History of the church in Burlington, New Jersey

Front matter

LIBRARY OF

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Preface

THIS work is a series of papers, arranged in chronological order, with extracts, notes, and occasional explanations. Headings, where they did not exist, have generally been given, as a kind of introduction to what follows.

The first Parochial Register — a folio, bound in parchment — begun in 1702, by the Founder of the Parish, and continued, by successive rectors, for a hundred and thirty-four years, is still in possession. The paper is coarse and discolored, but its records are as legible as when they were first made.

From 1720 — the year when Mr. Talbot left America, not expecting to return — there are no entries in it until after he ceased to officiate ; which leads to the belief that his acts after his consecration, were recorded in a book exclusively his own ; and which may possibly be traced among the legal representatives of Thomas Herbert, a son of his wife by a former marriage, in the West Indies.

From 1733, the entries are continuous till 1836, when the rest of the book is left blank, and the next records are found in a new and modern volume, beginning with 1853 — thus leaving a hiatus of seventeen years.

With the Minutes of the Vestry, the Parish has not been so fortunate. Three or four Churchmen of Burlington aver, that many years ago, they saw the first book of these ; and they mention two or three things which sustain their assertion ; yet Bishop Doane, in an appendix to his sermon, preached at the consecration of old St. Mary's Church, in 1834, alludes to " 1784," as the "earliest year to which the records then in possession, extended." The present Minutes reach no further back than 1836 — hence, two books, at least, are now wanting.

Regret for these losses is lessened by having copies of letters from the early Missionaries and others, some of which have been

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taken from the " Collections of .he Prostestant Episcopal Historical Society," printed in 1851; and others, from the Lambeth, Fnlham, and S P. G. MSS., procured in 1836 by the late Rev Dr Francis L. Hawks, and kindly furnished by their authorized custodian, the Rev. Dr. William Stevens Perry.

The extracts from Wills-except in two or three instances, where it is otherwise stated-were made from the originals in the Office of the Secretary of State, at Trenton, N J. The original MS. of the sermon preached at the funeral of Mrs. Talbot, was received from descendants of the Rev. Colin Campbel , by the present rector of St. Mary's, after its absence from Burlington for more than a hundred years !

No further sources of information are named in this preface, because, in every other case, an acknowledgment of its authorship is made with the contribution.

Where the spelling, abbreviations, capitals, punctuation, or lack of it, are extraordinary, it is because the originals have been minutely followed.

The reader will please keep in mind, that up to September, 1752, the legal year began with the 25th of March, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. H

St. Maey's Rectory, Burlington, N. J., Feast of the Purification, 1876.