Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1905-07-01


Delaware was called to meet in Dover
December Sd, 1891. He was the onl,
clerical delegate from Delaware to tn,
, General Convention of 1892 and he hat
the honor Of leing chosen the secretar,
of that bod, The next incumbent wa
the Rev. George Dashiel. In 1896 he re
ported 81 communicates as belonging tt
the parish.
The early part of the nineteenth cen
tury was time of great depression ir
this place as elsewhere. The parish was
unable to maintain weekly services, the
usual stipulation with the rector being
1 that he should officiate at St. Anne's
every third Sunday and receive as com
pensation whatever might be raised from
pew rents. The charge was generally
joined with that of st. Stephens, Mary.
land. In the year 1902 the incumbent
seems to have been Rev. Mr.. Reese.
For twelve years, beginning about 1903,
the Rev. ii. Lyon Davis held the cure.
Our earliest existing records, consisting
OF minute book with the treasurer's ac-
count, date from this period, (lS0S). In
the year 1918 the Rev. William Mind
was the minister in charge. At the dio-
cesan convention of 1921 layman pre-
sented a report stating that the parish
was vacant, though occasionally visited
by the Rev. r. D. Hall, of Trinity Church,
Wilmington. The communicants num-
bered about twenty. He added that the
people "have lately exerted themselves
and prevented their commodious and
substantial building from going to decay
entirely by some necessary repairs, and
it is thought that if they could get a
minister their congregation would revive
and increase" The committee to at
tend to these repairs consisted of Mr..
Outten Davis and Mr.. Richard Lock-
wood. The Rev. Purnell f. Smith was
in charge in 1923 and was succeeded in
the following year by the Rev. George
Wiler. Between 1925 and 1881 there is
only one entry in the minute book of the
parish and that relates to the appoint
ment of DIR. Cuthbert s. Green as dele
gate to the diocesan convention of 1928.
In list of the ministers in charge about
this time | have found the name of a
Rev. Mr.. Robinson, but have been un-
able to secure any information regarding
him from existing parish records. At
this time the condition of st. Anne's was
at its lowest ebb. In 1881 the Rev. w.
H. Rees, of Maryland, officiating in the
parish. reported twelve communicants,
of whom he says nine or ten received on
Easter Day. In 1882 the Rev. H. Lyon
Davis, D. D., resumed charge of the par
ish which he had resigned seventeen
years before. He also became principal
of the Middletown Academy. He speaks
of the sad condition in which he now
found the parish, not single male COM
municant being found among its people.
He does not despair however. 'The dry
bones may yet live" he says, and he bases
his hope, first, on "a body of faithful
women who adorn the doctrine of God
their Saviour in all things" and Sec
ondly, on Sunday School numbering
ninety pupils and conducted with much
diligence and ability"
DIR. Davis was succeeded in 1884 by the
Rev. Mr.. Mckinney, and he in the follow
ing year by the Rev. John Coleman, the
father of our beloved bishop. He re-
manned in charge for only little more
than one year, but tile records attest the
esteem in which he was held. He re-
ported to the convention that the church
had been 'newly painted, the pulpit, desk
and chancel redressed, and the venerable
building throughout rendered very COM
Portable" He says OF the Sunday School
that until recently it has been wholly
dependent upon the self-denying labors
Of few devout young ladies, but we
have now the pleasure of observing dis
position manifested on the part of some
of the other sex to cooperate with them"
We are now entering on period re-
membered by some yet living. The Rev.
Mr.. Peck became rector in 1886, the Rev.
j. p Bausman in 1888, the Rev. ]. H.
Tying in 1912, the Rev. Thos. D. Ozanne
in 1874 and the Rev. Andrew F. Free
man, son of the Missionary Bishop of
Arkansas, in 1915. During the greater
part of this period this cure was held
conformity with that of st. Peters,
Smyrna. Under Mr.. Bausman at least,
that of St. Augustine, Md, was added.
1t is of interest to record that in 1888 the
diocesan convention was held in this
church, and that on that occasion three |
young men were ordained by Bishop |
Onderdonk to the priesthood, among
them the Rev. John Linn McKim, resid- |
ing now at Georgetown, Del, the Oldest |
living clergyman in our American Church.
On May 18th, 1s47, committee, consist
ing of Richard G. Lockwood, John H. |
Smith and George Derrickson, was ap-
pointed with reference to proposed |
changes in the interior of the church, for
which purpose the sum of $405 was SUBJ
scribed. The church was then brought
to its present appearance.
Formerly the pews had higher backs and
faced toward the north. The pulpit, sur
mounted by sounding board, stood
against the north wall. Below and in
front of it stood what is now the pulpit,
then used in reading the service. In
front and on yet lower level was space
enclosed by rail and containing the
font, bowl supported by three-legged
mahogany stand. The robing room was
underneath the pulpit. The altar stood
where it now stands surrounded on three
sides by rail-. When these alterations
were completed the church already about
eighty years old, was consecrated for the
first time on November 11th, 1S47.
In l849 the Rev. Hiram R. Harold
became rector OF st. Anne's and also of
Christ Church, Delaware City. During