Trinity Church Cemetery, Swedesboro
Encyclopedia
Trinity Church Cemetery (also known as Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church Cemetery) is located behind Trinity Church (Swedesboro, New Jersey)
on the corner of Church Street and Kings Highway, in the town of Swedesboro
, in Gloucester County
, New Jersey
.
, the second governor of New Sweden
purchased from local Indians the entire eastern side of the Delaware River extending from Raccoon Creek
to Cape May
. The first settlement by the Swedes was on the banks of the Raccoon Creek
, originally named Raccoon and later Swedesboro.
To attend church, the Swedish settlers in Raccoon had to cross the river to Wilmington
or Philadelphia. The difficulty of this crossing led to the decision to build a new church on the banks of Raccoon Creek. The site selected was near the new bridge for Kings Highway, which led from Burlington
to Salem
. In 1703, they purchased 100 acre (0.404686 km²) along the Raccoon Creek and on part of it established their own church, the first Swedish language
church in New Jersey
.
Trinity Church was originally a Swedish Lutheran
Parish. From 1703 to 1786, it was served by clergy sent from Sweden. With the completion of a new church building in 1786, the Swedish Mission was drawing to a close. The Swedish language
was almost extinct and the people no longer felt the same bond of sympathy with the land of their forbears. The congregations in New Jersey did not desire new pastors from Sweden and could not afford to offer them decent support. In October 1789 a semblance of affiliation by Trinity Church with the Episcopal Church in America
began. The church is now known as Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church and is a member parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
Trinity Church (Swedesboro, New Jersey)
Trinity Church is a historic church on the northwest corner of Church Street and King's Highway in Swedesboro, New Jersey ....
on the corner of Church Street and Kings Highway, in the town of Swedesboro
Swedesboro, New Jersey
Swedesboro is a borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,055....
, in Gloucester County
Gloucester County, New Jersey
Gloucester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 288,288. Its county seat is Woodbury....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Background
In 1641, Peter Hollander RidderPeter Hollander Ridder
Peter Hollander Ridder was the governor of the Swedish colony of New Sweden from 1640 until 1643.Peter Hollander Ridder's father was a Dutchman living in Ekenäs, Finland. Peter Hollander Ridder was serving in the Swedish Navy when he was appointed as governor of New Sweden...
, the second governor of New Sweden
New Sweden
New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement. New Sweden included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
purchased from local Indians the entire eastern side of the Delaware River extending from Raccoon Creek
Raccoon Creek
Raccoon Creek may refer to:*Raccoon Creek, a tributary of the Coosa River in Alabama*Raccoon Creek , a tributary of the Etowah River*Raccoon Creek, a tributary of the Elm River...
to Cape May
Cape May
Cape May is a peninsula and island ; the southern tip of the island is the southernmost point of the state of New Jersey, United States. It runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
. The first settlement by the Swedes was on the banks of the Raccoon Creek
Raccoon Creek (New Jersey)
Raccoon Creek, also called the Raccoon River, is a tributary of the Delaware River in southern New Jersey in the United States.-Location:...
, originally named Raccoon and later Swedesboro.
To attend church, the Swedish settlers in Raccoon had to cross the river to Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
or Philadelphia. The difficulty of this crossing led to the decision to build a new church on the banks of Raccoon Creek. The site selected was near the new bridge for Kings Highway, which led from Burlington
Burlington, New Jersey
Burlington is a city in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States and a suburb of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 9,920....
to Salem
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146. It is the county seat of Salem County, the most rural county in the state of New Jersey. The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".The town and...
. In 1703, they purchased 100 acre (0.404686 km²) along the Raccoon Creek and on part of it established their own church, the first Swedish language
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
church in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Trinity Church was originally a Swedish Lutheran
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
Parish. From 1703 to 1786, it was served by clergy sent from Sweden. With the completion of a new church building in 1786, the Swedish Mission was drawing to a close. The Swedish language
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
was almost extinct and the people no longer felt the same bond of sympathy with the land of their forbears. The congregations in New Jersey did not desire new pastors from Sweden and could not afford to offer them decent support. In October 1789 a semblance of affiliation by Trinity Church with the Episcopal Church in America
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
began. The church is now known as Trinity Episcopal "Old Swedes" Church and is a member parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
Notable interments
- Louis H. CarpenterLouis H. CarpenterLouis Henry Carpenter was a United States Army brigadier general and a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions in the American Indian Wars....
(February 11, 1839 - January 21, 1916) - Indian Wars Congressional Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient and Spanish-American WarSpanish-American WarThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
General. - Charles Garrison HarkerCharles Garrison HarkerCharles Garrison Harker was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in northern Georgia during the Atlanta Campaign...
(December 2, 1835 - June 27, 1864) - American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Brigadier General in the Union ArmyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. - Benjamin Franklin HoweyBenjamin Franklin HoweyBenjamin Franklin Howey was an American Republican politician who represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1883 to 1885.-Biography:...
(March 17, 1828 - February 6, 1895) - RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Congressman to the Forty-eighth United States Congress (1883–1885). - Charles Creighton Stratton (March 6, 1796 - March 30, 1859) - Served in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and was later the 15th GovernorGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
of New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Other sources
- Johnson, AmandusAmandus JohnsonAmandus Johnson was an American historian, author and founding curator of the American Swedish Historical Museum...
The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware Volume I: Their History and Relation to the Indians, Dutch and English, 1638-1664 (1911) - Johnson, AmandusAmandus JohnsonAmandus Johnson was an American historian, author and founding curator of the American Swedish Historical Museum...
The Swedes in America 1638-1900: Vol. I, The Swedes on the Delaware 1638-1664. (1914) - Johnson, AmandusAmandus JohnsonAmandus Johnson was an American historian, author and founding curator of the American Swedish Historical Museum...
The Swedish Settlements on the Delaware 1638-1664, Volume II (1927)