USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Norriton Presbyterian Church, Montgomery County, Penna : regarded as the oldest church in Pennsylvania, claiming connection with the great Protestant Reformation ; including historical gleanings > Part 2
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Many, also, known as English Dissenters, were ungener- ously dealt with, and after reaching New England were recog- nized as Congregationalists.
As early as 1637 the pious Rutherford wrote to John
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Stuart, Provost of Ayr, Scotland, as follows: "I would not have you think it strange that your journey to New England has got such a dash! Let me hear from you. If I saw a call for New England I would go."
In 1641 a Scotch minister, Rev. Mr. Castell, published a book, commending a plan for introducing the Gospel into the colonies.
Immediately after the battle of Dunbar, several shiploads of Scotch prisoners (Presbyterians) were sent to the planta- tions to be sold, and of this number many were consigned to servitude beyond the Atlantic ocean.
From 1645 to 1670, numbers of these poor exiles were ruthlessly scattered along the Atlantic coast, from Massa- chusetts south as far as Charleston, S. C., and even to Geor- gia. Others made their way to the British West India islands, Barbadoes, Antigua and Jamaica; also, St. Thomas. In the English islands just named, Moravian missions had already been established by the Germans, and at St. Thomas a Re- formed Dutch church (Holland) was early organized.
Between 1670 and 1684 (the latter being a year when great numbers were banished to these colonies) Scottish Presbyterians settled along the eastern branch of the Eliza- beth river, near Norfolk, Va .; also along the southern part of the state of Delaware, including the peninsula.
Rev. Francis Mackemie-who was settled and preached as a Presbyterian minister, 1683, at Elizabeth river, Va., living at Rehoboth, Md., same year, organized the church at Snow Hill, Md-wrote under date of July 28, 1685, of one Rev. Mr. Wardrope, a Presbyterian minister, as having removed to Pennsylvania to preach. There is a tradition that Mr. W. preached occasionally at Norriton, and that Rev. Mackemie also visited the place.
During the period just referred to, which was some thirty years before the close of the seventeenth century, the Hol- landers and Swedes also selected homes, both in Delaware and Pennsylvania. At Duck creek, close to Smyrna, and at New Castle and Christiana creek, they had settlements and
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preaching places. The Hollanders usually selected inland residences, while the Swedes selected for their homes lands along the creeks or rivers.
As early as 1662 (which I gathered from an old book in the Philadelphia library) was a reference to one Dr. Thomas Wynne, a medical practitioner. He, together with his brother and other friends, all Hollanders, was found settled in Philadel- phia. This was twenty years before the landing of William Penn.
In 1657, at New Amstel (New Castle, Del.), one Rev. Everardus Welius was appointed to preach in the Dutch meeting-house, and his successor, Rev. Warnerius Hadson, who was ordained in Holland, while on his way to this place to preach, was lost at sea during the voyage in 1664.
In 1694 there are records of a small sect of German Pietists, occupying land near Germantown. Twenty years prior, it was reported that a couple of families akin to the above were squatters at the Rising Sun, about two miles southeast of Germantown. The names of the Germantown settlers of 1694 were John Kelpius, John Seelig, Conrad Mat- thias (perhaps Matthews), and a physician, Dr. Christopher Witte. The latter returned to Germantown, and died there in 1765, living to be over one hundred years of age.
Scotchmen, Hollanders, and some Welsh, combined with William Penn for the purchase of New Jersey; and to-day the large number of Reformed Dutch and Presbyterian churches in that state, some of them organized over two hundred and fifty years ago, abundantly confirm this fact.
Gabriel Thomas, writing from Pennsylvania to London in May, 1695, alludes to "numerous Low Dutch congrega- tions and Presbyterian settlements in eastern Pennsylvania as early as 1671." He adds: "They are chiefly from Holland; a few from England and Wales; and makes mention of these same people as having places of worship and settlements, in Delaware and Maryland.
Among the carly settlers in Tredyffrin township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, prior to 1700, were the Friends, or English Quakers, and Welsh Presbyterians.
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Dubois, Newkirk and Vanmeter, and others, were among the early names of the founders of the Great Valley Presby- terian Church.
Especially in New York, on Long Island, did the Hol- landers, years before the above date, occupy the land. Jama- ica, L. I., was possibly the first settled, but at Newtown, L. I., is the record of one Rev. Wm. Leverich, serving as a Low Dutch preacher in 1651, and continuing until 1669.
In Bucks county, Pa., it is well known that large numbers of Hollanders, Welsh and Germans were settled considerably before William Penn's arrival. The same is true as to Mont- gomery county, Pa. This fact is readily explained; that so attractive a country adjacent to New Jersey, and on the high- way to New York, would naturally be sought after and ex- plored by these emigrants. And this circumstance is author- itatively published, that to these parties Edmond Andros, then Governor of New York, granted letters patent for the lands, and thus encouraged them in their primitive settlements. " Watson's Annals" confirms the above statement.
The same Mr. Watson refers to the original Market Square Church, of Germantown (now Presbyterian), as being a Holland congregation, under the Synod of the Reformed church of Holland, and from thence its first pastors were sent. The first building was of logs, date unknown, probably about 1695.
Old records of the Dutch Reformed church confirm the statement, that Holland ministers, perhaps coming from New York or northern New Jersey, visited and preached in North and South Hampton, 1700 to 1710; also at Germantown, Neshaminy, Bensalem, and other places adjacent.
On May 20, 1710, Paul Van Vleck, a Holland minister, was installed pastor of the united churches of Germantown, Bensalem and Neshaminy. Traditional reports allege that this same Paulos Van Vleck was accustomed to preach at Norriton and the Low Dutch church of Neshaminy a few years before, say about 1705-7, and questions arising concern- ing his credentials were referred to the Classis at Amsterdam,
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and subsequently he was fully recognized in the ministry. He first appeared as a school master, at Kinderhook, N. Y., 1702, and sometimes preached, but complaints were made against him, and he was obliged to desist.
It may, therefore, be reasonably inferred, that a number of these Dutch churches, both in Montgomery and Bucks counties, so far as their origin, were contemporary with some of the Holland churches of New Amsterdam (New York) and contiguous points, probably worshiping in their rude log houses for a half century, more or less, before the organization of the Neshaminy, Bensalem or Abington Presbyterian churches; and likewise before the founding of the renowned Log Col- lege.
Let it not be overlooked, that in New Amsterdam (now New York), as early as 1609, Hollanders had landed, chiefly with a view to business enterprises; but the planting of the church as an organization is dated from 1628. It was known as the Dutch Reformed Church.
Twenty-three miles east from Norristown, and two miles' from Churchville in Bucks county, is an ancient settlement, known for over two hundred years as " Holland." The remains of a very old grave-yard are still to be found, attached to which, two centuries ago, was a log meeting house, used by a Low Dutch congregation. This spot is located near Feasterville.
The late Rev. Abraham O. Halsey told me (about 1860), while pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church of North and South Hampton (organized in 1710), that the present location at Churchville was the legal successor of the ancient congre- gation and the old church, which building at Holland had long been obliterated. The present large stone church building is the third erected upon the premises.
Of its former history, there is little known, except tradi- tionally, and the dates, many of them utterly extinct, on the old grave stones.
A few of the names of the seventeenth century were Van- arsdalen, Wynkoop, Vanmeter, Coryell, Vanzant, Cornell, Craven, Lefferts, etc.
OLD NORRITON CHURCH.
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We shall now speak particularly of the old Norriton Church. Located on the Germantown and Perkiomen turn- pike, near the twentieth mile stone, and about five miles north of Norristown, is to be found the plain stone building, long known as the Norriton Presbyterian Church.
It is a spot of sacred antiquity, as in bygone years the dates upon the tomb and grave stones gave undoubted proof of burials prior to the year 1700. The burial ground is en- closed by a substantial stone wall, giving the appearance of great antiquity.
Evidently the walls of the church are the same as when erected. Over the antique windows are substantial arches of stone, and upon the north or rear side of the house, two small windows, intended for pulpit light, are still there. One large double door, for ingress and egress, is found upon the front or south side.
I remember well, as a lad of ten years of age, the internal parts of this church. I speak of it as it appeared between 1833 and 1843. The pews were the old style, hard board seats, very high, straight backs, so that a child with difficulty could see over them; one aisle in the centre, entering from the door, with two square blocks of pews, on either side of the pulpit. These corner blocks of pews made recesses, in which space two old-fashioned stoves, designed for burning long sticks of wood, each stove conveying tortuous sheet-iron stove pipes to the chimneys upon either side.
The quaint pulpit of the olden time would be regarded as a rare curiosity to-day. Its dimensions were only large enough for a single good-sized man. Where the minister stood to preach was a closely confined place with three panelled sides, having a small desk for the Bible and hymn book, the wood work being dark oak. The steps ascending to the pulpit were narrow and spiral, while directly over the preacher's head was a conspicuous round arched sounding board of perhaps three feet in diameter, neatly made, with ornamented mouldings, out of selected walnut boards. Immediately behind the speaker, upon either side, were the two small windows alluded to.
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During the ten years named above, from December, 1835, to January, 1839, the tall, stalwart form of Rev. Robert W. Landis (in later years a professor in Danville Seminary, Ky.) held forth as the pastor of Lower Providence Presbyterian Church; and from May, 1839, until October, 1844, Rev. Syl- vanus Haight was the minister. I recall distinctly the rever- ential appearance and earnest sermons of the latter. He was a man already advanced in years, stout in physical frame, pleasant countenance, snow-white hair, winning with the child- ren, and greatly respected by the congregation. Public wor- ship in those days was regarded as a privilege and not a task ; therefore, the first day of the week would show a full congre- gation, when services were held at Norriton.
Instead of Sunday school, the custom of those days was to hold a singing school in the afternoons, to which the young of both sexes would come en masse, and make the old church ring with the music. A Mr. Foust; also, Mr. Kendall, were the teachers.
Now as to the old grave-yard adjoining the church. It contains perhaps about one-third of an acre of ground, and is enclosed by a stone wall, seemingly in good repair.
In 1833 to 1840, from actual observation, the grave-stones were far more in number, than at this writing. The tomb- stones have generally been well preserved: but the primitive, dark sand-stones, worn by the elements, rain-storms and win- ters of two centuries, have many of them entirely disappeared.
In 1835 a number of such grave-stones stood fairly up against the church walls on the north as well as the east side. At the time the writer made earnest and repeated efforts to decipher the epitaphs, names and dates and record the same. Subsequently, two or three years later, he made another effort. He well remembers that among the number were some epi- taphs graven in Dutch or Holland; also, German words, show? ing dates prior to 1700. Some were the names of ministers, evidently those who had labored there; others were probably some of the first settlers in this new wilderness; and some two or three had been soldiers, possibly in the Revolutionary War.
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In the rear end of the grave-yard is a flat stone without any inscription, said to be very ancient, of a man killed in a neigh- boring stone quarry. These dark-colored sand-stones, unat- tractive, dilapidated, illegible, and long uncared for, adjoining the church building, at length disappeared. With some re- luctance, yet I feel constrained to furnish an explanation.
In January, 1844, it was deemed necessary by the trus- tees of Lower Providence Church to repair and modernize the old building; also, to underpin the walls of the house upon the north and east sides, as well as repair the grave-yard walls.
Accordingly, in the following spring, the old style pews were removed and replaced by others, the floors were repaired, the antiquated pulpit and sounding board were taken down, and a new roof placed upon the building. Daniel Shuler and Andrew Shuck, carpenters, did the work.
At the same time the walls were pointed and repaired. It was early spring-time; the masons were short of stone to finish the work; and the old memorial stones, some of them already defaced and broken, together with the old date stone, which had fallen to the ground, were ruthlessly destroyed, gathered together, daubed with mortar and driven under the old walls, thus leaving as a memento of these workmen (their names unknown) a cruel act of thoughtlessness or heartless- ness, perhaps both.
This piece of vandalism is much to be deplored, because the very grave-stones in question belonged to the ancient days. They bore inscriptions and testimonies to the memory of the first settlers of Norriton, and the thought is a sad one, that there is no remote possibility that any of those lost names shall ever be restored or recovered.
As already intimated, although the lapse of many years had rendered the lettering difficult to decipher, the family names of some, at least, distinctly bore evidence that they were Hollanders, having the prefix of "Van." The names of some of the first land holders in the vicinity were Dutch, such as Van Fossen, Van Santword, Van Baun, Amish, Yeagle,
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Du Bois, Rittinghausen, Kester (or Custer), Beyes (or Beyer), Le Fever and Recup.
It may be proper to add incidentally that the alterations to the old church above were not done by the unanimous consent of the trustees. The Providence Church was without a pastor at the time. The sexton, Mr. Shuck, was directed by Colonel A. W. Shearer and Francis Burnside to, put on a new lock upon the front door to prevent the work; neverthe- less, the alterations were made.
The items and facts just recited were confirmed by Andrew Bean, an aged resident living immediately opposite the church; also, by Samuel B. Beyer and the late John Hoffman, Esq., who also resided near by.
The ancient tomb and grave-stones, now extant, were chiefly made of marble, and are fairly modern in antiquity, compared with those rude, dark sand-stones, first used in the primitive burial ground.
Taking now a retrospective glance, one can imagine how changed are the surroundings of that old house of worship.
When it was reared out of logs, doubtless a dense forest surrounded it, and the Indian would pause and gaze, and per- haps wondered why it was built there; and frequently, it may be surmised, the curious savages would rest beneath the forest trees, quietly lingering there, ignorant of the old Dutch preacher's message, yet possibly enjoying the sweet concord of sounds welling up from the united voices of the worshiping assembly. The little Indian children would play among the first made graves, and with childish innocence pluck the wild flowers from the silent mound.
No other road save the Indian path was there; after- wards called " Manatawny "; and upon the southern slopes of the present Fairview village did these friendly Indians abide in their accustomed huts.
To speak specifically of the old Norriton Church, my opinion (which has been duly confirmed by traditional state- ments) is, that this religious society or organization was at first composed of Hollanders, the original members having
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landed at New York, but later emigrating from Bucks county thither. It is probable that they made some terms with the Indian owners for the use of the land. Without doubt they built the first meeting house from the trees of the forest, and it is possible about 1675. There was at that time no taxable inhabitants, but it is known that in twenty or twenty-five years later the population had not only materially increased but also changed by the incoming of a new emigration of Scotch and north of Ireland pioneers.
Early in the eighteenth century this fact was established by the names of the owners of farms whose respective tracts of land were parts of the manor of Williamstadt, comprising 7,480 acres (later Norriton township), granted in 1704 to Wm. Penn, Jr., and shortly after to Isaac Norris and William Trent.
In 1712, Isaac Norris, by purchase from Trent, acquired the whole tract. This manor was changed to the township of Norriton in 1730, at which time there were but twenty-five taxables therein.
We append herewith some of the names of those whose tomb stones exhibit dates previous to the Revolution :
Joseph Armstrong, aged 4 years, died April 29, 1740. Archibald Thompson, Sr., aged 68 years, died in 1745. Sam- uel Thompson, aged 35 years, died in 1746. Robert Thomp- son, aged 40 years, died in 1746. Robert Thompson, aged 46 years, died in 1747. Moses Thompson, aged 31 years, died in 1748. Robert Dunn, aged 40 years, died in 1748. Jane Christey, aged 72 years, died in 1756. John Christey, aged 87 years, died in 1766. Robert Porter, aged 72 years, died in 1770. Joseph Armstrong, Sr., aged 80 years, died in 1766. Mary Armstrong, aged 76 years, died in 1776. Barbara Hen- derson, aged 34 years, died in 1772. Catharine Freeman, died in 1776. Archibald Thompson, Jr., aged 39 years, died in 1779.
Many of the older stones were found without any letter- ing, hence entirely unintelligible, owing to the soft and perish- able nature of stone used in those early days. Notwithstand- ing this, the descendants of these nameless ones who lived after them possessed sterling characters, and were a credit to later generations. Especially true is this, as to many worthy
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families who settled as emigrants in both Norriton and· Wor- cester. They were a sturdy stock from the north of Ireland, noted for their enterprise, intelligence, and reliable Protestant principles. These Scotch-Irish people came quietly and un- heralded, but made the best of citizens; and although many of their posterity have since removed away from the vicinity of the old church, they have carried with them a good record for honesty, fidelity and christian character, wherever it has fallen to their earthly lot to dwell.
It may not be amiss, therefore, to furnish some additional names found in the little grave-yard, to make known to the present generation, and possibly some relatives, those who once lived in the neighborhood, and worshiped in the old meeting- house.
Buck, in his Montgomery county history, visited this old burial place in 1858, while the writer made his occasional visits to the same place beginning full twenty years earlier, say in 1835.
Armstrong, Bayley, Burns, Hooven, Curry, Smith, Knox, Christey, McCrea, Dunn, Bryant, Darrah, White, DeHaven, Hanna, Fitzwater, Freeman, Fulton, Porter, Foster, Richards, Hiser, or Heyser, Trump, Henderson, Thompson, Keesey, Zeigler, McGlathery, Stuart, Patterson, Philips, Stroud, Stew- art, Lefever, Shannon, McLean, St. Clair, Baker, Dettra.
The above, it will be understood, are names representing families, and as a consequence, some names exhibiting a large number of graves. For example: the Armstrong family, one of the earliest, shows over thirty graves. Also, there are sev- eral of the Thompsons, the Porters, the Stuarts, the McCreas, the Burns, the Pattersons, and others.
The head stone of one Mary Curry records almost a cen- tenarian, departing this life in 1804, in her ninty-eighth year; also John Porter, dying in 1821, in his ninety-fifth year.
Here lie the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Stuart, an officer in the Revolutionary War, and an old resi- dent of the neighborhood, who died May 27, 1799, aged 51 years.
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This old congregation, claiming, as we believe, to be the mother of all the Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania, gave the first exhibit of church extension, by the organization of the Presbyterian church, denominated " Norriton and Providence," which occurred in 1730.
This church, now called "Lower Providence," has already erected its third edifice, and dedicated the same in the early summer of 1869.
During the months while engaged in erecting the new church building, the Lower Providence congregation met stat- edly for worship on Sabbath days in the Jeffersonville church, the same having been tendered by the pastor, Rev. Charles Collins, and session of said congregation.
The Jeffersonville church was taken down and removed in May, 1875, together with the remains of those buried in the cemetery adjoining, about three-fourths of a mile east, on the Ridge turnpike, and a new granite building erected, known thereafter by a new charter, as the Centennial church of Jef- fersonville.
Just here it may be proper to say, that after the Lower Providence church was first built, about 1730 or '32, the cur- rent of population seemed to turn in that direction, and possibly the spirit of dissension already rife helped also to weaken the old Norriton congregation.
This item will explain how rapidly the then new grave- yard of Providence filled up; and likewise, how very many of the same family names were multiplied there, which has since grown to large proportions as a rural resting place for the dead.
This fact of the united congregations, the "Norriton " and the " Providence," so long under the direction and control of the same session, and so long enjoying the same pastors, since 1758 at least, until this writing, 1894, is a remarkable state- ment; hence, by legal succession, the Lower Providence church has always, heretofore and now, the ownership, as well as all rights in the real estate, and entire control of the build- ing, as to its uses for public worship.
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We have also regarded it as a mistake, perhaps lack of due consideration, when in the Spring of 1844, the Trustees of the Lower Providence church permitted the alterations that were then made to the old building. In a previous paragraph we have made allusion. At that time we think the Providence . church was without a pastor, or possibly better counsel might have prevailed.
Before the destruction of the old oak board floors, and especially the old pulpit and sounding board, internally, it was a quaint exhibit of the olden time. Why not have done the necessary repairs, but at the same time preserve the work of the forefathers, as was done in the case of the ancient Lutheran church at the Trappe (now Collegeville), erected under the charge of Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, in 1743.
The venerable Jacob Beyer, Sr., with whom I had many conversations, informed me, about 1835-'40, that the existing old Norriton church was very similar in its external appear- ance to the old Lutheran church just named, and formerly had, to his distinct recollection, an antiquated hip-roof, which he thought (trusting to his memory), being dilapidated, was taken off about 1774-'75, and the present barn-roof style sub- stituted.
He also told me that his great-grandfather, Abraham Beyer, the founder of the family in Montgomery county, who married Rosina Yeakle in Holland, settled within a short dis- tance of the Norriton church in 1736. He lived just over the line of Norriton in Worcester township, then in Philadelphia county, and died October 30, 1754.
His son was Andrew Beyer, who married Philipina Wey- and November 7, 1758, died April 19, 1773, aged forty years, and had removed to the Norriton township farm. His son, Jacob Beyer, Sr., married Rachel Metz. He was born Feb- ruary 14, 1762, and died August 23, 1846, in his eighty-fifth year.
He had a distinct recollection, good memory, and many reminiscences pertaining to the Norriton church prior to, and after the Revolution, was often personally present during
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those trying years, and entertained me frequently with inter- esting recitals of his early days and the by-gone years.
One statement impressed me, and which he loved to re- peat, viz., that when his great-grandfather settled there in 1736, he told his family, after careful inquiry and investiga- tion, that the Norriton meeting-house was, at that date, called an old church and burial place, at least a half century or more in existence; that the building was first of logs, and stood some twenty years; that probably about 1698 to 1705 the present stone church was erected; also, that Hollanders were first on the ground; and later, probably just after the violent struggles in Scotland, lasting from 1660 to 1688, the new emi- grants took up the soil.
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