Yet we trust that, thro divine providence, the good purpose planned by Mr. Seabury will, under the protection and aid of the Venerable Society, be at last perfected.
That we have, after many ineffectual attempts, Raised a sum of money sufficient to purchase a handsome Glebe, and will raise Sixty Pounds, this currency, annually, for the sup- port of a minister of the Church, to Officiate in four Different precincts alternately; these precincts take in a tract about twenty miles in breadth and, tho it will be not only very La- borious but also very Expensive to a missionary to Officiate at four churches so far distant from each other, yet the Rever- end Mr. Beardsley, Missionary at Groton in Connecticut, has since Mr. Seabury's death Occasionally Visited and preached among us, and has promised that, with the approbation and consent of the Venerable Society, he will accept our call and Officiate amongst us.
Wherefore, we most earnestly entreat of the Venerable So- ciety that they will consider our present circumstances, and admit Mr. Beardsley to accept our call, and give us such aid and asistance as may, with what we raise, enable the Mission- ary to perform his Laborious and Expensive duty.
We wod further intimate to the Venerable Society that, be- sides raising the sum necessary for the Glebe, we are wholly destitute of Churches, which will be an additional expense to us, and which we are determined to build as fast as we can af- ter a Missionary (is?) settled among us; till we are able to do which, we flatter ourselves we shall be permitted the use of
16
The Records of Christ Church
publick places of worship from the favour and countenance of the Dutch Holland Churches.
We beg leave to conclude ourselves the Societies and your Most Obedient and very Humble Servants Daniel Roberts Bartholomew Crannell
John Cooke Charles LeRoux Peter Harris William Humfrey Joshua Carman.
To the Rev'd Dr. Daniel Burton.
Of the men who signed this letter, Roberts, Crannell and Harris were residents of Poughkeepsie, Cooke and LeRoux of Rombout Precinct, and Humphrey and Car- man of Beekman, and all had more or less to do with the early affairs of the mission. Their letter was sent to Dr. Auchmuty, in New York, Rector of Trinity, who forwarded it to the Society on May 5th, under cover of one from himself endorsing it. The proceedings of a Board meeting of the S. P. G., held July 18th, 1766, record the receipt of these communications. Dr. Auchmuty's letter is there said to have enclosed "the Petition of the Inhabitants of Poghkeepsie in Dutches County, where a Clergyman is much wanted, (he) recommends them to the Favour of the Society, and thinks Mr. Beardsley might be usefully employed in this extensive County." The petition was referred to a committee, which "agreed to recommend to the Society to oblige the Inhabitants of Poughkeepsie by appointing the Rev. Mr. Beardsley to be Missionary in Dutchess County, provided they furnish him with a good House & Glebe & till that can be procured make him a suitable allowance instead
17
The Records of Christ Church
thereof, & provided they execute & deposit a Bond in the hands of Dr. Auchmuty for the performance of the same, as well as the regular payment of their annual subscrip- tion of £60.0.0 per annum, their Currency." The Board "Resolved, to agree with the Committee, provided it shall appear upon enquiry that there are in this District sufficient Number of Church People to make a Mission- ary necessary here."
The unavoidable delay between the dispatch of the petition in the spring and the receipt of a reply from London (means of communication being what they were at that time) chafed Mr. Beardsley's impatient spirit, and at midsummer he addressed the Venerable Society in his own behalf, setting forth the untoward state of his charge in Connecticut, and enclosing a copy of the Dutchess County petition, to emphasize the de- sirability of the transfer of his station. The Society made note on October 17th, 1766, of "a letter from the Rev. Mr. Beardsley, Missionary at Groton & Norwich in Connecticut, dated Groton, July 27, 1766, represent- ing the necessity of his being removed on account of the neglect of the People of Groton. Inclosed is a copy of the Petition and engagements of the professors of the Church of England in Dutchess County (the original of which was laid before the Board in July last, & their Petition granted upon certain conditions). To this extensive and fatiguing cure Mr. Beardsley is desirous to be removed, with such salary as the Society shall be pleased to bestow, in addition to that which he has heretofore enjoyed. Should the Petition of Dutchess County not be granted, he is willing to go to Newburgh, the Chh. Wardens and vestry of that Mission having also applied to him. Agreed that Mr. Beardsley's
18
The Records of Christ Church
salary in Dutchess County be £30.0.0, to commence at the time it ceases at his former Mission."
When notification reached Dutchess County of the terms of the action taken by the Society on July 18th, 1766 (which stipulated for a bond, guaranteeing the promise to purchase a glebe), there was held "A Meeting of the Members of the Church of England in Dutches County the 26th of October, 1766."
Present Bartholomew Crannell, Peter Harris,
Poughkeep sinck Johannes Ferdon, Johannes Ferdon, Jr., Jo- hannes Medlaer and Charles Moss, for Pough- keepsinck Precinct
Rumboutt Jacobus Terboss, Charles Leroux & Richard Southerd
Beekmans Charlott
William Humfrey & Bartholomew Noxon
Henry Filkin, Nicolas DeLa Vernge, Peter Germond, John Germond & James Germond. Haveing this Day
Executed a Bond to the Society, agreeable to their proposal, for removing Mr. Beardsley from Groton, and also an Agreement with Mr. Beardsley to allow him forty shills a month be- sides his Sallary til a House & Glebe be pro- vided for him
voted that William Humfrey Esqr be a person for Beekman's precinct to receive proposals for Lands to be sold for a Glebe
Charles LeRoux for Rombout. Nicholas DeLavergne Esqr for Charlotte Bartholomew Crannell for Poughkeepsie That these persons Confer with Each other upon proposals made, and that previous to an absolute purchase to be made by them they procure a General Meeting to approve Voted that Mr. Noxon be a Clerk to transcribe what shall be necessary concerning the General Affairs of the Several Churches.
The bond to the Society, thus executed on October 26th,
19
The Records of Christ Church
was deposited with Dr. Auchmuty, and the report of the proceedings of the S. P. G. for 1766 states that "the Society, being informed in a Letter from Dr. Auchmuty, dated November 12th, that the People in Dutches County chearfully comply with the Terms required of them, & that there are already 80 Church Families in the County, & many more expected, have agreed to estab- lish a New Mission at Poughkeepsie & consented to Mr. Beardsley's removal thither."
Mr. Noxon, who had been appointed clerk to the four congregations, made note that:
1766 Decem 21st Mr. Beardsley entered into the service of the Churches agreeable to his Call by Divine Service & preaching at the House of William Luke 2:32 Humfrey Esqr.
Mr. Beardsley's first service in his new mission was therefore held in Beekman Precinct, as William Hum- phrey, a prominent resident there, lived a half mile west of the hamlet of Beekmanville and about a mile from Sylvan Lake, a point about equally distant from each of the other three congregations, representatives of which assembled to hear his sermon from the text, "A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."
His first service at Poughkeepsie was held four days later, being Christmas Day, 1766.
Pending the purchase of a glebe, a house (the location of which is not known) was rented for Mr. Beardsley. Bartholomew Noxon states that "1767 9th Feb Mr. Beardsley set out for Groton in order to fetch up his family & returned again ye 5th March following, preach- ed at Poughkeepsinck 8th Do. so that the other 3 pre- cincts lost each one Sabbath service."
Upon his return from Groton, Mr. Beardsley consider-
20
The Records of Christ Church
ed it necessary to augment the amount of the subscrip- tion for the purchase of a glebe, and, on March 25th, secured pledges aggregating £45.15.0 from twenty-two members of the Dutch Reformed congregation, one third of the amount coming from James Livingston. The preamble to the list of these contributions states that the contributors were "disposed to promote the Pious and Religious designs of the members of the Church of England at Poughkeepsie." As will be seen through- out this narrative, the inter-relations of these two con- gregations, the Dutch and English, are quite remarkable in their closeness and comity.
The conclusion of the purchase of a glebe now pressed for attention. At once, the old obstacle to progress, the choice of location, arose, and a discussion was precipi- tated which produced results of deep and far reaching influence. Two of those who were intimately associated with all the events of this period wrote accounts of the same. These men were William Emott and John Davis.
William Emott was descended from one of the patent- ees of the Nine Partners Patent in Dutchess County, and his family had for many years belonged to Trinity Church, New York. He had come to Poughkeepsie as a young man, married here, and, through a long life, continued an active interest in the Church and in public affairs. He described himself in a deed as "saddler," a business of some extent at the time. In later years he was called "Squire" Emott, the title Esquire accom- panying the office of a Justice of the Peace, which office he long held. He lived on what is now the southwest corner of Main and Hamilton streets. To him, the present generation is indebted for a vast amount of de- tailed information regarding Christ Church from 1766
21
The Records of Christ Church
down, perhaps, to 1810. He was a member of the vestry 1773-1805, was secretary six years, and for thirty-seven years was treasurer of the Corporation, and, being inde- fatigable with his pen, he wrote at length upon the parochial affairs. His comments were often caustic and were made without reserve, and it is quite possible that they were thus sometimes unnecessarily irritating.
In this respect there is a contrast between him and John Davis, who, also, contributed largely to the parish archives. Davis did not blink facts and was accurate and businesslike, but his manner was more pacific. Like Emott, he was associated with Christ Church from Mr. Beardsley's arrival to his own death, some fifty years later.
The narratives of how the decision about the glebe was reached, as written first by John Davis, then by William Emott, are as follows:
[When a Glebe was about to be purchased, places were to be sought for, and representatives of the Churches were] to1 meet on a certain day to determine which place to purchase. They met accordingly on the day appointed, and the Fishkill people held up a place which was Scituated in Rombouts precinct, distance about seven miles from Fishkill Town, and eight or nine from the Town of Poughkeepsie; the Inhabitants of Poughkeepsie held up a place about one mile from the Town of Poughkeepsie.
Upon which, debates arose between the parties about which of the two was the properest place to purchase. The Fishkill said that a Glebe purchased for two Congregations should be Scituated nearly in the midway between the two Churches, and urged strongly for purchasing the place they had in view. On the contrary, the People of Poughkeepsie argued: that a Glebe purchased for two Churches so far distant from each other as these were, should be near one or the other of the Churches, alledging that, if ever the Congregations should be
1 Appendix, Fishkill papers, No. 14.
22
The Records of Christ Church
able so as to maintain a Minister separately, and should part, that the Glebe so purchased would suit one of the Churches; but, if purchased as desired by the Fishkill people, would suit neither.
After much altercation on the matter, It was agreed to by both parties that they should leave the affair to Mr. Beards- ley, and the place he should Choose, should be the Glebe, and should be purchased by both Congregations for that purpose, with this proviso, that, if hereafter, it should so happen that the Congregations separated, that that Congregation which lay nearest the Glebe should have it, Refunding to the Other the first purchase money.
Accordingly, Mr. Beardsley determined on the matter, and Choose the place at Poughkeepsie, and it was accordingly pur- chased for the two Congregations.
[Rev. John Beardsley], being1 a Missionary of the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts, came from Groton in Connecticut to Fishkill about the year 1766 to establish a mission, and, getting acquainted with Messrs. Cooke and Laroux and others in that town, they entered zealously into the measure.
The terms proposed were that a small Farm or Glebe should be purchased for the use of the clergyman, with a salary of £60. 0.0 pr annum, this being complied with by one or more congregations as he should agree to; the Society, on their part, would furnish a Library, and Settel an anuity on the mission of £35.0.0 Sterling.
The gentelmen of Fishkill, wishing to embrace this Opper- tunity, made sutable exertions in their Vicinity.
But, not possessing resources competent to the Occasion, with Mr. Beardsley's consent they sought for assistance from the adjoining town of Poughkeepsie, who, with respect to numbers or wealth were vastly inferior and might be Shook off at a Convenient Season.
Under these impressions, Messrs. Crannell, Harris and Oth- ers were resorted to, and some of the inhabitants of Poquage and Nine Partners were induced to give their feeble aid.
These gentelmen held their meetings at Peter Harris's (now
1 Appendix, Beardsley papers, No. 35.
23
The Records of Christ Church
Ingrams);1 the necessity of the case oblidged them to form a self-created Society; it was called a Vestry meeting of the four Churches.
The first step was to agree where the Glebe should be pur- chased, whether in Fishkill or Poughkeepsie.
The gentelmen from the first of these places, considering themselves as principles, expected little opposition to having it in their town and neighborhood.
Mr. Crannell, however, a Sharp Sighted man, took care to make sutable impressions on the clergyman of the propriety of making the purchase at Poughkeepsie. All this was Correct.
However, when the thing was to be settled at Harris's, the one side advocated the purchase of a place near Mr. Cooke's; the other, Ostrander's farm. After a lengthy and warm alter- cation, in which neither of the parties would yield, they had but one alternative, and pledged their honour to abide the de- cision of Mr. Beardsley.
He, being called into the room, and not being suffered to decline giving an Opinion, was in favour of Ostrander's Farm.
Mr. Cooke and his friends were much mortified at the par- son's decision.
However, as they had committed themselves, they endeav- ored to have a reconsideration, on the principle that Ostrander farm would cost about a third more than the Fishkill Glebe and contained fewer acres; that the Joint efforts of the intended Churches might not be sufficient to raise the purchase money.
Mr. Beardsley was by some means induced to offer, if no bet- ter plan could be devised, to take 1/3 of the Land, rather than return to New England and abandon his present plan of a Settelment in Dutchess County.
This silenced the opposition and subscriptions were set on foot to purchase the Ostrander Farm.
From this period, Mr. Cooke and his friends reposed less confidence in Mr. Beardsley, and a cordial intimacy on the part of the Clergyman took place with Mr. Crannell, who, from this moment, until the Grant and Charter was obtained the 9th of March in the year 1773, might be considered the dictator of every measure Relative to the Church affairs at Poughkeepsie.
1 A map of 1798, State Engineer's office, Albany, shows this to have been near the present Arlington P. O.
24
------- --- -
The Records of Christ Church
The Ostrander farm, which was advocated by Mr. Crannell, and which was finally purchased August 1st, 1767, lay on the north side of what is now Main street, Poughkeepsie, but which was then known as the Filkin- town Road.
An effort to determine Mr. Crannell's reasons for the strong opinions he held in this matter, which reasons evidently held weight as arguments with Mr. Beardsley, involves a comparison of the Precincts of Rombout and Poughkeepsie at that day.
Rombout Precinct covered an area of eighty-five thousand acres, including within its limits the present townships of Fishkill, East Fishkill, Wappinger, the westerly part of La Grange, and a strip in the southern part of the present township of Poughkeepsie. At the junction of the New York and Albany Post Road with the road leading from the Hudson into the interior of Rombout, a Dutch church had been erected very early, and the tiny hamlet of Fishkill had grown about it, but no commercial or business interests followed. The road from the river into the interior ran on, past this small cluster of dwellings near the church on the corner, and through the section (since become the town- ship of East Fishkill) then called Rombout. The heirs of Francis Rombout, the original patentee, sold this land in large individual holdings to well-to-do Dutch families of Long Island,-Adriances, Brinckerhoffs, Storms, Van Wycks, Van Voorhees, &c, &c.,-so that, at first, the inhabitants were rather widely separated from each other, owing to the size of their farms. These same valuable farms explain the endless intermarriages between the few Dutch families owning them, among whom it was desired to perpetuate the tenure of the land.
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.