Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-07-05
EARLY EREsBYTERIANs.
Rivals Rising up TO Dispute the
Claims of the Eastern shore.


Oas result of the controversy now
raging on the Eastern Shore over the
several claims Of Rehoboth, Snow Hill
aud focOmokt City to have bsen the site
OF the frat church founded by Mackenzie,
and tue first organized Presbyterian CON
gregatiOn in the United States, has been
to raise up several other claimants, and
a recsnt issue of the Presbyterian banner,
published in New York City, discusses
some OF these claims. 1t seems that the
| question WAS veilti ated iu the Bnnsr two
years since aud then the Rev. HUraos H.
Hayden, rector of an Episcopal church in
Wiikesbarre, Pa, contributes ed interesting
matter. Tha Banner reviews Mr.. Hay
deus contribution and also gives new
matter.
MIR. Hayden's letters called atten-
History OF Delaware" notes the
| establishment of hunse OF worship at
| New Castle by Governor Aricks in 1868
the first house built solely for religious
purposes anywhere in tue State. Vincent
ventures the opinion that this was with
out doubt the commencement of the
presbyte terian church at New Castle. This
church aatedated Makemie's on the
Eastern Shore by more than 20 years. 1t
may bs added also that tue Rev. William
McKenpan, great grandfather of Judge
MoKennan OF Washington, Pa, was,
according to tradition In The McKsnpan
Il. ally the first English. speaking Pre- shy
terrain minister who ever preached in
Dslaware, and he must Lsve in;niSrated
here about the middle of the seventeenth
century. Many OF the old Delaware
families were Pres byterisn.
There are also traces Of Presby tsrian
clergymsn in Virginia, near Norfolk,
between 1870 and 1850, and one ia spoken
Of as being driven into Charles county,
Maryland, in 1874. The Rev. p. d.
Oskey of Springfield, Long Island, also
ASSERTS that there was q Presbyterian
ohurh with a pastor a. Hampstead, Long
Island, in 1Gi4. Several other very early
churches were established on Long
Island, and the Prssbyterisns of the
town of Jamaica, l.. in 1902 had a
church, parsouage aud glebe, the build.
iugs substantial and the land valuable.
The Episcopal church aitsrward took
Tor, ibls possession, it is thought, of this
church. There is still q Presbyterian
church at Hampstead.
still earlier Presby terian church,
now Congregational, was established at
Windsor, Connecticut, soon after 1850.
The uames of the frst pastor and elders
ara preserved, and the church has had
an unbroken existence ever since.
Judge L X. Wilson Of fSnow Hill writes
EvEbI EvEN;NG 10 say that the Impression
conveyed by recent letter OF Isaac d.
Jones, ED, of Baltimore that Rehoboth
is unmstakably an older town than Snow
Hill, ana therefore more likely than the
latter place TO have bsen the site OF
Makemie's first church, 10 an erroneous
one. 1t was common for rich land
owners 10 have ports OF entry established
on or near their land in the hope that
towns would grow up and enhance the
Value ul their properly. Ot more than
so ports established by law in 1856, hut
but eig ht have since been heard VI aud
one of those is Surw Hill.
Of tn. act Of 1858 spoken of as locating
\ port of entry at RrhobOth, Judge
Wilson says: "a town as created On
paper by the act ot 1853 uot at RshOb
for WI 80 NOT hesr OF L hobuta for eight
ys,.fs itergArt, but =, 8 place between
the l.rds Of Mr. J~nkius ANA Mr.. nowaid
on tuJ north side oi the PUcomnks river,
Rupg tuaatei 9n 'Aui d-sefihsd as lying
b-tH9eu iiiu iauas vi these two tneu, and
ss uHioE without ownership, Il ,nnst
apva trta wtld lsEd, without houses
sAd wlihou, p1epie Wheu the act HRa
ps=ssd Aud 50 iar A5 SO oan
leatn, ip5tH g.llui--i days, 10 hsi not
ogrr ehout do2u houses. Ard its
ehu'Gh, So l;-- ifom b ing 8 q n5ishpg
'pe, gr'evs ta saY, i ntar ,Et:e9,5un,
"Ilue iriluanee cf so'nr great