The Ministers of Trinity Episcopal Church Parish, New Haven

Transcription

1 The Ministers of Trinity Episcopal Church Parish, Haven By Neil C. Olsen June, 2015 Trinity Church on the Green in Haven, Connecticut, has a long history of attracting distinguished ministers of the Anglican Communion to lead it. The area that included today's Trinity Parish in Haven first had 8 or 9 ministers 1 acting as visiting "missionary priests or resident missionary priests in charge for the Church of England from 1705 to These Anglican missionary priests were funded by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), a missionary society which was founded in 1701 in London to spread the Church of England (COE) religion overseas. Five were English, one was Irish, and two were born in America and hence also subjects of the British Empire. The eighth minister, the Haven born Rev. Ebenezer Punderson, began as a SPG missionary priest, but became part of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America () after the Revolutionary War when the American Anglian churches could no longer be supported from England. The Revolution in America not only separated Americans from the government and monarchy of Great Britain, it also severed ties with the Church of England. Thus, a total of twenty-five ordained ministers have led the people of the parish since Rev. Murison was assigned to the region in 1705 though if he actually visited Haven is not known. When he died in 1708, the Rev. Christopher Bridges 2 of Rye, NY took over the region from 1709 to his death in 1719, save for a brief period in when for seven months the Rev. Francis Philips 3 took over in Stratford. No one seems to have officially served the parish region from The parish was also occasionally visited by a number of itinerate missionary priests, including Rev. John Talbot of Jersey The Apostle of the Jersey Church, and a Rev. Sharpe of whom little is known. There were also three interim rectors who led the parish for about four years of its history one was a former Rector, Rev. Scoville, who came back to lead the parish for a year while the parish searched for a new Rector. After 1781 Trinity in Haven would be led by entirely members of the newly created Episcopal Church (). While a house church official parish was established in 1723, the first recorded Anglican service held in Haven was in 1727/8 when Rev. Johnson preached there and 10 men came up after and subscribed 100 towards building a Church. Dr. Johnson was a former Yale tutor and convert to Anglicanism, who convinced at least 93 young men, largely Yale graduates, to follow his example. One of them was Rev. Punderson, who while still a missionary priest of the SPG, became the first minister to preach at the newly build first Trinity Church in 1753, and its first Rector. Fourteen ordained priests have been appointed Rector in the 259 years since the first Church opened its doors in

2 The last non-native born American minister at Trinity until the Belgium born Rev. Dr. Luk De Volder was installed in 2011, was the missionary priest was Irish (Rev. Lyons), called in 1743 to the region which covered Derby and West Haven as well as Haven. Over 40% of Trinity's Missionary or Rector priests were Doctors of Divinity. Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson was a founder of Columbia University and its first President; Rev. Harry Croswell was a founder of Washington College, in Haven which moved to Hartford and changed its name to Trinity College. Dr. Samuel Johnson, who received a MA from Yale in 1717, an MA from Cambridge in 1723, and a MA from Oxford in 1723, also received the second doctorate awarded to an American from Oxford in 1743; he was also appointed Commissary for Connecticut in For political reasons, a Bishop could not be sent to America, so the day to day administration of a colony was handled by a priest appoint to manage the polity and funding of a region, but without the power to ordain new priests. Rev. Mansfield was the first Episcopalian to receive Doctorate from Congregationalist Yale in The average tenure of a missionary priest was 4.1 years. The average tenure of a Rector was 19 years. Overall, the average tenure was 12.2 years. As of 2011, for 306 years, a minister of the Anglican Communion has led the Anglicans in Haven and for 256 of them a Church has housed them there. From To Tenure Name Born Ordained Comment Rev. Murison England Missionary priest of the SPG, based in Rye, N.Y Rev. Christopher Bridge England Missionary priest of the SPG, based in Rye, N.Y.; Rev. Francis Philips 5 took over in Stratford for six months in Rev. Pigot England Missionary priest of the SPGPF based in Stratford, 6 Known to have attended the Yale commencement of

3 Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson, Founder and President of King's College (Columbia) Guilford, Missionary priest of the SPG, based in Stratford, First recorded pledge for a Church in Haven (1727/1728). Commissary for Connecticut in Johnson oversaw the parish from 1723 to 1752 when there was no appointed priest in charge Rev. Dr. Jonathan Arnold Hamden, Missionary priest of the SPG based in West Haven,, converted by Johnson Rev. Theophilus Morris England Missionary priest of the SPG based in West Haven, Rev. James Lyons Ireland Ireland, COE by SPGPF oath - Church of Ireland ordination? Missionary priest of the SPGPF based in Derby,, "he found a prejudice against foreigners." 10 Johnson took over when Lyons removed to [Setauket Long Island in Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson, Possibly shared with Rev. Dr. Richard Mansfield Haven, 1724 Mansfield was a missionary priest based in Derby,, He was Rector of Hopkins Grammar school in Haven He would become the first Episcopalian with Doctorate from Yale. 12 He resided close by his home town of Haven. However, it appears that Dr. Johnson remained largely in charge of the Haven parish, while Mansfield covered the Housatonic Valley towns to the north. 3

4 1752/3? Rev. Ebenezer Punderson Haven, 1705 Missionary - paid by the SPG; he became priest in residence of the first church built in Rev. Solomon Palmer Branford, Missionary - paid by the SPFGP Missionary based in Haven,, Rev. Dr. Bela Hubbard Guilford, - > around 1784 Rector - paid by SPG up to 1781 when SPG funds were cut off. First Rector under the Rev. Henry Whitlock Danbury, Rector Trinity s First Domestically ordained priest, by Bishop Jarivs in Rev. Dr. Harry Croswell Founder of Washington College (renamed Trinity) West Harford, Rector - Crusading newspaper editor, defendant in famous People v. Croswell Interim - Rev. Samuel Benedict Litchfield, Interim (Assistant minister) Rev. Dr. Edwin Harwood Philadel phia, Pa. Rector - Professor of Medieval Church History, Middletown Rev. Dr. George William Douglas York Rector - Initiated advertising in newspapers Rev. Dr. Frank Woods Medford, Ma. Massachu setts, Rector 21 4

5 Baker Rev. Dr. Charles Otis Scoville Montpeli er, Vt. Connectic ut, Rector - served first as Assistant Minister; became rector after 3 years Rev. Theodore H. Evans Virginia Rector - later Rector Cleveland, then at UVA Interim - Rev. Scoville comes back and fills in for a year Interim Rev. C. Lawson Willard Philadel phia, Pa. Long Island, Rector Rev. Craig Biddle III Philadel phia, Pa. America, Rector; during his term, Andy Fiddler served as Associate Rector Rev. Andrew Fiddler York, NY America, Rector Interim - Rev. James Sell West Virginia America, Interim Rev. Dr. Luk De Volder Brussels, Belgium Europe, - Convocati on of Episcopal Churches in Europe Rector 5

6 1 The number may be seven instead of eight: It isn t clear if Rev. Dr. Richard Mansfield of Derby ministered to Trinity between 1747 and 1752, or if the job was handled only by Dr. Samuel Johnson form Stratford, Even though Derby is much closer to Haven, Johnson spent a great deal of time in Haven while administering the Berkeley Scholarship at Yale, visiting his four sons who attended Yale between 1730 and 1752, and in trying to convert Yale students to the Anglican Church, running a sort of informal seminary there and in Stratford. Mansfield spent most of his time on missions up the Housatonic River. Derby at the time was the port city terminus of the River and an important city in its own right, shipping materials and goods from the many water mills in the Housatonic Valley. 2 Pascoe, Charles Frederick, Classified digest of the records of the Society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts, , Pub. at the Society's office, 1894, p Beardsley, Eben Edwards, The History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Hurd and Houghton, 1865, Volume 1 p Beardsley, Eben Edwards, The History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Volume 1, p Beardsley, Eben Edwards, The History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Volume 1, p Beardsley, Eben Edwards, The History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Volume 1, p Beardsley, Eben Edwards, The History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Volume 1, Chapter III 8 Jarvis, Lucy, Sketches of Church Life in Colonial Connecticut, p Beardsley, Eben Edwards, The History of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, Volume 1,, p. 117, 136, Jarvis, Lucy, Sketches, p. 162; History of Haven County, Connecticut, Volume 2, p Jarvis, Lucy, Sketches, p. 165; Andrews, William Given, A History of Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford, Connecticut, The Press of the Echo, 1895, p Andrews, William Given, A history of Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford, Connecticut: An address delivered... in September, 1894, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the parish, The Press of the Echo, 1895, p Jarvis, Lucy, Sketches, p. 27, 60, 61; Prichard, Sarah, The Town and City of Waterbury, Price and Lee Company, 1896, Volume 1, p. 650; Dexter, Franklin Bowditch, Biographical sketches of the graduates of Yale College: with annals of the college history, Holt, Volume 1, p Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p. 27l 14 Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p. 40, Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p ; Convention journal and the diocesan canons, The Diocese, 1890, Volume 100, p. 383; Hobart, John Henry, The correspondence of John Henry Hobart, Priv. Printing, p. 497; Sprague, William, Annals of the American Pulpit, Robert Carter & Brothers, 1861, vo. 5, Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, Chapter 5 18 Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p. 109 (Interim); Journal of the... annual convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, The Diocese, Volume 69, p Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p. 109, 132 (retirement date differs in Parish Profile*) Obit in York Times January 13, Rhoades, Nelson, Colonial families of the United States of America, Nelson Osgood Rhoades, Editor George Norbury Mackenzie, The Grafton Press, 1917, Volume 6, p Harvard College Class of 1881 secretary s report III, Rand Avery Co., p. 10, and accessed January Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p. 146, p 164 ; Convention journal and the diocesan canons, The Diocese, 1890, Volume 100, p Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p Getlein, Ed, Here Will I Dwell, p , Trinity Church Parish Profile, August 2010, online at accessed May 21,

7 27 Trinity Church Parish Profile, August 2010, online at accessed May 21, Trinity Church Parish Profile, August 2010, online at accessed May 21,