USA > South Carolina > Williamsburg County > History of Williamsburg; something about the people of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the first settlement by Europeans about 1705 until 1923. > Part 14
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Robert L. Witherspoon, Isaac Matthews, John Matthews, Jr., John Fulton, Robert Frierson, (son of Robert), Thomas Stephenson, Robert Witherspoon, Elizabeth Witherspoon, John Knox, Elizabeth Heathly, and Thomas Witherspoon.
This Bethel Congregation was composed of markedly pious people. While they were Puritanic in their con- ceptions of life, they were progressive in spirit. They organized and promoted the first Sunday School and the first Bible Society in Williamsburg and fostered many new ideas in religious worship which now prevail. Out of this congregation came many exceptionally religious men and women who helped in a large measure to direct the saner religious thought of that day.
The intensity of the unpleasant feeling existing be- tween the Bethel and the Williamsburg Congregations was so repulsive to the Bethel Congregation that a large majority of it migrated from this section. From 1805 until 1815, a great many of them moved into Marion and Sumter Districts in South Carolina ; some went to Georgia and others to Alabama.
On March 25, 1805, Moses B. Frierson and family, James Armstrong and family, James Blakely and family, Paul Fulton and family, members of the Bethel Congregation and part of the Reverend James Stephenson's charge, emi- grated to Maury County, Tennessee, and there settled on lands purchased from the heirs of General Green. On March 6, 1806, the following families from the Bethel Congregation followed : John Dickey, Esq., and family ; Mrs. Margaret Frierson and children; Mrs. Janette Blakely and children; Samuel Frierson and family; Thomas Stephenson and family; William Frierson and family ; William J. Frierson and family; Samuel Wither- spoon and family ; Mrs. Mary Fleming and children ; and John W. Stephenson and family. A little later, Robert Frierson, Joshua Frierson, and Samuel Mayes and their
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families left Williamsburg and settled with their friends in Tennessee. The Reverend James W. Stephenson, pastor of Bethel and Indiantown Churches, resigned his charges in Williamsburg and became the pastor of that part of his flock that had settled in Tennessee. These people and their descendants have since that time played a most substantial and a worthily conspicuous part in the development of Tennessee.
The Reverend Andrew Flynn succeeded Mr. Stephenson as pastor of Bethel and Indiantown Churches in 1808. Mr. Flynn was succeeded within less than a year by the Reverend Daniel Brown. At the same time Mr. Brown was pastor of the Indiantown Church. He served these two congregations for about ten years. He did signal service Christianizing negro slaves and bettering their conditions. He fell dead on his way between Indiantown and Bethel Churches. On his person was found $425.00 in currency, which was an enormous amount of money for any man to have in possession at that time.
In 1818, the Reverend Robert Wilson James, a graduate of South Carolina College and of Princeton and a grand- son of Major John James, was chosen as pastor of the Bethel and Indiantown Churches. He was ordained in 1819.
The elders of the Bethel Church, prior to the ministry of Mr. James, were: Robert Frierson, Samuel Frierson, Dr. John Graham, Samuel Wilson, John Wilson, William Wilson, and Thomas Witherspoon. When Mr. James be- gan his ministry, of these Samuel Wilson, William Wilson, Robert Frierson, and Thomas Witherspoon were still living and these were added by ordination to the Session : David McClary, Robert I. Wilson, Samuel E. Fulton, Robert S. Witherspoon, and I. B. Witherspoon. Bethel and Indiantown Churches were served by the Reverend Robert W. James until 1827, when he removed to Salem Black River Church, Sumter District.
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From 1786 until 1828 the Williamsburg Congregation was divided. Great bitterness between the congregations of Williamsburg and Bethel made social relations so un- pleasant that they were impossible. In 1802, fifteen years after the disunion, a great camp meeting was held by the Reverend James W. Stephenson and others at the Sandhills, about three miles west of Kingstree, yet the burning eloquence of these powerful preachers even at such a time was not able to sear deeper into the souls of these religious feudists than their old hate. It is said that members of both congregations attended this camp meeting, but, even in moments of supreme religious ecstasy, no member of the one would touch or speak to the other, nor would the slave of the one regard the slave of the other.
The faithful labors of the Reverend Mr. James and the Reverend William Wilson, both of the blood of both fac- tions and men of power, had much to do with the failing of the hate between these two congregations. The ven- arable John McClary seemed to hold the confidence, res- pect, and veneration of both congregations, the Bethel and the Williamsburg. He alone was a member of each of the churches and a ruling elder in both of them. In 1828, after a separation of forty-two years, he secured the consent of both congregations to attend and hear a sermon in the old Williamsburg Church on Tuesday, June 15, 1828. Mr. McClary on the Sunday preceding had induced the Session of Elders of the Bethel Church to propose terms of union to the Williamsburg Church. The Wil- liamsburg Church immediately thereafter invited the the Bethel Congregation to unite with them in hearing Mr. Ervin's sermon on Tuesday. After Mr. Ervin's ser- mon, Mr. McClary was called to the chair and a union of the two congregations was effected without a dissent- ing vote. The property rights of the Williamsburg Con- gregation were retained and the ecclesiastical connection
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of the Bethel Congregation with the Presbytery of South Carolina was accepted by the reunited congregation. The Williamsburg Congregation had theretofore held its con- nection directly with the Church of Scotland.
Here follows a copy of the minutes of the joint meeting of the Williamsburg and the Bethel Congregations, when union was effected :
"At a Meeting of the Members of the old Presbyterian Church and the Members of the Bethel Church held at the old church on Tuesday, the 17th June, 1828, there being a Majority of the Members of each congregation present, they proceeded to business. John McClary, Esq., was appointed chairman and R. G. Ferrell, secretary.
"1st Resolved that these two churches become United and that the two become one Congregation and that they Worship in the old or original Church.
"2nd Resolved that this Congregation Join with the Indiantown Congregation and employ a Minister, and the Minister so employed Preach one half of his time in this Church and the other half in the Indiantown Church.
"3rd Resolved that Mr. William Wilson, Colonel Wil- liam Salters, Samuel E. Fulton, Isaac Nelson, Sr., Dr. James Bradley, and H. D. Shaw be a Committee to Inform the Reverend John McKee Ervin that we wish to give him a call as our Pastor for one half of his time.
"4th Resolved that the Members of this Congregation do meet at the Church on the last Saturday in this Month in order to regulate the business of the Church."
"At a Meeting of the Members of the Church on Saturday, the 28th June, 1828. The Committee appointed to say to the Reverend John M. Ervin that we intended giv- ing him a call as our Pastor report that they have done so and that they think there is a prospect of our getting him.
"1st Resolved that H. D. Shaw, Dr. James Bradley, Samuel E. Fulton, Thomas Duke, and Robert G. Ferrell
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be appointed a Committee to meet the Indiantown Com- mittee to give the Reverend John McKee Ervin a call as our Minister.
"2nd Resolved that Robert Strong, Daniel Frierson, and Isaac Nelson, Sr., be a Committee to regulate the Seats of the Church and to make what repairs to the Church they may find necessary.
"3rd Resolved that the Committee appointed to meet the Indiantown Committee be authorized to inform the Rev- erend John M. Ervin that this Congregation will give him three hundred and fifty dollars for the half of his time with the use of the Glebe Lands of this Church should he prefer living on them to living in Indiantown.
"4th Resolved that the salary of the Minister be raised by subscription.
"5th Resolved that the Committee appointed to regulate the Seats of the Church cause all the seats to be numbered and that the heads of families draw their numbers with this exception, that is, when families are small, the Com- mittee shall have to themselves the power of putting two in one seat.
"6th Resolved that Colonel William Salters, Captain William S. Brockinton, Isaac Nelson, Jr., and D. H. Mc- Clary be trustees for the said congregation.
"7th Resolved that Captain Isaac Nelson be appointed treasurer.
"8th Resolved that the trustees be authorized to invite a minister to preach occasionally in our Church until the Reverend John M. Ervin take charge of the Congrega- tion, should he accept our call, and that the ministers so invited by the trustees be paid by the congregation five dollars for each sermon preached by them.
"Adjourned-R. G. Ferrell, Secretary."
It is interesting to note that Captain William S. Brock- inton was not a member of this or of any other church.
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He was, however, a pew holder in the church, and by virtue of that fact was eligible for appointment as trus- tee.
There were several Presbyterian Churches in the terri- tory surrounding Williamsburg that had considerable in- fluence on this district during the period between 1780 and 1830. These congregations had been organized by people migrating from Williamsburg; and, notwithstand- ing the condition of what they called roads, kept up communication with their friends and relatives in this district. Of these churches, Salem Black River in the Sumter District and Hopewell and Aimwell on the Pee Dee had been founded between 1760 and 1770 and were large and aggressive churches. They were about forty miles from the King's Tree. This great distance meant much at that time, although the congregations of these churches usually came to Williamsburg to attend spring and fall communion services and camp meetings.
In September, 1801, John Witherspoon, John Wither- spoon, Jr., Archibald Knox, William McIntosh, Thomas Rhodus, Daniel Epps, John McFadden, Thomas McFad- den, and Samuel Fleming met at the home of Mrs. Mary Conyers, who lived about half way between the Williams- burg Church and the Salem Black River Church, and organized a Presbyterian Congregation for their commun- ity. John Witherspoon, John Witherspoon, Jr., and Archibald Knox were named as its first elders. On No- vember 10, 1802, the building was completed and called Midway because it was half way between the two well known churches just named. The Reverend C. G. Mc- Whorter gave one-fourth of his time to this new church.
In 1809, Midway had twelve members. That year the Reverend John Cousar preached two Sundays every month at Midway and the other two at the Brewington Church. Midway Church is located on the northeastern branch of Black River in what is now Clarendon County. In 1811,
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the Brewington Presbyterian Church, south of the south- western branch of Black River, was built. The Nelson, Plowden, Pendergrass, and Montgomery families com- posed its membership. Midway and the Brewington churches grew rapidly in strength. In 1829, Midway had one hundred forty-one members and Brewington one hun- dred fourteen. These two communities were at that time enjoying much material prosperity. Probably half of the membership in these two churches lived in Williams- burg District.
Lower Saint Mark's Church (Protestant Episcopal) was built in 1809 on the south side of the Santee road where it was crossed by what is now the Clarendon-Williamsburg County line. In this section, there lived many descen- dants of French Huguenot families and many of English and Scotch descent who had always been conformists in religion and were communicants of the Church of Eng- land. The Friersons, Lesesnes, Keels, McDonalds, Con- nors, Olivers, Gourdins, Canteys, Cordes, and Doughtys built this Lower Saint Mark's Church. The land for the site was donated by Charles Frederick Lesesne. William Doughty, Major William McDonald, and Joseph Francis Cantey were the first lay readers in this church. Lower Saint Mark's had difficulty in all its history in securing ministers. However, it frequently had services conducted by visiting priests of the Church. In 1825, Bishop Bowen confirmed the following as communicants of this Church : Richard Keels, Archibald McDonald, William J. R. Cantey, Miss Susan McDonald (Mrs. John L. Felder), Miss Laura McDonald (Mrs. Henry B. Singleton), and Miss Mary M. Keels (Mrs. A. C. McKnight).
Frequently, Methodist ministers on the Santee Circuit held services in this church. In 1835, Charles Lesesne, a vestryman, invited the Reverend John R. Pucket, the junior Methodist preacher on the Santee Circuit, to preach regularly at Saint Mark's; and, from that time,
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Saint Mark's became a part of the Santee Circuit, Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and nearly all of its communicants became members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. However, J. W. Keels, who died in 1865, retained his membership in Saint Mark's Episcopal Church until the time of his death. The silver christening basin used in Saint Mark's Church, while it belonged to the Protes- tant Episcopal Church, was left in the possession of Charles Lesesne, surviving vestryman, in 1835. On this basin was engraved, "Presented the 12th of January, 1820, to Lower Saint Mark's Church, Williamsburgh, by Mrs. Mary Grimke Ward." (These statements about Lower St. Mark's Church were taken from the History of St. Mark's Church, by Dr. James M. Burgess. )
On February 13, 1785, Bishop Francis Asbury, under the guidance of the Reverend Jesse Lee and the Reverend Henry Willis, entered South Carolina at Cheraw. The party spent some time in prayer in Saint David's Church and proceeded on its journey to Long Bluff Court House, thence to Mr. Kimbrough's, thence across Lynch's Creek, Black Mingo, and Black River, and by the usual road of travel to Georgetown, where they arrived on February 23. On March 13, the party travelled from Georgetown to the King's Tree and visited at Mr. Durant's. From the King's Tree, Bishop Asbury went to Wilmington, North Carolina. The next year, Bishop Asbury crossed over Lynch's Creek into Williamsburg and proceeded along the way he had made the year before to Georgetown. He writes, in his diary, "We crossed Lynch's Creek and wet my books coming to Black Mingo where we were lodged at a tavern and were well used, sleeping upstairs. I was afraid, if not the roof, the shingles would be taken away with the wind. On Saturday, January 7, I preached at Georgetown twice to about eighty people each time. Georgetown is a poor place for religion." From George- town, Bishop Asbury went to the vicinity of Lenud's Ferry
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where he was entertained at the home of Thomas Boone and also at Robert Sutton's. From that point, he preached along the Santee River road to Murray's Ferry, where he was entertained at the homes of Isaac Keels and of Darby Pendergrass. After remaining in the vicinity of Murray's Ferry for a few days, he proceeded on his way to Charleston.
Bishop Asbury made many visits to South Carolina during the next thirty years and usually followed this same route through Williamsburg. He preached a new doctrine and prepared the way for a new church. The part of Williamsburg that he usually visited along what is now the Georgetown-Williamsburg County line and the Santee River were the only portions at that time not completely within the control of the Presbyterian Church ; and these outlying sections along which his journey lay were inhabited by people who had been communicants of the Church of England. Even these people did not look upon this great organizer with anything like favor. The reception which he received at the King's Tree on his only visit to this Presbyterian territory was very much like that accorded a Mormon missionary in Kingstree in the year 1923.
Even among the Episcopalians, Bishop Asbury was hardly welcome, and but few homes on his route would receive him. However, Samuel Haselden, who lived on Muddy Creek in the northeastern corner of Williamsburg, was always glad to entertain him and so were Robert Sutton, of Suttons, and Isaac Keels and Darby Pender- grass, of Murray's Ferry.
With the coming of Bishop Asbury into South Carolina, there came the Methodist Episcopal Church. When he came into Williamsburg, the Methodist denomination was practically unknown in these parts. He preached and prayed and labored for many years without realizing what results would come from his ministry. Wherever he
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went, he conducted services whenever permitted. He sent missionaries and circuit riders into this territory for nearly forty years before there was a Methodist Church within the limits of Williamsburg District.
On many of these missionary journeys of Bishop Asbury through Williamsburg, he records interesting experiences. In 1787, he writes of his attempting to cross at Murray's Ferry. "In one place," he says, "the planters had laid down about a hundred logs of wood, which they called puncheons, in order to mend the road. These, owing to the heavy rains, were loosened and floated on the water which covered the road. We were obliged to turn back into the dark, miserable road until we arrived at the house of a little planter who very kindly took us in and gave us a roasted turkey for our supper and the best beds in his house to lie on." "On March 30, 1804, we lodged at Henry Britton's, where we were most kindly entertained."
"Saturday, November 14, 1805, I committed the re- mains of Elijah Rembert to the dust. He was sixty-two years old and for the last sixteen years of his life had been a member of our society. There is a revival in the society here, so much for camp meetings. I am now in the fortieth year of my labor in the ministry, thirty-four years of my time having been spent in America."
"October 27, 1806, we made twenty-five miles to Mur- ray's Ferry. We were five hours in the swamp. Heat, mosquitoes, and gallinippers-plenty. Monday, January 1, 1810, we crossed Potato Ferry. Missing our way, we dropped in upon Mr. John Graham. He was a Presby- terian, but showed us much kindness. December 16, 1810, I visited Thomas Boone. His father was the first to en- tertain me at lower Santee Ferry." Bishop Asbury often refers to Theodore Gourdin, "that excellent gentleman who owns all the ferries on Black River."
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From 1785, when Bishop Asbury came into Williams- burg, until 1820, there was no Methodist Church in Wil- liamsburg, but, during all that time, it was kept on Metho- dist circuits, and Methodist circuit riders preached and prayed and sang in private homes wherever they were received, in barns on plantations wherever they were per- mitted, in bush arbors erected for them and most fre- quently at cross roads gatherings. Up to 1820, there were very few men in this district who would admit with- out half apology that they belonged to a Methodist Society. It was not a popular doctrine that Bishop Asbury and his followers preached. It required that men and women walk in the straight and narrow way. It had no history.
In 1820, Ebenezer Methodist Church was built on Muddy Creek in Williamsburg on the land of Samuel Haselden. When Mr. Haselden died in 1822, he left in his will two acres of land on which this church was located to the Methodist Episcopal Church. This was the first parcel of land that the Methodist Church ever owned in Wil- liamsburg District. Samuel Haselden was one of the men in Williamsburg who received Bishop Asbury kindly from his first visit. This old Ebenezer Church has maintained its organization until the present day and is now one of the churches of the Hemingway Circuit.
In 1825, Robert Sutton gave the following deed which is recorded in Book C at page 229, Williamsburg County Registry. "State of South Carolina. To all people to whom these presents shall come : Know ye, that I, Robert Sutton, of Williamsburg District in the State aforesaid, Planter, for and in consideration of the love, good will, and affection which I have and do bear towards the Methodists of this place, have given, granted and by these presents do freely give and grant for the use of the Methodists of this place, one hundred yards square, where- on the new Meeting House is now building, in Williams- burgh District, and State aforesaid, butting and bound-
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ing about Southeast on land belonging to the Estate of Duplessus Michau, about Southwest on the public road and on all other sides of lands of my own, now being my right and property in district aforesaid : I do hereby nomi- nate and appoint my friends Samuel Perdreau, Dr. Wil- liam J. Buford, John Perdreau, and Edward Peter Perret, trustees, to whom I leave the said one hundred yards square of land in trust for the use of the said Methodist Society of this place; and, in case of the death of one of the Trustees, the others are hereby authorized to ap- point another in his room; and, in case the house wants repair, they may have timber off my adjoining land to re- pair said house as long as the property remains mine or the right of my heirs. July 5, 1825." Signed by Robert Sutton. Witnessed by Samuel Guild, Sarah Tamplet, and Mary C. Michau.
In 1800, the religious camp meeting fever began in Kentucky. It reached Kingstree in 1803, when one was held at the Sandhills about three miles west of Kingstree. Dr. Stephenson had been preaching to the Bethel Con- gregation in Kingstree for thirteen years and had great influence over its people. He was assisted by Dr. John Brown, of the Waxhaw Church, who had just finished a wonderful camp meeting at Waxhaw; Reverend Duncan Brown of Hopewell; and the Reverend C. G. McWhorter of Salem. Crowds flocked to this camp meeting. They came in wagons loaded with provisions and fitted up for temporary lodging. Dr. Stephenson opened the meeting with a sermon in explanation and defense of the revival. At these revivals, excitement became intense and was at- tended in many cases with remarkable bodily contortions as well as trance conditions. These pulpit orators preached the "Day of Wrath" with such fearful eloquence that frequently strong men and women lost control of themselves and did all manner of things under the hypno- tic spell.
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Dr. Malcolmson was then pastor of the old Williams- burg Church. It will be remembered that the Williams- burg Congregation and the Bethel Congregation, the two factions of the old Williamsburg Congregation, were at that time exceedingly hostile toward each other. Dr. Malcolmson disapproved these revivals and did not conceal his contempt for so much religious frenzy.
Dr. Stephenson's camp meeting was a great success from the attendance standpoint as well as for the intensity of emotion shown by the people attending. Similar camp meetings were held in many parts of South Carolina and by the Methodist denomination as well as the Presby- terian for many years. One of these camp meetings held in the summer of 1806 at Remberts was attended by Wil- liam Capers, afterwards a Bishop in the Methodist Church. The following description which he gives applies to prac- tically all of them held in this section at that time.
"The number of people occupying tents was much greater than it had been at the two previous meetings of the same kind in 1802 and 1803, in that neighborhood, both of which I had attended with my uncle's family, and at which wagons and awnings made of coverlets and blankets were mostly relied on in place of tents. The tents too (of this meeting in 1806), though much smaller and less commodious than in later years, were larger and better than at the former meetings. But, still, at the tents as well as at the wagons of the camp, there was very little cooking done, but every one fed on cold pro- visions, or at least cold meats. Compared to those first two camp meetings, this one differed also in the more im- portant respects of management and the phases of the work of God. At the first one (1802), particularly (which was held on McGirt's Branch, below the point where the Statesburg and Darlington road crosses it), I recollected little that looked like management. There were two stands for preaching, at a distance of about two hundred yards
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apart; and sometimes there was preaching at one, some- times at the other, and sometimes at both simultaneously. This was evidently a bad arrangement, for I remember seeing the people running hastily from one place to the other as some sudden gush of feeling vented itself aloud, and perhaps with strange bodily exercises, called their attention off. As to the times of preaching, I think there were not any stated hours, but it was left to circum- stances ; sometimes oftener, sometimes more seldom. The whole camp was called up by blowing a horn at the break of day; before sunrise it was blown again, and I doubt if after that there were any regular hours for the services of the meeting. But what was most remarkable both at this camp meeting and the following one, a year after- ward (1803), as distinguishing them from the present meeting of 1806, and much more from later camp meetings, was the strange and unaccountable bodily exercises which prevailed there. In some instances, persons who were not before known to be at all religious, or under any particular concern about it, would suddenly fall to the ground and become strangely convulsed with what was called the jerks; the head and neck, and sometimes the body also, moving backward and forward with spasmodic violence, and so rapidly that the plaited hair of a woman's head might be heard to crack. This exercise was not peculiar to feeble persons, nor to either sex, but, on the contrary, was most frequent to the strong and athletic, whether men or women. I never knew it among children, nor very old persons. In other cases, persons falling down would appear senseless, and almost lifeless, for hours to- gether; lying motionless at full length on the ground, and almost as pale as corpses. And then there was the jump- ing exercise, which sometimes approximated dancing, in which several persons might be standing perfectly erect, and spring upward without seeming to bend a joint of their bodies. Such exercises were scarcely, if at all, pres-
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