William Vesey
Encyclopedia
Rev. William Vesey was the the first rector of Trinity Church in Manhattan
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, in 1674, the son of William and Mary Vesey. The Vesey family had for a long time been established in Braintree. His father was a member of the state legislature, 1702, and one of the organizers of Christ church in 1704, giving land for the site of an edifice in 1725. He was graduated from Harvard College
, A.B., 1693; served as a lay reader at Sag Harbor, New York
, for six months, and subsequently studied theology under the Rev. Samuel Myles of King's Chapel, Boston, Mass. He was married, March 1, 1698, to Mrs. Mary Reede, who subsequently became the wife of Judge Daniel Horsmanden of New York City.
, 1695-96; served as assistant minister for three months in the latter year in King's Chapel, and having been appointed minister pursuant of Trinity parish, New York City, went to England under the auspices of the church to complete his ministerial preparation. He was graduated from Oxford
, A.M., 1696 ; ordained priest, Aug. 2, 1696, and installed rector of Trinity parish upon the completion of its edifice, March 13, 1698. A protege of Increase Mather
, he visited England for the relief of his church, 1714-15, returning as commissary to the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel by appointment of Bishop Compton of London, and by his industry the Church of England
was firmly planted in the United States, twenty-two churches having been established by Vesey during his forty-eight years of rectorship.
, Manhattan, and his portrait was placed in Trinity chapel. He died in New York City, July 11, 1746.
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
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Early life and family
Vesey was born in Braintree, MABraintree, Massachusetts
The Town of Braintree is a suburban city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a town, Braintree adopted a municipal charter, effective 2008, with a mayor-council form of government and is considered a city under Massachusetts law. The population was 35,744...
, in 1674, the son of William and Mary Vesey. The Vesey family had for a long time been established in Braintree. His father was a member of the state legislature, 1702, and one of the organizers of Christ church in 1704, giving land for the site of an edifice in 1725. He was graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, A.B., 1693; served as a lay reader at Sag Harbor, New York
Sag Harbor, New York
Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, with parts in both the Towns of East Hampton and Southampton. The population was 2,313 at the 2000 census....
, for six months, and subsequently studied theology under the Rev. Samuel Myles of King's Chapel, Boston, Mass. He was married, March 1, 1698, to Mrs. Mary Reede, who subsequently became the wife of Judge Daniel Horsmanden of New York City.
Ministry
He was lay reader at Hempstead, New YorkHempstead, New York
Hempstead is the name of some places in the State of New York, in the United States of America:*Hempstead , New York , a township that encompasses the village...
, 1695-96; served as assistant minister for three months in the latter year in King's Chapel, and having been appointed minister pursuant of Trinity parish, New York City, went to England under the auspices of the church to complete his ministerial preparation. He was graduated from Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, A.M., 1696 ; ordained priest, Aug. 2, 1696, and installed rector of Trinity parish upon the completion of its edifice, March 13, 1698. A protege of Increase Mather
Increase Mather
Increase Mather was a major figure in the early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province of Massachusetts Bay . He was a Puritan minister who was involved with the government of the colony, the administration of Harvard College, and most notoriously, the Salem witch trials...
, he visited England for the relief of his church, 1714-15, returning as commissary to the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel by appointment of Bishop Compton of London, and by his industry 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...
was firmly planted in the United States, twenty-two churches having been established by Vesey during his forty-eight years of rectorship.
Legacy
His name is perpetuated in Vesey streetVesey Street (Manhattan)
Vesey Street is a street in New York City that runs east-west in Lower Manhattan. The street is named after Rev. William Vesey , the first rector of nearby Trinity Church....
, Manhattan, and his portrait was placed in Trinity chapel. He died in New York City, July 11, 1746.