Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-02-20

Carolina, who although Puritans or
Dissenters were neither Presbyterian,
Baptist nor Low Church men, but Of
the same persuasion Of the New Eng
land Congregationalist. These indi-
viduals were desirous to have a church
of their own established in the colony.
William Norman was sent out to make
known their desires, and on the 22nd
of October. 1895. a conference Of the
ministers in the neighborhood was
held at Dorchester, Massachusetts, and
the Rev. Joseph Lord was, accord
ing to the Congregational mode, duly
ordained and set apart for the work
of accompanying as pastor congre-
CATION to South Carolina.
Two small vessels were provided for
their transportation. The members Of
this newly organized church embarked
on the 5th Of December 1895, and set
sail on the 14th Of the same month.
One vessel arrived on the 2Sth or Goth,
whilst the other did not arrive until
near the middle of January, 1896.
They made their way. as best they
could, up the Ashley river, and finally
found, as they thought, a favorable
place for settlement. This, In honor
Of the place whence they came, they
called Dorchester. On, perhaps, the
second, or it may have been the first
Sabbath, after their landing, the Sac
rament Of the Lords Supper was ad-
ministered by Joseph Lord to this
church. The place was under large
oak, which remained until within a
few years to mark the precise spot.
Settlement Of Dorchester.
At that time, Dorchester was twenty
miles from any white settlement. The
Westoes and Stonos were in the neigh
borhood. From various causes, these
tribes had become bitterly opposed to
the white men. Whilst this New Eng
land colony or church was building
houses in which the families might
live, sentinels had to be posted In the
surrounding forest, to warn the labor
ers of the approach Of hostile Indians.
Notwithstanding the many difficulties
which the colony had to encounter from
the very beginning, and the many
hardships 1t had to endure for a num-
ber of years, 1t succeeded. 1t was a
real addition to the population Of the
state, and In after years the descen-
dants added much to the first settlers
OF Georgia. 1t may be truthfu!y said
concerning this Dorchester colony that
1t always furnished upright citizens
men who were ready to defend the
rights of their country when these
rights were threatened.
Earliest Church Organizations.
It has been said without good reason
that this Dorchester church was the
first church organized in the state of
South Carolina, and that the commun-
ion which was administered to the
members of It by their pastor, the
Rev. Joseph Lord, was the first Sacra-
ment of the Lords supper which was
ever administered In the state. This
is, we think hardly correct. There
were several church organizations In
the state before Feb. End, 1896, the
time that the Sacrament was first ad-
ministered at Dorchester. There were
at least seven churches in the state
with pastors, ten years before this per-
iod. An English church In Charles
Town was founded in 1888. The first
pastor Of this church was the Rev. At
kin Williamson, who had been In the
colony for some time previous to the
organizing Of st. Philips (now st.
Michaeps). The house was built Of cy-
press timber. There were three Geneva
Presbyterian churches in the colony as
early as 1889, or probably 16S6-one In
Charles Town and one on the eastern
branch of the Cooper river. The pas
tors Of these churches were the Revs.
Florent Philip Trouillart and Elias
Prioleau, Of the one in Charles Town
and the Rev. De La Pierre Of the
one on Cooper river. There was also
Huguenot or Geneva Presbyterian
church on the Santee, founded about
the same time with the Rev. Pierre
Robert for a pastor, and still another
on Goose creek, which was under the
pastoral care of the Rev. Florent Phil
lip Trouillart. This fact makes 1t prob
able that it's organization was before
1896. There was also in the province
what was called the Independent
church or mixed Presbyterian. This
was probably the first organized con-
gregation in the colony. The Rev.
Thomas Barret, who was, so far as Is
known, the first minister OF the gospel
in the colony, was in some way con-
nected with this congregation. This
church was organized not more than
ten years after the arrival Of the first
settlers. The Baptists had church or
ganization in Charles Town as early
as 1888 Some of the immigrants who
came with Lord Cardross, and some of
those who came with Joseph Blake,
were Baptist. Blake himself was a
Presbyterian, but his wife was a Bap-
tist, and so was her mother, Lady AK
tell.
From the close Of Archdale's admin
istration up to the time that the gov
ernment passed out Of the hands Of the
lords proprietors into the hands Of the
King Of England, but few groups of
settlers came into South Carolina.
Many individuals and families came
from time to time. When the colony
was first settled in 1870, 1t Is esti-
mated that about one hundred and fif-
ty individuals took up their abode on
the banks of Ashley river. At the close
Of Archdale's administration, there
were, according to the best authority,
about seven thousand persons in the
colony. When we talk all things into
consideration. this shows that the colo
ny had increased very rapidly.
When Governor Archdale concluded
that the affairs of the colony were
properly arranged, he prepared to re-
turn to England. No difficulty occur
red between him and the proprietors,
but he did not wish to retain his po-