The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-05-20

rock in pieces. The poor people \ex-
pressed the utmost gratitude, and Col
onel Williams invited me to dine. AS
it was in my way I gladly accepted the
offer; and found one of the prettiest
places 1 have seen in North Carolina.
was entertained with true primitive
hospitality"
Colonel Hallowen Williams was a
prominent man in Currituck, and one
of the prominent men of North Caro-
lima. He was member of the Congress
held at Halifax in 1776, and was col
onel of the field officers of Currituck.
In 1885 he was visited by Dr. Thomas
| Coke, who speakes of him in very COM
plimentary terms, and Bishop Asbury
was entertained in his home on several
occasions: (History of Methodism in
North Carolina, Grissom).
| 1t was ten years after Pilmoor
preached in Currituck before the Meth
] odists established permanent work in
| this section. On December 1, 1882, two
Methodist preachers arrived in Edenton,
| having been sent to lay out a circuit
in this unoccupied territory. These were
Edward Dromgoole and Jesse Lee, the
tering upon the work of the ministry,
The next day after their arrival they
worshipped in the Espiscopal Church,
Dromgoole taking part in the service,
and then started out on the road towards
Norfolk. They travelled as far as Cur
rituck, returning to Edenton on Decem-
Der Is. They formed a circuit with
twenty-five members, and the next year
two preachers were appointed to this
charge, VIZ: James Martin and Henry
Metcaf.. In the list of appointments
for that year the circuit appears as
'Pasquetank," but after that it was
called the Camden circuit.
For twenty years, and more the Cam
den circuit was the only charge in this
state north of the Albemarle Sound and
east of the Chowan River AS late as
1885 there were only three other charg-
es appearing in the list of appointments
for this territory. Edenton was made
a station in 1909, Gates circuit was
formed in 1926 and Elizabeth City be-
came a station in 1885,
One of the first preaching places of
the Methodists in all this country was
at McBride's in Camden county. It is
said that regular services have been
held there since 1884, and the deed to
the land on which ethe Methodist church
there now stands bears the date, Novem-
Der IA, 1892. A very interesting doc
ument is this deed, or "Indenture of
Lease" as it is styled. The land was
leased by Jeremiah Sexton for a period
of ninety-nine years to Elisha Mcbride
and Joshua Gamberlin, members of the
Methodist Society,"" and Joshua Nc
Pherson and Morgan Cartwright, mem
bers of the american Episcopal
Church. the rental specified being one
grain of Indian corn yearly.
Another interesting piece of history
in connection with this church is that,
relating to a Sunday school in 1856. On
May of that year Rev. John Robert
son, one of the pastors, made this re-
port to the monthly conference: "Broth-
err Elisha Mcbride and Joshua Gambler
hin, seeing that ye children were in
need of instruction in We Scriptures
have hired Elizabeth Cartwright to in
struct any who may wish in ye New
and to teach such as can
not read to read We same. Said teach
ing to be done on Sunday and to be
paid for by We said Elisha Mcbride and
Joshua Gamberlin. Everybody that is
Concluded on page ~