Rev. Joseph Symmes

Rev. Joseph Symmes was born in Fairfield, Ohio on January 24, 1826.  Unfortunately, when he and his brothers were young, their father passed, leaving only their mother to care for them.  Due to his family's early tragedies, Joseph became passionate about social issues.

Joseph Symmes attended Princeton Theological Seminary and graduated in 1854. While he was in seminary, he met Rev. Symmes Henry through the introduction of one of his professors due to the coincidences of their names. Later, Joseph would come to marry Rev. Henry's daughter, Mary Rosebrook. 

After graduating from seminary, Symmes was ordained and installed as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Madison, Indiana in 1854, and was there for about 2.5 years. He then became the sixth pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury following the death of Rev. Symmes Henry, his father-in-law. Rev. Joseph Symmes was the pastor here for 37 years.

According to Rev. Joseph Curry, another pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury, "Dr. Symmes was active in all civic affairs. He was a strong abolitionist, and steadfastly maintained the principles of the government throughout the Civil War. When peace came, he was appointed chairman of a committee which secured funds and erected the Soldiers' Monument in Brainerd Cemetery to the memory of the boys in this community who had died in the war.

Joseph and Mary had four biological sons--two Presbyterian ministers, one physician, and one farmer. 

• Henry Cleves Symmes - physician

• Frank Rosebrook Symmes - minister

• Addison Henry Symmes - farmer

• Joseph Gaston Symmes Jr. -minister

The couple also raised Harvey Onque, who later also became a Presbyterian minister as well. It is unclear why Harvey Onque lived with the Symmes family. In the 1880 federal census, 14 year old Harvey is listed in their household. And in the 1885 New Jersey State Census, both Harvey and his mother, Gertrude Onque, are listed in the household.

Rev. Symmes died in on June 28, 1894 and was buried in Brainerd Cemetery. His obituary can be read here.

The church currently has a collection of his letters. These letters were found in a mechanics shop in Metuchen

Other documents related to Rev. Symmes:

• 1860 census record

  • Catherine Henry (MIL of JGS)

  • Maria Conover, 21, domestic (white)

  • Susan Murray, 21, domestic (white)

• 1870 census record

• Will