Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-11
Judge Conrad Tells of States
\ Oldest M +. Oh urCh Building
HazIcityile. Oct. II.

Thomas NJ. L.. Chapel was founded l4l
years ago. The anniversary was appro-
prtatcly celebrated at the old church in
West Dover hundred. The anniversary adj
dress was made by Judge Henry G. Con-
rad. and IL proved n most entertaining
feature OF the. afternoon program.
Thomas Chapel, according to Judge
Conrad Was the first TO bc established by
the Mcthodists in Delaware, The Judge $
address, which teens with interesting
history, follows:
The research | have made seems to
establish che fact that the first preaching
house or chapel on tins site was erected IN
the wear 1879. Under date of December
"a. lT1o n deed was made by William
Thomas of a parcel OF land containing
half acre of land. described as situated on
the south side of the public road leading
from the Forest Landing to the river
bridges No hundred is mentioned, but
u Is described as being part OF tract OF
land formerly surveyed and laid out Tor
a csvta,n Hennelopc Penelope Freeman,
now the wife of Owen Irons, together With
q preaching house or chapel erected
thereon.
The half acre was granted to stephen
Black, Sr Thomas Seward, Daniel
Wheeler. Nathan Harrington, Richard
NnHN. nOlllaN ENtOtttll+ 4Ntiiistii t'atAAtNf
Edward Callahan and Stephen Black, Jr.,
In trust that they from time to time
and AT all times forever hereafter, permit
such persons As shall be appointed at the
yearly conferences of the people called
Methodists. To preach and expound Gods
HOLY Word and no other; To have and
enjoy the SAID premises for the purposes
aforesaid, provided, however, that the
Sald persons preach no other doctrine than
Is cont aimed IN MIR John Wesley's Notes
upon the New Testament, and four
volumes of sermons. And in case any
trustee should die or cease to be members
nf the society called Methodists. the re-
maining Trustees shall choose successor.
The deed mentions that a preaching house
or chapel had already been erected on the
hall acre.
MethodiSm had been preached IN these
parts for five or SIX wears prior to the
making nf this deed. The society was so
new and the people interested so scat
tered that up To that time no chapels or
churches had been erected, but the meet
ings of the people called Methodists had
been held in private houses in barns or
outbuldings, and when the weather per-
mItted, IN groves and under the shade of
befnendlng trees.
ASbury's journal. which gives in detail
the doings of cacn day. speaks of travel
ling from house 10 house and mentions the
names of the people where he went and bv
whom he was entertained, but nowhere IS
there mention of preaching in a church
~ chapel. controlled by the Methodists,
up % this time.
one of his frequent stopping places was
Richard Shaws. the exact location of
whose home have not been able to estab-
\ IL l. 1. I
over the State line in Maryland You
viii note that the name of Richard Shaw
appears aS one of the trustees IN the deed
from " liam Thomas.
MANY wears before the coming of As
hurry and the advent OF the Method.stS,
the Church of England or as we more
faml,slrly call it the Episcopal Church
had established places of public worship
m Delaware and adjacent parts. The
Episcopal Church at Dover dates back
to l705 The Dover church and all other
of the early Episcopal churches were
established by an old society controlled
hy the Church of England, with head
quarters In London called The Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts 1t sent missionaries from
England and gave general oversight TO the
early EpIscopsl churches ID America.
DEED DATES BACK TO 1765.
In 1165. fourteen wears before the deed
from William Thomas 10 the trustees OF
tins chapel. | find deed from one John
Reid 70 the Society for the Propagation
Of the Gospel, before mentioned. for a
trart of two acres of land, situated in
Munierkill hundred near the road leading
from the town Of Dover to Choptank
Bridge, whereon Is erected house or
building called st. Pauls Chapel. This
chapel Is spoken Of In the old Episcopal
records as being near the MARYLAND line
snd AS being IN course of building In 1862
The descriptions In the two deeds and
the locations Of the two chapels are
seemingly 50 close together that the in
terestlng question arises could the ground
occupied by the ST. Paul's Chapel as early
ss lso5 be the same ground that fourteen
wears lster 1779l was granted to the
trustees Of Thomas Chapel bv William
Thomas, the ground upon which we are
assembled today
Rev. Samuel Magaw, d. D., was the
rector OF the Episcopal church in Dover
when the Methodist itinerants began to
travel through this part OF the country.
Both DIR. Magaw and his Immediate
predecessor at Dover, Rev Charles Inglis,
speak m then reports OF st. Paul's near
the Maryland line
Between DIR. Magaw and Francis
Asbury warm friendship existed. As
bury N his Journal says, under date OF
April /, 1879, II had an interview with
DIR. Magaw, a kind, sensible, friendly
member of the Episcopal Church" On
July ?, 1879, he says: 81 heard DR..
Magaw at the Forest Chapel on Thy
Kingdom Come. On August. 81, I779.
isbury's Journal says, "Went to the
Forest Chapel and spoke to a large con-
gregation." February 29, 1850, the Jour
nal records Spent night with Dr.
Magaw, had great satisfaction in con-
versing with him relative to his having
a closer connection with US" April Is,
lIsO, Asbury writes, II spent the after
noon with DR.. Magaw" and, the next day
tSunday) Rode twelve miles and preached
az the chapel, and four days later Asburv
narrates, II left Mr. Emerys. where we
were kindly entertained in the forest.
They 1--we vel, these people were brought
OIL Their preludices by Dr. AIagaw preach