Rev. William VESEY

1674 - 1746  (71 years)

• Name	William VESEY
  Title	Rev.
  Birth	10 Oct 1674	Braintree, Norfolk County, MA
  Gender	Male
  Name	William VEAZIE
  Will	1 May 1746	New York City, New York County, NY
  Death	11 Jul 1746	New York City, New York County, NY
  Notes	(1) Dix, Morgan, A History of the Parish of Trinity Church in the City of New York, New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1898, pp. 98-107: WILLIAM VESEY, FIRST RECTOR. It is high time that the cloud of misrepresentation and misstatement affecting the honor and good name of the first rector of Trinity Church should be dispersed, and that charges against him, calumnious in their nature if not in intention, should be so fully exposed that they may never be repeated. The statement has been made, and down to the present day has obtained credence among respectable and fair-minded men, that Mr. Vesey was a Dissenting minister, and a special prot??g?? of Increase Mather's, when elected to the position of minister of the City of New York; that he betrayed the Presbyterians, in whose interest he had been chosen to that office; that he allowed himself to be caught by Colonel Fletcher and the managers of the Church of England; and that he turned coat and took Holy Orders in that Church, in order to secure the tempting bribe of the call to the rectorship of the parish in New York. As these charges are, from first to last, without foundation in fact, and contradicted by direct and indirect testimony, it seems a duty to display them in full, with a view to the vindication of a consistent and loyal member of our Church, who was born and bred in her communion, had served her many years before he ever set foot in New York, and was in all respects worthy of the confidence reposed in him by the Churchmen of New York, and the high honors to which he was called. On this point something has been already said in the preceding chapter; it is now in order to present the facts in full. William Vesey, son of William and Mary Vesey, was born at Braintree, in Massachusetts, October 10, 1674. The family had been established there for some time. Few details of his early life are known, but they are sufficient to establish the Churchly character of his people, and to indicate the nature of his training. A letter of September 1, 1710, from William Vesey and others, states that "Mr. Vesey, Minister of the Church in New York, when he was a youth can say that he with his parents and many more were communicants of the Church of England, and that in their family at Braintree divine service was daily read."' At the age of fifteen he entered Harvard College, being then, as he wrote at a later period, a communicant of the Church of England. He graduated at the age of nineteen, in a class numbering fifteen, of whom ten became clergymen. There is no evidence to show that he ever swerved from his allegiance to the Church or forsook her communion. After graduating, he went to Sag, a village on Long Island south of the present Sag Harbor, and preached there for six months, having, no doubt, as was the case with the Rev. Mr. Eburne, at Brookhaven, in 1685, the support of members of the Church of England. After that, he went to Hempstead and remained there two years, preaching as before. This episode in his life has been misunderstood, from want of attention to his own statement on the subject. A letter of his is preserved, in which he says, that, "not being of age to receive orders," at the time of his graduation, he undertook work as a layman, "by advice of some of our Churches"; a statement which shows that he entered on his work at the suggestion, not of Mather and the New England Congregationalists, but of Churchmen, who thought that under the circumstances he might well exercise his gifts for the good of the Church in which he had been born and bred. The people of Hempstead were made up of friends of the Church of England and Dissenters. No religious denomination ruled. Miller writes that Mr. Vesey "without any Orders, is at Hempstead," where there were some "300 or 400 English, most Dissenters, and some Dutch." It is clear that Mr. Vesey's work was that of a lay reader and preacher in a missionary field. He performed no priestly function, and served no otherwise than as many laymen are now serving the Church in neglected portions of this country. The Rev. J. Thomas, who came to Hempstead as the missionary of the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in 1704, wrote five years later that in this district the people had been "wholly unacquainted with the Blessed Sacrament for five and fifty years together." As they had "been so long in the disuse of it," this worthy missionary may be regarded as the true successor of young Vesey, who doubtless prepared the way for him; he officiated in the building which was used by Vesey. That the latter, his forerunner, did good service to the Church, is the opinion of a learned and competent annalist, who says, referring to Mr. Vesey's services, "We have abundant reason for claiming that it was greatly owing to him that St. George's parish [Hempstead] came into existence." The gossipy and false story that Mr. Vesey was sent to Hempstead by the Congregationalists to promote the cause of Dissent was an invention of his enemies. It appears to have been first put in circulation about the year 1714; and it is only in consequence of want of access to the original records that it held its ground so long, and deceived men of such learning and critical skill as Dr. George H. Moore. Every addition to our stock of known facts relating to the Veseys makes its refutation more easy. For example, it has been ascertained that Vesey's father was a Jacobite, and that the son was accused of the same tendencies. Jacobite and Dissenter were not convertible terms and nothing can be more unlikely than that Mather would have sent a mere youth of that reputation on an important mission. The father was bitter in his opposition to Mather and the Congregationalists, and Sewall writes, June 20, 1696, "Wm. Veisy is bound over for plowing on the day of Thanksgiving." They read the daily prayers from the Book of Common Prayer, and the father, Lieutenant Veasey, contributed towards "erecting a church for God's worship in Boston according to the Constitution of the Church of England." "In 1704, Christ Church, Braintree, was fully organized, several of the names found earliest in the town records, such as Veazie, Saunders, and Bass, being those of its wardens and vestrymen."' In 1696, Lieutenant William Veazie was Churchwarden, and it was during his term of office that, for deliberately ploughing on Thanksgiving Day, as a protest against the appointment of days of fasts and thanksgiving by the Puritan party, he was punished by being put in the pillory. The Braintree organization lay dormant till 1726, "when the matter was revived and a site for the proposed edifice was conveyed by deed bearing date of August 25, 1727, as the free gift to the Society [i. e., the S. P. G.] by William and Benjamin Veazey, 'for the building of a Church of England and no other purpose.'" The donors and the members of the congregation further bound themselves to send over young Ebenezer Miller, then a student of divinity, to England, to receive Episcopal ordination. Young Vesey, the son, clearly suffered on account of the father's known views, for which the latter stood so firm. The father had been firm in declaring himself a member of the Church of England, refusing to be taxed for the support of Dissent. The statement that Mr. Vesey went from Long Island to New York is not true; on the contrary he was in Boston, and connected with King's Chapel in that town, when elected by the City Vestry of New York. Of the facts on this point we must next take notice. In the year 1692, the Rev. Samuel Myles had charge of King's Chapel, at Boston. Mr. Myles was the son of the Rev. John Myles, an amiable Baptist minister of Rehoboth. He graduated at Harvard College in 1684, and received pay for teaching school in Charlestown from July 17 of that year until October, 1687, and perhaps longer. He appears to have had some trouble about his ecclesiastical views; two years before his graduation he, with two others, was "publickly admonished for speaking irreverently before ye Corporation." What took place after the close of his services at Charlestown does not appear; but the records of King's Chapel show that Mr. Myles officiated there July 1, 1689. There is no convincing proof that he had ordination until he went to England in 1692; the times were trying, and it was necessary to make an expensive and perilous voyage to England in order to obtain Orders; and this led to loose views on the subject. There were indications of the same practices in Virginia. Mr. Myles probably preached without ordination; but there were no irregularities in connection with the Holy Communion, as appears from the fact that while the weekly collections of the church are recorded, there is no mention of the purchase of sacramental bread and wine during the period from July, 1, 1689, to July, 1692; while, immediately after his departure to England, and on the entrance of the Rev. Mr. Smith as officiating minister, there comes the entry of money "gathered at the sacrament." In Rapelye's sketch of the Rev. William Vesey it is stated that he "pursued his theological studies under the direction of the Rev. Samuel Myles, Rector of King's Chapel, Boston." In an unpublished letter of his, Mr. Vesey says that he "preached three months in the Church at Boston at the request of Mr. Miles and the Church Wardens." Sewall writes in his diary, July 26, 1696, "Mr. Veisy preach'd at the Ch. of Engl'd; had many Auditors"; while the "Records of King's Chapel" show what he received for the sermon: "July 27 pd. Mr. Phesy for sermon 1.00.00." Practically he was the assistant minister, and though as yet without Orders, was in regular training for the coming work. He states in the letter referred to, that he was at King's Chapel when called to the City of New York. Thus at every point the case is complete, and the falsehood of the statement that he was a Dissenting minister on Long Island at the time of his election is apparent. Let us hear, in conclusion, the man's account of himself, given in the letter of which mention has been made : "I have been a communicant of the Church of England ever since I was 15 years old, and after I had my degree in the College of New England, by advice of some of our Churches (not being of age to receive Orders) I preached 6 months at Sag and 2 years at Hempstead in this Province, where, I presume, my Life and Doctrine were no disservice to our Church, and after 3 months in the Church at Boston, at the request of Mr. Miles and the Church Wardens; and then, being in the 24th year of my age, I was called, November 2d, 1696, by the Church Wardens and Vestry of the City of New York to officiate as minister pursuant to an act of Assembly, as will appear by the inclosed minute of said Assembly and Vestry. Accordingly, I departed hence for England, there was honored by the University of Oxford with the degree of Master of Arts, July 12, 1696. Ordained Priest ye 2d of August following, and the same year I returned to the City of New York." (Letter of Mr. Vesey in Letter-Book S. P. G., vol. 24, p. 461, part of original, bound up with N. Y. England, 1702-99, No. 28.) If Mr. Vesey needed any further indorsement by way of showing that he was in every particular qualified for the rectorship of Trinity, and came into it in an easy and natural way, without compromise of principle, he might have had it from one of the most interesting and admirable personages of his time. Colonel Caleb Heathcote, his friend and warm supporter, was a man whose character and standing as citizen, soldier, statesman, and Churchman cannot be impeached. Caleb Heathcote was the son of Gilbert Heathcote, Mayor of Chester in Old England. He came to New York in 1691, bought lands in West Chester, and erected the Manor of Scarsdale. He was Judge of West Chester, Colonel of Militia, Councillor of the Province, and for three years Mayor of New York; he was also Commander of the Colonial Forces from 1715 to his death in 1721. A well-read and intelligent Churchman, and an earnest and able advocate of Church principles, he was emphatically a member of the Church militant and full of missionary zeal. The Venerable Society was hardly organized before he put himself in communication with its representatives; his correspondence with that Society began as early, at least, as September 30, 1702, and continued for the remainder of his life, indicating throughout his ardent desire to extend the work of the Society and secure the Episcopate for the Colonies. The letters of this estimable man vindicate Governor Fletcher from the charge made by his enemies that he had perverted the Ministry Act from its original intention and forced an Establishment on a reluctant population by an unjust application of that Act to the Church of England. Colonel Heathcote was Mr. Vesey's stanch friend, not only before his call by the City Vestry, but afterwards, as long as he lived; among the founders of Trinity Corporation, he was always loyal to its rector, and his strenuous defender against the enemies who never ceased to harass and annoy him by false accusations and unfriendly acts. The enjoyment of the confidence and support of such a man as this is a sufficient guaranty, if any was needed, of the rectitude and high character of one whose fame and honor are in the keeping of his descendants and successors in office, and of all members of the venerable parish which he served for nearly half a century. (2) New York City Wills, Vol. 4, Orem, UT: Ancestry, Inc., 1998: Page 608.?-In the name of God, Amen. I, WILLIAM VESEY, of New York, "clerk," Rector of Trinity Church, being now somewhat indisposed in body. I direct all just debts to be paid. I leave to the poor of the city of New York, ??50, to be distributed by the Church Wardens of Trinity Church. I leave to my brother, John Vesey, of Branting, ??25, and to my sister, Mary Green, of the same place, ??25, and the same to my sisters, Elinor Turner and Hannah Bracket, of the same place. I leave to my brother, Benjamin Vesey, ??25; I leave to my God son, Joseph Reade, Jr., son of Mr. Joseph Reade, merchant, ??100, to be paid into the hands of said Joseph Reade, Sr., my brother-in-law, for the use of his son. I leave to my God daughter, Mary Braine, daughter of Thomas Braine, merchant in Flushing, ??50. All the rest of my estate, both real and personal, I leave to my well beloved wife, Mary Vesey, with all gold, silver, and jewels, and I make my wife sole executrix. Dated May 1, 1746. Witnesses, Sheffield Howard, Charles Jandine, John Kelly. Proved, July 21, 1746. [NOTE.?Rev. William Vesey married Mary, daughter of Lawrence Reade, who left children, John, Joseph, Sarah, wife of Dr. Thomas Braine, and Mary, wife of Rev. William Vesey. Lawrence Reade owned lots No. 55-57 Pine street. These fell to John and Joseph Reade, who sold them to their sister, Sarah Braine, July 15, 1729. Her son, Thomas Braine, Jr., sold them to Rev. William Vesey, April 26, 1746, and he was living here at the time of his death. His widow married Hon. Daniel Horsmanden. Rev. William Vesey also owned No. 62 Pine street. This was originally sold by the executors of Jan Vinge to William Nazeroth; he sold to Abraham and Nicholas Brewer, who sold to William Laurier. His children, Davis and Elizabeth Laurier sold to Rev. William Vesey and his widow sold it to Joseph Reade, October 15, 1746.?W. S. P.]
  Person ID	I11261	Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
  Last Modified	17 Apr 2024

  
  

  Family	Mary READE   d. Bef 6 Dec 1763, New York City, New York County, NY
  Marriage	Abt 1 Mar 1698	New York City, New York County, NY
  Family ID	F5202	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	17 Apr 2024