The Creation of Christ Church and its Consecration on September 15, 1843

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The Town of Pelham, as distinct from the Manor of Pelham, was created by New York statute enacted on March 7, 1788.  The first church built within the boundaries of the Town was Christ Church, built by Reverend Robert Bolton and his family in 1843.  Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog tells a little about the creation of Christ Church and its consecration on September 15, 1843.

Christ Church, Shortly After It Was Constructed,

as Depicted in the 1848 First Edition of Bolton's

History of Westchester County, Volume 1.  NOTE:

Click on Image to Enlarge.

Reverend Robert Bolton and his family built their spectacular Pelham Manor home, known variously as the Priory, Bolton Priory, and Pelham Priory, in 1838.  At the time, Rev. Bolton was serving as Rector of the Parish of Eastchester and oversaw services at St. Paul's Church in Eastchester. 

In 1840, Rev. Bolton "first extended his ministerial labors to this town [i.e., Pelham], which was as yet destitute of the services of the Church."  Bolton, Jr., Robert, History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the County of Westchester, From Its Foundation, A.D. 1693, to A.D. 1853, p. 695 (NY, NY:  Stanford & Swords, 1855).  Bolton dreamed, however, of building a church on his Pelham estate to serve the growing Town of Pelham.

By 1842, Rev. Bolton and his family were actively raising funds for the construction of such a church.  Advertisements appeared in regional newspapers published on July 25 and July 26, 1842, announcing that a fair would be held on July 27 on the grounds of the Priory to raise money for the construction of an "Episcopal Chapel" in Pelham Manor.  See:

Fri., Nov. 21, 2014:  Another Advertisement for Fair Held in 1842 to Fund Construction of Christ Church.

Fri., Aug. 29, 2014:  Announcement of Two-Day Fair in Pelham in 1842 to Raise Money to Build Christ Church.

1842 Advertisement for Fair to Fund Construction of "Episcopal Chapel"

in Pelham Manor, New York. Source: A Fair, New-York Daily Tribune,

Jul. 26, 1842, Vol. II, No. 91, p. 3, col. 1.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

According to a brief history of Christ Church published barely a decade after the founding of the church:

"At this time [i.e., 1840] Mr. Bolton, besides his stated duties at Eastchester, held a Sunday service at his residence in Pelham, accommodating in the ample hall a neighborhood peculiarly destitute of spiritual culture.  Through his instrumentality a parish was finally organized, and the corner stone of a church laid on his own estate, Friday, the 28th of April, 1843, being the first building devoted to religious worship and instruction ever commenced in the town of Pelham.  The edifice thus happily begun was finished the same year. . ."

Source:  Bolton, Jr., Robert, History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the County of Westchester, From Its Foundation, A.D. 1693, to A.D. 1853, p. 695 (NY, NY:  Stanford & Swords, 1855).  

Although research has not yet revealed to this author an account of the laying of the cornerstone of Christ Church, it is believed that a poem written by William Jay Bolton, one of Robert Bolton's sons, entitled "The Foundation Stone" was read at the dedication of the cornerstone.  The poem appeared in a book published by the Bolton family less than a year after the laying of the cornerstone.  The book, entitled "The Harp of Pelham," was a collection of poetry by William Jay Bolton.  The family sold the book for $1 with proceeds used to fund development and operation of a tiny one-room schoolhouse built by the family to serve the neighborhood.  (That schoolhouse building, slightly altered, still stands on the grounds of Christ Church along Shore Road.)  

Schoolhouse Built and Supported by Christ Church,
Shortly After It Was Constructed, as Depicted in the 1848
First Edition of Bolton's History of Westchester
County, Volume 1.  NOTE:  Click on Image to Enlarge.

William Jay Bolton's lovely poem entitled "The Foundation Stone" reads as follows:

"The Foundation Stone

Head of the Church with light divine

Deign on thy people's works to shine, 

And make the building now Thine own,

By blessing this, 'The Corner Stone.'

Hence let the gospel's joyful sound

Enlighten every desert round

And here let sinners find the road

That leads them to the Lamb of God.

Oh, Thou! who wast Theyself the stone

Which haughty builders did disown

Let this Thy house uninjured stand, 

Established by Thine own right hand.

The 'corner stone' surmounted thus

Shall be a footstool to the cross, 

The church a fruitful garden prove,

To train us for the church above."

Source:  Bolton, William Jay, The Harp of Pelham, pp. 93-94 (NY, NY: Windt's Printery 1844).

Before consecration of the new church building, Rev. Robert Bolton prepared a deed to transfer the church and the quarter-acre of land on which it stood to a parochial corporation.  In the deed for the benefit of the rector, wardens, and vestrymen of the new church, he reserved six "free seats" (parishioners paid for their pew seats at Christ Church and other regional churches at the time) as well as the south-eastern transept and two burial vaults beneath the floor of the church.  See id.  

According to a history of the church written by Rev. Bolton's son, Robert Bolton, Jr., and published in 1855, a subsequently-prepared instrument of donation of Christ Church read as follows:

"I, Robert Bolton, of the town of Pelham, county of Westchester and State of New York, having by the good providence of Almighty God erected in said town a house of public worship, do hereby appropriate and devote the same to the worship and service of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, according to the provisions of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in its ministry, doctrines, liturgy, rites and usages, by a congregation in communion with the said Church, and in union with the Convention thereof in the Diocese of New York.

'And I do also hereby request the Rt. Rev. Tredwell Underdonk, D., D. of the said Diocese [Editor's Note:  The reference is to Benjamin Tredwell Onderdonk who was the the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York at the time], to take the said building under his spiritual jurisdiction, as Bishop aforesaid, and that of his successors in office, and to consecrate the same by the name of Christ Church, and thereby seperate [sic] it from all unhallowed, worldly and common uses, and solemnly dedicate it to the holy purposes above mentioned.

'And I do moreover hereby relinquish all claim to any right of disposing of the aid building,, excepting those rights reserved in a certain deed conveying the said Church to the rector, wardens and vestrymen of the same, or allowing of the use of it in any way inconsistent with the terms and true meaning of this instrument of donation, and with the consecration hereby requested of the Bishop of this Diocese.  

'In testimony whereof, I, the said Robert Bolton, have hereunto attached my seal and signature at Pelham, this fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and forty-three.

ROBERT BOLTON.'  a

[Footnote "a" reads as follows:  "Copied from the original document in the possession of the Rt. Rev. B. T. Onderdonk, D. D."]."

Source:  Bolton, Jr., Robert, History of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in the County of Westchester, From Its Foundation, A.D. 1693, to A.D. 1853, p. 696 (NY, NY:  Stanford & Swords, 1855).  

On Friday, September 15, 1843, a divine service was held in the newly-completed church.  During that service, the "Instrument of Donation" transcribed above was read to those gathered to worship by order of Bishop Benjamin Tredwell Onderdonk.  The consecration of the new church followed immediately.  See id., pp. 695-96.  

Benjamin Tredwell Onderdonk, Bishop of the Episcopal

Diocese of New York at the Time of the Consecration of

Christ Church on September 15, 1843.  Source:  Wikipedia - 

The Free Encyclopedia:  Benjamin T. Onderdonk (visited

Oct. 11, 2015).  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

The act of incorporation for the newly-consecrated Church bears the date September 25, 1843.  The first rector, of course, was Rev. Robert Bolton.  The first churchwardens were Richard Morris and Henry Grenzebach.  The first vestrymen were Isaac Roosevelt, George F. Mills, John J. Bolton, William J. Bolton, Peter V. King, Jacob Le Roy, Cornelius Wiinter Bolton and Robert Bolton, Jr.  Id. (citing "County Rec. Rel. Rel. Soc. Lib. B. p. 85.  Day of annual election, Easter Monday").

*          *          *          *          *

I have written about the history of Christ Church on numerous occasions.  Below are a few of the many articles on the topic.

Tue., Sep. 29, 2015:  Christ Church's 80th Anniversary Sermon by Rev. J. McVickar Haight on November 18, 1923.

Fri., Nov. 21, 2014:  Another Advertisement for Fair Held in 1842 to Fund Construction of Christ Church.

Fri., Aug. 29, 2014:  Announcement of Two-Day Fair in Pelham in 1842 to Raise Money to Build Christ Church.

Fri., Feb. 28, 2014:  Brief History of the Role Churches Played in the Growth of the Pelhams Published in 1926.

Fri., Dec. 25, 2009:  1906 Christmas Day Celebration at Christ Church in Pelham.

Fri., Aug. 14, 2009:  The Consecration of the Nanette Bolton Memorial Chapel at Christ Church in Pelham Manor on April 28, 1887.  

I also have written extensively about members of the Bolton Family and the home they built known as the Priory, Bolton Priory, and Pelham Priory.  See, e.g.:  

Fri., Mar. 20, 2015:  Fire in 1932 Devastated the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor.

Thu., Oct. 02, 2014:  Brief History of Grace Church on City Island in the Town of Pelham Published in 1886.

Wed., Sep. 24, 2014:  Where Was the Bolton Family Cottage Where Stained Glass Windows Were Created?

Thu., Sep. 04, 2014:  The Closing of the Pelham Priory School for Girls in 1882 and the Departure of Head Mistress Nanette Bolton for Europe.

Fri., Aug. 29, 2014:  Announcement of Two-Day Fair in Pelham in 1842 to Raise Money to Build Christ Church.

Wed., May 14, 2014:  Noted American Novelist Margaret Deland Attended Bolton Priory School in Pelham Manor. 

Thu., Sep. 03, 2009:  Advertisement for the Pelham Priory School Published in 1881. 

Thu., Aug. 13, 2009:  History of Bolton Priory Published in 1910.

Tue., Jan. 20, 2009:  An Account of the Rev. J. L. Ver Mehr Regarding His Brief Stint as an Instructor of French and Italian at Pelham Priory in 1843. 

Fri., Mar. 2, 2007:  A Brief Account by American Author Margaret Deland of Her Education at Pelham Priory in the 19th Century.

Thu., Dec. 14, 2006:  Items from Bolton Priory in the Collections of The Henry Luce III Center for the Study of American Culture, The New-York Historical Society.

Thu., Nov. 16, 2006:  Robert Bolton, Jr.'s Inscription to His Father Inside Book He Authored That Was Published in 1855.

Fri., Jul. 28, 2006: Image of Bolton Priory in the Town of Pelham Published in an 1859 Treatise on Landscape Gardening.

Wed., Jul. 26, 2006:  A Brief Account of Visits to Bolton Priory in the Early 1880s.

Wed., July 5, 2006: Bricks Laid by Washington Irving and Ivy from Kenilworth Castle at the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor

Wed., March 15, 2006: A Biography of Cornelius W. Bolton Published in 1899

Wed., March 1, 2006: 1909 Real Estate Advertisement Showing Bolton Priory

Wed., Feb. 22, 2006: Doll Depicting Nanette Bolton in the Collection of The Office of The Historian of The Town of Pelham

Wed., Dec. 7, 2005: The Sale and Subdivision of the Bolton Priory Estate in the 1950s

Tue., Nov. 29, 2005: An Early, Interesting Photograph of Bolton Priory in the Village of Pelham Manor

Wed., Sep. 21, 2005: The Nanette Bolton Memorial Chapel Building at Christ Church in Pelham Manor

Tue., Aug. 23, 2005: Society Scandal: The "Strange" Story of Mrs. Adele Livingston Stevens Who Acquired the Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor

Wed., Jul. 13, 2005: 11 Priory Lane: The Rose Cottage

Fri., Jun. 10, 2005: Pelham's Most Magnificent Wedding Gift: The Bolton Priory

Tue., May 3, 2005: Colonel Frederick Hobbes Allen, An Owner of Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor

Thu., Apr. 7, 2005: Another Volume of William Jay Bolton's Sketches and Ruminations Located?

Mon., Apr. 4, 2005: Art and Poetry of William Jay Bolton of Bolton Priory in Pelham

See also Bell, Blake A., A Brief History of Bolton Priory in Pelham Manor, The Pelham Weekly, Vol. XIII, No., 16, Apr. 16, 2004, p. 8, col. 2,

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Obituaries of Reginald Pelham Bolton, a Former Pelham Resident and an Historian with a Love for Pelham

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Reginald Pelham Bolton was a grandson of the Rev. Robert Bolton, founder of Christ Church and builder of the Priory in Pelham Manor, a home that still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Reginald Pelham Bolton was a resident of Pelham in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, but later moved to New York City where he died in 1942.  I have written before about one-time Pelham resident Reginald Pelham Bolton.  See, e.g., Thu., Jan. 10, 2008:  Brief Biography of Reginald Pelham Bolton, Local Historian.

Reginald Pelham Bolton in 1913.

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Reginald Pelham Bolton was born on October 5, 1856 in Kilburn, an area of northwest London, England.  He was a son of James Bolton and Lydia Louisa Pym Bolton.  He studied as a young man in England to become a civil engineer.  In 1878, he married Ethelind Huyck in Sussex, England.  The couple had two children:  Guy Bolton and Ivy Bolton.  

Ethelind Huyk Bolton and Reginald Pelham

Bolton in an Undated Photograph.  NOTE:

Click Image to Enlarge.

Reginald Pelham Bolton with His Children,

Ivy Bolton and Guy Bolton in an Undated

Phtograph.  NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

In 1879, Reginald and Ethelind Bolton moved to Pelham, New York.  While residing in Pelham, Reginald assisted his uncle, the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, who was rector of the Church of the Redeemer in North Pelham, with the revision of a second edition of the Bolton History of Westchester, which had been written by another of Reginald's uncles, Robert Bolton, Jr., another son of the founder of the Christ Church and the Priory in Pelham Manor.  Reginald Pelham Bolton and his family lived for a time in a small home on Sparks Avenue that later became the Village Hall of the Village of Pelham (i.e., Pelham Heights).  

At about the turn of the 20th century, Reginald Pelham Bolton and his family moved from Pelham and settled nearby in Washington Heights at what is now 638 West 158th Street.  By this time, Bolton was known as a noted consulting civil engineer and an avid amateur archaeologist and local historian.  His principal hobby became a study of Native Americans in the New York region.  He spent years trying to sort out colonial records suggesting the interrelationships among the many groups of Native Americans that once inhabited the region.  

Reginald Pelham Bolton was a prolific author who wrote a host of books, booklets, and published articles regarding local history.  As a consequence, he became a Life Member of the New-York Historical Society and of the Museum of the American Museum, Heye Foundation (now part of the Smithsonian Institution).  He also was a member of the Westchester County Historical Society who wrote a number of articles on Pelham history published in the Society's Journal.  He also served as Vice President of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society and of the City History Club (of New York City).

Reginald Pelham Bolton at an Excavation Site.

NOTE:  Click Image to Enlarge.

Reginald Pelham Bolton died in his home at 638 West 158th Street in Washington Heights, the Bronx, on Wednesday, February 18, 1942.  His wife, Ethelind, died on December 29, 1945.  Both were cremated in the Ferncliff Cemetery crematorium in Hartsdale, New York.  Their ashes are at Beechwoods Cemetery in New Rochelle, adjacent to the Town of Pelham border.

For a more extensive biography of Reginald Pelham Bolton including a more extensive discussion of his archaelogical excavations and references to many of his publications, see Reemer, James, REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON (visited Sep. 7, 2015).

"Reginald Pelham Bolton, Historian Grandson Of Founder of Priory And Christ Church Died On Wednesday
-----

Reginald Pelham Bolton, grandson of the founder of Bolton Priory and noted authority on Pelham and Westchester history, died on Wednesday at his home, No. 638 West 158th street, New York City.  Mr. Bolton was 85 years old.

He was born in England, the son of the Rev. James Bolton and Lydia Louisa Bolton.  His father was the son of the Rev. Robert Bolton, who established Christ's Church and built the Priory in Pelham Manor.  In his youth James Bolton had assisted his father in the construction of the church.  Reginald Bolton came to America in 1879 and took great pride in the Bolton family tradition and the church in Pelham Manor where he attended for many years.  He lived in Pelham Heights forty years ago and the church was the scene of his wedding.  

During Mr. Bolton's life in Pelham he assisted his uncle, the Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, who was rector of the Church of the Redeemer, in North Pelham, with the revision of a second edition of the Bolton History of Westchester, which had been written by Robert Bolton, another son of the founder of the church.  The latter was the father of Miss Arabella Bolton, now residing in Pelham Manor.

Regionald Pelham Bolton was also the author of several historical articles about the Pelhams and Christ Church, which have been published by the Westchester County Historical Association [sic].

Mr. Bolton was also an authority on the history of New York and for many years he was engaged in excavating for relics of the Colonial period in the Inwood section of New York City, both privately and as a member of the New York Historical Society.  He was chairman of a committee of the Washington Heights Taxpayers Assocation, leading a successful fight in 1931 to prevent the demolition of the John James Audubon home at Riverside Drive and 155th street.

Mr. Bolton was a consulting engineer by profession and was president and chairman of the board of the Electric Motor Corporation, 116 East 19th street.

Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Ethelind Bolton; a daughter, Sister Mercedes of the Protestant Episcopal Community of St. Mary in Peekskill; and a son, Guy Bolton, who is a playwright.

The funeral service will be held tomorrow at the Chapel of the Intercession, 155th street and Broadway, New York City.  Cremation will follow."

Source:  Reginald Pelham Bolton, Historian Grandson Of Founder of Priory And Christ Church Died On Wednesday, The Pelham Sun, Feb. 20, 1942, Vol. 31, No. 47, p. 4, cols. 1-2.  

"REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON
-----

In the passing of Reginald Pelham Bolton on Wednesday, Pelham lost one whose name was inseparably associated with the history of our town.  Although he had lived for many years in the city of New York his interest was keen for Pelham.  It was his grandfather, Robert Bolton, who came to Pelham.  It was his grandfather, Robert Bolton, who came to Pelham and built the Priory at Shore Road and Pelhamdale avenue, the real manor house of Pelham to which came Washington Irving to discuss literature and events of the day.

Reginald Pelham Bolton was born in 1857 [sic] in England.  His father had returned to his native land.  Reginald Pelham Bolton, came to Pelham when he was 22 years of age.  He lived for several years on Sparks avenue in the building which afterward became the Village Hall of the Village of Pelham.  He was a familiar figure on the street with his big Newfoundland dog accompanying him.

Possessing the literary talents that were natural accomplishments of the Boltons he aided greatly in compiling the History of Westchester County which can be found in public libraries as the accepted authority on the subject.  His hobby was Indian history.  He delighted in discoveries of Indian relics and spent much time in determining their origin and developing their probable history.  He achieved fame as a consulting engineer and his services were in demand in many parts of the world.

Although the Reginald Bolton family departed from Pelham about the beginning of the century, Reginald's wide knowledge of the early days of Pelham was often sought by Pelham residents eager to know history of various places.  He numbered among his close friends, William R. Montgomery, Town Historian of Pelham.  The latter quite frequently acknowledged the assistance which Mr. Bolton rendered in furnishing data for papers dealing with the history of Pelham."

Source:  REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON, The Pelham Sun, Feb. 20, 1942, Vol. 31, No. 47, p. 2, cols. 1-2.  

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The Bolton Family's Sale of Bolton Priory in 1883

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Forty-five years after building their beloved home in Pelham Manor, the Bolton Family sold Bolton Priory to Mrs. Frederic W. Stevens in 1883.  An interesting article describing the sale appeared in the August 11, 1883 issue of the New-York Daily Tribune.  The article detailed some of the significant contents of the home at the time of sale.  The text of the article appears immediately below.

"PELHAM PRIORY CHANGES OWNERS.
-----
SOME OF THE TREASURES PURCHASED BY MRS. FREDERIC W. STEVENS.

Pelham Priory in Westchester County has been sold for $100,000 to Mrs. Frederic W. Stevens of this city.  The Priory was originally the house of the Rev. Robert Bolton, the historian [sic], a native of Savannah, Ga., and a son of Robert Bolton, a merchant of that city.  The house, which is of stone, is a good specimen of the old English style.  The interior arrangements correspond with the style of the house.  There are some family pictures by Etty, of the Royal Academy of England, and an original portrait of Bunyan, formerly in the possession of the Rev. George Whitefield.  The library contains the original Italian edition of Pisanese, collected for Napoleon, bearing his initial, and surmounted by the imperial crown.  There are also a copy of Macklin's Bible, the largest ever printed, in six volumes royal quarto; a copy of Eliot's Indian Testament, said to be the first work written and published in the United States, which was printed at Cambridge, Mass., in 1661, by Samuel Green, the first printer in America; and a valuable cabinet of coins, collected by the Rev. Bryan Hill, rector of Hodnet, Shropshire, England.  Among the most interesting of the coins is the medal of Adrian VI., upon the reverse is the inscription, 'Quem creant adorant.'  In a collection of autographs are those of Henry VII., Elizabeth, Mary, Oliver Cromwell and Richard Cromwell, besides a letter of Pope addressed to Lord Bathurst, and notes of Cowper, Chatterton, Lord Nelson, Napoleon, Sir Christopher Wren, Biship Burnet, Kosciusko and others.  Among the American autographs are those of William Penn and his sons; Francis Lovelace, Governor of New York in 1671; Jonathan Edwards, Increase and Cotton Mather, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Schuyler and Sterling.

There is a terrace in front of the house.  The gardens are laid out in the French style.  The grounds are ornamented with natural walks leading to various objects of interest, among which may be mentioned the 'rocking-stone,' a natural curiosity supposed to weigh about twenty tons so nicely poised that

'A stripling's arem can sway
A mass no host could move.'

In 1838 the Misses Bolton, sisters of the Rev. Robert Bolton, established and successfully conducted, until a few years ago, a young ladies' seminary in the Priory.  There many pupils from all parts of the country, including Mrs. Stevens, who was then Miss Sampson, passed many of their most pleasant girlhood days. 

The grounds connected with the Priory comprise about thirty acres of land."

Source:  Pelham Priory Changes Owners, New-York Daily Tribune, Aug. 11, 1883, p. 2, col. 2.

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Brief Biography of Rev. Robert Bolton Jr. Published in 1886

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In his 1886 History of Westchester County, J. Thomas Scharf included a brief biography of Rev. Robert Bolton, author of his own two-volume History of Westchester County first published in 1848. That biography appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its source.

"Rev. Robert Bolton, author of Bolton's 'History of Westchester County,' was born in the city of Bath, England, April 17,1814. He was the eldest of the fourteen children of the Rev. Robert Bolton and Anne, daughter of the distinguished Rev. William Jay, of Bath.

The Bolton family is of ancient British stock, their genealogy being traced up to the time of the Conquest; resident, anciently, at Bolton and Blackburn, in Lancashire, and Wales, in Yorkshire. In the long line of the Bolton ancestry the name of Robert is rarely without a bearer. A number of these were distinguished for their learning and piety. A Robert, born in 1572, was noted at Lincoln and Brazen Nose Colleges, Oxford, for his varied accomplishments, and afterward as a divine. A Robert, born in England in 1688, became a prominent merchant in Philadelphia. His son Robert, born in 1722, was a merchant in Savannah, Georgia. His son Robert, born in 1757, became a very prominent merchant of Savannah, and the owner of much valuable real estate. His son Robert, born in 1788, in Savannah, became a merchant in Liverpool, England, afterward the rector of Christ Church, Pelham, Westchester County, and subsequently chaplain to the Earl of Ducie, at Tortworth, in Gloucestershire. His son Robert is the subject of this sketch.

Mr. Bolton and his four brothers became clergymen in the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was ordained a deacon in October, 1868, and a presbyter in June, 1869. He was rector of St. John's Church, South Salem, at the time of his death.

His brother, William Jay, at the time of his death, was rector of St. James', Bath, England, and an author of note; John is rector of Trinity Church, Westchester, Pa.; Cornelius Winter is rector of the Church of the Redeemer, Pelhamville, Westchester County; and James was the incumbent of St. Paul's Chapel, Kilburn, London. All of Mr. Bolton's sisters who survived youth achieved distinction in teaching, in literature or in art.

Robert Bolton was educated in England, and studied medicine there, but never practiced it as a profession. He came to this country in 1836, and settled at Bronxville, in East Chester, becoming a farmer. From there he removed to New Rochelle and published his first book, "The Guide to New Rochelle." He then removed to Tarrytown and engaged in teaching, an occupation to which he gave attention for the remainder of his life. He there became principal of the Irving Institute, and enjoyed intimate relations with Washington Irving, who had long been a close friend of his father. He next removed to Bedford, taking charge of the Female Institute there, and afterward founded a school in Lewisboro.

While preparing the 'Guide to New Rochelle' he became interested in Westchester County history, and at once began the collection of the materials which he published in two volumes in 1848. The labor involved in this work, in the searching of collections of documents, the examination of papers and the personal visitation of every spot of interest and nearly every person of advanced age, was very great. His knowledge of the history of county localities was remarkable. He was actively engaged in the revision of his history at the time of his death. He was also the author of the 'History of the Protestant [Page 607 / Page 608] Episcopal Church in Westchester County,' and of the 'Memoirs of the Bolton Family.'

In 1838 he married Elizabeth Rebecca, daughter of James Brenton, of Newport, R. I.; she died in 1852. In 1854 he married Josephine, daughter of Brewster Woodhull, of Patchogue, L. I., by whom he had eleven children.

Mr. Bolton's father founded the celebrated Bolton Priory, at Pelham, with which the family name has been so prominently connected. He purchased this estate, charmingly situated upon the shore of Long Island Sound, in 1837, and erected thereon a handsome stone edifice for a residence, and laid out the grounds with surpassing taste. This was afterward used for a young ladies' school, and under the management of Miss Nanetta Bolton, became justly famous. Here Robert Bolton, the historian, died October 11, 1877.

Beside being a laborious, painstaking historian, a diligent teacher and an earnest minister, Mr. Bolton was accomplished in many ways. He was dexterous in wood-carving, apt with his pencil and skillful in painting. He had a passion for the antique, and was a man of peculiarly fine and cultivated tastes.

Rev. Cornelius Winter Bolton, brother of Robert Bolton, the historian, was born in Bath, England, June 3, 1819. He came to this country and studied divinity at the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary at Alexandria, Va.; was admitted to deacon's orders in 1847, and was ordained priest in 1848. In 1850 he became assistant minister of Christ Church, Baltimore, and in 1855 rector of Christ Church, Pelham. In 1858 he was rector of South Yonkers Church, and he then became minister of St. George's Chapel, in New York City. He became rector of St. Mark's Church, New Castle, in 1867, and then of St. Stephen's, North Castle, and at present is rector of the Church of the Redeemer, Pelhamville.

In 1856 he married Cornelia, daughter of Cornelius Glen Van Rensselaer, Esq., of Greenbush, Rensselaer County, N. Y.

Mr. C. W. Bolton is the author of 'The Shepherd's Call,' the 'Sunday-school Prayer-Book' and other publications. In 1854 he edited Jay's 'Female Scripture Characters' and Jay's 'Autobiography and Reminiscences.' In 1881 he edited and published his brother Robert's 'History of Westchester County.'"

Source: Scharf, J. Thomas, ed., History of Westchester County, New York Including Morrisania, Kings Bridge and West Farms Which Have Been Annexed to New York City, Vol. 1, Part 2, Chapter XX. Westchester Town by Fordham Morris, pp. 607-08 (Philadelphia, PA: L.E. Preston & Co. 1886).

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Biographical Sketch of the Reverend Robert Bolton, Jr. of Pelham Published in 1878

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Robert Bolton, Jr. was the eldest son of the Reverend Robert Bolton who founded Christ Church and built Bolton Priory, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Robert Bolton, Jr. was the author of a popular two volume history of Westchester County first published in 1848.

In 1878, the Reverend Beverly R. Betts published a brief biographical sketch of Robert Bolton, Jr. in the The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. The text of that sketch appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its source.

"BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE REV. ROBERT BOLTON.

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BY REV. BEVERLY R. BETTS.
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The Rev. Robert Bolton, A.M., Rector of St. John's Church, Lewisboro, Westchester County, New York, died at Pelham Priory, on the IIth day of October, 1877, in the 64th year of his age. Mr. Bolton was the eldest son of the late Rev. Robert Bolton, the founder of the Priory and of Christ Church, Pelham, by his intermarriage with Anne, daughter of the Rev. William Jay, of Bath, England. He was born at No. 13 Paragon Buildings, Bath, in the parish of St. Michael, in the county of Somerset, England, on Sunday, the 17th of April, 1814, and was baptized by his grandfather, the Rev. William Jay, in Argyle Chapel, Bath. In early life he studied medicine under Dr. Young, at Henley-on-Thames; but, although he took his degree, he never entered on the practice of his profession. In 1836, he came with his father to New York, and settled on a farm at Portchester, in Westchester County. On the 8th of January, 1838, he married Elizabeth Rebecca, daughter of James Brenton, of Newport, Rhode Island. Mrs. Bolton died, without issue on the 12th of [Page 1 / Page 2] March, 1852. On the 5th of January, 1854, Mr. Bolton married Josephine, eldest daughter of Brewster Woodhull, of Patchogue, Suffolk Co., N. Y., by whom he had twelve children, eleven of whom are now living.

In 1852, in partnership with Mr. Benjamin E. Brenton, a relation of his first wife, he purchased and carried on, for a short time, a well-established druggist's and chemist's business, at Jamaica, Long Island. His tastes, however, were literary and scholastic; and after two years he sold out and began to devote himself to more congenial occupations. He opened a female academy at New Rochelle, which he soon removed to Tarrytown. About 1859 he took charge of a large school at Bedford, where he remained until 1871. On the 13th of November, 1868, he was made deacon, and on the 9th of June following he was ordained priest by Bishop Potter. St. John's Church, Lewisboro, was his only parish. He remained there from his ordination to his death; and by the purity of his Christian character, the kindness of his disposition, and the earnestness and energy which he devoted himself to his work, he won the affections of his people, who now mourn his loss as that of a father in the Lord.

Mr. Bolton's tastes were, as has been said, literary and scholastic. It seemed to give him pleasure to be surrounded with young people, whose education he directed, and over whose moral and aesthetic training he sedulously watched. His house was like a family, and his pupils were like his children. His method combined strictness of discipline with absence of formality. His favorite studes lay in the direction of history, antiquities, and genealogy, for which the artistic abilities, which, like the other members of his family, he possessed, gave him a peculiar aptitude. The decorative work of the Priory and of the church, the carving, painting, and glass-staining which adorn them, were designed and executed by himself and his brothers.

His earliest publication was, 'A Guide to New Rochell,' in 1848. In the same year he also published his great work, 'The History of Westchester County,' in two vols. 8vo. The latter years of his life were devoted to the preparation of a new edition of this work. This he leaves almost completed. In 1855 he published a 'History of the Church in Westchester County,' and in 1862, 'A Genealogical and Biographical Account of the Family of Bolton, in England and America.'

This work is executed in the most careful and conscientious manner; its principle is that which should guide intelligent genealogists, viz., to take nothing for granted, but to insist upon evidence and records. From this work it appears that the Boltons are one of those historical familis of commoners which trace their descent for many centuries. The pedigree begins in 1135, and is continued down to 1862. The family is established in England, New York, and Georgia. The lines of descent are carefully traced. The earlier part of the volume is occupied by transcripts of early records; the latter contains accounts of several of the members of the family. Due attention is given to dates, and the details are carefully worked out. Mr. Bolton was no hasty genealogist.

This brief sketch may be fitly ended in the words of the Rev. C. W. Bolton, contained in a letter to the present writer. There can be no impropriety in summing up the character of a good man in the words of an affectionate brother. 'He was possessed of a peculiar veneration for what was historical. A thoroughly religious man, honest in his convictions, straight-forward and thorough in all he undertook, remarkable for energy and in- [Page 2 / Page 3] dustry, of a singularly kind nature, suffering and misfortune of any kind enlisted his sympathy and aid, so much so that the distinctions between his own interests and those of others seemed overlooked. Having studied medicine, he was helpful to the poor, to whom he delighted to minister, so fulfilling the Scripture: 'Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.'"

Source: Betts, Beverly R., Biographical Sketch of the Rev. Robert Bolton, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. IX, Issue I, pp. 1-3 (NY, NY: The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Jan. 1878) (Image of family crest from p. 1).

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