History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. I pt 2, Part 5

Author: Howe, George, 1802-1883
Publication date: 1870
Publisher: Columbia, Duffie & Chapman
Number of Pages: 724


USA > South Carolina > History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. I pt 2 > Part 5


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392


STONEY CREEK.


[1770-1780.


Meanwhile the CHURCH OF STONEY CREEK seems to have done what lay in their power to provide for their outward prosperity and spiritual wants. On the 8th of December, 1772, there is found on their minutes a new deed, which recites that Mr. Simpson had left; that the trustees had neglected the interests of the church and refused to account. This deed confirms the old one in some particulars, and amends it in some few. The terms of membership are extended to all Protestant residents in the parish residing within twenty miles of Stoney Creek who shall subscribe the deed and contribute two pounds current money per annum for three years, both unmarried women above twenty and men above twenty-one: provided that no vote should be valid which tended to alter the character of the church as an Independent dissenting church .* (These terms have recently been altered so as to give, in secular matters, a vote to all who contribute ten dollars per annum, with the same proviso .- MS. Sketch of the History of Stoney Creek Church, by Wm. F. Hutson.)


On the 8th of February, 1773, the treasurer's account shows that a Mr. Kirkpatrick began to preach for them on trial, for of that date is this entry : " To a light half joe, and a guinea given Mr. Kirkpatrick for the two first sermons preached upon trial, £19 19s." By various entries, such as cash paid him, negro-hire, house-rent, store-bills, &c., paid for him, it seems he remained until June, 1774. Among these entries occurs the following : " To cash pd Jacob Vanbibber for a gal. of wine had for funeral of Mr. Kirkpatrick's child."-(MS. Sketch.) In Mr. Simpson's Diary, Saturday, June 5th, he says, " Last night received a letter from Dr. Cuthbert of Carolina, informing me of the sale of Indian Land parsonage-negroes, and of the parsonage-house and lands, where I enjoyed so many comforts and met with so many trials : and that the whole funds, now turned into money at interest, were about £7000 currency, or £1000 sterling ; whereas, when Dr. Cuthbert and I took the care of them when I first settled among them, they were worth


* The deed of 1772 is signed by Wm. Maine, Charles Browne, Thomas Hutson, Wm. Ferguson, senr, Chas. Palmer, Wm. Lambright, Ulysses McPher- son, Joseph Brailsford, Thomas Cater, Jolin Fenwick, Jacob Vanbibber, Jas. Patterson, Patrick Bower, Jno. McDougall, Stephen Bull, John Perkins, Josh. McPherson, Alex. Fitzgerald, Seth Jolin Cutlibert, David Toomer, Rachael McPherson, Jean Metril, Martha Shaw, John McTeer, John Vanden, James Miles, George Threadcroft, William Starling, Stephen Bull, jr, Jno. Keating, Esther Prescott, Jno. Prioleau, Jno. Frero, Thomas De Saussure, Henry De Saussure, Jolin Simmons, John McPherson, and Aaron Gillet-being 39 in number.


393


REV. JAMES GOURLAY.


1770-1780.]


little or nothing at all. And that in February last they had a hearing of one Mr. Kirkpatrick from Ireland, a Presbyterian minister, who came in with some Irish emigrants; and being in want of a place, it was thought he would settle there, tho' none of the old standards were for it. This account of Indian Land gave me great satisfaction in every particular, except," etc.


The exception is, that he feared that the control of the con- gregation was falling into hands less favorable to vital godli- ness. Mr. Kirkpatrick occupied the pulpit from February, 1773, to June, 1774. June 7th, 1774, there was paid by the treasurer to Mr. Jos. Cooke, for two sermons, £20 7s .; Dec. 24th, 1774, to Mr. James Edmonds, for two sermons, £10. Some time in the year 1774 Mr. James Gourlay came into the parish, and probably preached a few times on trial, but the first formal mention of him is an entry in the minute-book of the trustees : " Jan. 1, 1775, Mr. James Gourlay preached for the first time as the regular minister of the church."-(MS. Sketch.) The Rev. James Gourlay was sometime minister of the parish of Tullicoultry, in the county of Clackmannan, Scotland. He had also been tutor in the family of Lord Cathcart, his majesty's commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scot- land. He came to America, bearing letters of recommendation from Hugh Williamson of Edinburgh to Dr. Francis Alison of Philadelphia, and from Dr. Ewing to Rev. Joseph Montgomery of Delaware, bearing high testimony to his excellent character and his ability as a preacher. These recommendations were supported by the high testimony of Lord Cathcart. Mr. Gour- lay was received by the presbytery of New Brunswick from the presbytery of Stirling in 1774-5. The presbytery was required to present to the synod of New York and Philadelphia the certificate on which they received him .- (Minutes, pp. 462-3.)


Mr. Simpson was consulted by the friends of Mr. Gourlay about his going to America, and something may have been said in this consultation which directed the attention of Mr. Gourlay to the church of Stoney Creek. He was about forty- two years of age when he became pastor of this church, and remained in this relation for twenty-eight years.


CHAPTER III.


OF the other Presbyterian churches of the Low Country we must have much less to say, the materials being so exceed- ingly scanty. Even the little we have has been gleaned chiefly


394


FRENCH CHURCH, CHARLESTON .- EDISTO. [1770-1780.


from the voluminous journal of Mr. Simpson, who was pastor of an Independent church: .


Of the FRENCH PROTESTANT CHURCH in CHARLESTON, we only know from his church register that Barthelemi Henri Himeli remained its pastor down to 1773, when he returned to his own country on a visit, which continued to November, 1785. His last entry is on the 24th of May, when he married Jean Rob- ertson to Anne McGra. There are three entries by Pierre Levrier, pasteur de l'église François, of the 19th of January, 1775; the 20th of August, 1776; and the 2d of August, 1778. A list, since furnished by Daniel Ravenel, Esq., gives his pas- torship as extending from 1774 to 1785.


Mr. Ravenel is of the opinion, " from proceedings in the lost minutes, that he was never the pastor of this church, but had served it temporarily, and perhaps at different periods when the church was vacant. I remember," says he, " when a boy, having seen him very aged and infirm, with thin flowing hair perfectly white. He had long been a teacher of French in Charleston. The proceeding to which I have referred arose out of an inquiry connected with his need of assistance. For a considerable time he received from the church four dollars per week, and an order on the minutes directed that 'half-a- dozen of the best old Madeira wine should be sent him occa- sionally.'"


The Presbyterian Church on EDISTO ISLAND was served by Rev. Thomas Henderson (Ramsay, vol. ii., Appendix, p. 559), of whom some account was given in the diary we have quoted on p. 378. It is there said that he came out to this country as chaplain to the Royal Scots, then stationed at St. Augus- tine, that his testimonials from Scotland were ample, and that he was at this time about thirty years of age. The first im- pression he made on Mr. Simpson was very favorable. He succeeded Rev. John McLeod, who came out also, as we have seen, as chaplain to a Highland regiment. We do not know how long Mr. Henderson continued in connection with this church. Early in 1775 he was dwelling in Rev. Mr. Simpson's house, and ministering as a lately ordained minister to the Salt Ketcher church .- (Journal, Feb. 23d, 1775.) Whether he continued still to serve the congregation on Edisto we have no means of ascertaining. The probability is that his connec- tion with Edisto terminated soon after this, unless he served a plurality of churches, for he ministered to Wilton church in 1776, 1777, and 1780.


JAMES ISLAND .- In May, 1770, Mr. Simpson speaks of Mr.


395


1770-1780.] JAMES ISLAND .- JOHN'S ISLAND.


Hugh Alison as pastor of the Presbyterian church on James Island. "Hugh Alison can come to town in three quarters of an hour from his own house." He again alludes to him when he preached in " the White or New England Meeting" in Charleston ; he says, " took tea at Daniel Legare's, where was a considerable company present, and among others, Rev. Mr. Hugh Alison the Presbyterian minister of James Island was there. He dispatched service at his own meeting-house early, and came over time enough for this afternoon's sermon. Had some conversation with him about presbytery."


Of the subsequent history of Mr. Alison and of the Presby- terian church on James Island we have but little knowledge. He left the island, it is said, on the advent of the British, and resided with his family in Charleston, where he died.


Fort Johnson, about three miles from Charleston and on the most northern extremity of the island, was taken possession of by the revolutionary committee on the 15th of September, 1775, and in the course of that year an additional battery was erected. It was on this fort that the blue flag with a silver crescent in the corner, devised by Moultrie, was unfurled. The British, under Prevost, took possession of the island after his unsuccessful expedition against the city of Charleston, in May, 1779, but soon after abandoned it. All their churches must have been much broken up and interrupted during the war of the Revolution.


Presbyterian Church on JOHN'S ISLAND .- Of this church Rev. James Latta was pastor, and attended the presbytery of South Carolina from that church in May, 1770. Mr. Simp- son blaming the irregularity with which members convene at presbytery, says, " Mr. Latta on John's Island can be in town in four hours from his house." Mr. Latta was at that time clerk of presbytery. He sided with Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Hewat generally, in opposition to Mr. Simpson, and those who sympathized with him.


Towards the latter part of the period of which we now write, John's Island was involved in the troubles of the war of the Revolution. The following extract from a MS. history of the Legare family by Mrs. Flud, one of the descendants of the emigrant Solomon Legare, shows what these troubles were, and mentions some interesting incidents in the life of Thomas Legare, an influential and pious member of the Independent church in Charleston, and a worshipper and supporter of the Presbyterian congregation on the island.


"He was a zealous patriot and good soldier during the revolution. His scn


396


THOMAS LEGARE.


[1770-1780.


James served also at a very early age as an officer. His family suffered greatly from the depredations of the British soldiery, but were all preserved by the remarkable providence of God .* Soon after the commencement of hostilities he was ordered with a party of gentlemen, his neighbors, on John's Island, to Chaplin's Point, on Kiawaw river, near Stono Inlet, as a look-out guard on that portion of the coast. Thither their families assembled to spend a day with them at the encampment. Mrs. Legare refused to accompany them, as it was no time, in her view, for merry-making, when their country was in so great distress. After reaching the place and depositing the viands they had brought with them, they descried in the distance, as they supposed, their husbands returning from a reconnoitering excursion in a boat, with another in pursuit which they took to belong to the British. This ocea- sioned an immediate stampede of the ladies, who left all the provisions behind them and fled in the greatest trepidation. It proved, however, that the first boat was manned with negroes, and the hindermost boat containing the gentlemen, were pursuing them for mere amusement. Soon after this the British troops actually landed on Simmons' Island, which is separated from Jolin's Island by a small creek, and the gentlemen, in great alarm, removed their families to Charleston. On this occasion, the silver and other valuables were buried by Mrs. Humphreys, the overseer's wife, and two. negroes, and remained in concealment till peace was declared, and though one of the negroes afterwards joined the British the treasure never was betrayed. His trunk of papers, which was left on the piazza of Mr. John Freer, was kept safely for him, he having taken British protection. Mr. Legare returned for the papers, but hearing from a negro that the British were already on the island and were at the Presbyterian meeting-house, he went no farther. He asked the black man to take a note for him to Mr. Freer. 'No, sir,' said he, 'for the English will take it from me; but they cannot make me talk unless I choose : so if you tell me what you want I will go and tell Mr. Freer.' To this wise proposition Mr. Legare gladly assented. The negro was faithful and the papers were safely kept till the close of the war. The British took possession of Mr. Legare's horses which were tied at the ferry.


" The families afterwards returned. and were quiet for a season; but when General Prevost took possession of Wappoo Cut and James Island, in 1779,


* Thomas Legare, second son of Solomon Legare, and Mary Stoek, at seven years of age, was brought under conviction of sin, and became pious at fifteen. He married Eliza Basnett, daughter of Mr. Jolin Basnett, sent out by George III. as king's councillor in chancery. Miss Basnett was brought up in worldliness. Yet on her marriage she promised to conform to his religious opinions and customs. She became deeply convicted of sin under White- field's preaching, and continued in deep spiritual despondency till she obtained peace under a sermon of Dr. Percy's on Rev. ii. 17, "I will give you a white stone," etc. Mr. Legare was a sincere Christian but a desponding one. Mr. Whitefield on one occasion tried for hours to convince him it was his duty to make a profession of religion, but without success. At last lie started up exclaiming, " Well, well, my friend, if you will be damned, then go on fighting and striving to the end, and hell will be all the cooler for it at the last." This speechi had an electrical effect upon Mr. Legare's mind, for he instantly perceived that his very struggles against sin was evidence of his being in a gracious state. Mr. Legare, notwithstanding his fear of making a profession of religion without possessing it, was very faithful as a Christian in reproving the profane and maintaining the honor of religion. He was instrumental in the conversion of Bernard Elliott, brother-in-law of Dr. Percy, from his deistical opinions, as Mr. Elliott gratefully owned to him on his dying bed.


397


JOHN'S ISLAND.


1770-1780.]


their troubles commenced. A company of militia, composed chiefly of the inhabitants of John's and the neighboring islands, commanded by Capt. Ben- jamin Matthews, and a company of Port Royal militia, led by Capt. Robert Barnwell, were stationed at Raven's settlement, now [in 1855] owned by Mr. Burden. A little north of them, on James Island, was the British encamp- ment. Capt. Matthews marched his men down to the bank of the Stono, parading them in view of the enemy. Mr. Legare remonstrated with Capt. M., who resented the interference.


" Mr. Legare addressed Capt. M. after the parade was over, telling him ' to- morrow would prove whether he had acted wisely or not. The British on James Island have, with the aid of their glasses, counted every man you have. They will cross the river to-night, surprise your sentinels, and take you all prisoners of war. Now, as I have no wish to fall so ingloriously into their hands, I request you to send me to join the guards at Chaplin's Point.' After laughing at Mr. Legare's unnecessary fears, he acceded to the proposition. His son, Lieut. James Legare, who became a commissioned officer at the early age of sixteen, remained with Capt. M., and the whole party were surprised and taken, as Mr. L. predicted.


" Thomas Fenwick, not known then to be a Tory, visited the party at Ra- ven's settlement, supped with them, and elicited many particulars from them. After he left, the officers placed two sentinels on guard and retired to rest. About midnight, one party of the British crossed in boats, another came by the way of Fenwick's, and advanced by land under his guidance. When the British appeared at the door of the apartment in which Capt. Barnwell and a number of his men were, and demanded their surrender, Capt. B. called out to know what quarter they were to have. 'No quarter to rebels,' was the reply. 'Then, men, defend yourselves to the last-Charge !' exclaimed Capt. B. In an instant the click of every gun was heard as it was cocked and presented in the faces of the enemy, who immediately fell back. Presently a sergeant of the British put his head into the door, exclaiming, 'Surrender yourselves prisoners of war, and you shall have honorable quarters.' 'What grade do you hold ?' asked Barnwell; 'and what authority have you for the promise, if we accept the terms ?' 'I am but a sergeant in command, but my word is as good as any officer's in his majesty's service.' On this assurance Capt. B. and his men surrendered their arms, but the British soldiers com- menced an attack upon them with their bayonets, wounding them cruelly, especially Barnwell and Barns, who were each pierced by seventeen bayonet wounds.


" After the surprise John's Island was left to the mercy of the British army. The prisoners were taken to the British camp, and the rest of the men paroled on their plantations, which they were not to leave, on pain of death. The king's officers billeted themselves on families which they found most agree- able, generally selecting those where they found pleasant or pretty young ladies. Mr. Legare's house was often plundered; but the room of his old aunt Ellis, who was in the habit of going to prayer for divine protection whenever the alarm of their approach was given, though her room was on the first floor and had many valuables stored away in it, it was never in- vaded.


" Mr. Legare, learning that misrepresentations were made to Governor Rut- ledge unfavorable to him, left the island in the night at the peril of his life, went to Charleston to have an interview with the governor, and returned before day. On his way home he encountered the British guards, but was wonderfully delivered."-(MS. Hist. of the Legare Family, by Mrs. Flud.)


The last pastor whose name we have met with as connected with the John's Island church during this period was the Rev. James Latta.


39S


WILTON.


[1770-1780.


WILTON CHURCH .- On page 319 we have made mention of a call extended by this church through the old presbytery of South Carolina to Rev. John Maltby, dated at Charleston, May 17th, 1769. This is probably the time and place of the meeting of presbytery authorizing this call. From Mr. Simpson's journal of Monday, January 1st, 1770, we learn that Mr. Maltby had been installed over this church about the middle of December, 1769. He has spoken of him as early as October 15th, 1769. He was reported in 1770 as having been dismissed from the presbytery of New York to join the presbytery of South Carolina. Rev. John Maltby was the son of Capt. William Maltby, of New Haven, Connecticut. His mother was a sister of James Davenport, and daughter of Rev. Jolin Davenport of Stamford, Connecticut, and a descendant of Rev. Abraham Pierson, first minister of Newark. Being early left a widow, she married in 1735 the Rev. Eleazer Wheelock of Lebanon, Connecticut, the founder of Moore's Indian Charity School and of Dartmouth College. Mr. Maltby was graduated at Yale in 1747, and was a tutor in Nassau Hall from 1749 to 1752. He probably studied divinity with President Burr. From MS. letters of Mr. Maltby to Rev. Josiah Smith of Charleston, now in our possession, we learn that he was ordained by the presbytery of New York at Elizabeth Town, April 9th, 1751, and that the sermon was preached by Caleb Smith, the charge given by Mr. Pierson, and the right-hand of fellowship by Aaron Burr. These letters are written from Bermuda, where Mr. Smith had been pastor before him. We are informed by Webster (Hist. of the Presbyterian Church, p. 676) that application being made by the people of Ber- muda to Ebenezer Pemberton of Boston for a minister, he applied to Bellamy and Wheelock to recommend a suitable person, and that he was in this way introduced to their notice. He married in the Island of Bermuda, Susannah, the daughter of Capt. Jolin Darrell .- (Letter to Rev. Josiah Smitlı, Novem- ber 6th, 1762.) Mr. Simpson speaks of her as a very amiable woman, exceedingly engaging in her whole appearance and carriage. She died probably of climate fever in August, 1770, less than a year after the settlement of Mr. Maltby at Wilton, aged thirty-one years. Their daugliter, born in Bermuda, July 9th, 1769, died July 17th, 1770, as their headstones, still standing at "the Burnt Church," declare. He was moder- ator of the presbytery of South Carolina at its sessions in Charleston, May, 1770. Mr. Simpson, April 21st, 1771, speaks of Mr. Maltby's own lrealth as having been much impaired.


399


1770-1780.] REVS. JOHN MALTBY AND JOHN MARTIN.


" He looks as if he would not live long in this world,"and on November 4th he "is informed of his death in New England, his native land, whither he had gone for his health, and of the death of the Rev. Mr. Thomas, in the city of New York, both very gracious men and worthy ministers of Christ." On leav- ing Wiltown for his health, he went to his step-father's, Eleazer Wheelock, D. D., president of Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, where he died. His tombstone, the earliest in the cemetery at Dartmouth, bears the follow- ing inscription :


" Here rests the body of ye Rev'd JOHN MALTBY, born at New Haven in Connecticut, August ye 3rd, A. D. 1727. Graduated at Yale College A. D. 1747. Minister to a Presbyterian Church at Bermuda and then at Wilton, South Carolina. A strenuous assertor of the doctrines of Grace, convinced of original Guilt, and confiding in ye Sole Righteousness of Christ, Justifier of Lost Man before God. In preaching zealous and pathetic, in his devotions fervent, his sermons judicious, correct and instructive, his stile manly and solemn, of manners gentle, polite, and humane, of strong mental endowments, embellished with Sacred and Polite Literature. In his friendship cordial, sin- cere, and trusty. Detesting Craft, Dissimulation, and Fraud, he dy'd Septem- ber 30, A. D. 1771, ætat. 45."


Mr. Maltby was succeeded by Rev. John Martin, of the church of Wappetaw. The first notice of Mr. Martin in the papers of Wilton church is in 1773, when he is incidentally mentioned as resident minister. He became pastor of that church early in 1772. Mr. Simpson, May 28th, 1772, speaks of proceeding "towards Wiltown," " and afterwards to the Rev. Mr. Martin's, lately removed here with his fine family." In one of the papers of the Wilton church it is stated Mr. Martin died in June, 1774 .* He left a son, Mr. Hawkins Martin, who hired the parsonage for one year. He was succeeded in 1775 by Oliver Reese, a licentiate of the presbytery of New Bruns- wick .- (Minutes, Synod of New York and Philada., p. 451.) Among the church papers are the minutes of a meeting of either the presbytery of South Carolina or a committee ap-


* " Death of the Rev. John Martin, A. M., minister at Wiltown .- He was an animated evangelical preacher. His abilities, natural and acquired, were very great, and all devoted to the service of God and his country. What he preached in the pulpit his life preached out of it; the tenor of his behavior being, as it were, a practical comment on that pure religion he warmly recom- mended to others. In his life there was not a good action scattered here and there, but, like the Milky Way, it was thick set with the genuine fruits of sin- cere piety and active benevolence. The doctrines of grace he firmly believed and invariably preached, and on them rested his soul's salvation. He wel- comed death with such a heaven-born tranquillity as would have extorted a wish from the sons of vice and folly that they might die the death of the righteous, and their last end be like his."-(South Car. Gaz., July 4th, 1774.)


400


OLIVER REESE .- BEAUFORT.


[1770-1780.


pointed by them, or most probably a council after the congre- gational order, to ordain him to the ministry and install him as pastor of the church. They bear date Pon Pon, 27th March, 1775. The ministers present were Rev. James Ed- monds, Rev. J. J. Zubly, D. D., and Rev. William Tennent. They met at the house of Abram Haynes. Mr. Edmonds was the moderator. The examination of Mr. Reese having been sustained, they ordained him to the ministry and installed him as pastor of the church. He seems to have commenced his ministry under happy auspices. Among the accounts of the church is a bill of one Christian Mote against the trustees for a dinner furnished for " 50 persons and 15 boys" (!), (amount- ing to £77), "at the ordination of the Rev. Oliver Reese." There is also a bill against " the estate of Rev. Oliver Reese," of a tailor named Long, for " two suits of cloaths," at a cost of £20. These items give us a glimpse of the proceedings at the ordination of Mr. Reese. It is probable that he was a young man of promise. The congregation seem to have rejoiced at securing him as their pastor in these troublous times. But his connection with them and his work on earth were alike brief. He was soon summoned to his account. He died either in the same year or the succeeding, as mention is made of Rev. Thomas Henderson as ministering to the church in 1776 .- (MS. Notes on Wilton Church, by J. L. Girardeau.) Of the introduction of Mr. Henderson to the presbytery of South Carolina we have spoken p. 379. In 1777 and 1780 he is mentioned as pastor of this church. Previous to his minis- try it had lost three ministers by death in the short space of five years.




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