Walter Church Summary

<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Walter Church Summary

WALTER STEWART CHURCH
Allegany County Land Agent from 1835 to 1850, and Albany Owner of Rensselaerwyck Manor Tenant Land leases from 1853 to 1890
Summary
Judge Simon Rosendale who provided counsel to Walter Church offered this description of him: “He was a man of great physical courage, and energy, and while on one hand he was generally ready to aid those who were so inclined in obtaining a release of their premises, he was very determined against those who questioned or resisted his claims….” 34 In “New York Historical Association” proceedings of 1909, Judge Rosendale said that the leases were formally transferred to James Kidd and Peter Cagger in 1864 and formally conveyed by them in 1878 to Walter Church. Rosendale added that; “….in fact he became the successor of the patroon.” 35 There exists many fine books on the anti-rent movement that include much information on Walter Church during his life in Albany (1850–1890), [see Bibliography] Reading an overview of the entire story of the Van Renssalaer Patroon System and the anti-rent movement that resulted from it, is recommended to obtain an understanding of this feudal system, unique to this country, that Walter Church entered into. The methods he used in his efforts to become wealthy from the collection of back rents from tenant farmers of Rensselaerwyck Manor, greatly extended the life and strength of the anti-rent movement of Rensselaerwyck Manor. The movement was not confined to Renssealaerwyck Manor, however. According to the most comprehensive book on the subject, Tin Horns and Calico by Lansing Christian, Livingston Manor and others also became violent beds of hostility against this feudal system, whose origins were in parts of Europe. But because it was the largest of the Manors, it affected the lives of the most tenants. Walter S. Church played a major role in these farmers’ lives from 1853 to 1890. “The antirent movement was more than a selfish campaign to escape rent payment. It was a ringing protest by democratic farmers against the aristocratic clique which had dominated New York for so many decades. By dramatizing the evils of land monopoly, the antirenters also helped to arouse the nation to the importance of granting free homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain.” 36

WALTER STEWART CHURCH

Allegany County Land Agent from 1835 to 1850, and Albany Owner of

Rensselaerwyck Manor Tenant Land leases from 1853 to 1890

Summary

Judge Simon Rosendale who provided counsel to Walter Church offered this description of him: “He was a man of great physical courage, and energy, and while on one hand he was generally ready to aid those who were so inclined in obtaining a release of their premises, he was very determined against those who questioned or resisted his claims….” 34

In “New York Historical Association” proceedings of 1909, Judge Rosendale said that the leases were formally transferred to James Kidd and Peter Cagger in 1864 and formally conveyed by them in 1878 to Walter Church. Rosendale added that; “….in fact he became the successor of the patroon.” 35

There exists many fine books on the anti-rent movement that include much information on Walter Church during his life in Albany (1850–1890), [see Bibliography] Reading an overview of the entire story of the Van Renssalaer Patroon System and the anti-rent movement that resulted from it, is recommended to obtain an understanding of this feudal system, unique to this country, that Walter Church entered into. The methods he used in his efforts to become wealthy from the collection of back rents from tenant farmers of Rensselaerwyck Manor, greatly extended the life and strength of the anti-rent movement of Rensselaerwyck Manor. The movement was not confined to Renssealaerwyck Manor, however. According to the most comprehensive book on the subject, Tin Horns and Calico by Lansing Christian, Livingston Manor and others also became violent beds of hostility against this feudal system, whose origins were in parts of Europe. But because it was the largest of the Manors, it affected the lives of the most tenants. Walter S. Church played a major role in these farmers’ lives from 1853 to 1890.

“The antirent movement was more than a selfish campaign to escape rent payment. It was a ringing protest by democratic farmers against the aristocratic clique which had dominated New York for so many decades. By dramatizing the evils of land monopoly, the antirenters also helped to arouse the nation to the importance of granting free homesteads to actual settlers on the public domain.” 36