Page 40
History of Orange County
Town of Montgomery
Page 40
      On the departure of the Rev. Mr. Sayre, application was made from time to time to the Rector of Trinity Church, New York, with a view to obtain another minister, but without success.  The parish remained vacant until the year 1790, when the Rev. George H. Spierin was engaged for two years, at a salary of £100 per annum.  The vestry at this period consisted of Cadwallader Colden, Jun. and James G. Graham, wardens; and Justus Banks, Andrew Graham, Thomas Colden, Peter Galatian, Matthew Du Bois and Edward Burn, vestrymen.  Mr. Spierin residing at Newburgh, an inconvenient distance from the church, an effort was now made to procure a parsonage house for the accommodation of the minister.  Accordingly Cadwallader Golden, Sen. generously presented the congregation with an acre of ground adjoining the church lot, on which a handsome parsonage house, with convenient out-houses, were soon built.
     In 1793 Mr. Spierin received and accepted a call from the congregation of Poughkeepsie; whereupon application was again made to the clergy of New York to supply the vacancy.  The Rev. Dr. Moore recommended Mr. Frederick Van Home a candidate for the ministry, who accordingly received and accepted a call, and on the receipt of holy orders, entered upon the duties of Rector, December 10.
     Several attempts had been made to liquidate the church debt by the sale of pews and private subscriptions, but with very little success until the year 1796.  During this year an investigation was made into the financial affairs of the church, when it was found that there remained due to Cadwallader Golden, Esq. a balance on the original debt, together with interest more than £500.  A considerable sum was also due to Andrew Graham, Esq., for monies advanced in building the church.  As this debt operated as a heavy load upon the church, which possessed no means of reimbursement, those gentlemen most generously relinquished their claims, and thus freed the church and congregation from all further embarrassment, for which they received the thanks of the vestry and congregation.
     The vestry at this time consisted of Justus Banks, Michael Beliger, wardens; Alexander Dorcas, James Kain, Peter Galatian, William Erwin, Francis Lyon and Thomas Gee.
     Mr. Van Home continued Rector of the parish until the year 1809, when he removed to Ballston, and in the following yeas the Rev. Mr. Maclin was called to the Rectorship; the vestry being composed of Andrew Graham and Peter Galatian, wardens, and William Erwin, Alexander Colden, Benjamin Thorn, Nicholas Bogert, Jacob Smith and John Galatian.  Mr. Maclin continued Rector for three years, and in 1810 was succeeded by the Rev. William Powell.  Mr. Powell resigned his charge in the year 1818, and was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel Phinney.  In 1821 the vestry, being unable to continue the salary of the Rector at $400, reduced it to $300, in consequence of which Mr. Phinney resigned.  He was succeeded by the Rev. James P. Cotter in 1822, who soon after fell in disgrace and left the parish.  In 1826 the Rev. Joshua L. Harrison was called to the parish, but resigned in the course of the same year on account of ill health, much to the regret of the congregation.  In this year it was determined to erect an Episcopal Church in the village of Walden on a site given by Jesse Scofield, Esq., and a subscription was immediately opened for that purpose.  The building was forthwith commenced, and finished in the course of the following year.  Previous to its consecration, however, it was further determined to relinquish the old church of St. Andrew’s as a place of public worship, and to give to the new church in Walden the name of St. Andrew’s Church.  This church was accordingly consecrated by Bishop Hobart, on the third day of September, 1827.
     In April of this year the Rev. William H. Lewis accepted a call to the parish, but resigned his charge in November of the same year, and was immediately succeeded by the Rev. Albert Hoyt.  The vestry at this time consisted of Nicholas J. Bogert and John Fell, wardens; and John Galatian, Jacob T. Walden, John J. Galatian, Doct. Geo. G. Graham, Doct. Peter P. Galatian and Doct. Thomas Colden.
     In 1829 the vestry erected a handsome parsonage house on a lot of four acres, purchased of Mr. Cyrus Lyon.  The cost of the whole, amounting to $4,000, was defrayed chiefly by the sale of all the church property at old St. Andrew’s, with the exception of the burying ground.  On the 22d of January in this year, the congregation was called to mourn the loss by death of its pastor, the Rev. Mr. Hoyt, who had become greatly endeared to the people, during the short period of his ministrations.  He was succeeded in March following by the Rev. Nathan Kingsberry, who held the Rectorship for one year, and was succeeded in 1830 by the Rev. William H. Hart.  Mr. Hart continued Rector till the year 1836, when he removed to Richmond in Virginia, and was succeeded by the Rev. Robert Shaw. Mr. Shaw removed to Marlborough in 1838, and was succeeded by the Rev. Henry W. Swetzer.  In 1842 Mr. Swetzer resigned, and was succeeded by the Rev. Horace Hills, Jun., who retained the Rectorship but one year, and resigned his charge in November, 1843.  The parish was then vacant until October, 1844, when the present incumbent, the Rev. William H. Hart— then residing at Fishkill, Dutchess county—was again called to the Rectorship of this parish.
     The present members of the vestry are George Weller and Doct. George G. Graham, wardens; and William Buchanan, James R. Cooper, James Bogert, David F. Bogert, William Ruggles, Samuel Wait, Jr., Joseph P. Cooke and George W. Oakley, vestrymen, and Peter Bogert, secretary.
     The congregation now consists of about thirty families, having suffered much of late years from deaths and removals.
     For the foregoing particular and very interesting history of this ancient congregation we are indebted to its present Rector, the Rev. William H. Hart, who, at our request, kindly wrote it out for an insertion in our paper.  It is made out from authentic documents in his possession and other reliable sources, and is, therefore, as accurate as it can be made at this late day.
     In relation to Mr. Watkins, mentioned in the history of this church, we present the following extract from the journal of the General Assembly of New York, A. D. 1756.
                                                                                                                                 “DIE VENERIS, 3 ho., P. M., Oct. 15, 1756.
     “A motion was made by Capt. Walton in the words following, to wit:— “In the last session James Parker and William Weyman, Printers of the paper called the “New York Gazette, or the Weekly Post Boy,” were taken into custody of the Sergeant-at-arms attending this house, for publishing in their said paper a piece entitled, “Observations on the circumstances and conduct of the People in the counties of Ulster and Orange in the province of New York,” greatly reflecting on the conduct of this house; and did then charge one Hezekiah Watkins, a clergyman of Newburgh in Ulster county, with being the author of the said pieces, etc.—I, therefore, move that the Rev. Mr. Watkins, he now ordered to a tend this house. Ordered that the Rev. Mr. Watkins attend this house on Tuesday, the 22d inst.

                                                                                                                                       OCTOBER 22, 1756.
     The said Mr. Watkins being then called in, be was informed by the speaker that Parker and Weyman, Publishers of the New York Gazette or Weekly Post Boy, charged him with being the author, etc. of a piece entitled, etc.; and the said original piece being then produced and shown to him, and being asked whether he was the author of it, acknowledged that he was: and, being asked what induced him to write and publish such a piece, answered that, observing the distress of the people in that part of the country, his zeal for their relief had carried him too far, and that he had no design to offend this house in what he wrote.
     The house then came to the following resolution, viz:
     “Resolved, That the Rev. Hezekiah at this in writing and publishing etc., which contains sundry indecent expressions reflecting on the conduct of this house, is guilty of a high misdemeanor and a contempt of the authority of this house.”
     Ordered that said Hezekiah Watkins be, for his said offence taken into the custody of the Sergeant-at-arms, etc.
                                                                                                                                    OCTOBER 23, 1756.
     A petition of Hezekiah Watkins, missionary of Newburgh, in the county of Ulster, now in custody, etc., was presented and read, setting forth that, in March last, he did send to Parker and Weyman, Printers, etc., a piece entitled, etc., which, though it contained some things which reflected upon the conduct of the honorable house, did not proceed from any disregard to them; that the motives inducing thereto were the distressed circumstances of the people in those parts of the county, and his giving too much attention to common reports—for which he here humbly asks the pardon of the honorable house and promises to be more circumspect for the future, and therefore praying that he may be discharged out of custody, etc.
     Ordered that the said Hezekiah Watkins be brought to the bar of this house, etc.
And he was accordingly brought, where he received a reprimand from Mr. Speaker, and was ordered to be discharged out of custody, paying fees.

     The offence of the Rev, gentleman seems to have been that he was rather inclined to favor the cause of the people; for the promotion of whose interest in a new country, the legislative power was not sufficiently *promotive.  For a public expression of such opinion the house brought him to their bar, lest royal authority in the colony might be lessened in the eyes of its subjects, by their omission to notice the offence, and as a wholesome admonition to all others in like cases offending.  These old assemblymen were wonderfully vigilant in guarding their dignity, and prompt in their arrests and punishments.  In this ease they must have sent all the way to Newburgh to arrest Mr. Watkins.

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      *Errata--read exerted.