Father William Lewis Bostwick preached to the congregation of St. John’s Episcopal Church in the basement of the Masonic Lodge pictured above. He was the first rector of the parish. In 1857, he decided the parish needed a proper church for the growing congregation, so purchased a lot on North Water Street in Decatur and had a church built for $1500. You can read more about the history of the church on the St. John’s website.
William was born on December 20, 1830 in Hammondsport, Steuben County, New York, to Rev. William Warner Bostwick and Mary (Lewis) Bostwick. He was the older brother of two sisters–Mary Jane and Celeste Parmelee. William’s father was not only a reverend, but he is also credited with planting the first grape vines in the finger lakes region of New York and establishing the area as wine country.
In the early to mid-1840’s, the Bostwick family moved west to Illinois, where William’s father took a church in Joliet.
William was a student at Trinity college in Newtown, Connecticut from 1849 to 1851. From 1854 to 1855, he was assistant to the rector of Trinity Church, and assistant to the principal of the academy.
Back east, and back in time, a little girl named Susan Maria Smith was born on January 21, 1933 to Perry Smith and Susan (Gurley) Smith. Susan’s mother died shortly after she was born, leaving her an only child. The Smith family lived in Hartford, Connecticut where her father was a respected grocer and local politician.
Sometime along the way, Susan and William met. When Susan was 22 and William was 24, the couple married. The date was July 25, 1855. They married in New Haven, Connecticut. The following year, the first of the Bostwick’s eight children was born – Emma Susan, Mary Annie, Harriet Gurley, William Perry, Ellen True, Francis Russell, Matilda Amelia, and Susan Celeste.
In 1855, William was rector of Christ and Grace Churches in Trumball, Connecticut before moving on to St. John’s in Illinois.
The 1860 census finds the family living in Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois. William was an Episcopalian clergyman at St. Paul’s Church in the small town. The family consisted of William, Susan, three-year-old Emma, one-year-old Mary, and a servant girl named Mary Hoffman.
Sadness visited the Bostwick’s on March 15, 1864 when Emma, age seven, died. The family was now living in Hartford, Connecticut. Three years later in 1867, little Ellen, not quite two years old, died. I found a burial note stating that “this little child died very suddenly.” What a sad time. William was then the rector of Christ Church in Redding, Connecticut.
For the 1870 census, the Bostwick family had relocated to Wilton, Fairfield County, Connecticut. William was still preaching, this time at St. Matthew’s, and Susan “keeping house.” Five children, ages eleven to under a year, were living at home.
The next church William took charge of was Trinity Church in Northfield, Connecticut. He was rector there from 1871 to 1876. By 1876, his health was deteriorating, but he occasionally officiated as Assistant Minister, or preached in parishes who didn’t have a minister.
In 1880, they were in New Britain, Hartford County, Connecticut. William was fifty years old and still an Episcopalian clergyman, but now he was listed as having asthma that interfered with his duties. Susan was forty-seven, and five children, ages 18 to 4, were at home. Of those kids, son William, 16, was farming, and three of the children–Harriet, Francis, and Matilda–were all listed as disabled.
On March 13, 1895, at the age of 64, Rev. William Lewis Bostwick passed away. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut. Susan was a widow at age 62.
The following is from the Decatur Daily Republican (Decatur, Illinois) dated Saturday, March 23, 1895:
The Hartford (Conn.) Courant, tells of the death of Rev. William Lewis Bostwick, who was the first rector of St. John’s Episcopal church, this city. He was here from 1855 to 1860, the early services being held in the basement of the old Masonic hall and in a hall over the Fenton store, until the society took possession of the then new church on North Water street.
The Courant says: The Rev. William Lewis Bostwick, who died at Stamford last Wednesday, was a graduate of Trinity College in the class of 1851. He studied theology at the Berkeley Divinity School and his first ministry was in Newtown. He was afterwards rector and missionary in Illinois, from which he returned to Connecticut in 1863, his last regular parochial work being in Northfield. For nearly ten years before his death he resided in Fair Haven, his bodily infirmity not allowing him to undertake regular clerical duty. He was much interested in the work of the church and labored faithfully as he had strength, and he also found time to make himself proficient as an artist. Mr. Bostwick was a brother-in-law of the F.D. Harriman of Windsor. The funeral services are to be held in Christ Church in this city this afternoon at 2:30 o’clock.
From some genealogical notes, it seems the Bostwick family lived on Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven. In January of 1900, Susan quit claimed that property to her son, William Perry Bostwick.
Three years after William died, Susan lost a son. Francis (Frank) died in March of 1898 at the age of 31. On October 3rd, 1902, Susan also passed away. William and Susan are both buried in Section I of Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford near their two small daughters, Emma and Ellen.
From The Daily Morning Journal and Courier (New Haven, Connecticut) dated Tuesday, October 7, 1902:
MRS. SUSAN BOSTWICK – Mrs. Susan Bostwick, widow of the late Rev. William Lewis Bostwick, died in New Haven Friday. She was the only child of Perry Smith, of Hartford, whose old-time residence still remains on Arch Street, being one of the notable homes in Hartford. The husband of Mrs. Bostwick, who was a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal church, died six years ago. The surviving children of Mrs. Bostwick are Miss Anna Bostwick, of Short Beach: Mrs. Hallie Badger, wife of George Badger: William Perry Bostwick of Groton: Mrs. Matilda Foote, wife of Clifford Foote, of New Haven: and Miss Susie Fullerton, of Short Beach. Two children died in infancy, and Frank Bostwick died in New Haven after reaching maturity. The father of Mrs. Bostwick was one of Hartford’s wealthiest residents in his day. The remains of Mrs. Bostwick were taken to Hartford for burial yesterday afternoon. The interment was in Spring Grove cemetery. Rev. F.W. Harriman, of Grace Church in Windsor, who is a nephew of Mrs. Bostwick, conducted the committal services. Rev. George H. Phillips officiated at the services held at Short Beach Sunday afternoon.
Finding Promise 