The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-04
AN ARLY-pREpAREDi ADDRESS

especially for the occasion. 1t was a
remarkably able paper, was listened to
with rapt and was as FOL
lows:
Upon this consecrated ground there
assembled on a beautiful Sabbath
morning. 40 years ago, a congregation
Of worshippers to dedicate TO the glory
and service of God. this building, be-
gun nearly twenty years before, and
completed after many trials and diff
fculties, during which time some Of
its promoters a passed from earth
TO the Temple not made with hands.
Picture to you minds the sacred,
joyful scene-a little town of about
four hundred inhabitants n unlike
the needy and depraved adventures
from the crowded cities of the old
world ~indentured to the colonia plan
tations, were gentle folk; bred in re-
fnement; of educated tastes n Gull
tivated manners; the descendants OF
Yeamans and Colleton, and others who
were remembered by a grateful sover-
eign when he came TO his own again.
Abov the sacred edifce the gentle
south wind murmurs in the stately
pines like the distant roaring Of a sea-
shell to the lisening ear. Upon the
placid sparkling waters of the bay are
anchored ships in holiday attire. Above
the governors palace there floats the
meteor flag of England. 1t is a Brit
ish colony and the people are the loyal
subjects of his majesty, King George.
The woods are fragrant with the
| perfume of wild flowers and frightened
by the a plumage of many throated
songsters above whose sweeter notes
resounds the ever changing melody Of
the southern mocking bird. Aloft on
eagles wings against the dome of blue
is soaring towards the sun the emblem
of d coming freedom, while far away
across the narrow iSthmus is family
heard the booming of the sea- Along
the quiet streets of Brunswick town
the wo~rshippers wend their way While
from the ~neighboring plantations of
Orion, Kendall, Lilliput, appear the
honored households with their retinue
of slaves.
Within these sacred walls is now
gathered a notable assembly. Beneath
the beautiful lancet windows in the
east, inside the chancel rail, the Off
ciating minister, the Rev. JOIN Barnet
and his coadjutor, the Rev. Mr.. Wills,
rector of the twin parish Of ST. James
in Wilmington Conspicuous in the
official pew is tn lerable Governor
Dobbs, attended L his councillors. of
state; among the worshippers are
Richard Ounce, a prominent merchant
n liberal benefactor; Judge Maurice
Moore and his brother James, sons Of
Colonel Maurice Moore the elder, and
grand sons of Governor Sir
Thomas and Lady Frandland, of Lilli-
put, who, according to official records,
had taken an active part in the build
ing of the church; John Davis, Jr.,
whose father was reckoned one of the
eight principal inhabitants of the Cape
Fear, owning $4,000 acres of land, and
numbering (says DR.. Battle) with their
families and slave 1900 persons; Rob-
ert Snow, a prominent citizen and
church warden; Richard Eagles, a
conspicuous and notable planter of ed
ucation and refinement; Thomas Neale
and James Murray, John and James
Waters, notable gentlemen of the col
ony; Colonel William Dry, his majes-
tvs collector of customs at the port
Of Brunswick, who afterwards project
ed the causeWay across Eagles island,
who was a conspicuous and useful man
and whose dust lies buried here.
Attorney General Mcclure who, ad-
herring to the crown when war was de-
clared, returned to England. Attorney
General McLaine, General Robert
Howe, Governor Benjamin Smith, these
were the representatives Of such dis
tinguished families as Ashe, DeRoS-
set, Waddell, Henderson, Burgwin, Hill
n others who might be named, COM
posed a goodly company in the largest
and most costly church of the prov
ince.
AN eXpectant hush pervadeS the
building and soon the silence is broken
by the 'SonorouS voice of the preacher,
THE Lord is in His Holy Temple: let
all the earth keep silence before Him."
Then after the intervening service in
the matchlesS ritual of the church, the
joyful exultant anthem by the congre-
CATION, 20, come let us sing unto h
Lord, let us heartily rejoice in the
strength of our salvation" followed by
the TeDeum Laudamus in voices which
have long since joined the choir invis-
ible.
I'm the year 1747, during the build
ing of st. Philips, which progressed
very slowly through Indifference and
consequent lack of means, the river
plantations were invaded by several
Spanish piratical craft from st. Angus
tine, which sent val ashore loaded
with armed men, who killed some of
the inhabitants, burned several trad
ing vessels, carried off a number Of
negro slaves and slaughtered many
cattle and hogs, thereby engaging the
people to the highest degree, who at
tackled the pirates with such weapons
as they could command n destroyed
one of their vessels. Some of the seized
property of the S~paniards was sold and
the proceeds were by council appropri-
ated, upon motion of Hon. Lewis Henry
DeRosset, to the building fund of st.
Philips and st. James churches.
The long deferred hopes Of this lit
tie congregation We're now fulfilled.
Fol twenty years the building of their
church had slowly progressed. Once it
had been unroofed by a feaful hurri-
cane-again it was struck by light
ming followed by a prodigious and i'm
moderate quantity of rain which
caused it to fall in The site upon
which the church stands is part of a
tract of 800 acres of land given in 1925
by Colonel Maurice Moore for a town
to be called Brunswick designating
certain portions for a church grave
yard, court nous and other public
buildings. 1t is said that the vitrified
brick used in its construction was
brought from England, but in the lack
of any official record of his tradition
it is fair to presume that the material
used was found near the pot. Brick
of the same kind and quality are found
in the ruins of Tyron's palace nearby,
which was originally built by Captain
Russell, Of the royal navy.
The communion plate, surplice and