History: Religious Growth at Trinity

When the Rev. John Croes became the first Episcopal Rector of Trinity Church, he had a small congregation that was still struggling with the damages of the Revolutionary War and the debt for the "new" church building. Easter of 1792, The Rev. Croes recorded that there were 43 Communicants. Names listed reflect the diversity of the congregation; Swedish, English, and Dutch. Additions to the list continue with the list indicating widows and widowers, married and single and in 1803 the name of Cudjoe Williams, "a black, m." is added to the rolls.

Baptisms, Confirmations, Marriages and Burials are recorded in detail from 1713 to the present. In 1938, as part of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, State of New Jersey, the records were translated from Swedish to English and compiled. Book 1 of the Records covers the period during the Swedish Lutheran leadership and is in Swedish. Book 2 begins in 1788 and continues to 1820. No Baptismal records could be found for the years 1824 to 1829, and Simon Wilmer, the Rector, notes that "these Records were mutilated by some evil disposed person when the house was entered in the absence of the Rector".

Book 3, with the exception of the missing Records, covers from 1820 to 1846. Book 4 continues to 1896. After a two-year gap in Records, Book 5 begins in 1899 and continues for almost a hundred years, to the early 1990s. These Records have been invaluable in reflecting the changes and development of the congregation.
At the beginning of Book 3 in 1821, 168 communicants were listed with a note that "a considerable number of the foregoing names are of persons residing out of the limits of this congregation and where other Episcopal Churches are organized". A second note states that the list was corrected to reflect deaths and removals of persons not within the limits of the congregation. It does not however list names or provide numbers. By 1840 there were 132 communicants listed. The numbers rose and fell as Rectors changed and various disputes occurred. The growth of the community also was reflected in the size of the congregation.

In 1809 a very special event occurred that made history not only at Trinity, but within the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. On Sunday, May 20th Confirmation was held at the church. At that time, Bishop William White, first bishop of Pennsylvania, visited Trinity and Confirmed 239 people. No ages are given, only m. or s. to indicate marriage status. Of great significance was the Confirmation of 5 "Blacks", Cudgoe and his wife Venus being 2 of those listed. Add the families and visitors to the number Confirmed and you can imagine quite a filled church with an enthusiastic congregation.

The next recorded Confirmation was in 1821. The Rt. Rev. John Croes, now first Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, returned to the church where he started and Confirmed 14 persons. As the years progressed, the names reflected change in the make-up of the community. Names like Rambo, Mattson, Hendrickson, Shoemaker, Denny and Keene remained from the Swedish descendants while Avise, Groff, Gaskill, Madara show a group of residents with different ethnic backgrounds. A list of Communicants in 1846 shows 108 persons, each with a notation alongside to tel "sexton", "widow of…" "wife of…" "head of family…". One special notation says that an Abigail Dyer, daughter of Thomas Dyer "married a Quaker and left the church". The financial status of the congregation must have also been fairly good at this time since the Records show that "the Vestry resolved to loan to the County of Gloucester any sum of money they may apply for". The ladies of the congregation had by the mid-1850s earned sufficient funds to build a Sunday School room. In the records of the ladies groups, it is often referred to as the "chapel" The needs of the growing congregation are shown in 1866 when an 18''addition was put on the same building.