which survive to the present day. They were occupied, soon after their completion, by British soldiers, some of whom were almost constantly quartered here-the 44th and 47th regiments in particular-until the War of the Revolution. The presence of the troops had, for the most part, a demoralizing effect on the society of the town. The Barracks were destroyed by the British during the war.* At the close of the first century of the town's history, the event was celebrated, Oct. 28, 1764, by a centennial dinner, on which occasion an ox, roasted whole, in the centre of the town, opposite Barnaby Shute's house, was served to the guests.t CHAPTER XVIII. A. D. 1747-1760. ECCLESIASTICAL.-Rev. Elihu Spencer-Early Life - Ordination and Installation His Marriage - Public Services - Removal-Subsequent History— His Death-His Family-Rev. Abraham Keteltas - Early Life - Licensure, Call and Ordination-Chh. Clock-Removal to Jamaica, L. I. — Subsequent History-Death- Children. THE death of the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson was a sad and deplorable event in the history of the First Presbyterian church. It was not to be expected, that a successor could be obtained of equal capacity. The church Wardens of St. John's wrote "home," Dec. 26, 1747,-"The Dissenters can with great ease be supplyed with a Teacher; but alas! our infelicity is such that we must have recourse to a distant aid." The facts were that St. John's was supplied, at least in part, almost without delay,-while the "Dissenters" were without a pastor, or stated supply, nearly two years.* No record remains, by which it can be learned, who supplied the Presbyterian church during the first of these two years. The eccentric James Davenport was settled over the church at Connecticut Farms at this period, and probably officiated here occasionally. The Rev. Elihu Spencer began to supply the pulpit in the spring of 1749. Pres. Edwards. writes, May 20, 1749,— Mr. Spencer is now preaching at Elizabethtown in New Jersey, in the pulpit of the late Mr. Dickinson,-and I believe is likely to settle there. He is a person of very promising qualifications: and will hopefully in some measure make up the great loss, that people have sustained by the death of their former pastor.t Clark's St. John's, p. 58. ↑ Edwards' Works, I. 274. THE REV. ELIHU SPENCER was a townsman and a beloved kinsman and friend of David Brainerd. He was the son of Isaac Spencer and Mary Selden, and was born at East Haddam, Ct., Feb. 12, 1721. He was the seventh child of his parents. His father was the grandson of Jared Spencer, who came to Haddam as early as 1665. Samuel, the son of Jared, was his grandfather, and Hannah, the daughter of Jared, was the grandmother of David and John Brainerd, who consequently were his second cousins. Jerusha Brainerd, sister of David and John, was the wife of his eldest brother Samuel; and Martha Brainerd, a third sister, was the wife of his second brother, Joseph Spencer, afterwards Maj.-General of the Army of the Revolution, and Member of Congress. A peculiarly close intimacy, therefore, existed between Elihu Spencer and the two Brainerds. It was at the house of Samuel Spencer, Jerusha's husband, that David Brainerd found a home, whenever, in his public life, he visited his native town. To this sister Brainerd was greatly attached, and the news of her death, brought him shortly before his own departure, deeply affected him. John Brainerd was about one year, and David about three years, older than Elihu Spencer. They grew up, and fitted for College, together. Spencer and John Brainerd entered Yale College at the same time, and graduated in 1746, in the same class with the Rev. Dr. Ezra Stiles, subsequently President of Yale College, and with Lewis Morris and John Morin Scott, afterwards members of Congress. The Rev. Dr. Thos. B. Chandler of this town, and the Hon. Wm. Smith, the historian, preceded them one year.* Three or four weeks only before his decease, David Brainerd recommended, to the Commissioners at Boston, his beloved kinsman, Elihu Spencer, as a missionary to the Six *Goodwin's Geneal. Notes, p. 203. Hall's Trenton, pp. 203-9. Brainerd's Life of John Brainerd, pp. 25-35. Sprague's Annals, III. 165. Jerusha Brainerd was the mother of Col. Oliver Spencer, at a later day a citizen of this town, of high social position, introduced here, doubtless, by his uncle, the Rev. Elihu Spencer. He married Anna, the 2d daughter of Robert Ogden and Phebe Hatfield, and the sister of the distinguished Robert, Matthias and Aaron Ogden. Nations, together with Mr. Job Strong, of Northampton, Mass. They were accordingly appointed, and directed to spend the winter following, with John Brainerd, at Bethel, N. J., among the Christian Indians, the better to become acquainted with the manners and customs of the Indians. They came to Brainerd's house, early in January, 1748, and remained until the spring, when they returned to Boston for further instructions. They were then directed to repair to Northampton to pursue their studies with the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, during the summer; and to be present at the Conference in Albany, N. Y., July 23, 1748, between the Governors of N. York and Massachusetts and the Chiefs of the Six Nations; with which instructions they complied. Arrangements were made at this Conference for the reception of missionaries among the Oneidas. Mr. Spencer, who had probably been licensed by one of the Mass. Associations, returned to Boston, and was there ordained, Sept. 14, 1748, as a Missionary to the Oneidas. Shortly after, he entered upon his missionary work at Onohohguaga, [Unadilla], on the Susquehannah River, where he spent the winter. Meeting with many discouragements by reason of the incapacity and unfaithfulness of the interpreter, he returned to Boston, to obtain a better interpreter and a colleague. In the meantime, he was providentially directed to this town, soon after his return, and was employed, about the 1st of May, 1749, as a Stated Supply of the pulpit, and a candidate for settlement.* At the meeting of the Synod of New York, at Maidenhead, N. J., May 17, 1749, Mr. Spencer was present as a Coresponding member, and was appointed, with Messrs. Prime, Davenport and Youngs, to write to the Fairfield County Association, East, to induce them to send ministers to Virginia, in response to an appeal by the Rev. Samuel Davies. This would indicate, that his connection with the Synod, as the prospective pastor of Elizabeth Town, was even then regarded as quite certain. He was in attendance at the Edwards' Works, I. 268-70, 274. Brainerd's John Brainerd, p. 148. Hall's Trenton, p. 11. Webster's Presb. Chh., p. 588. College commencement in New Brunswick, Sept. 27, and had a pleasant time with his kinsman John Brainerd, with whom he spent the evening. Brainerd visited him in this town, on Wednesday, November 8th, and found him enjoying the hospitality of Mr. Samuel Woodruff. Two or three days they spent very lovingly together, and on Saturday, Mr. Spencer went down to Bethel to spend the Sabbath with his old friends, the Christian Indians, and Mr. Brainerd remained here to supply the pulpit on the Sabbath, Nov. 12th.* As the prospect of returning to his work among the Oneida Indians was not hopeful, a call was extended to him to become the pastor of the Presbyterian church of this town, which he accepted. He was installed by the Presbytery of New York, February 7, 1749-50; of which he made the following record in his family Bible: This day was installed E. Spencer, and took the great charge (onus humeris angelorum formidandum) of the ministry in Elizabethtown, ætatis suæ 28. The Lord help me.t In the Diary of the Rev. John Brainerd, occurs this pas sage: Monday, Sept. 25.-Spent the forenoon at Mr. Eaton's (it being rainy), partly in reading and partly in conversation.‡ This was at Shrewsbury, at Eatontown, near the present Long Branch, and about 25 miles East of Bethel near Cranberry. The village took its name from Mr. Thomas Eaton, who was settled here as early as 1685. It was at the house of John Eaton, the son of Thomas most probably, that Brainerd was a welcome guest. And here, quite likely, during the winter that Spencer spent with Brainerd at Bethel, he too enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. Eaton, and first saw and loved his daughter, Joanna, then a blooming girl of 19 years. She became his wife, Qct. 15, 1750. § Scarcely any memorials remain of his pastoral work in this town. That he was a fluent and attractive preacher is * Records of Presb. Chh., p. 287. + Hall's Trenton, pp. 211, 2. Brainerd's John Brainerd, pp. 187, 218, 9. |