Rev. William Vesey (August 10, 1674 – July 11, 1746) was the first rector of Trinity Church in

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Early life and family

Vesey was born in

Braintree, Massachusetts Braintree (), officially the Town of Braintree, is a municipality in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a towBraintree is a city, with a mayor-council government, mayor-council form of government, and ...

, in 1674 , the son of William and Mary (Saunders) Vesey. The Vesey/Veazie family was established in Braintree about 1643. Though Vesey's immediate family outwardly conformed to the established Congregational church (where William was baptized), they were of a small group that held with the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

. At that early date, there was no church building, and no minister, and a small group of Anglicans held quiet services at his father's house. Nonetheless, his father was firm in declaring himself as a member of the Church of England. Vesey (the father) was elected to represent Braintree to the General Court of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1702, but was expelled following a conviction for plowing on a day of thanksgiving set aside (by Puritans) for the escape of King William from assassination. In that trial, Vesey declared that "King James was his rightful Prince," not King William. His father was one of the organizers of

Christ Church (Quincy, Massachusetts) Christ Church is a historic church in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. The parish first congregated for lay-led services in 1689, and officially formed in 1704. It is believed to be the oldest con ...

in 1704, giving land for the site of an edifice in 1727. Vesey, at the age of 15, entered

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, and was graduated from there in 1693, awarded with an A.B. degree at the age of 19. Shortly after graduation, not being of an age to receive orders, Vesey began his preaching and reading as a layman on Long Island at

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(6 months), and at Hempstead (2 years). He continued his theological studies under Rev. Samuel Myles, Rector of

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in Boston. While at Boston, he was called by the Church Wardens and Vestry of New York to officiate as minister. He hadn't yet been ordained, and went to England, where his received a Master of Arts degree at the

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, July 12, 1696. He was ordained as Priest in August, and returned to New York the same year. He was married, March 1, 1698, to Mary Reede. Following his death, Mary became the wife, Husb: Horsmanden, Daniel; Church: Trinity Church; Date: 05/08/1748; Minister: Barclay, Dr. Henry; Wife: Vesey, Mary of Judge

Daniel Horsmanden Daniel Horsmanden (June 4, 1691 – September 28, 1778) was a chief justice of the supreme court in the Province of New York and member of the governor's executive council. Biography Horsmanden was born in Goudhurst, Kent, England to a fam ...

of New York City.

Ministry

Vesey was installed rector of Trinity parish upon the completion of its edifice, March 13, 1698. A protege of

Increase Mather Increase Mather (; June 21, 1639 Old Style – August 23, 1723 Old Style) was a New England Puritan clergyman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and president of Harvard College for twenty years (1681–1701). He was influential in the administ ...

, 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

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 street Vesey Street ( ) is a street in New York City that runs east-west in Lower Manhattan. The street is named after Rev. William Vesey (1674-1746), the first rector of nearby Trinity Church. History The intersection of Vesey and West Streets wa ...

and Rector Street, Manhattan, and his portrait was placed in Trinity chapel. He died in New York City, July 11, 1746.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vesey, William 1674 births 1746 deaths Clergy from New York City 18th-century American Episcopal priests Harvard College alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford People of the Province of New York Anglican lay readers