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VIRGINIA WHITE HER BOOK
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01799 2808
Hunter What
GENEALOGY 974.501 W27WH
GEN
Old St. Paul's in
Narragansett
by Col. Hunter C. White
PUBLISHED JUNE 1957
COPYRIGHT, 1957 PRINTED BY WAKEFIELD PRINTING COMPANY WAKEFIELD, RHODE ISLAND
Old St. Paul's in Narragansett
PART I
Within the confines of the Old Narragansett Country in the Village of Wickford at the end of Church Lane is situated the Church of St. Paul's in Narragansett better known today as the Old Narragansett Church. This building is one of the oldest church edifices in New England and is the oldest Epis- copal church building north of the Potomac. It was built in 1707.
In order to realize the age of this venerable structure, let us consider where the year 1707 stands in our history. The first permanent English settlement in the New World, James -- town in Virginia, was just rounding out its first century. The Mayflower brought the settlers for the first English settlement in New England to Plymouth less than 87 years before. Roger Williams' settlement at Providence was only three score and eleven years old.
The Indian War which broke the power of the Narragan- setts, and nearly exterminated them, making the Narragansett Country safe for settlement, was fought only about 30 years before this date.
This church was almost three score years and ten, the al- lotted span of human life according to the Bible, when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Many of the early settlers of this region had been communicants of the Church of England and quite naturally they were interested in having a Church and minister of their faith to minister to their spiritual needs.
There are records of letters as early as 1702 from the lead-
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Virginia Q. E. White
The Old Narragansett Church
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ing Churchmen of this section being sent to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, in London asking that a minister be sent to them. In response to these letters the Society sent the Rev. Mr. Keith in 1702 to "enquire into the spiritual condition of the people and endeavor to awaken them to a sense of the Christian Religion". He recorded in his Diary under the date of August 23, 1702, "I preached at Nar- ragansett at the house of Mr. Opdyke where I had a consider- able auditory. The people are very desirous that a Church of England minister be sent to them."
However, it was not until 1706 that the minister came. In that year the Bishop of London sent over the Rev. Christopher Bridge, as a Missionary of the Society, to Narra- gansett where he gathered together a small but earnest flock. Under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Bridge the Parishioners built, but did not completely finish, their Church building and dedicated it to St. Paul. Capt. Benoni Sweet gave the lot for the church. The deed dated June 17, 1707- runs to Mr. Christopher Bridge, Clerk of the Church at Kingstown, (North Kingstown, South Kingstown and what is now Narragansett were all one town in those days and the town was called Kings- town.) Charles Dickenson and Samuel C. Albro, for the use of a church of the faith of the Church of England. The deed calls for two acres more or less, and the description calls for a lot 14 rods one way and 24 rods the other. There was also a building on the lot which possibly indicates that the deed was not executed until after the church building was erected and it may refer to the house where Martin Reed afterwards
lived. The lot was situated on the Dark Corner, or Sherman- town Road, which at that time was hoped to be a link in the main Boston to New London Highway. It was located about half a mile west of Pender Zeke's Corner, a bend in the Old Post Road, or as it was called in those days "The Country Rhoad," which followed the general location of the Old Pequot Trail. This lot lies about 5 miles south west of Wickford.
The Rev. Mr. Bridge only remained as rector of the Church a little over a year and a half, but the Church Edifice stands as a monument to his earnestness and activity. During his Rectorship, Queen Anne presented the Church with the "Old Silver", consisting of a Chalice, a Paten and a Baptismal
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Bowl. On April 14, 1734 Nathaniel Kay of Newport, Collector of the King's revenues in Rhode Island, left a legacy consisting of a Silver Tankard for the use of the "Blessed Sacrament in the Old Narragansett Church." The Chalice, Paten and Tank- ard are still used once a year on the first Sunday in August in the Old Narragansett Church. For some unaccountable reason, soon after the New St. Paul's Church was built, there was a move to have the Old Baptismal Bowl melted up. On July 24, 1851 following "an unanimous vote of the vestry" the Old Historic Silver Bowl which had been used for baptizing so many of the leading and noteworthy members of this Church over a period of nearly a century and a half was melted up and "made into as many plates as practicable". It was also voted "that the Reverend Mr. Henshaw, James Eldred and A. M. Thomas be a committee to attend to the above matter."
From 1708 to 1717 the Church had no rector. Services, however, were held in the Old Church from time to time, when- ever a clergyman could be persuaded to come. Probably the Rev. Mr. Honeyman of Trinity Church, Newport, officiated in the Church more or less frequently.
There is evidence of letters having been sent, during this period, to the Society asking that a rector be sent over to care for this parish.
In 1717 the Rev. William Guy arrived from South Carolina where his former parish had been nearly wiped out in an Indian War. The New England winter was evidently too severe for his constitution for we find that he was sent back to South Carolina due to the condition of his health during the following year.
During his sojourn in Narragansett the first record book of the Old Narragansett Church was purchased and the first entries were made. The first entry in the book is as follows: "In Kingstown April 14, 1718 at a meeting of the Parishioners, aforesaid the following persons were elected Church Wardens and Vestrymen for the year ensuing Rev. Mr. William Guy, Rector being present," followed by the list of the names of the persons elected. Gabriel Bernon's name appears in the list of Vestrymen. Gabriel Bernon was one of the leading French Huguenots, a devout Churchman and one of those instrumental in the founding of St. John's in Providence.
Apparently it was customary in those days for the Wardens
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Dcorway of Old Narragansett Church
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and Vestrymen to be sworn in before a civil officer as we find the entry that the wardens and four of the Vestrymen were sworn in the same day before John Eldred, Assistant. The old record book was also used as a parish register. We find that on June 15, 1718, John Dickenson and Mary Phillips were married by Rev. William Guy. On June 22, 1718, Rev. Mr. Guy baptized his son Edmond B. Guy. On September 18,1718, Hannah, an Indian woman was baptized. This last entry shows that the Church did not limit its ministrations to members of the white race even in those early days.
According to our record book letters were sent on June 15, 1720, to the Lord Bishop of London, to the Honorable Society, (meaning the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts) and to Hon. Francis Nicholson, asking that a missionary be sent to minister to the spiritual needs of the Narragansett Country.
In response to these letters the Rev. James MacSparran was sent as the next missionary to the Narragansett Country.
On April 28, 1721, the Reverend James MacSparran arrived and commenced his ministerial office. The records indicate that there had been no meetings of the vestry or church for business purposes since 1718. Shortly after the arrival of Rev. Mr. MacSparran, a meeting was held at which it was voted on May 23, 1721, to repair the Church. Thomas Peckham, Sr. was hired to lath and plaster the Church and to obtain timber for the "galleryes". Thomas Peckham, Jr. was commissioned to make a Communion Table. It is interesting to note that the reading desk was enlarged to accommodate Dr. MacSparran's unusual size. He weighed over 300 pounds.
Apparently the work proceeded in a leisurely manner as it was not until a year from the following September that the Wardens carried around the paper to obtain subscriptions for repairing the Church. The job was finally completed in the course of another year for we find under date of March 17, 1723/4 that it was voted to number the Pews and affix the names of the owners thereto. There were 26 pews in the body of the church and 10 pews in the gallery. In 1726 a Mr. Del- sach was engaged to teach school at a salary of 10 pounds a year, but the arrangement did not work out very well and soon after this agreement was dissolved by mutual consent.
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Restoration of old Pulpit and reading desk
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Soon afterwards we find evidence of a movement to put the Church finances on a sounder footing. On April 22, 1728, the Church voted that on the first Sunday after Midsummer, Christ- mas and Lady Day, annually, there be a contribution for re- pairs on the church. It was also voted that the Wardens have six pence out of each pound of all moneys collected by them, except offerings at the Sacrament and offerings for support of the minister. On March 10, 1728/9 it was voted that the Pew- holders be assessed to help pay the minister's salary.
On April 20, 1741, it was voted that contributions hence- forth are to be collected as it is in Newport by carrying the box from pew to pew.
There is an entry on the record book which is of note es- pecially to artists. It is as follows: "April 11, 1756, it being Palm Sunday, Dr. MacSparran read prayers, preached and bap- tized at St. Paul's, Narragansett, two children, one named Gil- bert Stewart, son of Gilbert Stewart ye snuff grinder. Sureties, ye Dr. Benjamin Mumford and Mrs. Hannah Mumford. Ye other Phebe Weir, child of Daniel and Phebe Weir, Sureties Mrs. Hannah Mumford grandma of ye child, Ann Mumford, its Aunt, and Benjamin Mumford its Grandpa." This Gilbert Stewart became one of the world's great portrait painters and world famous for his portraits of Washington.
Often Dr. MacSparran baptized many of his adult parish- ioners by immersing them in Pettaquamscutt Pond.
No account of the Old Narragansett Church would be com- plete without some reference to the life of Dr. MacSparran, and the Glebe where for the last 24 years of his ministry he lived.
The Reverend Dr. James MacSparran came from a Scotch Irish family. His first religious work was as a Congregational minister in Bristol, Rhode Island. He returned to Europe to straighten out certain questions regarding his right to preach, and while there, changed his faith to that of the Established Church and was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. He was sent back to Bristol as a Missionary in charge of St. Michael's Parish but owing to the echoes of some old trouble he was later transferred to St. Paul's in Narragansett. On April 28, 1721, he arrived in Narragansett and commenced his ministerial office.
Soon after his arrival he fell in love with Hannah Gardiner,
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daughter of William Gardiner of Boston Neck, one of his wealthy parishioners, and was married to her by the Rev. Mr. Honeyman, Rector of Trinity Church in Newport, May 22, 1722.
In 1722 he became interested in Wickford real estate, pur- chasing the lot on what is now Bay Street where Mary Thomas now dwells, locally known as "The Old Yellow". He kept the lot for about four years, selling it in 1726. No buildings were on the lot at that time according to the old deeds. In August 1731, his father-in-law gave him a farm of 150 acres with a dwelling house thereon. Apparently it was somewhere north of Usquepaugh and probably would be about six or seven miles from the site of the Old Church. Undoubtedly this was a rather unsatisfactory location for the home of the Rector of St. Paul's in Narragansett. At any rate he deeded it back to his father- in-law in October of the same year. On December 16, 1733, his brother-in-law, Dr. Sylvester Gardiner, sold him an eighty acre farm with a dwelling house thereon between the Pettaquam- scutt River and the Country Road on the Lower Road now called Walmsley Lane.
Here he made his home until his death in December 1757. This place became known later as "The Glebe." It had been in the Gardiner family for a number of years. The first record which we have been able to find is a deed from William Gardiner to his son John in 1721. There was a dwelling house on the property at that time. While we cannot prove definitely that such is the fact, there is strong circumstantial evidence that this house was the ell of the Glebe and that the Rev. Dr. MacSpar- ran added the main part of the house, as an addition to the old house in order to make a home suited to his needs. It is most unfortunate that the Glebe is now lost forever to posteri- ty. Early in the winter of 1957 the dilapidated structure was completely torn down after it had withstood many raids of vandals over the last decade.
The Glebe in MacSparran's day must have been a really beautiful home with its lilac-bordered terraced gardens, its flagstone walks and its extensive view to the eastward across the broad fields with the stretches of the Narrow River widen- ing out to a lake and beyond the rolling lands of Boston Neck, while to the west and northwest the steep slopes of MacSparran Hill sheltered the house from the cold Northwest winds of win-
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ter. Here he lived for the final two thirds of a long ministry, performing all the religious and ministerial duties connected with his parish, which originally extended from Narragansett Bay on the east to the Connecticut line on the west and from the Atlantic Ocean on the south to the Pawtuxet Valley on the north, as well as running his farm and catechizing his slaves. He often referred to the Narragansett climate as a place where a person "was either frying or freezing" and where there was "ter- rible and mischievous thunder and lightning."
He proudly claimed that he was the first Episcopal Minister to preach at Providence.
His Diary and the Parish Register show the extent of his frequent journeys, ministering to rich and poor, free and slave, in a way that won for him the name of the Apostle to the Nar- ragansett Country. We find him frequently riding 60 miles a day over rough, stony and uneven roads. He received 30 pounds extra from the S.P.G. for preaching at Warwick twice a month. On April 5, 1737 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him by Oxford University.
While Dr. MacSparran and his wife were in London in 1755, Mrs. MacSparran was taken sick with small pox and died June 24th of that year. She was buried in the Church Yard of Broad- way Chapel, Westminster, in London. Following Dr. MacSpar- ran's return to Narragansett, his health began to fail although he continued to carry on his ministerial duties as before.
According to the old record on December 5th, 1757 "Rev- erend Dr. James MacSparran died at his house in South Kings- town who was Minister of St. Paul's Church in Narragansett for the space of 37 years and was decently interred under the Com- munion Table in said Church on the sixth day of said month much lamented by his Parishioners and all whom he had ac- quaintance with." He had caught a severe cold which settled in his throat. We find his death due to a quinsy throat.
Thus ended the career of a great Divine, the most famous of the long line of Rectors of the old Parish of St. Paul's, a man who left his imprint on the community and one of whom it can well be said, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."
In his will Dr. MacSparran left his home farm "for the use and support of a Right Reverend Diocesan if one should be sent over to America, whose jurisdiction should include the
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Narragansett country, provided he came within the term of seven years after Mrs. MacSparran's death. Otherwise the estate should go one half to his nephew, James MacSparran and the other half to his brother-in-law, Dr. Sylvester Gardner of Boston."
After Dr. MacSparran's death, letters were sent to the So- ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts from the Church, asking the Society to send a Rev. Mr. Leaming, a man who was known in Narragansett and had preached there, but the Society did not grant the request. Instead they sent a Rev. Samuel Fayerweather, a native of New England who was at the time preaching in the South. Due to the climate not agreeing with him, he had requested the Society to send him to a Northern Parish at the first opportunity. Rev. Mr. Fayer- weather was to receive 50 pounds a year from the Society and 20 pounds a year from his parishioners; besides he was to be furnished with a Glebe.
Owing to various delays in the mails, The Rev. Mr. Fayer- weather did not arrive and begin his duties until August 24, 1760. Soon after Rev. Samuel Fayerweather's arrival, James MacSparran, the nephew of the old Doctor, appeared in Nar- ragansett and a movement was started to buy MacSparran's Farm for a Glebe. A group of the wealthy parishioners soon raised the required 150 pounds and bought out MacSparran's interest. The group soon after contacted Dr. Gardiner, the other heir, and bought his share for the same amount. The group then gave the farm to St. Paul's Church as a Glebe.
From the Church Records it appears that a Mr. Norton Taylor of Newport had given St. Paul's a farm for a glebe which was sold at this time for 100 pounds, after getting per- mission of the Legislature, in order to raise part of the funds to buy out Dr. Sylvester Gardiner's share of the Glebe. The family of Mr. William Davis lived in the Glebe at this time keeping house for the Rev. Samuel Fayerweather.
The Rev. Fayerweather was quite liberal in his views for his time and was popular not only with those of his own faith but also with those of other faiths. We even find him preaching in churches of other faiths, for example, the Baptist Church in Little Rest (Kingston).
On Sunday, February 27, 1763, Rev. Mr. Fayerweather was
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The Flags and Box Pews in the Old Narragansett Church and Brass Chandelier
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married to Mrs. Abigail (Hazard) Bours, the widow of Rev. Peter Bours, in Newport early in the morning, about eight o'clock, by the Rev. Marmaduke Browne. He preached after- wards at Rev. Mr. Browne's Church. Soon thereafter on April 4th, Mr. Davis' family moved out of the Glebe where they had lived with the Rev. Mr. Fayerweather for over two years.
During this whole period, it was, judging from the records, extremely difficult to get the Parish together for the Annual Election on Easter Monday. We find the following record in 1764, "On Easter Sunday after Public Worship was ended, chose Parish Officers being under an indispensible necessity be- cause of the impossibility of convening the Parish on Easter Monday as the business of agriculture especially plowing and planting at said time engrossed their closest attention and care."
In November 1765 there is a record that the Church was repaired and the windows mended. Soon after this time we begin to find evidences of dissatisfaction with the location of the Church, and a move by the South Kingstown members to- wards a new church in South Kingstown. Dr. MacSparran left a lot at the northwest corner of his farm as a church site and the new Church was to be built thereon.
On Easter Monday, April 1, 1771, the question of whether to repair the Old Church or build a new one on the MacSparran lot was to be taken up but owing to there being so few South Kingstown members present the matter was adjourned. On April 15, the matter was referred to Rev. Mr. Fayerweather, Warden John Gardiner and Mr. Whailey, a carpenter. Mr. Whailey wanted a North Kingstown carpenter to inspect the building with him and had a Mr. Cole assist him in making the inspection. Mr. Whailey reported the Church to be in a ruinous state and almost past repairing; however, it might be patched up for awhile. The cost of repairing would be nearly as much as building a new church on the Hill lot left by Dr. MacSpar- ran. After discussion it was voted 11 to 5 in favor of building a new church, 4 did not vote. The records are silent as to why this vote was never carried out.
On October 13, 1771, Rev. Mr. Fayerweather preached at St. Paul's to 40 Souls, and, it was the last time he preached there for a considerable space because the roof of St. Paul's Church was taken off by a member who did not concur with
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the vote for building a new church on Dr. MacSparran's hill lot belonging now to the Parsonage. Rev. Mr. Fayerweather received a letter from Peter Phillips stating "That the roof of St. Paul's Church is taken off in order to put a new one on. Therefore, it will not be fit, he adds, to hold Church in until repaired."
There seemed to be a spirit of dissension existing in the Parish between the North Kingstown members and the South Kingstown members. Apparently it began in the latter part of the 1760 decade and continued until 1834. In the beginning, the location of the Church seemed to be involved and the desire of the South Kingstown people to have a new church in South Kingstown. Later the proportion of the Rector's salary that should come from South Kingstown and finally the division of the Church property between St. Paul's or North Kingston and St. Luke's of Tower Hill caused further trouble. The removal of the roof is one phase of this dissension. At times peace and harmony was restored, while at others the old spirit flared up and each side seemed very unreasonable in their treatment of the other. Soon after the removal of the roof the two factions got together and repaired the outside of the Church, although they left the inside in rather bad shape.
The first service after October 13, 1771, was on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1773. During this interval, Rev. Mr. Fayer- weather preached in various houses including the Glebe. There- after the Old Church was used except from January to Easter, when it was the custom for church services to be held in pri- vate houses owing to the bitter cold winters. The ice on Nar- row River in front of the Glebe was 3 feet thick every winter according to Dr. MacSparran's Diary.
The last regular entry for a period of ten years was under date of November 6, 1774. We must therefore obtain our knowl- edge of what occurred during this period from extraneous sources. When the Colonies declared their independence, most of the members of St. Paul's objected to the prayers for the King and members of the Royal Family. The Rev. Mr. Fayer- weather, being very strict in his ideas regarding the Church Ritual, did not feel that he could conscientiously omit these prayers. The Church was closed for the duration of the War, although the Rev. Mr. Fayerweather continued to live at the
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Glebe and to minister to the needs of the Parish. He died in South Kingstown in 1781. The inventory of his estate as filed in the South Kingstown records throws considerable light on the rooms in the Glebe at the time.
During the period when the Church was closed, it was used for awhile as a barracks to house some of the American soldiers.
After the close of the War, some of the Parishioners de- sired that the Parish again have a rector and that services again be held in the Old Church. There was considerable dif- ficulty in getting a new rector because all the assistance both financial and otherwise which had formerly been given by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ceased after the War. Thus the remaining interested members of the flock had to assume the whole burden and responsibility themselves.
They attempted to get a Rev. Mr. Fogg, but without suc- cess. It was not until July 7, 1787, that they were able to get the new rector, a Rev. William Smith. Rev. Mr. Smith served until January 20, 1790. In the interim between November 6, 1774 and April 20, 1784, there must have been some meetings of the Church, but there are no records of any having taken place. The meeting of April 20, 1784, was for the purpose of leasing the Glebe and of getting a new Rector. During February and March 1790, many attempts were made to hold a Church meeting, but they could not get a quorum. Finally the meeting was held authorizing leasing the Glebe for a year. Overdue elections were held November 16, 1790. April 17, 1791, there was a meeting to appoint a committee to engage a Dr. Walter P. Gardiner as Lay Reader. This is the last entry in Record Book No. 1.
About this time it was decided to apply to the Legislature for a charter, and on November 10, 1791, the first meeting after the incorporation was held. In the early part of 1792, the Glebe was leased to Dr. Gardiner for a year, and a Comittee was ap- pointed to run a lottery to repair the Old Church. Although during the Colonial Days it was quite common to run a lottery to raise funds for the erection of churches and public buildings, this is the first time that this method was used to raise funds for any purpose connected with St. Paul's according to the
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