Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-28
6S.
Prepared by Rev. William Lusk, jr.]
 TcoNTJNI1ED l

NUMBER 6S.
 Prepared by Rev. William Lusk, jr
 CONTINUED. For fifty years after the Revolutionary l war no Episcopal clergyman resided here. l When clergyman did reside here, until l he also oficiated elsewhere. Be- l fore 1779 it was almost impossible to secure a clergyman for any portion of the time. In 1790-1 the Rev. Edward Blakeslee, a North Haven young man, son of Abraham Blak eslee and then deacon twenty-four years old, oficiated in North Haven, Ham den and Northford while pursuing his studies elsewhere He was promised "e65 and 45 half cords of wood," but there was a deficiency at the end of the first year and he felt obliged to leave. Meeting after meeting of the society was called to devise plans to keep him. An effort was made to unite the Episcopal societies of Branford, East Haven and North Haven, and finally the society in NewHaven was earnestly ap- pealed to, but all these efforts were useless. He was ordained priest in 1793 and became the assistant of the Rev. Dr. Mansfield at Derby, and died July 15, -1797. He was a fine scholar, and his compositions were of high order. In December, 1792, the Rev. Samuel An drews came from New Brunswick to Wal lingford to spend the winter. The society voted to give him "twenty-four shillings Sunday for one-third of his tims." He accordingly oficiated until Easter 1793. At various times between 1793-4 the Rev. Solomon Blakeslee, son of Zophar Blake slee, and graduate of Yale college oficia- ted. These Blakeslee young men were cousins, and when in college together were in the habit of spending many evenings in pleasant social way at the house of Dr. Trumbull, although the Rev. Solomon in after years could never quite overlook the historical inaccuracy of the statement by the Dr. in his century sermon that the Ep scopaians in 17S9 adopted the name, Episcopal Protestant church" in New Haven at the same time. Solomon finally became rector of St. James, church, Few London. In Hallam's history of St. James, church is a highly appreciative ref erence to him. He was a social, genial man, rather in advance of the older peo- pie, the clergyman who "whistled on the Sabbath day" He was an able and suc- cessful man, and held many important positions. He died April 10, 1885, and is well remembered by many still living in the town.
 During the same period another young man who was ordained priest with the two Blakeslees also occasionally oficiated-the Rev. David Butler. He was born in liar winton He went to Litchfeld, then to St. Paul's church, Troy, NY, and died in 1943 at the age of eighty. He was the father of the recently deceasad Dr. Clement M. Butler of Washington, D. O., and the The heological seminary of Philadelphia. Be- tween 1794-S the Rev. Seth Hart, born in Berlin, graduate of Yale college and or dained priest in 1792, held services here a and successful clergyman. He went to St. Georges church, Hampstead, L.I. Moores History of St. Georges Church has the record of his work there as the rec tor of 1000 parishioners. The beautiful stone church is his monument. He died in 1S32. While he was here twenty persons were confirmed by Bishop Sea bury October 29, 1795. This was next to the last confirmation by Bishop Seabury and the second confirmation in North Haven. The Rev. Reuben Ives, native of Cheshire and graduate of Yale col. lege, was here once in three Sundays be- tween 1799 and 1907. He was ordained priest in 17S9 and for some time he was Bishop Seabury's assistant in New London. Afterward he took charge of St. Peters church, Cheshire, and drove over tc | North Haven from there. There were l then forty-one families connected with St Johns church, and the valuable assistance rendered at that trying time by Mir. Ives l deserves perpetual remembrance by tht parish. He officiated at various places especially ill Meriden and Wallingford, or | ganizing St. Andrews parish in the for mer place. He continued to reside ir Cheshire until his death in 1936 There is a memorial window in St. Peter's the grandfather of the present Mrs 1 Augusta Bristol. Between 19O7-9 the Rev. Tillotson Bronson of6ciatec occasionally. He was fine scholar, na ] tive of New Haven, graduate of Yale col lege, a classmate and personal friend ot the Rev. Mir. Ives. He was greatly loved and highly honored man. In 1895 he be l came principal of the Episcopal academ, | of Cheshire. For twenty years he wa, honored with the confidence of the conven l ton of the diocese in their choice of stand ing committee. He was the editor of the ''Church mans Magazine" and received the degree of D. D. from Brown university in 1913. He died in 1926 and his pupil! and personal friends marked his grave by an appropriate monument.
 1 The Rev. Solomon Blakeslee agai1 officiated part of the time between 18O7- During all these years, notwithstanding l the occasional luxury of 8 foot stove, witt the thermometer at zero, and with tn, wintry blasts working through thu rickety, unheated, desolate looking churcl of 1760, worship must have been a mora marty1dom, especially with only fla, reading" most of the time, but the per sistent few held on their way. Betwse, 1909 and 1S12 the Rev. Manoah Smitl Miles held service part of the time. H.
 was @ native of Portland, and his ordina ton was one of the last by Bishop Sea bury. He held services at Branford Guilfordi <o5th ziha Ggilford ;L oao and % Port the time ne was here, in 1911, Bishop Jar wis confirmed thirty-seven persons. Thi was the third confirmation in North Ha ven. Between 1913 and 1929 the follow ing clergymen ohdciated some portion o
 the time: The Rev. Elijah G. Plumb, be tween 1S13-17. He oficiated at Branford East Haven, Northford and Wallingford
 He was native of Branford and ordaine,
 priest in 1908. He organized the Episcopa
 society in North Branford. He die
 early, but he had son who became
 member of the Provincial parliament o
 Canada. The Rev. Nathan B. Burgess,
 floating man, with no definite record
 was here sometimes in 1915. He wa
 ordained priest in 1909. In 1916 the Rev
 Asa Cornwall, native of Granby, held
 number of services. He was ordaine priest in 1907, and at the time he cam here was an assistant in the Episcops
 academy at Cheshire. The greatly il
 creasing number of Episcopal congreg, tions in the state at this time and the final cial and numerical weakness of St. John church made it very difficult for the pet
 pie here to secure clergyman. The year
 1S16-17-18 were memorable years. In 191
 Jonathan Ingersoll, an Episcopalian, WE l elected lieutenant governor. Up to ths
 time the state officers from tt
 settlement of the colony had bee
 Congregationalists. That year the ne
 stone Trinity church in New Haven W.
 consecrated. All the Episcopalions frol
 the adjoining towns were present, swellin
 the number attending to 5000. The
 came the success of the ''Toleratio
 Party" the election of it's candidate ft
 governor and the adoption of the constit,
 ton in 1918. With all this great chang
 came another The "election sermon
 was preached by the rector of Trinit
 church, New Haven. In North Haven
 stove was put in St. Johns church. IT @ Westminster Shorter catechism continue = to be taught in the day school, althoug ! l for aoma time the ohildren of Epiacoo