Background
Matthias was born to Matthias Bruen Senior and Hannah (Coe) Bruen into an established family of Newark, New Jersey. His father, Matthias Bruen Senior, was a wealthy businessman thought at one point to be the richest man in America.
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Matthias Bruen
Edit ProfileEducation
In 1808 at age 15 he Columbia College and graduated from there in 1812 with high honors. lieutenant was at this point that he chose to pursue a religious life and he was enrolled in the Theological Seminary of the Associate Reformed Church under the direction of Doctor John M Mason who was also the head of the seminary.
Career
His direct ancestor, Obadiah Bruen, being one of the founders of that city. In his youth, Matthias had an unusual interest in books starting as a six year old he would shut himself in a room to focus on hes reading. By 1812 Matthias was first bothered by a chronic illness.
When later the opportunity to travel to Europe was presented to him he chose to go partly with the hope of a benefit to his health.
In 1831 it was Mary (now Mrs Duncan) who published a collection of Matthias Bruen letters as a memorial to his life and service to the church. Just before returning from Europe in 1818 Matthias received an invitation to officiate in the church of the Oratoire in Paris.
After taking his ordination in London on November 4 he traveled to Paris and served there until May 1919 before resigning to return to America. Matthias was married to Mary Anne Davenport on January 2, 1823.
They had 4 children, two of whom died young.
The two surviving daughters were Frances Davenport Bruen, born in 1825 and Mary Lundie Bruen who was born in 1828 and lived many years with her mother after Matthias"s death. Frances married Charles Callahan Perkins on June 12, 1855 and they had three children. On a Sunday August 30, 1829, while opening the morning service, Matthias was attacked by a sudden illness which forced him to retire from the church.
His condition worsened during the week and he passed away the following Sunday.
After Matthias" death in 1829 a large collection of his letters was published as a memorial to his life, first in the United States in 1831. and then a very similar volume was published Scotland in 1832.
Membership
On Monday, September 7, 1829, his remains were laid in the vault at the foot of the pulpit from which he had addressed the members of his congregation.
