USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Historical discourse delivered on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church : Chester County, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1870 > Part 3
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" We implore the blessing of our gracious Lord upon his person and his voyage, and hope that wherever he may be disposed of, he may have the rewards and comforts of a patient continuance in well doing to attend him."
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On the same day on which Mr. Boyd became a member of Presbytery, he was sent as a supply to Octorara, with directions to collect a congregation also at Pequea, and take the necessary steps towards its organization. He was so acceptable to the people that at the next meeting of Presbytery, September 14, 1724, a call was presented for his services as a pastor by Cornelius Rowan and Arthur Park, repre- sentatives of the people at Octorara and Pickqua. This call was accepted by him on the 6th of October, and at the urgent request of the commissioners who presented it, that an early day should be fixed for his ordination, the Presbytery met at the " Ackterara Meeting House" on the 13th of October, 1724, for that purpose.
At this meeting of Presbytery-the first held on this spot-there were present as members, Thomas Craighead, of White Clay creek, George Gillespie, of Head of Christiana, Henry Hook, of Drawyers, Thomas Evans, of Pencader, and Alexander Hutchin- son, of Bohemia, ministers, and Peter Bouchelle, elder. Mr. Craighead presided as Moderator.
Mr. Boyd having passed the usual examination, the minutes of Presbytery record that " Proclamation being made three times by Mr. George Gillespie, at the door of the meeting-house of Octorara, that if any person had any thing to object against the ordaining of Mr. Adam Boyd, they should make it known to the Presbytery now sitting, and no objection being made, they proceeded to his ordination, solemnly setting him apart to the work of the ministry, with
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prayer and imposition of the hands of the Presbytery. Mr. Henry Hook preaching the ordination sermon, and presiding in the work."
Cornelius Rowan and Arthur Park, who repre- sented the congregation in prosecuting the call for Mr. Boyd, were natives of the north of Ireland, and were, of course, among the very earliest settlers of this region. As they are the first names of which we have any mention in connection with this congre- gation, a brief reference to them may not be unin- teresting.
Cornelius Rowan resided south of the present village of Cochranville, and was evidently somewhat advanced in years. He died in August, 1725, less than one year after the installation of Mr. Boyd. In his will he speaks of himself as "late from Ireland," and mentions his wife Ann "now in Ireland." He left a son Abraham Rowan, and a daughter Ann, the wife of James Cochran, of Octorara. The persons appointed to execute his will, were his son-in-law, James Cochran, James Moore of New London, and Rev. Adam Boyd, whom he calls " minister of Octo- rara." His daughter Ann, the wife of James Cochran, left seven children, Robert, John, George, Stephen, Jane, and James Cochran, and Ann, the wife of Rev. John Roan.
The Cochran family were among the early emi- grants. Three brothers, David, Robert, and James came from Scotland, and settled in the neighborhood of the present village of Cochranville. Their de- scendants have been numerous, and some of them
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have occupied positions of honor and influence. Samuel Cochran, a descendant of James and his wife Ann, the daughter of Cornelius Rowan, and a son of Stephen Cochran, was for a number of years Surveyor General of Pennsylvania, and filled the office of State Senator. The Cochrans were among the early mem- bers of this congregation. Some time after the organization of Fagg's Manor, they transferred their membership to that church, it being nearer their place of abode. James Cochran was one of its first ruling elders. Their place of burial, however, has always, until recently, been in the graveyard of this Church, where numerous stones, erected to perpetuate the memory of the different members of the family, may be seen.
Arthur Park was a native of Ballylagby, in county Donegal, Ireland. He, with his wife Mary and four children, Joseph, John and Samuel Park, and a daughter, the wife of William Noblett, came to this country prior to 1724. His brothers, Samuel and David, and his sister Jane, emigrated at the same time.
Arthur Park took up by warrant all the lands now embraced in the farms occupied by Adam Reid, Hood Reece, John Parke, John Andrew Parke, J. Wilson Hershberger, Walter Sutton and brother, and S. Butler Windle. He resided in the house formerly occupied by J. Wilson Hershberger, a short distance west of the Limestone road, which was the homestead, and died there in February, 1740. He devised the lands I have mentioned to his sons Joseph and John, subject to the
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payment of legacies to the other heirs. These sons divided the real estate between them ; Joseph taking the southern part, embracing the farms now of J. W. Hershberger, the Messrs. Sutton and S. B. Windle, and John taking the northern part, covering the farms now of John Park, Adam Reid, and Hood Reece. Joseph Park, after his father's death, resided for a time at the old homestead, and then sold his lands and removed to Georgia. John Park erected a dwell- ing on the part taken by him, where the present John Parke resides. He died July 28, 1787, at the age of eighty-one years. His wife Elizabeth died May 21, 1794, at the age of eighty-two years. Their children were Arthur, Joseph, John, William, Mary, Elizabeth, Jane, David and Samuel, the last of whom died young. The entire Parke family, in this section of the country, together with many families bearing other honored surnames, are their descendants. It has furnished this church with five ruling elders, in five successive generations,-two of them bearing the name of Arthur, and three that of John,-and has also furnished four ministers-the late Rev. Samuel Parke, and his son, Rev. Nathan Grier Parke, the Rev. Samuel T. Lowrie, and the Rev. John L. With- row. The name was originally spelled Park, but the later generations spell it Parke. Members of the family of the seventh generation from the original Arthur Park, are present within these walls to-day.
When the emigrant Arthur Park came from Ire- land, he brought with him, among other household articles, a pewter platter, about seventeen inches in
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diameter, which has been preserved, and is now in the possession of one of his descendants. The letters A. M. P., the initials of the names of Arthur and Mary Park, are stamped upon it.
The Rev. Adam Boyd, at the time of his ordina- tion, was about thirty-two years of age. Ten days thereafter he was married to Jane, the daughter of Rev. Thomas Craighead. His field of labor, when he became the pastor of this church, was quite extensive, and embraced not only its present territory, but covered also that belonging to the present congrega- tions of Fork of Brandywine, Middle Octorara, Lea- cock, Pequea, Donegal, Doe Run, Coatesville, Belle- view, Waynesburg, Penningtonville, and the northern portion of Fagg's Manor. Donegal he gave up, in 1727. In the same year, the portion of the congre- gation residing on the west side of the Octorara creek, having considerably increased in numbers, received permission from Presbytery to erect a meeting-house and to organize a new congregation. The church known as Middle Octorara was accordingly organized, and received supplies from Presbytery until a regular pastor was installed. Mr. Boyd continued to preach to them until the year 1730.
In 1731, the people at Pequea, to whom Mr. Boyd had ministered a portion of his time from his first taking charge of this church, obtained his services regularly every sixth Sabbath, and he continued to minister to them until October, 1733, when his father- in-law, Rev. Thomas Craighead, received and accepted a call from them, and was installed as their regular pastor.
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Mr. Boyd, on the first of January, 1727, purchased from William Pusey two hundred and fifty acres of land in Sadsbury township, embracing the present farm of the late Rev. James Latta, and the late Wil- liam Armstrong, and erected thereon a stone dwelling house, wherein he resided during the remainder of his life, and where he reared a large family. The dwelling house thus erected forms the front part of the present residence of Mrs. Latta. A few years thereafter, he took out a warrant and obtained a patent for about two hundred acres adjoining, comprising the present farms of Joseph C. Boyd, and that known as the Black Horse farm, of the late John Boyd. His real estate therefore consisted of the properties now owned by John Y. Latta, Joseph C. Boyd, the late William Armstrong, and the late John Boyd, and contained altogether over five hundred acres.
The first meeting-house at this place stood a little west of the middle of the present graveyard. The eastern wall ran along about where Rev. Adam Boyd and Rev. William Foster are buried. It was a log structure, about thirty-five or forty feet square. The first notice we have of it is at the ordination of Mr. Boyd, in October, 1724, when the Presbytery, as recorded in their minutes, met for that purpose "at Ackterara meeting-house," and on which occasion Mr. Gillespie made the proclamation already referred to " at the door of the meeting-house." As the con- gregation had supplies from the year 1720, the proba- bilities are that this log meeting-house was erected about the latter year, or soon thereafter, and that
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David Evans and Daniel Macgill preached in it pre- vious to Mr. Boyd.
It was the custom of the Presbyterian emigrants, wherever they formed a settlement, as soon as they had reared or obtained dwellings for their families, to organize congregations and erect houses of worship. These buildings were universally called " meeting- houses." The use of the term "church" for the house of worship is, among Presbyterians, an innova- tion of quite modern date. Presbyterians in the olden time did not go to church-they went to meet- ing. Indeed, in my boyhood days-and, in my esti- mation at least, they are not so very far in the past- I always went to meeting. The inquiry on Sunday morning usually was, Who is going to meeting to-day ? Now, however, like the rest of the Presbyterians, I go to church. I am old fogy enough to wish that the term used by our fathers had been retained, but as there is not much probability that it will ever be restored, I suppose there is nothing for me, and those who, like me, are somewhat wedded to the things of the past, to do but to submit gracefully, and be carried along with the current.
This log meeting-house, after being used for a number of years, was, tradition says, accidentally burned.
The congregation then erected their second church building. It was placed a short distance. northwest from where the old one had stood, and was the eastern half of the edifice torn down in 1840, when the house in which we now worship was erected. Its dimen-
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sions were about thirty-five by forty-two feet. The pulpit was in the north end, and faced the door, which was in the centre of the south wall. Many of you will remember where this door stood. It was walled up when the building was subsequently enlarged, but the mark was distinctly visible.
I cannot give the date of the erection of this second house. Corner-stones (so called) containing historical data, were not laid in those days, and no written memorial is extant, but it was some time prior to the middle of the last century. At the same time, a stone session house, fifteen by twenty feet, was erected in the rear of the church. This building is still standing in the north-west corner of the present graveyard. It has an age of over a century and a quarter, and it is hoped that the trustees will pre- serve it as a memorial of the past. In early times it was very common to have these session houses- study houses they used to be styled-in connection with every meeting-house. I well remember hearing the term "study house" applied to this building in my young days. They were designed for the use of the ministers and elders of the church. Candidates for admission to church privileges were there ex- amined. The ministers were accustomed to use them in preparing for the services, when they arrived before the hour at which they began, and they would also resort to them to prepare for the afternoon ser- vice.
The bounds of the congregation were curtailed on its southern side, by the formation of a new congre-
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gation about the year 1730, at Fagg's Manor, in Londonderry township. That church was originally called New Londonderry, and bore that name for some years. The name of Fagg's Manor was subse- quently given to it from the circumstance that it is situated in the north-west corner of a tract of land containing about seven thousand acres, which had been granted by William Penn to his daughter Letitia Aubrey, and called Fagg's Manor in honor of Sir John Fagg, a relative of the Penn family. The new congregation, although efforts were made at an early date to obtain a minister from the Associate Presbytery in Scotland, was without a pastor until the year 1739, fifteen years after Boyd came to Octorara, when the gifted Samuel Blair settled among them. The next year, a great revival of religion commenced there, which appears to have continued for a number of years. That church has a very interesting history, which it is hoped some Old Mor- tality will unearth, and set in order, at no distant day.
In the year 1732, the Presbytery of New Castle was divided, and the Presbytery of Donegal formed · from the western portion of its territory. Upper Octorara was set off to the new Presbytery, and belonged to it until the year 1755, when it was re- transferred to New Castle, of which it continued to be a member until the recent formation of the Pres- bytery of Chester, to which it now belongs.
At an early date, an extensive settlement of Scotch- Irish Presbyterians had been made in the neighbor-
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hood of what is usually called Brandywine Manor, then called, and ever since officially known as the "Forks of Brandywine." Those people formed a part of the congregation of Upper Octorara, and came to this place to worship, some of them coming a dis- tance of over ten miles.
At a meeting of the Presbytery of Donegal, held at Octorara Church June 5th, 1734, they make this · record :
" The people on the Forks of Brandywine, being a part of Mr. Boyd's congregation, put in a supplication to the Presbytery for liberty of erecting a meeting house for Mr. Boyd to preach in, when sometimes he comes to them, which was granted."
Again, when the Presbytery of Donegal met, on the 4th day of April, 1735, they say :
" A supplication from the people on the Forks of Brandywine was presented and read; wherein they suppose themselves to be a distinct erected congrega- tion of people by Presbyterial authority, and desiring supplies accordingly." " And also, another from the elders of the congregation of Octorara, desiring the subscription of those persons belonging to said people, may be continued to Mr. Boyd's support."
The Presbytery, having these contending applica- tions, were no little perplexed. But they eventually came to the conclusion, " that the people on the Forks of Brandywine committed an error in supposing that they were already recognized as an independent con- gregation ; expressing at the same time their convic- tion that such a measure would soon be expedient, if
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not indispensable, as leave had already been given them to build a house for their more convenient enjoying the visits of Mr. Boyd."
At the next meeting of Presbytery, a supplication from the people of the Forks of Brandywine was pre- sented and read, the substance of which was, that they might be erected into a distinct congregation, and that Presbytery would concur with them in endeavoring to obtain a visit from some of those young gentlemen lately from Ireland, and who have joined the Presbytery of New Castle, in order to their consulting about giving such minister a call."
The Presbytery, after some hesitation, granted their request; and, on the 18th of September, 1735, erected them into a separate congregation, and they accordingly, at that date, ceased to be an integral part of Octorara. They called as their pastor the Rev. Samuel Black, who was ordained and installed November 10th, 1736. Mr. Black continued in that connection for a few years, when he was either sus- pended or deposed from the gospel ministry.
About this period, differences arose in the Presby- terian Church, which culminated in what was called " the great schism," by which the church was rent in twain, and remained thus divided from 1741 to 1758, a period of seventeen years. This division was not the result of any difference between the parties on doctrinal sentiments-for both agreed in the cordial adoption of the confession of faith and catechisms- but of opinion as to certain measures connected with the great revival of 1740, which revival extended
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from Massachusetts to Georgia, and in which White- field, the Tennants, Samuel Blair and others were prominent actors.
On the subject of this great revival, the ministers of the Synod of Philadelphia were divided.
The friends of Whitefield and the revival regarded all who opposed them as setting themselves in oppo- sition to the. glorious work of grace, and as enemies of God, and uncharitably condemned them as uncon- verted men and hypocrites. On the other hand, the opposers of the revival, as they were called, disclaimed - all opposition to it, but censured the kind of preach- ing adopted by those who claimed to be its friends, and the extravagant measures employed for promoting it. They were also offended at what they deemed the harsh and uncharitable spirit with which they were denounced and, as they said, misrepresented by the preachers on the other side.
Another cause for alienation arose from measures adopted by the Synod to prevent the admission of uneducated men into the ministry, and in regard to itinerant preaching. These were denounced by the Revivalists, who refused to be governed by them, and persisted in intruding themselves into settled congregations, and causing dissensions between the pastors and their people.
Both parties were undoubtedly to some extent in the wrong,-the old side, in setting themselves in opposition to the revival of religion, and the new side, in doing and saying many unadvised things under the influence of a fervid zeal.
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The result of this contention was of course disas- trous, and as already observed, ended in the dismem- berment of the Church, and its division into two parties, known respectively as the "old side" and the "new side." Those who adhered to the new side, withdrew from the Synod of Philadelphia, and formed a new synod called the Synod of New York. The new side members of the Presbyteries of New Castle and Donegal also withdrew from their respect- ive Presbyteries, and formed a new one, called " The Second Presbytery of New Castle."
This unfortunate controversy ran a plough share, as it were, through this congregation. Mr. Boyd (the pastor), and a portion of the congregation adhered to the old side. The new side members-who composed a large majority-withdrew and organized "the Second Congregation of Upper Octorara," leaving the pastor, and the minority who adhered to him, in un- disputed possession of the church property. This occurred in 1741. This second congregation, after their secession, worshiped for a time in a board tent which they erected on these church grounds, a short distance north of the meeting-house, but they soon took measures for the erection of a new church, and for this purpose took out a warrant from the Proprie- taries on the 10th of February, 1743, in the name of Hugh Cowan, John Robb and John Henderson, for twenty-five acres of vacant land lying on the hill north of the late residence of Cyrus Cooper, and in the same year erected thereon, near its south-east corner, a frame meeting-house, about thirty-five by
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forty feet, and a stone session-house, and also enclosed a grave yard.
They had supplies from the Second Presbytery of New Castle until the year 1747, when the Rev. Andrew Sterling was ordained by that Presbytery, and installed as their pastor.
The leading families in this new church were the Hamills, Boggs, Cowans, Sloans, Glendennings, Kyles, Sharps, Dickeys, Moodys, Wilsons, Kerrs, Summer- ills, Robbs, Hendersons, Sandfords, Allisons and others.
The spot where this New Side church stood, which is now quite retired and somewhat difficult of access, was then as public as the location of the old church, the roads at that early date being differently located from what they are at the present day. Then, the leading public road from the Pequea Valley towards Philadelphia,-using the names of the present or late owners for facility of description-came by the late residence of Martin Armstrong, near the location of the present road to where it intersects the Lancaster turnpike, thence in the same general direction diago- nally across the Latta farm, passing a short distance west of the present mansion, then by this church near where the road passes at present, to a point a short distance below the residence of Oliver P. Wilson, thence, leaving the present road where it makes a curve to the right, it continued the same general course across the Wilson farm and through the woods south of it, through the twenty-five acres belonging to the new church, and passed diagonally down the
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hill into the valley, a short distance east of the late residence of Cyrus Cooper, from thence it continued its course down the valley, crossing Buck Run near the culvert on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and pass- ing a short distance from Major Pomeroy's barn. The route of this old road is, in places, very percep- tible, and those of you who may have curiosity enough to trace it, as I had, can very readily do so. There is a spring on the Cooper farm near to which this road passed, and tradition says, that the wagoners used frequently to stop there to water their horses and refresh themselves. The new meeting-house stood near to this road, which is spoken of in old records, as " The Meeting-house Road."
Another road ran on the brow of the hill from the neighborhood of the present village of Parkesburg, which was used by the people going to the new house from that direction, and another road led northward from near the graveyard, towards the late residence of William Parke.
The two meeting-houses, the old and the new, were about one mile distant from each other.
About the year 1740, Messrs. John Filson, William Hanna, Francis Boggs, James Blelock and others, members of Upper Octorara residing in East Fallow- field township and vicinity, and who sympathized with the New Side, erected a house of worship at Doe Run on the Strasburg road, in that township, and were organized into a congregation under the name of the "Doe Run Presbyterian Church." They had supplies from the New Side Presbytery of New Castle,
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until about the year 1747, when the Rev. Andrew Sterling became their pastor, in connection with the Second Congregation of Octorara.
About the year 1743, the Rev. George Whitefield, in the course of his visitations to the churches in this county, preached at Doe Run, and also at the New Side Church of Upper Octorara. There was a large board tent at Octorara, which stood on the brow of the hill a short distance west of the graveyard, in which he preached. His voice was very strong, and it is said, he could be distinctly heard at Thomas Trumans-where the late Cyrus Cooper resided.
Mr. Sterling was the pastor of these two churches until the year 1765,-a period of about eighteen years. As a preacher, he is said to have possessed much power; but he was of an impetuous disposition and very much disposed to have his own way, and in the later years of his ministry he was frequently involved in difficulties with his session and the people of his congregations. In 1761, he was complained of for not calling his session together more frequently, and consulting them in regard to the affairs of the church ; for not being more thorough and regular in catechizing the congregations, and also for refusing to make proper settlements with the people, that they might know how much of his stipend was unpaid.
The Presbytery met at his church at Octorara on several occasions to adjust these difficulties, with but ill success. He became very deaf, and this, with his growing infirmities, was his excuse for not being more
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