Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-01-30
BEAUFORT And THE SEA ISLANDS.
Their History and Traditions.
NUMBER THREE.
BY ]. A. j.

"When. Lord, to this our western land,
Led by Thy proridential hand,
Our wandering fathers came.
Their ancient homes, their friends In youth,
Sent forth the heralds Of thy truth,
To keep them in thy n.me."
Bp. H. U. oyDERDoSK-
Having devoted my two preceding ar
ticles to a cursory notice of those works
about our harbor erected by the early set
tiers for their defence, first against the
Indians, then against each other-French
and Spaniards, and subsequently by the
English, against them all; it seems prop.
er, .xt in order to turn our attention to
those structures Of another character,
erected for the acknowledgment and wor'
ship of Almighty God, not hyperb Ideally
viewed as defences also, against the spr-
itual foe In these were to be employed
those mighty weapons, so ef6cacious in
destroying the works of Satan, and in
building up "the Church of the living
God, the pillar nd ground of the Truth. "
The transition, Therefore, from the con-
sideration of the one to notice Of the
other, is not so unnatural as it may at
first appear.
The mother country, mindful indeed
of the spiritual wants of those early ad'
venturers, had not long made provision
for their security against
"Man's inhumanity to man."
when size turned her attention to aking
arrangements for the due observance OF
the Christian Sabbath, and the mainten.
nnce OF divine worship according to the
forms and ceremonies of the established
church.
Wirh the exception Of an indepcn len
church at Dorchester, organized in 1885,
there were no places O public worship
anywhere along our extended coast. In
1896 however. an act was passed ITO set
tie maintenance OH minister Of the
church of England in Charlestown."
About This time was formed in London,
'the society forthe propagation ofthe COS,
pei in foreign parts" This society, so dis
tinguished for its extensive operations and
eminent success. scnt to Carolina the Rev.
Samuel Thomas, its first missionary to
these shores. The original design was
the conversion of the "Yammosees;'
but the Governor, Sir Nathaniel John
son, as well as others, thought it an im-
proper time for that work; and he was
accordingly appointed to the charge Of
three settlements on G oper river, with
his residence on Goose Creek. His
ministratious were not unattended by sue.
cess, as may be seen from his report to
the society, in which he says that the
number of communicates had increased
from fire to Muty-teo; that he chad tax
IN much pains also in instructing the ne
groes, and learned twenty Of them to
read.' This was accomplished too IN a
short, time, for he died in l706 ''very
much lamented for his sound doctrine.
exemplary life and industry
There cannot now be found correct
list Of the Episcopal clergy who reached
this province prior to Ie year 1871. This
number, however, was SMALL for up to
l775 the aggregate was reported at one
hundred and Two, ninety-three Of whom
arrived subsequently to 1870, leaving OIL
" nine for the twcnty-eight preceding
years. Among these we find the follow
ing names, viz: Rev. DR.. lie Jeau,
Me srs. Merry Ludlam, Maule, Clerk,
Hunt, Dwight and Osborn. The first
who succeeded Mr. Thomas in 1906, was
an indefatigable mi: sonary, "who in
structcd and baptized many negroes and
Indian slaves" Mr.. Osborn was the
first mis- ionary to St. Bartholomew :
Parish, (Walterboro,) and narrowly cs.
c.prd the Indian massacre Of Ills, with
a loss of all his effects. With the single
exception of Mr.. Hunt. these pioneers OF
the gospel are spoken of in terms OF the
highest commendation for their many
virtues and unwearied diligence and toll
But it is time to turn our attention to
our own parish of st. He EMS as 1t
was always called in those early days.
Her people, as far back as l7l2, had ex-
pressed an earnest desire to have cler'
gyman resident among them; and. with
the consent of Rev. Mr. johnson, Rector
nf CT l"stown and comnis.ary Of the
Bishop of London, whose jurisdiction en-
tended over all the churches in the prov
ince, elected Rev. William Guy, then as.
si>tant minister of St. Philips. Being
at that time q deacon. he returned ia
England in I7l3, and there received
Priests orders, the society also appoint.
ing him their missionary to this charge
which, at that time included The whole
YammoSec nation and extended to the
Savannah river.
"wide was his parish-houses far asunder-
But he neglected nouGhi Tor rain or thunder,
onl N rriaf In visit all