1711 costs, in which trial they denied all authority from England in Spiritual matters neither is it possible to get an impartial Jury in that County where all are concerned in the event and the greater number of them stiff Independents. The reasons, may it please your Lordship, that induced us to send this representation, are drawn from the certain ruin that the loss of this cause will eventually bring upon the established Church in the whole Government of New York, and which cannot want its bad influences upon the Church in all the adjacent Colony's especially the Jersies & Pennsylvania; for if upon the death of Mr. Urquhart who was so firmly established by two acts of General Assembly and after about six years quiet possession the salary & parsonage may immediately be seized (with impunity) and enjoyed as they are by these Independents, why may not the rest of the said places in the said Provinces (which do all stand upon the same foot) on the death or avoidance of the present Incumbents be in like manner invaded by them and in a little time that if it was to be suffered will breed infinite confusion and the dispute will be which of the Dissenters are most numerous for to them according to this practice such vacancys will belong and consequently the Quakers Anabaptists etc. (these exceeding in numbers in some places) will come in for a share. We beg your Lordship to believe that nothing herein contained is designed as the least reflection upon any person it being only the true plain matter of fact and which we could not out of due regard to the interests of the Church & to your Lordships omit the transmitting to your Lordship that if the said effect we justly fear should happen to be the consequence of these things We may clear ourselves before God & man as having done what was possible for us to prevent it. All of which is humbly submitted to your Lordships prudent consideration by May it please your Lordship your Lordship's most dutiful and obedient Sons and humble Servants, Thos. Poyer, Rector of the parish of Jamaica & precinct. Wm. Vesey, Rector of the parish of New York. Jno. Bartow, Rector of the parish & precinct of Westchester. Evan Evans, Rector of Philadelphia. John Talbot, of Burlington. Aneas McKenzie, of Staten Island. Jacob Henderson, Minister of Dover hundred John Thomas, Rector of Hempstead. New York, 13th November, 1711.- Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 139-144. JOURNAL OF SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL. Nov. 29, 1711. p. 127. § 12. [See Another from Mr. Haeger, dated Ansbury August 15, 1711, importing that since his last by Mr. Dupre he has lived in the woods among the Palatines, and been forced to perform his functions under the open heavens, but is now by the direction of the Gov. marching toward Canada with 3000 men; sends a list of those Palatines that live in the villages, and their spiritual state to the 25th of June That he has baptized an Indian, having with great difficulty instructed him, who has made open. confession of his faith and lastly that he has begun to learn the Indian tongue and has writ a little vocabulary therein. 1711 CHURCH OF NEW YORK. Dec. 13, 1711. The time when the Deacons and Church Masters give in their accounts. After prayer Consistory opened, and it was unanimously Resolved, 1. That the Account-Book of the Elders, now almost full, be transcribed by Mr. Cruger, some errors having been found therein. 2. That the Elders' accounts - Mr. Huige attended to the small matters-be kept in a new book of the best kind. Col. Jac. van Kortland and Mr. Jan Kruger will be consulted thereupon. 3. That henceforth the books of Elders, Deacons and Church Masters shall no longer be kept in guilders, but in pounds, shillings and pence. CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM. Lib. B. 41. Acts of the Deputies and their Correspondence. The Classis of Amsterdam to Rev. Peter Vas, Dec. 22, 1711. We have safely received your letter of May 27, 1711, and have learned from it that you have, after having passed through many dangers, not only safely arrived with all (the others,) but also have been received with much love and good will by the church of Kingston. We heard this with peculiar joy and satisfaction. The Lord spare you with continual health, and make your labors fruitful in that church to the salvation of many. We have also learned with pleasure that the church of Kingston is very ready to refund the money which the Classis advanced on occasion of your call, as soon as she shall be notified by us of the amount of our claims. You will take notice, therefore, that of the two hundred and fifty florins which Classis received from Kingston, ten were at one time taken for a small Classical meeting. The same amount was also taken from each of two other 17111760 churches under our care; so that there is still left two hundred and forty florins. For your examination, ordination, etc., the Rev. Classis has charged only one hundred florins. We have loaned to you for your transportation and other traveling expenses the sum of three hundred florins, making four hundred florins in all. Of this two hundred and forty florins have been received in payment. There remains therefore, one hundred and sixty florins due us. This sum, as it has been advanced from our treasury, in which the widows and children of our deceased pastors have an interest, we shall expect at the proper time. And while you generously offer to settle this business, the Rev. Classis has directed us to thank you heartily therefor. December 22, 1711. Hollebeck. JOHN CONRAD WEISER. THE PALATINES. 1711-1760. John Conrad Weiser, son of Jacob Weiser, was a magistrate of the village of Great Anstach, in the Duchy of Wirtemburg, in Germany, and married Anna Magdalena Uebele, by whom he had fifteen children. She dying in 1709, he left his country, and landed, with the major part of his family, in New York, in June, 1710. Thence he was sent, with a number of other Palatines, to Livingston Manor, where he again married in 1711. Government having withdrawn all assistance from the Palatines, in 1713, they sent John Christ. Fuchs, Hartman Winedecker, John Peter Kneskern, John Christ. Gerlach, Hans George Schmidt and Mr. Weiser, as deputies to the Mohawk Indians for permission to settle in Schoharie, whither about one hundred and fifty families removed in 1714. The lands having been granted to others, great confusion ensued, as the Palatines refused to hold under the patentees, and appealed to the Government in England, to which country Captain Weiser, William Scheff and Walrath proceeded, ...... to lay their case at the foot of the Throne. They secretly embarked at Philadelphia in 1718, but on the voyage fell into the hands of pirates who robbed them of their all and then set them free, when they put into Boston to procure necessaries. On arriving in London they found themselves penniless and forced to contract debts. The consequence was, Weiser and Scheff were thrown into prison, from which they were afterwards released only by a remittance from New York. Scheff and Weiser quarreled whilst in London. The former returned to America in 1721 and died shortly after. Weiser returned in 1723. Some of the Palatines removed to Stone Arabia, some remained at Schoharie, but the major part of them crossed the forests to the head waters of the Susquehanna where they built canoes and floated down that river to Swatara, on the head waters of which and of the Tulpehocken they settled on Indian lands now comprising part of Berks and Lebanon counties. Captain Weiser died on the 13th of July, 1760. Abridged from Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, i., 1-6.- Col. Hist. N. Y. Vol. v. p. 575. His life has recently been written. COLL. MORRIS TO THE SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL. "Mr. Boyse complains that he has given bond for some books to the Society for the Library at Harlem which Mr. Poyer has and detains from him having given bonds for the same books. Having mentioned Mr. Poyer it naturally leads me to give you some account of the Church at Jamaica on Long Island, it being under his care; there is a great disagreement there between the Church and the Dissenters about the Church and the parsonage house each calling them theirs the parsonage house was in the possession of the Dissenters till sometime after the arrival of Mr. Urquhart and the Dissenters were put out of possession by a Warrant from my Lord Cornbury without any more ado; this short way of proceeding so contrary to law very much alarmed the Dissenters and encreased their prejudices against the Church; Urquhart was not long lived, after his death his Widow's Daughter by another husband marries a dissenting minister who was put by his mother-in-law into possession of the parsonage house and grounds; the fraud of this woman was a great surprise to those of the Church and added fresh fuel to those flames that before raged with too much fury. "I'm told some of them expected Coll. Hunter would take the same short method in their favor that was done before; which because he will not do they are forming representations against him; I hope Mr. Poyer has more prudence & Justice than to be concerned in them for to my knowledge neither the Church of that place nor he in particular have any reasons to arraign Coll. Hunter's conduct in that affair; I was present when he told me (and?) the two great patrons of the Dissenters, that he thought the Church had the fairest claim; That it being a matter of property it must be decided in a regular course of law, in which Mr. Poyer should have his [Hunter's] purse for the carrying of it on; he has often repeated this to Mr. Poyer & pressed him to bring it on; assured him of all the countenance and assistance, whatsoever, that it was reasonable, especially money; but whatever is the matter they do not care to do it. "One of the leading men among them hinted to me that they durst not trust the officers; I desired him to make the matter known to the Governor who would redress what was amiss. I brought him to the Governor; he was five hours with him, nobody else being there but myself; he had an opportunity to make what representations he pleased and ask what favors he thought fit; he recommended a person to be high Sheriff of the County, which person the Governor accepted of and assured him he would be very ready to put fit persons Into office when men of Character would let him know who were such; and I must do him the Justice to say he has on all occasions shewed his readiness to promote the interest of the Church and I believe will prove as great or a greater Encourager of it than any person we have had in his station."- Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 144, 145. 1712 COLL. HEATHCOTE TO THE SECRETARY OF THE SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL. New York, January 5, 1711. [1712.] "As for the disturbances at Jamaica, which his (the Governor's) enemies endeavor so much to improve to his disadvantage, I told you in my last, it was their own faults that matter was not determined before now in favor of the Church; because they might if they pleased have been relieved long ago; the Governor having in my hearing offered Mr. Poyer to assist him with money for carrying on that suit at his own charge and that not only through this province, but to England, if need was; this was done at Jamaica in presence of one of the Dissenting Ministers, and several others, in that interest; and sometime after that, happening to meet Mr. Poyer at Westchester, I asked his reasons 1712 for not accepting of that generous offer that the Governor had made him: Es answer was that he doubted of Justice from those in place. I told him he need not be under any difficulties as to that part, for if he and his friends would recommend such persons as were honest and good men, and from whom Justice might with some assurance be expected, I was well satisfied Coll. Hunter would commissionate them, he having already done the same on Staten Island, where by a mistake several who was not well wishers to the Church were in authority: and upon Mr. McKensie's representing his misfortune by Coll. Morris to the Government, a new set of Officers were appointed and such only as were friends to the Church, and all things made easy to his satisfaction; and this account I had myself from Mr. Mackenzie. Now if Mr. Poyer and his friends could have been prevailed upon to have taken the same measures, as his cause is undoubtedly very just & reasonable, be would have run no manner of risk in bringing it to trial; so I was entirely of opinion it should be determined as soon as it conveniently could, by those rules the law prescribed; and that I should never (allow) the Government to make use of an arbitrary and illegal power to serve either Church or State, which would not only leave the matter still doubtful, but instead of serving bring a scandal upon the Church; for that the warrant which my Lord Cornbury was pleased to direct to Mr. Cardwell, then High Sheriff of that County, to dispossess the dissenting Minister of the Parsonage house, without any form or due course of law did the Church more hurt than can easily be imagined. Mr. Poyer seemed extremely well satisfied with what I had proposed, and gave me reason to believe he would proceed in the manner as I had advised him; but having since heard nothing from him, I can't but suppose he is diverted from his good resolutions by some, who, rather than Coll. Hunter, should do anything which might manifest his zeal and affection to the Church; the service should remain undone, and her interest suffer: this their refusal is a plain demonstration they are desirous to keep up the flame; to make use of a handle to clamour withall; and many good and well meaning men, both of the Clergy and Laity, who do not rightly understand that affair, are by designing men and unfair representations, led Into an ill opinion of that Gentleman on that account."- Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 145, 146. Gov. HUNTER TO THE REV. MR. POYER. New York, January 26th, 1711. [1712.] Sir: Though I have as often as I have had opportunitys intreated you to let me know wherein I could relieve you from the hardships you have complained of, yet the assurances I have given you that I would to the utmost of my power exert myself in your favor, have met with as lukewarm a reception as the offers of my purse to Carry on a Suite at Law against any persons who may have opposed the Churches and your Interest in your Parish, if I may judge by the effects they have produced, for as to the one you have not thought fit to commence any Suite nor that I yet hear to make any step towards it, and as to the other your Complaints have been only in generall that your Stipend is not paid, I Desire therefore that you will give me your answer forthwith to these following questions that I may be particularly Informed of the state of your Case and be enabled to possess the Bishop of London with it Likewise. 1. Are the Vestrymen and Church wardens Chosen pursuant to the act? 2. Have the Vestrymen and Justices laid a reasonable tax for the ministers Salary? 3. If they have neglected to do it have the Justices or any two of them, don it after such neglect as they are directed? 4. If any default or neglect has been made by the Vestrymen and Justices or any of them have you or anybody else informed against them if you have have the ffines been Collected, if, neither you nor nobody else have informed why has it been neglected? |