USA > Maryland > Somerset County > Princess Anne > History of the Manokin Presbyterian Church, Princess Anne, Maryland > Part 7
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The Rev. J. William McIlvain, D. D., in his paper on "Early Presbyterianism in Maryland," prepared for "Notes Supplementary to the Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science, 1890," states :
"In writing an account of the Presbyterians in Maryland prior to 1706, a great difficulty presents itself at the very outset. This is the entire absence of any church records. All that we know of the existence of any church organization is to be gath- ered from a few meagre hints in the public documents of the colony, an occasional letter, or a passing notice by some secular historian. So fragmentary is the knowledge gathered from these sources, that the historian longs for the skill of the geologist, who is able to reconstruct for us the living animal from a single bone."
Dr. William Henry Roberts writes, in his "Sketch of the History of the Presbyterian Church :"
"In 1680, the Presbytery of Laggan, Ireland, received a letter from Colonel William Stevens, a member of the Council of the Province of Maryland, entreating that ministers be sent to that colony and Virginia. In compliance with this request, the Rev. Francis Makemie, a native of Rathmelton, Ireland, came to Maryland in 1683. Mr. Makemie's landing marked a new era in the development of American Presbyterianism. At the time of his advent, isolated Presbyterian ministers, and churches in large part dependent upon an itinerant ministry, were scattered from Long Island to the Carolinas. He organ-
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ized churches at Snow Hill, Pitts Creek, Manokin, Wicomico and Rehoboth, in 1683."
These churches were, at the time of their organization, in Somerset County, Maryland. This county was organized in 1666. Since that time, two counties have been erected from portions of it-Worcester and Wicomico. Dr. John S. Howk, in "Rehoboth by the River," writes :
"We find it set forth on the Somerset County records, that the Grand Jury in 1672, through their foreman, David Brown, a Scotchman, and certainly a Presbyterian, called Rev. Robert Maddux to preach at four places in the county."
One of these places was "at the house of Christopher Nutter at Manokin." Dr. Howk says: "We have good ground for claiming Robert Maddux as a Presbyterian."
Evidently a large number of people were in this neighbor- hood, for we are informed by Colonel Stevens that on the 23d of January, 1673, the distinguished Quaker, George Fox, preached to "several thousand whites and Indians."
Francis Makemie, "to whom," says the Rev. Willard Martin Rice, D. D., in his "Introduction" to "The Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia," "belongs the honor of laying the foundations of the Presbyterian Church, as an organized body, in this country," was at Rehoboth in 1683. He was about twenty-three years of age. He labored with indefatigable zeal for the spiritual uplift of the people of this region. "Here," says Dr. Gillett, in his "History of the Presbyterian Church," "in the narrow neck of land between the Chesapeake and the ocean, sheltered by the mild laws of a colony founded by a Roman Catholic nobleman, the Presbyterian Church of America began its existence." According to "reliable tradition," Makemie organized churches at several points, one of them being known as Manokin and another as Wicomico. For many years these two churches were united under one pastorate.
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CHRONOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF THE LIFE OF FRANCIS MAKEMIE.
"By all means include your Outline of the Life of Makemie in the Manokin History."-REV. L. P. BOWEN, D. D.
"Born and brought up in Ireland, among the descendants of old Scotia; ordained in troublous times of prelatic persecutions; of uncom- promising orthodoxy in doctrine, according to the straightest sect; of undaunted zeal and energy in prosecuting evangelistic efforts; an enemy of popery and all forms of error; boldly defending his religious system and his conduct, face to face, before royal governors; living for the souls of men, and dying with a solemn declaration of attachment to his mother Kirk-certainly we do not wish the father of the faithful in this coun- try to have been any other man, or any other sort of a man, than Francis Makemie."-CORTLANDT VAN RENSSELAER, Presbyterian Magazine, 1853, p. 93.
[In the preparation of this chapter, many authorities, other than those quoted, have been consulted. I have, with some diligence, "com- pared history with history," and have thus been enabled to prepare, what is difficult to find, a consecutive and fairly accurate, although far from exhaustive, outline of the life of Francis Makemie .- H. P. F.]
1658 .- Approximate date of birth. Born of Scotch parentage, in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland. "His birth was probably shortly before the accession of Charles II." -- Presbyterian Magazine, 1853, p. 93.
"He became hopefully pious at the age of fourteen."- Sprague, Annals of Presbyterian Pulpit, Vol. I, p. 1.
1675 .- "He is enrolled as a student at the University of Glasgow, in the third class, February, 1675-6."-Briggs, Ameri- can Presbyterianism. Appendix IX.
1679-80 .- He appears before the Presbytery of Laggan, St. Johnstown, Ireland, January 28, "with a recommendation from
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Mr. Thomas Drumond," his minister .- From Minutes of Presby- tery of Laggan.
1681 .- St. Johnstown, May 25, "Mr. Francis Mackemy delivered his private Homily on Matth. 11: 28, & is approven." From Minutes of Presbytery of Laggan.
1681 .- St. Johnstown, July 13. "The Meeting see it fit · to lay aside their ordinary business at this extraordinary meeting : onely we will, if time permit, hear the exegesis of the two young men [Francis Makemie and Alexander Marshall] who are upon their trials."-From Minutes of Presbytery of Laggan.
There is a blank in the Minutes of the Presbytery of Laggan from this date to 1690. See extracts from Min-
utes in Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia.
1681 .- "He [Makemie] was licensed about 1681."-Hays, Presbyterians, p. 67.
1682 .- "He was ordained by the Presbytery of Laggan in 1682, that he might go to America. He reached this country in 1683."-Hays, Presbyterians, p. 67.
1682 .- He preached for Mr. Hempton, in Burt, Ireland, April 2, 1682 .- Bowen, Days of Makemie, p. 61.
1683 .- "He was certainly in Ireland as late as April, 1682, and was at Rehoboth in 1683."-Dr. J. S. Howk, Rehoboth by the River, p. 8.
1682-83 .- He arrived "in this country, by the way of Bar- badoes, either in 1682 or 1683."-Dr. J. G. Craighead, Scotch and Irish Seeds in American Soil, p. 287.
1683 .- "Francis Makemie, a native of Rathmelton, Ireland, came to Maryland in 1683. Mr. Makemie's landing marked a new era in the development of American Presbyterianism."- William H. Roberts, D. D., History of the Presbyterian Church : A Sketch, p. 6.
1683 .- "Makemie arrived in Somerset some time in the year 1683."-J. William McIlvain, D. D., Early Presbyterianism in, Maryland, p. 16.
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1683 .- "In the fall of 1683, he travelled by land as far as Norfolk, and proceeded to Carolina."-Webster, History of the Presbyterian Church, p. 298.
1684 .- "In May of this year, he was in North Carolina."- Briggs, American Presbyterianism, p. 116.
1684-85 .- In letters dated July 22, 1684, and July 28, 1685, Makemie wrote to Increase Mather, Boston, from Elizabeth River, Virginia. These letters are printed in Webster's History of the Presbyterian Church, pp. 297, 298 ; and in the Presbyterian Magazine, 1852, pp. 217, 218.
1686 .- "About 1686, Makemie departed on a preaching tour southward .. . . In 1690, Makemie, who had returned to the Eastern Shore, was living at Matchatank, Virginia."-Dr. J. S. Howk, Rehoboth by the River, p. 10.
1690 .- February 17. Makemie's name first appears on the Court records of Accomac County, Virginia. See JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, March, 1907, p. 15.
1690 .- In this year, or the following year, according to Dr. L. P. Bowen's Days of Makemie, p. 529; and "about the latter part of the year 1697, or the beginning of 1698," according to Dr. William Hill, in A History of the Rise, etc., of American Presbyterianism, p. 127, Makemie married Naomi Anderson.
1690 .- "In 1690, Makemie was residing in Accomac County, Virginia .. The next year he visited London."- Webster, History of the Presbyterian Church, p. 299. (See Briggs, American Presbyterianism, p. 117.)
1691 .- John Galbraith's Will (made August 12, 1691) refers to Makemie as "minister of the Gospel at Rehoboth Town." -Bowen, Days of Makemie, p. 205.
1691 .- There is direct record evidence (see Dr. Bowen's Days of Makemie, pp. 193, 529), preserved in a Court trial, of Makemie's again preaching at Rehoboth Church, April 2, 1691.
1691 .- "In 1691, Mr. Makemie made a visit to England,
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and returned either the same year or the beginning of the next." -Sprague, Annals, p. 1.
1692 .- "It was at the Barbadoes store in Philadelphia [N. W. corner of Second and Chestnut streets] that Makemie preached the first Presbyterian sermon in Philadelphia."-Dr. Alexander T. McGill, Centennial Historical Discourses, p. 17.
1692 .- "In 1692, Mr. Makemie visited Philadelphia and planted the seeds of Presbyterianism here."-Dr. Willard M. Rice, Introduction to The Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.
1692 .- Mr. Makemie was in Philadelphia in August of this
year. Dr. Bowen's Days of Makemie, p. 215.
1692 .- Prior to this time, Makemie had written his Cate- chism .- Sprague, Annals, p. 1.
1692 .- "In 1690 he returned to the Eastern Shore. and became the Pastor of the church at Rehoboth in 1691. He did not remain very long, but left in 1692 for Philadelphia, and afterwards went to the Barbadoes, where he remained for several years. Again, in 1698, he returned to his old home on the Eastern Shore, and made it his home until he died."-Rev. J. William McIlvain, D. D., Early Presbyterianism in Maryland, p. 16.
1696 .- There are letters preserved of Makemie written from Barbadoes, December 28, 1696; January 17, 1697-8; and February 12, 1697-8 .- Briggs, American Presbyterianism. Appendix X.
1698 .- William Anderson's Will was signed July 23, and recorded October 10. He refers to "Mr. Francis Makemie and Naomie, his wife, my eldest Daughter," showing that Mr. Make- mie was married at this date. Again the Will says, "If my daughter Naomie have no issue," showing that no children were born to her at this time. (See JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, March, 1907, pp. 16-24.)
1698 .- Makemie's "name does not appear on the Records
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of Accomac County, Virginia, from February 21, 1692, to Octo- ber 4, 1698."-Briggs, American Presbyterianism, p. 118.
1699 .- "In October, 1699, Mr. Makemie obtained a formal license to preach, agreeably to the requirements of the Toleration Act, having previously received a certificate of his qualifications at Barbadoes." -- Sprague, Annals, p. 2. (See Dr. Bowen's Days of Makemie, p. 309.)
1703 .- The day before the death of Mrs. Mary Anderson (William's second wife), on the 12th of November, she spoke of Elizabeth Makemie, the first child of Francis Makemie. This, together with William Anderson's Will, proves that Elizabeth was born between the years 1698 and 1703 .- JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, September, 1907, p. 111.
1703 .- Contemplating "a Voyage to England," Makemie gives his wife, Naomi, power of attorney, to manage his affairs during his absence ; but, for some reason, seems to have postponed his voyage .- JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCITY, September, 1907, p. 109.
1704 .- Executed a power of attorney to his wife, May 30, reciting that he was about to depart for Europe .- JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, September, 1907, p. 115.
1705 .- Returned from Europe, bringing with him "John Hampton, an Irishman, and George McNish, a Scotchman."- Briggs, American Presbyterianism, p. 139.
1705 .- "There is record evidence of the fact, that there were five church edifices, and as many organized Presbyterian congregations, in Somerset County, on the 13th day of March, 1705 .. . . The Presbyterian Church in America owes a debt to the memory of Francis Makemie which has never been dis- charged."-Spence, Early History of the Presbyterian Church, pp. 82, 83.
1706 .- "In 1706, Makemie had the new church building at
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Rehoboth, which is the one still standing, erected on his own land."-Dr. J. S. Howk, Rehoboth by the River, p. 10.
1706 .- Dr. Alfred Nevin, in History of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, p. 64, says that the first meeting of the Presbytery was "in the spring of 1706." Dr. B. L. Agnew, in Westminster Anniversary Addresses, p. 165, also states that "the first classical assembly organized in this country was organized under the name of 'The Presbytery,' March 22, 1706." Presumably the meeting was held in the building of the First Presbyterian Church, erected before 1705, at Market and Bank Streets, Philadelphia. It is believed that Makemie was the first Moderator. His name is the first to appear on the oldest record extant. (Records of the Presbyterian Church, p. 9.) For an able presentation of this subject, see JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, March, 1905, pp. 9-24.
1706 .- "After the adjournment of the Presbytery of Phila- delphia, October 27, 1706, Francis Makemie took with him John Hampton, and set out on a journey to Boston."-Briggs, Ameri- can Presbyterianism, p. 152.
1707 .- On reaching New York, and preaching there, he was, in January, arrested by order of Lord Cornbury, for being, as alleged by Cornbury, "a strolling preacher," and "spreading pernicious doctrines." After spending nearly two months in prison, he was released on bail .- Bowen, Days of Makemie, pp. 420-448.
1707 .- On his way home to Virginia, he stopped in Phila- delphia, and attended the meeting of Presbytery, March 25. (See photographic copy of letter to Colman, in Presbyterian Historical Society, dated "Philadelphia, March 28, 1707.")
1707 .- In June, Mr. Makemie "returned from Virginia to New York to stand his trial."-Sprague, Annals, p. 3.
1707 .- "The Supreme Court met on Tuesday, March 11," at which time Makemie was present. "The grand jury examined four witnesses, who testified that Makemie preached no false
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doctrine. . The trial was set down for the June term; and Makemie, on his own bonds and those previously given, was allowed to depart .. . ... The law of the Province was, that all persons professing faith in God by Jesus Christ His only Son, may freely meet at convenient places and worship according to their respective persuasions." It will be seen from this that Makemie, in preaching in New York, was acting well within his legal rights .- Webster, History of the Presbyterian Church in America, pp. 304, 305.
1707 .- "Notwithstanding his acquittal, his bail was not discharged until he had paid the whole cost of the prosecution, amounting to the sum of eighty-three pounds, seven shillings and six pence."-Spence, Early History of the Presbyterian Church, p. 72.
1707 .- "The result of the trial was an acquittal by the jury.
He seems to have pursued his journey to New England, as he addressed a letter to Lord Cornbury from Boston, in July, 1707."-Sprague, Annals, p. 4. (See Dr. Bowen's Days of Makemie, pp. 477, 478.)
A bequest in Makemie's Will, made soon after, would indicate that Dr. Sprague had reached right conclusions, from the fact that "Mr. Jedediah Andrews, Minister at Philadelphia," is given "my new Cane bought and fixed in Boston."
1708 .- Makemie's Will was signed April 27. In it refer- ence is made to his wife and two daughters-his "Eldest Daugh- ter, Elizabeth Makemie," and his "youngest Daughter, Anne Makemie."-JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, September, 1907, pp. 125-130.
1708 .- The Will was ordered to be recorded August 4, show- ing that Makemie died between April 27 and August 4, at the age of fifty.
1708 .- Elizabeth, the older daughter, died during the sum- mer. She was probably about nine years of age. Her mother,
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Naomi Makemie, petitioned the Accomac County, Virginia, Court for administration papers on the 6th of October, 1708, "on the estate of Elizabeth Makemie, her daughter, late deceased, she dying intestate."-JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, December, 1907, p. 165.
1787-8 .- Makemie's younger daughter, Anne Makemie Holden, died, having been thrice married. She left no children, therefore Makemie has no lineal descendants. Mrs. Holden's Will is dated November 15, 1787, and was probated January 29, 1788. Between these two dates she died .- JOURNAL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, December, 1907, pp. 193-197.
1831 .- The only portrait of Makemie known to have been in existence (see Mrs. Holden's Will) was destroyed in the burn- ing of the home of Rev. Stephen Bloomer Balch, D. D., George- town, D. C., in 1831 .-- The Westminster, May 16, 1908, p. 10.
1888 .- July 1st, a tablet containing the following inscrip- tion was unveiled in the Rehoboth church by Rev. James Con- way, D. D .:
To FRANCIS MAKEMIE, FATHER OF THE AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, REHOBOTH, HIS FIRST AND FAVORITE CHILD: FOUNDED A. D. 1683.
These Sacred Grounds were Given by Him. He said: "Everything should tend Heavenward."
1908 .- On the 14th of May, a handsome stone monument was dedicated by the Presbyterian Historical Society, through the efforts of Dr. Henry C. McCook, to the memory of Francis Makemie, on the site of his grave, on the banks of Holden's
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Creek, Accomac County, Virginia. The following is the in- scription on the monument :
ERECTED IN GRATITUDE TO GOD
And in grateful remembrance of His servant and minister
FRANCIS MAKEMIE
who was born in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland, A. D. 1658 (?), was educated at Glasgow University, Scotland, and came as an ordained Evangelist to the American Colonies, A. D. 1683, at the request of Col. William Stevens, of Rehoboth, Maryland. A devoted and able preacher of our Lord's Gospel, he labored faithfully and freely for twenty-five years in Maryland, Virginia, the Barbadoes and elsewhere. A Christian gentleman, an enterprising man of affairs, a public-spirited citizen, a distinguished advocate of Religious Liberty, for which he suffered under the Governor of New York, he is especially remembered as
THE CHIEF FOUNDER OF ORGANIZED PRESBYTERY IN AMERICA, A. D. 1706, AND AS THE FIRST MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL PRESBYTERY.
He died at his home, whose site is nearby, in Accomack County, Vir- ginia, in the summer of A. D. 1708, and was buried in his family ceme- tery, located on this spot, now recovered from a long desecration and dedicated with this monument to his memory A. D. 1908, by the Ameri- can "Presbyterian Historical Society," seated at Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania.
NOTE .- The sources of information from which this chapter is compiled may be found in the library of The Presbyterian Historical Society, Witherspoon Building, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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