468 APPENDIX. 



The father of Dr. Blackwell was Colonel Jacob Blackwell, born 

 November 20, 171 7, a son of the Jacob Blackwell just mentioned. 

 Colonel Blackwell succeeded to the family estates on Long Island and 

 on the East river, on the death of his father, December i, 1744. He 

 was a man of parts, and of liberal dispositions. In March, 1740, he 

 assisted to erect and liberally endow a church edifice for the main- 

 tenance of the services of the Church of England. A petition made by 

 him, and the other founders, to the royal authorities, for a charter, sets 

 forth : 



That the petitioners have, at a very great expense, erected a decent church, and 

 dedicated the same to the worship of Almighty God, according to the rites and cere- 

 monies of the Church of England, as by law established, by the name of St. James's 

 Church, and have obtained about a quarter of an acre of land adjoining, for the use 

 of a cemetery, and were determined to make a suitable provision for the support of a 

 minister or pastor, that religious duties, for the time to come, may be duly and regu- 

 larly celebrated therein. But that they cannot carry on this good design to advantage 

 except they be incorporated.* 



The petition was granted, and the church incorporated by letters 

 patent dated the 9th of September, 1761. The Rev. Samuel Seabury — 

 afterwards the honored Bishop of Connecticut — was the first rector of 

 the church. f 



As early, too, it would seem, as 1759, along with his family connec- 

 tions of the name of Hallet, Colonel Blackwell was instrumental in 

 establishing at Hallet's Cove, near their common residence, a school, 

 where Greek and Roman literature should form a part of the ordinary 

 course of education. It was placed under the charge of an Englishman 

 named Rudge, from the city of Gloucester, in England, and who. 

 Colonel Blackwell and his relatives certify, in a public advertisement 

 of the school, had proved himself "a man of close application and so- 

 briety, and to be capable of his office. "| 



Prior to the French and Indian war of 1756-63 this member of the 

 family of Blackwell had been appointed to a captaincy in the Newtown 

 militia. He was afterwards promoted to the grade of colonel. He was 

 early prominent in remonstrating against those measures of the British 

 Crown, the attempt to enforce which caused to Great Britain the loss 

 of her western empire. His landed interests, and his known attach- 

 ment alike to the principles of government and freedom, caused him to 

 be called, 29th of December, 1774, to preside at a convention of the 

 Freeholders of Queen's county, which expressed in a series of resolu- 

 tions, not surpassed as a declaration of true colonial po'ncy, the con- 



* Riker's Annals, 249-251 ; 354, 35S. _ \ Ibid., 16. J Ibid., 167. 



