Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-31
HUCUEN0T CHURCH
Services Performed in Charles
ton Over Two Centuries.
ENGLISH NOW EMPLOYED
Religious Freedom Granted After
Much Controversy.
LOCAL PRIDE IN ST. MICHAEL'S
Curious Epitaphs on It's Tombstones.
Venerable st. Philip's-The
Royal Exchange.
ENGLISH NOW EMPLOYED
LOCAL PRIDE IN ST. MICHAEL S
BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM F.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
CHARLESTON. S. G.. March IS. 1908.
There are several interesting churches
in Charleston. including what | am told
is the only house of worship of the
French Huguenots' faith in the United
States. The congregation still retain the
creed and form of worship that was used
by their ancestors in France before the
revocation of the edict of Nantes. al
though the service has been conducted in
English for more than a century. The
ancient liturgy and confession of faith
were translated into that language es
pecially for the Charleston congregation.
The Huguenot population of South Caro-
| lima is descended from colony of about
80 families who arrived between 1880
and 1856 and built a church on the site
of the present one in 1851. They imme
diately became prominent in commercial
and social affairs. for. although the
greater number were people of humble
birth. several families brought consider
able wealth with them and insisted
| full recognition of their Importance. Their
prosperity and what was called their ar
rogance" soon aroused the jealousy and
| resentment of the English settlers. and the
| feeling became so serious that the govern
or recommended to the king that it would
| be necessary to exclude them from par
| ticipation in the government. writer
! at that time says. Many of the refugees.
being possessed of considerable property
| in France, had sold it and brought the
| money to Carolina. Having purchased
| large tracts with this money. they set
down in more advantageous circum-
stances than the poorer sort Of English
| immigrants. Having clergymen of their
own persuasion for whom they enter
! tanned the highest respect and admit
ration, they were disposed to encourage
them far their narrow circum-
stances would permit. Two pastors &C
companed the refugees. One of them
who Is buried in the old church. was
! Elias Prtoleau. whose grandfather was
| Duke Prioleau of Venice. and who relin-
| quished his rank and fortune to become a
J Protestant. He is the founder OF a large
| and influential family of that name.
Religious Liberty Granted.
After a controversy of years Gov Blake
recommended to the crown that the HUI
| guenots be given liberty of conscience
and the king granted that wished or
boon TO such as had given good test
| mony of their duty and loyalty to his
| majesty and the crown of England of
their fidelity to the lords proprietors. OF
| their good affection to the inhabitants.
! and who by their industry. diligence and
| trade. had very much enriched and ad-
! vanced the settlement This was the
end of their trouble. and from that time
| on the Huguenots have had prominent
| part in the development of South Caro-
| lima. Some of them seem to have aban-
doned their own faith for that o. the
Church of England at an early day be-
| cause Col. Samuel Prioleau. son of the
99ff al rja MAJ 4
and John Abram Mott, were members of
! the first vestry Of ST. Michaels Church
| when II was built upon the spot origina, :
| Iy occupied by the old st. Philips.
The present HuguenOt edifice, which is
| pure Gothic and of great archit ect,Iral
beauty, occupies conspicuous site and
! has been "A landmark for more than 2GO
[ years. Its walls are adorned with tab
| let's concentrating the worth and the in
| fuence of the Maurys. Bayards Mar
| quands, Boudinots. Laniers. Giberts Raw
anels and other Of the early settlers o"
! the Huguenot faith. to which Gen Fran
! els Marion also belonged.
Proud of ST. Michael's.
The people of Charleston are even more
| proud Of st. Michae.'s. which has had a
| remarkable history, summed up in the fol-
lowing inscription upon a tablet
| Parish OF st. Michael
Established
| June a. AID. 11Jl.
This building.
| Begun in 1852.
Opened 70. divine worship
| Exposed to the fire Of
| British artillery ON James Island
| in 1850.
| Struck four times by the
| 1859 to 1866:
Seriously injured by cyclone
August - 1885:
/ Almost destroyed .,tTs, !, by &c. earthquake,
sm nern restored by the generosity of
And reopened June 10. 1887.
Gloria in ExceIsis Dec.
Sir Christopher Wren is believed nv
many people to have been. he archjtect
| but he died thirty years before st. Mi
chaels was erected. 1t is supposed to re-
semble st. Martin s-in-the- Fields" near
Trafalgar Square, London: but consider
bic strain Of the imagination is required
| to recognize the likeness. 1t is a beautj-
| full old church. however. and the people
| OF Charleston have perfect right to be
| proud of it. The spire is especially fine
and told YOU the story of the bells in a
| letter the other day. The clock came over
with them in 1854, and was built by Avn
esworth ThWayts Of London, who under
| contract agreed to furnish "a strong. thirty
| four-hOur clock to show the hour four
| ways. to strike the hour on the largest
| bell and the quarters on four bells as the
Royal Exchange. London" Up to 1919
| there were no minute hands In that
year, with the consent of the vestry, the
/ city council added them.
| The organ In st. Mchael's was built by
| John Snetzler London. in 1767 and is be-
! lieved to be the oldest in the United
| States 1t is also believed that this church
| had the first boy choir I'm this country
! The communion service dates back to 1862
| and was presented by his excellency
| Gov. Thomas Boone. 1t was sent to Co
! lumbia for Sd fety during the war. but was
stolen by some of Sherman's soldiers
! In 1867 one of the hagons was recovered
| from a pawnshop in New York and the
! cover was found in Ohio.
In st. Michael's Churchyard
| The churchyard of st. Michaers has
| some interesting inhabitants. 1t was the
| burial place of the great men Of the state
| for many years and the tombstones bear
the names of the fiSt families OF South
Carolina. curious monument marks
| the grave of Mary Anne LuytOn wife
of VIII Luyton. who died September o.
! ITO in the 18th year of her age II is the
| actual fOotboard of bedStead made of
| cypress and cedar that have resisted the
| tooth of time for 1:;S years A portion of
| the footboard and one of the posts were
married by shell in 1860, but were re-
| paired after the war.
| The epitaph of Bennett Taylor who died
| ~ et.