Jacob Henderson
Encyclopedia
Jacob Henderson was an Irish clergyman and philologist
who emigrated to the colonial Provinces of Pennsylvania
, then Maryland
where he became a prominent land owner and church leader.
by the Bishop of London
, Henry Compton and appointed to the Mission
at Dover
then part of the Province of Pennsylvania and known as Dover Hundred.
In 1711, he traveled to New York
and was apparently disturbed by what he observed in the churches there. In June 1712, he returned to England and described the state of the Church of England
in New York and New Jersey
as unacceptable, and implicating Governor Robert Hunter
. While Hunter wrote a written rebuttal to this assessment, it served to raise Henderson's stature.
).
who died in 1684 and she administered his substantial estate. Duvall had purchased sizeable tracts of land, including Catton, later known as Belair
as well as owning Middle Plantation in Davidsonville, Maryland
.
In 1696, she married Henry Ridgely. In 1700, Ridgely purchased an additional 100 acre (0.404686 km²) adjacent to Catton called Enfield Chase Upon Ridgely's death in 1699, his third wife, now twice widowed, was executrix of the will and inherited the properties. Mary had previously inherited Middle Plantation in Davidsonville, Maryland
when her first husband, Mareen Duvall
died in 1699.
Mary married Henderson in 1713, quickly establishing the man as a wealthy landowner.
had become vacant and Henderson was asked to serve there as well, despite living about 20 miles (32.2 km) away. He served there for a year.
That same year, he and his wife built a small chapel near their residence at Belair, which was known as Henderson's Chapel or Forest Chapel.
died, and his successor, Dr. Edmund Gibson
chose not to renew Henderson's appointment to the Mission. Henderson then focused exclusively on the Parish.
were bitterly opposed.
He then convened the Conventions of the Clergy on both the western and eastern shores of the Province. Over the next several years, he focused on the issue of discipline and profligacy among the clergy. This met with a great deal of resistance and by 1734, he resigned his appointment, being the last representative of the Bishop in the Colony.
.
. On March 30, 1737 for the sum of £500, Henderson sold three parcels of land to Ogle for him to build his Governor's estate.
On July 6, 1737, Ogle granted Henderson leave of absence from the Province for 18 months to return to England. During this leave, Henderson was elected to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and returned to Maryland in May 1739. Nine years later, in August 1748, Ogle granted Henderson another leave of 18 months for England. Henderson returned for the final time in April 1750.
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
who emigrated to the colonial Provinces of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
, then Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
where he became a prominent land owner and church leader.
Life before Maryland
Very little is known about Henderson before 1710. On June 5, 1710, he was admitted to the Holy OrdersHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
by the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, Henry Compton and appointed to the Mission
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
at Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
then part of the Province of Pennsylvania and known as Dover Hundred.
In 1711, he traveled to New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
and was apparently disturbed by what he observed in the churches there. In June 1712, he returned to England and described the state of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in New York and New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
as unacceptable, and implicating Governor Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter (general)
General Robert Hunter was colonial governor of New York and New Jersey from 1710 to 1720.A Scot, the son of James Hunter and his wife Margaret Spalding, Hunter had been apprenticed to an apothecary before running away to join the British Army. He became an officer and married a woman of high rank...
. While Hunter wrote a written rebuttal to this assessment, it served to raise Henderson's stature.
Gathering wealth in Maryland
In December 1712, Henderson returned to the new world after being appointed to a Mission at Patuxent Hundreds (without a parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
).
Mary Stanton
Mary Stanton was the third and final wife of Mareen DuvallMareen Duvall
Mareen Duvall was a French Huguenot and an early American settler.-Background:He was born Marin duVal, at Nantes, France in 1625 and arrived in the Province of Maryland on August 28, 1650...
who died in 1684 and she administered his substantial estate. Duvall had purchased sizeable tracts of land, including Catton, later known as Belair
Belair Mansion
The Belair Mansion, located in Collington, Maryland, United States, was built in circa 1745 as the Georgian plantation home of the Provincial Governor of Maryland, Samuel Ogle...
as well as owning Middle Plantation in Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville is an unincorporated community in central Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA. It is a semi-rural community composed mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb." Davidsonville has relatively little commercial development and no high-density housing...
.
In 1696, she married Henry Ridgely. In 1700, Ridgely purchased an additional 100 acre (0.404686 km²) adjacent to Catton called Enfield Chase Upon Ridgely's death in 1699, his third wife, now twice widowed, was executrix of the will and inherited the properties. Mary had previously inherited Middle Plantation in Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville is an unincorporated community in central Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA. It is a semi-rural community composed mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb." Davidsonville has relatively little commercial development and no high-density housing...
when her first husband, Mareen Duvall
Mareen Duvall
Mareen Duvall was a French Huguenot and an early American settler.-Background:He was born Marin duVal, at Nantes, France in 1625 and arrived in the Province of Maryland on August 28, 1650...
died in 1699.
Mary married Henderson in 1713, quickly establishing the man as a wealthy landowner.
First Parish
In 1713, St. Anne's Parish in Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
had become vacant and Henderson was asked to serve there as well, despite living about 20 miles (32.2 km) away. He served there for a year.
That same year, he and his wife built a small chapel near their residence at Belair, which was known as Henderson's Chapel or Forest Chapel.
Queen Anne Parish and St Barnabas
It is not clear if Rev. Johnathan White died in 1717 or was removed from the position as Rector of Queen Anne Parish. On December 17, 1717, Reverend Jacob Henderson was appointed as rector of Queen Anne Parish.End of in Mission at Patuxent
In 1723, the Bishop of London, Dr. John RobinsonJohn Robinson (1650-1723)
John Robinson was an English diplomat and prelate.-Early life:Robinson was born at Cleasby, North Yorkshire, near Darlington, a son of John Robinson . Educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he became a fellow of Oriel College, and about 1680 chaplain to the British embassy to Stockholm, and...
died, and his successor, Dr. Edmund Gibson
Edmund Gibson
Edmund Gibson was a British divine and jurist.-Early life and career:He was born in Bampton, Westmorland. In 1686 he was entered a scholar at Queen's College, Oxford...
chose not to renew Henderson's appointment to the Mission. Henderson then focused exclusively on the Parish.
Mission of the Colony
In 1729, Henderson traveled to England for 18 months to discuss the difficulties he found in the Colonies. When he returned, he had been appointed to the overall Mission of the Colony. The clergy welcomed his return, but the LaityLaity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
were bitterly opposed.
He then convened the Conventions of the Clergy on both the western and eastern shores of the Province. Over the next several years, he focused on the issue of discipline and profligacy among the clergy. This met with a great deal of resistance and by 1734, he resigned his appointment, being the last representative of the Bishop in the Colony.
Death of Mary and Holy Trinity Church
On 19 January 1735, Henderson's wife Mary died. She was buried in Henderson's Chapel. In 1737, Henderson gave the chapel and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land for the use of Queen Anne's Parish called "the Glebe whereon there is a Chapple now standing." Almost 100 years later, in 1836 Henderson's Chapel became an independent congregation, Holy Trinity Episcopal ChurchHoly Trinity Episcopal Church (Bowie, Maryland)
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Bowie, Maryland was established in 1836 when it became independent of Queen Anne Parish.-History:On December 17, 1717, Reverend Jacob Henderson was appointed as rector of Queen Anne Parish. That same year, he acquired numerous parcels of property through his...
.
Later voyages to England
By this time, Henderson had become good friends with Provincial Governor Samuel OgleSamuel Ogle
Samuel Ogle was the 16th, 18th and 20th Proprietary Governor of Maryland from 1731 to 1732, 1733 to 1742, and 1746/1747 to 1752.-Background:...
. On March 30, 1737 for the sum of £500, Henderson sold three parcels of land to Ogle for him to build his Governor's estate.
On July 6, 1737, Ogle granted Henderson leave of absence from the Province for 18 months to return to England. During this leave, Henderson was elected to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and returned to Maryland in May 1739. Nine years later, in August 1748, Ogle granted Henderson another leave of 18 months for England. Henderson returned for the final time in April 1750.
Death and legacy
Henderson died on August 27, 1751 after 34 years of service at St. Barnabas and Queen Anne. Having no heirs, he bequeathed all of his holdings estimated to be valued at the time at least $5,000, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.See also
- St. Barnabas ChurchSt. Barnabas Church, Upper Marlboro, MarylandSt. Barnabas Church, also known as St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church, Leeland, is located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and was established in 1704 as the parish church of Queen Anne Parish which had been established that same year...