396 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



"From the year 1801 until, in 1821, he was obliged, by the infirmities of age, 

 to decline; Dr. Wilkins was uuifornially returned as a clerical deputy from the 

 diocese of New York, to the General Convention, and attended the greater num- 

 ber of the meetings of that body. There, as in the Diocesan Convention, he was 

 (lie able and enlightened advocate of sound principles of ecclesiastical polity, 

 and of such measures as in his conscience he believed to be the most agreeable to 

 (hem. Indeed never had the Church a more disinterested friend. He overlooked 

 all selfish considerations, tending either to personal ease, or to the gratification 

 of receiving human commendation or applause, and went directly to the point, 

 whither he thought himself drawu by duty and conscience. The strength of his 

 faith, and the clearness of his religious views, were eminently conspicious dur- 

 ing the progress of a most painful and distressing disorder towards its fatal ter- 

 mination. His mind unclouded, and his heart strengthened and sanctified by 

 the grace of God, he saw no fear in death ; but anxiously, and yet meekly and 

 resignedly, desired its more speedy approach. The thought of being soon trans- 

 lated to Paradise, not only soothed and supported him, but ministered to the con- 

 stitutional and Christian cheerfulness which had characterized him through life. 

 At length the kind and gracious summons came, and rarely has a soul departed 

 stronger in the faith, richer in the hope, and more sincere and affectionate in the 

 genuine charity of the Gospel, than that which then entered on the great salva- 

 tiou purchased by the blood of the everlasting covenant. "<* 



Dr. Wilkins had issue by his wife Isabella, daughter of the Hon. 

 Lewis Morris, and sister of Lewis Morris, a signer of the Declaration of 

 Independence, four sons and five daughters. The eldest son, Martin, 

 was a distinguished member of the New York bar, and proprietor of 

 Castle Hill neck. He was the father of the late Governeur M., Martin, 

 Gilbert, Lewis and Catharine, who married the late Henry Phelps, 

 whose son is the Henry D. Phelps of New Rochelle. The second son 

 was Isaac, of Westchester, who married Charlotte Seabury, daughter of 

 the Rt. Rev. Samuel Seabury. The third was the Hon. Lewis Wilkins, of 

 Windsor, Nova Scotia, member of Assembly and Speaker of the House 

 for that Province in 1806 to 1817, and Judge of the Supreme Court of 

 the same. Fourth, Thomas, born 177 1, and died May, 18 16. The 

 daughters were Sarah, married Archibald Burns, M. D. ; Joannah, Isa- 

 bella, Mary and Euphemia, who married Ichabod Brush on the 27th of 

 April, 1830. The Rev. William Powell, B. A., having been assistant 

 minister to Dr. Wilkins for nearly a year, was called to the rectorship. 

 He was the son of John Powell, of Dublin, Ireland, whose family were 

 originally seated in Wales. He was born in Dublin, A.D. 1788, where 

 he received his education in Trinity College. In 1808 he came to this 

 country, under the patronage and guardianship of a Mr. Adamson, 

 his maternal uncle, then a respectable merchant of New York. He 



a Christian Journal No III, March, 1&30, p. 94. 



