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

that time one of the associate justices OF
the county court The latter was after
! wards the wife OF the Rev. William Tor
bert. This was the first parsonage III the
county, of which we have been able to
find any trace in the records Of the court
OF the history of the church: but there is
no evidence that it was ever used as such.
and in 1909 those OF the trustees who re-
sided in this county sold it to Thomas
CaZier for $3.50. The trustees are called
in the deed to Cazier the trustees of
Ebenezer Chapel, which seems to indi-
cate very Enthusiastically that the meet
ing house was then known as EbeneZer
Chapel. This chapel and parsonage,
though described as being east of the
road to Turkey Point, stood west of where
the Main street Of the village is now 10
Gated. the road at the time of which We
write being some distance west of where
the street is at present.
The congregation which worshped in
Thompson's school house, which stood
very near where Bethel Church now
stands. erected their first meeting house
sometime previous to 1890: but. like the
congregation at Harris, they did not Oh
tain deed for the land upon which it
stood until 1905. In that year, Richard
Thompson. then of Philadelphia. former
ly of this county. conveyed the lot upon
which the church stood. to John Cur
nan. -Nich0lds thaMber#, ST., James Rat
cliff. Robert Cutlery. and Tobias Biddle,
for the use of the Methodist Episcopal
pine which from time to time may be
agreed upon or adopted by the minister
and preachers of said church at their
general conferences. and in future trust
and confidence that they shall at all times
permit such ministers or preachers as
shall be duly authorized By the rules and
discipline OF said church and none 9TH
ers to preach or expound Gods holy word
| there. and in the further condition that
the church organization should not be
suffered to die by the failure of the con-
gregatiOn to elect trustees. In 1902 the
Legislature passed an act in relation to
the incorporation Of Christian churches
male members of twenty-one years of
age and upwards to draw up and have
recorded Il constitution or plan of gov
| ernmcnt; but the congregation at Bethel
it would seem from the foregoing extract.
had not awaited themselves Of it. 1t is
worthy of remark. that Nicholas Cham
bers was also one Of the trustees of
the parsonage at North East. The
first Methodist society that organized
agreeable to the act of 1902, was called
Goshen (now EbenezcD. The organiza
ton was effected on the 18th of January.
1906. The title then assumed was the
Goshen congregation or society belong
ing to the Methodist church in South Sus-
uuehanna hundred. The trustees then
| chosen were Caleb EdmunCson. William
| Tyson. James Thompson. Thomas Spros-
ton. Thos .Ianney. and Edward McNey.
| The rules and regulations We're signed by
| the abovc-named trustees and acknowl-
edged before Samuel Miller and Jere-
miah Baker, Justices of the peace
| Though this congregation is the first one
| of this denomination that effected an
organization according to law in this
county, there is reason to believe that il
| had no meeting house until 1927, for on
the 18th Of February, 1896, Thos. White
sold an acre and nine percheS Of land to
Thomas Janney. Caleb Edmundson. John
Williamson. Elijah Reynolds. William
Edmundson. Michael Trump John Cam
eron. trustees, in trust that they should
erect, or cause to be erected. thereon a
house or place Of worship for the use
OF the members of the Methodist EpiSco,
pal church in the United States. And
on the 9Th of November. 1921, DIR. James
Beard sold to the same trustees lot con
tanning about an acre. adjoining the Other
the meantime. In trust that the said
lot should be for the Use of the members
of the VI. f. Church i'll the United States
to build thereon any house for the conve.
nience and use of said church.
Under date of May 9th, 1900, Mr.
ASbury. writing Of Bethel, says: "Tht
10, I,,,,n.l hna
they have beaten down strong drink, anG
the power of God is come. The next
day." he says, lat the manor chapel W,
had great time: my soul was divinel y
refreshed" This brief entry in Mr.
Asbury's journal throws some glimmer
ing light on the previous condition Of til,
people on the Manor and leads us to in
fer that they had formerly been addicted
to the immo,lerate use of strong drink.
1t seems proper just at this point t,
refer briefly to the condition Of Nortl
Sassafras and st. Augustine parishes il
this time. Rev. Mr.. Thompson, who tn,
reader will recollect was rector of thes,
parishes at the time of his death. hat
been succeeded by the Rev. James Jone
Wilmer. in 1887. He was grandson o
Hugh Jones. and had been educated il
England. but returned to America il
1913. and became Chaplain Of the FRS
Maryland Regiment, in III. Mr.. VIII
mer left these parishes. in 1ISS, and wa
succeeded by Rev. John Bisset, who ha'
charge of North Sassafras from 1870 t.
1892. He was succeeded by Rev. Georg
Ralph. who was in charge of that paris
for nine months. in 1913. He also ha
charge of Shrewsbury parish, i'll connec
ton with North Sassairas. and taught
school at Georgetown. He was succeed
ed III 1874 by Rev. jeremiah Cosdell
who was native of the parish and ha
been Methodist preacher. on account q
which he had much difficulty in bein
admitted to orders in the Episcopa
Church. lie lived upon the glebe, whic
he cultivated, his Pensioners keepin
the buildings in repair, but contributin
nothing to his support. Mr.. Allen. i'll hi
manuscript history, remarks that IN
r seems not to have been a very Zeaiou
churchman and probably regretted lea,
ing the Methodist Church" Mr.. Asbur
speaking of him in his journal. i'll 10: