USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > Narragansett > A history of the Episcopal church in Narragansett, Rhode Island, including a history of other Episcopal churches in the state > Part 37
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 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
447
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
about to get subscriptions to build a church. If the society knew the necessity there is of a missionary here, they would immedi- ately send one, in the meantime, I shall give them all the assistance I can." The society upon this letter appointed in the next year, (1723) the Rev. M. Pigot, missionary there. Besides the faithful discharge of his duty at his own station, Mr. Honyman had been farther instrumental in gathering several congregations at Narragan- sett, Tiverton, Freetown, and at the above mentioned place, Prov- idence. In the year 1724, accounts came that he had baptized eighty within the two past years, of which nineteen were grown persons, three of them negroes, and two mulattos ; and that there were probably belonging to his church at Newport above fifty com- municants who lived in that place, exclusive of strangers. The church people grew now too numerous to be accommodated with seats in the old church, and many more offered to join themselves to the church communion. Mr. Honyman proposed to the church members the building of a new church, and subscribing himself thirty pounds, the people concurred, and he soon after obtained a thousand pounds subscription for that purpose ; but it was estimated the building would cost twice as much, in that country money .- However, a sufficient sum was raised, and in the year 1726, the church was completed and Mr. Honyman preached in it. The body of the church is 70 feet long and 46 feet wide; it has two tiers of windows, is full of pews, and hath galleries all round to the east end. It is owned by people there, to be the most beautiful timber struct- ure in America The old church is given to the neighboring town of Warwick, who had no church of their own. There are Quakers and two sorts of Baptists in Newport, yet the members of the Church of England increase daily ; and though there are not four alive of the first promoters of the church who worship in this place, yet there is now above four times the number of all the first. This last church is generally full. Newport is the chief town on the island ; is the place of residence of the Governor ; is a good compact town, large enough to make a considerable village in England. Mr. Honyman continues our missionary here, and hath under his care also, Free- town, Tiverton, and Little Compton. .
Having just mentioned Providence, where Mr. Honyman had gathered a congregation, and Mr. Piggot was appointed missionary,
448
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
it may be proper to give next an account of the mission there. The people as described above, were negligent of all religion, till about the year 1722 ; the very best were such as called themselves Bap- tists, or Quakers, but it is feared many were Gortonians or Deists. This township is twenty miles square, and the present number of in- habitants is about 4,000. Out of all these, there was a small num- ber, who in the year 1722, seriously reflecting in that irreligious state wherein they lived, resolved to endeavor to build a church, get a minister, and live like Christians. They began to gather contribu- tions among themselves, they got two hundred and fifty pounds ; they solicited their friends about them : they got two hundred pounds from Rhode Island, one hundred pounds from Boston, and twenty from other places. With this sum, and about two hundred pounds more, which they borrowed, they raised on St. Barnabas day, 1722, a timber building for a church, being 60 feet in length, 41 in breadth, and 26 high. The chief contributor was Col. Joseph Whipple, who gave one hundred pounds. The Rev. Mr. Honyman gave ten pounds, and Mr. McSparran, another of the Society's missionaries, gave five pounds. The people live dispersed over this large town- ship ; they are industrious, employed chiefly in husbandry and handicraft, though very lately they have begun to enter upon foreign trade and navigation. Mr. Piggot, upon his first coming here, had not much above one hundred attending divine worship ; however, the numbers increased, and he baptized in less than two years six grown persons, and the communicants were seventeen. And in the year 1727, he baptized eleven children, three grown persons, and the communicants were forty-four. The reader must remark that this mission is but just begun, and the church members are daily in- creasing."
" The people of Narragansett made application to the Bishop of London, about the year 1707, for a missionary, and built a church soon after by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants. It is a timber building, and is commodiously situated for those who gener- ally attend divine service. It is distant from Providence, the near- est church, twenty-seven miles. This county is above thirty miles long, and between twelve and thirteen broad. There are near four thousand inhabitants, including about two hundred negros. Their business is husbandry, and their farms are large, so that the farmers
449
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
seem rather graziers. They live at great distances from each other, and improve their lands in breeding horses, cattle, and sheep, and
- carry the greatest supply of provisions to Boston market.
The people who appeared at first desirous of the Church of Eng- land worship, were but few, but they were very earnest in it. In the year 1717, the Society appointed the Rev. Mr. Guy to that place. He arrived there soon after, and entered upon his mission with much zeal. The members of the Church of England received him with tokens of much joy. They presently provided him with a conven- ient house, and because it was at some distance from the church, they presented him with a horse, and in many other ways shewed marks of their favor. He was very well respected by the people, and sev- eral who lived regardless of all religion before he came, began to be constant attendants at divine worship. He resided at Narragansett (otherwise called Kingstown,) and visited by turns the people of Freetown, Tiverton, and Little Compton, and some other places .- This mission was very laborious, the places far distant, and the weather here changing suddenly into severe extremes. Mr. Guy contracted indispositions, and found himself not able to bear the fa- tigues, and was therefore, upon his request, removed to South Caro- lina in 1719. The Rev. Mr. Honyman, in the vacancy of this church, visited the people at times and kept them together. The Rev. Mr. McSparran was appointed missionary there in 1720. In the fol- lowing year he acquainted the Society, that his congregation, though small at first, consisted then of about one hundred and sixty, with twelve Indian and black servants ; that he had baptized thirty per- sons, six of them of a grown age, between eighteen and fifty ; the communicants were but twelve. But the next year, the members of the Church of England increased to two hundred and sixty, and he baptized ten grown persons ; and in the following year fifteen grown persons desired and received baptism, and all the church people, · young and old, amounted to three hundred. Mr. McSparran contin- ues now in this mission .??
53*
450
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
ABSTRACTS
. OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY.
" On the 2nd of October, 1713, The Rev. Mr. Guy having his character and abilities, upon due examination allowed, was received as the Society's missionary to St. Helen's in South Carolina, with the salary of £50 per annum, and the usual allowance of money and books."
From 1713 to 1714 .- " For Marblehead or Narragansett was de. signed the Rev. Mr. Dudley Bradstreet, a native of the country, and a proselyte of their way by education, grandson of Governor Brad- street." He died before ordination.
" To the Rev. Mr. H. Wheatley for his intended services at Nar- ragansett, £70 per annum, it being a place well deserving the en- couragement of the Society as the former (Marblehead), and calling for it frequently by addresses to his late Majesty, the Lord Bishop of London, the General (Nicholson) signifying the subscribers to be favorers of the Church of England, and desirous of a regular min- ister to be placed among them."
From 1716 to 1717 .- Mr. Guy at Narragansett. Salary £70.
From 1717 to 1718 .- The Society resolve to exert themselves to send new missionaries to Narragansett. Mr. Guy not mentioned and not missionary at Narragansett.
Mr. Guy at St. Andrew's parish, South Carolina, 1718 to 1719- he reports.
From 1719 to 1720 .- To the Rev. James McSparran, appointed by the Society missionary to Narragansett, in New England, £70 per annum, who is to officiate, as opportunity shall offer, at Bristol, Free- town, Swansey, and Little Compton, where there are many people members of the Church of England, destitute of a minister.
From 1720 to 1721 .- The Society have this year supplied the fol- lowing places with missionaries :
" The Rev. Mr. James Orem, to New Bristol, in New England, with the like salary of £60 per annum, where the people have lately built a church at their own charge, and promised to contribute hand- somely towards the maintenance of a missionary."
451
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
And the Rev. George Piggot is appointed at Stratford, Connecti- cut, with the same salary.
Mr. Honyman, missionary at Newport, Rhode Island, reported- that he preaches twice every Sunday, catechises twice a week, and administers sacrament every month, and has baptized in about two years past seventy-three persons, of whom nineteen are adults.
Mr. Honyman, £70
McSparran, 70
" Orem, at Bristol, 60
" Piggot, at Stratford, 60
From February, 1721 to 1722. The society have appointed for South Carolina "the Rev. Mr. Usher, (a gentleman educated at Har- vard College in New England, who lately came over for Episcopal ordination) to St. George's, with a salary of fifty pounds."
- Messrs. Cutler, Brown, and Johnson, came over for ordination.
The Rev. Mr. Honeyman, minister of Rhode Island, in New En- gland, reports, " That he had been lately to preach at Providence, a town in that colony, to the greatest number of people he ever had together since he came to America ; that no house being able to hold them, he was obliged to preach in the fields ; that they are getting subscriptions for building a church, and he doubts not but there will be a considerable congregation.
" The Rev. Mr. McSparran, minister at Narragansett, that his congregation consists of about 160, with 12 Indian and black ser- vants ; that he has baptized 30 persons, 6 of whom are adults, from the age of 18 to 50, and the rest under that. The number of his communicants is but 12, but has great hopes that it will be doubled in a short time."
The Rev. Mr. Orem, minister at Bristol, that the church there is almost finished, the inhabitants having spared no pains to carry on the work, having already expended £1500, and some hundreds more will be required to complete the building ; that there is a very nu- merous assembly that attends the worship of the church every Lord's day, and join in the services with the greatest gravity and decency imaginable, many of whom, before his coming, were strangers to the liturgy of the Church of England.
452
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
Mr. Honyman, £70
" McSparran, 70
". Orem, 60
From 1722 to 1723 .- Mr. Piggot removed to Providence from Stratford, and Samuel Johnson appointed in his room at Stratford, where the people have raised subscriptions to build a church, and where there is a prospect of a very numerous congregation.
To Bristol, the Rev. Mr. John Usher, with a like salary, on the Rev. Mr. Orem's removal to New York.
The Rev. Mr. Honyman, " that within two years past he hath baptized 82, of which 19 were adults, 3 of them negros, 2 Indians, and 2 mulatos ; that there are properly belonging to that church above 50 communicants, that live in that place, exclusive of stran- gers ; that the people growing too numerous for the church, ard others offering to join them if they could be accommodated with room, he proposed the building of a new church, and has obtained near £1000 subscriptions for that purpose, though it is supposed the building will cost twice that money ; that the materials are getting ready, and the workmen will begin upon them in the spring."
From the Rev. Mr. McSparran, minister at Narragansett : " That he has baptized there the last year 7 adult persons, one a mulatto wo- man, and 6 children ; and at Bristol, 3 adults and 5 children ; that the number of those who profess themselves of the church of England is about 260, and that he has had 3 new communicants in the last year, and has so far prevailed as to have several children, during Lent season, come to the church every Sunday and publicly repeat the church catechism, which they performed with decency and distinct- ness ; that the people are wonderfully enamored with that method of training up children."
Mr. Honyman, £70
McSparran, 70
" Piggot, 60
" Usher, 60
From 1723 to 1724 .- From the Rev. Mr. Usher : " That the num- ber of those who profess themselves of the Church of England are 45 families ; that he has baptized 6 adults, and that the number of communicants are 23."
From the Rev. Mr. McSparran : " That he has baptized 6 adult per-
453
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
sons last year, one of which is an Indian woman, and several child- ren, and had four new communicants ; that there are about 200 In- dians and negroes, 20 of which constantly come to church."
Mr. Honyman, £70
" McSparran, 70
" Usher, 60
Piggot, 60
From 1724 to 1725 .- From the Rev. Mr. Honyman : " That his congregation has very much increased ; that they are now building a large new church ; that in the year 1724, he baptized 43, among which were 8 adults, 6 of them negros and Indians, and one Indian child."
From the Rev. Mr. Piggot : "That his congregation is generally 100, though the greater part not of that town ; that he has baptized 6 adults, and the number of his communicants are 17."
From the Rev. Mr. Usher : "That he has baptized 5 adult per- sons, and admitted 7 to the communion, and that the number of actual communicants is 30."
Salaries, same.
From 1725 to 1726 .- From the Rev. Mr. Honyman : " Acquaint- ing that the new church there is nigh finished, and will be ready for the Society's present as soon as it can be sent, (which present is a plain purple communion cloth, pulpit cloth, and cushion,) and that the people had given the old church, with all its furniture, to a neigh- boring place, where they conceive it will be of great use."
Salaries, same. No other reports from Missionaries this year.
From 1726 to 1727 .- From Mr. Honyman : "That their new church is now finished and in a flourishing condition, and increases daily ; that he has often visited Freetown, Little Compton, and Tiv- erton, and preached there on week days, in a meeting-house belong- ing to the Independents, of which they allowed him the use, where the people are very attentive to his sermons and desire the Society's compassion ; that he preaches twice every Sunday in his own church, administers the sacrament every month ; observes all fasts and festivals ; has prayers twice a week in Lent, and publicly cate- chises the children."
From the Rev. Mr. Piggot : " That he has baptized, from July 1726
454
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
to July 1727, 3 adults and 11 infants, admitted 9 to the sacrament, and that the whole number of his communicants is 44."
No other reports this year. Salaries the same.
From 1727 to 1728 .- From the Rev. Mr. Piggot, late minister at Providence : " That during the time of his four years' ministry among them he baptized 16 adults, besides infants, and had 44 communi- cants ; and that there is a large congregation at Marblehead, where he now officiates."
From the Rev. Mr. Honyman, minister at Newport: " That his church there is in a flourishing condition, and that upon week days he observes stated lectures in the adjacent places of Tiverton, Free- town, and Little Compton, which are commonly attended by consid- erable numbers of people. He lately preached at Providence to a large congregation, and administered both sacraments to several per- sons."
1729. Mr. Honyman, missionary at Rhode Island, £70 Mr. McSparran, missionary at Narragansett, 70
Rev. Arthur Brown appointed missionary to Providence, 60
Accounts have been received from the Rev. Mr. Honyman, minis- ter at Newport, in Rhode Island, that his church is in a flourishing condition, and that within the last two years he has baptized eighty- eight, fourteen of which are adults.
From 1729 to 1730 .- " The Rev. Mr. Usher, of Bristol, writes, that his congregation has so much increased that there is scarce room in the church to hold them, and therefore intends to build a gallery soon, for their better accommodation. In the same letter he gives a brief account of the progress he hath made in his mission since his appointment, in these words : "Since my first settlement in Bristol to this time, which is just seven years, I have baptized 121, twelve of which I baptized at Rehoboth and Barrington, at which places I have preached several times-of the number twenty-two were adults, and three adult Indians. I have had sundry negros make applica- tion for baptism, that were able to render a very good account of the hope that was in them, and their practices were generally agreeable to the principles of the christian religion. But I am not permitted to comply with their request and my own duty, being for- bid by their masters, notwithstanding they have the Bishop of Lon- don's letter, and the late Bishop of St. Asaph's sermon to that pur.
455
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
pose, to which I have added my own endeavors, both from the pulpit and in private conversation, to persuade them to comply therewith.
The Rev. Mr. Honyman, at Rhode Island, and Mr. McSparran, at Narragansett, have each of them wrote to the Society, that their congregations were in a flourishing condition.
Mr. Honyman, at Newport, £70
" McSparran, at Narragansett, 70
" Browne, at Providence, 60
" Usher, at Bristol, 60
1731. The Rev. Mr. McSparran, missionary at Narragansett, writes, that he proceeds with good success on the labors in the duties of his mission ; that besides children, he hath lately baptized one adult and a negro; that it is his common practice to expound the church catechism to children one Sunday in each month, in the hear- ing of the congregation, to the great improvement of the elder peo- ple, as well as the children.
The Rev. Mr. Honyman, missionary at Newport, writes, that the church under his care is in a growing state ; that in less time than the two last years he had baptized eighty-four, sixteen of whom were adults. IIe also constantly observes his stated lectures at Tiverton, where he hath often a considerable audience, and assures he will ex- ert himself to the utmost in the discharge of every branch of his duty.
Salaries the same.
1732. The Rev. Mr. Honyman, an ancient missionary at New- port, in a letter dated Sept. 20, 1732, acquaints thus : "I take the pleasure of telling you this known truth, that betwixt New York and Boston, the distance of three hundred miles, and wherein are many missions, there is not a congregation in the way of the church of England that can pretend to compare with mine, or equal it in any respect ; nor does my church consist of members that were of it when I came here, for I have buried them all; nor is there any one person now alive that did then belong to our church, so that our present appearance is entirely owing to God's blessing upon my en- deavors."
1733. The Rev. Mr. Arthur Brown, missionary at Providence, in his letter dated Sept. 29, 1733, acquaints : " That upon his first coming to the mission of Providence, he found the number of per-
456
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
sons attending divine service was small, and the communicants only 27; but that now there is a great alteration, for the communicants amount to 46, and his congregation seldom less than a hundred in number ; and he hath baptized 14 adults and 54 infants."
1734. The Rev. Mr. Honyman, missionary at Newport, in his letter dated Nov. 27, 1734, acquaints the Society, that his church continues in a flourishing condition, so that there is none in those parts to be compared to it. Last summer, he went to preach at Tiv- erton in excessive hot weather, which cccasioned him a violent and dangerous fit of sickness ; but notwithstanding that, as long as he was able, he performed his duty in the church, so that his people were not without public worship during the whole sickness, except one Sunday, and that, through God's blessing, he is perfectly recov- ered. He says, Barclay's Apology for the Quakers hath been late- ly reprinted there, and therefore thinks a number of Keith's Answer to that book, might be distributed with great advantage among the people of those parts, and he could also dispose to very good pur- pose, among many whose wants require them, a number of Bibles, Common Prayer Books, Bishop Beveridge's Thoughts on Religion, Whole Duty of Man, and other tracts.
The Society last year appointed the Rev. Mr. Punderson to be Itinerant Missionary in New England.
1735. The Rev. Mr. Honyman, missionary at Newport, writes an account, that the church increases in those parts ; that his own labors are attended with success; that since his last letters he hath baptized 90, whereof 7 are adults, 1 Indian, and 3 negros.
1736-7. No report. Salaries the same.
1738-9. The Rev. Mr. Honyman, of Newport, senior missiona- ry of the Society, acquaints them by letter, dated July 6, 1737, that he had been very much weakened by a long indisposition, but he had not omitted his duty in preaching twice every Sunday ; in observing every festival ; in reading prayers and catechising twice a week in Lent ; and he may affirm with great truth, that his congregation is the largest and most flourishing of any in those parts. And by a letter dated the 8th of November, 1737, he writes that he had bap- tized ninety persons that year, of whom fifteen of them were of riper years, two of them negros, and two Indians ; that he found his work growing on his hands as he grew in years, but he would go
.
457
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
on with the divine assistance, to promote to the utmost of his endea- vors, the interest of religion, according to the designs and expecta- tions of the venerable society.
The Rev. Mr. McSparran, minister at Narragansett and Warwick, writes, Sept. 21, 1738, that he had baptized twenty-eight persons, of whom ten were adults, the last half year, and one of them the lady of Mr. Abraham Francis, a person of some consideration at War- wick, and he since hath received her to the communion.
The Rev. Mr. Usher, at Bristol, writes, Sept. 22, 1738, that in obedience to the orders of the venerable Society, he sends a true and faithful account of the spiritual state of his parish. There are in it one hundred and fifty families, reckoning about four to a family, and fifty of these families are of his congregation, and he hath fifty com- municants,-and he hath baptized one person of full age, besides several children, the last half year. The other hundred families consists of dissenters of various names.
George Taylor, of Providence, writes, Oct. 18, 1737, that he teaches twenty-three white and two black children, and catechises them on Wednesdays and Saturdays, explains to them the principles of religion, which they have learned by heart ; this, with Mr. Tay- lor's good life and conversation, comes attested by Dr. McSparran.
1739-40. Mr. Honyman, missionary at Rhode Island, £70
" Checkley, missionary at Providence, 60
Usher, missionary at New Bristol, 60
McSparran, missionary at Narragansett, 60
Taylor, school-master at Providence, 10
The Rev. Mr. Honyman, of Rhode Island, senior missionary of the Society, acquaints them by a letter dated the 27th of September, 1733, "that it had pleased God to visit him with a chronical distem- per, which had for several months disabled him from public service, but he had taken all due care to have his church regularly supplied by the Rev. Mr. Watts, late the Society's school-master at Annapolis Royal, and now settled in his neighborhood at Bristol. But the charge of this, and his long illness, had laid so heavy upon him, that he was obliged to become a petitioner to the Society for their kind assistance, which he humbly hoped would not be denied to him who hath been more than thirty years in their service at Rhode Island, and made it his constant endeavor to behave himself worthily, and not without 54
458
HISTORY OF THE NARRAGANSETT CHURCH.
some success, his church being the largest in those parts, and yet not sufficient to contain his congregation. The Society, out of re- gard to Mr. Honyman's long and faithful services, and his pressing circumstances, hath given him a gratuity of twenty pounds, for which, by a letter of 7th of August, 1739, Mr. Honyman returned his most hearty thanks, and wrote, that he had been for some months back into his desk and pulpit again, and since his illness had baptized fifty persons, four of whom were adults, and two of them negroes ; and he concludes, that he is determined to spend the remainder of his days in the service of that church, and will endeavor, through the divine assistance, to deserve the favors of the venerable Society.
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.