The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-26
DAYS IN THE
CHURCH AND SCHOOL
On Little RiUer, Pdsquotdnk County

self, preached TO tue: pcopie ~ iA]N
a number OF converts to the Quaker
doctrine.
This religious body grew in num-
ners and influence and according TO
the Colonial Records AT q montnly
| Meeting House be built at PaSQuotank
1908, it is agreed by Friends that a
| meeting house be built at Pasquotank
| with as much speed as may be- ANA
later, between 1903 and 1905, this
rlan was carried out and on the banks
Of Symons creek, an arm or Little
River between the two ancient set
Elements of Nixofton n Newbegun
creek, the first Quaker meeting mouse
and with the exception of the old
church in ChOwan) the first house or
worship in the State was built.
Rough and crude was this hous of
God. simple and plain the large ma
/ jcrity OF the men and women who
gathered there, to worship in their
quiet, undemonstrative way the Power
who had led them to this land OF
freedom. But the Word preached to
these silent listeners In that rude
building inspired within them those
principles upon which the foundation
Of the best citizenship Of our State
as laid.
The Church OF England. though
long neglectful OF her children in this
distant colony. had by this time be-
gun to waken to her duty towards
the sheep Of her fold in Carolina
Somewhere about 100 q missionary
society sent a clergyman to the set
Element and in 1908 tho Rev. Mr..
Ackers writes to Her Majesty's Sec
rotary in London that 1.-The Citizens
OF Pasquotank have agreed to build
a church and two chapels." AS to
the location OF these edifices, history
re1nains silent But that the church
had been sowing. good seed in this
new and fertile soil is shown by the
account given by the Rev. MIR. Adams
OF the people OF Pasquotank to whom
he had been mi as rector Of the
parish in that county.
According to the letter written by
Mr.. Adams to Her Majesty's Secretary.
there had come into the county with
the settlers from the West Indies a
learned, public-spirited layman named
Charles Griffin, who, seeing h cry
ing need Of the people. had estab-
lished by TOE a school on Symons
creek for the children Of the settlers
near by.
Being a loyal son Of the Church OF
England. he insisted upon reading the
morning and evening service Of that
church daily in his school. and he re-
. CURED his young charges to join in
h prayers and make the proper re-
oFOA1SCO. oO 1d1LIlul duu ElACACul q
teacher did he prove that even the
Cuakers who had suffered many
things from the Church Of England
as we'll as from their dissenting
} brethren were glad to send theil
/, children to his school
The Colonia Records contain many
! references to the wide and beneficen1
1 influences exerted by Mr.. Griffin
l while acting in his twofold capacity
of teacher and lay-reader in Pasquo.
= tank.
Governor Glover in a letter to thu
e Bishop OF London in 1908 writes: "Ir
~Iasquotank an orderly congregation
= has been kept together by the industr,
Of a young gentleman whom tn,
parish has employed to read the serv
n ices Of the Church of England. Thi
r gentleman being a man of unblemish
r ed life, by his decent behavior in tina
Office, and by apt discourses from
r house to house, not only kept thos
he found, but gained many to tn
church"
d Again and again in the pages o
{ the Colonial Records, Vol. 1, are tn
praises of Charles Griffin sung
Though sad to Say in the latter day
II of his life he seems to have falle,
from grace. and to ave become in
volved in some scandal, the particu
II lars OF which are not given.
:" IAiSsoIS CoHtdluS no RECORD or LII
location OF Charles Grifhn's schoo
Eiu according to tradition, and to tn
Ie old inhabitants Of that section, it wa
located On Symons creek, not far fror
rs the ancient Quaker meeting houst
This latter building. erected some
y where between 1703 and 1906. wa
d standing within the Of man
among the older citizens of our coun
af ty, some OF whom retain vivid reco1
n }ectionS of attending when they WeT
children the services held by tn
10 Friends In this house of worship.
TT 1t ma be OF interest here to men
o. ton that the heirs OF the late Elih
White. OF Belvidere, to whom tn
&c property belonged. have lately donate
the site of the meeting house on Sy
mons creek tt the Quakers OF thu
Of section of whom there are still quit
a a number. And once again, alter
re lapse OF many years, will the ancieI