The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-18
THE REV. SAMUEL MERWIN
4 FORMER PASTOR OF NORTH
 CHURCH HONORED.


 of Washington, ID. C., at Presentation
 ofa Portrait of the Deceased Clergy.
 man to the Church.
 Mrs. F. M. w. Vinal of Washington, D C., at the presentation to the United church of a portrait of Rev. Samue Merwin, pastor of he church from 1905 to 1881, on Friday evening last The portrait a beautiful one, painted by Julius Ludovici of New York, is tht gift of the grandchildren of the minis ter, who now number about twenty, anc of which number Mrs. Vinal is one. A brother of Mrs. Vinal is Colonel Wooc of the United States commissary de partment of Cuba. Colonel Wood serv. ed on General Lees staff during the war with Spain on the island of Cuba and until the cessation of hostilities The parents of Mrs. Vinal were former residents of New Haven and were we'll known here. Her father was ot the class of '33 at Yale. Her address follows:
 It is perhaps owing to the impulse given by the patriotic societies to honor ones ancestors that we, the grandchil- dren of the Rev Samuel Merwin, have felt a desire that this church, over which he was pastor for more than a quarter of century, should have some worthy representation of him. His pas torate over the old North church ex- tended from February 13, 1895, to De cember 29, 1881, when he left New Ha- ven for few years, returning to spend the rest of his life.
 Therefore, that he may become to the younger members of this church some thing more than a name, and to few of the older ones more than a dim mem- ory, am here to present, in the name of all his living grandchildren and of few near relatives, this portrait, which will be shortly unveiled for you all to see. It was painted by MT. Ju- 1ius Ludovici, of New York city, an es- pecial friend of the Merwin family.
 Dr. Johnson says "Posterity delights in details" and few incidents which I have gathered together, relating to MT. Merwin and his family and to life in New Haven in those days, nfay not be uninteresting on this occasion.
 Both he and his wife had patriotic blood in their veins-one of his ances- tors having fought bravely not only in the French and Indian wars, but also at an advanced age, in the war of the American revolution. Mrs. Merwin was the daughter of Colonel Timothy Taylor, of Danbury an original mem- Der of "The Cincinnati
 Although our picture presents him at a later date and older in years, we can imagine this dignifed, erect young man of twenty-four, tall, dark-skinned, but ruddy, with black eyes and hair, bring ing to this, his first home, school girl bride of seventeen, fair, slender and of winning manners. They were said to be handsome couple.
 The day of his ordination, this being his first settlement, is described as bright and sparkling, like some of our recent winter days, with clear, pure air and over-arching azure sky. The cere- mony took place in the old Blue meeting house, on the corner of Church and Elm streets, "the eloquent divine and accom- plished President Dwight" in the chair.
 
 from the churches were "the acute, dis and faithful Pinneo, the enlightened, wise and devout Herrick, the humble, patient and saintly Willis ton, the original, warm and open-heart- ed Ely, and the fervid, suppliant and active pastor and learned historian, Trumbull."
 At that time the church-perhaps I should say the society-was also denom- mated United, the union consisting of the White Haven and Fair Haven soci- cities. There were one hundred and flf- ty members, and the officiating deacons were Levi Ives, Abel Burritt and Ma than Beers.
 Here in New Haven the greater part of MT Merwin's life was spent and here all of his children were born. There were two sons and five daughters to all of whom was given length of days so that the age of one of the youngest to be called home, the Rev. S. J. M. Mer- win, a member of this church. lacked but a few months of the allotted three score years and ten, and the age of all of the other brothers and sisters has ex- ceeded this limit. Two of the children still survive, the eldest and the young est daughters-Mrs. J. D. Wickham, of Manchester, Vt, who entered last sum- mer upon her ninetieth year, and Mrs. Gordon Hall, of Chicago. A few years after the settlement of Mr. Merwin this present house of worship was erected, m undertaking which was attended | with more or less difficulty owing to the then prevailing war with Great Brit ain. The presence and depredations of 1 he British ships, as they sailed up and 1 town the coast, occasioned anxiety | lmong the inha bitants, who were called | .ogether to take measures for the com | non safety. The Columbian Register ,f April 26 1914 says ''The enemy is lowering on the coast. Where the next blow will be attempted no one can tell. to repel invasion cannot 1e too speedily made" It was during his period of excitement that MT Mer win, being out of health, went to Balls on Spa. Before leaving home he sent 1is wife and two children into the coun- ny back from the shore. One of my lunts well remembers that their house | vas closed for several months Peace vas declared December "A, 1914, and an lour after the news reached New Ha- zen the church bells were rung, cannon were fired on the Green and the whole ,ity was illuminated
 The war at an end the new temple pastor and people took pos