The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-02-07

THE EOPEWELL NJ. Z. CHURCH.
BY F.. W.



and occasionally preached there. About
1890, regular places for public worship be
gan to he established in that section, and
Richard Whatcoat, Emory Prior, Walter
Fountain, Joseph Everett, Joseph Wyatt
John Beard, Robert Sparks, John Wilson,
Benjamin Abbott, James Moore, FreduS
Aldrihgc, Thomas Ware, William Hunter
Thomas jackson, Daniel Crouch, James
Lattomas, Christopher Spry, Edward Lar
kins, u. Best, Richard Sheath, Soloman
sharp, and Joseph Aydelott preached there
until lS06. Yet it does not appear that any
of these saddle bags preachers " had, up
to that time. penetrated Cecil county. no,ih
cfMe Elk. This may have been partly be
cause that section of the county was relig
iouSly i'll possession of the Scotch and Irish
Presbyterians, the Friends or QuakerS, and
the Protestant Episcopal Church, none Of
whom, at that day. We're friendly to Meth
odSm. st. Mary AIMS Parish, at North
East, had at least one place of worship fur
Their north-viz., the chapel near Battle
Swamp. The Rev. Joseph Condor, the first
clergyman, ordained to the order Of priest
hood by Bishop White, was the rector of
this parish. He was Il godly man and full
of zeal for the church. He also preached
at ST. Anne's Church, ut Middletown, Del.
and ut other places. He was abundant in
labors, which perhaps shortened his lite.
His son, the late Joseph Coudon, was Il
Jealous, active churchman during his long
bonoraI life His
Henry S, are now active supporters of the
same church. and their sons are following
i'll their footsteps. Thus, for ,tour genera
tons, the Coudons have honored and loved
the church of their srrs. In 1907, the Rev.
Asa Smith became
PIONEER METHODIST PREACHER
in the upper part Of Cecil county. Under
his preaching, .jumes Thompson and Il few
others We're converted and bore the stigma
of " MethodistS.' Asa Smith and his CO.
laborers-Thomes Walker, ". i. Chandler,
VIM. McLanahan, Thomas Boring, James
Smith, and John Smith-stlccesSively la
bored i'll that section for the next three
years, preaching in private dwellings and in
school houses whenever there was an open
door IL them. In 1907 Asa Smith organ
lied Il class Of fourteen members, and ap-
pointed James Thompson, leader. This lit
tie band met at Thompson's house, which
was also preaching place and the house of
the itinerant until 1870 During those three
years their numbers had increased TO eighty
members Father Thompson, rs he was
I, 80 L., al.
cause of his relation to the infant society,
was ut times much depressed in view of the
opposition that Methodisn had to encoun-
ter the few persons of wealth or position
who were brought under its influence, and
because they had no meeting house to wor-
ship in. On one occasion, while under these
Responding feelings, the itinerant arrived at
his house, and Father Thompson unbur-
dened to him his SORROWS The preacher
proposed Il walk, and, going to the top
Thompson cast his eye over all the country
round He then said: Small As Method
ism looks 10 you now, you will live to see
it possess these lands, and become the lars-
est and most influential of any denomina-
ton of Christians not onl y in this county
States The idea was too great for Father
Thompson'S conception OF acceptance, and
he shook his head increduously. He was
then in middle life: his class did not num-
her more than L score, and they did not own
a house for worship: how could the preach
old patriarch did live to see its near fulfill
ment. He died November LIST, 1S49 in the
send year of his age, having for forty-two
years held his official relation to his class.
Eight years before he died, lie asked the
Rev. David .JennesS, iii case he survived |
him, to
PREACH HIS FUNERAL SERMON,
which Mr. .Jenness did from End Timothy, /
18th chapter, 9th, 9TH, and Sth verses, Il dec
laraton of Paul'S, that Father Thompson
oft repeated rs his own experience. In 1910, ,
the class determined TO build a meeting
house. Davis Reed donated a half acre of
ground on the Philadelphia road, near Bat !
tie Swamp, some four to five miles from
Port Deposit. The material and labor were /
contributed mainly by the Thompsons,
BrookingS, Megredys, Tufts, Nobles Orrs, +
Whites, Halls, Walkers, BrookseS, Nelson's, .
Coulsons, and others, and "Hopewell' /.
meeting house was built, it being the first
Methodist meeting house erected in that
section of Cecil county. Great was the re-
jocng of the little band, who could then
l,ai
fig tree, none daring to modest or make them
afraid 1t was 4 primitive log house, about I!
2Ox2j feet, one story high: a narrow aisle in
the center, with implanted wooden benches |
Oh either side, with Il small box pulpit, sur
rounded by Il rallied altar Here Methodism |
raised its Ebenezer: hither, by Gods Provi- |,
dence, it had come, and thither the little !
flock repaired, to find green pasture and
drink from the well Of salvation. There /
the sons and daughters of Methodism de |
lighted to gather, and found the table of
their Lord "a feast of fat things, and went
away rejoicing as giants refreshed with
new wine" Some of their descendants still
reside in the same neghborhood and wor-
ship at the same place. Daniel and Enoch
Mcgredy We're among the early converts
and both became earnest, active and Jealous
champions for Methodism. As Hope we'll was
the only Methodist meeting house those who
desired to attend Methodist meetings came
there from near and far. Mary Reynolds
the eldest daughter of John and Hannah
Nknight) Reynolds, was the first convert
from the town of Port Deposit. She usual
ly walked from Port to Hopewel to attend
preaching, prayer, and class meetings. She
married Daniel Megredy, and for a time re-
sided at Principle, where he kept store:
subsequently they removed to Port Deposit,
and his house became house for the preach
erS and place for holding religious meet
ings With such liberal hospitality did he
entertain, not only the preachers, but
ALI. METHoDISTS
who attended regular, quarterly, or special
meetings, that it became Il proverb, that
The Methodists would eat Dan Megredy
out Of house and home" Yet he proSpered
and increased in worldly possessions. Many
still living remember the delightful associa-
tons that gathered under his roof and
around his table, and his big vessel said
tent, that loomed above al! othere ut the
camp meetings, that offered shelter and food
all bo .hnSa f., nartokr thereof n