USA > New York > Dutchess County > Poughkeepsie > The records of Christ church, Poughkeepsie, New York, Vol I > Part 30
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1. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 55.
1784; Mr. Henry Vandyck, a Candidate for Holy Orders, attended at Poughkeepsie, where he preformed Divine Service in Christ Church on the 20th and 24 of June 1784. The congregation desired their Vestry to adopt such Measures in Conjunction with their bretheren of Trinity Church at Fishkill as may be proper for Settelment of said Mr. Vandyck.
Vestry conceiving Mr. Vandyck to be a Gentelman whose Qualifyca- tions render him a fit person for the promotion of Religion among us, and regretting the neglected Scituation of the Church, which, thro the Distressing period this Country has Experienced of a Long & Bloody war, has been Destitute of a Clergyman for almost eight years,- These motives induced them to Exert themselves in setting on foot a subscription in favour of Mr. Vandyck-and Ordering their Secretary to write the following letter to the Church at Fishkill:
Poughkeepsie 26 June 1784.
Gentelmen
We once more Address you as Bretheren, professors of the Same Faith, that you will join with us in Support of that Gos- pel whose doctrines are peace and Love.
This congregation have entered most heartily into the De- sign of Setteling Mr. Vandyck among us. And tho we are but few in Number and far from being Wealthy, yet, with the kind assistance of our Neighbors of other Denominations who ad- mire his preformances, have got. Subscribed for his annual Salary fifty pounds, Provided we give him a Call. This, we suppose, with one half of Old Glebe, will be a Sufficient in- ducement to him for the half of his services.
It now remains with your peopel to make the like exertions to put your Church upon a Respectable footing. It's Exist- ence seems to depend upon it.
We were much disconcerted at your Not attending here last Thursday at the proposed Conference.
Whatever might have been your Reasons, If you hold the Intrest of religeon dear, or Wish to be instrumental in promoting it, fail not in Setting the matter on Foot.
We shall wait a fortnight For your final Determination. · Should it prove unfavorable, or no answer be returned, we
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Shall be under the Disagreeable alternative of keeping our Church doors shut, or of Becoming connected with some other Congregation.
If, therefore, a temporary Connection should be formed, that may eventually be injurious to you, we call the World to witness that Nothing but the most Absolute necessity Shall ever induce us to adopt the Measure.
May heaven avert every Impediment to our Union and the wide Extention of the Christian faith, is the fervent wish of the Bretheren here. I am with due respect,
Yours Signed by order of the Vestry William Emott Secretary.
The foregoing letter remained unanswered, &, on Sunday the 1st of August, Mr. Vandyck paid us another visit at our request. This day he preformed Service in the Church. Major Daniel Ter Bos, Mr. John Halstead, Mr. John Cook, & Mr. Jonas Halstead attended from Fish- kills. We held a Consultation, the result of which was-First, an invitation to Mr. Vandyck desireing his attendance at their Church on Sunday next, which he accepted. Secondly, that a number of us would come down likewise, at which time they would Collect the Sense of their Congregation, whether they were in Ability and Disposition to join us in Setteling Mr. Vandyck.
2. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 56.
1784, Aug. 3, Isaac Baldin, Richard Davis, Thomas Poole, William Emott, and Isaac Baldin Jr., appointed a committee to go to Fishkill the following Sunday, and arrange with the vestry there for the settle- ment of Mr. VanDyck.
3. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 57.
1784, Aug. 14, The committee appointed to wait on Fishkill Vestry Report to this Board that they entered upon a Conference with Major Daniel Ter Bos, Mr. Jonas Halstead, Mr. John Halstead, Mr. John Cook, & Mr. Pine at Fishkill on 8 Aug't 1784, when it was Mutually agreed on behalf of the two Congregations that Mr. Henry Vandyck, whenever he shall receive Episcopal Ordination,-(provided such Ordination does take place within a Reasonable term of time),-be received as Minister to the two Churches, to Preach at Poughkeepsie Two thirds of the Year & Fishkill the other third.
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4. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 58.
1784, Oct. 4, The Committee of the 3d & 14th August again met the Fishkill Gentelmen, Viz; Mr. Southerd, Mr. Pine, Major Ter Bos, Mr. John Halstead, Mr. Cook, Mr. Jonas Halstead & Others. At the house of Major Ter Bos; Mr. Vandyck also attended the meeting.
[The agreement of August 8th was ratified; and, further, it was agreed that the congregation at Poughkeepsie should pay Mr. Vandyck £80 per annum, part in cash and the residue in firewood.] The Glebe, as purchased by the two Congregations, with a gore of land since annexed to it, one moiety thereof pertaining to this Corporation, they do also give him the full enjoyment & Possession of for his own Emolument, so long as he Shall Remain their Teacher. The above recited Gentelmen of Fishkill did also engage the sum of £40 annually & their part of the Glebe, for one third of his Yearly services.
5. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 63.
1785, March 29, [voted to pay the sexton for his services] on every Sunday and holy day that Mr. Vandyck has preformed Divine Service at this Church.
6. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 64.
1785, May 27, The first matter that was attended to at this meeting was a Letter from Mr. Vandyck; the following is a true Copy :
Stratford, May 23d, 1785.
Gentelmen,
The Rev'd Mr. Leaming of Stratford informs me that it is absolutely necessary I should have a title or Call to the Churches of Poughkeepsie & Fishkill taken from your Records, with the agreement made for Salary & the use of the Parsonage property, authenticated under the Seal of the Corporation & signed by the Secretary.
It will also be expedient that you Address the Clergy of this State, directed to the Rev'd Mr. Leaming, president of that Venerable board, Requesting their attention to me with a De- sire of my being ordained to the Charge of the Church.
I beg these matters may be forwarded to me with all possible dispatch, by the way of New York, covered to the care of Mr. Prosper Wetmore, first clerk in the General Post Office in the City of New York, who will see the same forwarded to me in Stratford immediately.
Bishop Seabury is safe arrived in Nova Scotia and may Momently be expected here. Our Ordinations will take place
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immediately on his arrival, for which we are making all possi- ble preparations, after which we Shall repair to our Several congregations as soon as we can.
I wish my papers may be forwarded from Poughkeepsie on Saturday next at furthest.
With due Esteem I am Gentlemen your most humble Serv't Henry Vandyck.
The Church wardens & Vestry Christ Church Poughkeepsie.
It was the unanimous opinion of this Board that the requests in the above letter be complyed with. Upon which the Secretary was Ordered to make out a Call.
[Copy of the call appended; rehearses the terms of the agreement of Oct. 4, 1784, adds proviso that ordination shall take place before October 1785, and arranges that Mr. Van Dyck officiate at Pough- keepsie every first and second Sundays, at Fishkill every third.] A Letter was also Addressed to the Episcopal Clergy of Connecticut desireing Mr. Henry Vandyck may receive Ordination for this Church.
7. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 68.
1785, June 29, Mr. Vandyck informed Vestry his ordination had not yet taken place on account of the Bishop nonarrival. And, further, that was he in Orders, his circumstances were such that it was out of his power to remove among us with his family without our aid.
The Vestry being impatient of the many Delays of Mr. Vandyck as to his removal here, with whom they have been agreeing for upward of a year past; the more so as, in December last, he engaged to bring up his family the latter end of April or beginning of May past, whether in Orders or not;
Whereupon, Mr. Richard Davis, in order to enable Mr. Van- dyck to remove immediately, generously offered to send Cap't Smith with his Sloop to fetch his family & Effects, the payment of freight to be defered for one or two Years as might be most convenient for Mr. Vandyck.
Upon this, another objection was raised by Mr. Vandyck, without giving an Answer to Mr. Davis's proposal, whether he would or would not accept the Offer. He told us frankly that we must not Expect him till after his ordination.
This declaration Occasioned those uneasy Sensations in the minds of the Vestry, that a State of suspense begets in Ingenious minds, when
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the object of their pursuit is Snatched from their grasp and placed in a Scituation possibly never to be obtained.
Vestry, however, in this dilemma determined nothing should be wanting on their part.
Mr. Vandyck, who had repeatedly Requested to be paid for his past Services Since last November (tho it was A departure from our Agreement, which makes the Payment annual, & of Course not collect- able before), was asked for his account, which he rendered us.
Ways and means were taken into Consideration, how to raise mon- eys to discharge it without calling upon the Subscribers at large, least such a Measure might bring Both him and us into Contempt, to the great detriment of the Church.
8. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 69.
1785, July 4, the Secretary read the following address handed him from Mr. Vandyck:
Poughkeepsie, June 30th, 1785.
Gentelmen,
I have duly considered your proposal of Yesterday in Conse- quence of my acc't delivered for past services in the church, and cannot conceive how I can with propriety accept it, with- out doing Manifest injustice to the Fishkill congregation, who have generously paid me, without any conditions, my full dues according to the proportion of Sundays they have Re- ceived the advantage of since November last,&, for which, they have my receipt in full for all past services in their Con- gregation. I must therefore leave it to your own generosity to act with me as you shall think proper on the Occasion.
I wish I could see my way clear at this Juncture to gratify your request of an immediate removal with my family before I am in Orders to the charge of the Church in this town.
A practice of this nature is altogether unusual in our Church, of which, indeed, with the greatest propriety, you appear from the letter of your call, to be fully sensible of, by fixing, as the express condition of my being accepted into the Rectorship of this Church, my producing to your Corporation the necessary Testimonials of my being Legally ordained by the Bishop, and also that such Ordination must take place by the month of October 1785, in order to be binding for the payment of Salary with the use of the land.
So, that clearly I cannot enjoy the one nor the Other with
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propriety until my Ordination is confirmed to this Corpora- tion under the usual signature of the Bishop.
Your attention to the true Interest of the Church, from these necessary Precautions, as explained by you Yesterday, is obvious and merits the Approbation of every good man who wishes to see the Episcopal Church in this Country established by a regular discipline, which in her present Scituation is Absolutely expedient to prevent all Irregularities, and which cannot take place unless her Clergy are thus supported by the professors of the Church in this necessary work.
Again, my immediate removal with my Family before Or- dination, reduces me to the Scituation of being without the direction & control of the Clergy in Connecticut, who, from their long knowledge of my Character, must be supposed to be the only proper Judges of my Merits as a Candidate for the Sacred ministry, &, of course, the only proper persons to whom I can Apply for a recommendation to the Bishop for Holy Or- ders.
Upon the whole, therefore, I must think that a conduct of this kind in me, however pleasing otherways in prospect, would be attended with Consequences that might be esteemed prejudicial to the Established order of the Episcopal Church, and also greatly embarass me with the Bishop, who most assuredly will pay a particular attention to All irregularitys in any of the Candidates, let their other Qualifications be ever so great.
I have reduced these reflections to writing to prevent all misunderstandings and unnecessary altercations in the Episcopal Church here, which has hitherto produced too un- charitable Jealousies and Uncandid animadvertions.
I am Gentelmen with due Esteem
Your most humble Serv't Henry Vandyck.
To the Church wardens &
Vestry men of Christ Church Poughkeepsie.
Vestry, after duly attending the merits of the foregoing address, ordered their sentiments to be Committed to writing, of which what follows is a faithfull Copy :
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Poughkeepsie July 4th, 1785.
Sir
The treasurer stands ready to pay what money we have been able to collect for your past Services. Your acc't, de- livered in, will be considered of at some future Vestry.
We are sorry that you cannot be prevailed upon to remove your family here immediately. We are still of opinion that the interest of the Church, as well as your own, would receive the highest advantage by facilitating this measure.
And we regret to declare, tho in the language of friends, that your Address does not carry Conviction with it as to the inexpediency of your Settelment here before your being in Orders.
We lament any Jealousys that may exist, which must cease when the grounds are done away. Conscious of the Rectitude of our Intentions, we profess our aim is how best to promote your Intrest & that of the Church. And which we conceive to be clearly proved by the great earnestness manifested of your Immediate settelment here. As to any temporary visi- tations, they must be Expensive to you without any Valuable consequences to us. This being the case, we expect your next appearance among us will be with your family, which will effectually cure every Discordant suspicion and open a Scene of lasting tranquility.
Upon the whole, these being our desires, We would recom- mend that you reconsider matters here, and, after your return home, to meet our wishes & afford us the Oppertunity of Con- gratulating your arrival amongs us. May you & we have abundant reason to thank God for the Event is the Devout wish of your Sincere friends & Serv'ts
Robert Noxon
Richard Davis
To Mr. Isaac Baldin Jr. William Emott
Henry Vandyck James Pritchard
Ebenezer Badger
Henry Mott
N.B.
Vestry, upon mature deliberation, consent to your waiting six weeks for Ordination. After which period they Expect your immediate Removal.
The above paper being prepared, Mr. Vandyck was invited in & pre- sented with it. His reply was that he would take it under Considera- tion. That he should return home on the morrow, previous to which
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he desired to be furnished with money. Upon which the board Or- dered their treasurer to Advance him £14.10.0 for past Services since Nov'r ,which, added to £9.0.0 already paid, amounts to £23.10.0.
9. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 72.
1785, Aug. 16, the Secretary laid before Vestry the following Letter from Mr. Vandyck:
New Hackensack, Aug'st 16th 1785.
Sir
The scituation of my own affairs & that of my family are such as that I cannot comply with the Order of the Vestry of Christ Church in Poughkeepsie, of the first of July last, for an immediate removal of myself and family after the expiration of six weeks from that date.
As I engaged with the Church at Fishkill to come up and make them a Visit immediately upon my receiving Holy Or- ders, I have accordingly been with them on Sunday last. But, as in the letter to me of the first of July the Vestry of your Church consider any visitations of this kind useless, I have, in consequence, given no notice that I should be with you. Notwithstanding, if they wish to have my Services on Sunday next, and they will give the necessary notice thereof, with Request to me on the Occasion, the Lord willing I shall be rea- dy to serve them.
Should an event of this kind take place it may not be amiss to inform all who have children to Baptize that, if their parents will bring them into the Church, they will receive the Adminis- tration of that holy Ordinance. The enclosed I beg you will forward to Isaac Baldin Jun'r as soon as may be, provided the Church think proper to have me come to Poughkeepsie on Sunday next, as it concerns the Baptizing of Children in that quarter also.
You will please to make my best wishes acceptable to the Church for their present prosperity and felicity, and believe me to be Sir your most humble servant-
Henry Vandyck.
Mr. William Emott secretary to the Corporation of Christ Church Poughkeepsie.
Vestry, after weighing the contents of the Above letter, ordered the following one to be sent in answer to it:
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Poughkeepsie 16 Aug'st 1785.
Rev'd Sir
Yours per Doct'r Ball has come to hand, which I have laid before Vestry, who take the earliest Oppertunity to Con- gratulate you upon your Ordination.
You take occasion to say, if they wish to have your services on Sunday next &c. This, to us, seems to be speaking in a dis- tant Language to a Congregation from whom you have ac- cepted a Call, and who have long been anciously waiting for your Arrival.
If you have not complyed with our Request in your Re- moval, ought you not to call upon us to let us know your reasons? You must entertain a strange Idea of us to require an invitation to preach in your own Church! The plain mat- ter is, if you do not attend here on Sunday next we shall Conceive ourselves neglected. And, further, we mean to perform our Engagements and expect you will do the same.
The Congregation will be notifyed, and the Letter forwarded to Mr. Baldin.
I am, Sir, with due respect, your humble Serv't
By order of Vestry William Emott.
Rev'd Henry Vandyck
New Hackensack.
10. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 73.
1785, Aug. 22, Vestry being mett desired Mr. Vandyck to walk into the room and inform them what business he had to lay before them.
[Mr.Van Dyck presented his propositions in writing, in four articles which, in brief, were as follows :-
Will vestry adjust accounts with the Fishkill congregation respecting old and new glebe, by an arbitration;
Will vestry join with the Fishkill congregation in repairing the glebe- house and fencing the old glebe, "so as to make the one tenantable, and the other usefull."
Will vestry enter into such an engagement with Mr. VanDyck as will secure the payment of his salary by their successors, as well as themselves;
Will vestry give £20.0.0 to the support of the Bishop?
Vestry resolved, in respect to the first article concerning Fishkill, that :- ] we always have and still stand ready to settell with them
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Amicably upon terms of Justice and Equity, whenever they make the application.
[The subsequent articles vestry considered were "out of the question," for the following reasons :- A final contract was entered into with Mr. Vandyck long since; said contract was approved by both parties to it, and duly recorded (see No. 6, preceding); as proof of Mr. Van- dyck's recognition of this contract, the treasurer produced his receipt, .. dated Poughkeepsie Nov. 24, 1784, for "the sum of £4.0.0, on agree- ment of the yearly salary commencing the 14th day of Nov. 1784."]
These schetches, and our former transactions as far back as June 20th, 1784, Plainly prove that the Obligations between us are mutual, final and decisive, which, if either of the parties Seek to violate they must incur the Guilt of Breach of Contract, honour and good faith, thus religiously pledged.
Mr. Vandyck, notwithstanding all our Arguments, positively assert- ed that he did not Consider Himself bound by any former agreements. The Question was then put to him whether he meant a removal among us.
His Answer was that he owed Canonical obedience to his Bishop, whom he should Consult on the Occasion. Whereupon he withdrew.
This kind of Conduct was considered by the vestry as Equivocal. Resolved, by this Corporation in Vestry assembled, that Mr. Vandyck's appeal to the Bishop makes it necessary, for the vindication of the congregation we Represent, to transmitt to the Venerable Bishop an Account of our proceedings, to be by him committed to the worthy Clergy over whom he presides (whose warm wishes we would study to preserve), to Counteract any Unfavorable representations which · Mr. Vandyck may make against us, in Justification of his reprehensible Conduct toward us.
Vestry then unanimously agreed to meet at the house of Mr. Richard Davis on saturday next for the dispatch of this Business and ad- journed.
11. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 76.
1785, Aug. 24, Mr. Vandyck called upon Mr. Badger and Mr. Pritchard. He desired them to inform the vestry that their non-com- plyance with his proposals of the 22d Instant would not retard his coming to Settel here. It was his wish that all misunderstanding be- tween us might be buried in Oblivion. He proposed mutual conces- sions. And declared his intention of an immediate removal with his family, as soon as he effected the Settelment of some important private business between himself & Mr. Arden of New York.
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The 27th Vestry met, and, upon the above report laid aside their design of addressing the Bishop.
They can't make concessions, being conscientiously of opinion they have not Erred.
If Mr. Vandyck removes hither, he will be cordially received agree- able to the letter of the Call.
12. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 77.
The following letter was Received from Mr. Vandyck.
[Copy entered in Vestry Minutes. Original letter on file, Parish Mss., Van Dyck papers, No. 4.]
New Hackensack Sept'r 28th, 1785.
Gentlemen
I have the pleasure to inform you that on Friday the 16th Instant I was admitted into Priests' Orders over the Churches of Fishkill & Poughkeepsie. The Titles from both Churches were presented to Bishop Seabury and he was pleased to accept of them and they are now in his Possession.
I lament the delicacy of my situation with regard to the Trespass Act in your State, which I am afraid will prevent my comeing to my Pastoral charge as early as I could wish.
I am at present only a bird of passage here, and must return tomorrow from hence by 12 o'clock at noon. I therefore re- quest to see your Vestry, or a committee from that Body, before my return to Connecticut, at the house of Mr. John Cooke, as it is not judged prudent for me to go to Poughkeep- sie. The necessity of this interview you must be convinced of and I shall expect to see you by nine o'clock to morrow morning at farthest. I should be glad of your answer by the return of the bearer.
I am Gentlemen
The Vestry-men of Your most hum'l Servt Poughkeepsie Church. Henry Vandyck.
Mr. James Pritchard waited on Mr. Vandyck by the appointment of Vestry at Mr. Cooke's.
13. Vestry Minutes, Vol. 1, p. 77.
A letter from Mr. Vandyck dated Fishkill 31 Octr 1785.
[Copy entered in Vestry Minutes. Original letter on file, Parish Mss., Van Dyck papers, No. 5.]
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Fishkill October 31st 1785
Gentlemen
I am exceedingly sorry that the weather was such yesterday that you could not attend Church here, as from the assuran- ces of Major Bush I had reason to expect you.
The unhappy situation I am in, with respect to Mr. Arden's demand, you are not unacquainted with, as you have seen Mr. Verplanck's letter to me on the subject.
As both Congregations look upon it as only personal, and conceive their circumstances to be such as that they cannot, by any means, afford me the least aid in order to enable me to come among them, I cannot but lament the unfavorable pros- pect of my setling with you.
An attempt however is concluded to be made with Mr. Arden once more, in hopes that, from the improbability of his obtaining any advantage, he may be induced to accept of more moderate terms: but I confess my hopes are small, as, from Mr. Verplanck's letter he seems determined.
Should this unfortunately be the case it will be necessary for you to make choice of some other Gentleman to officiate in your Churches, as it will be altogether impossible for me to comply with your desires.
I presume you are not unacquainted with the conditions upon which Mr. John Le Roy took the Glebe from me, as it was reduced to writing, and, if I mistake not, lodged even- tually in the hands of Mr. Emott.
You will therefore take charge of the neat produce of the farm, according to that stipulation, to your own advantage as well as for the Fishkill Church; and should you think proper to require anything further from me, in compensation for the vacancy of the House during the Summer season, I will en- deavor, upon the first notice to make you recompence as soon as I shall be able.
These Observations I have made, should I not be able to come to you, which nothing would have prevented but this rigid and unjust demand.
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