USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Historical discourse delivered on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church : Chester County, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1870 > Part 7
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When Mr. Latta first came to Octorara, he boarded with James Boyd, who lived near the church; after- wards he resided for some years in the family of Thomas McClellan. He was married on the 15th of October, 1815, and for about six months resided in the house of the late Robert Futhey, then recently erected, in (now) Highland township. In the Spring of 1816, he removed to the farm he had purchased from Mr. Mitchel in 1812.
With the installation of Mr. Latta, the congregation took, as it were, a new lease of life, and set out on
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its journey with renewed vigor. He was young and energetic, of popular manners, and earnest in the Master's cause, and imparted to those with whom he was brought in contact a portion of his own vitality.
The long vacancy had so reduced their numbers that when he became pastor, the membership did not much exceed one hundred.
In 1813, the Session commenced to keep a regular registry of admissions to the church, and of baptisms and deaths. There were then on the roll one hundred and forty-seven members. Additions were made to it at every communion season, and the congregation soon became strong and vigorous.
The early Scotch and Irish Presbyterian emigrants brought with them the customs and modes of worship of the churches at home. One of these was that of having two consecutive services on the Sabbath, with an intermission of half an hour. This custom pre- vailed in this congregation from the earliest times until about the year 1812. The people, during the interval between the services, were accustomed to visit the spring on the opposite side of the road from the present residence of Oliver P. Wilson, for the purpose of allaying their thirst. I cannot better describe the scene during the intermission than in the words of a poem published a few years since, a portion of which I beg leave to quote :
" Blest sight it was, to mark that godly flock, At intermission, grouped throughout this wood,
Each log, each bench, each family upping block,
Some grand-dame held amidst her gathered brood ;
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Here cakes were shared, and fruits, and counsel good, Devoutly spoken 'twas of crops and rain ; .
Hard by the church the broad-brimmed elders stood, While o'er that slope did flow a constant train
Of bevies, springward bound, or coming back again.
" Ah ! luckless wight, whom gallantry did press Fast by that spring, to stoop him often low, And serve, with cup up-dipped, and bland address, The gathered fair, whose multitude did grow ! One whom he most affects, and did bestow Her first the cup, hath drunk, and off does walk ; Her then to follow fain he must forego,- With some far happier swain he marks her talk, While he must stoop, and grin, and water all the flock.
" Here too, like me, some lonesome wight of yore Did stand apart, and these memorials scan, And blighted hopes and buried loves deplore, And feel, in sooth, how frail a thing is man. Hither the widow came, weeping and wan, To muse on him of late her joy and pride. Ah ! now no more she mourns the solemn ban Which did her then from her loved spouse divide- Now does she sleep herself all sweetly by his side."*
The morning service was generally of considerable length-that in the afternoon not so long; but the entire services occupied the greater portion of the day, and night was generally drawing on apace when the people reached their homes. It was to them a matter-of-course, and they thought of nothing else but spending the day at church, and were not satisfied unless the sermons were of considerable length.
* See Nevin's Churches of the Valley, p. 45.
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They desired good measure, full and running over. What a change has taken place in this respect. Then, the preacher did not confine himself within the period of an hour in the delivery of his discourse, but frequently exceeded that limit. Now, the pews become very uneasy if the sermon exceeds half an hour in length, and are in tortures if it reaches fifty minutes.
Mr. Latta, soon after the commencement of his pastorate, abolished this practice of having two ser- vices in the church on Sabbath, deeming it better that the afternoon services should be held at private houses or school-houses at different points within the bounds of the congregation. This change was not made without creating considerable dissatisfaction. The people were wedded to their old customs, and did not readily acquiesce in the new order of things. Some of our good grandmothers, it has been re- lated to me, were very indignant at being sent home from church in the middle of the day.
Mr. Latta, about the same time, gave the death blow to another custom which had been brought from the fatherland ; that of furnishing intoxicating drinks at funerals. The custom was, when the people were assembled at the funeral house, as it was termed, to carry around cakes and liquors, of which all, young and old, generally partook. Sometimes some thirsty soul would take his position where he would be served among the first, and then would be found on the outskirts, where those serving were about con- cluding their round. Mr. Latta saw the evil of this
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custom, and gradually prevailed upon the people to abandon it.
In this connection, I may mention that the earliest form of hearse in use in this congregation was on two wheels. Sloats or pieces were nailed across the shafts, and the coffin was placed on them and strapped. The undertaker rode on horseback and led the horse attached to the hearse. Adam Glen- denning was for a long time an undertaker, and used this form of vehicle.
John Hershberger, who succeeded Adam Glen- denning as an undertaker, introduced a four-wheeled hearse, the body of it shaped like a coffin. This was used for many years, and until the modern open vehicle came into use.
In early times, the people performed their journeys either on foot or on horseback. Riding carriages were not in use, and the two-wheeled hearse would be the only vehicle at a funeral. Upping blocks were of course very numerous in the church grounds.
The first riding vehicle in the congregation was a " chair" belonging to the Rev. Mr. Mitchel. The first four-wheeled carriage was introduced by Elder John Fleming, Sr .; the second, a large one, capable of holding six persons, by Samuel Mcclellan; and the third, about 1814, by Elder Arthur Park. After this, they became more common, although for many years thereafter, people very generally rode on horse- back, the same horse frequently performing the task of carrying two persons at one time; sometimes the
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wife on a pillion behind her husband, sometimes a child.
When it was likely to rain, the people would take the saddles from their horses, and place them in the session-house, or underneath the church. If it com- menced to rain during the services, the men would go out for the same purpose, and the pastor would sometimes suspend the exercises while this was being done.
Parasols in those days were unknown, the women carrying large fans to shield their faces from the rays of the sun. Umbrellas were used to a limited ex- tent.
This church was incorporated on the 6th of May, 1812. The first board of trustees* named in the charter were Francis Gardner, John Fleming, of East Caln, Wallace Boyd, Joseph Richmond, Samuel Boyd, Thomas Scott, and James Boyd, who held their first meeting at the house of Wallace Boyd, on the 4th of July, 1812, and organized by appointing Francis Gardner as President, Wallace Boyd as Treasurer, and Joseph Richmond as Secretary.
Sunday-schools were established in the congrega- tion about the year 1818. They were first organized at the session house, and at the school-house near the present residence of Ezekiel R. Young. Soon after- wards they were organized at Hollis' School-house, now the tenant house on the farm late of William Stewart, in Highland township, at the school-house known as "The Pass," and at other points. Mrs.
* See Appendix G. and H.
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Latta was very active in promoting the establishment of these schools.
In 1822 and 1823, an extensive revival of religion took place in the congregation. It was greatly pro- moted by a female prayer meeting, usually held at the house of Mrs. Mary McClellan-Aunt Polly McClellan, as she was generally called. She resided on the farm lately occupied by her grandson, Samuel Parke McClellan, deceased. As the fruits of this revival, seventy-nine persons were admitted to church privileges in the year 1822, and forty-five persons in 1823.
In the year 1824, the interior arrangements of the church were entirely altered. The pulpit, a new one, was placed in the east end, two aisles ran the length of the room from east to west, there was a space across the church in front of the pulpit, an aisle across the west end, and a short aisle from the south door to the nearest east and west aisle. There were four ranges of pews ; a double range in the middle, and single ranges against the north and south walls, and also on each side of the pulpit. The pulpit was elaborately ornamented, and was reached by winding stairs at the north side. It was open underneath. In front of it was a railing, behind which the pre- centors stood while leading the singing. The pew doors were painted white, and the numbers painted on them in large black figures.
The church, after these alterations, was at first heated by two stoves, placed at the north and south sides ; afterwards two more were added, one of
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them placed in the space in front of the pulpit, and the other in the aisle at the west end.
A trap door was placed in this west aisle, which was afterwards put to a use perhaps not contemplated when it was made.
In those days it was customary for the dogs to accompany their masters to church, and they fre- quently came into the building, and perambulated the aisles, to the disturbance of the worshipers. Thomas Ross, the sexton, conceived the idea of putting a stop to this annoyance, and accordingly, placing him- self by this trap and watching his opportunity, divers of the canine species were arrested in their course, and transferred to the space underneath the floor, there to remain in durance until the congregation were dismissed, when they were released by the outer door. This novel expedient proved successful, and the canines were generally thereafter among the stay-at-homes.
More than one urchin was put upon his good be- havior, by being admonished that unless he was a good boy in meeting, Tommy Ross would put him in the dog-hole ; and there are those present to-day who will perhaps remember having received such an ad- monition.
While the alterations were being made, Mr. Latta desired to have a bell placed upon the church. Some of the people were accustomed to sit on the upping blocks and on the graveyard wall, until they heard Mr. Latta's voice giving out the opening psalm. Mr. Latta gave as a reason for having a bell, that he did
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not wish to have to make use of the Psalms of David to call the people into the church. The trustees, however, seem to have considered a bell a superfluity, as none was erected.
The system of renting the pews first came into use at this time. The salary of the pastor had theretofore been collected by stipends, each person being assessed what was esteemed his proportion.
Before the alteration, the communion was wholly administered at tables placed in the long aisle in front of the pulpit. Afterwards, there being less room in front of the pulpit, some of the front pews were used for that purpose, in addition to tables. In accord- ance with the Scottish custom, leaden tokens were used on these occasions. They were given out by the pastor and elders to those entitled to partake of the sacrament, and taken up after they were seated at the tables. These tokens were flat pieces of lead something over half an inch square, with the letters "U. O.," the initials of the name of the church, stamped upon them. I have some of them in my possession. The use of these tokens was abolished when the alterations of which I have just spoken were made in the church.
The old Scottish custom of "fencing the tables," as it was called, i. e. prohibiting the approach of those who were deemed unworthy to receive the communion, was practiced until about the same time. This cere- mony usually consisted of the delivery of a short address by the minister to the intending communi- cants, upon the sacredness of the rite, debarring the
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ignorant and profane from approaching the table, and stating the characteristics of worthy communicants.
The communion service consisted of two large, and four small mugs of pewter. These continued to be used until the congregation entered the present build- ing in 1840, when a silver service was presented to the church. What became of the pewter service I do not know. It should have been sacredly pre- served.
It was customary in former times to have services on the Thursday preceding the communion. This day was known as the preparation or fast day, and was very generally observed. These communion occasions generally drew together large crowds of persons from a considerable distance.
The first mode of taking up collections in the church, was with small square boxes placed on the end of poles, with the top of the box half covered. Afterwards the trustees took their stand at the church doors after service, with their hats in their hands, and the people as they passed out dropped their con- tributions in the hats. When the church was altered in 1824, velvet bags with long handles attached were introduced, and used until about the year 1866, when they gave way to the present basket system.
The custom of lining the psalm, as it was termed, which was practiced under the earlier pastors, was discontinued in the ordinary services, soon after Mr. Latta became pastor; the people, at his suggestion, generally supplying themselves with Watts' Psalms and Hymns.
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On communion occasions however, the hymns which were sung while the people were coming forward to the tables, were lined by the elders, and this practice continued until the congregation entered the present building in 1840.
It was formerly also very customary in singing, to repeat the last two lines of the last verse. This, however, was not always done, and occasionally some member of the congregation who was dull of hearing, not observing that the clerks had taken their seats, would repeat the last lines by himself, somewhat to the amusement of the young folks, and perhaps of some of the seniors.
Another custom to which I will advert, was that of announcing evening services during a portion of the year, "to commence at early candle-light." This was very common in my young days, but I be- lieve has now fallen into disuse.
About the year 1828, societies for the suppression of the vice of intemperance were formed. Mr. Latta, from the initiatory movement, was an ardent friend and advocate of the cause, and during the whole course of his ministry, did all in his power for its advancement. In the minutes of the Presbytery of New Castle, under the date of April 1, 1828, I find this entry written on the margin of the record of the proceedings of the meeting, held that day at the Church of Lower Brandywine: "Presbytery enter- tained without ardent spirits for the first time-tea substituted." It is in the bold handwriting of Rev. E. W. Gilbert, the then clerk of Presbytery. The
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Church of Lower Brandywine is therefore entitled to the honor of breaking up an old, but baleful custom. The Presbytery, at this same meeting, took strong and decided ground in favor of the temperance move- ment.
In 1831, what were then known as "four days meetings," and afterwards as protracted meetings, are first mentioned in the minutes of Presbytery. The Presbytery recommended that "twilight prayer-meet- ings," should be held for special prayer for a revival of religion, and the members were divided into classes, for the purpose of holding "four days meetings" in their respective congregations. Meetings of this kind, commencing on Tuesday and ending on Friday, were held in this church in the years 1831, 1832 and 1833, which were very largely attended, and resulted in an ingathering in 1831, of thirty-nine members; in 1832, of fifty-three members; and in 1833, of forty- two members.
In 1832, the bounds of the congregation were cur- tailed, by the organization of a church at Belleview, and in 1833 by the organization at Coatesville.
About the year 1836, through the exertions of Mr. Latta, a church building was erected in Sadsburyville, as a place of preaching in the afternoon and evening, and for the use of the Sunday-school, which has been very serviceable to the portion of the congregation residing in that vicinity. This property was con- veyed by Martin Armstrong to the trustees of this church, by deed dated January 31, 1844. A deed had been previously made, which was lost. The
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school directors of Sadsbury, have an interest in the basement room, in which, for many years one of the public schools of the township was held.
In 1839, the church edifice in which this congre- gation worshiped, having become dilapidated and being deemed unsafe, the sense of the congregation was taken on the subject of repairing the old house, or erecting a new one. After deliberation-although there was some diversity of sentiment on the subject- it was deemed best to erect a new building, and sub- scriptions were accordingly made for that purpose. On the 4th of March, 1840, Martin Armstrong, Rob- ert Futhey and Samuel D. McClellan, were appointed a building committee, to whom the charge of the whole work was committed. The new building-the one in which we are now assembled, and the fourth church edifice on these grounds-was erected in the summer of 1840. It was dedicated on the 16th day of December of that year, the Rev. Alfred Nevin preaching in the morning, and Rev. William Latta, brother of the pastor, preaching the dedicatory ser- mon in the afternoon. The old edifice was torn down in May, 1840, and a part of the materials used in the construction of the new one. The cost of the new building when fully completed, was about forty-one hundred dollars, in addition to the value of the ma- terials procured from the old one. Its outside size is fifty-seven and a half, by seventy feet; the audience room, exclusive of the gallery, is fifty-seven by fifty- four feet, and the height of the ceiling is twenty-one and a half feet. The number of pews on the ground
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floor is 104. The gallery is thirteen feet wide, and extends across the south end of the building, and. will seat about 100 persons. The pulpit erected when the church was built, was quite wide. It was taken away in 1866, and the present one constructed.
When the old church was torn away, the graveyard was enlarged, by extending it twenty yards on the west side, and taking in the greater part of the ground where the old building had stood; and also taking in a space fourteen yards wide, on the south side; making its present size, ninety yards from east to west, and seventy-one yards from north to south, and its contents about one acre and a third.
The site of the old building has been recently marked by four stones put up at the corners, so that it may be known in the future where it stood.
Of the committee who had charge of the erection of this building, two have gone to their reward; the third, I am happy to see, is present with us to-day.
In 1840, when the congregation commenced to worship in this edifice, the roll of the church con- tained the names of two hundred and forty-five per- sons, who were in full communion.
With the demolition of the old church building, that time-honored race of officers in this church, known as precentors, also passed away. Those of you whose recollections extend back of the thirty years which have run their course since then, will recall the voices of Arthur Parke, Thomas Scott, Captain Thomas Stewart, Samuel W. Scott, James Fearon, William Whiteside, and others, as they led
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the congregation in the service of song. Methinks I yet see the venerable form, and hear the sonorous voice of Thomas Scott, as on communion occasions he lined the hymns, pronouncing the words, as was his wont, in one continuous tone. But those days have passed away, and live only in memory. The recol- lection of them, however, to me, and I doubt not to very many in this congregation, is sweet.
On the day this building was dedicated, the sing- ing was for the first time led by a choir, which had been organized by Mr. Samuel W. Scott, and who continued to be its leader for eight years.
In former days, the services of this church were always opened with the singing of a psalm. The in- vocation was first used at the dedication of this build- ing, in December, 1840.
The year 1849 witnessed a large addition to the membership, the result of a revival of religion with which the church was blessed in that year. In the religious services attending the work, Mr. Latta was greatly aided by the labors of Rev. John F. Cowan, who spent some time with the congregation.
Mr. Latta's connection with the church as pastor continued until October 1, 1850, when at his own request, the pastoral relation was dissolved. He had had it in contemplation for some time, to make this application at the end of a forty years' pastorate, and the day on which his relations to the church ceased, was precisely forty years from the day on which he took the oversight of it.
From the year 1813, when the Session commenced
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to keep a roll of the membership of the church, until the termination of Mr. Latta's pastorate, there were added to the church, on examination and profession of their faith, five hundred and seventy-two, and on certificates from other churches, one hundred and twelve, making an average each year of fifteen on examination and three on certificate. During the same period, the ordinance of baptism was adminis- tered to six hundred and thirty-three infants, and one hundred and fifty-two adults.
Mr. Latta then engaged in missionary labor in Penningtonville and its neighborhood; and was instru- mental in gathering a congregation and having a church edifice erected in that village, over which he was installed as pastor on the 11th of November, 1852. He maintained that relation until April 9, 1861, when, on account of increasing years, and the distance of his field of labor from his residence, the pastoral relation, at his request, was dissolved.
While he was pastor at Penningtonville, he pro- cured, by his efforts, the erection of a church edifice at Christiana, about two miles from Penningtonville, to which he also ministered.
He died May 30, 1862, at the house of his nephew in Philadelphia, in which city he was attending the Pennsylvania Sabbath-School Convention, then in session. He was seated at the breakfast table, in apparent good health, when instantly life departed.
Mr. Latta was born at Chestnut Level, Pa., on the 10th of June, 1787. He was the youngest son of the Rev. James and Mary (McCalla) Latta. His
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father came from Ireland when he was about seven years of age, studied at the Synodical school at New London, in this county, graduated at the Philadelphia College, and studied theology under the Rev. Francis Alison, to whom he was related. He was pastor first at Deep Run, in Bucks county, and afterwards at Chestnut Level, where he died in 1801. He was the author of an excellent and exhaustive work on the subject of psalmody, published a few years before his death, designed to show that it is the duty of Chris- tians to take the principal subjects and occasions of their psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, from the gospel of Christ. He had four sons, Francis, William, John Ewing, and James, (all of whom became Pres- byterian ministers,) and one son-in-law, the Rev. Thomas Love. The Rev. Robert P. Du Bois of New London, married a grand-daughter-the daughter of Rev. John E. Latta.
The Rev. James Latta was a man of remarkable energy and firmness in every good cause, and dis- charged with ability, high fidelity and unceasing earnestness, the duties of the Christian ministry over fifty-two years. He was indefatigable in ministerial labor, and preached a great deal at private houses and school-houses through the large bounds of his congregation. His style of preaching was earnest, animated, and impressive, and the matter of his sermons was solid and thoroughly evangelical.
He was a man of great readiness of speech, shrewd in silencing errorists, was quick-witted, ready at re- tort, and sometimes keenly satirical. He was an
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