USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > New London > Historical discourse delivered on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the New London Presbyterian Church, Chester County, Pennsylvania : June 22, 1876 > Part 1
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10 En" State Libran
HISTORICAL DISCOURSE
DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION OF THE
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE
NEW LONDON
Presbyterian Church,
CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA,
JUNE 22, 1876,
BY THE PASTOR, THE REV. ROBERT P. DU BOIS.
OXFORD, PA. THE "PRESS" JOB-PRINTING OFFICE. 1876.
PREFACE.
On Thursday, the 22d of June, 1876, the Centennial year of our na- tion, the Presbyterian congregation of New London, Pa., came to- gether to celebrate its 150th Anniversary. A large assembly conven- ed, made up of its people and of members of neighboring churches, who, from previous membership here or otherwise, were interested in its welfare and its history. Among these, the following ministers of the Gospel gratified us by their presence : the Rev. Professors I. N. Rendall, D. D., and E. R. Bo rer, of the Lincoln University; the Rev. Messrs. J. H. Johns, pastor of the Rock Church, Md; Wm. B. Noble, pastor of the Fagg's Manor Church; A. DeWitt, once pastor of the Rock Church; Joseph Smith, of Chester Presbytery; and Thomas Montgomery, minister in charge of the New London M. E. Circuit.
The 103d Psalm was read by Dr. Rendall; a prayer of thanksgiving for national blessings was offered by Prof. Bower, and a thanksgiving prayer for God's mercies to the congregation by Mr. Noble. Appro- priate hymns were sung by the people, and the choir favored us with several select chants and anthems.
The Historical Discourse which follows occupied part of the fore- noon and part of the afternoon sessions. It was prepared and read by the pastor, the Rev. Robert P. DuBois. At its close, impromptu addresses were made by the Rev. Messrs. Johns, De Witt, Noble and Rendall, which presented several aspects, both grave and humorous, of our history.
The good old doxology, sung with a will by all present, and the benediction pronounced by the venerable Mr. De Witt, closed the pleasant services of a day ever to be gratefully remembered amongst us.
DISCOURSE.
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The General Assemblies of our church for 1873 and 1875 have re- quested that, for this Centennial year, there should be prepared a his- tory of each of our congregations by its pastor or other suitable per- sou. It is well known that such a history of this church of New Lon- don, Pa., was written in the year 1845 by the present pastor, and printed to the extent of 500 copies. But as this has now gone almost entirely out of print, and as considerable material for history has been formed since, it is thought best to attend now to this request of our Venerable Assemblies. In making this attempt, the facts of our earlier history must of course be mainly gathered from the previous one referred to, as that contained almost all that could be collected by the most diligent research ; but they will be set forth with very considerable abridgment and in a different form, the method adopted being not chronological but by distinct topics. It is presumed that any one who wishes to study our history minutely will avail himself of both discourses, as copies of both will be placed in the library of the Presbyterian Historical Society.
In the early part of the last century, the western side of Chester county and the southern and eastern parts of Lancaster county, in Pennsylvania, were extensively settled by the well-known class of immigrants called the Scotch-Irish. These landed at Newcastle, thence spreading southerly through the Peninsula, westerly to the Susquehanna, and then turning northerly took up the fertile lands in Penn's Province along the Octorara, the Elk, the White Clay Creek and their branches. These were all Protestants of the Presbyterian type, largely imbued with a love for their distinctive religious princi- ples, and early trained to the observance of Christian ordinances. As a matter of course, they brought their religion with them, and the log meeting-house went up simultaneously with their own log cabins.
In the spring of 1720, certain of these families dwelling on the Elk river and its tributaries sent up a petition to the Presbytery of New- castle to be supplied with preaching. A minister was sent, and on his favorable report a month after, and at the request of the people,
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a congregation was organized ealled Elk River, which included on its northeru side all this region of country. Out of this, about six years afterwards, grew this New London congregation, aud on this wise. The families on this side grew restless and dissatisfied, chiefly on ac- count of their distance from the Elk River meeting house, which then stood at what is uow called the Stone Grave-yard, but partly because of existing feuds, and in part because they were earnestly pressed for the payment of their stipends. The first movements toward separate worship were made on the 11th of May, 1726. In that year they com- menced the erection of another meeting-house, and appeared twice by their commissioners before the Presbytery, aud once by appeal before the Synod, to ask for a distinct organization and for part of the labors of Mr. Houstou, the Elk River pastor. This request was re- fused for fear that ifgranted it would weaken and perliaps destroy the feeble church of Elk River just struggling iuto life. This led to a protract- ed and bitter controversy, in which the Presbytery,the Synod, and the pastor and people of Elk River were all arrayed on one side, and the few persistent families of New London on the other. This conten- tion was not brought to a final elosc until the 16th of September, 1731, a period of five years and four months. During all that time it was bandied about among these different parties, the authorities some- times yielding a point, then retracting, and then suggesting or making compromises, until at last they grew weary aud gave the matter up, acknowledging that no damage, so far as they could see, had accrued to Mr. lloustou's congregation. In the meantime, the house had been built, the congregation had been regularly organized by the Presby- tery on the 26th of March, 1728, and a pastor had been called and the call put into his hands by the Presbytery and accepted by him. The minutes in full of both the Presbytery and the Synod, so far as they relate to this matter, were copied into the first discourse before re- ferred to, filling up six pages of the same, where those who are curi- ous about such things may find them recited. It is not thought ue- cessary now to produce them again, but simply to give the above brief abstract.
Attention is here particularly called to the fact, that although this congregation was not formally coustituted as such by the Presbytery until March 26th, 1728, yet that as early as 1726 the separation actu- ally took place, a house of worship was built, and arrangements made for preaching. We therefore justly claim that year as the first year of our history as a church. . In this, the Centennial year of our ua- tioual existence, that was just one hundred and fifty years ago. We are therefore, as a congregation, precisely half a century older than we are as a nation.
PASTORS AND SUPPLIES.
The first pastor of this church was the REV. SAMUEL GELSTON. He
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was born in 1692, in the north of Ireland, where he was educated and licensed to preach. When 23 years old he came to New England, whence he went to Southampton, L. I., where was a Puritan settle- ment. Being called to be the colleague of the Rev. Mr. Whiting, the. minister, he accepted the call and was ordained by the Long Island Presbytery, April 17. 1717. He resided there about ten years. His brother Hugh also lived there,and was the head of a large family well known on that island and in New York to this day. He next went into the bounds of the Presbytery of Newcastle, who admitted him as a member, August 27th, 1728. At that time he received a call from the Newcastle church, and in the next month one from New Lon- don, which latter he accepted. Going on to preach within the bounds and in a meeting-house which had been prohibited by the Synod, he was sharply rebuked by the Presbytery for so doing, when he acknowl. edged his transgression and promised not to do the like again uutil either the Synod or the Presbytery open the door for him. In 1734 the Presbytery suspended him from the ministry for immoral conduct, at which time he probably left New London. The Syuod continued his suspension, but the next year sent a committee to the Highlands of New York, where he then lived, to investigate his case still further. On their favorable report, the Presbyteries of Newcastle and Done- gal conjointly restored him to his office in 1736. Iu the year following, by order of the Donegal Presbytery, he visited Opequhon, Va., where he probably organized a church. He died October 22, 1782, aged ninety years.
A vacancy followed of about two years, during which they no doubt received occasional supplies from the Presbytery.
The second pastor was the REV. FRANCIS ALISON. He was born in the year 1705, in the county Donegal, Ireland. He was educated in the University of Glasgow. On his arrival in America in 1735, he was employed by the father of John Dickinson, Governor of Delaware, as a tutor for his son and a few other pupils. Owing to a gap in the records of the Presbytery of Newcastle between the years 1731 and 1759, the date of his ordination is not exactly known; but it appears from the minutes of the Syuod that it was between the 18th of June, 1736, when he is spoken of as a licentiate, and the 25th of May 1737, when he is recognized as the installed pastor of New London. He remained here about fifteen years. He was an earnest and an ener- getic man. He purchased a farm adjoining a tract of 700 acres which belonged to Robert Finney, one of his elders, who had been a leading spirit in drawing away this people from the Elk River cougregation. On this farm (which now belongs to Robert Crowl), he opened a pri- vate Academy in 1741, which, three years after, was adopted by the Synod ot Philadelphia as their Academy, and for a time supported by them. This laid the foundation for his great and well-deserved fame as a teacher,and afterwards for his call as a college Professor in Phil-
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adelphia. In the year 1744, as nearly as can be ascertained, the log meeting-house was abandoned, and a new and large brick edifice was erected on the present site. About the year 1750, he probably bought the farm now occupied by Michael Montgomery, for by the year 1752 he had erected upon it the large brick mansion still standing in the village of New London and half a mile from the then new church. This building he intended for his Academy, but never occupied it, for at that time he received an invitation to the Philadelphia Academy, afterwards the College, and now the University of Pennsylvania, and to become the assistant pastor of the first Presbyterian church of that city. This invitation he felt it his duty to accept, and accordingly re- moved to that place. Doctor Alison was a man of mark, and a leader in both the Presbytery and the Synod. Whilst he was here, the first great schism in the Presbyterian Church, which lasted from 1741 to 1758, took place. He was a strenuous advocate of what was called the Old Side. Indeed it was a "complaint" which he had carried up to the Synod in 1741 which led to the famous Protestation. signed by him- self, eleven other ministers, and seven elders, which immediately pro- duced the schism. As his after history belonged to Philadelphia, it. is not dwelt upon further than to say that he filled a prominent part in ecclesiastical,educational and civil matters downto his death, which occurred on the 28th of November, 1779. His wife's maiden name was Armitage, and they were the parents of four sons and two daughters. Two of their sons died in boyhood, and the grave-stone of one of them, named Francis, is yet to be seen in our grave-yard. A third died in his 28th year; the rest survived their father. One of them, who was a physician, left several children, the last of whom died a year and a half ago. His descendants of following generations, who were not numer- ous, reside in this part of our county and in Philadelphia.
After Mr. Alison's removal, there was again an interregnum, which continued about twenty years. When the minutes of Presbytery com- menced again in 1759, we find the Session regularly applying for sup- plies, who were granted to the extent of eight or ten each year. They attempted to obtain a pastor in 1764 by calling Mr. James Davidson, a licentiate lately from Ireland. He however accepted an invitation to take charge of the Academy in Newark, Del. Two years later they made an ineffectual call to Mr. Alison to return. Two years after that. they had another call in view, but it was not made out.
The third pastor was the REV. JAMES WILSON. He was educated at the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Newcastle on the 21st of April, 1770. In about a year, he was called, at the same time, to New London and to Big Spring, in Cumberland county, Pa. The former call he accept- ed, and was accordingly ordained and installed pastor of this congre- gation on the 15th of October, 1771. The officiating ministers on the occasion were the Rev. Messrs. Alex. McDowell, James Montgomery
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and Robert Smith. He built (in 1776) and resided in the brick house now owned and occupied by Joseph Hodgson, Esq. The Revolution: ary War breaking out in his time, he is said to have served occas sionally as a chaplain in the American army, as was common with the Presbyterian preachers of that day, who were wont to accompany their people as they marched to the conflict. After about seven years he received a wound in his cheek from the stake of a fence whilst sleighing, which left a permanent opening, greatly interfering with his powers of speech. He accordingly applied to Presbytery to dis- solve his pastoral relation, assigning this wound and its result as one reason, and giving as another the removal of a number of his mem- bers, by reason of which a support could not be expected. The con- gregation, being very loath to part with him, offered to increase his salary and to wait a year for his recovery. He, however, insisted, and they left the matter to the Presbytery, who released him from his charge on the 27th of October, 1778. I have been told by an aged member of this church, long deceased, who was present at the delivery of his farewell sermon, that it was so affecting there was scarcely a dry eye to be secn in the whole house. He removed to Wye River; on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits. He continued in secular business until his death, which took place in Maryland a number of years afterwards. His daughter, the widow of the late Rev. Dr. Jennings, of Nashville, died in Philadelphia some years ago.
After his time, the congregation were again dependent upon sup- plies, either stated or occasional, for the long period of thirty-one years. This may be accounted for on various reasons. Ministers in those times were few, and were much inclined to settle among the emigrants to Western Pennsylvania and other parts. Nearly all of the older churches were much weakened at that time by that same emigration, induced by the impoverishment of their farms, caused by their defective methods of cultivation, whilst these farms fell into the hands of people of other religious persuasions. Again, the pastors' salaries were often paid in a greatly depreciated currency, so that, unable to subsist upon them, they were sometimes compelled to turn to other employments for a living. In addition to these, the long- protracted war had, as is usual in such cases, brought about a state of things very unfavorable to religion and morals ; intemperance, pro- fanity and licentiousness became fearfully prevalent ; and infidelity, promoted by the French Revolution, reared its baleful hcad. All these things were sorely felt by this and other congregations, and in- deed for several years some of them were almost threatened with ex- tinction. At the close of the war, in twenty miles around there were only two pastors to administer sealing ordinances, and candidates were scarcely known.
In spite of all these difficulties, this congregation made several
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earnest but ineffectual efforts to procure a pastor, and as these belong to their history they should be recorded. In 1785 the Rev. Samuel Barr, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Londonderry, in Ireland, preached as a stated supply for six months, and then received a call to be their pastor ; but the western fever having seized him, he travelled out to Pittsburg, were he founded the First Presbyterian Church, and remained as a pastor for five years. He married into the McDowell family of this congregation, and finally settled in Newcastle, Del., where he died, and where some of his descendants still reside.
The next that came before them was the Rev. Francis Hindman, a licentiate of Lewes Presbytery. In the spring of 1790, in union with East Nottingham (formerly Elk River but now the Rock), he was called, but the Presbytery declined to place the call in his hands, on account of a dispute with the Lewes Presbytery about his licensure. In the meantime he continued as a stated supply, and in the follow- ing year the two churches again wished to make out a call; but a decided opposition had arisen, so that two opposing sets of commissioners ap- peared, the Presbytery was embarrassed, and sent committees to visit and inquire into matters. The result was that he was never settled as their pastor, although he continued to preach among them a while longer.
The third minister called was the Rev. Francis Alison Latta. He was the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. James Latta, of Chestnut Level, Pa., and is said to have been endowed with great powers as a preacher. In the spring of 1794, soon after his licensure, he was called both to this church and to Dover, Del., neither of which invitations he accept- ed. He remained here, however, for a year, as a stated supply, and was again called, and again declined. He was first settled in Wil- mington, Del., then at Lancaster, Pa., and afterwards at Chestnut Level, in his late father's place. During a large part of his ministry he also employed hi nself as ateacher, being a mau of a fine and well- cultivated mind. He never married, and his last years were spent in the Moscow Academy, in Chester county, where he died on the 21st of April, 1834, in his 67th year.
Another effort was made to secure a pastor, and the person applied to this time was the Rev. John Ewing Latta, a brother of Francis. This was also in conjunction with the Rock, and was made in the spring of 1800, nearly two years after he was licensed. This call he declined, preferring to settle at Newcastle and Christiana Bridge. He was a man of enlarged views and liberal feelings, and a faithful ex- pounder of God's word. For a number of years he had charge of an Academy in Newcastle; he also served the General Assembly as per- manent clerk and in other ways for a long time. He was married to Catharine Van Voorhies, of Philadelphia, and left seven children, four of whom, with their mother, still survive. He died September 26, 1824, in his 52d year.
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It may here be noted that during much of this long vacancy, at the request of the congregation, the Presbytery regnlarly appointed the Rev. Dr. James Latta, of Chestnnt Level, above referred to, and the Rev. Dr. Thomas Reed, of Wilmington, to administer the communion at this place. Thus they came very naturally to be regarded by this people as their spiritnal counselors, and their words and deeds were long remembered by many amongst them with the deepest interest.
The next pastor, and the fonrth in order, was the REV. ROBERT GRAHAM. He came from Central Pennsylvania, and was a licentiate of Carlisle Presbytery. He received a call from this church and eom- menced preaching here in May, 1809. On the 26th of September, having attached himself to this Presbytery, he first returned the call from New London, in order that two distinct calls might be presented from this church and the Rock, the former for two-thirds and the lat- ter for one-third of his time ; which calls he accepted. The reason why these two congregations united on this and two previous occasions in inviting one minister to serve them both, may be found in their weakened condition, growing out of the nntoward circumstances above deseribed, and their long vacancy. The Presbytery met in New Lon- don for his ordination and instalment, December 13, 1809. The officiating ministers were the Rev. Messrs. Francis A. Latta. Samuel Martin and Nathan Grier. From a valnable History of the Rock Church, by the pastor, the Rev. J. H. Johns, published in 1872, I eopy the following description : " Mr. Graham was a medinm-sized man, with black hair, blind of one eye, agreeable in address, and had many warm friends. Ile was a fair preacher, a faithful pastor, an active temperance advocate and a friend of progress. The church was greatly benefitted by his labors." Abont a year before he died he received an injury by being thrown from his carriage, and from this he never recovered, but died on his farm, nearly two miles north-west of New London, November 5th, 1835. He married Ann Ross, of this congregation. They had twelve children, three of whom were mar- ried, but for a number of years they have not had one living deseend- ant. Most of them died young, and most of them, with their parents, were buried at New London.
There followed a vacancy of one year, during which the congrega- tion was ministered to by supplies and candidates.
The present pastor, the REV. ROBERT PATTERSON DU BOIS, came next in order. He is descended from a French Protestant, or Hu- guenot, who emigrated to America in 1660, for eonscience sake. His father was the Rev. U. Dn Bois, the founder and first pastor of the Presbyterian church of Doylestown, Pa. He was born Angust 19th, 1805, at Doylestown, received his academical education under his father and his eollegiate in the University of Pennsylvania, where he gradnated in Jnly, 1824. He turned his attention first to the study of medieine, and afterwards to teaching, finding it more congenial. He
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had charge of the Chester County Academy, and then of the Doyles- town Academy, for several years. His ministerial education was re- ceived partly at Princeton Seminary and partly under his brother-in- law, the Rev. Silas M. Andrews, D. D., pastor of the Doylestown church. He was licensed by the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia (Synodical) in October, 1835, and, after a year spent in study, travel- ling and preaching, was called to New Loudon. He removed with his family to this place, and commenced his labors on the 1st of Novem- ber, 1836, but was not ordained and installed until the 20th of the following month. The ministers who took part in his installation were Messrs. John M. Dickey, George Burrowes and Alfred Hamilton. By the blessing of God he has labored here ever since. Some of the results of his pastorate will appear in other sections of this history. His wife, who was the oldest daughter of the Rev. John E. Latta, be- fore spoken of, died in 1853. They were the parents of seven children, of whom two are now living.
RULING ELDERS.
Owing to a mistaken and unpresbyterian notion that seems to have widely prevailed in this section of our church, that the acts of disci- pline of the church had better not be preserved, lest family feeling should iu after times be wounded, the Session of this church kept no record of their proceedings, and never until the beginning of the year 1837 did a ses- sion book cxist. Up to that time almost uo registers were preserved of ruling elders, communicants, baptisms, marriages and deaths. Thus much valuable information is lost. Since that time such registers have been accurately kept. The names of those who officiated as ruling elders previous to the year 1797 canuot be fully ascertained. They are here inserted so far as they can be recalled by tradition, and in the order of their succession, so far as known. After that date the list is complete. Robert Finney, James Harbison, George Correy, James Kennedy, Johu Steele, James Moore, James Allen, John Fleming, Hugh Campbell, William Neal, James Read, William Read, Adam Read, Joseph Moore, Robert Wilkin, Thomas Fulton, William Carr, Elijah McClenachan, Andrew Boyd, Walter Finney aud David Harbison. In September, 1797, these five were ordained : John Fin- ney, John Ross, John Read, George Correy and John Menough ; in 1811, these four: John W. Cuningham, James Kelton, Robert M. Waugh and Nathaniel Hudders ; on February 5, 1837, the four follow- ing : Samuel Blair McClenachan, William Steele, John M. Kelton and John Nivin ; on the 13th of June, 1852, these four : William K. Cor- rey, Mark A. Hodgson, John McHenry and David Jackson, the last of whom being only installed ; on April 23, 1859, the five following, viz .: James A. Strawbridge, William Johnston, Samuel Mackey, Rob- ert Hodgson and Dr. Heury Duffield, of whom the last was only in- stalled; on the 24th of September, 1871, four were ordained and
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