The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-10-19

Tor the next year l1IlJ W llliam AleXau,
der and Araminta, his wife. decided al
ac:e al Iand-ihe me whereon Whitefield
had preached the year beforr-to Robert
Lucas. Zebulon llolliDgsworth Thomas
Ricketts, aud Robert Evans, of Cecil couu.
~, and David Barr, Of New Castle county,
upon which to build meeting house con-
venient for people assembling to worship
God and hear His Word preached, and for
the use of such ministers Of the Protestant
persuasion OF religion, and particularly the
Presbyterian ministers. as shall from time
To time attend there to preach and oiiicIate
III the service and worship Of Almighty
God This deed contained 4 stipulation,
that II the meeting house ceased 10 be oc-
cupied as place of worship for three con-
secutive years, the land was to revert TO
the grantor. 1t was owing tn thus stipula-
tion and the fact that the Presbyterian
congregation at Elkton afterward became
quite small and feeble, SO much so that
most of the members joined the church at
Glasgow, that this land reverted to the
heirs OF the persons who gave it to the
congregation. The church that was erect
cd on this lot is believed to have been bull,
by the united efforts of the Presbyterans
and Epscopaiians and 10 have been occa-
sionaliy used by the latter. One reason the
writer has for this opinion is that Mrs
Aramnta Alexander was a member of the
Episcopal church, and she is said TO have
been very high minded and aris;ocratic
lady and to have had her pew surrounded
by curtain, so as TO exclude the gaze of
the common people who worshiped there
This was not consistent with the character
of the Prcsbyterians of that day, and il is
not probable that such n manifestation of
pride and exclusiveness would have been
tolerated by their preachers. This Mrs.
Alexauder's maiden name was Young. She
is believed to have been a descendant of
the Jacob \ Dung who lived on Augustine
Manor, near the head of St Georges
creek, and who was Jointly commissioned,
in 1913, with Augustine Herman, to treat
with the Delaware Indians. BE that as il
may, she was certainly the widow OF
Ephraim Augustine Herman. the grandson
of tie founder of Bohemia Manor. Three
years after his death. which occurred in
| 30, she married William Alexander
After Alexander's death, she became the
wife of George Cato. an Englishman, who
resided at the Head of Elk. She lived to
good old age and her remains were inferred
IN the field on the north side of the road
near the far creek and a short distance
southeast OF the residence Of Daniel Brat.
ton. ESP, which was once the old Alexan-
der mansion.
The preaching of Whiteiield was produc-
tive of much good to many individuals, IN
asmuch as many were converted by il: but
it certainly did more harm than good to
the Presbyterian congree atoms in this and
the adjoining counties, many of whom
we're rent in twain by the discussions that
ii engendered. This was the case with the
Nottingham and Rock churches, OF the lat
ter of which, AS intimated in our history of
that township, it is proper that we should
now speak. But little Of interest TO the
general reader occurred in the history Of
this church till the arrival of Whitcticld.
At which time the meeting house stood near
To the brow of the hill short distance
northwest Of the village of Rising Sun
After the disruption of the church l14l,
the new side As those who adhered to the
doctrine of Whiteiield were called erected
another meeting house, in the meadow
across the brook, a short distance west OF
the other one, and III l1i4, presented call
to the Rev. Samuel Finley, who, in that
year, became their pastor. Such was the
bitterness of feeling eugendered by tn.
schIsm that rent this church in twain that
each party kept it's church organization in
tact till about l192. when most OF those
who had taken an active part in the con.
trovcrsy having died and time having some
what mellowed the feeling of their descend.
aats, the two congregations were reunited.
MI. Finley was a native of the county
Armaugh, i'll Ireland, and one of the most
distinguished scholars and divines of the
eighteenth century. lie was pastor of the
New Side Nottingham Church for seven
teen years and founder of Nottingham
Academy, at which seine of the most emf
nent physicians, statesmen and diynes Of
the eighteenth century received their early
education. Mr.. Finley remained in charge
of this church till 1861, when he was
chosen president of the College of New
Jeis now called Princeton College. and
shortly afterwards retnoved there.
OF the many distinguished men that re
ceived their early education at Mr.. Finley's
Nottingham school, we shall only mention
the names of DIR. Benjamin Rush, SO well
known by his connection with the Univer.
slty of Pennsylvania, and the Rev. John
Ewing, who was one of the comm issioners
that assisted in adjusting the boundary
lines between Maryland aud Pennsylvania,
and who was born in the Eighth district of
this county, not far from Porter's Bridge
The location of the site of the building
in which Mr.. Finley taught school is in
volved in obscurity, but there are some
reasons that indicate that it may have been
short distance southwest of the center of
the village of Rising sun, and near the
brook west of which the New Side Church
was built. IL was, no doubt, log build
ing, for there were few of any other kind
at that time. Though the place where it
stood is forgotten, it matters little, for the
reputation of the master and many of his
pupils is so illustrious that it will endure
while sound theology, brilliant scientific
requirements and pure craftsmanship are
respected and appreciated. This academy
was one Of the most celebrated of its time
and It's history is in striking contrast with
that of the free school of this county that
probably was contemporary with it and
proves the superiority of the voluntary over
the involuntary system of education, quite
rs we'll As the success of the Presbyterian
church proves its superiority over the E.-
tablished one.
As early as Ho3 tho rolnniaI cy;sI,