A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 43

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The location of the church-building was at an inconvenient distance from the residences of a portion of the congrega- tion. This, together with the rapid increase of the popula- tion and business of the city, demanded the formation of a new parish. Moved by these considerations, and an earnest desire to extend the influence and benefits of the Church, the Rev. William Armstrong, rector of St. Matthew's Church, on the 31st of July, 1849, called a meeting of his vestry for the purpose of considering the propriety and expediency of erecting a church and forming another congregation in the southern part of the city. The vestry, in pursuance of said call, met on the second day of August, 1849. The follow- ing are the proceedings of the vestry at said meeting, so far as they relate to a division of the parish :-

"The petition of Robert C. Woods and others upon the subject of a new parish being the first business before the meeting, Mr. Brady offered the following paper :- "A com- munication from Robert C. Woods, Beverley M. Eoff, and Henry Tallant,-committee .- was presented and read, signi- fying that the necessary means had been raised for the sup- port of a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church in a new parish which it is proposed to organize within the city, and asking the assent of the rector, wardens, and ves- try of this church to such organization.' Whereupon it was unanimously ordered, that the assent desired be and the same is hereby cordially given, and that the new parish embrace within its limits all south of Wheeling Creek.

"Resolved, Moreover, that this vestry would humbly invoke God's blessing upon the organization contemplated in the communication this day submitted."

Having obtained the consent of the vestry of St. Matthew's

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Church, and being favoured with the hearty support and sym- pathy of the respected and beloved rector, the committee promptly called a meeting of such of the citizens of South Wheeling as were favourable to the formation of a parish of the Church in that part of the city. At the meeting so called, the rector of St. Matthew's Church was present, and, in remarks appropriate and impressive, explained the ob- ject of the meeting. After which, suitable measures were adopted for the complete organization of the new parish, and provision made for the erection of a building for the services of the Church.

On the 6th of August, 1849, the Rev. Jas. D. McCabe was invited to take charge of the parish as rector thereof, which invitation was accepted on the 24th of the following month. The rector-elect did not, however, enter upon the duties of his office until January, 1850.

On the Sth of February, 1850, the building erected by the congregation was sufficiently near completion to be used, and the pulpit was, for the first time, occupied on that day by the Rev. Mr. Armstrong. The services were conducted by the rector, assisted by the Rev. William L. Hyland. The organization of the parish was sanctioned and confirmed by the Convention of the Diocese of Virginia, in May, 1850, as "St. John's Parish, Wheeling." The church-edifice-which had been erected and completed by the congregation-was consecrated to the service of Almighty God, by the Right Rev. John Johns, Assistant Bishop of Virginia, on the 1st of November, 1850.

The Rev. Dr. McCabe laboured profitably and acceptably to the congregation until the 8th of January, 1856, when he removed to Baltimore, as associate rector of St. Paul's Church, in that city.

The following is part of the proceedings of the vestry of St. John's parish at the meeting called to act upon the resignation of the rectorship of the parish by the Rev. Dr. McCabe. This resolution was adopted unanimously, and

REV. J. W. WARE.

REV. DAVID H. GREER, D. D.

REV. G. W. DAME.

REV. DOUGLAS F. FORREST, D. D.

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heartily concurred in by every member of the congregation :-

"Resolved, That the Rev. Jamies D). McCabe, D. D., has by courtesy and kindness, by purity of life and doctrine, and by the faithful discharge of duties pertaining to his holy office, secured the love and confidence of his people."

The Rev. George K. Warner was elected rector of the par- ish in January, 1856, and took charge of the congregation on the 16th of March following. St. John's parish was es- tablishel upon the free-seat system, which has been found to work satisfactorily. The rector's salary is provided for by the voluntary subscription of the members. The incident- al expenses, &c., are met by weekly collections at the Sun- lay morning services. The parish has a commodious and con- venient dwelling-house, erected in 1855 expressly for the use of the rector.

St. John's parish has at this time (February, 1857) eighty- six communicants. The Sunday-school connected with the parish is in a flourishing condition, and, under the judicious care and management of the rector, proves an important aux- iliary to the Church.

I must add to the above, for the encouragement of others to go and do likewise, that the rectory mentioned above, and which cost three or four thousand dollars, was at the sole expense of a very few zealous individuals, May they be rewarded for it by always having a faithful minister of God to occupy it!

The Church in Clarksburg.

The first missionary movement in our Diocese was in be- half of Western Virginia, by the association in the valley. composed of the ministers in Frederick. Jefferson, and Berkeley, in the early part of the ministry of the Rev. Ben- jamin Allen, Mr. Bryan, B. B. Smith, Enoch Lowe, and the author of these pages. The first missionary sent into West- ern Virginia was the Rev. Wm. F. Lee, and the first point to which he went was Clarksburg and the next Morgantown.

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In each of these places he preached repeatedly and accept- ably and did his duty faithfully as a pioneer and explorer. He was soon followed by his relative,-the Rev. Charles Henry Page,-who imitated his example in all things. The first effort of a more permanent character was made by the Rev. Mr. Ward. In a letter from a friend in Clarksburg, he thus speaks of this effort :- "Mr. Ward came here in the fall of 1834 or 1835. At first he was the inmate of the family of Mr. Trapnall, a firm friend of the Church. Mr. Trapnall dying, Mr. Ward abode the remainder of his time with Mr. Richard Despard, a devoted friend of the Church from the old coun- try. I have been informed that Mr. Ward succeeded in awak- ening considerable interest among the friends of the Church, -that his Sabbath-school was flourishing, and his public services well sustained." The same friend continues :- "Mr. Ward was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. McMechin, about the year 1840. He had previously been in the Methodist ministry. You are well acquainted with the course pursued by him with the unhappy termination of his ministry." The foregoing re- mark requires explanation. Other records of the church have already made it, but, for the benefit of young ministers, it deserves a place here. Mr. MeMechin, though of an ancient Episcopal family, had united himself with the Methodist com- munion and ministry. During the few years of his continu- ance in this Society he was much esteemed. He then entered the Episcopal Church and ministry. After a short stay in Parkersburg, he commenced the duties of the latter under very favourable auspices in Clarksburg. At his own cost he provided a house which should answer the double purpose of school-room and place of worship. In this place he preached on the Sabbath and instructed young females during the week,-deriving his support chiefly, if not entirely, from the latter. His pulpit-addresses were very acceptable. Numbers attended his ministry. His sermons seemed about to be bless- ed in the conversion of many, and there was a reasonable

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probability that most, if not all, of them would be united to our Church. In several successive letters he communicated to mne the joyful intelligence, and the confident expectation of a large class of candidates for Confirmation when I should next visit Clarksburg, which was to be after a few months. Before that time arrived, however, I perceived a change in the tone of his letters. He was less confident that many would be ready for Confirmation,-was afraid that he would be disap- pointed in a number who had promised well. At length my visit was made. On my arrival, he gave me the following honest account of the whole matter: After having for some time earnestly preached the Gospel of salvation to those who attended his ministry, and having reason to believe that.a number were prepared to make an open profession of religion, and to do it after our manner and in connection with our Church. he determined to make the latter sure by a series of discourses on the ministry, the Sacraments, the Liturgy, and the rite of Confirmation. I do not know what particular po- sition he took in regard to these, but the effect, he told me, was to reduce his congregation from Sabbath to Sabbath, so that, by the time the series was over, a mere handful were left him. Meanwhile the pulpits of other denominations were denouncing him and the Church. and tracts and books against Confirmation and our peculiarities were gotten up and put in circulation through the place, so that when I reached Clarksburg there was but one individual who would dare to appear for Confirmation, and sickness prevented the attend- ance of that one. Nor did the calamity end here; for, not long after, Mr. MeMechin himself returned, under the influ- ence of excited feelings, to the Methodist communion as a lay member. It is, however, proper to state that when that ex- citement passed away he resumed his place in the bosom of the Episcopal Church, but, of course, only as a lay member, -- having been displaced from our ministry. Let young minis-

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ters in new parishes learn a lesson from the foregoing state- ment, and old ones even in old parishes not despise it.

The letter of my correspondent continues by saying that "after Mr. McMechin abandoned the ministry, the Rev. Thomas Smith, of Parkersburg, gave the little flock such pas- toral care as his distant residence allowed. He called the friends of the Church together, proposed and caused to be adopted articles of confederation, and had a regular vestry elected. Until the services of a regular minister were se- cured, he paid them several visits,-riding on horseback the distance of eighty-five miles to supply their spiritual necessi- ties. The Rev. Mr. Kinsolving was the next settled minister. He officiated regularly at Clarksburg and Weston, and occa- sionally at Morgantown. He remained about a year, and was not only acceptable to his own people, but popular with all classes. The Rev. Mr. Tompkins succeeded him at Weston, and preached occasionally at Clarksburg, -- perhaps once a month,-as well as at other places." To this communication I add that in the year 1852, the Rev. Robert A. Castleman went to Clarksburg, and was soon after joined by the Rev. James Page, who, between them, supplied Clarksburg, Wes- ton, Fairmont, Morgantown and Buchanon, for one year, when the formed confined his services to Clarksburg and Fairmont, and the latter to Weston and Buchanon. During the residence of the Rev. Mr. Tompkins in Weston, and chief -. ly by his exertions, an Episcopal church has been built in that place. During the ministry of Mr. Castleman, one has been built in Clarksburg and one purchased and repaired at Fair- mont. To his efforts in Clarksburg and his solicitation abroad. we are indebted for the excellent house now standing in Clarksburg. A few zealous friends in Fairmont are, entitled to praise for what they have done. Although our efforts have thus far failed in Morgantown, I cannot pass it by without mention of the pleasant visits made to that place, and the hospitable reception given me by those worthy members of our Church,-Mr. John Rogers and Mr. Guy Allen. Could

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the zeal and liberality of two individuals have sufficed for the establishment of the Episcopal Church in Morgantown, theirs would have done it. I have nothing more to add but that Mr. Castleman is about to leave Clarksburg, and the Rev. Mr. Smyth, a Deacon, is officiating in Weston.

Article LXXIX. from Bishop Meade's Book. Churches in Kanawha, Ravenswood, Parkersburg and the neighborhood, New Martinsville, and Moundsville.

Still pursuing the order in which efforts have been made for the establishment of the Episcopal Church in Western Virginia, we proceed to speak of the churches in Kanawha. The Rev. Messrs. Lee and Page, our first missionaries, ex- tended their visits to Kanawha, and by the way of Point Pleasant ascended the Ohio, stopping at Parkersburg. The visit of Mr. Page led to his settlement in Kanawha, and dur- ing the time of his residence there he officiated in Charles- ton, at Coalsmouth and Point Pleasant. A good beginning was made by Mr. Page, and, if circumstances had not made him feel it his duty to seek another field of labour after a few years, it is thought that the Church in that county would have greatly benefited by his labours. He was succeeded, after a number of years, by the Rev. Frederick D. Goodwin, who laboured amidst many difficulties for two years and then removed to another field. The Rev. Mr. Martin followed Mr. Goodwin, and laboured at Charleston and Coalsmouth. He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. Craik, now of Louisville, who laboured among them for some years. Mr. Whittle and Mr. Ward were the next ministers. Mr. Ward was followed by the Rev. R. T. Brown, who, after a few years, was obliged, on account of his failing voice, to relinquish the charge. The Rev. Thompson L. Smith is the present minister.

There is an excellent brick church in Charleston, whose history deserves a special notice. When I first visited Ka- nawha, there were only two communicants in our Church in Charleston,-Mrs. Colonel Lovell and Mrs. Quarrier. There were some few other ladies, who by birth or education were

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attached to the Episcopal Church, and some few gentlemen who laughingly advocated it in preference to others. There was no Episcopal Church, and the idea of building one seem- ed preposterous. Some two or three ladies, however, deter- mined upon a trial,-their husbands, fathers, and brothers making sport of it. They used their tongues, their hands, their pens, and raised in one year about a hundred dollars, which afforded amusement to the gentlemen. The ladies, with characteristic good-humour, patience and perseverance, endured it all, putting their earnings in the bank, and pro- ceeded in their work. The next year doubled their collec- tions, which were also put at interest. How many years were thus spent, and what was the increase of each year, I cannot say; but this I know, that after many years of patient perse- verence, and the accumulation of a very considerable sum, the gentlemen found that the ladies could not be laughed out of their determination, and, some of them having also come to better thoughts on the subject of religion, it was resolved to accept the large amount now in hand, and add to it as much as was necessary to build a church costing four or five thousand dollars.

Old Mrs. Quarrier.

I mentioned that at one time there were only two commu- nicants in our Church at Charleston,-Mrs. Lovell and Mrs. Quarrier. The latter died in the year 1852, full of years, and ready to depart and be with Christ. As Mrs. Quarrier, be- yond any other individual, may be considered the mother of the Church in Western Virginia, by reason of her age, her holy life, and numerous posterity, who in different places have zealously promoted it, I must give a brief genealogical sketch of the same. Mr. Alexander Quarrier was born in Scotland in the year 1746. He removed to America in his twenty-ninth year, and, settling in Philadelphia and marry- ing, lived there twelve years, when he removed to Richmond. His wife dying, he contracted a second marriage with Miss Sally Burns. He left Richmond in 1811, and removed to Ka-

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nawha, where he died at the advanced age of eighty-two. By his first marriage he had six children,-Harriet, Eliza, Mar- garet, Helen, Alexander and Betsy. By his second wife he had seven children,-Willianı, James, Gustavus, Monroe, Archibald, Fanny and Virginia. Being unable to state the marriages and localities, &c., of all of them, I shall mention none. The members of the Church in different parts of West- ern Virginia know how much it has been indebted to them.

The Church in the Salines.

About six miles above Charleston, in the midst of the cele- brated salt-works, there is a considerable population and sev- eral churches. One of them belongs to the Episcopalians. When I was last there, it had been deserted for a time on ac- count of its bad construction, with a view either to its repair or the building of another. The minister at Charleston gives a portion of his time and labours to this place.

The Church at Coalsmouth.

About twelve miles from Charleston, and lower down, the river Coal enters into the Kanawha. At this place a number of Episcopal families settled themselves from thirty to sixty years ago. They attracted the attention of our first minis- ters in Kanawha, and shared their labours. Among those families was that of Mr. Philip Thompson, of Culpepper, son of the Rev. Mr. Thompson, of St. Mark's parish, of whom we have given so good an account in our article on Culpepper. His family, now reduced in numbers by death and dispersion, have contributed largely to the support of this congregation. The venerable mother, daughter of old Mr. Robert Slaughter, of Culpepper, was loved and esteemed by all who knew her, as one of the humblest and most devoted members of the Church in Virginia. I have always felt my own sense of the divine power and excellency of religion strengthened by every visit made to her abode. She exchanged it some years since for a better one above.

The following communication from Mr. Francis Thompson.

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who has long been a lay reader of the Church, contains every- thing of importance in relation to the congregation at Coals- mouth :-

COALS, February 24, 1857.

"RIGHT REVEREND AND DEAR SIR :- I hasten to give you an imperfect account of the history of the Church in this neigh- bourhood; and, as there are no records to refer to, I shall have to rely on an imperfect memory. Morris Hudson, Eliza- beth his wife, and their six children, nearly all married, re- moved to this neighbourhood from Botetourt county, Vir- ginia, in 1797, and were probably the first Episcopalians that settled in this neighbourhood. They were both communi- cants of the Church. They came to Virginia originally from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and were members of Ban- gor Church,-an old church erected before the Revolution. They removed to Botetourt county, in this State, during Bishop Madison's time. The old patriarch, then in his eight- ieth year, (being uncertain whether he had been confirmed in childhood), received the rite of Confirmation at your hands, on your first visit to this county, together with several of his children. Some of their descendants still continue true to the faith of their fathers, whilst others have wandered into other folds. The next Episcopalians who settled here were my father's family, with whose history you are well acquaint- ed. They removed here in 1817. My father died in 1837, in the seventieth year of his age. My mother died the 8th of March, 1852, in the seventy-fifth year of her age.

"The first clergyman who visited us was the Rev. Mr. Page, who came as a missionary, and was afterwards the pastor of the congregation in this neighbourhood, and officiated gen- erally throughout the county. He laboured zealously for several years, and, I have no doubt, accomplished much good. Had he remained. I think the Church would have been estab- lished here on a firm foundation. I do not recollect the pre- cise time of his coming or leaving. The little brick church on the hill was erected in 1825, (chiefly by old Mr. Hudson). I

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think the Rev. Mr. Page preached in it for some years. This church was used until 1835, when it was burned.

"The first vestry was P. R. Thompson, Davis Hudson, Jesse Hudson and others whose names I have forgotten. After Mr. Page left, we were for some time without a minister, and the Methodists and Presbyterians came in and gathered up the sheaves already bound by him, as many baptized by him connected themselves with those churches. The Rev. F. D. Goodwin succeeded Mr. Page, and continued about two years. I think he came in 1830 or 1831, and was followed by the Rev. Mr. Martin in 1833, who remained in the county about five years, and gave place to Mr. Craik, who preached for us occa- sionally for several years. Old Mr. West had charge of this parish part of a year during Mr. Craik's ministry in Charles- ton. After Mr. West left us, Mr. Craik still continued to preach for us, until the spring of 1845, when the Rev. F. B. Nash was called to this parish. He continued to labour zeal- ously for several years. During his ministry St. Mark's Church was built on a part of the lot given by my father for a church and parsonage. The parsonage was built for Mr. Martin, but was never occupied by a minister until Mr. Nash came. St. Mark's Church was built in 1846, and shortly afterward St. John's in the Valley. The congregation in Teays Valley was first gathered by Mr. Craik, and an old still- house converted into a place of worship. I think he started a subscription-paper for St. John's before he left. There are sev- eral communicants still living near this church, though they have never had any services since Mr. Nash left, with the ex- ception of one or two sermons from Mr. Henderson, who con- tinued here a short time. I was licensed as a lay reader about thirty-two years ago, and have continued to officiate in that capacity and as superintendent of the Sunday-school up to this time. Our school last summer, and as long as the weather permitted during the fall, was quite a flourishing one, num- bering more than forty scholars. We shall resume it on next

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Sunday, if the weather continues good. I remain, dear sir, your attached friend,

F. THOMPSON."

List of persons who have acted as Vestrymen (from memory).

P. R. Thompson, Sen., Davis Hudson, Jesse Hudson, John Lewis, P. R. Thompson, Jr., John P. Turner, Alexander Brad- ford, Dr. John Thompson, Robert Simms, George Rogers, Al- fred A. Thornton, Benjamin S. Thompson, George W. Thorn- ton, Francis Thompson.

We have no other church besides these on the Kanawha River, though our ministers have had stations at the court- house in a neighboring county and at Buffalo in Kanawha county. At Point Pleasant, besides the occasional visits of the Rev. Mr. Craik and Mr. Henderson, the Rev. James Good- win laboured several years in the hope of building a church and raising up a congregation, but was disappointed. Vari- ous circumstances have prevented the establishment of a flourishing village on that most beautiful of all the sites on the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, which, by their junction there, concur to make it as convenient for trade as it is memorable for the bloody battle with the Indians in which the family of Lewis so signalized itself,-some of whose descendants still live upon the spot and adhere to the Church of their ances- tors.

Bruce Chapel.

About twelve miles below Point Pleasant, on Mercer's Bot- tom, a large and fertile tract of land, once owned by Charles Fenton Mercer, we have a comfortable brick building called Bruce Chapel, erected during the ministry of the Rev. James Goodwin, and so named because of the large contribution made to it by Mrs. Eliza Bruce, now of Richmond, and whose liberality to so many other objects is well known throughout Virginia. The chapel is in the neighbourhood of the Moores, Beales, General Steenbergen and others whose names I can- not now recall.

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The Church at Ravenswood.

Ravenswood is a small village on the Ohio River, built on land taken up by General Washington, (who never made a mistake as to the quality of soil), and left to some of the Ash- ton family of King George, with whom the Washington fam- ily was connected. Mr. Henry Fitzhugh, formerly of Fau- quier, marrying a descendant of the Ashtons, became pos- sessed of a part of this estate, and settled on it with a large family of children. At his expense a neat little chapel has been put up at Ravenswood, and when ministerial services were not to be had one of his sons has officiated as lay reader. The Rev. Mr. Tompkins has now for the last two years been residing there, discharging the duties of a teacher and minis- ter at the same time. Services are also held at the court- house of that county.

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A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 43

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