Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-03-07
MErH0DlSM IN TALBOT
WHO FIR r PRRAOHBD THE TES-
LEYAN FALTE TRERE.
An Tutcresrsng History of The Prog
resS OF a Grrat Religious Denonii-
naIiOn jm tho Town where the
Next Conference Will be Held.

nhgiOm jM tho Town Where the
Next Conference Will be Held.
Special Correspondence Gazette OF and Journal
EAsroN, Nd, Feb. 2S --5inos the or
gauiaAtioa by the Wilmington III. Z.
Conference Of Conferences Historical
Society, much interest has been mani
tested by its N m oers in the early history
OF Peninsula Methodi9m and diligent ro-
search has brought to light great deal
about the ohurch'a infancy that is de-
lightful study 60 it's adherents. The
seat now Of each succeeding conference
becomes place of pecui.4r interest and
the Msthod,sts of that locality begin at
once to dig into the past for the lost
links that connect the past with the
present. This being Easton's year there
Ia work here for the Methodistic his
toriap
The history of Methodism in Talbot
county while possibly not accurately
knoTn, is pretty generally understood
and accounted FOR. It ID not positively
known who arat introduced Maihodizn
into this county, but il is believed that
the fist NAN who preached and ex-
pounded the Arminian doctrines OF
Wesley here was Joseph Oromw we'll, who
held his initial services AZ st. Michael's
In the year i777. Cromwell was then in
charge Of Kent circuit, which embraced
at that time Kent, Cecil apd 0neen
Anns's corntiss, aud New CASTLE county,
Delaware.
In 1775 Fseeborn Garreitson yisited
! Talbot county and preaohsd al various
| points, bat the f.Bt Methodist soaiety
was foSn1sd at st. Michael's in 1879. by
4 William Walters with seven converts, the
! .at fryF do
! Hariley also oommenced Nathojistic
work in Talbot in 1878, and was one Of
the Iuost jealous workers in the cause
known TO history. Up to the time of
Eartley's arrival in Talbot there is no
record Of Methodist preaohing in the
town Of Elston, and here ne began his
work.
Esston was at that time, as now, Tai
bots great cenire, both in business and
society, and Methodism was an innova-
tion On the established usages OF church
worship and something peculiar to So
ciety. II is SAID of Hartlby that "he was
not 10 bs intimidRted by either the Sidi-
cnle of polite society or the exclusive
pretensions of an established ecclesiesti-
cism; and he boldly attacked the sup.
porters of Easton's garrison, and pro-
posed, in due time, on the authority of
heaven, to assault the citadel" Hartley
was arrested and lodged in the county
Jail, where he remained from July 10
October. During his incarceration he
preached through the CRATES of his cell
to the people without. Ms. Hartley's
arrest was made for an alleged violation
of an act OF assembly which requiyed of
miniaser an oath Of allegiance to shr
Independent State government set up IL
\ tx.sr -
tend court at the following term, but the
grand Jury failed to indict him. Hartley
thus started Mathodism in Easton and ne
J died shortly afterwards. After this,
! Easton, as the central point OF big ter
ritory, (not by any means claiming it es
the centre or important place of g oirouit)
! was regularly supplied with preachers.
Ia 1854 at the Christmas conference,
held at Barrett's Chapel, under Bishops
Coke aud Asbnry, where the Methodist
: | EDigcopsl church of America was organ
. ized this entire Peninsula was formed
into iiatriet, with Caleb Boyer as pre-
D siding eiasr, an1 the frat quarterly con-
3 ference ever held in EaHton was undor
9 his pre- .idenCy.
+ In I7s6 over 500 persons 10 Talbot
d county were converted 10 Methodism. IN
Q 1887 the hsst regular place for service
, wAa built in Eastup--a littlo chapel
, which, after fcng year5' uss, was s0au.
1 doned being inadequate to the needs Of
:: the sso sing church. Ia 1891 site was
procured on What ia nov known as Rail-
:, road avenue, OF James Seth, for "the suol
OF dys shillings Of current money" aad
! the ground was dseaad to Alexander
: MoJal,um, Moses Alien, NJ. D., John
/. Blake, George Miller, william Martin aud
. | IL GenK Fbn nd
: elit Of the MsLholist Episcopal Church
2 Uoon this site more commo1ious
I ediice was erected Feom this time for
; aeveral years, owing lhrgely to the yellow
!. fever scourgs and serious malsrial epi-
? denies, the work OF the church Ian
:. guished Tao great political excitement
: Of 1896 draw the people largely from ths
0 chute1, and interfered materially with
= ministerial work. The first session OF sn
. aunuel conference ever held in Elston
n was that Of the PnilRaeiphia conference,
Q on April 18Th, 1910 Bishop Ashury pre-
2 siding. The session was held in connee-
! ton with q camp.meeting IN woods n3ar
$ tne town In Juiy, 1923, G. q. Cochran,
Z then pastor, orEanizai the Asst denomi.
! national Sunday school in Esstpn, and
= during his minio'ry the ii 70. brick church
d wsa hui.t which vas dedicated on Srn,
day, Aprii 4shj 1880 Dlsing this year
3 there was aisRT sctipn ia the church
le among son1e OF itE m mhsr7--on the Sub.
e scs OF the episo1pacy ard 10y representa-
Z tien, aud the rzsnlt wa7 spit Gnd the
. organization of the Methoji7t Protestant
II Church. This neR body heid meetngs in
g the OLD hark building until 1854, Wher
}. their present chu~ch cd ice was huiit.
= In 1885 E4stln ~as m9ie a 1t ,ti1n and
D. the rastoris salary was Hyad ri s4Gl II
10 le11 tho general nfereaca allowed tho
L preacher $50 2 yeGF and a fey vsR-s later
:, the pastor WIS paid $lG0 ! ~ $iOl
i and for each ohi!d under il ~ ot ng,
is was allowed SIG In 1916 q key 4
d F. Price, yet an act We Der Of VII
le mineton Conference, was n ,stons pastor
III and he is pleasantly remembered by mani
ts OF tho old citiza ans. Easton was thsn
4. changed from station to the head Of &
circuit. The present II. Z. Church
tEbene zer), q model or Architectural
b, neatness, was buili in 1sH6-57, durini
b. the pastora.a Of the Rev. w. Fl. Brishsns
Or The tied cstoFy ssfmon was pEesched By
a tho Rev. Newton Best5n. Easton we
TX second limo made a station in 1865 AMI
S5 80 baq contained. In 1866 snothe
~ spIit occurred in the church and tin
Of Methodist Eusnnpal Church, South, va
Il organized With the Rev. " n. ID. Bgrpe
il ut tbs head OF the new church. The dis
affection was cansei by political differ
ences ami eyr1pashies. The Methods
DO scpp8l thufch 81 Elstun il to.iey
~ t-pnI brly-nnmericaliy stronger thai
~ 45N eli is'laM body in ihe county. he
n Wenh a8n reacNiug psarly 500 Tn
Z, R.tor tsD Rev " " w ~ l5np il
L, tnniaE"3 liz a pfetly ans can.Medi N