The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-01-24
local HISTORY.
Loo~Yaes1ED IN ra7e. ~ GEO ,oe Johnston
HISTORICAL RESEARCHES
THAT QUILP MADE AS A BOHEMIAN
INTRODUCTION OF METHoDIsM.


Oath Of Allegiance hauncey Clowe-Oppcsi-
ton to Metbodism- North Elk Parish-Rev.
William Thompson-The Chspel-Collin
Furguson-The Rev Josesh Cop-
dor-The St, Augustine Parish.
Rev. Francis Asbury arrived in Phila-
delphia in October. III, and the next
April visited Bohemia Manor to look after
Mr.. White. but met him near Whining
ton on his way northward, and proceeded
on to the Manor alone. Under the date
of April 10th. Mr.. -Asbury states that
some miscellaneous opposcrS had thrown
the people on the Manor into confusion.
The next day he notes in his journal that
lie had visited and converscd with an old
man who was sick, but was prevented
from praying with him, by the fact that
two men came i'll, whose countcnances
he did not like. He probably met with
two of the residents of that part Of the
Manor called Sodom. The next fall Mr..
Asbury visited the Manor again on his
way to Western Maryland. He speaks
preaching at Jersey and at the school
house on the Manor and probably in 60
ing west crossed the Elk River at the
ferry at Court House Point. On his re-
turn few weeks later he passed through
the Head of Elk and dincd there.
The next society organized in the coun-
ty was the one at .IohnStown. in SasSa-
fras Neck. which. according to Mr.. Led
mum, was i'll l,..3. This was seven years
after the first society of MethodiSts had
been organized i'll New York. and the
whole number of McthodiStS in the scv-
eral conferences of New York. PhiIadei-
phia. New jersey Maryland. and Viz
ginia. is put down i'll the minutes Of the
conference for this yearat l.l60, five hun
dred of whom We're said to belong to the
Maryland Conference. AZ this time there
were only ten Methodist preachers be
longing to these conferences. Previous
to this time the new sect had made con.
siderable progress upon the Peninsula.
and had several appointments in Kent
and New Castle. As well as in Hartford
county.
The people of this county. as we have
already seen, We're much more loyal than
their neighbors i'll Delaware, and the
course pursued by Mr.. Wesley, who
strongly favored the royal cause. was not
calculated to add any thing to the popu-
larity Of the ministers who then labored
in this country under his direction. and
all of whom, except Mr.. Ashury. went
back to England in III. That fall Mr..
Asbury was fined 50 for preaching in a
private house in Anne Arundel county.
and the next spring he took refuge in the
house OF Judge White, in Kent county.
Delaware, where he remained in seciu-
sion for nearly Il year. lie states in his
journal that be left Mary land because he
could not conscientiouSly take the oath
of allegiance to the State. This oath
was as follows: - do swear that do
not hold myself. bound to yield any ale
glance or obedience to the King of Great
Britain. his heirs OF successors. and that
| will be true and faithful To the State of
Maryland. and to the utmost of my power
support, maintain. and defend the free
dom and independence thereof and the
government as now established. against
all open enemies and traitorous conSpira-
cieS. and will use my utmost cnleavors
| III
ernor, Or some one OF the judges or JUS
tees thereof. all treaSons OF traitorouS
| conspiracies. attempts. or combinations
against this State or the government
thereof which may come to my know!-
edge" This oath. much to the credit
of the veStry Of North Elk Parish, was
taken and subscribed to by them
Mr.. Wesley. in a letter dated january
lth. III Quoted in Tyreman' 5 Life of
Wesley, says: II have just received two
letters from New York. They inform me
that all the Methodi-t, there are firm for
,he government and on that account per
secuted by the rebels. only not to the
death: that the preachers are still threat
ened. but not stopned: and that the work
| Of God increases much in Maryland and
Virginia. Some Of the native preach
crs on the Peninsula were no. as prudent
as Mr.. Asbnry and his coadjutors. One
of them. Chauncey Glove by name. in
August. 11.,-which the reader will rec
olie,t was the time when the British fleet
sailed up the Elk River, com
company Of 800 tories in Kent county.
| Delaware, for the purpose of making
their way to the Chesapeake Bay and
joining the British fleet. But they were
all captured and Glove was hanged
| Others of the native ministers ON the
| Peninsula We're accused of circulating he
Kings proclamation, which, no doubt
name by Lord Howe in Elk Neck which
has heretofore been published.
Another cause that retarded the growth
of the new sect, was the violent OPPOSE
ton it met with from the umgodly and
wicked part Of the population, who, no
doubt, We're. in many cases, encouraged
by those whose rank in society should
have induced them to have used their
influence in favor Of peace and good or
der, rather than to have encouraged the
spirit OF lawlesS persecution that seems
to have prevailed. hlr. Duke states in
his pamphlet, before quoted from, that at
one time travelling Methodist preacher
could hardly show his face in Il little to-
bacco port or court house village, with
out running the risk of being ducked
or mobbed or ludicrouSly set at nought
For this treatment he says there could
he no actual reason & iven, but his being
Il stranger or his reproying them for
swearing. Another difficulty under which
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