Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Orange County, New York
CHURCHES:
WARWICK (GOSHEN) (1764)
The Warwick Church was constituted on November 7, 1764*, by James Benedict, from Ridgefield, Connecticut, who became its pastor, and served until his death. The church began with three members, but increased to 57 members by 1769. In the year 1789, the church increased from 32 members to 192 members, and began to branch out in different directions, and set off other churches, including Wantage, Deer Park, Middletown, &c. In 1769, Warwick Church joined the Philadelphia Association, under the name of Goshen. Pastors after James Benedict were Thomas Jones, Thomas Montanye, Thomas Stephens, Lebeus Lathrop. Elder John Gano resided within the bounds of this church for a number of years while in exile from New York City.
In 1865, the Warwick Church observed their centennial. Elder Gilbert Beebe was the pastor at that time. (*The date of constitution shown above is given in the Minutes of the Philadelphia Association for 1769.)
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Ackerman, Ackley, Africana, Amsbary, Armstrong, Aspell, Asteck, Atwood, Babcock, Babey, Badger, Badoley, Bailey, Baird, Barnes, Barney, Barr, Bartholf, Bates, Bateson, Beebe, Bellyou, Benedict, Benjamins, Bennett, Bentle, Billyou, Bishop, Bloom, Boatman, Bolden, Bonter, Bountain, Bowen, Bowers, Bradley, Bradner, Brass, Braymer, Briggs, Brook, Bross, Brown, Bruster, Burchell, Burr, Burroughs, Burt, Bush, Cantine, Capron, Carpenter, Carr, Case, Casitine, Chandler, Chase, Clark, Cole, Coleman, Coley, Compton, Conklin, Cook, Corteur, Cox, Crampton, Crary, Crissey, Croft, Cumton, Curry, Daniel, David, Dearman, Decker, Degarmo, Demarest, Dickens, Dickerman, Dickey, Dickson, Dikeman, Dolson, Drake, Drew, Disborah, Dunham, Dunn, Dye, Eggleston, Ellis, Everet, Everett, Fairchilds, Feagles, Fight, Fich, Finn, Finton, Foght, Forester, Forshee, Fowler, Gabel, Gannon, Gano, Garagthy, Gardenhouse, Garthwaite, Gayne, Gee, George, Geragthy, Gerlinghouse, Gillett, Gold, Gray, Green, Griffith, Hadley, Hall, Halstead, Hannas, Harden, Hartwell, Harvis, Hatches, Hawkens, Hayatt Haycock, Haynes, Headley, Hedges, Heneryn, Hoakins, Hobbie, Hoffard, Holbert, Holly, Hopper, Horton, House, Housel, Howard, Howell, Hoyt, Hudches, Huff, Hulet, Hulse, Hunt, Jayne, Jewett, Johnson, Jones, Kebelys, Keen, Ketchum, King, Knapp, Lain, Lancaster, Larch, Laten, Lathrop, Lawrence, Lefferts, Leonard, Little, Lloyd, Lobdel, Lockwood, Lowring, Lucky, Lyon, Maiden, Makinas, Man, Martin, Marvin, Masters, Maybe, McCann, McConnell, McDaniel, McKee, McWhurter, Meed, Miller, Mills, Mind, Minthorn, Mofford, Monroe, Montanye, Morehouse, Morgan, Moss, Murphy, Neall, Nealy, Newberry, O'Daniel, O'Neal, Odlese, Osborn, Paddick, Park, Parkinson, Patterson, Payne, Peck, Perkins, Perry, Peterson, Philips, Pickard, Pierson, Pratt, Price, Quackenbos, Randall, Randolph, Ratan, Raymond, Read, Rebelye, Recky, Reede, Reynolds, Rhoads, Rierson, Roach, Robards, Robblen, Robelaye, Robertson, Robinson Roblyer, Roch, Rockwell, Rogers, Rowley, Rumsey, Samis, Sammons, Samson, Sanford, Sarch, Sayer, Scofield, Scoonover, Scott, Sears, Seely, Shaler, Sharp, Silsbe, Simmis, Simons, Simpson, Sly, Smallyea, Smith, Snow, Southwait, Sprage, Springsted, St. John, Stanton, Staysa, Stevens, Sutton, Taylor, Thompson, Thorp, Tidd, Torry, Townsend, Tracy, Trout, Trusdell, Umans, Underdunk, Ustick, Valion, Van Duzer,Vandervort, Vanduzer, Veall, Walling, Ward, Warren, Wayman, Weckum, Weeks, Welling, Wells, Westervelt, Wheeler, Whitney, Wickam, Wilkison, Williams, Wisnor, Wonzar, Wood, Wright, York, Youmans, Young, Zebrout, Zobdel (very incomplete list due to none of the records being available to us except the very early period of the church).
BROOKFIELD (SLATE HILL) (1783)
The Brookfield Church was constituted on August 28, 1783, by Lebbeus Lathrop, James Finch, John Hallock, Asa Cobb, William Fullerton, James Clark, Betsy Clark, John Finton, Elizabeth Finton, Elizabeth Prouty, Stephen Prouty, Mehitable Hallock, Mary Howell, Amy Cooley, Daniel Cash, William Kirby, Mary Kirby. The presbytery included Elder William L. Benedict and others from Warwick Church. The original members were primarily from Warwick Church, but seven others joined with them in the new constitution.
The first pastor was an Elder Clark, who served until 1797. He was succeeded by Elder John Caton, who continued until March 1807. Elder Henry Ball was ordained in 1808 and served as pastor about 23 years. In 1832, the church withstood the modern mission system, even though Elder Ball and a very few others left the church and united with the Missionary or New School Baptist party. In June 1832, Elder Gabriel Conklin was called as pastor, which office he held until September 5, 1846. Elder B. Pitcher then served for about five years, followed by Elder Daniel L. Harding for two years, and Elder G. W. Slater also for about two years. In 1867, Elder William L. Benedict was called, and served until November 1873.
A large frame meeting house was erected in 1792, which still contains the high backed pews with gates on each pew, balconies, and many other unusual features. The framed tower, or steeple, was erected in the year 1828. The meeting house was thoroughly repaired in 1876, and a special 94th anniversary meeting was held Tuesday and Wednesday, August 28th and 29th, 1877.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Ball, Brown, Carey, Cash, Caton, Clark, Cobb, Conklin, Cooley, Corwin, Denman, Doane, Dunn, Eaton, Finch, Finton, Fullerton, Hallock, Halsted, Horton, Howell, Hulse, Jackson, Kirby, Knight, Lain, Lathrop, Miller, Moore, Murry, Parker, Peekham, Price, Prouty, Reed, Rundle, Shanks, Smith, Southworth, Stickney, Ustick, Ward, Wilcox, Wood (very incomplete list due to records not being available to us).
NEW VERNON (SEE ALSO SULLIVAN COUNTY)(1785)
New Vernon Church was organized in 1785, under the ministry of Elder Ebenezer West, with sixteen charter members, viz., Elder Ebenezer West, Richard West, William Smith, Jedediah Fuller, Solomon Wheat, Asa Warder, John Harding, David Smith, William Patterson, Lydia King, Keziah Jillet, Abigail Smith, Elizabeth Godfrey, Delia Rogers, Anna King, and Rhoda Harding. Elder Ebenezer West held the pastoral care of the church until his death in October 1793. Soon after this vacancy caused by death, Elder Benjamin Montanye was chosen pastor and served for thirty-three years, until his death in 1825. In May 1826 Elder Gilbert Beebe was chosen, and held the position of pastor almost fifty-five years. Elder Amos Harding was another early minister in this church.
In about the year 1800 the first church house was built, called Deer-Park, very near the line between Orange and Sullivan counties, and what is now the towns of Mount Hope and Mamakating. This was a frame house built in the ancient style with galleries on three sides, and a capacity to seat from 300 to 400 persons. A new frame house was erected by the church, near the site of the old one, about 1855, of the same capacity. In the rear and east side of the church there is a large cemetery in which many of the first settlers of the vicinity are buried. The name of the church was changed to New Vernon in 1826.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Beakes, Beebe, Benedict, Beyea, Burritt, Collard, Conklin, Corwin, Harding, Hoyt, Jenkins, King, Manning, Mapes, Montanye, Seybolt, Wheat (very incomplete list due to the records not yet being obtained by us).
MIDDLETOWN & WALKILL (MIDDLETOWN)(1792)
Middletown Church was organized on October 4, 1792, with 32 members, who were dismissed from Brookfield and New Vernon churches for that purpose. viz., John Green, Daniel Green, Martin L. Corwin, John Cook, Silas Brown, Uriah Hulse, Ezra Witter, Cornelius Brewster, James Springstead, Isaac Kinney, Silas Hulse, Joseph Brundage, Elihu Carey, Sarah Cook, Sarah Brown, Abigail Hulse, Chloe Green, Sarah Green, Patience Witter, Louis Preston, Phebe Davis, Marian Brisinten, Mary Hoyt, Jeremiah Thomas, Phebe Springstead, Margaret Hulse, Margaret Remey, Martha Brundage, Gorbeneah Rich, Abigail Corwin, John Finch, and Enos Finch. The first deacons were Silas Hulse and John Green. The church joined the Warwick Association in 1793. A few years later, the name was changed to First Wallkill. Still later, the name was changed to Middletown & Wallkill. During the pastorate of Elder Gilbert Beebe, the church constructed a large new meeting house.
On p.[1], Book III: "This church was originally constituted in the village of Middletown, in ... [Oct. 4] 1792, and known as the First Baptist Church of Middletown, until about the year 1818 or 1829, when having built a meeting house about 2 3/4 miles north of Middletown in the township of Wallkill, the church was about that time called the Baptist Church of Wallkill, until the winter of 1856, when a number of brethren and sisters residing in the village of Middletown, (N.Y.), being members of several different churches ... desired to unit with us on the condition that we reassume our original name ... The First Baptist Church of Middletown and Wallkill." On alternate Sundays the "forenoon" services were held at Wallkill and in Middletown every Sunday afternoon or evening. Nov. 8, 1868 is the last meeting recorded at Wallkill. Nov. 25, 1882, recorded sale of the Wallkill Meeting House, however the name was retained. - From the description of [Minutes and records of the Baptist Church of Christ at Middletown, N.Y., 1792-1926.]. 1792-1926.
The church originally held meetings statedly in the free meeting house in Middletown, in which they had a joint interest with the Congregationalists, until about 1820, when to accomodate members living north of the village, they built a frame meeting house about two and three-quarter miles north of Middletown, at what was later called Rockville. The church erected a new brick house for public worship in 1871, on the corner of Roberts and Cottage Streets in Middletown. This house was 65 by 45 with front gallery, and basement, and cost about $11,000.00. Elder Thomas P. Terry was pastor until his death, which occurred about the year 1830. The church then called Elder Gilbert Beebe, who served for over fifty years. In 1880, the membership was 105. At the time of erection of the Wallkill Church in the Rockville neighborhood, the Primitive Baptists filed a new certificate of incorporation dated December 10, 1820. The proceedings were signed by Thomas P. Terry, and Silas D. Horton, as in spectors of the election, and the trustees chosen were David Reynolds, Nathan Slauson, Hiram Horton, Elihu Carey, Daniel W. Moore, and Christian Shons.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS (Includes WALKILL):
Beebe, Brewster, Brink, Brown, Brundage, Carey, Colbert, Cook, Corwin, Davis, Elston, Finch, Green, Hartford, Horton, Hoyt, Hulse, Inman, Jones, Hyatt, Inman, Ker, Kinney, Knapp, McKean, Moore, Preston, Osburn, Remey, Rich, Robinson, Slauson, Springstead, Terry, Thomas, Thompson, Titus, Welch, Witter (very incomplete list due to lack of records).
ORANGE (1822)
WATERLOO
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