When Pocomoke Was Young- A contiuing weekly feature.

 

Al DeFilippo said...

Thank you for this post. Is it taken from a book? Anyway, for more information on Francis Asbury and early Methodism. Please visit the website for the trilogy book series, The Asbury Triptych Series. Enjoy the numerous free articles, podcasts, videos, pictures, anecdotes, character profiles, and more.

(Note to reader: The post is from the 1883 History of Pocomoke publication.)

 Anonymous said...

There is some anecdotal evidence regarding the log building used as a Presbyterian church in Pocomoke City (Newtown, The Hill?). The legend is that the church was slated to be erected in Snow Hill so the locals hewed and trimmed the logs and actually started erecting the building. The local native Americans were not enthusiastic about this strange new building so one night they disassembled the structure and tossed the logs into the Pocomoke River.

The logs naturally floated downriver after a fashion. Since felled and trimmed logs were considered a valuable resource back then the settlers took off down the river in an attempt to recover their loss. The logs were intercepted near what is now Pocomoke City (some versions say it was near Rehobeth) and, since it was impractical to transport the logs back to Snow Hill, the church building was erected on the banks of the river where the logs were pulled ashore.

(Chapter flow:)

ITS ORIGIN AND TOWN LIMITS

TOWN LIMITS

GROWTH, CHANGE OF NAME, ETC.

MERCANTILE ASPECT

MANUFACTURING

TRADES ETC.

SHIPPING INTERESTS

EASTERN SHORE STEAMBOAT CO.

SHIP BUILDING ETC.

HOTELS, LIVERY STABLES, ETC.

PHYSICIANS

LAWYERS

POST OFFICE

PRINTING OFFICES

SOCIAL ASPECT, ETC.

MORAL ASPECT

TEMPERANCE CAUSE

SCHOOLS

CHURCHES

Note:  In duplicating this material for publishing on The Pocomoke Public Eye we have made minor adjustments to correct some of the spelling, punctuation, etc. We believe the errors were not in Rev. Murray's original writing but occurred in the process of formatting the material to a digital format for viewing online.

CHURCHES. 

As the churches are a very important factor in the 
history oi Pocomoke City, it will be necessary, in 
order to give an intelligent showing of each church, 
to take them up in the order of time in which they 
were established, and bring their history down to the pre- 
sent time. As the Methodist Episcopal Church is the 
first one of which we have any record, we will begin with- 
it first. But before we proceed with the history of this 
church it will be necessary and proper to remark that it 
has been said that there was a Presbyterian log church 
built on the lot which was called, when I was a boy, the 
Sacher lot. This was a nickname for Zachariah, as it 
belonged to one Zachariah Lambertson. This lot has 
been more recently known as the Adreon lot, which at 
present belongs to William J. S. Clarke. Upon this lot 
tradition says this house was built. 

In the history of the Maryland Colony we have this 
record, that a certain Col. William Stevens, with others, 
got up a petition and sent it to the Presbytery of Laggan, 
Ireland, in 1680, for a minister of the gospel to come to the 
colony and preach the gospel and look after the scattered 
adherents of the Presbyterian faith. This call was 
promptly obeyed, and in 1682, they sent over the Rev.Fran- 
cis Makemie, a man of learning, sagacity and courage, by 
whom or under whose supervision, tradition says this 
church was built. If this tradition can be relied on, there 
is no doubt, but that it was the first Presbyterian Church 
ever built in America. 

But there is a history of the Presbyterian Church in 
America extant, which would seem to refute the statement 
of the Traditional Church. 

I allude to the history of the Presbyterian Church in 
America, by Irving Spence, a member of that church and 
a learned Lawyer, who speaks definitely and clearly of the 
Pitt's Creek and Rehoboth Churches being the first Presby- 
terian Churches ever built in America. He never once inti- 
mates that such a church ever existed as the Traditional 
Church at New Town. 

There is, however, some supposable ground for the 
existence of this church. Mr. Makemie, in coming to the 
Colony and up the Pocomoke River, prospecting, may 
have at first view, concluded that this was the very place 
to commence operations, and hence, the erection of the 
log church; but subsequently, he may have discovered 
that, Rehoboth and Pitt's Creek were prominent centers, 
at which he could more effectually advance the interests 
of his cause, and hence, the abandonment of the old log 
church. 

Now to proceed with the history of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church in New Town. The Church was built in 
180S, on the site where the present one stands. But the 
church, proper as an organized body, existed in New 
Town, long years before the house was built. This fact, 
I think can be established, beyond a doubt, by two consid- 
erations. First, the preachers sent to the Continent by 
Mr. Wesley, before the organization of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, in 1784, and those belonging to it 
afterwards, operated in New York City, Philadelphia, the 
states of New Jersey, Delaware, and some of them down 
through the Eastern Shore Counties of Maryland and 
Virginia, and so efficient was their preaching that, at an 
early date the Peninsula was a garden spot of Methodism. 
Indeed the gospel was like a sally of light coming down 
the Peninsula, and its messengers were flaming heralds 
entering every open door, and preaching unto the people, 
Jesus and the resurrection, with all boldness. 

In 1778, Francis Asbury, not being permitted to preach 
the gospel in Maryland, retired to Delaware, where, at the 
house of Judge White, he found a congenial retreat, 
for about two years, in order to escape impressment, 
by the British forces, to light against the colonies. In 
1780. Freeborn Garrettson a native of Western Maryland, 
was imprisoned in Cambridge jail, Dorchester County, 
for preaching the gospel. I mention these incidents of 
Asbury and Garrettson, with their dates to show that 
Methodism was already a settled fact in Delaware, and 
on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. I 
cannot wonder at the success of the gospel, when its 
message was borne by such men as Bishops Thomas Coke, 
D. D. Francis Asbury, Richard Whatcoat, and their 
associates, such as Freeborn Garrettson, Benjamin Abbott, 
Lorenzo Dow, and a host of others who were co-labor- 
with them, who counted not their lives dear into them- 
sevles so that they might bear the gospel message and 
be instrumental in saving sinners. 

The second, consideration is the establishment of the 
circuit work, embracing preaching appointments at Little- 
ton Long's house, where Major Merrill now lives; at 
William Melvin's, father of Rev. Avra Melvin, where Col. 
William J. Aydelotte now lives, and at Capt. Jair.es (?)
Furnis' house in New Town ; this house is at present, 
owned by Mrs. Tipton. 

At these places the gospel was preached, classes formed 
and prayer-meetings established. So early and so 
thoroughly was Methodism established in New Town, 
that in 1800, Avra Melvin was licensed to preach the 
gospel, being at the time about twenty years of age, and 
when his father, who was an officer in the church, 
died, he preached his funeral. 

Not only New Town but, the entire surrouding 
country was brought under the influence of Methodism 
in the latter part of the last century, so that we m; (?)
safely conclude that the date of its introduction in New 
Town reaches back to about 1790. Some account of the 
pioneer Methodist preachers on the peninsula may be 
interesting to the reader. But as there are biographies of 
each one of them extant, it will only he necessary to make 
some passing remarks with some incidents of their lives. 
Thomas Coke, LL.D., was a native of England, a man 
of letters. Was ordained the first bishop of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He died at sea while on a missionary 
tour to another land at the probable age of sixty years. 
Bishop Asbury, in preaching his funeral by request of 
Conference, makes the following remarks of him: "He 
was of the third branch of Oxonian Methodists, a gentle- 
man, a scholar, and a bishop to us, and as a minister of 
Christ, in zeal, in labors and in services, the greatest man 
of the last century." 

Richard Whatcoat, bishop of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church was a native of England. Until information of 
his death Bishop Asbury makes the following note of him 
in his journal: "That father in Israel and my faithful 
friend for forty years, a man of solid parts: a self-denying- 
man of God : who ever heard him speak an idle word 
when was guile found in his mouth? He had been thirty- 
eight years in the ministry: sixteen years in England, 
Wales and Ireland, and twenty-two years in America; 
twelve years as Presiding Elder, four of this time he was 
stationed in the cities or traveling with me; and six years 
in the superintendency. A man so uniformly good I have 
not known in Europe or America. He died in Dover, 
Del., on the 5th day of July, 1806." 

Francis Asbury was also a native of England. He 
came to this 'country by the direction of Mr. Wesley in 
1771, being then about 25 years of age. He was elected 
bishop at the conference of 1784, held in the city of 
Baltimore, and was emphatically and truly, the pioneer 
Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In labors more 
abundant, traveling- on horseback and in carriage, averaging 
a great deal of the time 5,000 miles a year, his route extend- 
ing from Georgia to Massachusetts, and as far West as 
Kentucky and Ohio. He pursued this route through 
heat and cold, through rain and storm, in winter and 
summer, over hills, barrens, swamps, and Savannahs, 
fording rivers, creeks, etc., for thirty- two years in the 
Episcopacy until he was literally worn out by his arduous 
labors superintending the interests of the Church of 
Christ. In 1816, while on his way to the General Confer- 
ence, to be held in the City of Baltimore in the following 
May, he halted at the house of George Arnold in Spott- 
sylvania, Va., and there he died on the 21st day of March, 
1816, in the 71st year of his age. He was afterward 
carried to Baltimore and buried under the pulpit of the 
Eutaw Methodist Episcopal Church of that city. 

In speaking of Benjamin Abbott I will say he was a 
native of New Jersey, and although he may never have 
preached in New Town, yet he aided very materially in 
bringing the gospel down through the peninsula. He 
was a man of great pulpit power, and in many instances 
sinners fell prostrate under the preaching of the word by 
him, as dead men. 

There is only one incident of his life which I wish to 
mention and that is the circumstance of his conversion. 
It was brought about by a dream. He was already under 
deep conviction for sin. He had no rest day or night and 
seemingly could find none. While in this condition he 
dreamed that he was down a deep well; how he got there 
he could not tell. In contemplating his condition, he saw 
no way of his escape. He seemed hopelessly lost. In 
casting his eyes upward he saw a star, about which there 
was peculiar attraction. While looking at it he discovered 
himself rising out of the well. It was such a strange 
phenomenon he could not understand it; and in looking 
down the well, that moment he fell to the bottom. How- 
ever, in looking up again he saw the same star, and while 
looking at it, he discovered that he was rising again this 
time higher; but some how or other he took his eyes off 
the star, and down he fell to the bottom again. In this 
sad condition he concluded there must be some power in 
that star to bring him out of the well, and if he could but 
see that star once more, he never would take his eyes off 
of it until he would be out of the well. Fortunately, again 
he saw the same star. He fixed his eyes upon it, and he 
felt that he was rising, but he would not take "his eyes off 
of it until he found himself entirely out of the well. At 
that moment he awoke out of sleep and concluded that 
that dream was from God, and was intended to point him 
to the Day Star from on high. He made the application 
and found Jesus without further trouble. He was con- 
verted immediately and awoke the family, and there was 
a great shout that night. 

The incredulous may say, oh, pshaw; that was only a 
dream. It was a dream, that is true, but it was more than 
a dream in the common acceptation of that term. It was 
the instrumentality which the Holy One used to save his 
soul. Lorenzo Dow preached in New Town in 1805, 
to about 2000 people, assembled from all the country 
around, and at night he preached at Rev. Jas. Tilghman's 
house. After he had conducted the preliminary services 
and had read out the text, Captain Harry Long came into 
the congregation and after he had taken his seat, Lorenzo 
said, "Captain my text is "Pray without ceasing and 
in everything give thanks." The fact of his giving 
Capt. Long his title, without having any previous 
knowledge of him, produced a wonderful thinking in the 
minds of the audience; for they had previously heard 
that Lorenzo could foretell future events, and was a 
discerner of spirits. 

There are only two incidents in the life of Lorenzo that I 
will here mention. The first is his courtship and 
marriage. On a certain preaching tour, he made the 
acquaintance of the lady whom he afterwards married. 
The courtship is as follows: he said to her: "I think you 
will suit me for a wife, and as I am going to such and such 
places to preach, and shall be gone such a length of 
time, you can think the matter over, and if you think you 
would like me for a husband, when I return we will get 
married. But, one thing must be clearly understood, and 
that is, you must never get in my way in preaching the 
gospel, for if you do I shall pray to the Lord to take 
you out of the way and I believe he will do it, and upon 
his return they got married. 

The second incident is the tin horn story, which is as 
follows: He was going to fill an appointment which he 
had made, probably a year before. When he was nearing 
the place where he had to preach, he over-took a colored 
boy with a tin horn; he asked him his name, the boy said 
his name was Gabriel. Lorenzo said to him: "I am going 
to such a place to preach to-day, and if you will go there 
and climb up into a tall pine tree, and remain there silent 
until I call for Gabriel to blow the trumpet, then if you 
will blow one of your loudest blasts, I will give you a 
dollar." The bargain was made, and Lorenzo commenced 
the services and took his text, which embraced the idea of 
the Resurrection and the general Judgment. 

As he proceeded, in unfolding the awful truths contained 
in the text, in graphic style, holding his large audience, 
which was assembled in the grove, spell-bound, and as all 
eyes were upon him while contemplating the sublime 
majesty of Christ's coming in the clouds of heaven with 
ten thousands of His saints to judge the world. When he 
had reach the climax, and had Gabriel standing one foot 
upon the sea and the other on the dry land, with his long 
silver trumpet, he called aloud for Gabriel to blow, at that 
moment, Gabriel in the pine tree, blew the tin horn. 

The scene as portrayed by eye witnesses was indescribe- 
able, The people were in utter consternation, some falling 
to the ground and crying for mercy, while others were 
shouting salvation, in the immediate prospect of standing 
before the Throne, and the horses were squealing and 
prancing. Finally the congregation discovered the boy in 
the pine tree and became composed. When Lorenzo then 
said, if the blowing of a tin horn by a little black boy 
in the top of a pine tree could produce such an effect, what 
would they do when the great day comes? 

CONTINUES NEXT SATURDAY HERE AT THE POCOMOKE PUBLIC EYE.