USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > The Garrison Church; sketches of the history of St. Thomas' Parish, Garrison Forest, Baltimore County, Maryland, 1742-1852 > Part 3
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The ministry of Mr. Cradock was continued until May 7, 1770. On that day he died, having been the incumbent of St. Thomas' Parish more than twenty- five years. He was buried where his monument is still seen in St. Thomas' Church yard. He left behind him
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nDr. Cradock's Deatb.
a widow, two sons and a daughter. His widow survived him twenty-five years, and died August 20, 1795, aet. 67.
At the close of Mr. Cradock's ministry he left a parish with a large population, furnishing a support of nearly $1000 per anmim. At the same time it was a united parish, having no dissenting place of worship in it, so far as now known, save a Friends' Meeting House in the north-east part, nearly ten miles distant from the church and two miles west of Cockeysville; and this was probably in existence while St. Thomas' was a part of St. Paul's Parisli, before Mr. Cradock came into the province."" The number of communicants in the later years of his ministry was large. It is a matter of regret that it was not then as now the eustom to keep a register of their names; but their number is still remembered. His dangliter was accustomed, in after times, to tell of having been present at the Holy Communion in St. Thomas' when there were present more than one hundred communicants.
1; Mr. Allen has overlooked, what he must have well known, that the Saters' [ Baptist] Meeting House was built about the same time as St Thomas' Church.
CHAPTER V.
WILLIAM EDMISTON.
R. CRADOCK was succeeded in St. Thomas' by the Rev. William Edmiston. On the nineteenth of May, 1770, as the records show, he presented to the Vestry his letters mandate and induction from His Excellency, Robert Eden, Esq., Governor of the Province of Mary- land.
Mr. Edmiston appears to have been a native of Pennsylvania. He was educated at the college in Philadelphia. He studied for the ministry in the Pres- byterian connection, but afterward repaired to England and was ordained deacon by the Bishop of Lincoln, March 15, 1767; was ordained priest by the Bishop of Oxford, on the twenty-ninth of March, at St. James', Westminster, and on the thirtieth he was licensed to Pennsylvania by the Bishop of London, under whose Episcopal jurisdiction were all the colonies. He could not long have staid in that province, for he soon became Curate in St. James', Anne Arundel, and March 30, 1768, he became Rector of St. Ann's, Annapolis. On the twenty-first of July he was married to Miss Maria
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The Garrison Church.
Edward Dorsey, and John Elder, March 3, 1771. 1772. The fourth of May, 1772, it was ordered that a chalice and paten be purchased, and also one yard and a half of green eloth to cover the Communion Table ; [an entry on the account books oceurs as follows : September 4, 1773, paid Gabriel Lewin for making silver plate and cup for the Communion {26. 14s. 9d.] During this year ( 1772) we find the first written state- ment respecting the Methodists in this parish. In the journal of Mr. Francis Asbury, subsequently known as Bishop Asbury, under date of November 24, 1772, he says that he "came to his old friend, Joshua Owings the Forest home for the Methodists." Mr. Joshua Owings was one of the first vestry when St. Thomas' Parish was organized twenty-seven years before, and a vestryman and church warden a um- ber of times afterwards. Mr. Asbury calls it "an agreeable house and family", and the old man "an Israelite indeed." "One son, Richard, was a preacher, and many people were there." Mr. Owings lived north-west from the arsenal and south from the church.''
Six years previous, Robert Strawbridge, a Methio- dist, from Ireland, had settled in Frederick, near Pipe Creek, and two years afterwards built there "the log meeting house." This was the begin- ning of the Methodists in the colony. He held
1. The Parish Register shows his children by his wife Mary to have been John Cockey. born January 11. 1736; Richard. November 13. 1735; Joshua, March 22, 1740 ; Edward. November 17. 1713 : Michael, February 12. 1745 ; Marcella. July 5. 1545.
ยท
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The Methodists.
public meetings and traveled as a preacher. Richard Owings was probably one of his converts.
At the time Mr. Asbury paid this visit, and for twelve years after, the Methodist preachers refused to baptize or administer the Holy Communion, and required the members of their classes to attend the Church and receive the Sacraments there. Thus, in June, 1773, at Philadelphia, "the following rules were agreed to by all the preachers present : Ist. Every preacher who acts in connection with Mr. Wesley, and the brethren who labor in America, is strictly to avoid the administering the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. 2d. All the people among whom we labor to be earnestly exhorted to attend the church and to receive the ordinances there; but in a particular manner to press the people in Maryland and Virginia to the observance of this minute." Such is the record in the minutes of the Methodist Conference of that year. Besides, they held their preaching at a different hour from the services of the church, so that their members might attend them. And Mr. Asbury held this language to the clergy, " I come to assist you not to draw away the people from the church." [Journal Vol. I, p. 36.] Six years after (1779) stands this question in the Methodist Minutes (page 19), " Shall we guard against separation from the Church?" Answer-" By all means." Such was the decision of the Conference then.
The Methodists at that time in the parish were held to be members of the Church. They were simply a
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The Garrison Church.
religious party in it, and protested against separating, and their earnest zeal drew many into their connection, while it did not profess to withdraw them from the church. There was a preaching house at Westminster, then called Winchester, though not finished (Asbury, page 34). This was doubtless the first in the parish. In the coming year (1773), February 24th, Mr. Asbury writes thus: " I went to J. D's " [John Doughaday, who in 1765, '66, '67 had been a vestryman in the parish and lived near the Beaver Dam, east from the church], "where many people attended My old opponent, Mr. E. [Edmiston], met me here, but he did not appear so forward as he had been." We are here shown that Mr. Asbury felt Mr. Edmiston to be opposed to him. Consequently all the Methodists were found in oppo- sition to Mr. Edmiston. During the early part of this year Mr. Asbury had monthly appointments at Mr. Owings' (pp. 40, 42, 43, 46). He had a class there, and tells us that "several rich people attended " the preaching.
In this year the chapel at " The Forks " had been finished, and October 12, 1773, Robert Tevis and John Elder were appointed a committee by the Vestry, and {. 50 were allowed them to put seats in a chapel on the Forks of the Falls. In the next year the Vestry ordered a Prayer Book for it, and spoke of it as the " chapel near Mr. Welch's."
About this time the Presbyterians and Baptists commenced their services. The former built a meeting
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The Quebec Bill.
house on the Liberty Road, five or six miles west of St. Thomas' Church. The Baptists built what was called the " clapboard meeting house," about two miles north of Reisterstown.
Besides all these drawbacks, Mr. Edmiston came in for his share of the popular odium which was visited upon the clergy from their being supported by a general tax, paid by all of every denomination. Mr. Edmiston's support from the parish must have been nominally $ 1 500, while the Methodist preachers received only about $64 and their traveling expenses. They did not "preach for pay." This was their boast.
1775. The political revolution which had so long been ripening was now come, and it found the Rector of St. Thomas' not only in the political minority, but a violent partisan of that minority -- he was a Tory. This was enough. Ahnost the entire population was arrayed against the Church.
Some time during the latter part of the year 1774, Mr. Edmiston had publicly approved of the Quebec Bill, so-called, and had publicly asserted that all persons who mustered were guilty of treason. Nay, more, that such of them as had taken the oath of allegiance, as the officers of the Parish had all done, and afterwards took up arms were guilty of perjury. The county "com- mittee of observation" hearing of this-for it was said publicly, and before some of this very committee- decided that such declarations had a tendency to defeat the measures recommended for the preservation of
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The Garrison Church.
America, and that it was their duty to take notice of persons guilty of such offences. Consequently a copy of the charge against him was sent to Mr. Edmiston, and he was summoned to appear before them. Although they were not clothed with any power of law, yet as their judgment was liable to be enforced by popular violence, and Mr. Edmiston quailed and obeyed the summons. After taking two hours, which were given lim to consider the matter, he returned the following confession (see Maryland Garette, Jannary 17, 1775). After acknowledging that he had said what was charged upon him, and having explained what he meant by the charge of perjury, he added, "I solemnly promise to avoid giving any just cause of offence by propagating any opinion opposite to the decisions of the Continental Congress, or Provincial Convention. And upon the most serious reflection I disapprove of the Quebec Bill, as it establishes the Roman Catholic religion in Quebec, abolishes the equitable system of English laws, and erects a tyranny there to the great danger (from so total a dissimilarity of religion, law and government) of the neighboring British Provinces, by the assistance of whose blood and treasure the said country was conquered. I tenderly love my country. I wish for her prosperity, and devoutly pray that the present conflict may termi-
nate to hier advantage * William Edmiston." But lie had already ruined himself with the people of his parish, and did not venture to appear again in the pulpit. In the midst of the excited popular feeling it was not
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The Tory RRector.
safe for him to remain, and on the tenth of September, 1775, he sailed for England, leaving his wife and daughter in the care of Sammel Owings, Esq. After some time he sent for his family, and he, himself, never returned. In 1782, an Act of Assembly was obtained for his relief, enabling him to dispose of his property.
Mr. Edmiston was a well-educated and energetic man, against whose moral character no charge was made.
The church was identified with its minister, and much of the feeling which lent itself to drive him away was next turned to the destruction of the church itself.
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CHAPTER VI.
THOMAS HOPKINSON, CURATE.
HE VESTRY was not content that the Parish should remain vacant. On the third of October it was ordered that the clerk advertise for the parishioners to attend the Vestry on the 17th, in order to employ a new minister, as the Rev. Mr. Edmiston had left the parish without informing either the Vestry or the parishioners. On the 17th a meeting was held but adjourned, without transacting any business, to the 31st, in order that there - might be a larger attendance. The day came and at that meeting it was agreed to write and sign a petition to His Excellency, the Governor. The Vestry then were Joseph Cromwell, Jr., Charles Dorsey of Nichs., Thomas Bennett, Dr. John Cradoek, and John Eager Howard. What was the result of the petition there was no record made to show, but a note written on a page near the end of the book containing the Vestry's pro- ceedings, signed by Joseph Gist, then Register states. " The Rev. William Edmiston left St. Thomas' Parish the tenth of September, and the Rev. Thomas Hopkinson came into the said parish the tenth day
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The Vestry Renounce Allegiance.
of December, 1775. We had no minister at all in the parish for the term of three months."
THE REV. THOMAS HOPKINSON, CURATE. In the records at Annapolis it is found that Governor Eden licensed Mr. Hopkinson November 22d as enrate, with one moiety of the parish ineome; the other was to be paid to Mrs. Edmiston.
Mr. Hopkinson was a native of Pennsylvania. He was the son of Thomas Hopkinson, Esq., who emi- grated to this country with his wife, the niece of the Bishop of Worcester, and he was a brother of Francis Hopkinson, born 1737, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Hopkinson was ordained in Eng- land and licensed by the Bishop of London, September 24, 1773. He was then a young man, and had been in the ministry but a little more than two years when he came to Maryland and became Rector (curate) of St. 'Thomas'.
On the eleventh of June, 1776, the former oaths of office for qualifying vestrymen, and other church officers were cast aside, and Mr. Thomas Cradock, a newly elected vestryman, was qualified according to the resolves of the Provincial Convention of Mary- land. Allegiance to the King of Great Britian was thus actually renounced by the Vestry of St. Thomas' twenty-three days previous to the Declaration of Inde- pendence.
On the same day (June eleventh) the Vestry's records show that Mr. Hopkinson announced his
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The Garrison Church.
intention to leave the parish. It is said, however, that he remained one year from the date of his coming, and then returned to Pennsylvania. He was afterwards Rector of Shrewsbury Parish, Kent County, (1778), but resigned there October 4, 1779. In 1784 he became the minister of Kingston Parish, Matthews County, Virginia, which position he appears to have held till 17SS. In the Maryland Gasette of that year there is this paragraph : "On the twenty-sixth of May, 1788, died in Charles County, Maryland, at the residence of B. Fendall, Esq., the Rev. Thomas Hopkinson between thirty and forty years of age." He was probably about thirty-nine, and appears to have been on his way home to Philadelphia.
If tradition be true there was no reason to regret his leaving the Parish, for his dissipation gave a well- nigh finishing blow to the church. Before he left, however, the church had been entirely deprived of her temporal support, for, by the Act of the Provincial Con- vention, in November, the laws for the support of the clergy ceased to exist.
From the time of Mr. Hopkinson's leaving no Vestry meeting was held until May 20, 1777, when the only thing recorded to have been done was to " adjourn until further emergencies." There was not only 110 minister in the parish, but there was no Vestry appointed for this year.
On the fourteenth of June died Cornelius Howard, Esq., aet 71. He was the first church warden when the
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ffrancis Asbury.
parish was organized in 1745, and frequently thereafter a vestryman. (1)
As showing something about matters in the parish, the following is taken from the Journal of the Rev. Francis Asbury, Vol. I, p. 194 ; edition 1821. "1777, August 26, T. W. (Thomas Worthington) informed me that they had made choice of me to preach in the Garrettson (Garrison) Church. But I shall do nothing that will separate me from my brethren. I hope to live and die a Methodist." This information, however, was not authorized by the Vestry, for there was none. Con- sequently the choice could not have come from that source.
1779. The next meeting of the Vestry was on the sixth of June, 1779. At that time a Vestry was elected under the provisions of the Act of the General Assembly, entitled " An Act for the establishment of select Vestries," passed at its March session. The Act of 1692, as subsequently modified and amended, had by the Revolution been done away, and both the clergy and people of the church seemed to suppose that all was
(1) He owned a large tract of land about two miles south of the church, and the ruins of his house may yet be seen, near the residence of Mr William B. Chaves ; and just back of it is the family burying.ground, where his tomb can yet be seen. In Ges as the owner of the land lying immediately on the west of what was then Balti. more-town. he added to it that part of the present city south of saratoga, between Forest (now Charles Street) and Liberty, including Fratt and Conway Street- on the south. January 24. 1739, he married Kuth Eager, who had inherited land lying west and north of Baltimore-town. She died November 17. 1799, aged seventy-five sears, six months. Their children were George, horn March 12, 1740, and died September in. 1506. Rachel, May 5. 1743. died December, 1550: Joshua, September 24, 175, died October 15, 1707. Ruth, 171;, who married Charles Elder, Teb ruatry 20, 1726. Rachel, October If. 1549. John Enger, June -1. 175. Cornelin- December 2. 1754 James, July s. 1752, ched unmarried, July 11. p . , Violetta. Sep- tomber 22, 1,50, Who married Joseph West. December 9. 11. Philip. September r. 1992, Who died August 14 1 ; and Anne July to, 1255 whodied Decem'il
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The Garrison Church.
lost, and nothing could be done by them in any church capacity but under authority of civil enactment,-and nothing was done. But now that the Act was passed, at a meeting of parishioners for that purpose, the following named gentlemen were elected Vestrymen : Sammel Worthington, Robert Tevis, John Cockey Owings, Charles Walker, Dr. Jolin Cradock and Capt. Benjamin Nicholson. Charles Carnan and Dr. Thomas Cradock were chosen church wardens. Four of these six vestrymen were residents and near neighbors in the Western Run Valley, in which St. John's Church-in- the-Valley now is. It is worthy of remark that the two sons and the son-in-law of the first Rector were among the number elected. Indeed, it is said, that but for them no election would have been made, and but little effort to save the church.
1780. On the fifteenth of March, 17So, the Vestry empowered Mr. Thomas Gist to lay the state of the parish before their brethren of St. Paul's Parish, Balti- more-town, and request their Christian aid and attention by indulging them with the services of the minister a certain part of the time, for which service the Vestry of St. Thomas' Parish agreed to pay him in such manner and proportion as he the said minister and Thomas Gist shall agree upon ; provided, that it does not exceed 250 bushels of grain for one-third of his time, and so in proportion. If the grain offered were wheat, and sixty cents per bushel was the highest price said to be paid at that time, the offer would amount to about $150, which
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William Test.
shows the very depressed state of the parish in its money matters. The proposition showed the reviving desire of the Vestry and others to have the church opened for Divine service. But Mr. Gist was unable to go to Baltimore at that time, and on the twenty- seventh Mr. Thomas Cradock was appointed to take his place. The application was accordingly made, and on the twenty-fifth of April, as the records of St. Paul's Vestry state, they granted leave to Mr. West to attend St. Thomas', as desired, every third Sunday. This arrangement continued two years.
The following sketch of the Rev. William West is taken(1) from Dr. Allen's manuscript history of St. Paul's Parish.
The Rev. William West was born in Halifax County, Virginia, August 17, 1737, in the neighbor- hood of the residence of General Washington, Mount Vernon. From this circumstance grew up an intimacy between the General and himself, and their families, which ended only with life.
He was ordained by the Bishop of London, and licensed by him for Virginia, November 24, 1761. Angust 5, 1763, he was incumbent of St. Margaret's Westminster Parish, in Anne Arundel County. No- vember 17, 1767, he became incumbent of St. Andrew's Parish, St. Mary's County.
April 28, 1768, he was married by Rev. Mr. Chase to Susan, daughter of Dr. James Walker. In 1772
(1) Through the courtesy of Mr William H Corner
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The Garrison Church.
he moved to Harford County, and became incumbent of St. George's Parish.
June 7. 1779, he was chosen by the Vestry as Rector of St. Paul's Parish, Baltimore.
April 3, 1780, he was granted leave to officiate at St. Thomas' Church every third Sunday. He died Wednesday, March 30, 1791, of putrid fever, which was epidemic at the time in Baltimore. He was shortly to have married, for the second time, Mrs. Hudson, widow of Mr. Jonathan Hudson. She was made one of Dr. West's executors in his will. He left three chil- dren-George William, Margaret and Sybil. Sybil married Mr. Francis Holland ; Margaret married Col. John Beall Howard. He was succeeded as Rector of St. Paul's Parish by Rev. Joseph Grove John Bend.
REV. JOHN ANDREW'S, D. D. 1 1om a Portrait by Sulle .
CHAPTER VII.
JOHN ANDREWS.
HE locum tenens of Mr. West continued two years, during which time the Vestry made two attempts to secure the services of a resident clergyman, offering the parish at one time to the Rev. John Andrews, then in Carlisle, Pa., and again in January, 1782, to the Rev. Mr. Claggett, who afterward became the first Bishop of Maryland; but these invitations were both declined. But the application to Mr. Andrews was renewed, and on the thirteenth of April, 1782, he accepted the call for one year. The engagement was to give him $532, in specie, for his services-one half part of his time. The amount thus stipulated showed the estimate which was placed upon his services, and also the increased ability of the parish. Mr. West's occasional ministry had unquestionably brought about a more favorable condition of affairs.
The Rev. Mr. Andrews was the son of Moses and Letitia Andrews, of Cecil County, Md. He was born six miles from the head of the Elk, April 4, 1746. Having graduated at the college of Philadelphia, in
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The Garrison Church.
1765, he became tutor in the grammar school for a year, and then took charge of a classical school in Lancaster, Pa., where, meanwhile, he studied for the holy ministry under the Rev. Mr. Barton. At length repairing to England he was ordained by the Bishop of St. David's, at the request of the Bishop of London, February 2, 1767, and was licensed for Pennsylvania, February 17th. On his return he entered upon the duties of his appoint- ment by the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel," in the church at Lewes, Del., and continued there three years, but the climate proving unfavorable he left there, and subsequently had charge of the churches in York and Carlisle, Pa. There, in 1772, June 25th, he was married to Elizabeth, the daughter of Robert and Mary Callender, of Cumberland County, in that State.(1) On May 8, 1773, he was appointed by Governor Eden the incumbent of Christ Church, Kent Island, Md., but on the twenty-sixth of the same month he was appointed and took charge of St. John's Parish, Queen Anne and Caroline Counties, Md. The clergy of Maryland were deprived of their livings in November, 1776, and in the spring of 1777 he returned to York and established a classical school.
At the same time that he was Rector of St. Thomas' Parish he was also Rector of St. James' Parish, dividing his time equally between the two parishes.
His children were Robert, John, Letitia, Mary, Joseph, William Neill, George, Eliza- heth, Callender, Edward and Mary Benger.
A very interesting "Genealogy of the Andrews Family and Alliance, with Biographical Sketches," has been compiled by Mr. Robert S. Andrews, Fast Orange, N J.
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Organization of the Church in Maryland.
During the second year of Mr. Andrews' Rector- ship ( 1783), soon after the commencement of Washington College, at Chestertown, in May, the clergymen there present agreed to invite their brethren in the ministry to meet in the following August, at Annapolis. This invitation was well responded to, and at this meeting it was agreed to hold another, at which each clergyman should be attended by a lay-delegate from his parish, on the twenty-second of June, 1784, in the same city. This convention was attended by Mr Andrews and Dr. John Cradock, from St. Thomas' Parish, and it was at this time that the Protestant Episcopal Church in Maryland, which before had been known as the Church of England, was organized under constitution and canons of its own.
At the following Christmas the Rev. Dr. Coke (a Presbyter of the Church of England, in connection with Mr. Wesley) and Mr. Asbury met in conference with the other Methodist preachers in the United States, at Baltimore. Up to that time these preachers held themselves to be " lay-preachers" only, and never baptized or administered the Communion, but required members of their classes in Maryland to repair for these ordinances to " the Church," as they then called the Episcopal Church, they themselves never having been ordained. But now they formed themselves into an independent Episcopal Church. And Mr. Asbury and the other preachers were ordained by Dr. Coke and some others. They had also a book prepared for the Methodists, by Mr. Wesley, called " The Sunday Service
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The Garrison Church.
of the Methodists," which was substantially the same as the " Book of Common Prayer," including in it the thirty-nine articles revised.
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