The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-23
CHRIST CHURcH'S EARLY DAYS
SOME OF ITS RECTORs DURING
COLONIAL TIMES.

the Church Made in 17sss-Many
Names Of Note in the History OF
Georgia and Savannah 10 he
Found On the List-The History
Contained I'm the Records of The
suit Between the Church and the
city for Possession of the old
Cemetery.
The members of the park and tree COM
mission are DESTROYS Of securing "a history
Of the old South Broad street cemetery,
which has now been converted into the
Colonial park. TO be filed away with the
records of the commission. # not pub
lished in pamphlet form. The commits
sion viii find a pretty complete history
Of the old cemetery I'm the legal papers
prepared by Judge Robert Falligant as
counsel for Christ church. in the suit
resulting from the effort Of the mayor and
aldermen to take possession of the old
cemetery for the purpose of widening
Abercorn street and removing the wall
from around dhe cemetery.
The suit was first filed i'm 1881 and con,
tinued in the courts for about eight years
The city secured two judgments in favor
Of its claim. that the cemetery was a pun
lie burial ground and not the individual
property of Christ church. one by Judge
Tompkins and the other by Judge A.
p. Adams, both of whom occupied the
bench during the progress of the case.
The supreme court finally decided against
the city.
The papers prepared by Judge Falligant
and now on file in the clerks office of the
superior court are voluminous and give
in full the several colonial acts creating
the cemetery and providing for its extern
sion from time to time.
The claim Of Christ church to the own
ershlp OF a portion of the cemetery is
supported by numerous extracts from the
minutes of the meetings Of the wardens
years.
In fact the bill Of exceptions filed nv
Judge Falligant in the case gives a pretty
complete history of the church itself dur
lhg me colonial period, as well as of the
old cemetery.
In the affidavit of the late Capt. Robert
Il. Footman, then a warden of Christ
church, a list Of the parsons or rectOrs
VINO oihciated in the colony of Georgia
al savannah previous to 1858, is given as
follows:
Rev Henry Herbert, 1882. for three
mon Died on his way TO England and
was buried at sea.
Rev Samuel quincy, from May, 1882, to
March ID, 1886
Rev. John Wesley, March 1876, to De-
: Rev George Whitfield arrived in sa-
vannah deacon in May, 173S; went back
oxford June Y, 1879 and returned To-
Georgia, Jan. IL, 1870
Rev William Norris, appointed for the
colony. June &, 1873, arrived in Savannah
Oc:it To- l1SS, and remained until August,
Rev. William Metcalfe, appointed sue
cessor 10 the former, but died before
reaching Savannah.
Rev Christopher Orton, appointed July
HH Died in Savannah in August, 1742
Rev Thomas Bosomworth, who began in
November, l143.
Rev. Bartholomew Zouberbuhler was ap-
pointed successor to Bosomworth bv the
trustees of the colony in 1745. and reached
savannah in January 1746 Mr. Zouber-
buhler was rector longer than all his pre-
decessors combined and was most success
full in his efforts to upbuild and strengthen
the church. During his pastorate
large, beautiful and commodious''
church edifice was erected on the present
site of Christ church.
The act establishing religious worship
in the colony according to the rites and
ceremonies of the church of England and
establishing the, parrish of Christ church
was passed during his pastorate in 175S
The second section of the act provides
that from and after the 18th day of
March, l75S, the church already erected in
the town of Savannah and the ground
now used as a cemetery or burial place
thereto, shall be parish church and Gene
terry of Christ church. The third section in
corporates Bartholomew Zouberbuhler as
the rector and incumbent of the church
In the language of the act, He is hereby
Incorporated and made one body polite
and corporate by the name of the Rector
of Christ church in the town Of Savannah
and shall be and is hereby enabled to sue
and be sued by such name in all the courts
within this province, and shall have the
cure of souls within the said parish and
shall be in the actual possession of the
said church, with its cemetery and appur-
tenances and shall enjoy and hold the
same to him and his successors. together
with the Glebe land already granted to
him, and the mess uage or tenement near
the said church, with all and singular the
mt
belonging and also all other lands tene-
ments and hereditaments as shall or may
hereafter be given and granted to the said
church, or the incumbent thereof"
The strong language of the act would
appear TO be strong evidence of the pro-
prietary right of Christ church in the Gem
etery, yet in subsequent acts relating to
the church and the cemetery, especially
in the additions to the cemetery it is spo-
ken of as the cemetery of the church cor
public burial ground"
Rev. Mr. Zouberbuhler remained in
charge of the church until his sudden
death in December, 1866 His tomb can be
seen in the Christ church portion of the
cemetery, near the northwest corner.
Rev. Samuel Frink was the next rector,
and remained rector until his death. Oct
A. III. Other rectors were Rev. Timothy
Lawton, December. IN. Rev. HaddOn
Smith, Rev. Edward jenkins, 1873 until
July, 1882 after which time services We're
conducted by Revs. Messrs. Holmes
Campbell and Lucas. Rev. Mr.. Nixon
was rector i'm l7S6 and continued until
Lindsay was his successor, and contin-
ued until April 1892 when he was sue
ceeded by Rev. Edward Ellington
The names of the wardens and vestry-
men in the colonial days are frequently
quoted in the document among them be
ing many notable names. Among those
prominent in the history of Georgia and
Savannah are Noble Jones, Noble Wynn
berry Jones' Joseph Clay, James Haber-
sham, Joseph Habersham Samuel FL
bert James Jackson, Richard Wylly
Leonard Cecil Sir George Houstoun
James Mossman. Josiah Tattnall II. L.
Bourquin. Archibald Bulloch. James
Read William Gibbons, William Ste
phens Robert Bolton and many others
whose descendants are stin living in Sa-
Vannah
The high brick wall around the old Gem
etery just torn down was probably the old
est wall in Savannah. 1t was erected by
popular subscription. The subscription list
is dated Nov. p. 1873, and the wall was
probably erected shortly after the sub
scriptions were secured. The subscription
list is a most interesting old document.
The subscriptions were made in pounds,
shillings and pence, and the total amount
subscribed was f159 l4s. The theater is
down for the largest subscription. $50.
There are 129 names on the list most of