USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Shrewsbury > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 18
USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > Salemville > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 18
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"In testimony whereof the aforesaid Joseph Davis and Hannah, his wife, have hereunto set their hands and fixed seals the day and year first above written.
his "JOSEPH X DAVIS," [Seal]. mark
her "HANNAH & DAVIS," [Seal]. mark
"Signed and sealed
in the presence of us.
"JOSEPH JEFFREY,
"THO. S. NEELY.
"DODDRIDGE COUNTY COURT :-
"We, Joseph Jeffrey, Thomas S. Neeley, Justices of the Peace in the County aforesaid, and State of Virginia, do hereby certify that Joseph Davis, party to a certain deed bearing date 31st March, 1848, and hereto annexed, personally appeared before us in our County aforesaid, and acknowledged the same to be his act and deed and desired us to certify the same acknowledgment to the Clerk of the County Court in order that the said deed may be recorded.
"Given under our hands this the 31 day of March, 1848.
"JOSEPH JEFFREY, [Seal]. "THOS. S. NEELY," [Seal].
"DODDRIDGE COUNTY COURT :-
"We, Joseph Jeffrey, Thomas S. Neely, Justices of the Peace in the County aforesaid and State of Virginia, do hereby certify that Hannah Davis, the wife of Joseph Davis, party to a certain deed bear- ing date the 31st March, 1848. and hereunto annexed, personally appeared before us in our County aforesaid, and being examined by us privately and apart from her husband and having the said deed fully explained to her, the said Hannah Davis acknowledged the same to be
187
THE MIDDLE ISLAND CHURCH
her act and declared she wished not to retract the same, and had willingly signed the same.
"Given under our hands this 31st day of March, 1848.
"JOSEPH JEFFREY, [Seal], "THO. S. NEELY," [Seal].
"DODDRIDGE COUNTY COURT CLERK'S OFFICE, APRIL 14, 1848 :
"This deed of bargain and sale from Joseph Davis and wife to Joshua J. Davis and others, was this day presented in the Clerk's Office aforesaid, and the same was admitted to record.
"Teste. S. P. F. RANDOLPH, Clk." "Copy Teste. LUTHER E. KILE, Clerk."
Recorded in Deed Book No. 1, Page 286.
The deed for the lot where the present house of worship stands is as follows :-
"THIS DEED made this 31st day of October in the year 1865. between Amaziah Bee and Rhoda, his wife, Jepthah F. Randolph and Deborah, his wife, of the County of Doddridge and State of West Virginia, of the first part, and James B. Davis, Jepthah F. Randolph, and Amaziah Bee, Trustees, and their successors in office for the Sev- enth Day Baptists on the Meat House Fork of Middle Island Creek of the county and state aforesaid, of the second part,
"Witnesseth, That the said parties of the first part for and in con- sideration of the sum of one dollar, to them in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do grant unto the said parties of the second part a certain lot of land for the use and benefit of the aforesaid Seventh Day Baptists, said land being situate on the Meat House Fork of Middle Island Creek, in the County and State afore- said, and bounded as follows; to wit, Beginning at a small sycamore near the lower end of Jepthah F. Randolph's farm, and running thence N 64 E 136 feet, N 14 W 144 feet, S 74 W 100 feet, S 12 E 165 feet, to the beginning, containing about 72 square poles with all the appurtenances, with covenants of general warranty.
"Witness the following signatures and seals. "AMAZIAH BEE, [Seal], "RHODA BEE, [Seal],
"JEPTHAH F. RANDOLPH, [ Seal], "DEBORAH F. RANDOLPH." [ Seal]. "W. VA., DODDRIDGE COUNTY, TO WIT :-
"I, A. B. PARKS, a Justice of the Peace for the county aforesaid in the State of West Virginia, do hereby certify that Amaziah Bee and Rhoda, his wife, whose names are signed to this deed bearing date on the 31st day of October, 1865, have acknowledged the same before me in my county aforesaid, and the said Rhoda being examined by me privily and apart from her husband, and having the deed aforesaid
188 SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
fully explained to her, declared she had willingly executed the same and does not wish to retract it.
"Given under my hand this Ist day of Nov., 1865.
"A. B. PARKS, J. P., "In New Milton Township."
"WEST VA., DODDRIDGE COUNTY, TO WIT :-
"I, A. B. PARKS, a Justice of the Peace for the county aforesaid in the State of West Virginia, do hereby certify that Jepthah F. Randolph, and Deborah, his wife, whose names are signed to this deed bearing date on the 31st day of October, 1865, have acknowledged the same before me in my county aforesaid, and the said Deborah being examined by me privily and apart from her husband, and having the deed aforesaid fully explained to her, declared she had willingly executed the same, and does not wish to retract it.
"Given under my hand this 13th day of Nov. 1865. "A. B. PARKS, Justice."
PARSONAGE.
Some time in the spring of 1901, while a series of revival meetings was in progress at the church under the leadership of Rev. Judson G. Burdick, who was in the employ of the Board of Managers of the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society, the question of building a parsonage was broached. The church had just accepted the resignation of its pastor, Rev. David W. Leath, and a call had been extended to Rev. Darwin C. Lippincott, with whom the question of a suitable home for his family would enter largely into consideration when he made his final decision as to accepting the call.
At a special business meeting of the church held April 26, 1901, it was decided to purchase additional land adjoining the church lot, on which to build a parsonage. On July 17, 1901, Rhoda Bee (widow of Amaziah Bee), Thomas W. Noble and Keziah Noble, his wife, executed a deed to the Middle Island Church, for seven and a half acres of land adjoining the church lot, for the consideration of five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Already on June 30, 1901, the church had appointed a parsonage building committee, consisting of Rev. Darwin C. Lippincott, Ezekiel B. Kelley, Abner J. Davis, Varnum B. Lowther, and Linville B. Davis.
Rev. Darwin C. Lippincott was appointed chairman, Eze- kiel B. Kelley, treasurer of the committee, and Franklin F.
189
THE MIDDLE ISLAND CHURCH
Randolph, clerk. The committee was instructed to build a parsonage, and was clothed with power necessary to do so.
The committee immediately entered upon its duties, and in a few months the parsonage, together with a barn and other like accessories, was completed at an aggregate cost of some fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500.00).
GRAVEYARDS.
In addition to the graveyard at West Union owned by the church, there is another within a short distance of the present house of worship, originally given for that purpose by John Davis Bee, probably. At the present time, the owner of adjoin- ing land surrounding this graveyard is Franklin F. Randolph, from whom the church purchased an additional half acre adjoining the graveyard to be added to the original graveyard, at a cost of twenty-five dollars ($25.00). The deed for this addition was executed May 10, 1897.
PREACHING STATIONS.
As early as January 1, 1845, the Middle Island Church decided to hold its Quarterly Meetings at Middle Island and Meat House Fork, alternately. Probably there was no other preaching stations maintained by the church until after its re- organisation in 1867. Since the re-organisation, preaching stations have been maintained at various times by the church, on Long Run, the Bear Fork of Cove Creek (where the Con- ings Church is now situated), Rock Run, Hughes Fork of Buckeye Creek, and Lick Run. Lick Run is the only one of these stations still maintained by the Middle Island Church. The interests at other points mentioned are cared for by other churches.
PASTORS.
The first pastor of the Middle Island Church, under its re-organisation, was Rev. James B. Davis, who was called to that trust, September 4, 1868. He served the church for four years. Then followed an interim of two years and a half, during which the church had no recognised pastor, when Rev. James B. Davis was again chosen pastor for one year from March 6, 1874; and again on March 4, 1881, he was chosen pastor for one year.
From February 28, 1879, Rev. Lewis F. Randolph con- ducted the Quarterly Meetings for two years.
190 SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
Rev. Hiram P. Burdick was called, on October 30, 1887, to the pastorate, giving one-half of his time to the Middle Island Church and half of it to the Greenbrier Church.
For a year from January 26, 1890, Rev. John L. Huffman conducted the Quarterly Meetings.
On March 6, 1891, Rev. Marcus E. Martin was chosen pastor, and continued to give part of his time to the church, until May 1, 1899, when Rev. David W. Leath began his labours as pastor. David W. Leath served for two years and was succeeded on July I, 1901, by Rev. Darwin C. Lippincott, who has continued in that capacity to the date of this writing, August 1, 1902. Darwin C. Lippincott, while a student in Salem College, had previously done service for the church during the period of 1893 to 1896.
Rev. James B. Davis, from the time of the re-organisation of the church, up to the day of his removal from the bounds of the church in 1890, preached once a month and conducted Quarterly Meetings in the absence of any one else to officiate, whether he was pastor or not.
Amaziah Bee, a licentiate member of the church, also from the date of the re-organisation for a period of some twenty years, or until failing health forbade his continuing longer, preached for the church as often as once a month. He often supplied some preaching station besides.
Beginning with December, 1898, Samuel A. Ford, a licen- tiate member of the church, preached for the church once a month for two or three years.
In connection with the foregoing, it should be borne in mind that the church has never had a pastor who has given his entire time to the church. The pastor has either been some one devoting a part of his time to ministerial work, preaching once or twice a month for a mere nominal salary, and dependent upon daily labour upon a farm for his living ; or he has divided his time with one or more other churches.
LICENCED TO PREACH.
The records of the church show that the following were licenced to preach :-
August 31, 1866. Amaziah Bee was licenced to preach for a period of six months.
REV. JAMES BALL DAVIS.
19I
THE MIDDLE ISLAND CHURCH
March 1, 1867. Amaziah Bee was licenced "to preach when and where a door may open."
November 10, 1866. James B. Davis was licenced to preach for one year.
September 3, 1869. Granville H. Davis was licenced to preach within the bounds of the church for one year.
September 8, 1872. Albert Shock was licenced to preach "when and where a door may be opened."
March 17, 1893. Alvin M. Davis was granted licence to preach for one year, "when and where an opportunity may offer and a door of usefulness may be opened."
September 2, 1898. Samuel A. Ford was granted licence to preach "wherever opportunity affords."
March 2, 1900. William L. Davis was granted licence to preach "wherever opportunity offers for one year."
March 1, 1901. The licence of William L. Davis was renewed for one year.
March 1, 1867. James B. Davis was called by the church to ordi- nation; and on September 5, 1867, a council met with the Middle Island Church to consider the expediency of the ordination. The council was composed of the following members :-
From the New Salem Church :-
Lodowick H. Davis,
George Ford,
Richard Ford,
Jesse Clark,
Lloyd F. Randolph,
Fenton F. Randolph.
From the Lost Creek Church :-
William Kennedy,
Moses H. Davis, Walter Fields McWhorter.
From the Middle Island Church :-
Amaziah Bee, Stephen T. Davis.
The council recommended the ordination of the candidate. The ordination service was deferred, however, until early in the year, 1868, when it was conducted by Rev. Samuel D. Davis, of the Lost Creek Church, and Rev. Jacob Davis, of the New Salem Church. In the meantime, James B. Davis had been licenced by the church on Decem- ber 6, 1867, "to preach the Gospel of Christ when and where a door may open."
DEACONS.
The records of the church show that deacons were chosen and ordained as follows :-
January 4, 1867. Amaziah Bee was chosen deacon. He was relieved of this office on March 4, 1870.
192 SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
March 4, 1870. Walter Fields McWhorter and William Buckeye Davis were chosen deacons by the church, and were ordained on the following day.
September 1, 1876. Johnson J. Lowther was chosen deacon, and was ordained, December 2, following.
August 7, 1881. Charles L. Polan was chosen deacon. He was ordained on the 3d of the following September.
September 6, 1889. John A. Polan was chosen deacon, and ordained on December 7, following.
MODERATORS.
Until 1889, the church never had a standing moderator. The presiding officer was appointed for the day only, on which he served. The regular business meetings occurred four times a year, at the time of the Quarterly Meeting, or communion service.
During a period of twenty-three years, one hundred and twenty-one business meetings were held, of which one hun- dred and two were presided over by fourteen different mem- bers of the church; sixteen were presided over by members of other churches ; and of three, the presiding officers are not named.
The venerable Joseph Jeffrey, who had been one of the mainstays of the church during the first period of its existence, presided over four of the first five meetings of the second period.
Rev. James B. Davis presided over forty-one meetings, extending over a period of eighteen years. The following table serves to show these officers, together with the years in which they served, and the number of times each served :-
Names. Ycars in which they served. Times served.
Amaziah Bee,
1867-71, 12
Granville H. Davis,
1868-71,
James B. Davis,
1870-84, 1886-88, 11
William B. Davis,
1871-72, 1879, 3
Stephen T. Davis,
1875-78, 18SI, 6
Joseph Jeffrey,
1866-67, 1
Archibald W. Kelley,
1884-86, 1889, 7
John Leeson,
1882-83, 2
Johnson J. Lowther,
1876,1879-80, 1882-83,1885-86, 12
Walter Fields McWhorter,
1869-70, 1875, 3
I. Known as " Billy Buckeye." (12)
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THE MIDDLE ISLAND CHURCH
Names. Years in which they served. Times served.
John A. Polan,
1874,
I
Samuel Polan, IS69,
I
Franklin Fitz Randolph,
1887-1889, 5
James E. Willis,
1880, I
105
Non-members of the Middle Island Church, who on the occasion of visits to the business meetings of the church, were, out of courtesy, appointed moderator for the day.
Vamcs. Years in which they served. Times served.
I Charles A. Burdick, 1872-1874, 5
2 Hiram P. Burdick,
1888,
4
3 Jesse Clark, I
4Samuel D. Davis,
1887, 1889, 2
5 John L. Huffman,
1889,
I
6Abram Herbert Lewis, 186S, I
7Lewis F. Randolph, 1877, I
15
On December 6, 1889, the church elected Franklin F. Randolph permanent moderator for a term of one year, and year by year he has been re-elected to that office up to the present time.
CHURCH CLERKS.
At the church meeting held August 31, 1866, when it was determined to resuscitate and reorganise the church, Stephen Thorp Davis, who had been elected church clerk, August 26, 1852, served as clerk again. For the next three meetings held September 14, 1866; October 19, 1866; and November 30, 1866; Amaziah Bee acted as clerk.
At the next meeting held January 4, 1867, James Ball Davis was elected clerk for the day. The minutes of the meet- ings held March 1, 1867; and May 31, 1867, are attested by Stephen Thorp Davis, as clerk.
James Ball Davis then served as clerk until September 4, 1868, when Charles L. Polan was elected to that office perma-
I. General missionary on the West Virginia Field.
2. Pastor of the Middle Island and Greenbrier churches, jointly.
3. A deacon in the Greenbrier Church.
4. An ordained minister in the Salem Church.
5. Pastor of the Salem Church.
6. Representative of the American Sabbath Tract Society.
7. An ordained minister in the Greenbrier Church.
1887,
194 SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
nently. He continued to serve as clerk of the church until February 29, 1884, when he resigned and Linville Bee Davis, the present clerk, was elected in his stead.
On September 4, 1885, John A. Polan was elected assistant clerk. He, too, remains in the service, as originally elected.
MEMBERSHIP IN SUPERIOUR BODIES.
The Middle Island Church was admitted to membership in the General Conference at the annual session of the latter body, at Brookfield, New York, beginning September 6, 1832.
There is no record of membership of the church in the Western Association, and none of membership in the old South-Western Association. But upon the organisation of the Virginia Association in 1851, the Middle Island Church appears as one of its constituent members.
Upon the dissolution of the Virginia Association, the Mid- dle Island Church remained without associational connection until the organisation of the South-Eastern Association in 1872, when the church became a constituent member of the new body, with which it has always remained in harmony.
X. NORTH FORK OF HUGHES RIVER CHURCH.
D
OUBTLESS, the records of the North Fork of Hughes River Church were never more than extremely meagre; and whatever there may have been, have long since disappeared from view and been forgotten.
As a natural consequence, the story of the church must be woven from mere fragments, gathered from sources as widely scattered, as they are strangely diversi- fied.
The church is really but a memory today, and that mem- ory, reluctant and sluggish at best, is taxed to its utmost to recall anything of the history of the church; for there are but mere fleeting, elusive touches, here and there, to serve as land- marks whereby such a memory may be compelled to yield up its secrets.
The material for the following very brief history of the church has been gathered principally from letters written by Rev. Charles A. Burdick to the Sabbath Recorder, while he was engaged in missionary labour in West Virginia; from the Autobiography of Alexander Campbell; from the minutes of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference; from the min- utes of the old South-Western Association, as well as the Virginia Association; from the records of the Lost Creek Church ; from the Sharpless Genealogy; and from various other sources, including the memories of people now living.
The result is by no means satisfactory, but it is the best that can be secured from available trustworthy material.
196 SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
This church centres around the history of one man, Lewis Bond, who was born in Cecil County, Maryland, February 16, 1780. He was one of a family of fifteen children. His father, Richard Clayton Bond, was born in the same county in 1727 or 1728.
About the year 1800 or ISO1, Richard Clayton Bond emi- grated with some six of his children, to that part of Harrison County in West Virginia, now included in the bounds of the Lost Creek Church. Here he died in the year 1819.
Lewis Bond, who was about twenty years of age when his father moved to western Virginia, was married October 15, 1805, to Lydia John, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, daugh- ter of John John and Elisabeth David, the daughter of Rev. Enoch David of the Woodbridgetown Church.
In 1813, Lewis Bond with his family removed to Brook- ville, Indiana. In 1816, some three years before the death of his father, he returned to western Virginia, and settled on the head waters of the North Fork of Hughes River, about five miles above the present village of Toll Gate, which is a few miles west of the present village of West Union in Doddridge County, and not far from the present village of Pennsboro in Ritchie County.
Lewis and Lydia Bond had eleven children. They were as follows :--
ALFRED J., married Pamela Allen.
EDWIN PASSMORE, (M. D. and Rev.), married Louisa John.
ETHELBERT D. (M. D. and surveyor).1 Married daughter of Captain Nathan Davis. Lived at West Union, Doddridge County, Virginia.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, married Frances Nicholson, and, for his second wife, Adelia Coon. Adelia Coon was the daughter of Rev. Stillman Coon, of Milton, Wisconsin.
REBECCA E., married William P. Bond.
THOMAS, died in an insane asylum. CASSANDRA, married Simeon Bond. RICHARD C., married Eliza Bliven. MARY ANN, married Thomas Boothe Bond. LYDIA, married Daniel D. Kildow.
1. Ethelbert D. Bond was the surveyor who laid out the village of West Union, the county seat of Doddridge County, when it was established by an act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, passed in February, 1845. He was also one of the leading spirits in establishing the West Union Academy, as related in the chapter on the West Union Academy.
197
NORTH FORK CHURCH
At his home on the North Fork of Hughes River, Lewis Bond was visited by the missionaries sent to western Virginia by the Missionary Board in its early operations, as related in a subsequent chapter on Missions.
As a result of one of the visits of Alexander Campbell in 1833, a church was organised here in that year, consisting of some eight or nine members, of whom four were Lewis Bond and his wife, and his son Ethelbert and his wife. The remain- ing members of the church were, in all probability, other members of Lewis Bond's family.
Lewis Bond was appointed deacon and ordained to that office. He was also licenced to preach, and served for many years as the pastor of the church. His son Ethelbert D. Bond was the clerk of the church.
In 1837, the church became a member of the Western Association, which had been but recently organised, at its annual session held with the church at Alfred, New York, in June of that year. At that time the North Fork of Hughes River Church consisted of nine members and for the past year, had neither increased nor decreased in membership. In its com- munication to the Western Association requesting membership in that body, the church said, "We desire your prayers for us, a small branch, that we may extend as the watered tree, far and wide."
By virtue of its membership in the Western Association, the North Fork of Hughes River Church became a member of the General Conference. But there is no record of the church ever having reported directly to Conference.
When the South-Western Association was organised in 1839, the North Fork of Hughes River Church was one of its constituent members, and its deacon and pastor, Lewis Bond, presided as moderator at the first annual session of that asso- ciation. He was also honoured with the appointment as dele- gate from that association to the next annual session of the Western Association.
In 1839 the North Fork of Hughes River Church reported a membership of seven. With the exception of the years 1841 and 1842, the church reported regularly to the South- Western Association until 1845, when it reported for the last time. When the Virginia Association was organised in
198 SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN IVEST VIRGINIA
1851, by the division of the South-Western Association into the Virginia and the Ohio associations, the North Fork of Hughes River Church was extinct.
On March 13, 1857, Lewis Bond and his wife, Lydia, applied for membership in the Lost Creek Church, as they had moved to Quiet Dell in the bounds of the Lost Creek Church. They were accepted as members of the Lost Creek Church, and Lewis Bond was continued as a deacon and a licentiate in that church. He died April 14, 1867.
.
L
6%
6%
XI.
SOUTH FORK OF HUGHES RIVER, OR PINE GROVE, CHURCH.
XIX
T
XXXXX
XXX
"XXXXEHE records of this church begin as follows :-
"JANUARY THE 25TH, 1842.
"Whereas, We, the Seventh Day Baptist Church of the South Fork of Hughes River do deem it our indispen- sible duty to show to the rising genera- tion a statistical account of the rise and progress of this church to the present date, [the following record is made] :- "By the preaching of the Gospel and
XXXXX perusing the Word of God, we saw it to be our indispensible duty to follow our Saviour into the liquid grave; and in the year 1833, there were immersed by Elder Peter Davis, nine; namely,
"GEORGE STARKEY,
"SARAH STARKEY,
"DECATUR LOWTHER,
"JONATHAN C. LOWTHER,
"JOHN C. STARKEY,
"REBECCA LOWTHER,
"MARGARET LOWTHER,
"MARY LOWTHER, "DORINDA LOWTHER.
"By carefully and prayerfully perusing the Bible, we saw that we were living in violation of the Fourth Precept of the Decalogue by observing the First Day of the week for the Sabbath in preference to the Seventh, which we clearly discovered to be a violation of God's moral government of the universe.
"Whereupon, Being determined to follow God in all His fast requirements contained in His Word, upon the first Seventh Day [of the week] in June, 1834, we changed our practise from the observance of the First Day of the week, to the Seventh, for the Sabbath.
"Upon the 13th day of July, 1834, we were constituted a church by Elder Peter Davis, upon the Word of God; being truly convinced that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doc-
200
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thereby furnished unto all good works, agreeable to the constitution to which our names are annexed, which reads thus :-
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