The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-14
THE 16OTH ANNIVERSARY
CHRIST CHURCH HOLDS FITTING
SERVICES.

West Haven Episcopal Church Erected
In 1742-Dr, Hart Tells of the Early
History of the Episcopal Church Ina
Connecticut - Parishioners' Hearts
Gladdened by Project for Raising Debt
Portrait of Late Warden WEIGH
Presented to the Parish.
The 160th anniversary of the building
of Christ church, West Haven, was or
served by fitting ceremonies Saturday
and yesterday. The exercises began
Saturday evening with a service OF
prayer. which was followed by recep-
ton. On the platform were seated
Bishop Brewster, Rev. Arthur J. Gam
mack, rector of the church, and DIR. II.
S. Lines The services opened with a
presentation Of portrait of the late
senior warden, D. T. WEIGH, by A. Z.
Coe. who spoke on behalf of Mrs.
WEIGH A portrait of Prosper Warner,
who preceded Mr.. WEIGH as senior war
den, was also presented at the same
time. Dr. E. S. Lines spoke warmly in
eulogy of Mr.. WEIGH, and recalled his
many services to the church,
Following the reading of the minutes
of the vestry DIR. Barnett, on behalf of
the vestry, laid before the people a
proposition to raise the entire indebted
ness of the parish. This consists of
mortgages on the vestry and parish
house, and number of minor debts,
and amounts in all to $4,000. OF this
the vestrymen had subscribed one-half
before Dr. Barnett made the PROPOSE
ton, and before the meeting ended
more than two-thrds of the desired
amount had been subscribed. A. c. Coe
and Hubert Ames spoke on behalf of
the project, and Rev. DR.. Chauncey
Bunce Brewster, bishop Of the diocese
closed the meeting with a few words of
encouragement to the members of the
parish. An hour of social intercourse
followed, during which refreshments
were served.
Among the former members of the
church who We're present were DR.. Hen
ry of Brooklyn and Phelps Montgom-
cry, General E. E. Bradley Mr.. Foster
and Mr.. Westevelt of this city.
The ushers were General Frederick
Barton, Alfred Powell, w. w. Buck
ingham, Ansel Northrop, Hubert Ames,
q. S., Thomas, Captain James Sypher,
and Thomas Wallace.
Yesterday morning holy communion
was held at 1880 and morning prayer at
1880. At the latter service Rev. Sam
uel Hart, d. D., of Middletown, occu-
pied the pulpit. DR.. Hart chose for his
fnyt EooIacf CT vii W.. FJ,ix
are double. one against another and He
hath made nothing imperfect" AS an
illustration of the text the speaker re-
called the early history of the church
in Connecticut, the foundation of the
Society for the Propa ga ton of the Cos
pei, and the events on this side of the
ocean which were preparing the field for
it. He spoke especially of the first
missionaries in this state, and in par
ticular Of Samuel Johnson first tutor
of Yale college, who was later Congre-
gational minister In West Haven. In
1722 he went to England in company
with Rector Cutler, and Tutor Browne,
and there received the Episcopalian or.
d1nation. He was really the founder of
the Episcopal church in West Haven,
although his residence was in Stratford.
Rector johnson was succeeded in 1875
by Jonathan Arnold who, as strange
coincidence, had previously succeeded
him as Congregational minister in West
Haven. 1t was during the last years
of Jonathan Arnold's ministry and the
opening years of that of his successor,
Theophilus Morris, 1889 to 1742 that the
church edifice was erected. The other
ministers before the Revolution were
Richard Mansfield, 1748-176S who was
for seventy-two years rector of the
church in Derby, and Bella Hubbard,
who was also rector in Trinity church,
in New Haven, but who spent three
fourths of his time in West Haven, as
the more important parish.
In conclusion DR.. Hart remarked up
on the rapid growth of the Episcopal
church in Connecticut. In 1922 there
was one Episcopal clergyman with
parish of fifteen families; in 1850, one
fourteenth of the popula ton was Epis-
copalian, and at present the church
membership is one-eighth of the entire
population of the state. Stress was laid
upon the fact that before the Reyolu-
ton the clergymen of the Episcopal
church in this state were, almost with
SENT HOME.
I1xy c{Asx