USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > A historical account of Christ Church, Philadelphia : from its foundation, A.D. 1695, to A.D. 1841 : and of St. Peter's and St. James's, until the separation of the churches > Part 20
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
570 00
384
APPENDIX.
Amount carried over 570 00
From which deduct the following annual charges, viz. :
Water rents
$15 00
Taxes, annually, about . 52 00
Repairs average about
. 63 00 -
130 00
$440 00 To which, add the following stock at 5 per cent. per annum, which has been purchased at various times by the committee having charge of this legacy, viz. :
$700 of city loan, 5 per cent. yielding annu- ally .
35 00
$850 of Pennsylvania state, 5 per cent. yield- ing annually
42 50
1
$517 50
There is besides a balance now lying in the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of $285 15 in cash, part of which will be required shortly to pay the poor communicants- some part will be wanted for repairs of the wood work of the houses, and part will be ready to be invested in addi- tional 5 per cent. stock. The rents of the two houses in Sassafras street are pretty regularly paid when due.
The certificates of the 5 per cent. stock are all now standing in the name of "the Rector, Church-wardens, and Vestrymen of the united Episcopal churches of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, in the city of Philadelphia, upon the trust, &c. of Henry Rigby."
It would be proper to have them now transferred to the " rector, church-wardens, and vestrymen of Christ Church, in the city of Philadelphia, in trust, &c."
There are seven certificates of stock in the city loan,
385
APPENDIX.
each $100, and five certificates of Pennsylvania State Stock, viz. :
$200
100
200
200
150
$850
All of which are kept in a drawer in the vault at Christ Church Hospital, as also the policies of insurance on the houses against fire.
H. J. HUTCHINS,
Chairman of Committee on Rigby's Legacy.
Committee appointed by vestry on Rigby's Legacy, C. P. WAYNE, GEORGE TRYON, H. J. HUTCHINS.
APPENDIX C.
The property bequeathed by the will of William Thomas, dated 2d July, 1789, consists of three three-story brick dwelling houses, and one ground rent of $26 67 per annum. The income is directed to be appropriated in the following manner, viz. :
House in N. Fifth street, No. 58, now
occupied by Anthony Tripple, at an annual rent of
$130 00
Do. adjoining-No. 60, occupied by
William Johnston · . 150 00
Do. in Mulberry street, near Front, No.
10, occupied by Geo. Scott . 200 00
480 00
33
386
APPENDIX.
Deduct estimated repairs and taxes per annum, $60-also, this sum to be applied annually " towards the tuition of the poor children of St. Peter's Church," $80 . 140 00
Estimated annual amount to be " distri- buted between the poor that are in actual communion in St. Peter's Church" . $340 00
.
To be applied "toward the tuition of the poor children of St. Peter's Church," as mentioned above
80 00
Also a ground-rent on lot on S. Second street, near the Wharton Market, payable by Ann Veacock 26 67
Annual appropriation for the tuition of the poor children of St. Peter's Church 106 67
Estimated annual income from Wm. Thomas's legacy 446 67
Balance now in the hands of the commit- tee for distribution among the poor com- municants of St. Peter's Church . . 300 46
And for the tuition of the poor children of said church . 128 07
$428 53
Committee on Thomas's Legacy-LAWRENCE LEWIS, JOHN MILLER, JR. WILLIAM PHILLIPS. LAWRENCE LEWIS, Chairman of the Committee on Thomas's Legacy. FEBRUARY 14th, 1832.
EARLY HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
IN
PENNSYLVANIA,
AND
SOME OF THE ADJOINING STATES.
" Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
Thou madest room for it; and when it had taken root, it filled the land.
The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedar trees.
She stretched out her branches unto the sea, and her boughs unto the river."-PSALM LXXX, 8-11.
EARLY
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
IN
PENNSYLVANIA,
AND SOME OF THE ADJOINING STATES.
Ir has been well and truly said, in the Preface to our book of Common Prayer, that the Protestant Episcopal Church in these United States is indebted, under God, to the church of England, for her first foundation, and a long continuance of nursing care and protection. The remark is more immediately appli- cable to the venerable society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, established in England in the year 1701, under royal patronage, for the ex- press purpose of disseminating the doctrines and wor- ship of the Episcopal Church in the British colonies. The history of that society for the first seventy or eighty years of its operations, until the American rev- olution put a stop to its benevolent labours here, is the history of the establishment and progress of the church in this country. A large debt of gratitude is certainly due from us for their successful efforts. Nor can we forbear acknowledging the truth of a prediction made
*33
390
EARLY HISTORY
more than a hundred years ago in reference to this subject, " that the principles implanted in the people then, would influence future generations; and though that age was greatly indebted to the society, their pos- terity would be exceedingly more so."* The same writer remarks of the Archbishop of Canterbury, through whose influence the royal charter was granted and this society established, that it " was an action suitable to Archbishop Tenison's public spirit and honest zeal for the protestant religion, and exceeding- ly becoming his high station and authority in the church. The American colonies sure," he adds, " can never without the greatest veneration and gratitude remember him, when they shall, many ages hereafter, feel the happy effects of having the christian religion planted among them, and reflect how hearty and for- ward Archbishop Tenison appeared, to obtain that charter which gave life and authority to so glorious an undertaking."+ Every Episcopalian will heartily respond to this sentiment, and bless God for having put it into the heart of so great and good a man to exert his influence in behalf of an institution, from which we derive such priceless privileges.
The following interesting account of the early in- troduction of the church into this and the neighbouring states, is taken from a work entitled " An account of the Society for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, established by the Royal Charter of King Wil- liam III., with their proceedings and success, and
* Humphreys's Hist. of the Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, London, 1730, Preface, p. 4.
t Ibid. p. 13.
391
OF THE CHURCH.
hopes of continual progress under the happy reign of her most excellent majesty QUEEN ANNE." " Printed by order of the Society, John Chamberlayne, Secre- tary." London, 1706.
This is a small quarto of about one hundred pages, No. 478, of the Philadelphia Library, and contains a very valuable history of the origin of the Society and its operations for the first four years. It is the most particular account I have yet seen, of the first efforts to plant the church in this country, by the venerable Society to which, under God, we owe so much.
Speaking of the condition of the Church in these colonies before the Society was organized, the author says,-
" An order of King and Council is said to have been made to commit unto the bishops of London, for the time being, the care and pastoral charge of sending over minis- ters into our foreign plantations, and having the jurisdic- tion of them. But when the present Lord. Bishop of Lon- don was advanced to that see in 1675, his lordship found this title so defective, that little or no good had come of it. For it being left to such as were concerned in those parts to provide for the transporting of such ministers as should be appointed or allowed by the bishop, there was so little done, that when his lordship inquired how the several colonies were provided, he found there were scarce four ministers of the church of England in all the vast tract of America, and not above one or two of them, at most, reg- ularly sent over. To supply this sad defect, his lordship made his proposals to several of those places to furnish them with chaplains, and had generally an encouragement from them so to do. And for the better effecting of it, his
392
EARLY HISTORY
lordship prevailed with his Majesty King Charles I. to allow to each minister, or school-master that should go over, the sum of twenty pounds for his passage, which royal bounty hath been ever since continued. And instructions were given to each governor, to admit none authoritatively to serve any cure of souls, or to teach school, but such only as brought over the bishop of London's license with them. And as a further great favour, it was ordered, that from that time, every minister should be one of the vestry of his respective parish. Upon this, they built churches gene- rally within all their parishes in the Leeward Islands, and in Jamaica. And for the better ordering of them, his lordship prevailed with the King, to devolve all ecclesias- tical jurisdiction in those parts upon him and his succes- sors, except what concerned inductions, marriages, probate of wills, and administrations, which was continued to the governors as profitable branches of their revenue. And for their better encouragement, his lordship procured from his majesty the royal gift of a fair bible, common prayer book, books of homilies, articles and canons, and tables of marriages, for each parish, to the value of about twelve hundred pounds. At that time, there was no church of England minister either in Pennsylvania, the Jerseys, New York, or New England; only the chaplain to the fort at New York officiated in those parts, till a church was opened at Boston ; and soon after the people of Rhode Island built a church to the same purpose, and Colonel Fletcher, when Governor of New York, procured the assembly to set out six churches, with allowances from forty to sixty pounds a year, for the maintenance of min- isters. And the better to accommodate the residing clergy, there was order given to several of the governors in the Islands, that as escheats should fall in any parish that was not provided of manse and glebe, some part of
393
OF THE CHURCH.
those escheated lands should be settled for that pious use ; though this, we doubt, has hitherto had very little effect. When the state of religion began thus to prosper in our foreign plantations, then, for the better order and increase of it, the lord bishop of London did constitute and appoint the Rev. Mr. James Blair, to be his commissary in Vir- ginia ; and did afterward send over the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bray, as his commissary to Maryland ; who, being assist- ed by the generous contributions of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Denmark, (our present gracious queen) and many of the nobility, gentry and clergy, did settle and sup- port several new ministers in that province, and did fix and furnish parochial libraries, and did other public ser- vices ; of which he has himself given a true and modest account. And to encourage these endeavours, a private society was formed to meet and consult, and contribute towards this progress of christianity in foreign parts.
When so good a foundation had been laid, it was time for public authority again to espouse, and confirm, and carry on this good work, as a national concern, and a blessing to the christian world. And therefore, soon after the late happy revolution, when our glorious deliverer, King William, had rescued the Church of England and the Protestant religion from extreme dangers ; it was then by Divine Providence a more favourable opportunity for soli- citing and promoting this blessed design of propagating the gospel more effectually in foreign parts : and accordingly, in this happy juncture, a proper application was made by the Arch-bishops and Bishops to the King, who accord- ingly granted a charter, dated 16 of June, 1701, for the erecting a corporation or society, for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts.
After these preliminaries, the society endeavoured to gain the best information they could of the present state of
394
EARLY HISTORY
the christian religion in our American plantations, and did find, that in some places it was so very sad and deplorable, that there were scarce any footsteps of religion to be seen among them ; and where there was any sense of it left, the people had sent very mournful complaints of their want of minis- ters to instruct, assist, and guide them in it. For whereas the English colonies in America were extended twelve hundred miles in length, upon the sea coast, well settled with people, under ten several governments : in some of these there was yet no manner of provision of ministers, or any support for them, and in all the others, much fewer than the public service of God, and the instruction of the people did reasonably require.
To make their inquiries more effectual, they sent over the Rev. Mr. George Keith, as a travelling missionary into those parts, who kept a journal of his travels and labours, now published by him.
Upon the happy accession of her present majesty to the throne, this work of propagating the Gospel in foreign parts had a new life and vigor put into it. An address was immediately made to her majesty by the President and Vice Presidents, and the rest of the members of the so- ciety, after " condoling with her majesty for the great loss sustained by the death of the late king of glorious memory, the founder of this society, they proceeded to express their great joy and satisfaction to see a princess of such illus- trious piety and virtue, advanced to the throne of her royal ancestors-as well as for promoting a glorious reforma- tion, and thereby an happy union at home, as for propa- gating the christian faith in all her majesty's dominions abroad. Which great work of propagating the christian religion being that with which they have the honour to be particularly entitled, they declare themselves deeply sensi- ble of the obligation they have to her majesty, for her
395
OF THE CHURCH.
princely beneficence to it, when it was first undertaken and carried on by a private society-they profess an entire as- surance of her zeal for the public good, and that they are induced to believe that her majesty's government, being thus founded on religion and justice, cannot fail of a bless- ing from heaven upon all her undertakings." To which her majesty was pleased to give this gracious answer : “ I shall be always ready to do my part towards. promoting and encouraging so good a work." Under this protection and favour of her most excellent majesty, the society went on with greater courage and cheerfulness, to prosecute their laudable designs.
Several divines and other students offered their service to the society ; and those of them who were found to have the best characters, and the greatest abilities, were re- ceived, and employed, and supported to their full satisfac- tion. Mr. Patrick Gourdon, was sent a missionary to New York, with a competent allowance of fifty pounds per annum, or more if the society should think fit. Mr. John Bartow, to West Chester in the same province, with fifty pounds per annum, and a benevolence of thirty pounds. Mr. Samuel Thomas to South Carolina, with the yearly support of fifty pounds, with ten pounds to be laid out in stuffs, for the use of the wild Indians in those parts of South Carolina, where the said Mr. Thomas was to reside, and twenty pounds for his farther encouragement. Mr. John Talbot, rector of St. Mary's in Burlington, in New Jersey, was allowed to be an itinerant companion and assistant to the Rev. Mr. George Keith, in his mission - and travels, with an allowance of sixty pounds per annum. Mr. John Brook was appointed to serve at Shrewsbury, Amboy, Elizabeth-town, and Free-hold in East Jersey, and was supported by an annual pension of fifty pounds. Mr. William Barclay, the church of England minister at
1
396
EARLY HISTORY
Braintree in New England, had an annual encouragement of fifty pounds, and a gratuity of twenty-five pounds for present occasions. Mr. Henry Nichols was settled as min- ister in Uplands in Pennsylvania, with an allowance of fifty pounds per annum from the society. Mr. Thomas Craw- ford at Dover-Hundred in the same province, had a like annual allowance of fifty pounds, and Mr. Andrew Rudman, had a reward given to him for the supply of Oxford or Franckfort in the same county. Mr. James Honyman was sent to Rhode-Island, with the assistance of thirty pounds per annum. Mr. William Urquhart was fixed at Jamaica, in Long-Island, with a salary of fifty pounds per annum, and Mr. John Thomas, at Hempstead in the same island, with the same support. The Rev. Dr. Le Jau was sent to Goose-creek in South Carolina (where Mr. Stack- house had been before appointed and supported by the so- ciety) with an honourable allowance of fifty pounds yearly, and twenty-five pounds for his charges in transporting him- self and family. Besides these, the society have sent the Rev. Mr. Ross to New Castle in Pennsylvania, the Rev. Mr. Mackenzy to Staten Island, in New York, and several other missionaries. And to make them the more easy and cheerful in their undertaking this mission, the society have made it a rule and practice, that one whole year's salary shall be ascertained to each missionary, (or his assigns) living or dying ; and one moiety of it paid in hand. And whereas the Rev. Mr. Jackson, a painful minister in New- foundland, had gone upon a mission into those parts, with a wife and eight children, upon the encouragement of a pri- vate subscription of fifty pounds per annum for three years ; when his time expired, and that benefaction ceased, to en- . courage him to continue in a place where he did great service, the society sent him thirty pounds for a present benevolence, and ordered fifty pounds per annum to be
.
-
397
OF THE CHURCH.
ascertained to him for three years more to come. And it must be observed, that besides the stated salaries allowed to all our missionaries, to encourage and assist them in their studies, a present of books, (chosen out of an approved catalogue) to the value of ten pounds, was made to every one of them, for the use of themselves and their successors ; and another parcel of small tracts and papers upon divine and moral practical subjects, to the value of five pounds, in like manner to each of them, to be freely distributed among their people and neighbours in those foreign parts ; which useful presents of books and papers have not been confined to our missionaries only ; but have been frequently given to any ministers and chaplains who have been going abroad, upon any other foot, into our factories, colonies, or planta- tions. To whom likewise, upon occasion, some pecuniary gifts have been seasonably presented ; such as thirty pounds for a gratuity to Mr. Tyliard going to Virginia ; twenty to Mr. Eburne a minister of the Isle of Shoals. Twenty pounds to Mr. Macqueen, for his encouragement in his voy- age to Mary-Land, going thither by the directions of the Lord Bishops of London. To Mr. John Sharp thirty pounds for his good services in East Jersey. To Mr. Ro- bert Keith in Mary-Land, ten pounds. To the Rev. Mr. Gifford and other ministers in Antigua, twenty pounds ; and several other sums to several other persons.
The society have taken farther care to extend their charity and bounty to all proper objects, and upon all suit- able occasions, that might any way contribute to their general design. They have sent tokens of their respect to the Dutch ministers of Albany, to encourage them in their services among the Indians. They have established a catechist at New York, for the benefit of converts and no- vices in the christian religion. They have allowed a salary to Mr. Cleator, a school-master at Rye, in the pro-
34
-
398
EARLY HISTORY
vince of New York. They have borne the charges of a royal patent for a minister and school-master at Philadel- phia in Pennsylvania, and have supplied the first school- master there with books and money. They have allowed fifteen pounds to the minister and church-wardens of New Port in Rhode Island, towards furnishing and adorning their church with a chalice, patten, cloth for pulpit and communion table, and other ornaments. They have sent a certain number of Greek Testaments and Liturgies to the Rev. Mr. Urmston at Moscow, for the use of the in- habitants, and many English practical books for the youth and servants of that factory ; as also bibles, common-prayer books, and other benefactions, as more largely appears upon the register of the society. This continual bounty has had very good effects abroad, by influencing and excit- ing the governors and inhabitants to build several new churches, to erect houses, to allot glebes, and to assign (in part at least) a settled maintenance for their ministers ; and even to convert some of the meeting-houses of quakers, and other sectaries, into places of worship according to the church of England. And several addresses, letters, and other applications have been made, and sent, from some of the magistrates and chief inhabitants of the plantations to our society, for their advice and assistance in propagating religion amongst them, to which the society have made proper and suitable returns. These and other pious endea- vours of the society have, by God's blessing, had a good effect, by setting an example to the plantations themselves, and exciting them to contribute to their own happiness. For this zeal and bounty of the corporation had a sensible influence upon the governors and inhabitants, and did induce them with the more cheerfulness to build churches, to allot glebes, and to assign some stated portions of main- tenance for a settled ministry. This noble emulation was
399
OF THE CHURCH.
continually kept up by letters of the society to the respec- tive governors, who were most of them very instrumental in promoting the good work. And whenever any founda- tions of a new church were laid or projected, the people of each district, in their solemn vestries, did make applica- tion to the society for their help and assistance, and did never fail of all suitable encouragement. Thus the minis- ter and church-wardens of Rhode Island, did acquaint the society, (September 29, 1702,) that the place where they met to worship, was finished on the outside, all but the steeple ; and the inside was pewed well, though not beauti- fied ; they had a communion table ; but they wanted orna- ments for decency and order; assuring the society that whatever favours they should please to bestow upon them, towards the perfecting of their church, should be accepted with the humblest gratitude, and seconded with the utmost of their own abilities. In like manner the vestry of Dover- Hundred within Kent county in Pennsylvania, did (August 30, 1703,) represent to the Bishop of London, the great want of a preacher among them, to teach and instruct the people in matters of religion, and 'their duty towards God, &c. and that they would endeavour, according to their abilities, to contribute towards his maintainance ; and hum- bly intimated their expectations of help and encouragement from the society formed in England for the propagation of christian religion in America.
Soon after, the church-wardens and other members of the church of England, in the colony of West Jersey, did (September 4, 1703,) express their design of erecting a church at Burlington, for the worship of God according to the law established in England ; and desire, that their in- fant church may receive from the society a benefaction of common prayer books, catechisms, necessaries for the com- munion table and pulpit, &c. The minister and vestry of
400
EARLY HISTORY
the church at New Port in Rhode Island, did, by a letter to the society dated December 23, 1703, thank them for their grateful and acceptable present of furniture for their communion table ; professing that it was a great joy to them, to be taken notice of by so great a body : they desire a continuance of the society's allowance of fifty pounds per annum to their minister : they are building a steeple, and are enlarging their church by a new gallery, and desire to be continued under the protection of the honourable society. The vestry of Burlington in W. N. Jersey, by letters to the society dated April 2, 1704, desire to adore the good- ness of God for moving the hearts of the lords spiritual, nobles, and gentry, to enter into a society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts ; the benefit of which they have already experienced, and hope further to enjoy. They have joined in a subscription to build a church, which though not yet near finished, they have heard several sermons in it ; but are not able to maintain a minister without the assistance of the society, whereon they beg God to shower down his blessing as a reward for their great charity and care for the good of souls. The church-wardens and ves- try of Braintree in New England, by letters to the Bishop of London, October 19, 1704, give their testimonials to Mr. George Muirson, returning into England to receive Holy Orders ; and complain that they are destitute of help, and therefore beseech his lordship to remember them who are as sheep without a shepherd ; and to send over their Rev. pastor, Mr. William Barclay, to them, &c. The in- habitants and freeholders of the town of Rye and Mama- roneck, in the province of New York, become humble sup- plicants to the Lord Bishop of London, that Mr. Joseph Cleator, whose affairs required his attendance in England, might obtain such an allowance from the society, as with what they were able to give him might encourage his
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.