The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-01-05
SKETCHES
CECIL COUNTY M. E. CHURCHES.
BETHEL.

| Churches, standing upon what was once
known as the Broad Creek bank. The
marble slab gives the date of its cree
ton in 1880. The piece of land being a
part OF large tract of land called the
three Bohemia Sisters, and that part
known by the name of Judith's part was
decided by Ephraim Thompson to John
Carnan for the purpose of erecting a
preaching house for the people called the
Methodists. This indentnre was made
the 10Th of October, 1890, aud five shill-
ings received as an acknow Judgement for
the land in full. Signed, Ephraim
| Thompson, Witness, R1bert Armstrong.
Size of the building erected which was
brick is supposed to 30x45 feet. The old
building stood till 1S4S, when it was de-
molished and the present house erected
in its stead, dimensions, 40x55 feet, one
story with basement. the latter being d.
vided into lecture room and two class
rooms. The following names appear as
| a building committee: N. Biddle, John
L. Clayton, Samuel Thompson. Davidson
d. Pierce, John r. Price. Contractors,
Pierce and Russell, of Chesapeake City,
Md. The contractors agreed to erect the
building for the sum of $1,000 in cash
with the old edlfice. At the time of it's
organization this section was wilder
ness indeed when our brother Samuel
Thompson, who is present today and re-
sides near the church, came to Cecil
County from Kent Island in his OK cart
with two (2) horses before him, four (4
sheep, four (4) cows, two (2) geese and
two men hired to help him work out his
fortune on $50 acres of land left him and
his two sisters by his grandfather. This
just here allow little aggression, SamI
THOMPSON has always been temperance
man. He began building his fortune on
temperance principles. While it was GUS
tomary i'll those days to have the dram in
the harvest field our brother adhered to
the principles of total abstinence, and
never allowed the cup of death to steal
away the brains of his men. Brother t.
says, without fear of contradiction, that
he was the first man who ever cut a field
of wheat without liquor in his district.
On these principles he has lived to his
S4th year and is now in comfortable Cir
cumstances il life. He is powerful
sometimes in exbortatioDs, earnest in
prayer, class-meetings and all church
work. l pray God that the mantle of
this grand old Methodist hero may fall
upon the children of Bethel Church. An
George r. Harbert, one of the incorpora-
tors of Bethel cemetery III 1S49, is still
remembered by brother Thompson. After
brother T. had settled on his broad acres
he soon took to himself wife, a sister
of George Harbert. One cold December
morning he was preparing to kill hogs.
fires We're kindled, irons heating, the OK
team in readiness to draw water. when
suddenly news came that brother Thomp-
son was needed at brother Harbert's
Not knowing the trouble his wife said
samuel the OK cart is all ready let us
jump in and hurry on. Brothers Bggs
and Kane were there singing and pray
ing. Brother Harbert had been seized
with an old time conviction when he
could not sleep, so he went to praying
and prayed all night, but at daylight the
light of a new morning broke in upon his
soul and upon brother Thompson's ar
rival he was praising the God of his sal
walton. Many times of refreshing have
been experienced by the Bethel people in
olden times when they were stricter than
they are now. Our sisters were not per-
mitted to come futo a love-feast with
feathers on their bonnets, or as the r ".
Henry White called it the DEVILS liv
cry" Bethel has seen days of greater
financial prosperity than at this time,
but thank God the fires of the fathers
are burning upon her affairs today. Dur
ing our revival of i've weeks, beginning
the 23d of September, II professed faith
in Jesus, while the church was much
quickened. During Rev. E. G. Atkins |
pastorate the audience room was beauti- |
fully furnished.
The lecture room has been renovated |
and made mere inviting during the pres
ent pastorate and today you will scarcely |
find more beautiful church or cemetery
in any country place, beautiful for situa
ton, the joy of those who worship there.
The early preachers were Richard |
Wright, John King, Mr.. Webster, Isaac
Robins Mr.. Rodda, Mr.. Urin, Mr.. Hart |
ley, Abraham Witworth. VIM. Waters,
Mr.. Catch, John Cooper, Mr.. Ruff and
Freeborn Garretson.
The following is list of preachers who |
served Bethel beginning with the year
1890, Emory Pryor and w. Fountain; 1891,
j. Wyatt and j. Beard; 1892, r. Sparks
and ]. Wilson; 1898 and 1894, b. Abbott |
and F. Crrp; 1895, Isaac r Johnson and J.
Moore; 1896, w. Hunter and F. Aid.
ridge; 1897, w. Hunter and Z. Kankey;
1898, w. Hunter; 1893 T. jackson and |
w. P. Chandlee; 1900, D. Crouch and D.
James; 1901, j. Lattamas and l.. TayIer;
1902, A. Foster, G. Moore and J. Wilt
bank; 1903, E. Larkins, T. Everad and D
Best; 1904. r. Sheath and D. Ireland;
1905. r. Sheath and D. Early; 1906, J.
Aydeiott and W. Fox; 1907, A. Smith
and T. Walker; 1908. W. McLenahau
and T. Boring; 1909, A. Smith and G.
Sheets; 1910, T: Smith and G. Sheets;
1911, ]. Atkins and w. Torbert: 1872, ],
Atkins and T. Miller; 1S13 T. Miller and
j. Moore; 1914, t. Walker and J Price;
1915, J. Goforth and S. p. Lewis; 1916: J.
Sharpley and E. Stout; 1917 J. Sharpley
and d. Ireland; 1918 and 1919, W. Tor
bert and j. Woolsin; 1920 and 1921, S J
Griffith and d. Fiddler; 1929, j Smith and
w. Lummis; 1923, w. Rider and J.
Thompson; 1924, w. Rider and J. Long;
1925, T. Miller and ]. Talley; 1926, E.
Page and j. Goforth; 1927, S. Sharp,
J. B. Ayers; 1928, S. Sharp and w.
Cooper; 1929, T. Miller aud w. Ryder;
1880. s. d. Jones and W. Ryder; 1881,
w Torbert and ] Nichols. 1870 w