Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-17
NORTH HAVEN ANNALS.

NORTH HAVEN ANNALS. Sketch of the History of St. John's
 Episcopal Church Continued-Some
 Old Time Moderators and Collectors
 The Question of Finances-The
 in1scences.
 NUMBER 67.
 Prepared by Rev. William Lusk jr.]
 Note.-[In the Protestant Episcopal church, as in the Church of England, church membership has always been by Christian baptism. The complete from 176O to the present time, and will be given in full in the published history of the parish. From 1795 to 1s45 the number of per firmation was by Bishop seabury, Tuesday, ,Octo- e1t This 'S was one f of S ' the earliest firmations in the United States and is a matter of record in the CoNNEcr1cur JOURNAL October 4, 1786* The number of persons confirmed IS not known, nor are the names Of the persons. This was the first Episcopal visitation in North vious article. With the exception of the twenty years previous to 1s43 the record of deaths is fore 1s45, as the parish had no resident clergy man before 1883 and then only for short time All business transactions the names Of members of the Episcopal society and the names or cler. gymen officiating from time to time are given 1n the parish records with exactness and fullness]
 In 176O the parish of St. Johns church was organized, like a parish in England, with it's wardens, vestrymen and clerk; but after the revolutionary war the parish became by force of fcircumstances double headed organization. There came into existence what was called ''The Pruden- tial Committe of the Episcopal society of North Haven" This anomaly continued to exist until by a supplemental act of the legislature in 1942, legalizing all Episco- pal societies, wardens and vestrymen were empowered to take the place of the Pru- dential committee But it was not until 1878 that the present parish system came into operation by an act of the legislature authorizing the Episcopal church to or ganize parishes according to it's own can- ons.
 Upon the prudential committee, con- sisting of a moderator, an executive com mittee and a clerk, rested the responsibili- ty, by vote of the society, of attending to all business affairs, and of securing 8 clergyman. Membership of the society was simply by enrolment, and member could withdraw at any time. The mem bership in 1778 had decreased to three. In 1790 and 1920 the following men were moderators, elected at the annual meeting in December: Joseph Pierpont, Esq, moderator every year with the exception Sb wbea his he s1sat Saa 1ge being nnety tg exceptions necessary-Jonathan Dayton, Abraham Blakeslee, Joel Blakeslee, Phile- mon Blakeslee. The executive members of the committee, usually three year, were: Zophar Blakeslee, Titus Frost, John G. Futile, Isaac C. Stiles, Benjamin Pierpont, jr., Josiah Thomas, Abraham Blakeslee, Joseph Pierpont, jr., Philemon Blakeslee, Elisaaph Hull, Philemon Pierpont, Perla Blaskeslee. The clerk, from 179O to 1893, was Isaac c. Stiles, and it is to him the parish is now indebted for full and con- plete records of the transactions of the prudential committee during thirty three years. Moreover, Isaac c. Stiles genial home was the place of entertainment for the clergymen who from time to time off, ciated in St. Johns church. MT. Stiles was also the first officially appoint ed "sexton," but without salary He faith fully acted in that capacity and when the rickety roof If the church of 176O allow ed the snow to drift into the attic he reg ularly shovcsd it out that it might not melt and drip on the worshipers. He was also careful to have an excellent fire at his house on winter Sundays that the little congregation after services, having no ''Sabbath-day houses," might march to a place of comfort. The first mentioned sexton, however, was the senior warden, Samuel Pierpont, and when he resigned in 1793 he received "ten shillings for sweep ing the church" the only item of expense recorded ill connection with sexton or the music until a recent date
 Pr6yiOnS to the evolutionary war thara was only one attempt at appointing col lector-Anos Allen, 1771. The action was illegal and useless. The parish had no clergyman Presiding and abiding among the people," and consequently had no legal right under the "Act of Toleration," 1897, to vote or collect ministerial rate. All the voters attended the annual meetings of the Congregational society, and the minis terial rate was assessed upon all by the courtesy of that society, the ministerial rate on the grand list of the Churchmen for the use of St. Johns church. After the war, from 1784, the Episcopal society annually voted it's own rate on it's own grand list and appointed it's own collector, and it's annual society meetings were "warned in the form and in conjunction with the other society," un- til 1923. The ringing of the meeting house bell was paid for by the town until 1884. The care of the meeting house until the same year.
 The collectors between 1794 and 1920 were: Daniel Pierpont Frequently Abra- ham Blakeslee, Joseph Pierpont, Jr., Isaac c. Stiles Frequently Josiah Thomas, Levi Futile, Isaac Sackett, Philemon Blakes- lee, Lemuel Brooks, Samuel sackett, Ebenezer Pierpont, Cooper Blakeslee, James Heaton, Eliada Pierpont, Isaac Blakeslee, Bazaleel Dayton, Philemon Pier pont, Zophar Jacobs, Elisaph Hull, Zerah Blakeslee, Perla Blakeslee, Zerah Todd, Richard Blakeslee, Isaac Stiles, Oliver Todd, Asel Pierpont. With regard to the name Isaac Stiles there is an interesting historical fact The first male child born in the colony of Connecticut was named Isaac Stiles, son of John Stiles, the set tier. At the age of eighty years he was baptized at Stratford by the Rev. MT. Sharp, an Episcopal clergyman of New York state This fact is given in the pub. lished genealogy of the Stiles.
 The grand list of the Episcopal society in 1793 was q ,975. In 1795, 1899. In 1900, $4, 54S. In 1913, 3,O1O, and between that date and 1920 from $3, O1O to s4, 145. The rate book of Daniel Pierpont collector Tn lSOO, made on the grand list of 1779, a larger grand list than in any of the sue ceeding years before 1920, is still in exis- tence. From this rate book it appears that Eli Sackett was at that time the man of most wealth in the society, Zophar Blakeslee having died the year before, and Samuel Mix not being at that time a mem ber of the society. Eli Sackett was as- sessed on e122. The Grand List was as follows, and shows the condition of the Episcopal society at the beginning of long period that taxed it's vitality to the utmost in really heroic struggle:
 Name. Name. Abraham Bakeslee 107 Josiah Thomas . 3S Bazelee! Dayton. G1 James Heaton " 37 Ben1amln P1erpont, Mansfield Munson. 35
 Snd Snd...:............. 62 Ebenezer Pierpont 34 Seth Todd ......... 55 Cooper Blakeslee .. 33 Isaac c. Stiles. ....... 53 Titus Frost ~ 32 Lemuel Brooks. .,. 53 Ira BradIey 20