Rev. Warner Lake (1765-1848). He was born May 7th, 1765 in Newton, CT.
the son of John Lake and Rhoda Warner. Baptist Preacher, Farmer.Rev. Lake came to Ridge,
Town of Mount Morris, Livingston County, NY in the spring of 1830. Formerly
a resident and preacher at Powers Corners, Town of Springport,
Cayuga County, NY where he had migrated to, probably in 1815, from the
Town of Kortwright in Delaware County, NY to which he had arrived in 1792.
According to Storke's History of Cayuga County, Rev. Lake became the Pastor
of the Second Baptist Church of Aurelius in February, 1816. A new "meeting-house
two miles north-east of the village" had been erected, the work begun in 1814
with the building completed in the summer of 1818 according to Storke. "Elder Lake
closed his ministry with this church in the spring of 1830. He was highly
esteemed. He did not receive a full support from the church; but
labored upon his farm a portion of the time, from which he accumulated
a competency."
At age 23, he married Elizabeth Williams.
Warner Lake was the son of John Lake (ca 1728-ca 1816)
of Newtown, Fairfield County, CT. who, in turn, was the son of
Edward Lake (b. 13 July 1662). According to this information,
Edward would have been age 68 when John Lake was born. It is
possible this information is not correct. Edward was the son
of Thomas Lake (1615-1676) and Mary Goodyear. This has not
been proven, and there is some conflicting information.
Warner Lake was one of the preachers at the newly built Baptist Church
in Ridge. His farm was just east of the hamlet. Warner's son, Orrin D. Lake, would
later occupy this farm for many decades.
On the subject of Orrin D. Lake, son of Warner Lake, we
have the following, abstracted in 1989 by the Livingston
county deputy historian:
Mount Morris Union, November 10, 1896, p. 3 col 3
Orrin D. Lake
Venerable and honored townsman Orrin D. Lake reached the age of 91 on Wed. Nov. 11th.
Mr. Lake was born in kortwright, Delaware Co., NY .. 11/11/1805 and came to
Mt. Morris with his father, who was a Baptist clergyman, in 1830, locating
near the Ridge (Mt. Morris) where he still owns a farm upon which his father
located early in the century. For many years past he has been a resident of
Mt. Morris, and always taken an active part in its affairs.
He was twice elected to the Assembly from livingston County in 1851 and 1852,
and was for 7 years supervisor of Mount Morris and Justice of the Peace for 12 years.
. . . good citizen, broad-minded, honorable, upright in the highest degree,
-- always walked the straight and narrow, (etc. etc.) . . . true Christianity
was exemplified in his conversation . . . younger generations may well try to
emulate him.
For the early part of the summer Mr. Lake was confined to his bed . . . he had
fractured a bone on his hip, but is now about on crutches. The citizens of
Mr. Morris earnestly wish his life will be spared to round out the century.
Stained Glass Panel in Memory of Orrin Lake,
Village Baptist Church, Mt. Morris, NY
While preaching in the Town of Sprinport in Cayuga County, Warner Lake was known to carry a wallet that
contained important documents, and which he used to store the papers upon which he
recorded marriages he performed. I suspect he carried on this tradition
when he lived and preached at the Ridge. Remarkably, this wallet still exists and
is in the hands of one of Warner Lake's descendants. It is in fine condition for being 200 years old.
Warner Lake will; dated 1848. Original
on file, Livingston County, New York.
