The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-07-28
G|LGAL CHURC SKETCH

building upon lands of another with
out title, but it must be remembered
that neither lands nor lumber were
then valuable, and perhaps verbal
license then was all that was thought
necessary. 1t was not until 1910, so
far as records show, that legal con-
: veyance was made to the use of the
church. In that year the log church
was removed or abandoned, and
frame church was built. The land up
on which it was built was decided by
George Nickles and Joseph Eakin to
Eli Bowie, Andrew Monroe, James
P. Bowie, William Nash and George
Penney. as trustees of Gilgal Metho-
dist Church, for a meeting house
the lands being a portion of the
plantations of the grantors, and des-
cribed as containing one and a half
acres. The plat shows that strip of
the lot conveyed extended beyond
and included the spring always since
used by the members Of the church.
The consideration of this deed was
"In consideration and for the pur-
pose of promoting the publick wor-
ship of God"
In 1856 James G. E. Branyan con-
veyed to the trustees of the church
one acre of land, to be used as bu-
rial ground, it being stated that the
grounds were already being used for
this purpose. This is the site of the
old graveyard where the older heads
of the church, or some of them are
buried. This land is stated to have;
belonged to Ann Bowie, the mother
of Eli Bowie, and the place of the
burial ground was selected by her,
it is stated. She is buried there and
was the first grown person to be bu-
ried at this point, her body resting
according to her request at the foot
of the giant oak which is now near
the middle of the cemetery. A rock
partly encased by the growth of the
oak is believed to be the headstone
of her last resting place. I'm 1854 B.
H. Eakin, who had become the own;
er of this land, ratified this convey,
ance by a paper of his own hand exc,
cuted in the presence of Asa Bowie
and Henry B. Bowie. In the year,
1882, or 1883, new graveyard was
established adjoining the church, the
land being decided to the trustees of
the church for that purpose by B. H.
Eakin,' (signed Eakins) by deed wit,
messed by A. B. Robinson and W. T.
Cason. The trustees named as gran
tees are Asa Bowie, H. B. Bowie, Ed
ward Westfeld, sen., C. A. Bolts,
George Richardson, w. F. Radcliff
and A. L. Bowie. The lot conveyed
contains little more than one acre.
Subsequently John Henry Greene
conveyed small lot Of land to the
trustees Sc as to make the public
road the boundary of the Church lot.
The church built in 1910 stood
a1d was used by the members of the
church until the year 1884, when it
was removed, and the present church
was built, the present church being
located just West of the site of the
old church. The contract for the
building of the church was let to Ja~''
cob H. Bowie and Benjamin Bowie,
the former son of Asa Bowie, and
the latter a son of James P. Bowie,
and both grandsons of Eli Bowie. The
lumber for the church was all sawed
by A. L. Bowie, son of Henry Bron.,
rer Bowie, and a grandson of Eli
Bowie.
A complete list of the ministers
who have served the church cannot
be given with accuracy for the rea-
son that either the records have not
been kept, or have been lost or des-
troyed. However, the following is be-
lieved to be as nearly an accurate