WESLEYAN HERITAGE Library M. E. Church History A HISTORY OF THE RISE OF METHODISM IN AMERICA By John Lednum “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” Heb 12:14 Spreading Scriptural Holiness to the World Wesleyan Heritage Publications © 1998 A HISTORY OF THE RISE OF METHODISM IN AMERICA Containing Sketches of Methodist Itinerant Preachers, From 1736 to 1785, Numbering One Hundred and Sixty or Seventy. Also, A Short Account of Many Hundreds of the First Race of Lay Members, Male and Female, from New York to South Carolina. Together with an Account of Many of the First Societies and Chapels by John Lednum, of the Philadelphia, Conference "What hath God wrought!" -- Numbers 23:23 PHILADELPHIA: Published by The Author Sold at Methodist Book Stores 1859 Entered, according to an act of Congress, In the year 1859, by John Lednum, in the Clerks Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mears & Dusenberry, Stereotypers J. Van Court, Printer A HISTORY OF THE RISE OF METHODISM IN AMERICA by John Lednum CONTENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Messrs. John and Charles Wesley in America -- Mr. George Whitefield in America, and in Philadelphia -- Mr. Wesley's account of the work of God in America -- Rev. William Hamilton, of Baltimore -- Rev. George C. M. Roberts; his account of Strawbridge and Embury -- Priority of the Pipe, or Sam's Creek Society and Log Meeting house -- Richard Owen, the first Native American Methodist preacher -- Strawbridge's labors, and his success -- First Methodist society in Baltimore county, at Daniel Evans' -- Early Methodists in Maryland -- Maynard, Evans, Bonham, Walker, Hagarty, Warfield, Durbin, Saxton, Owen, Merryman, Stephenson, Perigo, Webster, Bond, Gatch, -- Strawbridge's person, family, death, and burial CHAPTER 2 Leading events in Queen Anne's reign -- Her good character -- Dr. Roberts of Baltimore; his account of the Palatines -- Mr. Wesley's account of the same people CHAPTER 3 Philip Embury forms a Methodist society in New York, in 1766 -- Captain Webb assists Embury in New York, in 1767 -- Wesley Chapel erected in 1768 -- Embury leaves New York city, and settles in Washington county, N. Y.; raises up a society; his death, character, and family -- Webb's labors and success in New York -- Cost of Wesley Chapel -- First Methodists in New York -- Embury, Heck, Merrell, White, Sause, Taylor, Lupton, Newton, Jarvis, Selby, Sands, Chave, Staples, Brinkley, Dean, Marchington -- First parsonage CHAPTER 4 Captain Webb preaches, and raises a society of Methodists in Philadelphia -- A sail loft the birthplace of Methodism in this city -- Dr. Wrangle prepared the way for Methodism -- First class of Methodists; their first leader -- First Methodists in Philadelphia -- Emerson, Pennington, Fitzgerald, Hood, Wilmer, Steward, Wallace, Croft, Evans, Montgomery, Dowers, Beach, Thorn, Patterson, Baker CHAPTER 5 St. George's built by the German Reformed Brethren, the first Board of Trustees -- Bought by the Methodists; the first Methodist Board -- The British use it during the war -- The various stages by which it was finished -- Fitzgerald, the germ of Ebenezer -- Bethel, in Montgomery county --Supplees --Jemima Wilkinson CHAPTER 6 Captain Webb raises up Methodism in New Jersey; Burlington; Joseph Toy -- New Mills, or Pemberton -- Trenton -- Carpenters Landing -- Pittsgrove -- Mount Holly -- Lumberton -- Haddenfield -- First Methodists in Jersey -- Budd, Hancock, Heisler, Singer, Cotts, Chew, Taper, Toy, Thorne, Turner, Johnson, Jenkins, Early, Ayars, Murphy, Price, Smith, Abbott CHAPTER 7 Captain Webb raises up Methodism in New Castle, Wilmington, and other places in Delaware -- First Methodists in Delaware -- Furness, Stedham, Tussey, Hersey, Webster, Cloud, Ford -- Captain Webb's field of labor; Hon. John Adams testimony concerning his preaching; goes to England; dies; his children CHAPTER 8 Robert Williams arrives in New York -- Messrs. Boardman and Pilmoor arrive -- John Mann -- Pilmoor in Philadelphia -- John King CHAPTER 9 Boardman, Pilmoor, and Williams, in 1770 -- King in Maryland; Bowman, Baker, Presbury -- introduces Methodist preaching into Baltimore -- Watters family -- Pilmoor and Boardman visit Maryland CHAPTER 10 Pilmoor and Williams visit New Rochelle; Mrs. Deveau's dream; her conversion, -- Where Boardman and Pilmoor labored in 1771 -- Methodism spreads in Harford county; Giles, Morgan, Litten, Forward, Baker, Moore, Sinclair, Stanford, Galloway, Colgate, Merryman, Evans, Brown, Stephenson, Murry, Simmes, Rollin, Gatch, Duke, Bond, Preston, and Dallam CHAPTER 11 Francis Asbury and Richard Wright arrive in America in 1771 -- Mr. Wright on Bohemia Manor -- Mr. Asbury's early life -- He goes to New York; the first friends of Methodism on Staten Island -- Van Pelt in Tennessee -- Asbury's circuit around New York; first friends in this region, Molloy, Dr. White, Oakley, Deveau, Hunt, Ward, Burling, Bartoe, Bonnette, Pell, and Woglam CHAPTER 12 Robert Williams in Virginia -- Mr. Asbury in Philadelphia; preachers stations -- He visits Bohemia Manor, preaching at New Castle, Hersey's, Wilmington, Old Chester, and in Jersey -- Stations of the preachers -- Mr. Pilmoor in Maryland -- Mr. Asbury in New York -- Abbott's conversion -- Mr. Asbury in Maryland, on the Western Shore -- In Cecil and Kent counties, is the first Methodist preacher in the neighborhood of Hinson's Chapel -- Quarterly meeting; stations the preachers -- The local preachers in Maryland CHAPTER 13 Messrs. Pilmoor, Williams, and Watters, in Virginia, -- Methodism in Fells Point, and in Baltimore -- First Methodists in Baltimore -- Patton, Hollingsworth, Wells, Moale, Robinson, Woodward, Moore, Rogers, Owings, Triplett, Hulings, White, Chamier, and Allison -- Asbury forms a society in Baltimore -- Two chapels founded CHAPTER 14 The Gatch family; early history of Philip Gatch; is awakened and converted, and begins to hold meetings; becomes acquainted with Mr. Asbury; strange phenomenon in 1772 CHAPTER 15 Mr. Pilmoor goes through the Carolinas to visit Mr. Whitefield's orphan House in Georgia -- Williams and Watters in Virginia -- Mr. Asbury in Maryland -- Mr. Asbury goes to Philadelphia; to New York and forms a society at New Rochelle -- Messrs. Rankin, Shadford, Yearberry, and Webb, arrive from England; Messrs. Rankin and Shadford's early history -- Benjamin Abbott CHAPTER 16 First Annual Conference held in Philadelphia -- Who composed it -- How the preachers were stationed -- Mr. Gatch begins to itinerate in Jersey -- Mr. Watters on Kent Circuit, Maryland; Parson Cain preaching in Queen Anne's County -- Mr. Asbury in Baltimore Circuit -- Early societies in Maryland -- Mr. Wright in Virginia -- Mr. Williams in North Carolina -- Concluding account of Messrs. Boardman and Pilmoor CHAPTER 17 Second Conference in Philadelphia -- Messrs. Watters and Ruff in Jersey and in Pennsylvania -- Mr. Ebert -- Chester Circuit -- Colonel North CHAPTER 18 Kent Circuit -- First Methodist chapel on the Peninsula -- Abraham Whitworth on Kent; Parson Cain, or Kain; Whitworth's apostasy and expulsion; his end CHAPTER 19 Mr. Shadford and the Jersey man's dream -- Mr. Shadford in Baltimore; Joseph Cromwell -- Richard Webster, Robert Lindsay, Edward Drumgole -- Mr. Rankin in Maryland CHAPTER 20 Frederick Circuit -- Philip Gatch on Frederick Circuit -- Gatch follows Whitworth on Kent Circuit -- Parson Kain -- Awful storm -- Mr. Gatch returns to Frederick Circuit; persecution -- Mr. Gatch in Jersey CHAPTER 21 Brunswick Circuit -- The oldest Methodist societies in Virginia -- John Wade -- Isaac Rollin -- Samuel Spragg CHAPTER 22 Third Conference in Philadelphia -- James Dempster -- Webster on Chester Circuit -- James Barton's dream -- Webster in fine -- Philip Gatch and John Cooper on Kent Circuit -- Parson Kain again -- Messrs. Rankin and Webb at quarterly meeting in St. Luke's parish in 1775 -- Gatch on Baltimore and Frederick Circuits. He is tarred by a persecuting mob -- The young man nearly whipped to death, Martin Rodda -- Richard Owen in fine -- Great revival on Frederick Circuit -- Mr. Asbury in Virginia for the first time -- William Glendenning -- Philip Embury and Robert Williams die CHAPTER 23 A sketch of Henry Dorsey Gough's life and death; also of Mrs. Prudence Gough and their daughter and descendants -- Rev. T. B. Sargent CHAPTER 24 Mr. Freeborn Garrettson's parentage, early history, conviction, conversion, and life before he entered on the work of an itinerant CHAPTER 25 Mr. Garrettson on Kent Circuit, in 1776; introduces Methodism into Tuckeyhoe Neck; Ezekiel Cooper, John Cooper, Connor, Downs, Smith, Sharp, Martendale, Neal, William Cooper; strange phenomenon CHAPTER 26 First Conference in Baltimore -- Mr. Fairfax and others of wealth and position among the Methodists -- Nicholas Watters -- William Wren -- James Foster -- Mr. Asbury in Maryland -- Mr. Garrettson received and sent to Frederick Circuit, next to Fairfax, then to Berkley -- Mr. Watters in Fairfax and Berkley Circuits -- Mr. Gatch in Virginia -- Mr. Pilmoor the first Methodist preacher in North Carolina -- The chief families who became Methodists in North Carolina in the beginning -- Isham Tatum -- Francis Poythress -- Mr. Shadford's great success in Brunswick Circuit -- Mr. Rankin in Virginia; great meeting; his presentiment CHAPTER 27 Some account of Samuel Davies, Devereaux, Jarratt, Mr. Robinson, Shadford, and Asbury; great meetings; Mr. Jarratt's death; Messrs. Asbury and Lees testimony CHAPTER