USA > Maryland > Talbot County > Easton > Commemorative exercises of the two-hundredth anniversary of the Friends' Meeting-House at Third Haven. Including an account of the settlement of Friends in Talbot County, Maryland, from the year 1657 to the present time > Part 1
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Go 975.201 T14 th 1822076
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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J ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02167 208 1
Commemorative Exercises
of the
Two-Hundredth Anniversary 200 th of the
Friends' Meeting-House,
Third Haven. 3rd
Including an Account of the Settlement of Friends in Talbot County, Maryland, from the year 1657 to the present time.
Easton, Md., 8-28-1884.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/commemorativeexe00thir 0
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1822076
Press of Times Printing House, Philadelphia, Pa.
Introduction.
T WO hundred years! An epoch of generations ! The little band of worshipers who have from time to time met in this old " time-honored " house, in our quiet gatherings oft revert to the times agone. A historical retrospect, a summing up of the trials endured, the hardships surmounted, the faith maintained in the principles and religious views the disseminating and fostering of which, this dear old house was built, we desire to commemorate its two-hundredth anniversary, not alone, to bring more forcibly to those gath- ered with us the firm, true standard-the rock of truth within, upon which our society has always stood,-but to compare the ". Then and Now." With the march of time, and with it the necessary progress, the, growth of intellect, the attending accumulation of possibilities, all force us to the belief that as " more is given, more is required of us." Then it is well to compare our lives with those who have preceded us; and, mindful of the future when, generations hence, these services will, we hope, add some interesting data upon a simi- lar occasion. This monthly meeting, concurring in these views, appointed the following committee to take the proper action therein : Robert B. Dixon, S. Amanda Dixon, John C. Bait- lett, Matilda J. Bartlett, Sue B. Kemp, Mary A. Dixon,
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Dr. I. A. Barber.
Isabella Kemp, Joseph Bartlett, Mary L. Kelley, Samuel Yeo, Elma Wilson, Charles Shanahan, Annie Woodall, Edward Powell. After due deliberation the committee submitted its labors to the monthly meeting, receiving its approval. The day upon which meeting was first held in the old building, being 8th month 24th, 1684, it was deemed best to commem- orate that event upon what is termed "youths' day" of the ensuing quarterly meeting, 8th month 28th, 1884, being a season of enlarged attendance upon ordinary occasions. There- upon the committee gave general invitation through the Friends' Intelligencer and Journal. Printed invitations were also sent to many who it was thought would have special interest in the occasion. From many of these encouraging responses were received. Many of the aged, upon whom the years and labor of life begin to "read as a written page," cheered us by the assurances of their spiritual, if not material, presence. The day dawned upon us most beautifully. At the hour of meeting, 10 A. M., the spacious and venerable old house was filled, many being obliged to stand at the doors and windows. This generous outpouring was composed of many prominent Friends from a distance, among whom were Thomas and Lydia Hall, of West Chester, Pa .; Edward Webster and wife, Clayton and Dr. Sarah E. Rogers, Hunn Jenkins, Patience J. Needles and Alice M. Needles, Lydia W. Evans, John J. White, Bessie White, Lizzie A .- Hopkins, Mary B. Hopkins, George Robbins and Joseph Powell, of Philadelphia ; Edwin Blackburn, Joseph Mathews, Mary D. Hull, James D. Hull, William T. Dixon, John B. Dixon, Edward II. Stabler, Eli M. Lamb and Edward Eldridge, of Baltimore; Sarah West, William and Rebecca West, Joseph and Mary W. Thomas, of King of Prussia, Pa .; Robert R. Moore and William W. Moore, of Sandy Springs, Md .; Garrett and Mary E. Amoss, of Fallston, Md. ; Amos
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Peasley, of Greenwich, N. J., and Ann Barber, of Pedrick- town, N. J .; Mary B. and Helen C. Pyle, Wilmington, Del. ; Martin W. and Jane Maloney, Avondale, Pa .; I. Kemp, Vir- ginia; Nellie and Howard Bartlett, of Balto; Alfred Kemp, of Houston, Texas; Hannah Clark, Francis and Marshall Wilkinson, of Kennett Square, Pa., and others. We were favored with large numbers from the village and surround- ing country, representing many religious denominations, numbering about eight hundred persons, conveyed to the memorable place by one hundred and twenty-five vehicles ; thus making the spacious grounds alive with anxious, intelli- gent faces, eager to hear something of the society, of which many know so little.
Samuel J. Levick opened the exercises by a most solemn and impressive supplication, following by brief introductory remarks. Then Robert B. Dixon read " An Historical Record of Third Haven Meeting-House."
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An Historical Record of Third Haven Meeting-House. Written by Sue B. Kemp.
We meet on this occasion to commemorate the two- hundredth anniversary of this Third Haven meeting-house, where generation after generation of the ancestors of this and other communities have assembled twice a week for the pur- pose of divine worship.
These devout Friends have long since " paid the debt we must all pay," and untold numbers of them are slumbering in the quiet graveyard within the enclosure near by. And many a spot, sacred to some of the descendants, is unknown because of the unwillingness, until recent years, to admit tombstones to distinguish their resting-places.
These declining oak-trees, so emblematical of human nature, are the remnant of a majestic forest which doubtless existed when this property was purchased by the society for the erection of this quaint but substantial building which ranks as one of the oldest, if it does not antedate any other church on this peninsula, having been built previous to the present Swedes' Church in Wilmington, which was erected in 1698.
Several meeting-houses in Maryland, however, preceded this one.
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The earliest account (we have) of the settlement * of Friends on the eastern shore of Maryland bears the date of 1657 (three years after the establishment of Talbot County), when three missionaries of the sect, Josiah Cole, Thomas Thurstan and Thomas Campbell, about the end of that year, induced by the severity of the laws under Fendall's adminis- tration, came from Virginia into Maryland; here they were reprimanded by the council for refusing to subscribe the " en- gagement" or formal act of submission to the authority of Lord Baltimore, also in committing the offense of remaining covered in court (refusing to remove their hats), "alleging they were to be governed by God's laws, and not by man's laws."
They were, however, ordered to leave the province if they would not yield, which it is supposed they did for a time, though Thomas Thurstan returned to Maryland (on a pedes- trian tour) the following year.
In 16591 William Robinson, Robert Hodgson and Chris- topher Holder visited Maryland, and were instrumental in con- vincing many of the doctrine of Friends-Quakers,{ as they were frequently called, which name was given them in derision by one of the persecuting justices (Gerves Bennet), because George Fox bade them tremble at the word of the Lord. The name of "Friend," adopted by their infant society, was in accordance with the language of the blessed Jesus to his disciples : " Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I com- mand you," etc.
In 1860,§ by an act of the Virginia Assembly, Friends were expelled from that colony, under severe penalties, and
* Schart's History of Maryland.
¡ Janney's Life of Fox. # Janney's History of r . ids. ¿ Schart's History of W .ryland
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compelled to seek a refuge in Maryland, having first petitioned Governor Calvert to afford them facilities for settling here ; and in compliance therewith, in 1651, he commissioned Colonel Scarborough and others to grant lands on the eastern shore of Maryland for those families who wished to come from Virginia here. These offers appear to have been gladly accepted by them, and those of other persuasions.
And, although Friends were misjudged and derided for their peculiar ideas and mode of worship, yet they met with more clemency and suffrage than they had formerly done, infinitely so, compared with some of their members who were obliged to flee from the persecutions of England, New Eng- land and other countries, or suffer torture and death for remaining. The harshness of this treatment was largely attributable to Puritan influence, from whom we had a right to expect more sympathy, they also having suffered for their faith, -though Roger Williams and his little band of followers may be excepted from the other oppressors of the sect. But these religious persecutions* were greatly modified after the Tolera- tion Act was passed in both Houses of the Maryland Assembly in 1649, enacted by Cæcilius Calvert, Lord Proprietor of Maryland, and in later years recognized as a law, which would have been void without his assent. lle was desirous of increasing the population of his colony by immigration of men of worth and enterprise, and having inherited some of the gen- erosity of soul which his father possessed, induced this noble act. But history tells us that credit is due to George Calvert, First Lord Baltimore, for originating the thought and wish which was afterwards embraced by his son, Cæcilius.
Maryland, therefore, claims the first honor of granting this free, just, and Christian privilege ; and making this colony
# Scharf's History of Maryland.
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a sanctuary for all religious denominations, thus promoting growth and prosperity to all.
Our primitive and quiet sect flourished also ; and several meetings were established, principally in Talbot and Anne Arundel counties, one at Wye, another at Little Choptank rivers ; Kent County had one meeting-house on Island Creek ; one in Calvert County near Leonard Creek; two Friends, but no meeting-house in Charles County ; neither in Baltimore, Prince George's, St. Mary's, Somerset or Dorchester counties.
In Talbot County there was a frame meeting-house at the head of Tred-Avon Creek (now corrupted into Third Haven) near the present town of Easton, and three smaller clapboard houses at other points ; the former of these must have been the one known as " Betty's Cove," on Miles River, located near the boundary line between the farms of R. B. Dixon and the heirs of Dr. Cherbonnier, and comprising ten acres of ground, part of which was a graveyard, beside space enough for a school-house, and a teacher employed under the direction of Friends.
Meetings were held alternately here and at private houses, until the year 1684. We have no record of when the meeting of school-houses were built.
The second minute on our records shows it was enlarged and repaired in 1676. The graveyard had a new fence around it in 1694, for which they paid 1600 pounds of tobacco (that being the currency then). The house was repaired again in 1704, and mid-week meetings were sometimes held there. The premises were enclosed with a new fence in 1708, though the property was abandoned in 1693 for the great meeting- house. The minute is as follows :
" Att our Joint Quarterly Meeting for both shores, held at ye house of Ralph, Fishbourne, ye 27th day of y" first Mo.
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March, (O. S.) 1693. It having been often proposed to several meetings yt the meeting of Betty's Cove should be removed to ye great meeting-house for sundry weighty reasons offered to ye Yearly Meeting att West River, and by sª Yearly Meeting referred to a monthly meeting, att which it was discoursed, and several Friends being absent, yt were therein concerned, it could not be thoroughly concluded, wherefore, it was referred to this meeting, and this meeting having weightily considered ye matter, and ye Friends yt were absent at.ye Monthly Meeting be now present, it is unanimously agreed that Betty's Cove meeting be removed to ye great meeting-house."
There is evidence, however, that efforts were made for some time to preserve the property from decay, especially the graveyard, wherein repose many of the original Friends, some · of whom comprised the worthy ancestors of this community, and who met in this humble meeting-house to worship their Lord and Saviour according to their simple but carnest manner.
But, as the expiration of time removes the actors upon this mundane sphere, and effaces landmarks, thus these boundary lines, too, have vanished.
"So the multitude goes, like the flower or the weed That withers away to let others succeed : So the multitude comes, even those we behold, To repeat every tale that has often been told."
Among the prominent Friends who belonged to this meeting, and whose remains are probably resting there, was Wenlock Christison, who was tried in the Court of Boston* for the dauntless adherence to his faith, sentenced to be hanged, but was released (with twenty-seven other Friends
# Janney's Th of Friends.
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who were incarcerated in the same prison). In consequence of the disapproval of the English Government to their severe punishment, the authorities were obliged to mitigate their treatment. An order was issued by King Charles II., and sent over by special messengers in a ship from England, chartered by Friends, but before it arrived at Boston the prisoners had been liberated.
Wenlock Christison soon after this went to Barbadoes, and subsequently came to reside in Maryland, located near Miles River, and in the vicinity of Betty's Cove meeting-house.
Many familiar names appear on the records, of those who mingled there in meeting capacity, viz. : John Edmondson, Wm. Southbee, Howell Powell, Thomas Taylor, John Pem- berton, Wm. Cole, John Dickinson, Lovelace and Charles Gorsuch, Wm. Berry, John Pitt, Ralph Fishbourne, Wm. Dixon, Richard Johns, Robert Kemp, Thomas Bartlett, Wm. Sharp, Ennion Williams, Peter Webb, Solomon Sparrow, Abraham Birkhead and others. Many occupied offices of State as well as important positions, both religiously and socially.
It must have been this meeting which the founder of our society, George Fox, attended on two different occasions, 3d of Sth mo., (O). S.) 1672, and again in 1673. He described it in one part of his journal as being situated near Miles River, and, in another instance, at Tredhaven Creek. He said it held five days. The first three meetings were for public worship, to which people of all sorts came. The other two were spent in men's and women's meetings (for discipline).
These public meetings were attended by Protestants, Papists, magistrates and their wives, and persons of chief account in the county, as well as Indian emperors. It Was thought there were a thousand, sometimes, at one of these
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meetings, and though they had enlarged the meeting-house as " big " again, it could not contain the people. He was enter- tained by John Edmondson, who owned and resided on the farm known as " Cedar Point," and now in the possession of Joseph Price's daughters.
It is therefore probable that George Fox referred to Third Haven River, when he said, " I went by boat every day four or five miles to the meetings, and there were so many boats at that time passing upon the river that it was almost like the river Thames." People said there never were so many boats seen there before.
The marshy ground on the Cherbonnier farm would indi- cate that Miles River had receded, consequently it is presumable that the space of land between the two rivers (Tred-Avon and Miles) was narrower then, and that both were visible. As tra- dition informs us, George Fox remarked he could see both rivers from the meeting-house door.
John Burnyeat, * Robert Widders and George Pattison (also ministers) were his companions on this religious visit to the Eastern Shore. They likewise attended other meetings in this vicinity, some of which were held at private houses ; besides, he had several interviews with Indians who inhabited this neighborhood, of which the Algonquins, Susquehan- noughs, Iroquois and Powhatamies were the principal tribes.
Afterwards they went to New England, encountering many hardships en route from the exposure to the elements, their only means of transportation being by horseback and boats.
In those days of the early settlers it is supposed vehicles were a rare luxury, as persons seemed to travel through the forests on horseback, sometimes by the aid of Indian guides, or by water, in boats.
* Janney's Life of Its.
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A minute on our records proves that the Society owned a boat called " The Good Will," especially for the accommo- dation of ministers and traveling Friends, as well as a horse for their convenience.
In 1737 there was a larger boat purchased for Chester River for the benefit of those who attended that Quarterly Meeting.
William Edmundson and John Fletcher, ministers (from Ireland) attended " Betty's Cove" Meeting, and those at private houses in the neighborhood, in 1676.
George Fox* and companions held their second series of meetings at "Betty's Cove," and other adjacent places, after their return from New England, and then crossed to the West- ern Shore of Maryland, held meetings at West River and other places ; soon after set sail for England (2Ist of 3d Mo., (O. S.) 1673). He died in 1690, and there is no account that he ever visited America the second time. Several letters and epistles were received from him, and read in the Quarterly and Yearly Meetings held at this Third Haven meeting-house, and committees were appointed to reply to them. Minutes show that a letter of advice in regard to the discipline of the church, as well as a parcel of books, were found after his death directed to this meeting, desiring them to be presented as a token of his love. (William Penn's letters show that George Fox felt great solici- tude for friends in America.) Some of the books are still in exis- tence, and constitute a part of the old library which originated at Betty's Cove Meeting, and is said to be the first public library in this county, t and probably in this province, being established long before the Bishop of London, through Commissary Bray, introduced parochial libraries in this province.
* Fox's Journal.
+ Dr. Harrison's A court.
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A fund has frequently been collected by the members for the purpose of renewing the supply of books, and additions have been made, but, if it had increased in proportion to its age, might be more creditable than it is.
It has never been ascertained whether a meeting record was ever kept prior to the year 1673, or whether it was destroyed. There is one minute, bearing that date, in regard to the hour for assembling the "General Meeting," and no more for a space of three years, but there has been a continued record since 1676 to the present time.
A minute, stating that in 1681 a proposition was made at the Half Year's Meeting at West River, that a meeting-house should be built for a Half Year's, Quarterly and other meet- ings on this shore, former ones having been held at Betty's Cove and private houses, alternately with West River. A com- mittee was appointed to select a site, and submit the agreement. to a future meeting, which it appears was done, by the follow- ing minute, namely :
"This meeting, according to ye advice of ye last Half Year's Meeting makes choice of William Southbec, Henry Woolchurch, Wm. Sharp, Lovelace Gorsuch and William Stevens, Jun'r, to purchase y" land for y" meeting-house of John Edmondson, viz., three acres, and to get a firm conveyance for it, with free egress and progress to ye sª land according to a deed of uses, and also yt ye sd John Edmondson and ye aforesd Friends, advise together for ye most convenient place upon the said land to sett ye house upon, and also to agree with ye car- penter or carpenters for ye building of ye said house, accord- ing to the dimensions hereafter specified, 60 foote long, 44 foote wide-and to be strong, substantiall framed work, with good white oak ground sills and posts, with girders and sun- mers, and small joyst, and ye upper floors to be laid with plank,
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and ye roof to be double raftered, and good principal rafters, every 10 foot, and to be double studded below, and to be well braced and windows convenient, and shutters, and good large stairs into ye chambers, which chambers are to be 40 foote square at each end of ye house, so y' they may be intire and 20 foote vacant betwixt them; and for other conveniencys to be left to the discretion of ye aforesaid Friends."
This building was commenced in 1682, and two years were consumed in its construction, as the timber had to be hewn with a broad-axe, and finished with such tools as were used in that day, having none of the modern improvements of this age to facilitate the work, or a ready force of skilled workmen to hasten it.
Minutes show that it has been repaired frequently, and was enlarged in 1797.
Quit rents were paid for the land for many years. A minute states that the meeting authorized Howell Powell to clear the quit rent of ye land for the time past, and do so annually for time to come, and get a receipt for the same."
The first meeting held in this house was a Monthly Meet- ing, and bears the date of ye 24th of y" 8th Mo., Oct. (O. S.) 1084, and was occupied from that time until ist Mo. 4th, 1880, when the meetings were removed to the new brick meeting- house near this.
The first Quarterly Meeting held here was ye 5th of ye Ioth Mo., Dec. (O. S.) 1684. The time has since been changed to suit the convenience of members from the various meetings, as well as traveling Friends and ministers.
For a period of one hundred and two years the Half Year's Meetings were held on this shore, at Betty's Cove, private houses, and from. 168; at this house, alternately with West River ; later, a Yearly Meeting alternated with this for
eleven years. In 1785 West River Meeting was abandoned for one in "Baltimore Town;" and for five years that was held at intervals with this, and embraced as Baltimore Yearly Meeting.
An arrangement was made in 1790 for holding this Quarterly Meeting twice yearly here, and at "Little Creek," (afterwards removed to Camden in 1868), constituting the Southern Quarter; and from that date ( 1790) we have belonged to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.
The Yearly Meeting at West River, must have been very large, and the settlement small and scattered, as we learn from tradition that members who attended from this shore were provided with tents for the accommodation of those who could not be entertained by the residents. Stone, crockery and pewter ware was taken for the purpose of serving their meals. We can imagine that this novel experience of camp life was not distasteful to the younger portion of the congregation.
A minute on the records shows that in 1692 a tent-house of good dimensions was built at West River by the members of this meeting as a home during the Yearly Meeting there. It was repaired in 1737, and again in 1754, and in 1764 an addition was built to the said house.
One was also built at Wye River in 1723; and judging. from a minute dated 6th of 12th month 1690, a house was erected on these grounds, near the river side, for the accon- modation of visitors from a distance (the two chambers over the meeting rooms probably being insufficient), though it does not appear to have been designated as a tent-house. A tent of some material was said to have been used at a later date.
The statement is, "That Friends on this shore are to pay to Ralph Fishbourne 2041 lbs. of tobacco; It being y" one half
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of what he disbursed for building ye house for conveniency of Friends from a distance, at the creek side, near our Great Meeting-house ; which said amount is to be paid as followeth, viz. : Tuccahoe Meeting one hhd, Bay Side Meeting one hhd, Choptank and Little Choptank meetings the same, as well as an equal amount from this meeting."
As late as the early part of this century, some persons now living can remember when they went to and from this meeting in row or sail boats (in preference to carriages), and only had to walk a very short distance ; this tributary of Third Haven River, which is merely a ditch now, being navigable then.
It is evident that provisions were furnished these Friends by the members here, if they were not already supplied.
The minute in regard to it, reads :
"This meeting considering ye great distance yt many Friends have to come both by land and water, yt may repair to our Yearly Meeting, whereby they may want necessarys, there- fore this Monthly Meeting appoints Joseph Rogers to inquire into ye same, and to give Friends account, y' so they may be supplied if any want to be."
Thus proving it was not a spirit of inhospitality that pre- vented all visitors from being entertained at private houses, but doubtless an inability to accommodate the large number who came, or to find means of transportation for them.
The Johns, Tuckers, Atkinsons and Parrishs were a few of the resident members at West River.
The " Yearly Meeting of Maryland," in 1684, was com- posed of the following particular meetings, viz .: Choptank, Tuckahoe, Betty's Cove, Patuxent, Cliffs, Herring Creek, West River, Severn, Animessex, Sasafrax, Chester River, Bay-side, Muddy or Marshy Creek, Munny, Nasswadox, Corratoncan, Petawax, Upper Machadoc and Tred-Haven.
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