The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-04-06

these Scotch Irish Presbyterians, whose
forefathers had long before proved the
truth OF the adage that 1.-the blood of the
martyrs is the seed of the church," so il
like manner did their sons attest their faith
i'll the justice of the cause that they almost
universally espoused, and hesitated not tc
shed their blood in maintaining it with the
sword upon many sanguinary field. EN-
ulatlDg in civil affairs the example theil
forelatheIs had set them in ecclesiastical
matters, many Of them became martyrs in
the cause of liberty.
This lace did not intermarry with the
native Celtic population, and to this day,
after the lapse of two centuries and half
is as distinct as when the pioneer settlers
first immigrated to Ireland. They were
called Scotch Irish simply because they
were the descendants of Scots who had
taken up their residence in the north of
Ireland
The wretched policy OF the House OF
Stewart, which had an unlimited capacity
for tyranny and oppression, soon drove
these people to seek an asylum in the will
derness Of America. Here the ancestors
of many of the members of the Piesbyter-
ian churches in the northern part of Cecil
county settled in the early days of the his
tory OF our county. They brought With
them their habits of industry, self denial.
:rnsality and economy that are yet retained
and practiced by their descendants
The Alexanders and the other Scotch
surrounding country were the founders Of
the old Presbyterian churches at Head Of
Christiana " and "The Rock Though
neither of these church edifices are on the
New Munster tract and though the former
is few rods eastward Of the State line on
the triangular part of Pennsylvania that
extends south of Mason and Dixon's line.
we cannot do better than give short
sketch of them here.
The Presbyterian Church at the Head of
Chrstiana was organized some time pre-
vious to 170S, and it is probable that the
first house of worship was built previous
to that date. 1nasmuch as many OF the
original settlers upon New Munster were
members Of this church, in the graveyard
CT which their remains were laid by loving
hands more than a century ago, and where
many Of their descendants yet meet to wor-
ship the God of their fathers, we feel sure
we will be pardoned for the brief reference
We shall make to its early history. Indeed.
the history Of this church is so closely in
terwoven with the history of the northeast
part of our county that it is impossible to
write an accurate history Of the latter with
out referring to the former.
The first pastor Of this church was the
Rev. George Gillespie, who was born in
Scotland in 1888, and who was a son of
the Rev. George Gillespie, a prominent
member of the Westminster Assembly of
Divines. Among the names Of the first
elders of this church, which were equally
divided among the three States, we find the
names of David Alexander and Andrew
~
der was, no doubt. one of the original set
tiers of New Munster, aud there is little
doubt that Andrew Wallace was relative
of Matthias Wallace, another of the origi
nal settlers upon the same tract. His grave
is marked by head stone, from which we
learn that he died on We third of March,
175l, aged 70 years. Many of the graves
of the Alexanders are marked by head
stones in good state of preservation,
from which we learn that they generally
lived to a good old age.
The Rock Church was founded in 1920.
twelve years after the church at the Head
of Christiana, and for short time was
supplied by Rev. George Gillespie and
other ministers of New Castle Presbytery.
until in PA, the congregation secured the
services of their first pastor, Rev. Joseph
Houston. He, like most of the early Pres
byterian ministers, was native of Ireland
The first building in which the Rock
Church worshirDed was located at the
stone graveyard, Lewisville, Chester coun,
), a. SiiS 'hN vi hti6.i bdtic VI lEt COL
gregation was the Church Upon Elk River
Theophilus and his brother, Amos Alexan-
der, both Elders of the Rock Church, are
buried at Head of Christiana. They, no
doubt, lived in the northeastern part of
New Munster and were much nearer the
churches at Lewisville and Sharp's grave
yard, which is a short distance north of
Fair Hill and near the site of the second
church building than they were to the old
at first worshipped. We shall have occa-
sion to speak again of the Alexander fam
lily in the course of this history.
QCILP.