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CHURCH OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF NEW JERSEY. A HISTORY FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY 1664-1964 PREPARED UNDER THE AtrrHORITY OF THE SESSION BY HARRY C. ELLISON, RULING ELDER. SEPTEMBER 1, 1964 PUBLISHED BY CARBROOK PRESS CORNISH, MAINE Copyright 1964 by Harry C. Ellison - CONTENTS - Page No. UNIT ONE: The Beginnings 1 UNIT TWO: The First Century 15 UNIT THREE: The Second Century 54 UNIT FOUR: The Third Century 133 - HISTORIC INCIDENTS - HISTORIC INCIDENT: May 20, 1668 Sa HISTORIC INCIDENT: July, 1673 - November, 1674 18a HISTORIC INCIDENT: Elia 22a HISTORIC INCIDENT: Colonial Law, 1704 35a HISTORIC INCIDENT: Disappe~rance of the Town Records, 1718-1719 38a HISTORIC PERSONS: Rev. Dickinson and Rev. Vaughn 46a The ROYAI CHARTER of the FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 49a HISTORIC INCIDENT: Duties of 1766 Sexton 56a HISTORIC INCIDENT: The Hannah Arnett Story 59a HISTORIC POEM: The Burning of Old First Church 61a HISTORIC NOTE: The "Stop Passenger!" Tablet 70a HISTORIC.INCIDENT: A Session Trial in 1813 96a HISTORIC INCIDENT: A Petition to United States Congress, 1840 101a HISTORIC PERSONAGE: Hannah Phinney, 1757-1844 106a HISTORIC PERSONAGE: Stephen Pierson 124a HISTORIC PERSONAGE: Dr. Nicholas Murray's Record Book 124d HISTORIC NOTE: The Communion Elements 154a . .. ____ . ········-- ~--······""··-····--············ .. :::~~-~----... ·- ·,.........__:- .... , 1st CHURCH PRIOR TO 1946 FIRE PREFACE This book is the result of over eight years of study and collation of historical material by the author. The Session of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, in April 1954, designated Elder Harry C. Ellison to be the Church Historian, and requested that he attempt to prepare a history of the congregation and the church for publication during 1964, when the church celebrated its 300th Anniversary. A study of the church records showed that synoptic histories had been published in 1823 and 1859, for inclusion in Church Manuals published in those years. These were helpful, but were lacking in depth and detail. The Rev. Nicholas Murray, D.D., in 1844 published a volume titled "Notes on Elizabethtown", which consisted of a aeries of rambling historical incidents which lacked any continuity. Several pastors,-including the Rev. Everard Kempahall, D.D., the Rev. William Force Whit­ aker, D.D., and the Rev. Charles Alexander Ross,­ prepared historical sermons of great merit for special services held during their tenure as pastors. All of these sources have been utilized in the preparation of this book. The Rev. Edwin F. Hatfield, D.D. wrote an excellent book "History of Elizabeth", published in 1868, in which much material concerning the church and the congregation was covered. Secular historians have published historical papers covering important incidents and periods of the history of the church, and miscellaneous private corre­ spondance of church members and friends were made avail­ able to the author. Each of these sources has been used and the author is grateful for the cooperation of those who made them available. The records of the church are complete from 1799 to date. These include the records of Session, Deacons, Trustees, Sextons, Bapti'sms, Marriages and Funerals. These records, supplemented by church calendars, news­ paper articles, sermon notes, and correspondance have aided immeasurably in writing the latter portion of the book. The author is an amateur historian, being educated in the field of Engineering. If there are errors in the history, he asks that the readers be charitable, remem­ bering the proverb: "To err is human; to forgive is divine". -1- Un it One: THE BEGINNINGS . The background: The geographical area we now call New Jersey was generally explored and appraised for colonization several decades before the first attempts were made to establish any permanent settlements. Before 1620, Dutch traders and trappers had explored most of the bays, inlets, streams and rivers on both sides of the Hudson River, from its mouth to its source. They built forts and trading posts on Manhattan Island and at Albany about 1614, and by 1618, had established a fortification on the site of Jersey City. &rom the forts along the Hudson Valley, trappers and traders ventured deep into the surrounding country seeking animal pelts, or any other goods which might be sold for profit in Holland. The English kings claimed all of the North American coast based on the voyages of·John and Sebastian Cabot 'inl497. The English made no serious effort, however, to occupy or settle ·the lands thay claimed for many years. It was not until 1584 that Queen Elizabeth gave a patent to Sir Walter Raleigh to explore and settle in America. In 1585 and 1590, two unsuccessful attempts were made to colonize Virginia. In 1606, King James granted the same lands to two different groups who called themselves the Plymouth and the London Companies. The first permanent English settlement in America was established by the Plymouth Company in 1620 in the Massachusetts Bay area. A aeries of wars plagued England for many years, and many Englishmen chose to come to America to escape the turmoil of civil and foreign wars at home. AB more Englishmen came to America, they sought to move southward from "crowded" Massachusetts Bay Colony, but they were stopped by the Dutch at New Amsterdam. A number of attempts were made to obtain rights to found English towns in the New Amsterdam colony, but the restrictions placed upon the English settlers were not acceptable. One of the attempts to settle an English colony in Dutch lands was carried on by John Bailey, Daniel Denton, Thomas Benedict, Nathaniel Denton, John Foster, and Luke Watson, all from Connecticut or Long Island. -2- In the 1661-1663 period, this group negotiated seriously with the Dutch governor of New Netherlands Colony, Peter Stuyvesant. The group was informed that they must comply with Dutch laws, and not establish the New England practice of self-government. Despite their earnest desire to settle a town in the fertile land across the Arthur Kill from Staten Island, the Englishmen were unwilling to give up their independence and accept restrictions and law• from the Dutch government. In 1660, when the restoration of King Charles II to the throne of England finally ended the Civil War, the English government decided to take action to drive out the Dutch from the American continent. Accordingly, King Charles granted authority to the Duke of York to take possession of the American lands from the Delaware to Maine. The Duke was himself head of a company called the Royal African Company, which intended to take over the trade of the Dutch West India Company. The Duke of York sent out a British fleet of four warships under the command of Colonel Richard Nicolls to drive the Dutch out of New Amsterdam. This was accomplished without firing a shot in September 1664. Governor Stuyvesant surrendered the Dutch colony, and Colonel Nicolls became the firat English governor of the area. The petition to settle: News of the capitulation of the Dutch at New Amsterdam spread rapidly throughout the English colonies, and small groups began planning for the day ~hen they could move away from crowded New England into the fertile wilderness south and west of the Hudson Riv~r. The first group ready to move into the new land was the group which had negotiated with the Dutch in 1661-1663. Within weeks of the surrender, the Associates sent the following petition to the new English governor: "To the Right honorable Col. Richard Nicolls, Esq., Governor of New York: The Humble peticon of us aubacribed sheweth: That several of us Yor Peticoners being In­ tended formerly to have purchased and aetled a plantation upon ye River called after-cull River. before yor arival into these parts: -3- our Intentions, notwithstanding our making some way with the Indians & Charges & Expen­ ces about the premisses, was obstructed by the then Ru-ling Dutch. And some of us by Reason of not having any Accommadations here were put upon thoughts of Removing into some other of his Majesties Dominions: but now upon this Y or Happy arival and the Decrease of the Duch Interest, we would Gladly pro­ ceed in the Design Afforesd. In order where­ unto, we make bold wth all humility to petit­ ion to Yor Honor that you would Grant us lib­ erty to purchas and setle a parcel of land to Improve our labour upon the River before men­ tioned, and some of us being Destitute of hab­ itations where we are, we crave Your Answer with as much Expedition as may be, we humbly take our leaves at Present and subscribe Yor Honors to command. from Jemaico commonly John Bailies so called Septr 26, 1664 Daniel Denton Thomas Benydiek Nathaniel Denton John Foster 1 Luke Watson Governor Nicolls acted very promptly after re- ceiving the petition, and returned the following answer: "Upon Perusal of this Peticon., I do Consent unto the proposals and Shall Give the under­ takers all Due Encouragement in so Good a work. Given under my hand in Fort James, this 30th of Septemr 1664 2 Richard Nicholls The way was now cleared for the Associates to pur­ chase and settle in the lands beyond the Hudson River. 1. Hatfield, History ot Elizabeth, Carlton and Lanahan, 1868, pg. 30 2. Hatfield, pg. 30 -4- Purchase of the site of Elizabeth Colony: The petitioners moved promptly to enter into the new land. A delegation of the Associates met with Indian sagamore ■ on Staten Island where a tract of land was agreed upon and purchase was made. The following indenture was signed by the parties and submitted to Governor Nicolls for approval. "This Indenture made the 28th Day of October In the Sixteenth Year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord Charles by The Grace of God of England, Scot­ land, France and Ireland, King Defender of the faith, &c.

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