The Battle Between Christ Church and Grace Church Chapel 1923 - 1925
With no bridge to City Island from the mainland during this era, Adele Bolton and Cornelius Bolton rowed to the island to oversee the Sunday services until Rev. Cornelius Bolton was called to serve in a parish in Maryland. Adele Bolton and her sister, Nanette Bolton, continued to minister to the residents of City Island until Cornelius Bolton returned in 1855 to become rector of Christ Church, the church founded by his father in Pelham Manor.
During Rev. Cornelius Bolton's absence from the area, the tiny little Union Chapel became a Methodist Church. Rev. Bolton and his sisters, Adele and Nanette, pushed for the construction of a new Episcopal church building on the island and enlisted the services of the students of the Pelham Priory School for Girls to raise money in support of the endeavor.
Noted City Island resident George W. Horton, Jr. donated land for the church and construction began in 1862. Construction was completed by 1863. The church was constructed by ship carpenters from the nearby shipyard founded by David Carll who became a member of the church. The Church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and includes a stunning stained glass altar window depicting "The Trial of Christ" that was crafted by John Bolton, another son of Rev. Robert Bolton (the founder of Christ Church).
Grace Episcopal Church in an Undated Photograph Believed to
Have Been Taken in About 1904. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
For more on the history of Grace Episcopal Church and its relationship with Christ Church, see, e.g.: Thu., Oct. 02, 2014: Brief History of Grace Church on City Island in the Town of Pelham Published in 1886.
As one might expect, the two churches were very close. Christ Church nurtured its new mission. For decades, the vestrymen of Grace Church voted with the Christ Church vestry. Christ Church purchased real estate for the benefit of Grace Church. Indeed, for decades Christ Church in Pelham Manor lovingly supported its mission of Grace Church.
Then, New York City annexed City Island and the surrounding region in 1895. The futures of the two churches began to diverge. It all seems to have come to an explosive conclusion during the Roaring Twenties.
In October, 1922, the vestrymen of Christ Church in Pelham Manor authorized a contract to install Rev. Thomas A. F. Collet as the pastor of Grace Episcopal Church on City Island for a term of one year. At the time, the Rector of Christ Church was J. McVickar Haight.
During that year, Rev. Collet became beloved by City Island residents and his new congregation. There seems, however, to have been an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with Rev. Collet among the leaders of Christ Church in Pelham Manor. Perhaps, we might speculate, Rev. Collet was steering his new congregation on a course of greater independence from Christ Church and its vestrymen.
The following year, in October 1923, the vestrymen of Christ Church in Pelham Manor decided not to renew Rev. Collett's one-year contract, effective October 15, 1923. Rev. Collett and his congregation were outraged.
Rev. Collett took the position that his contract extended for another year and that it provided that services must be held "without interruption." The parishioners of Grace Episcopal Church believed their church was an "independent corporation" not subject to the control of Christ Church in Pelham Manor. Tensions ran high.
Rev. Collett showed up at Grace Church for the following service which was a service of holy communion. He found the church padlocked. He returned for the regular 11 o'clock service and found that, by then, "the lock had disappeared." He entered the church. laid his cossack on the altar and his vest on the Bible, and sat in the rear pew of the church.
Christ Church of Pelham Manor had hired a temporary caretaker to keep an eye on the church. The caretaker had been instructed to call the police and have Rev. Collett arrested if he entered the church. Within a short time, the caretaker showed up with three policemen. One of the policemen showed Mr. Collett a letter signed by Rev. J. McVickar Haight of Christ Church "authorizing the arrest of any one who entered the church to attend a service that day, particularly the priest in charge."
Rev. Collett pleaded his case to the police and, in effect, urged them to stay out of the mess. They diplomatically demurred, indicated that they needed to take up the matter with their Captain, and departed.
By then, parishioners had begun to gather for a service. At 11:00 a.m., Rev. Collett arose and told the congregation that he had promised the Bishop that he would not officiate a service and he would keep his promise. He noted, however, that the service nevertheless "would proceed." The congregation got the hint. A woman began to play the organ. The entire congregation sang hymns.
When the service ended, Rev. Collett refused to leave the church. Indeed, he planned to handle the evening service the same way. He even had his wife come to the church and pass him food through an open window so he would not have to depart the building before the evening service which he apparently handled the same way.
The following Sunday, Christ Church posted a notice that no service would be held at Grace Church and padlocked the church. This time, Rev. Collett "broke the lock, tore down the notice" and conducted services "as usual."
The battle was begun. Now it was time for lawyers. Attorneys for Christ Church promptly obtained a temporary injunction against Rev. Collett to keep him from entering Grace Church and conducting services.
Christ Church sought an injunction against Rev. Collett. At a hearing held in New York Supreme Court in White Plains on November 2, 1923, counsel for Rev. Collett argued that Grace Episcopal Church was not a mission or chapel of Christ Church but, instead, was an independent church that could decide its own destiny. Attorneys for Christ Church, of course, argued the contrary and sought a permanent injunction against Rev. Collett entering the church and conducting services. Justice Morschauser of the Court asked for briefs and allowed the temporary injunction to continue while it considered the matter.
The Court continued the injunction and set the matter for a prompt trial held on November 27, 1923. At trial, attorneys for Christ Church were able to demonstrate that the longstanding relationship between the two churches had never changed and that the vestrymen of Grace Church voted with the Christ Church vestry "which gave the latter control." The Court entered a permanent injunction against Rev. Collett.
Now the appeal began. It took more than a year, but in early March, 1925, the New York Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed entry of the permanent injunction "barring the Rev. Thomas A. F. Collett from acting as vicar of Grace church chapel at City Island, a branch of Christ Church of Pelham Manor."
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"PASTOR IS OUSTED; PARISH STIRRED UP
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Protest Meeting to Be Held Friday on City Island -- Attorneys Engaged.
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FOUND CHURCH PADLOCKED
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Sat With Congregation and Took Part In Service Without Vestments.
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A meeting of the parishioners of Grace Episcopal Church, City Island, has been called for Friday night in the Masonic Hall to protest against the dismissal of the Rev. Thomas A. F. Collett, who has been in charge for the last year. Mr. Collett was dismissed, effective Oct. 15, last, by the vestry of Christ Church, Pelham Manor, of which the Rev. J. McVickar Haight is the rector. The meeting is also called to reorganize the vestry and to determine where the temporalities are.'
Both sides have retained counsel, and Mr. Collett has secured George Gordon Battle as his personal counsel.
The vestry of the Pelham Manor Church claims that the City Island Church is a part of the parish of the former, and that it had the right to dismiss Mr. Collett. Many parishioners of the City Island Church claim it is an independent corporation. Mr. Haight on Saturday pasted a sign on the City Island church stating no services would be held there the next day.
When Mr. Collett arrived at Grace Church last Thursday morning in time for the service of holy communion he found a padlock on the door, for which he had been given no key.
Mr. Collett came back in time for the regular 11 o'clock worship. By then the lock had disappeared. He entered the church and having previously promised Bishop Herbert Shipman that he would obey the instructions of Bishop Manning and not officiate as priest, he laid his cossack on the altar and his vest on the Bible.
The priest then sat down in the last pew in his shirtsleeves. He had been there only a short time when three policemen walked in accompanied by the temporary caretaker of the church who had been placed there by the Pelham Manor Church authorities. One policeman showed Mr. Collett a letter signed by Mr. Haight authorizing the arrest of any one who entered the church to attend a service that day, particularly the priest in charge.
Mr. Collett asked permission to go to the rectory and produce a paper. He returned with a document which was the Church's contract that 'services must be maintained without interruption.' He showed this to the police and they seemed to think after reading it that they had no cause for arresting him. They asked to take it to their Captain. This Mr. Collett granted.
By then parishioners had begun to gather. At eleven o'clock Mr. Collett arose in the pew and told his people he had promised the Bishop not to officiate and he must keep his promise, but that the service would proceed. A woman played the organ and the congregation sang hymns."
Source: PASTOR IS OUSTED; PARISH STIRRED UP -- Protest Meeting to Be Held Friday on City Island -- Attorneys Engaged -- FOUND CHURCH PADLOCKED -- Sat With Congregation and Took Part In Service Without Vestments, N.Y. Times, Oct. 30, 1923, p. 21, col. 5.
"Reserve Decision In Pelham Church's Injunction Case Against Rev. Collett
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White Plains, Nov. 3 (I. N. S.) -- Decision was reserved yesterday by Supreme Court Justice Morschauser here on the motion of Albert Ritchie, counsel for Christ Protestant Episcopal church, Pelham, for an injunction restraining the Rev. Thomas Collett, former assistant pastor, from holding services of any nature in the parish house of the church. The rector is the Rev. McVicker [sic] Haight.
It was alleged that the Rev. Mr. Collett has insisted on holding services at the parish house of Christ church on City Island, known as Grace church, although his affiliation with Christ church parish to conduct services at the City Island parish house expired October 1, last.
Through counsel, James Crosby, of Scarsdale, Mr. Collett stated he was appointed to serve at Grace church by the bishop of the diocese and that Christ church, Pelham, and Grace church, City Island, are in no way connected. According to Ritchie, Mr. Collett insisted on conducting the morning service at Grace church October 21.
'You can understand the disgraceful scene that this created,' said Ritchie. 'The defendant even refused to leave the church when the service was completed, and stayed all day, and had his wife bring him his dinner, passing it to him through a window, so that he could conduct the evening service.'
The next Sunday, according to Ritchie, Christ church closed and padlocked City Island church, but the Rev. Mr. Collett broke the lock, tore down the notice which had been posted that the only service would be held at Pelham and conducted as usual.
Counsel for the defendant contended that the City Island church was not a mission or chapel of the Pelham Manor parish but was an independent church and that only a question of law was involved in the suit.
Justice Morschauser directed briefs be submitted and pending his decision he ordered that the injunction against the defendant assistant rector be continued."
Source: Reserve Decision In Pelham Church's Injunction Case Against Rev. Collett, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Nov. 7, 1923, p. 11, col. 2.
"RECTOR SAYS VICAR VIOLATED ORDERS
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Held Service in City Island Church After Being Ousted, He Tells Court.
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AUTHORITY IS QUESTIONED
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Plea to Dissolve Injunction Heard in White Plains -- Decision Is Reserved.
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Special to The New York Times.
WHITE PLAINS, N. Y., Nov. 27. -- Trial of the action brought by Christ Church Vestry of Pelham Manor and its rector, the Rev. J. McVickars [sic] Haight to oust permanently the Rev. Thomas A. Collett as vicar of Grace Episcopal Church at City Island, and for complete control of the pastorate, came up today before Supreme Court Justice Morschauser.
Resolutions were submitted by Albert Ritchie, in behalf of the Pelham Manor Parish, to show that the latter parish purchased the real estate of the City Island church, and that its vestrymen voted with the Pelham Manor vestry, which gave the latter control. Harry S. Abbott of Pelham Manor, warden and clerk of the Christ Church Vestry, testified that a resolution was adopted electing Mr. Collett as vicar for one year from Oct. 15, 1922.
On June 19, 1923, the minutes showed that the rector of Christ Church, who had charge of City Island Parish, reported dissatisfaction, and the vestry decided not to renew the contract with Mr. Collett after the expiration of the term.
William C. Prime, who represented Mr. Collett, insisted that Christ Church had no control over Grace Church because it was a separate parish.
The Rev. Mr. Haight testified that after the Sunday following Oct. 18 he went to City Island to hold services and that Mr. Collett met him outside the church. 'Mr. Collette [sic],' he said, 'came to me and said: 'As assistant rector I demand that I take charge of the services in this church.' I told him he could take no part in the services.
'I went into the vestry room to put on my vestments when I heard a noise in the church. I saw Mr. Collett come through the communion rail and place his hat on the altar and he began the communion service. I let him proceed.'
This, the witness said, was in violation of the order of Bishop Manning.
Attorney Prime raised the point that Grace Church Parish was incorporated in 1880, and that the corporation had not been dissolved.
Mr. Collett denied that he had placed his hat on the altar, and insisted that he had been engaged for the position of vicar by the rector and vestry of the parish as well as by the Bishop of the diocese.
So many intricate questions of law were involved in the suit that Justice Morschauser reserved decision and directed that briefs be filed."
Source: RECTOR SAYS VICAR VIOLATED ORDERS -- Held Service in City Island Church After Being Ousted, He Tells Court -- AUTHORITY IS QUESTIONED -- Plea to Dissolve Injunction Heard in White Plains -- Decision Is Reserved, N.Y. Times, Nov. 28, 1923, p. 18, cols. 2-3.
"Collett Barred From Vicarage Of City Island Chapel
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Court of Appeals Upholds Supreme Court Decision That Christ Church Pelham Manor Has Ecclesiastical Authority
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The Court of Appeals, this week, unanimously confirmed the decision of Justice Morschauser, of the Supreme Court in barring the Rev. Thomas A. F. Collett from acting as vicar of Grace church chapel at City Island, a branch of Christ Church of Pelham Manor.
Collett had a contract dating from October 15, 1922 for a period of one year, which was not renewed at expiration. When his contract expired he defied church officials and forced the issue into the courts. Claiming that contract covered period of two years.
The church officials claimed that Collett broke into the church on October 28, 1923 and held services. An injunction to restrain Collett from entering the church premises was obtained from Justice Morschauser about one year ago."
Source: Collett Barred From Vicarage Of City Island Chapel -- Court of Appeals Upholds Supreme Court Decision That Christ Church Pelham Manor Has Ecclesiastical Authority, The Pelham Sun, Mar. 6, 1925, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 6, col. 3.
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Labels: 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, Christ Church, Churches, Churches in Pelham, Grace Church, J. McVickar Haight, Lawsuit, Thomas A. F. Collett
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