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- REV. FAYETTE ROYCE, Doctor in Divinity, is the youngest son
- of Mary BURGESS and Lyman ROYCE. His mother, Mary BURGESS,
was a daughter of Jonathan BURGESS and Mary COLLINS, and she
was born in Saratoga County, N.Y., Jan. 28, 1800. His father,
Lyman ROYCE, was one of five sons of Sarah TYLER and Amos ROYCE,
and he was born June 17, 1796, in the town of Washington, Litchfield
Co., Conn. Robert ROYCE, of Boston, 1631, was the earliest American
ancestor of the ROYCE family in this country.
- He was a supporter of Hutchinson and Wheelwright in their
religious
- teaching, and removed to Stratford before 1656. In 1657,
was of New London, Conn., where he spent the remainder of his
life and "lived in good
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- repute." In 1661, (May session) he was representative
of New London in the Colonial Legislature. He died in 1676.
- He had five sons and two daughters, the most of whom settled
in Wallingford, Conn., near New
- Haven. From this ROYCE settlement came David ROYCE, the great-grandfather
of Fayette, the subject of this sketch. David ROYCE, moving from
near New Haven, settled in Sempronius, Cayuga Co., N.Y., in 1798.
Rev. Dr. Fayette ROYCE was born in Moravia, Cayuga Co., N.Y.,
April 22, 1833. He was brought up on a farm, but the farm life
was not to his taste. He attended the district school both summer
and winter until twelve years of age; after that the winter schooling
had to suffice, until he reached the age of sixteen. Then he
was permitted to enter the Moravia Academy and attend two full
terms each year. When he was eighteen he taught a district school
in the town of Venice, Cayuga Co., N.Y., at $10 a month, and
"boarded around." His effort at teaching proved so
successful that the trustees invited him to continue the school
two weeks beyond the stipulated time of four months. During this
winter he won quite a reputation as a public debater by defeating
in a challenged contest a middle-aged man who was regarded as
the champion debater in the town. The next winter he taught the
district school in Montville, a little hamlet near Moravia village,
and received $20 per month. The expenses of his first year in
college were defrayed by these earnings of two winters' teaching.
Whilst teaching these winter schools he put in all the balance
of the year in preparing himself for college at the academy already
referred to. He worked diligently. Four o'clock was his time
of getting up in the morning. Then the lines of Virgil were scanned
and studied. Sept. 3, 1853, he entered the Freshman class in
Hobart College, Geneva, N.Y., a class that numbered nearly thirty.
He took the classical courses and graduated with the same class
July 16, 1857, the class graduating nineteen in number. He stood
eighth in general rank and second in mathematics. He won the
first prize at declamation in the Sophomore Prize Exhibition.
Six months before he graduated he had been teaching the higher
branches in the Cary Collegiate Seminary, near Batavia, N.Y.,
carrying on his college studies in the meantime. After graduating,
he continued as teacher in said institution until Oct. 15, 1858,
when he resigned to accept the Principalship of the Olean Academy,
Cattaraugus Co., N.Y., where his duties began Dec. 6, 1858. Here
he remained over three years and built up a large and flourishing
institution. Sept. 15, 1862, he entered the DeLancey Divinity
School in Geneva, N.Y., where in nine months he finished his
theological studies, which he had been pursuing in part by himself
all along for five years amid the difficulties of a teacher's
wearying work. He was ordained to the Deaconate in the Protestant
Episcopal Church by Bishop DeLancey in St. Peter's Chapel, Geneva,
N.Y., May 3, 1863, and on June 1, 1863, he took charge of Grace
Church, Nunda, Livingston Co., N.Y., and Trinity Church, Canaseraga,
Allegany Co., N.Y., both missionary stations, and both places
having been vacant nearly three years. He also took charge of
the Brooks Grove Mission. During his two years and nine months
pastorate, the work at Nunda was revived and at Canaseraga the
membership was increased from eleven to sixty, and a new beautiful
gothic church was built and paid for and consecrated. The church
cost $5,000, with a seating capacity of 250. On Aug. 14, 1864,
in St. Peter's Chapel, Geneva, N.Y., he was ordained to the priesthood
by Bishop DeLancey, being the last one ordained to that sacred
function by that great and eminent bishop. On March 1, 1866,
he began his rectorship of Trinity Church, Bay City, Mich., then
a rapidly growing city. It has since become the third city in
population in the State of Michigan. During his two years and
eight months pastorate in Bay City, the membership was nearly
doubled and the congregation becoming larger than the seating
capacity of the church could afford, the edifice was enlarged
one-half beyond its former size. Then the baptisms and confirmations
were numerous and the hardest work of his life was done here.
- He began his work in St. Paul's Church, Beloit, Wis., on
the first day of November, 1868, and
- to this date, Aug. 1, 1889, a period of twenty and three-fourth
years, he is still Rector - Rector of a people who have been,
and are, kind, indulgent, loyal and true. It would require a
volume to give the full history of these more than a score of
years. They have been, in the main, happy years, but they have
been marked by many changes. Not only has his parish honored
him by permitting his rectorship to continue so long over it,
but he feels that his diocese, too, has not kept back its honors
from him. August 1, 1871, he was appointed Dean of the Janesville
(afterward Madison) Convocation, by Bishop ARMITAGE, which office
he held for one year. Six months later (Dr. H. W. SPALDING, then
Dean, leaving the diocese) he was again appointed Dean, which
office he has held by yearly appointment of the Bishop ever since.
The Madison Convocation comprises a territory of eleven counties
in Southwestern Wisconsin. In June, 1871, he was elected a member
of the Board of Missions of the Diocese of Wisconsin, then undivided,
which office he held fifteen years, and then declined to be re-elected.
He has been elected a delegate to the General Convention three
times in succession, viz.: In 1880, in 1883 and in 1886. He declined
his election in 1883. From June, 1882, to June, 1887; he was
elected and served as a member of the Standing Committee of the
Diocese. He was also re-elected to this committee in June, 1888.
He has also been for many years one of the Canons of the Cathedral,
and fulfills his duties as Canon by officiating and preaching
in the Cathedral at least once each year. He has preached sermons
on many important occasions - once a Convention sermon, and sermons
at ordination. He also has made many public addresses. He gave
the Hackett Memorial Fountain address in Beloit, on Feb. 14,
1888. He has served four years as Superintendent of the Beloit
City Schools. He was also three years a member of the Beloit
School Board. He was President of the Beloit Literary Club. On
Feb. 24, 1886, the degree of S.T.D. (Doctor of Sacred Theology)
was conferred upon him by his Alma Mater, Hobart College, Geneva,
N.Y.
- His family life began by his marriage to Minnie Rosetta VAN
ANTWERP, a niece of the Rev.
- Dr. VAN ANTWERP, author of the popular Church History. The
marriage was celebrated April 13, 1858, in Groveland, Livingston
Co., N.Y., at her father's home - James P. VAN ANTWERP. She lived
just one month beyond five years from that date; long enough
to see her husband advanced to the ministry which had been all
along her hope and her prayer. A son, James Lyman, was born to
them Dec. 6, 1860, in Olean, N.Y. The son now resides at Spokane
Falls, Washington, engaged as book-keeper in a large hardware
house.
- On Dec. 27, St. John's Day, 1864, the home life began again
in the marriage of Catharine
- HUNT, daughter of the late Dr. Hiram HUNT, of Mount Morris,
Livingston Co., N.Y., a physician of eminence and of great popularity.
The mother, Mrs. Mary Wadhams HUNT, is now living with her daughter
Catharine, at the advanced age of eighty-seven, comparatively
free from those infirmities which are incident to age.
- Two daughters have been given to them - Mary Hopkins, born
in Bay City, Mich., Nov. 18,
- 1866, and Anna Burgess, born in Beloit, Wis., Dec. 10, 1871.
- Dr. ROYCE was baptized into the church on April 1, 1855,
and was confirmed by Bishop
- DeLancey, in Hobart College Chapel, July 16, in the same
year. Soon after this, and while on a steamboat pleasure excursion,
he was walking arm in arm with his pastor who had baptized him,
and they were talking upon the subject of the ministry. The results
of the conversation was a decision to study for Holy Orders.
It was a call from God, so he felt, and so he has ever since
beloved.
- St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church, Beloit, was organized
Feb. 28, 1841, at a meeting held
- at the home of Rev. Aaron HUMPHREY. Mr. H. was at this time
well advanced in years, and had been supplying the services and
ministrations of the Church in an informal manner during the
year prior to the establishment of St. Paul's. At this meeting
C. H. F. GOODHUE and G. W. BICKNELL were elected Wardens; Otis
P. BICKNELL, John C. BURR and Leonard R. HUMPHREY, Vestrymen;
David J. BUNDY, Treasurer, and William H. HOBART, Secretary.
Rev. Aaron HUMPHREY became the Rector of St. Paul's and continued
to labor for the Church until November 1845, when he was succeeded
by Rev. Stephen C. MILLETT. Mr. HUMPHREY died in Beloit, October
12, 1858, at the age of ninety years. A beautiful marble tablet
"in memoriam" has been recently placed in the side
wall of the chancel of St. Paul's, on which are engraved the
dates of his service and his death. The public services of St.
Paul's were held for the first three years in the village schoolhouse,
on School street, and for the subsequent seven years in a brick
building erected by Leonard HUMPHREY, at first for school purposes.
This building was during the latter part of these seven years
purchased by, fitted up and used exclusively for the church,
and it was consecrated by Bishop KEMPER in the summer of 1845.
This was the first church edifice of any kind built in Beloit.
At a vestry meeting held in May, 1846, during Mr. MILLETT's rectorship,
it was decided to build a new church edifice. In the spring of
1848, the corner-stone of the church was laid, and in December,
1851, the services were first held within its walls. Mr. MILLETT
resigned in February, 1853, on account of ill health, and for
a year and a half the parish was without a Rector. He continued
to live within the parish, serving the church in various localities
near Beloit, as health and strength would permit, until his death,
which occurred on the 28th of May, 1867. A grateful congregation
erected a tablet to his memory, which is placed on the east wall
of the chancel in St. Paul's Church. In July, 1854, Rev. John
E. C. SMEDES, then a Deacon, assumed charge of the parish. The
record of official acts and proceedings of the parish seem to
have been first kept carefully and orderly in Mr. SMEDES' rectorship,
and his successors have scrupulously followed his example. Mr.
SMEDES performed 57 baptisms, presented to the Bishop 17 candidates
for confirmation, performed 18 marriages, officiated at 19 funerals
and left 75 communicants belonging to the parish when he resigned.
March 27, 1856, during Mr. SMEDES' rectorship, Bishop KEMPER
consecrated the church in celebration of its complete relief
from all financial encumbrances. During his rectorship, also,
the shapely and beautiful spire of St. Paul's was erected, thus
completing the symmetry of a very graceful Gothic structure.
Rev. J. E. C. SMEDES resigned July 1, 1858, and after two months'
interval he was succeeded by Rev. J. H. EGAR, who resigned February
4, 1861, after a prosperous rectorship.
- Seven months later, Rev. L. W. DAVIS became Rector, and continued
to serve the church until
- his resignation, October 1, 1868. During his rectorship the
society bought a rectory on the corner of Bridge and Bluff streets.
November, 1, 1868, the Rev. Fayette ROYCE became the sixth Rector
in the history of St. Paul's Church, and he is still Rector.
The principal material improvements during this rectorship have
been a pipe organ, excavations under the Church, the putting
in of furnaces, making a new gallery, the building of a chapel,
the setting out of trees around the rectory, improvements in
the interior of the church and about the chancel, a new altar
and credence table, a new font, and in keeping all the church
property in good repair. The church, during these twenty years,
had raised and expended for all purposes about $60,000, being
an average of $3,000 a year. In January, 1884, a vested choir,
twenty strong, was organized and trained, which has even since
rendered acceptable music to the congregation. The church has
a membership of 175, and is in a healthy condition. The present
officers are: E. HOLMES, Senior Warden; E. A. LOOMIS, Junior
Warden; F. H. STARKWEATHER, W. M. BRITTAN, George SHERWOOD, Charles
O. MILLETT, George FREDERICK, H. H. McLENEGAN, R. J. BURDGE and
O. H. ORTON, vestrymen.
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-
- Taken from "The Portrait and Biographical Album of
Rock County, Wis." (c)1889, pp. 587-588; lithograph from
same book.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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