church, until he died in 1728. He married Sarah,
widow of Paul Grimball, but had no children. She after-
wards married a Mr. Smith, and under that name gave
a legacy to the first Baptist church in Philadelphia, of
about 900 dollars. Mr. Peart's successor was Rev.
Thomas Simmons, who was born in England, but
came to Charleston from Pennsylvania, where he had
been ordained. His father gave him an academical ed-
ucation, and then bound him to the carpenter's business,
which he did not like. He, therefore, came to Ameri-
ca, that he might be free to follow his inclination, which
was towards the ministry. He had two children, Thom-
as and Hannah. The son died childless ; the daughter
married Dr. Thomas Dale, and had many children, who
removed to England after their father's death.

Mr. Simmons published one piece, entitled, " Some
Queries concerning the Operations of the Holy Spirit, an-
swered." Under his ministry, the church passed through
a series of trials, occasioned by the schism and encroach-
ments of the General Baptists, and by disputes among
themselves; and towards the close of it, was reduced
to the verge of extinction, there remaining but one man
and two women, who were communicants. But when
Mr. Whitefield first visited Charleston, there was a
great revival under his ministry, and this church shar-
ing largely in its salutary influences, soon received the
addition of about a hundred members, Mr. Sim-
mons died January 31, 1747, and was succeeded by
Rev. Oliver Hart. His settlement in Charleston was
an important event to the South-Carolina churches.
His unexpected arrival, while the church was destitute



Further Blessings for Charleston Church. 125

of a supply, and immediately after the death of the ex-
cellent Mr. Chanler, who had occasionally officiated for
them since Mr. Simmons's death, was believed to have
been directed by a special providence in their favour.
He undertook the pastoral office with much seriousness,
and soon entered on an extensive field of usefulness.
His ardent piety and active philanthropy, his discrimina-
ting mind, and persuasive address, raised him high in
the esteem of the publick, and gave him a distinguished
claim to the affections of his brethren. (For an inter-
esting account of Mr. Hart, see his biography.)

Mr. Hart having, for his safety, retired to New- Jersey
at the beginning of the American war, this church was
for many years destitute of a pastor. But in 1787, it
had the felicity to settle among them Rev. Richard
Furman, D. D. who yet continues their much-esteemed
and affectionate pastor.

Dr. Furman was born at Esopus, on the Hudson-river,
in the State of New-York, about 1 748 :* his extensive
and successful exertions for the benefit of his own church,
of the Baptist interest in South-Carolina, and the cause
of Zion generally, will furnish interesting articles for
some future biographer ; but pursuant to the maxims we
have adopted respecting the living, they cannot here be
minutely detailed.

The Charleston church has now (1813) existed ISO
years, and is among the largest in South-Carolina. It is
remarkable for its hospitality to visiting brethren, and
its abundant charities to those who are in necessitous
circumstances.

ASHLEY RIVER.

THIS was the second church which was, formed in
South-Carolina. From about the time the Baptists first
settled in this vicinity, they had stood connected with
the Charleston church, as a branch of that body. But
on May 24, 1736, the members here, to the number of
twenty-eight, were constituted into a distinct church by

* I am not certain about the time of Dr. Furman's birth ; but I suppose that
he is new about sixty- five years fif age, and tlv;t v.
ted.



126 Character of Rev. Mr. Chanter and Rev. Mr. Stephens.

a special covenant, under the pastoral care of Rev. Isaac
Chanler. The constituents were Isaac Chanlcr, pastor,
William Cater, John Bullcin, Richard Bedon, jun.
Benjamin Child, John Sheppard, jun. Charles Barker,
Charles Filben, Francis Sheppard, Alexander Sheppard,
Jacob Brad well, John Angell, Thomas Ramsay, Richard
Bedon, sen. Sarah Baker, Mary Cater, Susannah Brad-
well, Christiana Brown, Ann Maam, Elizabeth Chanler,
Elizabeth Bullein, Joyel Griffin, Elizabeth Bedon, Eliza-
beth Salter, Susannah Baker, Elizabeth Marrion, Mary
Sheppard, and Ann Peacock.

Mr. Chanler was born at Bristol, England, 1701 ;
came to Ashley-river about 1733, and continued the
n.'uch-csteemed pastor of this church, until he died,
Nov. 30, 174-9, in the 49th year of his age. Mr. Chan-
lcr was a man of distinguished talents, piety and use-
fulness. He was the author of a treatise in small
quarto, esteemed an able defence of the Calvinistick
doctrines, and entitled " The Doctrines of Glorious
Grace unfolded, defended, and practically improved."
He also published a " Treatise on Original Sin,'* and a
Sermon on the death of Rev. William Tilly. The late
Isaac Chanler, M. D. was his son.

Rev. John Stephens succeeded Mr. Chanler. He was
born on Staten-lsland, in the State and near the city of
New-York. Of his early life, I can learn no more, than
that he settled first at Horse-Neck, in Connecticut, where
he gathered a little church in 1747, having been ordained
at Oyster Bay, on Long-Island, the same year. He came
to Ashley-river in the month of May, J 75O, and shortly
after was invested with the pastoral care of the church.
In this office Mr. Stephens continued with high reputa-
tion, for a number of years ; but by an unhappy fondness
for strong drink, he was obliged to quit both the church
and ministry in 1769.* From this dreadful fall he nev-
er fully recovered, but professed and was believed to

* In Mr. Edwards's account of this unhappy affair, 1 find the following en-
vious remarks: "Has i,ot a dumb sjr.rit. a tfe/' spirit, an unclean spirit, &c.
been cast out? and who knows bu*. Ju itict'c'j. spirit v. HI one day be exorcised
out of this country, where it makes such dreadful havock ? The Indians them-
selves lament its heing brought hither, though they are excessively fond
or it. Surely if am~ creature of ( ' . rt ^ccd. ruin would be it."

MS. &c. p. U.



Church removed from Edisio-Island to Ewhaw. 1 27

be penitent, and was improperly admitted again to
preach. He died suddenly at Black-river in 1785. The
defection of Mr. Stephens was a circumstance peculiarly
painful to the friends of Zion, and happened about the
time Mr. Bedgegood, another celebrated minister, was
disowned for a crime which will be mentioned in the
history of the Welsh Neck church. From this period
the Ashley-river church declined, and in the revolution-
ary war became extinct. Its property, consisting of the
lot on which the house of worship was built, about four-
teen miles from Charleston, a valuable parsonage, church
plate, several negroes, and some hundred pounds in
fund, were seized by a sacrilegious individual, and con-
verted to his own use.

EWHAW CHURCH.

The Welsh Neck church, as to its constitution, is older
than the Ewhaw ; but as this originated from the Charles-
ton church, we shall give its history first.

The foundation of the Evvhaw^ church was laid in the
year 1683, when, it is said, that some Baptists from
England, in company with those who settled at Ashley -
river, and founded Charleston church, arrived here with
the lord Cardross. They were visited by Mr. Screven and
the succeeding ministers of Charleston, until God raised
up a minister among themselves, whose name was Wil-
liam Tilly. The names of the original emigrants were
William Fry, Thomas Grimball, Providence Grimball,
Ephraim Mikili, Joseph Sealy, Joseph Perminter, Isaac
Perminter, Thomas Perminter, and some others, whose
names are not known. These persons settled on Edisto-
Island, where was the seat and centre of the community,
which stood as a branch of the Charleston church. About
forty years after this settlement was made, the Baptist
families here began to remove their habitations, some to
Port-Royal, an island to the south of Edisto, on which
the tlown of Beaufort now stands, and others to Ewhaw,
otherwise called Indian-Island. But the brethren who
went to Port- Royal soon followed those who had gone
to Ewhaw, and by this means the seat of this body \va-
removed from Edisto to the place where it now is.




128 Death and Character of Mr. Tilly.

This church has built three meeting-houses. The first
was erected on the island of Edisto, in 1726 ; for before
this time they met in a common meeting-house, which
they were turned out of in 1722, by their overbearing
brethren, the Presbyterians. The meeting-house at Ew-
IVJLW, which is 36 feet by 30, was built in 17-51 ; and it so
happened, that as soon as it was finished, Mr. George
Whitefield came along, and preached in it for the first
time. Besides these, they built a house at Hilton Head,
on the island, about 18 miles off, where was formerly a
branch of the church.

It has already been mentioned, that the first minister
which this people had to live amongst them, was William
Tilly. He was a native of Salisbury, in England ; was
called to the ministry, and ordained by the church in
Charleston. He resided on Edisto until his death, which
happened April 14, 1744, in the 46th year of his age.
His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Chanler, where-
in he thus speaks of the deceased : " A minister he was,
able and faithful to declare unto you the whole counsel
of God. Some of you were car and eye witnesses of his
steadfast faith and hope on his death-bed. With what
composedness of mind and solid satisfaction received he
the awful summons ! How free from all slavish fear of
the king of terrors ! How affectionately recommended
he you to the blessing and protection of God ! and with
\vhat cheerful resignation gave he up his spirit to the
hands of a dear Redeemer ! He lived and died in the
Lord."

Mr. Tilly died two years before the Ewhaw church
was constituted. This people, for upwards of 6O years
after their settlement here, remained a branch of the
Charleston church, and for reasons which are not known,
took much pains to be considered in that relation, though
solicited by the mother body to become a distinct church.
But in May, 1746, they were dismissed and organized in-
to a church, by the assistance of Rev. Isaac Chanler, of
Ashley -river.

Rev. Francis Pilot, A. M. was the first minister they
had after this period. He was born at Norville, in 'Swit-
zerland, March 11, 1720, of Presbyterian parents, where
he received a good education. He arrived in South-



Pastors of the Ewbaw Church. 129

Carolina, in 1734, and ten years after embraced the prin-
ciples of the Baptists. Soon after the Ewhaw church
was constituted, he was called to be its pastor, in which
office he continued with much reputation, until his death,
in 1774. Mr. Pelot was a very distinguished man, in his
day, amongst the South-Carolina Baptists. He possessed
an ample fortune, and a valuable library, and devoted
much of his time to books. Mr. Edwards, in speaking of
this eminent man, who was then alive, observes, " he
possesses three islands, and about 3785 acres on the con-
tinent, with slaves and stock in abundance. This (said
he) I mention, not to flatter my friend Pelot, but in hope
that his conduct may influence other such planters to
preach the gospel among the poor Baptists, when God
inclines their hearts to it." Mr. Pelot assisted in or-
daining the late Drs. Samuel Stillman of Boston, and
Hezekiah Smith of Haverhill,* and preached the sermons
on the occasions.

His successor was Rev. Joseph Cook. For an inter-
esting account of him, and of his ministry at Ewhaw, see
his biography,

The next in office at Ewhaw, was Rev. now Dr. Henry
Holcombe, of Philadelphia. Dr. Holcombe became the
pastor of this church in 1791, and served them about
eight years, residing the first part of the time at Ewhaw,
and the latter at Beaufort, where a branch of the church
lived. In 1799, he removed to Savannah, and officiated
as the pastor of the Baptist church in that city, about
eleven years, and then removed to his present situation.

Rev. Joseph B. Cook, son of the late Joseph Cook,
succeeded Dr. Holcombe in the pastoral care of the
church, over which his venerable father formerly presid-
ed. Here he continued until 1804, when the Ewhaw
church was divided, and the Beaufort church was formed
from it, with the pastoral care of which Mr. Cook was
immediately invested. Thus the Ewhaw church was again
deprived of its pastor, by his removing to a promising sta-
tion. Aaron Tison, and then William B.Johnson, now
pastor of the church in Savannah, each officiated at Ew-
haw a while after Mr. Cook's removal. For a few years

* These ministers were both oniained in S. C. one at Cliarlaston, and the
ether at Pedee.

VOL. 2. J7



130 Tl'elsh'Neck Church.

past this church has been under the care of Rev. James
Sweat. Mr. Sweat was baptized by Dr. Holcombe the
same day he was ordained. His ministry at the Ewhaw
has been attended with great success. A revival com-
menced here not long since, in which a large number were
hopefully born into the kingdom of God, and in one
instance Mr. Sweat baptized seventy persons in a day.

WELSH-NECK.

THIS church was at first called Pedee, from the circum-
stance of its being situated on the Great Pedee-river,
60 miles north of Georgetown ; but when other branch-
es were settled on the same river, it became necessary
to give this a more special name, and accordingly the
compound name of Welsh-Neck was selected, which is de-
scriptive of the people who founded the church, and of
its local and peninsulated situation. This church origi-
nated in the following manner : In the year 1737, the
following Baptist members of the Welsh-Tract church,
which was then in the province of Pennsylvania, but now
in the State of Delaware, arrived here ; viz. James James,
Esq. and wife, and three sons, Philip, who was their min-
ister, Abel, Daniel, and their wives ; Daniel Devonald
and wife, Thomas Evans and wife, one other of the same
name and his wife ; John Jones and wife, three of the
Harrys, Thomas, David, and John and his wife ; Samuel
Wilds and wife, Samuel Evans and wife, Griffith Jones
and wife, and David and Thomas Jones and their wives.
These thirty members, with their children and house-
holds, settled at a place called Catfish, on Pedee-river, but
they soon removed about fifty miles higher up the same
river, where they made a permanent settlement, and
where they all, except James James, Esq. who died at
Catfish, were embodied into a church, Jan, 1738.

James James, Esq. was the most distinguished of this
company of emigrants, for he was the head of the party,
and his son Philip became the pastor of the church. Of
him I can learn no more, than that he died at Catfish.
His son Philip, the first pastor of the Welsh-Neck church,
was born near Pennepeck, Pennsylvania, in 1 701 : he was
ordained over the church in 1743, by Messrs. Charier
Simmons, and died in 1753.



Anecdote cf Philip James. 131

This venerable man passed through a very singular
scene about three months before his death j the narra-
tive is related in full by Mr. Edwards, but we shall be
able to give only the substance of it here, which is as
follows : He was greatly afflicted for the death of a fa-
vourite child, and bewailed his loss in the language of
David, Abel, my son, my son, would to God I bad died for
thee, &f. In the midst of his wailings he fell to the
ground as if dead, and was taken up and put on the bed,
where he continued for near an hour, without any signs
of life. When he revived and saw the people about him
weeping, he bid them desist, adding, " had you seen
what I have seen, you would not be in trouble about the
dear little one." His wife and the company urged
him to tell what he had seen concerning the child. He
was reluctant to it, but their importunity prevailed, and
he went on, " The child now enjoys more happiness in
one moment than compensates for all the miseries he
endured through life, and the pangs of death also." He
then related how he had been transported by a celestial
conductor to the paradise of God, where he was chided
for his excessive grief, and saw his child in the full stat-
ure of a man, in company with the angelick hosts, and
uniting in their songs of praise. At length his conduct-
or said to him, " 1 am one of that company, and must join
them." Having said this, the entranced spirit began to
sink fast, and soon found itself united with the body.
This account is preserved by the family, and is signed
by four respectable witnesses.* After this vision, the
old man minded no worldly thing, but was full of heav-
enly joy, and attentive only to spiritual concerns.

His successor, who had been his colleague, was Rev.
John Brown. He was born near Burlington, New-
Jersey, in 1714, but was brought up at Frankfort, near
Philadelphia. He came to Pedee about the time the
above-mentioned company emigrated hither, where he
was baptized and called to the ministry, and where
he was ordained, May 7, 1 750 j but for some reasons he
continued not long in the care of the church. He

* Edwai-ds's MS. Hist. &c. p. 19.



132 Pastors of Welsh-Neck Church.

preached in different places around, until his death, and
for aught that appears, supported a character becoming
his profession.

The next pastor of this church was Rev. Joshua Ed-
wards. He was born Feb. 1703, in Pembrokeshire,
South Wales, from which place he emigrated to Welsh-
Tract, in Delaware, where he continued almost 3O years,
and then removed to South-Carolina, and had the care
of this church about six years. He then removed to Cash-
away (afterwards called Mount Pleasant) where he was
invested with the pastoral office three years. His next
remove was to a church on Little Pedee, over which he
presided until 1768. After this, he did not engage in
the pastoral office of any church, but continued to preach,
and was useful till his death, which happened Aug. 22,
1784. He lived to see his posterity, 12 children, 38
grand-children, and 32 great-grand-children ; 82 in the
whole. His son, Abel Edwards, who was long an es-
teemed and highly useful deacon of the Welsh-Neck
church, died in 1793, aged 54.

Rev. Robert Williams succeeded Mr. Edwards. He
was born at Northampton, North-Carolina, in 1717,
and was ordained at Welsh-Neck in 1752 ; but by some
means he continued but a short time in the pastoral of-
fice here. He died April 8th, 1 788. His funeral sermon
was preached by Rev. Evan Pugh, who gave him the
following character : " He was kind to the poor, and
remarkably so to the afflicted ; a man of excellent natu-
ral parts, and a minister who preached the gospel to the
edification and comfort of souls, as many have testified
to me ; and to crown all, a sincere Christian," &c. Hon.
David R. Williams, of South-Carolina, is grandson of-
this venerable divine, and the only son of Mr. David
Williams, who received a classical education, at Charles-
ton, was a very useful and amiable man, and died at the
age of 36, about the year 1 775.

The Welsh-Neck church had, for its next pastor, Rev.
Nicholas Bedgegood, who was born at Thornbury, Glou-
cestershire, England. Mr. Bedgegood received his first
serious impressions under the ministry of the famous
George Whitefield. He came to America in 1751, and



Nicholas Bedgegood disowned by the Association, 133

was, for some time, Mr. Whitefield's agent in the Or-
phan House, for which employ he was very capable, as
he had received a classical education, and had, in his
younger days, studied the law three years, under the
direction of an able master at Bristol. He was brought
up an Episcopalian, but embraced the sentiments of the
Baptists a few years after he came to America, and was
baptized at Charleston, by Rev. Oliver Hart. The
means of determining his suspense about the validity of
infant baptism, was a sermon of Dr. Watts, intended to
establish the point. He concluded that the Doctor had
said the best that could be said on the subject ; and if
so, he, saw that the best only proves, that sprinkling chil-
dren is an unscriptural practice. He was ordained in
17.59 ; and after officiating for a short time as an assist-
ant to Mr. Hart in Charleston, he removed and became
the pastor of this church ; and it was here that the mar-
riage took place for which he was disowned by the Asso-
ciation. A number of our ministering brethren from
England, and some of distinguished abilities, have acted
a similar part with Mr. Bedgegood, although they have
rjot all shared the same fate. He left a wife in England
when he came to America, and after he had been pastor
of the Welsh-Neck church a number of years, he married
another, and alleged in justification of his conduct, that
his first wife would not come after him to America, and
that he had been informed of her death before his sec-
ond marriage. His brethren were by no means satisfied
with this statement, but requested him to attend the
Association, and give them a more full and satisfactory
explanation of his conduct. To this summons he did
not attend, and was, therefore, disowned. In this situa-
tion, Mr. Bedgegood continued until his death, which
happened about 1774. He was an accomplished speaker,
and a sermon preached before a Society of Planters (the
only one he ever published) shows him to have been a,
man of classick learning and of "good understanding.
Notwithstanding his being disowned by the Associa-
tion, I do not find but that he had the care of this church
until his death.

Mr. Bedgegood was succeeded in the pastoral office
by the famous Elhanan Winthester, who afterwards be-



1 34- Charleston Association firmed.

came a zealous advocate for the doctrine of universal
restoration. He continued in the care of this church
four or five years. Next to him was Mr. Botsford, now
of Georgetown, South-Carolina. After Mr. Botsford's
removal, this church had in succession David Lilly,
Frame Woods, and Daniel White. Mr. White is from
Scotland, but has lately left this church, and it is now
destitute of a pastor.

The Welsh-Neck church is the oldest in this part of
the State, and has been the mother of a number of others.
Cashaway, now called Mount Pleasant, Cape-Fear in
North-Carolina, Lynch's Creek, Mars Bluff, and Cheraw
Hill, and probably some others originated from it. Some
of these churches are now extinct. The late Dr. Smith,
of Haverhill, Massachusetts, spent a year with the church
which was then called Cashaway.

Having related the history of these old churches, of
which the Charleston Association was at first composed,
we shall now go back to the organization of that body,
and give a history of its progress from its first formation
to the present time.

Mr. Wood Furman, of Charleston, South- Carolina,
son of Dr. Furman, has lately published, in a very hand-
some style, a 12mo. vol. entitled, "A History of the
Charleston Association," from which many of the fore-
going articles have been selected, and from which the
following narrative is transcribed.

Mr. Hart, who was now the pastor of the church in
Charleston, had seen, in the Philadelphia Association, the
happy consequences of union and stated intercourse
umong churches maintaining the same faith and order.
To accomplish similar purposes, an union of the four
churches before mentioned was contemplated and agreed
on. v/ Accordingly on the 21st of October, 1 751, delegates
from Ashley-river and Welsh-Neck met those of Charles-
ton in the said city. The messengers from Ewhaw
were prevented from attending. It was agreed that an
annual meeting should thenceforward be holden on Sat-
urday preceding the second Sabbath of November, to
consist of the ministers and messengers of the several
churches ; that the two first days should be employed in
publick worship, and a sermon introductory to business
preached on the Monday following, at 10 o'clock.



John Gam -performs a successful Miss si on. 135

The object of the union was declared to be the pro-
motion of the Redeemer's kingdom, by the maintenance
of love and fellowship, and by mutual consultations for
the peace and welfare of the churches. The independ-
ency of the churches was asserted, and the powers of
the Association restricted to a council of advice. It
was agreed to meet again in Charleston, November, 175^.
At that time the delegates from Ewhaw attended, and
the proceedings of the first meeting were ratified. The
instrument of union bears the following signatures : John