The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-02-21

The MethodistS, no doubt. wGrShlped
in this house in common with the Pres
byterians. until 1922, when the Presby-
terians organized a congregation i'll
Charlcstown, and the subject of building
a meeting house of their own began to
be agitated by the Methodists, and the
Town commissioners having expressed
willingness to appropriate 5000 for that
purpose, ali act Of the Legislature author
ling them to do so was obtained. But
for some reason, probably the want of
means, the enterprise seems to have
Jagged until 1925, when the trustees,
who were Joseph Benjamin. Thomas
Richardson. Joshua Bennett, Robert
Thompson. John Turner, John Wilson
and John Tomlinson, purchased a lot
from John White. upon which the first
meeting house was erected the same
year.
The IIopewell NJ. f. Church appears
from the history of it which has already
been published in Tie Wig. to have
come into existence about the time of the
organization of the Goshen society. The
first house of worship, which was a log
bulding, was probably built in 1910. upon
4 half acre of land which Davis Reed
donated to the trustees III that year.
The trustees We're. James Thompson,
George Nelson. Richard Rutter. Joseph
i L.
Nottingham hundred.
The Asbury Church seems to have
been the outgrowth Of the churches that
surround it. The Methodists of the
neighborhood in which it is located wor-
SHIPPED for some years previous to the
erection of the first church Of that name
i'll Jacks"nS school house. which stood
not far from where the church was built.
In 1925. James Jackson. Robert Jackson,
Rachel jackson. Nancy Bell, Mary Arm
strong. William Davidson, John y. Y.
Ryan and Elizabeth Ryan. who seem to
have been the heirs at law of Mary Car
nahan, conveyed. for the nominal sum of
-. a lot containing half an acre of land,
(Which was part of Il larger tract devised
by Robert Canadian to Mary Carnahan)
to James Galbraith, in trust for the use.
interest and purpose of building church
OF house Of worship, for the accommc-
dation of the Methodist society. These
facts seem to indicate very plainly that
the Nethodsts of that neighborhood had
not organized as a church at that time.
Mr.. Galbraith held this land until 1899.
when he decided il to John Jackson, VIII
liam Patterson, Amos Eaton, William
Dennison, Francis Segar, William Denni-
son (of William and Edward jackson,
in trust for the original purpose, from
which it seems probable that the first
meeting house was built about that time.
The Union congregation was probably
trustees, who were John Williamson.
John +. Shippers, Rev. Thomas Warbur-
ton. Jesse II. Shippers and Rev. John
Sharpley. then located in Elkton, pur-
chased bali acre Of Land from Samuel
\. Miller, for the purpose Of erecting
thereon church.
1t would be very interesting to gather
up and preserve what few Of the early in
citlentS and "reminiscences that are vet
ohtainabe of the early Methodi>ts. who
founded these old churches, hut this is
not within the scope of this work.
Among the early MethodiSts, however,
are to be found few families. the de-
prominent part in the history of Method
ism, from that time to the present. that
We cannot pass them by in silence.
Prominent among these was Daniel
Sheridine. for many years connected with
the North East iron works. and who
thrice represented this county III the
House Of Delegates. lie was the inti-
mate friend of Mr.. Ashury. who fire.
quently stopped at his house and of whom
he says i'll his journal, under date of July
1st. 1901, ':llc has never lost sight of
God for 30 years and now he is united to
us. And of whom he says, thirteen
years afterwards " He was one of my
disciple 40 years. Mr.. Sheridine was
the maternal grandfather of the Rev.
John {. Thomas. Rev. James Thoma s
and Rev. T. Snowden Thomas. and prob
ably did more than any other person to
aid the introduction of Methodism in
North Last and vicinity, in the early
days of its history. when it was Il by-word
and reproach. lie was man of intlu-
cnce, and, like Richard Bassett, of Be-
hemia Manor, did all in his power to sus-
! tain and encourage the early itinerants.
Prominent among the early MethodiSts
| of Elk Neck We're the members of the
| Crouch family. three of whom We're lib
| eral subscribers to the support of the
| Rector of st. Mary AIMS Church before
the introduction OF Methodism. Robert
! Crouch. the father of Thomas c. Crouch.
the founder of Cruuch's Chapel mean
Elkton. was the brother Of the John and
Cornclia Crouch who were referred to as
among the first members of the society
which met at Updegroves'. He was a
miller boy, learning his trade AT the Red
| Mill. near Elkton. in the early days of
the Revolutionary War. when company
of Lighthouse came along, on their way
South. lie at once joined them and
served with distinction in Lees Legion
throughout the war. He was licensed as
an eNhorter by William Culbert, at q
quarterly conference held at North East.
in April, 1905.
For three-quarters of century. the
Miller family have been identified with
the Methodist congregations in the vicin,
ity of the Union and Cherry Hill. The
Rev. Thomas Millet. from whom many
of them have descended. was originally
Il member of the Rock PreSbyterian
Church. but joined the MethodiSts dur
ing a great revival that occurred il
| 1912. and soon afterwards became q
local preacher. and in 1909. began tc
work as a regular itinerant which he
continued To du for ;hirty-eight years,
except for che year just previous 20 his
death. when he acted rs supernumerary.
| He died i'll lS4i. i'll the 18th year of his
| ,,,, p,v l,.,,,b Million l. l,;S s,,, ,,,I