The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-01-24


who had been connected with the parish
since t11i6. died in April. 11i11i and was
succeeded by the Rev. William Thomp-
son. who was appointed curate by Gov
ernor Eden OH the first OF the following
May. Mr.. Thompson was to receive the
whole amount of the poll tax levied for
the support Of the minister's and was to
continue till his Succtssor was appointed.
lie appears to have been popular, and
the vestry soon after wards sent an adj
dress to the Governor. 'thanking him
for his kind, iatherly. and tender care of
them. and entreating him to perfect his
pious and father!y intentions towards
them, by inducing Mr.. Thompson into
| the parish. which was accordingly done
on the 23rd of June, l,tt3. Mr.. Thomp-
son seems to have been an emincntly
pious and practical preacher, and dis
posed to do all in his power for the spread
of the gospel anon. his pensioners, for
the next year lie was ordered to pay An
drew Barrett 80 shilings for building Il
tent at the place Where the chapel stood.
This is the chapel not far from Battle
Swamp. Tradition says that he preached
there in Il tent with some success for sew
eral days. He was probably melted to
make this extraordinary effort by the
activity Of the MethodiSts; but the war
= la 80 'h,,r,,
and State being severed the vestry. in
III. were obliged to raise his salary by
subscription, and the same year gave him
permission to preach 1T the Manor Church
or some where in St. Augustine. every
third Sunday This subscription list is
vet eXtsnt and contains the names of
Jacob and Zebulon Hollingsworth, Ben
amin and William Maul,iin, Jacob and
Michael Lumm. Phredus Aldridgc. Will
liam. James. and John Crouch, Abraham
Mitchell. Stephen. Isaac. and Nicholas
Hyland. Thomas Russell. John Ricketts,.
Samuel and Joseph Gilpin, James Pritch-
ard, Nathaniel Ramsay. and many 9TH
CTS. Stl!lt VI "iOil, ltN ,h''ti' istt'i :.
became identified with the Metho(liStS.
The amount of the subscription was c202
iSS. sd.
Mr.. Thompson removed to North Sas-
safras Parish in l,.?. but the vestry of
North Elk seem to have been luath to
give him up. and wrote To him. propos-
e.
or its equivalent in continental money, ii
lie would preach for them one Sunday in
each month. and find lay reader to Off
ciate one Sunday in each month. But
nothing came Of the offer and the next
year they employed one Collin Furguson
as lay reader i'll the parish every sun
day. and agreed to pay him t!27 specie
per annum during the time he acted as
such. Mr.. Thompson agreeing to oiliciatc
| once a quarter during said time. 1t is
worthy of remark that twelve years after
wards Collin Furcuson claimed that go
of his salary as lay reader for the years
1,S0-Sl was III arrears, and placed his
tldlll III INC lldItlS vi W illliiil i)ul lOll,
an attorney. for collection: and that an
order was given on Mrs. Coudon. the
widow of the Rev. Joseph Coudon, for
| that amount.
On Easter Monday, 11Si, Mr.. Joseph
| Coudon was appointed lay reader, ard
continued to serve in that capacity with
| l. - Ia oh
as their rector in September, 49,. Mean
while, in 1884. Mr. Coudon and Henry
| HolIinnsworth had been chosen to repre-
sent the parish i'll convention held at
| Annapolis that year, to take into consid-
Grafton the distressed condition of the
| church.
1t is apparent from what has been writ
ten that North Elk Parish was not in a
prosperous condition during this time.
The condition of st. Augustine Parish
was no better. The Rev. Joseph Mathcr.
who had succeeded Rev Hugh Jones,
was rector of that parish ut the time the
| Mctho;lists came to the Manor. and re-
manned there until la14. when he re
signed. He WAS succeeded by the Rev.
Philip Reading, who was presented tc
the parish by Governor Eden in IA.
He was an Erglishman, and had been a
missionary at Appouuinimink (now St
Anne $. near Middletown), and is said tc
| have been very successful there. He re-
manned in charge Of this parish, in con,
nection with -AppoIuinimimk, until l,i6,
when his churches were closed. and he is
said to have died Of grief. The parish
WAS vacant for three years previous tC
ISL, when it was taken i'll charge by
Rev William Thompson, who, as before
stated had been allowed by the vestry
of North Elk Parish to preach there one.
third of his time. 1t seems proper tt
state that Mr.. Thompson had charge OF
this parish. in connection with Nortl
SasSatras. until the time of his death
| which occurred in 1886. We have beer
able to learn very little Of the hiStGry Of
Rev. Mr.. Thompson; but Rev. Ethar
Allen. in his manuscript history of Nortl
Elk Parish (now in the possession of Rt
Rev. Bishop Lay. who very kindly al
lowed us to consult it,. says that he wa.
loyal to the cause of the colonists, This
no doubt. added to his popularity, ant
NAV have enabled him to maintain tht
supremacy of the Episcopal church dur
ing his life in those parts of the count,
where the church people were most nu
merouS. Certain it is. that Mcthodisn
made but little progress in this count,
until some years after his death.
From the time Of its introduction III
to the year 1885. Mcthodism made grea
progress in Virginia and North Carolina
and i'll the lower part of the Pcninsul;
as well as in Eastern Pennsylvania ant
Western Maryland. but seems to hav,
made comparatively none in this county
Mr.. Asbury, who was constantly en-
ployed in travelling from place to place
supervising the work of those under him
speaks of visiting Robert Thompson :
near Bethel. i'll the spring of liSo, an,
says he spoke close to him, who ha,
tainted in his mind. being now lef
alone Mr.. Asbury visited Mr.. Thomr
son again in October OF the same year
and remarks in his journal that 1.-THE oil