Yet another Blog by someone who doesnt know how to blog?? yep! So tis! Not only that, its a UU blog! and an amateur historian! and a non-speller (where's spell check in this thing?) -- what the point of reading this thing? Well, as time goes on, I hope to talk about historical Universalist figures in the southeast - from Father Clayton to Rev Fuller. From Liberty Universalist to Red Hill and Outlaw's Bridge. Sorta like what I used to do on Neil C's old SC Universalist website (and I state I didnt realize I was copying it when I started using it - but obviously I was! so a tip of the hat to him! ) And by the way, if anyone has any of my old posts from that website......... I'll be happy to repost them here!

Among other things that i hope to do is to list various articles in the Universalist papers regarding southeast Universalist news - this would be more helpful if I had copies of the Universalist Herald, but I have to work with what Ive got.

the Universalist Leader Volume 1, #11 Boston and Chicago - Saturday February 12, 1898
20 pp tabloid paper - Geo. H. Emerson, J.S. Cantrell editors
page 5 From Our Mission Field, Q.H. Shinn goes to Tampa Florida, Grahamville Florida, Silver Spring run (yep, a boat ride), Jacksonville Florida, written Feb 2 from Laurel Hill, Florida
names include: S.P. Whitcomb (from Tarpon Springs?), Captain J. F. Chase (formerly of Maine, wounded in Gettysburg, - now living in St. Petersburg), Mr. Blodgett and "little" Irving Crenshaw (formerly of Plymouth N.H. now living in Ocala? or is this just Blodgett, and the Crenshaw the gentleman below?), Mrs. Majaw, fromerly of NYC and one of Dr. T.J. Sawyer's parishioners- from Grahamville Florida.
"The other family are the Crenshaws, formerly of North Carolina, and old friends of Dr. D.B. Clayton. Mr. Crenshaw's wife and daughters have grown out of the Baptist faith and are ready to join the Universalist Church, and plans were made for organizing. Dr. Clayton has made to two visits and preached to the people who came glady to hear his message of glad tidings. (snip)
Mr. Crenshaw is in the turpentine business, which is now very remunerative. (snip) Mr. Crenshaw, who is one of those whole hearted Southerns, who is happiest when giving pleasure to others.... (snip) "

this issue also contains an ad for the Universalist Herald , published at Canon, Ga; "devoted to the interests of the Universalist Church in the South". if one subscribes to both the Leader and the Herald, one can get this usual $3 subscriptions for $2.50.

this is the only issue of the Leader, that ive seen to contain fiction! (although i would guess issues from around the same age probably do) for the family and young folks. thus the blurb: A Family Paper

" cent-a-day pledges" came from the following churches for January 1898
Camp Hill, Alabama $5
Richmond, Virginia 3.65
Five Points, Alabama $2.00
Mobile, Alabama $10.17

for the Japan Mission
Richmond, Virginia (an individual) $10
Fork Ridge, WVA (ypcu) 1

Randolph County Georgia 1850 census

has

Thos. Yarborough 68, born North Carolina, occupation: Universalist Minister
Jane Yarborough 72, born Virginia
property worth $2300

they are living next to CC.Yarborough, 32 born: Georgia and his rather large family

He is in the 1830 census, and two Yarborough families are there in 1860.

The Universalist Leader volume 1 Number 24 May 14, 1898 Boston and Chicago Personals Mrs. C.D. Howard of St. Paul;s Church in Chicago one of its oldest members, is now sojourning in Thomasville, Ga. Rev. J.S. Cook is preaching in Urbana Illinois and is the superintendant for the state. I believe that he moved to Mountville SC in the 1910s, but will need to doublecheck.
U.S.Milborn mentions that the "Our Belief, Protests, and Reasons" in the April 30th issue was actually the work of Rev. Harry L. Veazey of Knoxville, TN.
Dr McGlauflu is the YPCU southern missionary
the Kentucky convention is to be May 27th -29th at Hodkinsville. W.T.Davis, sec
Wellsburg, WV Mary A. Harding, wife of J.A. Harding, passed to the higher life. she was 87 years and 5 months. mebers of the Auburndale, Me church
Brewton, Al: annual meeting was held April 24th. Brother Leavitt salary was paid in full, and they kept him on another year, and hope to build a parsonage. 27 new members this year.
Atlanta, Ga: Dr. Shutter preached every evening and twice on sundays for 12 days. He was entertained by Mr. Hamilton Douglas, and by Dr. McGluflin, F.M. Coker gave $500 to the building fund.
cent a day contributions:
Magnolia, NC 3.65
Camp Hill, Al 7.30
misc contrib:
Fairfax Va (individuals) 5.00
japan mission
Norfolk, Va (individuals) 3.33

UL January 12 1907

Miss Maude Kearns of Durham NC elected leader of the NC WNMA

UL January 19 1907

Universalist Leader Jan 19, 1907 --Women's Mission Page

Ada C. Bowles - Greenville NC Jan 1, 1907

The first of December found me on the farm of Mrs. Lanie Hauser among the health breathing pines. The Christmas party was over in the little white church in the wildwood.

After two services in the Woodington church, I repacked my suit-case for Kinston, called upon the old friends, and brought up the missionary correspondence to a level; attended the Mission Circle meeting; and preached to a good audience in the nice hall of the Knights of Honor.

I heartly echo Dr. Shinn's voice for a church in Kinston, a lively town growing in strength and importance. What a Sunday school could be had of the descendants of Zaccheus and Mary Rhodes, so steadfast and true to their faith! Some twenty of them now under sixteen, to say nothing of their parents. The Woodington church, seven miles in the country over a bad road, is the nearest Universalist church. Mrs. Rhodes, Mrs Ford, the new Mission Circle president and a few others still faithfully meet to sew and keep alive a helpful service.

Off in the clear cold weather to Greenville, to be met at the station by "Sherriff King" still so called though out of that and other county offices for years. As he was a member of the first Constitutional Assembly after the war, and County Commissioner and Register of Deeds, he is often called Honorable, and by reason of fondness for the title by Southern people, "colonel" King. and he looks stalwart enough and impressive enough, with his full grey beard, to wear all his titles.

In the home of the Kings and their daughter and son-in-law, Larry Moore, Esq., a rising lawyer, I have been beautifully entertained for more than two weeks. I have held three services in the Delphia k. Moye Chapel and tired hard to establish a Sunday school, but finally had to abandon the hope. There is really no family of Universalists in the place save Mr., and Mrs. King, both past seventy. It is clear than upon Brother King, his faithful wife, (who will soon place her nmae and that of Mrs. Moye upon the list of our Life Members) together with a few Universalists living in the country, the maintance of Universalism in Greenville rests.

Owing to the chantge of program I was compelled to make, there was no celebration for children in Finch. The sudden death of Dr. Brantley's mother, seemed the chief reason for this.

I am still hoping to get the box which left Spencer Mass., Dec 5 by rail and that from Boston, Dec 10th. The box and barrel from Norwood, Mass., arrived promptly and their contrents war being distributed. also from Washington came a nice box for New Year's, from the National treauser and other friends, which wil help our Durham work. From Box 58 Madrid Sorings, NY, came some dainty things by mail which have been used as rewards of merit. The Mission Circle of Victor, New yoir,k notifies me of two barrels sent to Magnolia from which point I shall distribut eh contents. although details of distribution are not given in these letters to THE LEADER, the donors recieve by private letters the assurnce of grateful acceptance.

The work for December is thus summerd: Travel, 75 miles. Services, Woodington 2, Kinston 1, Greenville 3. Life membership 2; Laymen's League 1; letters written 79. distribution: Barrels 2; Boxes 2; mail packages, 1. all barrels for the remainder of the season may be sent to the one address of Durham, NC. All receipts to be mailwed promplty to me. Thid does not apply to barrels already asked to be sent to other places. All mail can be addressed to Hotel Woodard, Rocky Mount, NC until jan 20. After that care of E.O. P{atterson, Durham NC.

Jan 6, 1907 I go from here tomorrow morning to Magnolia, to distrubte tow barrels, see about eh Mission Circle; preach, if the bronchitis will allow; retun here to instruct the new Mission Circle, and then to Finch for three or four days of preaching and lecturing; back here and then off to Durham, ehre the Board hope to engage a Hall at once to begin preaching on the 27th of January of Feb. 3rd and see what a little hard work will do. The YPCU of Pennsylvania wish to help through its Postoffice department.


report of the Missionary to the South for December 1906 ( Steven's note: this is shinn?)

Sermons preached 13: as follows
Brunswick, Tenn 2
birmingham, al 1
Atlanta, Ga 1
Canon, Ga 2
Bethel, SC 2 (this is Bethel church near Saluda?)
Union School, SC 1 (no idea where this is, Union the town?)
Mountville, SC 1
Marion, Mass 1
Mattapositte, Mass 1

(snip) "In South Carolina, efforts are being made to settle a state pastor."
1 new member added in Woodenton

due to numerous requests from myself, I am going back to just Carolina Universalist history/
Mainly SC - as NC should be well covered.....

(i understand a book is coming out real "soon" now)


I will mention some general south U stuff as I dig it out

I plan to start listing my new sources as I find them;

FRONTIER FAITH; the story of Pioneer Congregations of Fort Wayne, Indiana 1820-1860

George R. Mather 1992

while this might seem to be far afield from Carolina Universalist history, its only slightly afield --- as the west (as Indiana was) was like the Carolinas as far as religious development goes -- and this book seems well done for the developement of denominations -----

(for what its worth: the Universalists didnt last long)

1740? 1760? 1800? 1820?

it depends on what one means by Universalism.....

with the exception of the Charleston society, Universalists in SC started as an outshoot of Baptists - thus around 1740 when they moved in; 1760 when churches organized, 1800 when kicked out of the Baptists Churchs, 1820 when affiliated with the Universalist denomination......

all are right

We were going to Columbia SC, for other reasons, so I decided to go visit Elmwood cemetery and found the grave of the Universalist minister, Athalia Johnson Irwin. The last time I was at Elmwood, I went up to the office and asked where a plot was, and they gave me a map marked and off I went...
.... This time the office was closed. As we wondered around the cemetery (a pastime that both my wife and I enjoy), we concluded that the last time was during a special weekend sale (we both recall the big banners offering plots).
While we have great percentages of finding gravesites (we once drove past a likely cemetery spot, pulled over on a whim, and found a tombstone of one of my forbearers), Elmwood is one of those big big places.
Knowing the local library has a book to Elmwood, we drove there, and got the number of the area andt plot number and gravesite number (but noticed no map to numbers in the book)- and then after our meeting returned to Elmwood. We knew where areas 20 and 44 were, and we were looking for a site inbetween. But Elmwood doesn't list numbers on the roads, or in the plots themselves either -- after searching for where it may be, gave up and came home. (well, we went to a bookstore and dinner first)

After getting home - pulled out my map to discover, the numbers run in zig-zag
--- ok, so at least I know know about where it is, so the next time I should be able to find it.

and of course, will be able to pass the info on to others as well....
.. but obviously not all explorations result in completions!

Taken from the now gone SCUniversalist website, written and (c) by me

the majority of historic Universalism in South Carolina was in the rural northwest....... except Charleston! Like most of the other unwritten south Carolina history, much of the facts and documents of history were lost during the 1860s. We know that Richard Clarke, pastor of St. Phillips (an Anglican Church) preached universalism in the late 1750s. (this per Stephen Smith of NY in the 1840s). In 1824 a society of "Biblicial Universalists" was formed in 1827 the "Association of Universalists in Charleston" was founded with weekly meetings. In 1829 they became the "Primitive Apostolic Church of Trinitarian Universalists in the City of Charleston"In 1830, they changed the name to "the First Universalist Society"In 1832, they bought a building site in Charleston In 1838 the building was completed In 1856 the church building was sold. (this building no longer exists) In 1869 the remaining church funds were lent to the Unitarian Church (which was founded in the 1810s).Preachers included Paul Dean (winter of 1830-1831) leader of the Restorationists and last well known Trinitarian Universalist minister, L.F.W. Andrews c1835 THEOPHILUS FISK c1836. Albert Case (1839-1844), Maxey B. Newell (1853-), at this point, we know of only one member of the Church Dr. John L.E.W. Shecut (1770-1836) who founded the Association in 1827, and had the weekly meetings in his office. Dr. Shecut was born in Beaufort SC to French Heuginot parents. He studied medicine in Philadelphia between 1786-1791 under Dr. Benjamin Rush ( a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Universalist. Indeed it was at this time, that Rush and former SC resident and noted Universalist preacher Elhanan Winchester were corresponding frequently). Shecut moved to Charleston in 1791, where he practiced medicine until his death. He married Susanna Ballard of Georgetown in 1805. He founded in 1813 what became the Literary and philosophical Society of South Carolina. He founded in 1808 the South Carolina Homespun company - the first cotton mill in South Carolina (and one of the first in the south). He wrote several well known (at the time) books on medicine and botany.

(later I wrote in response to Neil C. ):

the dates come from Russell Miller's THE LARGER HOPE Volume 1. The typos and the list of ministers come from my research - and let me add that LFW Andrews was the pastor in 1835-1836. THEOPHILUS FISK was apparently there at least in June 1836 - when he develivered a speech there (which was printed in booklet form - as "bulwark of Freedom" and reprinted in 1860 as "the National Crisis"). He was also in Charleston in July 1837 lecturing on banking reform (and was the victim of an anti-reform mob violence).
J.F.L.W. Shecut was mentioned in Miller's book. Standard SC biographies give his history. Including the Rush connection. Knowledge of Universalist history gives me the Rush Universalist connection! Thomas Jefferson's letters includes one letter to Shecut; thanking him for an award - and giving him plant (and seeds?) to try out. http://www.constitution.org/tj/jeff13.txt(do a search for shecut)

The 1832 SC Universalists met at Steedman's place near what is now leesville-batesburg (hope I have that right)
they went to church at the fairly new Republican Meeting House - I've tried to find out where that was for a long time.

I recently found 3 in the western SC area --
a Republican United Methodist Church, a Republican Baptist Church, and the more likely Republican Grove Baptist Church (just south of Edgefield ) - more research awaits....

Republican Meeting House meant it was originally an Union Meeting House, where various churches shared the building.

Daniel Bragg (D. B. ) Clayton was born in what is now Woodruff, SC. He grew up in a Baptist household, converting to Universalist after reading Universalist newspapers and hearing SC circuit riding Universalist minister Allen Fuller preach. He was ordanined by Fuller and took over the circuit, when Fuller moved west.

In the late 1840s, Clayton himself moved west; settling in Mississippi.
During the war, his home and library were burned down, and Clayton returned to SC.
After the war, he owned a hotel in Columbia, and preached part time.

In 1880, he moved to Atlanta to edit a new Universalist paper started there.
He returns to Columbia a few years later, and except for a short time living in Cash's Depot; he spends the rest of his life in Columbia. Well the rest of his life where he is not a traveling Universalist missionary that is. Father Clayton goes to preach in Georgia. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessese, North Carolina - and even once as far west as Texas.

In 1906, getting ready to head to the train station to head to Greenville, NC; he suffered a heart attack and died.

at one time, he had two Universalist Churches named for him, the one in Newberry SC still lives.

This Sunday, August 21, 2005, Clayton Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church of Newberry SC will celebrate its 100 anniversary of their building!

10:30 am dedication of a new, lighted sign
11:00 am Special Anniversary service
4:00 pm formal installation of their newly-settled minister, Rev Roderick Brown

check their website
www.cmuu.org

The oldest surving Universalist Church in the Carolinas - services held every sunday, why dont you go and attend?

Rev O. Bryant Sept 1936
Back to the more normal: old newsbitsTHE UNIVERSALIST BANNER October 1936 - the Maine Universalist Convention official organ"Through arrangements with the (Maine) superintendent, the Rev. Ordel E. Bryant who has been in Maine on leave from the Clinton Circuit in North Carolina, of which he is the missionary pastor, served as resident minister of the First Universalist church at South Paris (Maine), preaching there at 10 A. M. And of the West Summer universalist Church, preaching there at 12 M. Throughout the month of September. The Superintendent arranged for a service at the Bethel Universalist Church which has been closed for several years for September 20th when Mr. Bryant preached at 9:45 A.M. rearranging the services at South Paris and West Summer for this Sunday to meet the needs of Bethel."

ok, below is an ad off of abebooks.com for Father's Clayton's autobiography.
Its a good book, but I sure didnt pay anywhere close to that price for my copy!
(and all copies have that inscription and photo)
anybody know who John Adams was? and from where?





Forty-Seven Years In The Universalist Ministry, A Brief Account of the Genealogy and Early Life of the Author....... Rev. D.B. Clayton
Bookseller: Andy Meek(Tucker, GA, U.S.A.)
[Shipping Rates & Speeds]
Price: US$ 2000.00 [Convert Currency]

Book Description: Author, Columbia, SC, 1889. Hard Cover. Book Condition: Good+. First Edition. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾". Hardcover, brown decorative cloth covered boards. Rubbing to spine ends and corners. Front hinge weak but intact, title page is present but loose. Rear pastedown frayed at edges. Frontispiece photo of author inscribed and SIGNED "Fraternally Yours, D.B. Clayton." Inscription on front end page indicating that the book was bought from author on Aug 30, 1889 by original owner (John Adams) at a price of $1.75. Some of the preliminary pages are a little brittle from thumbing, but overall contents VG. 370 pages plus appendix and errata. Bookseller Inventory #002366
[Bookseller & Payment Information] [More Books from this Seller]

Clayton Memorial celebrated their centenial on August 21, 2005 --- with history, dedication of a new sign (which makes them an Unitarian Universalist, rather than an Universalist Unitarian), and a new minister.

I enjoyed myself, and hope to put up pictures and words in the months to come
(yep, i dont use digital pics!)

THE UNIVERSALIST BANNER May 1937, publication of the Maine Convention

Miss Powell at work in Maine

Among numerous other speaking engagments in Maine, the Rev. Miss Hannah Jewett Powell, who for so many years was our able missionary at Friendly House, North Carolina and who now resides at Waterville, Maine, spoke eight times in Oxford County during the Spring Season. Miss Powell spoke before the Ladies' Circle at the Turner Center Universalist Church; at one morning service on Woman's Day, addressed the children of the primary school; one grammar school assembly; the pupils of the Leavitt Institute; and at Canton addressed the high school pupils; and the Sunday School. Miss Powell also preached at North Jay Universalist Church on two sundays.

the state of southern universalism in 1850....

first this news:
Henry Clay's compromise slavery resolutions laid before the US Senate
Prussia and Denmark sign peace treaty.
Zachary Taylor dies, Millard Filmore becomes US President
California becomes a state
Browning has published her "Sonnets from the Portuguese"
Emerson (Unitarian) does the "Representive Man"
Hawthorn writes a "Scarlet Letter"
Jenny Lind tours USA under sponsorship of Universalist P.T. Barnum
population of US 23 million of which 3.2 million are slaves
SC has 668,507 (of which 393, 944 were black)
John C. Calhoun (Unitarian attendee) dies in March
2 conventions dealing with southern succession are held ---

listed in the Universalist Companion for 1850 (which actually came out in late 1849)

Kentucky 20 societies, 5 meeting houses, 18 preachers
Tennessee 1 society, 1 meeting house, 1 preacher
Virginia 5 societies, 4 meeting houses, 4 preachers and 2 lay preachers
Hope Bain and J.L.C. Griffin are in Virginia
North Carolina 2 Churches, 17 meeting houses, 1 preacher
Sampson county (the future Red Hill) 20 members; Hallsville (dormant)
Rev J. C. Burruss in Kinston
South Carolina 4 societies 9 meeting houses, 3 preachers
Salubrity, Steedman, Mountain Shoals are where the three preachers live
Georgia 2 societies, 5 meeting houses, 2 preachers
Alabama 4 meeting houses, 4 preachers, 1 periodical "Religious Investigator"
Mississippi 2 preachers - 1 church formed "last year" with 23 members

After attending the 75th anniversary Graddy*-Outlaw reunion at Kornegay NC, I attended sunday school at the Outlaw's Bridge Universalist Church. My plan was to take pictures of the interior to eventually put up on this blog -- but I was both so inspired and enjoyed myself so much that I didnt think of that after the service.
Isnt that a wonderful way to leave church!




* that's the way its prounced:
otherwise its Grady-Outlaw Reunion.

These folks 100 years ago, loved Universalism so much, that they were going to have it preached, even if it had to be held in "Our Home".

At this point it is too early to note what has happened to it, due to Katrina ----
Not too early to ask for your concern and prayers and thoughts.



http://www.universalistchurch.net/boyinthebands/archives/where-is-our-home/



sr

I just recently wrote to a list I have been quiet on, and at the end of it, I asked if anyone wanted to see my SC Universalist history blog, to let me know. My old friend, Dr. Jerry B - who Ive known for 35 years or so (although weve never met), said
sure".

and then I thought about this blog.....

When I first started this, I really really planned it just for my recent notes ---
then I made a Freudion slip and let it out - on the website of one of the 4 people in the world who would be intersted.....
-- and the problem is exactly that - without context, who would care except those 4 people (and who knows how much they care - maybe its just three)
-- but if I add context - then it becomes unpaid writing -- and I could use the money for paid writing! but without context - then it is gosip about strangers....

so - a small bit of context:

Universalism is the belief that God will save everyone.
there are different views on how from the redemptionists (which the Charleston SC group apparently was) to the Ultra- Universalist (which Hosea Ballou up in New England was). Universalist as a denomination traces itself back to John Murray (former associate of Methodist John Wessley) who came from England to the USA in the years before the Revolution --- There is even an Universalist miracle story tied in with him... but he was in New England.

In South Carolina (and a few miles up the road from me) was Elehanan Winchester, Baptist minister in the 1700s - who converted to Universalism while a preacher in SC (and while visiting a friend in NC), he moved back up north and started the Universal Baptist denomination in Philadelphia.

BUT.... the German Baptist Brethren (now the Church of the Brethren) was strong believers in Universalism and there were clusters of GBB in both Carolinas in the mid 1700s. Two things started happening aroun 1795-1805 , the GBB begain to become more like the English Baptists, and Universalism begain to be frowned on - and both GBB and Quakers begain to move out of the Carolinas to Ohio and the midwest; at this point the remaining GBBs in SC (i am less sure about NC- but it seems likely there too) begain to slowly affliate with the Universalist Church.

In the 1820s-1850s, the migration west became strong - and the various Carolina families took Universalism with them to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas.
Some local ministers, but mostly northern born circuit riders.

However the 1860s and that war almost ended Universalism in the south. the south hit an economic downturn that took decades to recover from... and

Daniel Bragg Clayton, grandson of Baptist preachers, converted to Univeralism, became a preacher, and circuit rider in South Carolina and then Mississippi. During the war and the destruction of his house and all his belongings, he returned to SC, and once he had saved enough money (bi-vocational ministers were around then too) became a freelance circuit minister - at one time the only one in the Carolinas - traveling from his base in Columbia to NC, Florida, Missisppi, restarting churches and preaching continously. The three Universalist churches surving in the Carolinas had his input -- one being named for him.

Circuit riding ministers continued in the 1900s- Thomas Chapman for one(born near Saluda SC). the depression started in SC in the early 1920s - and whole neighborhoods left their old communites - not taking their churches with them....
NC was sponsored as a mission project by the Womens Mission Association (note: this isnt the name of the association)

Ive yet to study the effects of the segregation struggles on southern Universalism - but these folks werent perfect people, so you bet there was some.

the early 1960s saw the Universalists and the Unitarians merge...

the three surving churches are still struggling, still rural - but still surving.

there's a lot more one could say:
who is Hannah Powell? the Rev who ran the church in the mountains of North Carolina - and believed by some - to be who the female lead in the novel COLD MOUNTAIN was based on (the male lead's real life brother was an Universalist minister).

is Universal Salvation all that Universalist believe? No, most of the old U Churches have there their strong belief that "god is love"....

etc etc, hopefully this gives some context.....

A friend of mine who read this blog (or some of it) says "where's the personal stuff?"

well, a bit is here, inbetween the lines, I've taken all the photographs (so far) which means I been to all the churches listed ---

I've talked about cemetery walking (and going again with a map tomorrow)
but I don't have any history in southern universalist.....other than as a southern UU who has attended some of the old Universalist churches.......

should I add more personal stuff here?

your host, Steven Rowe

THE DIAMOND JUBILEE NUMBER of the THIRD ANNUAL YEARBOOK of the Association of Universalist Women (1944)

the AUW was known as
The Women's Centenary Association (1869-1905)

The Women's National Missionary Association (1905-1939)
The Association of Universalist Women

projects during this year: Clara Baron Birthplace Memorial, North Carolina, Project in China ("replacing the static work in Japan"), American Mission to Lepers

"The work in North Carolina became the responsibility of The Women's National Missionary Association of the Universalist Church, now the Association of Universalist Women, in 1912, when by a vote of the Universalist General Convention, now The Universalist Church of America, it became apparent that denominational aid to the parishes inNorth Carolina was to cease. Believing that assistance should be extended until those struggling churches should be in a position to finance themselves, the Association voted to accept the responsibility for an indefinite time.
Unde rthe women's organization, some of these churches have been able to carry on programs of real significance. One has built up a rural community program centered in and around the church. One has made possible a country nursing service and maintained its own nurse until war-time demands for nurses made it impossible to fill a vacancy. One of the city churches carries on a very large Day Care Center. Other parishes boast their own unique services.
the Association of Universalist Women holds title to the church of Rocky Mount, built by The Women's National Missionary Association of the Universalist Church in 1927 at a cost of approximately $18,000, and to Friendly House, built in 1925. Title to other property is held in the parish or by the North Carolina State Convention.
The budget for 1943-1944 calls for $6,200.00; medical work $2.059.20"



further five page special north carolina service coming up!

No recent posts, been busy working - hoped to have uploaded some photos - but cant get blogspot to upload..

cleaning up my files, I was looking at my Greenville NC notes, and I see that I wrote that the Daily Register had in 1906 an article on the death of the Universalist Minister there. No name in the abstract ----
today, it struck me that this would be the obit of Father D. B. Clayton, who died as he was getting dressed at his son's home in Columbia SC to take the train up to Greenville NC. Long ride now, longer ride then.

Just a note that this Sunday, October 23 at 7 PM; Outlaw's Bridge Universalist Church in Outlaw's Bridge (just south of Seven Springs) North Carolina - will be celebrating their 100th anniversary with another celebration.

I will be there

steven r

North Carolina Special Service

Hymn: Make Channels for the Streams of Love
- from Hymns of the Spirit, p 276.

Prayer:

Dear God, and Father of us all, be near to us this day as we mediate upon this work which we have elected to share in our sister state of North Carolina. Clear our minds of any foolish thought of patronage, or of gripping needs too different from those to be found in our towns and cities the world around. Fill us only with the keen desire to so conduct our program of religious and social service that the seeds which so avidly took root under the teachings of the Yankee peddler, Father Clayton, Father Cahpman, Dr. Shinn, and others of their day, may be brought to lovely flowering in our own time. We pray for Thy blessing upon those who serve us there - that they may have strength of purpose, wise foresight, humility of heart., We pray also for ourselves - for our strength of purpose in extending Thy Kingdom; our own foresight in anticipating the work that lies ready to be done in the name of Universalism; our own humility in lending a helping hand, and doing it cheerfully, gladly. Grant that out of these deliberations, brief tho they may be, there shall come a clarion call to each of us asking: "What am I doing to extend the work of my church beyond my own community? " And in that question, humbly answered, may we experience the dedication to our specific task. Amen

We drove up to Outlaw's Bridge last week, stoping at Red Hill in Clinton NC, on the way - I gave the sunday school lesson ( a history lesson - where I learned something myself).

the service at OB was full of folks reminicing, and folks hoping for the future.
Their new minister (what little I heard) was good and full of vim and energy ---
He seems to have some good ideas, that may indeed help OB stay around another 100 years!
the church does have a good history, and a good cuurent crowd of layleaders ---


no pictures, not even ones to post - (and yes. i will have Clayton Memorial 100th at sometime)
sorry

not much posting, but much reading
-- stuff I found out -- Mary Boozer (the gossip about of which one still can reed 150 years later - she did what with General Kirkland? She married a what? etc etc - and the best looking woman in the south during the war ) was the step daughter of Jacob Feaster.
Probably Scott Wells is the only reading this who would get a kick out of that info!
but ill go ahead and mention that the Feaster family was the founders of southern universalism... but I suspect Mary and her mother were not Universalists.....

today, I went to a worshop on the history Society Hill, SC -- settled by Welch Baptists, the presenter said a few things about Rev. E. Winchester - I was able to give hm more information on the Rev, and he plans to talk to me more about him -- I expect to loan him the biography of EW.

To figure more out about SC Universalists, I bought two books:
Ederington's History of Fairfield County, South Carolina (2003- written 1901)
which is where the Feasters became Universalists
Laurens and Newberry Counties, SC: Saluda and Little River Settlements 1749-1775 (1994)
Jesse H. Motes III, Margaret P. Motes
which contains all the pre-war land settlements on Coleman, Martin, etc with plats of where the land is -- so I can look at neigbors -- this should help figuing out the full settlements of the Quakers and the German Baptists that help lay the foundation for SC universalism (and maybe even start some info on who those pesky 7th day baptists were....

Noting that one of the earlier Ohio Universalist Churches was in Newberry pre-1840, and knowing that many folks from Newberry, SC went to Ohio in the 1810s-1820s; I wonder if there might be a connection....

so not much posting, but much studying still!

Despite my 140 year gossip the last post, (and needless to say that despite Elizabeth Boatwright Coker's fact turned fiction book, that was gossip and not fact); that I wont be posting 60-70 year old gossip. Even though in this case, I got some scans of this incident from a late 1940s true crime comic book!!!

I have to admit that at first jaw drop, I wanted to post a page or two (and the comic is public domain now, so I could publish it all) -- untill it hit me, that while this was bizarre stuff for me, this was somebody who is still living's next generation relative --- and since it has nothing to do with Universalism ( I dont think this person was Universalist, just their ancestors) ---
-- that I will pass, and will pass on the nortorious lives of anyone born after 1900 -- unless there is an Universalist History reason for including it --

picked up a copy of the out of print THE SCRAPBOOK; A COMPLIATION OF HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT PLACES AND EVENTS OF LAURENS COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA (1982) one of those thick books that contain genalogical info that residents send in - this volume even less usefull because of no index....
... but it does have a history of the Bethabara Baptist Church, and does indeed admit that it was open to all at first (ie: Union Meeting House); and a semi-arial view of Mountville SC - and there is the Mountville Universalist Cemetary, and that must mean that building beside it, is the old Mountville Universalist Church!
some old maps too, with plats listed
come on over, pull up and chair - and pull down some books!

Ive been kinda quiet --and for those who want personal nater

let's see, this thanksgiving weekend, went up to Spartanburg SC, and had turkey dinner with my mother, sister and her family, and brother and his family (other sister in California)

Friday morning, my wife and I went to Cowpens Battlefield (site of the Battle of Cowpens)
driving through Landrum, we looked for the Palmetto Trail trailhead.
and we opted to go to Asheville, NC .

saturday, we spent big bucks to see Biltmore House . We got there before opening on probably their biggest day of the year; no big delay - but we had to miss the winery as there was a 1 1/2 hour delay - and they had 1600 folks in the winery the first hour they were open! Ate s nice meal at the Deerpark (buffet - price a bit high for southerners, but the food was excellent).
Saturday afternoon, we hit all the used and collectable bookstores in downtown Asheville.

Sunday morning, we stoped in Spartanburg to attend services at the UU Church there -
the pulpit exchange had us listening to the Asheville minister there.

Universalist readingwise, I read Elehanan Winchester's biography, and stuck my toe into Radical Spirits (which I was surprised to see quoted LFW Andrews - although they didnt source his quote!) -- I will remark on these more later.

and how was your holiday?

As I put my books up (in the unread piles), I thought I would at least list them here....

Memoir of Mary L. Ware by Edward B. Ball (1853)
Radical Spirits by Ann Braude (2nd edition 2001) southern U content!
Roots of Southern Populism by Steven Hahn (1983) no u content
Encylopedia of Fantastic Victorianna (2005) Jess Nevins - no expected u content
Never Surrender (2004) W. Scoot Poole - no u content
The Shaker Expeience in America (1992) Stephen J. Stein

and the new book on the UU youth movment "We would be One" (surprising southern U in here!)

i obviously havent had time to read and post - because Im too busy buying!

new additions:
the history of the Seventh Day Baptists - nothing in the index about Universalism, but some interesting stuff about the old German Baptists - which is a major part of southern universalism

also:
a booklet on on founders of the Women's Centenary Association
Universalism and the Universalist Church (1915) John Coleman Adams
a list of suggested topics for the YPCU for the 1913-14 year.


should i mention the goodies coming in the mail? another Primitive Baptist Universalist book....
a John C. Morgan book.....
do i have a monkey on my back, or what??

Outlaw’s Bridge Universalist Church invites the UU Churches and Fellowships of North Carolina to the annual UCONCI (Universalist Convention of NC, Inc.) Love Feast and Candlelight Service on December 11, 2005. The covered dish supper will be at 5 PM followed by the candlelight service led by Rev. Barry Whittemore and music by James Merritt. Each year members and friends of the churches and fellowships in NC assemble together for fellowship, food and celebration of the season. Following the long Christmas Tradition at Outlaw’s Bridge of a candlelight service, the warmth and light of this service is shared and concluded when the light of love and peace is passed from one to another. Come join UUs from Raleigh, Durham, Morehead, Wilmington, Kinston, Red Hill, Richmond VA, Outlaw’s Bridge, New Bern and beyond as Unitarian Universalists come together as extended “family” for this memorable annual occasion. Outlaw’s Bridge is located on Hwy 111 N near Albertson NC about 18 miles southeast of Goldsboro . For more detailed directions visit the website at: www.outlawsbridgechurch.org

Not much time remaining, but I notice an auction on ebay of Jimmy Johnson's Arlo and Janis newspaper strips; the result going to the Camp Hill U Church to help with the Katrina hurricane
(note at these prices, I didnt bid)

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ3QQsassZarloandjanisQQsbrsrtZl

says his ancestors were among the founders of the church in Camp Hill -

Using AOL earlier, i couldnt upload this - (I know I know, another reason to not be on aol)
I assume we can mail Katrina contribs direct to Camp Hill....

UNIVERSALIST COMPANION AND REGISTER 1846 A. B. GOSH

lists 3 preachers in SC, with John (J. A.) Chapman returning his letter of fellowship
A. Fuller (Salubrity), J. Mullikin, (Slabtown), D.B.Clayton (Dunlapville)
Fuller is the standing clerk of the State Convention; 4 societies, 8 meeting houses (also listed as 9!) - . Abbeville, Charleston, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry (2), Anderson, Laurens (2-union) . Portlow's in Abbeville is the new meeting house.

((on a personal note, one of my wife's "cousins" tore down Portlow's and used the wood to build his own house!))

in Washington DC, there is a new Universalist society founded last year.

Georgia convention with Kendrick as clerk
D.H. Porter (Clarksville), J. C. Kendrick (Greenville) - ((the UCR notes he was a returning Partialist)), H. G. Andrews (Henry County)
2 meeting houses in Mulberry, Lumpkin county, 1 church society in Coweta County known

North Carolina
one preacher suspected Jacob Frieze

Alabama
3 church societies (only 1 known for sure: Mobile); 4 preachers: J. Hubbard (Talladge) J. Martin (address unknown, former Partialist), S. J. McMorris (Wetumpka), I. D. Williamson (Moble - but summers up north) 1 newspaper: GOSPEL MESSENGER, weekly, by S. J. McMorris with I.D. Williamson associate editor

Kentucky - 19 preachers, -- anybody want me to list Kentucky?

Tennessee
church society 1 (Memphis), 4 preachers M.P. Fisher (Brownsport), W. Low (unknown address), L. M. Gaylord (resuming duties in Memphis), C.F. R. Shehane (Lewisburg)

Virginia
convention founded in 1844, J. E. County, clerk
J. c. Burruss, J.L. c. Griffin, (Richmond), L.f. w. Andrews (Lynchburg) 4 societies, 8 meeting houses (3 union)

info on SC, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee from Allen Fuller

it's only fair for me to add Kentucky to the list --thus completing the list of 1846 known U
in the southeast - from Virginia to Mississippi . Louisiana and Texas and those west of the Mississippi River might be considered south (and since D.B. Clayton preached in Texas, it could indeed be the south), but I figure anygoing west of Mississippi is wild west! sr.

Kentucky --
Convention . -- Oganized in 1844-- meets on last Friday in August. Rev E. M. Pingree, Lousiville, S. Clerk.
Associations. -- LICKING RIVER - meets on the last Friday in July. Rev. Davis Bacon, Cynthiana, Standing Clerk. GREEN RIVER - organized in 1845 -- meets on the Friday preceding the third Monday in August. Br. John Hayden, Standing Clerk. MURRAY - organized in 1845 - meets on the second Friday in July. Rev. E. M. Pingree, Standing Clerk
Societies - 1st in Harrison co. 18 members; Warsaw 32 ms; Louisville 102 members, sunday school of 150 scholars, 16 teachers, and a library of 200 volumes, and has a good meeting house, and constant preaching; 1st in Shelby County, 6 members, is building; has preaching one-fourth; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Societies in Ohio County; 1st in Hancock county; 1st in Butler county; 1st in Christian County Bank Lick, Hartford and Hillsborough - total 13
Meeting Houses -- Bank Lick, Louisville, Harford (Union) - 3

preachers and p.o. address

D. Bacon - Cynthiana
J. Bozarth - unknown address - not in formal fellowship
J. M. Brain - Licking - Not in formal fellowship, former partailist
L. T. Brasher - Christian County - not in formal fellowship
W. C. Brooks - Louisville
W. B. Chamberlin - Warsaw, not in formal fellowship
J. Chowning - New Castle, not in formal fellowship, former partalist
J. Clark, Christianburg, not in formal fellowship
C.G. Cox, Leesburg
W.W. Curry, Clay Village
J. Miller, Caneyille, former partalist
J. S. Phelps, Morgantown
R. J.. L. Phelps, Morgantown
E. M. Pingree, Louisville
I. R. Semple, Brandenbury, not in formal fellowship
E. Smith, Haynesville
A. J. Smith, unknown address - not in formal fellowship, former partialist
S.Stirman, Cynthiana, not in formal fellowship
C. B. Tharp, Paris, former partialist
new preachers, 7 - total 19

N. B. -- We are mainly indebted to Br. E. M. Pingree for the foregoing. A new association was to have been formed in July, but we have recieved no returns, of course.
Summary - One convetion, 3 Associations, 13 societies, 3 meeting-houses, and 19 preachers.

Concord Universalist Church, or as it was known, "The First Universalist Church of Bourbon County," was organized originally some forty years ago. The church building was begun in 1845, and completed and dedicated May 30 1847. The original members were Jesse Kennedy, Polly Kennedy, V. G. Wheat, W. A. Bacon, William L. Bacon, E. M. Kennedy, William Shaw and John Brown. The church prospered until the commencement of the war, when it was almost wholly broken up. About the year 1867, the building was sold under a degree of the court, bringing about $1,200. The purchaser designed turning it into a store or blacksmith's-shop, but it was burned shortly after its sale. It was situated about three miles from Paris, near C. M. Clay's, and was a frame building of substantial construction.

William Perrin's
"History of Bourbon, Scott, H O. L. Baskin & Co, Chicago, 1882

Kim Wilson has been sending me stuff on Allen Fuller and on the Anderson Church, so let me og ahead and start with Rev Fuller. let me do this by going backwards - those of you impatient can go check the two volume history of the Universalist Church - where Rev Fuller is mentioned several times

1860 Alabama Jefferson County location: Truss
Allen Fuller, 62, farmer property worth $2,000 born: Mass.
Tabitha Fuller, 63 born: SC
(M.A. Worthington two doors down -born SC)

while Tabitha Summers Worthington Fuller's birth and date dates (and places) are easy to find -- her second husband Allen Fuller isnt --- thus this census tells us he was born about 1798 in Mass -- which is very useful.

His death is noted in D. B. Clayton's autobiography, he notes that it wasnt mentioned in the denomination literature. both of the Fullers would be deceased in three years.

more to come, lots more!

http://www.uuca.org/About/History/Financial.asp


this is an official history page of the UUCA in Atlanta -
and this page is one of the few mentioning the second U
nothing about the Universalist church that merged with the Unitarians in Atlanta in 1918 -
They dont even mention that Rev Clinton Lee Scott was an Universalist minister !

Liberal Chirstian Church 1918 -1927
United Liberal Church 1927-1965
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Feb 1965- present

building at:
Peachtree St 1915 -late 40s
none?
(in the Briarcliff Hotel) early 50s (1 year?)
605 Boulevard ? early 50s -nov 1962

from the now gone www.uuchristian.net website (via Kim Wells)
Scott, was this your work? if so, its all over the web now!

http://www.uuchristian.net/uuchristian.org/eu/scc1832.htm
Trumpet and Universalist Magazine (26 January 1833): 122 Agreeably to adjournment, the South Carolina Convention of Universalists met at the house of George Steedman, Esq. Lexington District, on Friday, November 16, 1832, and, after uniting with Br. Linch in devout thanksgiving and prayer, proceeded to organize the Council by electing Brs. Joseph W. Summers, Moderator, and Allen Fuller, Clerk. 7. The Corresponding Committee appointed by the Convention at its formation in 1830, and continued by its order at its session in 1831, with a view to obtain a ministering brother to locate himself among us, Reported, That "In due tine they attended to the duty assigned them, as will be perceived by the letters of correspondence which accompany this report. About the middle of November last, (1831) Br. Allen Fuller arrived in our district, in obedience to your call. He has labored continually amongst us ever since, except a few weeks last summer, when on a tour to the State of Georgia; he has, they believe, given entire satisfaction in his professional duties, and they consequently recommend him to the patronage of the Convention. It is, however, painful for them to state that his compensation, since amongst us, has fallen short of what your committee anticipated. The amount which he receives the present year they do not precisely know." This Report was referred to a committee consisting of the following persons, viz: Brs. A. Gunter, R. F. Coleman and E. Hawkins. 11. On the subject of forming a "General Convention of Universalists in the United States" -- Voted, in the language of the Pennsylvania Convention, That "we are decidedly in favor of forming the proposed Convention, provided the powers in it vested are only advisory." 12. Appointed Brs. A. Fuller and R. F. Coleman delegates to represent this Convention in the proposed United States Convention, in person or by letter. CIRCULAR LETTER To all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, the South Carolina Convention of Universalists sendeth greetings and Christian salutations. CHRISTIAN BRETHREN -- Enjoying uninterrupted harmony and Christian love, our session has been truly pleasant. We received satisfactory evidence that the cause of truth is progressing in this region: and although the storms of fanaticism have raged around us the year past to an unparaleled degree, yet we have the pleasure of reflecting that not one of our members has been carried away with the desolating scourge. The interest manifested by the Council to encourage uniformity in our order, and to promote a closer connexion among our brethren, we hail as an indication of increasing love for the Gospel. The Constitution which will be submitted to the several societies, by the unanimous recommendation of the Convention, is the production of the mature reflection of the several members of the committee by whom it was reported. Having notice that the subject would come before the Convention at this time, they early took it into careful consideration, and with their united aid, the form as it was presented,was drafted with the utmost preceision. The grand aim in preparing that instrument was, on the one hand, to promote the cause of Christ, and, on the other, to secure the rights of individual Christians. How far we have succeeded in effecting those objects, others will judge for themselves. It was the cause of some reg[ret?] that the societies in Charleston and Laurens were not represented at our present session, through we have reason to believe that delegates were appointed by both. We hope the brethren in all the societies will ever feel the importance of participating in the doings of the Canvention [sic]. If Gospel order is necessary, which is very apparent, it is manifest that a system of organization must be supported; and this can be dome only by attending faithfully to the subject. And we trust that every person who has the spirit of Christ will take an interest in these matters. Owing in part probably to the unpleasant state of the weather, our services were not as fully attended as we could have wished: but they were all listened to with interest and profound attention. On Sunday the audience was about as large as could reasonably have ben expected from the very thinly populated country in which our meeting was held, when we take into view the fact that other meetings were appointed on both sides of us, as we believe, expressly for the purpose of hindering people from attending our services. Many are yet slaves to the clergy; but we trust it will not always so continue. Truth is already exerting a vast influence, and we are confident it will ultimately prevail, and teach mankind that they possess the right to think and act for themselves, and give them the blessed hope of a world's salvation. Brethren -- In view of the prosperity of our cause, we have abundant reason to rejoice with gratitude, and give thanks unto God for the manifold blessings he has bestowed on us. And surely these tokens of favor should stimulate us to persevering exertions to extend the influence of that Gospel that bringeth salvation to all men, by well ordered lives and conversation; avoiding even the appearance of evil; and by letting our light shine before others that they may be directed in the right way. To every person who may read this letter, we would say, Trust in the infinite goodness of our Father in heaven, and love him because he first loved us. Recieve the Gospel of Christ, through which life and immortality are brought to light, by that faith that works by love and purifies the heart, that you may have the hope which is as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast; and let not your light be hid under a bushel. And may the grace of God lead us into all truth and bless us evermore. By order of the Convention, ALLEN FULLER

http://www.uuchristian.net/uuchristian.org/eu/scc1837.htm
The South Carolina Convention of Universalists met at Harmony Meeting House, in Anderson District, on Friday before the first Sunday in August, and continued in session three days. Br. James Mulliken was chosen Moderator, and Br. Allen Fuller, Clerk. Measures were taken to establish immediately a system of circuit preaching throughout the State; and Br. Allen Fuller was appointed an agent to visit different parts of the State, to carry the proposed measures into effect. The thanks of the Convention were presented to Br. Fuller, for the occasional sermon, and he was requested to furnish a copy for the press.

http://www.uuchristian.net/uuchristian.org/eu/socoorgn.htm
LIBERTY CHURCH, FAIRFIELD DISTRICT, S. C., AUG. 3D. 1858He was followed by Br. Fuller, John 6; 68, showing in a clear and concise discourse that Christ alone has the words of eternal life, and if we turn away from Him, where shall we go. Allen Fuller, Ala. After an intermission, the Rev. Allen Fuller preached an able and interesting discourse from 1 John 3: 3.

from the Rev Scott Wells blog (via Kim Wells), comes this:

http://www.universalistchurch.net/boyinthebands/allen-fuller-exhorts/Tuesday, 25 May 2004Filed under: General— Scott Wells @ 11:02 am When I was woking on a master’s program in church history in the early 90s, I planned to write my thesis on Universalism in the old South. Didn’t finish the degree – God stepped in with ministerial plans – but I did find a number of interesting tidbits, including this small exhortation by the Rev. Allen Fuller, who served churches in Rhode Island and North Carolina.

Trust in the infinite goodness of our Father in heaven, and love him because he first loved us. Receive the Gospel of Christ, through which life and immortality are brought to light, by that faith that works by love and purifies the heart, that you may have the hope which is as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast; and let not your light be hid under a bushel. And may the grace of God lead us into all truth and bless us evermore

.In Trumpet and Universalist Magazine, January 26, 1833, page 2.

Kim Wilson sent me what was included in part 2-3 (and inspired me to do part 1)
she can be reached at kimwilsonSPAMCHANGER@mail.utexas.education (remove SPAMCHANGER and cation from the edu) . Kim, what project are you working on??

Pendleton Messenger, 20 July 1838,
Independence Day celebration at Goodwill;
Declaration read by Joshua Owen Jr.; oration by Rev. Allen Fuller. Allen Fuller, "South Carolina: May the Patriotism of her citizens nullify the asperity of party feelings, and unite all hearts in the cause of liberty."

Marriage and Death Notices from Pendleton (SC) Messenger, 58:
"Died at his residence in this district [23 Sep. 1838] ...Mr. John Brewer... a member of the first Universalist Society in Anderson District from its organization to the time of his death... funeral address by Rev. Allen Fuller."


http://www.pickens.k12.sc.us/Resources/Virtual%20Tours/Salubrity%20Spring/old_salubrity_spring.htm

Old "Salubrity Spring" On April 6, 1839, Allen Fuller was appointed postmaster of Salubrity Post Office. The post office was located on his farm termed Salubrity, a name which suggests that Allen perhaps considered his location healthful.

Pendleton Messenger, 5 July 1839,
"Universalist Meeting.--Mr. Fuller has been appointed to preach at the Meeting House near Bachelor's Retreat, on the 3d Sunday in the present month.

blogowner's note: this is about near or is the present day Westminister, SC



June 27, 1839."Pendleton Messenger, 9 Aug. 1839,
"A public Discussion is appointed to be held at Anderson C. H. on the 15th inst., between Rev. Sanford Vandiver, Baptist, and Rev. Allen Fuller, Universalist. Mr. Vandiver has engaged to support the affirmative of the two following propositions, and Mr. Fuller the negative of the same, viz: 1. That the Scriptures teach, that the punishment due to sin is endless in its duration. 2. That such punishment is consistent with the justice of God.Gen. Thomas Wright and Gen. J. N. Whitner, two of the Moderators appointed to preside at the Discussion, have signified their acceptance. Should the weather be favourable, doubtless, a considerable number of people will attend."

Pendleton Messenger, 15 Oct. 1841, report of 11 Oct. 1841 Pickens Dist. Temperance Society meeting, Pres. J. L. Kennedy, Acting Sec'y Miles M. Norton. Prayer by Rev. Jos. Grisham, addresses by Grisham and Rev. Allen Fuller. Resolution by Fuller to appoint committee of three "to draft a memorial to the legislature for the repeal of the suttler's Law"; "very excellent remarks from Gen. Whitner"; resolution unanimously adopted. Meeting again tomorrow night "after the business of the Bible Society be dispensed with." Two new members joined.

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 28 Oct. 1841. Report from Pickens Dist. Society at courthouse formed ca. 1838, 120 members. Grain-raising district, many distillers. Temperance mtg. at Court House this past Monday, speakers Rev. Jos. Grisham, Rev. Allen Fuller, Gen. J. N. Whitner. Tues night mtg. following Bible Society mtg., chairman Gen. Whitner. Central Committee to form auxiliary societies in each Battalion of dist.: Rev. Joseph Grisham, Rev. J. L. Kennedy, Col. M. M. Norton, Silas Kirksey Esq., Rev. A. Fuller, and John Adair Esq. Speaker: attorney Peter S. Vandiver of Anderson. Committee to receive subscriptions to _Temperance Advocate_: Capt. James W. Harrison, Col. M. M. Norton, and Capt. Levi N. Robins. "It is a matter of much gratification to be able to state, that we have not a retail shop in the village, and there is but one or two men in the place, who have not pledged themselves in some way or other not to drink spirits."

Pendleton Messenger, 10 Dec.1841, notice for meeting of Pickens Dist. Temp. Society meeting, 12 o'clock, Christmas Day, at Bachelor's Retreat, to form a society at that place. Chairman Joseph Grisham, Committee: Rev. J. L. Kennedy, Rev. Allen Fuller, Col. M. M. Norton, and John Adair Esq. South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 13 Jan. 1842, report from Pickens Dist. Temperance Society. Met at Bachelor's Retreat, Christmas day at noon, Chairman Capt. Leonard Towers, speakers Rev. J. L. Kennedy, A. Fuller, and J. Grisham. Formed a Total Abstinance Society with 15-20 people. Elected President John Verner Esq. (Rev. soldier and magistrate), V. P. Rev. James Holland, Sec'y L. P. Verner. Revs. T. B. Maulden and J. Grisham preached at Bachelor's Retreat on Sunday, informed congregation of formation of new Temp. Soc, about 25 joined.

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 17 Feb. 1842, ltr. from A. F. [Allen Fuller] Salubrity SC. Pledge recently adopted by Bachelor's Retreat Temperance Society: "We, whose names are underwritten, being fully convinced of the great evils resulting from the use of intoxicating liquors, either as a common beverage, or as an expression of friendship, and _having determined_ that we will not use them ourselves, or furnish them for the use of others, except as a necessary medicine, and that we will use every justifiable means to discountenance the manufacture, sale, and use of such liqours, so associate ourselves together as a Temperance Society, for the purpose of making known this determination, and therefore exerting all the influence we possess, and strengthening the hands of others who are engaged in promoting the cause of Temperance."

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 21 April 1842 [from the Pendleton Messenger], temperance meeting at Pickens C. H., 21 March 1842. President Rev. J. L. Kennedy; prayer by Rev. James Holland; address by Gen. Whitner. P. S. Vandiver Esq. called to give speech, "excused himself, as he said he could not, in consequence of being much engaged in the business of the court, make his ideas 'hang together' on the subject." "The invitation then being general and pressing, Joseph Powell, Esq. arose, and congratulated himself on not having become a sacrifice to intemperance, as he had been a vendor of the poisonous stuff, and in a very animated manner continued his remarks for a short time in favour of the reformation which is going on, though not himself a member of a Temperance Society." Speeches by Rev. A. Fuller and former distiller Rev. James Holland. M. M. Norton offered resolutions to be more responsive to Executive Committee in terms of more frequent meetings, reporting to the state society, and establishing auxilliary societies. Met agian Tuesday, prayer by Kennedy, remarks by Gen. Whitner "mostly in answer to an objection which is by some made to the withholding of license by the Commissioners of Roads, showing in the most satisfactory manner that the granting of license was most injurious in every point of view." Remarks by Maj. Creswell, "expressed his intention of becoming a member of the Society, and of devoting a portion of his time, talents and purse, to the promotion of this good cause." Remarks by Rev. Joseph Grisham "mostly in answer to the charge against the Society, that there is 'something behind the curtain,' some desire to take from the people that Liberty which they have so long enjoyed." Committee of five appointed to meet at Ebenezer Campground to form auxilliary: Rev. Joseph Grisham, Rev. W. G. Mullinix, Rev. T. B. Mauldin, Maj. J. H. Creswell, and Rev. Jas. Holland. Twenty-seven more names added during court week.

Pendleton Messenger, 6 May 1842, formation of Pendleton Total Abstinence Society with 31 signatures "among which were those of several ladies." Meeting at Methodist church, 3 May. Chairman Thomas M. Sloan, prayer by Rev. A. W. Ross. Pledge: "We the undersigned so hereby pledge ourselves not to use as a beverage, Wine, Spiritous of Malt Liquors, that we will not offer them to others, and will exert our influence to prevent the use of them." "Gentlemen" chosen as officers: Pres. Mr. Thomas M. Sloan, VP Mr. J. W. Warley, Sec'y Mr. G. T. Anderson. Executive committee appointed by president: Col. D. S. Taylor, Dr. Wm. L. Jenkins, Rev. A. W. Ross, Messrs. A. Fuller, C. P. Dupre, George Boggs, J. A. Shanklin, Wm. Paterson, J. B. Sitton, Elam Sharpe Jr. Others named: J. Hastie, E. B. Benson.

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 23 June 1842, letter from A. Fuller, Pickensville. Meeting 4 June 1842 at Pickensville, chairman James Henderson Esq., prayer by Rev. Mr. Arnold, addresses by Rev. J. L. Kennedy and A. Fuller. Pledge for Total Abstinance from all intoxicating liquors read "and signatures solicited; upon which Rev. T. S. Daniels arose and expressed his determination to attach his name to the pledge, and, in a very appropriate manner, gave his reasons for doing so." A new society was organized of 50 members--34 males and 16 females--"the greater part of the signatures to the Pledge had been obtained previous to the meeting by the active exertions of a few warm friends in that vicinity." Chose officers: Pres. James Henderson Esq., VP Wm. H. Ariail, Sec;y Dr. Robert H. Archer. Rev. T. S. Daniels orator for next mtg. Pendleton Messenger, 24 June 1842, "Proceedings of the Temperance Meeting at Providence Meeting House, Pickens District, S. C." Signed by Chairman T. G. Boggs, Sec'y A. Fuller. Meeting at Providence M. H. near Salubrity, 17 June, to form society at that place. Prayer by Rev. W. G. Mullinix; speakers: Mr. G. W. Boggs, A. Fuller, J. L. Kennedy, W. G. Mullinix, and J. Grisham. "An invitation was then given to any person, who might be opposed to the Temperance cause, to speak in opposition"; no one came forward. Pledge of total abstinence read and approved, 60 signatures including 26 males and 34 females. Committee to draft constitution: A. Fuller, W. Boggs, A. E. McDonnell, and T. G. Boggs. Mr. J. Augustus Shanklin invited to address next meeting on 2nd Saturday in July.

Pendleton Messenger, 1 July 1842, letter to the editor from A. F. [Allen Fuller], Salubrity, 18 June 1842. [Long, interesting letter refuting 17 June extract from Southern Review] "I would persuade all who have espoused this cause, as well as all who advocate it in public to avoid mingling it with any other question, moral, political, or religious. It is a cause good enough to stand alone, without uniting it with any other; and all attempts to amalgamate it with party politics, or religious sectarianism, have proved ruinous to its progress. Hence I would urge every temperance man to act in political matters according to the dictates of his own conscience, without concert, and give his vote for that candidate which he believes is best qualified for the office." Denies that Temp. Associations are arrogant or composed of dangerous mobs.

Pendleton Messenger, 15 July 1842, ltr. from A. Fuller, Salubrity, 9 July 1842. Organizational meeting of Salubrity Temperance Society of Pickens Dist. SC held 9 July, now 67 members. Addresses by Mr. E. M. Keith and Mr. A. E. McDonnell. Elected officers: Pres. Thomas G. Boggs, VP A. E. McDonnell, Sec'y Allen Fuller. Appointed delegates to Greenville convention: A. Fuller, S. J. Chamblin, Aaron Boggs, Jeptha Lay, Wm. Boggs, T. G. Boggs. Question to be discussed at next meeting: "Are Temperance Societies calculated to answer the purpose for which they are intended?" "Those who are opposed to Temperance Societies, who assert they are not calculated to answer the purpose for which they are intended, are respectfully invited to attend that meeting, and show that their views are correct."

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 21 July 1842, ltr. from A. Fuller, Salubrity, 9 July 1842. Meeting of Salubrity Temperance Society of Pickens Dist. SC held 9 July, now 67 members. Addresses by Mr. E. M. Keith and Mr. A. E. McDonnell. Elected officers: Pres. Thomas G. Boggs, VP A. E. McDonnell, Sec'y Allen Fuller. Appointed delegates to Greenville convention: A. Fuller, S. J. Chamblin, Aaron Boggs, Jeptha Lay, Wm. Boggs, T. G. Boggs.

http://www.scgenealogy.com/pickens/records/misc/temperance_delegates.htm
Temperance Convention Delegates Source: The Permanent Temperance Documents Published By The State Temperance Soc.,Vol. I p. 406 Delegates to the State Temperance Convention held at Greenville on August 8, 1842Pickens District Delegates Rev. J. L. Kennedy, M. M. Norton, John O. Grisham, L. N. Robbins, Rev. W. G. Mullinax, E. E. Alexander, L. Thomas, A. S. Briggs, Samuel Mosely, Silas Kirksey, James W. Harrison, Rev. H. T. Arnold, Geo. Dilworth, Harvey Kenneymore, Richard Burdine, James Robinson, Rev. Allen Fuller, S. J. Chambling, Aaron Boggs, Geo. W. Boggs, Wm. Boggs, and T. G. Boggs.

Pendleton Messenger, 3 Feb. 1843,
ad for blacksmithing work, A. Fuller.

Pendleton Messenger, 24 March 1843, notice, Temperance address by Judge O'Neall, Salubrity Temperance Society, Mt. Zion M. H., 1 April, 12 o'clock. A. Fuller, Sec.

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 13 Apr. 1843, ltr. from Pickens Dist. Temp. Soc., 6 April 1843, Pickens C. H. Met "Tuesday morning of Court" to organize a district society, as recommended by Greenville Convention. Chairman Rev. J. L. Kennedy, Committee to draft constitution: Col. M. M. Norton, Maj. Young Davis, Rev. A. Fuller. Committee to nominate officers: Rev. Jos. Grisham, Rev. A. Fuller, Capt. L. N. Robins, Rev. Jas. Holland, N. Boon Esq., Thos. G. Boggs, Rev. H. T. Arnold, Jno. Verner Esq., Capt. Wm. C. Lee, Maj. Young Davis, A. P. Reeder, Thos. W. Harben Esq., Capt. L. Towers, T. J . Zachary, and Simpson Dickson.Elected officers: Pres. Silas Kirksey Esq., Sec'y Col. Miles M. Norton, VPs: Thos W. Harben Esq. of Bachelor's Retreat, John Adair Esq. of West Union, Maj. Jas. W. Harrison of Pickens CH, Maj. Jos. B. Reid of Pumpkintown, Jas. Robenson Esq. of Mount Carmel, S. J. Chamlin of Salubrity, Wm. Ellis of Wolf Creek, Jas. Henderson Esq. of Pickensville. Executive committee: Silas Kirksey Esq., Col. Miles M. Norton, Col. Joseph Burnett, Wm. D. Steele Esq., and Capt. Lemuel Thomas.

Pendleton Messenger, 20 Oct. 1843, report of meeting, Farmer's Society of Pendleton, 2nd Thursday in October. Dinner at Mr. Cherry's long room, "purely agricultural toasts." Rev. A. Fuller: "The agricultural interest; one which is identical in every part of the Union."Pendleton Messenger, 8 March 1844, candidates for Pickens Dist. Ordinary: John Q. Adams, Allen Fuller [Rev. Wm. McGee elected in Anderson Dist. at previous election].

Pendleton Messenger, 10 July 1845, editorial abstracting local 4th of July celebrations. "The seventieth anniversary of American Independence was not publicly celebrated at this place, but in various parts of the district the citizens of the several neighbourhoods assembled and paid the usual demonstrations of respect to the day." Wolf Creek, Pickens Dist., 1500-2000 people, prayer by Rev. Mr. Dean, D. of I read by William Hunter Esq., oration by Col. J. W. Norris Jr., President Col. John O. Hendrix, VP G. T. Anderson Esq. Sharon Meeting House, 7 mi. west of here, temperance meeting, 3-400 men and women, D. of I. by Capt. Thomas H. Russell, temperance address by Rev. J. L. Kennedy, addresses by Rev. A. Fuller and Rev. W. G. Mullinix. Highland School house, 5 mi. from here, 2-300 people, D. of I. by Capt. Robert A. Steele. Bachelor's Retreat, ca. 1000 people, oration by Col. J. L. Orr. Cheohee celbration by Pickens "mountaineers." Anderson C. H. celebration at a nearby spring [Bensons?] "attended by a large number of Ladies and gentlemen."

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 7 Aug. 1845, "Proceedings of the State Agricultural Society of S. Carolina," held 30 July 1845, Newberry Court House. Among those attending: VP J. B. O'Neall, J. T. Whitfield, J. H. McCann, Allen Fuller, J. Creswell.South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 11 Sep. 1845, letter from Allen Fuller, Sec'y, report of Salubrity Temperance Society meeting, 16 Aug., Sharon Meeting House. Address and resolution by A. Fuller: "Resolved, that the practice of treating at elections is one of the great obstacles to the complete triumph of the Temperance Reformation-one which is not only expensive to the candidates, and degrading to those who are thus controlled, but which has a direct tendency to subvert all the benefits of the elective franchise: we therefore earnestly recommend to every citizen to use his influence to discountenance this pernicious practice, and to regard any attempt to obtain his vote by this means as an insult to the dignity of a freeman. Election of officers: Pres. Rev. Wm. G. Mullinax, VP Thos. H. Russell, Sec'y Allen Fuller. Voted to meet for thanksgiving and prayer on Dec. 25, when a temperance sermon will be preached. Next meeting in Oct. at Sharon meeting House.

South Carolina Temperance Advocate, 23 July 1846, letter from A. Fuller, Sec'y, Salubrity SC, 11 July 1846. Report that no delegate will attend Aiken convention, now 169 members, added 20 since last year. Society "rather inactive the past year," well-attended 4th of July celebration on cold-water principles, speakers: Rev. J. L. Kennedy, A. Fuller, William G. Mullinax. "We hope this will be the means of advancing the temperance cause in this vicinity." "There was a Barbecue at Wolf Creek on the 4th, at which the lovers of strong drink assembled in multitudes. The candidates for office were there, and dealt out the liquor in profusion, and profanity, drunkenness and quarrelling were the order of the day. One of its advocates admitted that it was the most disorderly company he had ever seen. Such are the results of the two principles." Pendleton Messenger, 16 Oct. 1846, lengthy report from Salubrity Temperance Society, held at Providence M. H., Pickens Dist., 10 Oct., to consider Aiken Resolutions. Committee: A. Fuller, Thos. Boggs, D. K. Hamilton, F. N. Glenn, and Aaron Boggs. Found recommendation to petition the Legislature to be "directly opposed to the principles avowed at the Convention in Greenville; and the Resolution relating to Candidates who treat, if not inconsistent with those principles, as, at least, of doubtful policy." "We are perfectly willing that the Legislature should authorize the people to decide the question by popular ballot, whether such liquors shall, or shall not be retailed in their several districts"


Census:
1850 Pickens Dist. SC, p. 19 #158:
Allen Fuller 53 mw Preacher Uln. MA,
Tabitha ? SC,
Francis Smith 17 mw SC----------

Not A Perfect People - standard disclaimer

At some point, this was going to come up....

there is an old story about Jesus talking to some folks, and a couple guys come up to him, point out a woman, and say "Jesus, that woman broke the law and needs to be put to death. Here's a couple of stones here, since you're righteous, you get first dibs". Jesus, turned to them and said"let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." At this point, a couple of Unitarian-Universalists said "that would be us", and picked up all the stones.

Nasty joke, right? How better to get some attention? Im always surprised when UUs (and yes, other folks too, but I get mostly UUs reading this, so why mention anybody else?) believe that since we have never done wrong, therefore we are shocked shocked shocked to discover others in the past have done wrong. In this case, I am going to talk briefly about slavery.

First of all, it's perfectly clear to me and you and most intellegent people, that slavery is wrong.
However we didnt grow up in a society where most people thought slavery was fine - indeed many if not most people didnt even give slavery much thought untill the 1700s, which is when the anti-slavery thoughts begain to be discussed (especially in the United Kingdom.) There was political and religious thought starting at that time - that begain to make it clearier that slavery was wrong, and this was gathering speed up to around 1800.
A couple of things happened then, one: the cotton gin made cotton easier to produce, making large farms (plantations) possible away from the low country lands. One could possibly get wealthy planting cotton... however the only way to do that was acess to labor. That same time (1800), slave laws begain to get more restrictive -- Virginia passes a law that basicaly makes it illegeal to free slaves.
A couple of religious bodies in the south, begain to realize that they could no longer live in slave states - and communties pack up and leave South Carolina in 1804-1806 settling in Ohio. Among these are Quakers and German Baptists. Good for them. Those remaining behind become Universalists. ((actually some of the Qs and GBs in Ohio became Universalists too)).
If the old belief that Universalists were poor dirt farmers was true, then we dont have to worry about slaves, because slavery was too expensive for the poor. However the South Carolina Universalists were rather typical middle and upper middle class folks struggling to be upper class - like their neighbors. Southern Unitarians were typical Upper Middle and Upper Class southerns.
So, translated and simplified: southern Universalists and southern Unitarians had plenty in common with their southern neighbors - the saints all moved to Ohio . In the pre-war era, some had and most lived easily with the idea of slavery. Some southern Universalists in the 1890s-1960s opposed intergration - same as their neighbors did (the same as many northerns did).

To hide this and pretend it didnt exist, is to ignore history.
To make all these people to be full monsters, is to throw that first stone.
They are not a perfect people - and in our struggle to be better and to learn, we can still learn from those who arent perfect.

I grew up in the days of segregation, I saw "seperate but equal" restrooms, schools, water fountains. waiting rooms. As an adult now, I still hear stories of when you were allowed to go to town, and when you couldnt go, what stores you could never go in, where you could have a buisness and where you could not. As an adult now, I still hear the N word, I still hear and see racism ..... However, I hear less - I see different things that would have been unimaginable 15 years ago, much less 40 --- there remains hope.
-- who would have thought back in 1968, that I would have a job where Martin Luther King ("that tool of Moscow" as i heard him called) birthday would result in a paid holiday!
this is what people lived in, its not surprising they werent perfect.

so the standard disclaimer is going to be that perfect people didnt exist and never will,
and even though one Universalist minister owned a slave (it was his wife's slave, really!), and too many had wrong views on race, we can still learn from them and their imperfect brethren.

1846 lists 3 preachers in SC, with John (J. A. ) Chapman retturning his letter of fellowhipA. Fuller (Salubrity), J. Mullikin, (Slabtown), D.B.Clayton (Dunlapville)Fuller is the standing clerk of the State Convention; 4 societies, 8 meeting houses (also listed as 9!) - . Abbeville, Charleston, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry (2), Anderson, Laurens (2-union) . Portlow's in Abbeville is the new meeting house.

1850 SC "Convention meets according to previous adjournment - usually in August.
Rev. A. Fuller, Salubrity, standing clerk.
societies: no reports
meeting houses: 9
Preachers: A. Fuller, Salubrity,
S. M. Simons, Steedmans, formerly partialist minister.
N. P. Walkers, Mountain Shoals

summary: 1 convention, 4 societies, 9 meeting-houses, and 3 preachers.

2005 summary. in 4 years, number of preachers the same: D. B. Clayton is preaching in Red Banks, Mississippi. Fuller is close to moving west.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus Editorial Page, New York Sun, 1897
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia O'Hanlon Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus?Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

from THE GOSPEL ANCHOR Troy, NY; volume 2 # 15 Saturday October 6, 1832 pp 120

MARRIAGES

In Newbury District, SC on the 6th ult, by the Rev. Elijah Lynch, Rev. Allen Fuller, formerly of Middleborough, Mass to Mrs. Tabitha Worthington, all of Newbury.

via Kim Wilson

Pendleton Messenger, 14 July 1837, Independence Day celebration at Goodwill, "a new store... between 23 and 26 mile creeks." William Owen, "May South Carolina prove herself the key-stone of the federal union by a strict adherence to the principles of democracy."

Pendleton Messenger, 20 July 1838, Independence Day celebration at Goodwill. William Owen, "Our State Legislature: In the plenitude of their liberality, may the poor be remembered."Pendleton Messenger, 20 July 1838, "Notice.--The Universalist Society at Harmony Meeting House, Anderson District, designs to commemorate the death of Christ by the communion of the supper, on the 5th Sunday of the 29th inst. Brethren from a distance are invited to attend. An invitation is also extended to Christians of all other sects to unite with us, and join in celebrating the divine love of our divine master. There is some expectation that the Rev. Mr. Andrews from Georgia, will preach on that occasion. By the order of the Society, Wm. Owen, Clerk. July 3d, 1838."

what i should be doing

1) putting some more information from Kim Wilson up here
2) checking the census, as I will be losing access to proquest
3) cross-refrencing material in the Brethren Encylopedia
4) doing more research on Allen Fuller - how many books did he write?
when was he born?
5) doing the non-Universalist historical stuff that puts food on my table and books in my library

instead Ive been reading a biography of Robert Carter, THE FIRST EMANCIPATOR (2005), a guy who converts (do i need to put a spoiler here? ) to Sweedborganism...
and reading other blogs and doing some email

hang in there, i got boxes of stuff to share!
oh, as mentioned in the Boy in the Bands blog, I heard there is a no-hell (ie: universalist) cemetary in Charleston; I have no idea where. Both Scott and myself think that the burial site of J. Shecut is a good place to check first - anybody know where that is?

(my local gen lib doesnt have Charleston books!)

I've been sick these last few days, so Ive spent the last few days reading and thinking in a fog.... One really shouldnt read religious books when one's brain is foggy, so Ive been reading books about religion instead... (add grin here) SECRETS OF THE BIBLE (2004) Archeology Magazine - quotes Mark Chancey, an archelogist about an unhistoric alleged Biblical site in Israel "legitimate religious phenomenon" "creation of sacred space by regarding some place as holy and by allowing people to connect with what they see as holy." This explains my visiting historic Universalist churches, and why I dont want them to be destroyed..... they're holy to me! I see the connection between the past and present. - Ive stood on the spot where Winchester stood, Ive traveled the same roads as Clayton .

Kim Wilson asked me a good question - that I couldn't answer, and hadn't ever thought about. This explains why she is a professional historian, and why I am but an amateur...(as Richard Thompson said "they're worse than critics, they're amateur critics!"). She asked me about the politics of SC Universalists of the 1830s -- I dunno - and other than the Rev. T. Fisk who preached down in Charleston, who was for reform - I still dunno. And I admit that I dunno much about his politics - other than he had some, and was well known for having them. D.B. Clayton's son, Virgil Pingree Clayton was the famous one in his family, as he was a well known leader in the Lily White Republicans (and as a southern politician he joined the main southern church- Episocalipans) - but D. B.'s politics, I dunno. Indeed I find that I'm having a tendacy to make the southern Universalist fit in with their neighbors and their neighbor's politics. They were mainly solidly middle class professionals, but its easy for amateurs to forget that in the old south, Doctors and merchants were middle not upper class - Planters were upper class, regardless if they had other occupations they dabbled in.... Slave owners with 10 slaves or more were upper class (don't take this as fact all you other amateur historians) -- anyway I've been thinking more of southern Universalists as just another member of the solid south....But then I read this from Claudia L. Bushman's A GOOD POOR MAN'S WIFE (1998 EDITION), which is a biography of Harriet Hanson Robinson. Her brother J. W. Hanson was the known Universalist writer, publisher, theologian . (pg49-50) "... The controversial and despised Universalists. Though the sect preached the mild, loving doctrine of universal salvation and the brotherhood of man, Univeralsim aroused powerful antipathy, and with cause. The sect undercut the very basis of religion and morality as they were then understood. .... The traditionalists had reason to fear and despise the Universalists. While the Universalists preached love and brotherhood, they were revolutionary at the base. It dismissed claims of authority at existing churches. Founded and promulgated by lower-class uneducated preachers, the sect was democratic and reasonable, whereas the Calvinists were authoritarian and punitive. Univeralism threatened the power structure of the traditional church, removing the sting from God's commandments and even humanizing Christ. Universalists refused to take their place in the ordained order of society. Their agitation rattled the framework of life. Another reason for the traditionalists' concern was the belligerent stance of the Universalists. Not content to go their way in peace and love, they felt obligated to criticize the establishment and to enter into disputations with clergymen of other sects. They pictured their religious work as a battle, adopting a military jargon to talk about it." Certainly one of the themes of Universalist periodicals of the 1830s is the immorality and hypocrisy of other denominations.... If one wants to read about all of the scandals afflicting clergymen, Universalist periodicals is a good place to start....... so are the southern Universalists of the 1790s-1820s bold and revolutionary?

I quoted the below on the UUHS mailing list, and rather than lose it, thought I would copy it here.
I note however, that while the Universalists were never a "peace church" and the Unitarians never even came close, the Unitarian Universalists are indeed coming close to it. Not sure if that is good or bad - but for this blogsake, it puts us closer to the southern Universalist roots of German Baptist Brethren and Society of Friends - which are historic "peace churches"

the below is taken from the 1959 version AND THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF from the appendix - no index

1790 Universalist Convention
RECOMMENDATIONS
OF WAR. ---Although a defensive war may be considered lawful, yet we believe there is a time coming, when the light and universal law of the gospel, shall put an end to all wars. We recommend, therefore, to all churches in our communion, to cultivate the spirit of peace and brotherly love, which shall lead them to consider all mankind as brethren, and to strive to spred among them the knowledge of their Saviour and 'Redeemer, who came into the world "not to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

1917 report of the National Social Service Commission of the Universalist Church. "War is brutalizing, wasteful, and ineffective, We therefore pledge ourselves to work for the organization and federation of the world, that peace may be secured at the earliest possible date consistent with justice for all.

the 1931 Universalist General Convention" whereas the General Convention of the Universalist church in 1925 recognized the right of members of this church to refuse on conscientious grounds to participate in any warfare as being in accord with our fundamental principles,..."
"... Members of this Convention are granted the right to interpret the spiritual authority and leadership of Jesus as meaning the supremacy of Christian conscience and the refusal of military service at any time on consicientious grounds."

If i knew what i was doing I could probably do this better - but at the end of this post is a link (or a copy and paste link) to Rev. Scott Wells website with a fairly modern picture of the Rockwell Universalist Church.
this is an early southern Universalist church founded by (or co-founded or early members of whom were) Universalists from South Carolina moving west. This would be (if memory serves me right) from the Anderson District that we've been mentioning. And as noted, there was a meeting house in the area back in 1846.

as Scott posts them, I will link to them!
thanks!




http://www.universalistchurch.net/boyinthebands/archives/rockwell-universalist-church-winder-ga/

i had finished a post, and blogger went off-line. so I copy my post --
--- and then accidentally deleted it!
Luckily I was just going to talk about today's mail!

In the mail, I got an 1849 booklet telling me about Scripture Doctrine (by Rev. S.B. Smith)
the ads for the other books look interesting...
the current newsletter of the NEW MASSACHUSETTS UNIVERSALIST CONVENTION - with a reminder of the Universalist Convocation in May in Mississippi; and a plan for an Universalist heritage Corridor in Winchester NH.
a 1871 Universalist Register and Almanac, where Father Clayton admits he hasnt done much preaching in Columbia or SC, but would try in the winter (of 1870-1).
and I got an email from Clayton's great great granddaugther-in-law wondering why I hadnt written recently (i know the family genealogy!)

Earlier this week, while trying to do some basic research on the Jordan Community House, I was irratated at the numerous differing years of start, founding, and ending of UUA support that I found. Then looking for something else in the second volume of THE LARGER HOPE, I found a good chapter on this mission; and a good section on FRIENDLY HOUSE, and a good section on the joys and concerns of the relationship between the UUAW and NC.
How had I not remembered all this? Why isnt this book in print?

christian leader august 28, 1937

"Southern Religious Liberal Young People's Federation" met July 23-15, 1937

hosted by the members of the YPCU at Burruss Memorial Universalist Church near Ellisville Mississippi.

representives:
Kentucky 1
North Carolina: 6
Georgia: 21
Alabama: 15
Louisiana: 1
Florida: 1
Mississippi: from Burruss and 2 from Our Home Universalist Church near Laurel.

Miss Juddye Bowers, granddaughter of John M. Bowers was president of the SRLYPF
Charles Herrington was president of the Burruss YPCU.

speakers included: Rev Leonard C. Prater, superintendent of Georgia
Rev. Thomas Chapman, minister of Burruss
Rev. Charles G. Girelius, minister of the Unitarian chruch of New Orleans
Dr. Lyman Ward, president of the Southern Industrial Institute of Camp Hill, Alabama
Rev. George C. Boorn, "in charge" of Friendly House, Canton , NC

new officers for next year include (1937-8)
J. Andrew Frazier, Cover Creek, NC president
Eugene Luening, Lousville, Ky vice president
Juddye Bowers, Cannon, Ga, secretary
Rufus McCall, Pensacola, Fl treasurer
Oleta Grantham, Ellisville, Ms board
James Guffin, Winder, Ga board

Dr Ward hopes to have the 1938 conference at Camp Hill.

2006 note: this was both Universalist and Unitarian youth

http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/rg026.html the link is the Emory U collection of UandU material from Atlanta - it tells a slightly different story than has been mentioned earlier here.
Rev W. C. Bowman started an Universalist church in Atlanta in 1879, it lasted a year. Father Clayton in his autobiography mentions that Bowman left after one sunday service to become a spirtualist - leaving Clayton to edit the Atlanta Unversalist weekly newspaper! Rev Q. H. Shinn was next starting in 1893, leading to the formation in 1895 of the First Universalist Church of Atlanta. They merged with the Unitarians on November 14, 1918 to become the Liberal Christian Church, and moved over to the Unitarian Church building in 669 W. Peachtree St. In 1944, they broke away from affliation with the Unitarians (dunno about the Universalists) due to disagreements over segregation. In 1951, the AUA sold the building out from under the congregation. In the Spring of 1952, the AUA send Rev. Glen Canfeld to restart the United Liberal Church (as it had been known since 1927). The last Universalist Register i have is from the 1930s, and it was affiliated then. Emery has board minutes of the FirstU from 1900-1907, and Mission Circle Minutes from 1897-1899, as well as a history of Universalists in Atlanta.

this is "an illustrated Compendium of Information Relating Chiefly to the Years 1907-1909"
complied by the General Superintendent William McGlauflin.

"Faith working through Love"

I need to get my scanner working as this includes a picture of the "Universalist Headquarters in Canon, Georgia" a two story building with equipment costing $5,500. Home of the Universalist Herald, Rev. John M. Bowers, editor and propereitor; and the headquaters of the district Supervisior, Rev. J.M. Rasnake

The National Council of Superinendents are pictured, Rev A. G. Strain of Ariton, Alabama.
Rev C. W. Hilstren of Hopkinsville, Ky. Rev L.R. Robinson of Harriman, Tenn, Rev Thomas Chapman of Clinton, NC. The 25 state superintendents include Rev. J. M. Rasnake of the Canon Georgia District, Rev John S. Cook in South Carolina.
Chatanooga, Tenn got their first pastor.

the Women's National Missionary Association surports a Home Mission and church extention movement at Durham NC - Rev W.O. Bodell in charge.

the Young People's Christian Union has led missions in Harriman, Tenn, and Atlanta Ga.
it's convention in 1894 in Harriman, Tenn was the first National Universalist meeting in the south. Its 1900 convention in Atlanta was the second.

The Junior Young People's Christian Union was founded in Harriman, Tenn in 1894 by Mary Grace Canfield, who was its first superintendent.

Universalist Herald is a weekly - Devoted to Temperance, Moderation and reasonable interpertaion of Religion.

there are two other southern universalist papers
the Colored Universalist, edited by Rev. Joseph Jordan of Suffolk, Va
and the Universalist Bulletin, published in South Carolina!

New Church buildings include
Tarpon Springs, Florida - the old building burned in 1908, new building and parsonage
Camp Hill, Alabama - 263 members

New Parsonage include
Canon, Ga

Mission work includes
Rev Richard M. Smith working in Montgomery, Al
Rev. J. Wyatt in North Georgia
Rev Leonidas A. Lowery in South Georgia
Rev W. O. Bodell in Durham, NC - working for WNMA
Rocky Mount, NC - planning to build, owns lot
Pink Hill, NC - Union of Universalists and Unitarians in 1908, own building
Chattanoga, Tn - organized 1907
Newberry, SC - building parsange

pictures include: the 1907 Outlaw's Bridge NC building; Burruss church in Hamburg, Florida,
Clinton, NC church building

missionary work in Suffolk, Va; Co-operative Church in Cuba,

and news flash: October 1909 committee exists to build a church to honor S. H. Quinn in the south - among the members were the southern supers and: Mrs. M. O. Winstead, NC; W. Crouch, WVA; John S. Cook, Newberry SC (new super); W. M. Conine, Al; Mrs. T. C. Credile, Fl; and Rev Ahalia L.J. Irwin, NY

besides Cook mentioned above, another new super is Charles P. Hall of Penasacola, Fl.

Mississippi NWMA state convention founded.

Scott Wells linked to the previous post (and he even got a comment on it!)

so, I figured i would get another link from this one ;-)

so, Scott, did you get to live and this place? and note Rev Rasnake....

Today, I had planned a crazy plot of going to Red Hill Universalist, near Clinton NC
hearing the service there, and then heading fast back to Florence SC UU and hearing the service there (eating lunch in the car) . The Florence folks would appreciate that, as we have the hymnals.....

We've been to Red Hill a couple of times, usually making a day trip of it;
but I had heard that someone was going to be doing a talk on a topic I was highly interested in.
So I wanted to go. And didnt want to not fullfill my responsiblities to my local church either.
(note that important word: responsiblities)

The topic I was interested in, was made smaller, and a new - more important topic added -
and I still wanted to go.

But this morning, I woke up - sinsus were bad, head was throbbing, and I just knew we couldnt drive all those miles and then drive all the way back with no break ...

So my SO looked at me with amazement when I said that "it doesnt make much sense to go, does it?" And as the time approaches 10 AM, I feel bad that Im not at Taylor's Bridge, getting ready to discuss the sunday school lesson....

... at least I will be going to an UU service later today....

Ya know there are people who dont want to go 10 minutes to their local church - why do i go 30 -45 minutes (one way) to mine, and why would I litteraly spend hours going to 2-3 other churches?

Not going to provide an answer in this introduction,
(of course, that's why its an introduction!)

For those of you who read the UU history magazine, Rev Irwin was featured in an article in the last few years - certainly saved me a lot of research! As noted earlier in the blog, I went to her grave in Columbia, SC - and will at some point post pictures. On her tombstone is words to one of her poems, and this little book contains more. It was privately printed in 1905, dedicated to her friend of spiritual benefactor, the Rev. Quillen H. Shinn, D. D. As typical of poems of that era, they're sentimental - the Victorian era was known for that. I include below not the best poem, but a typical (and atypical shorter) one. She includes a poem written July 1898, when she left the Baptist Church - and one she wrote on the day she was ordained as an Universalist minister, November 30, 1902. Father Clayton didn't keep his Columbia SC Universalist Church open very long - but certainly Rev Irwin was one of the major highlites!

hmm, somehow the scans didnt show up....

Universalist Convocation at Our Home -
Our Home UU Church in Ellisville Mississippi that is.

May 5-7, 2006

see the Our Home UU website

www.ourhomeUU.org

and click on the links for the details.

How can you not go? After all, I'll be there!

well - ok, so will lots of other folks who will actually be speaking:
Rev. Justin Lapoint, Rev Gordon Gibson, rev Doak M. Mansfield, Rev Richard Trudeau, Rev. Derrek Parker, Rev. Jacqueline Luck.

and a couple of people who arent Rev.s: John Lapoint, Martha Thompson, and Linda Foshee on Universalism in the Deep South --

and a church packed full of Universalists and universalists!
How can you miss it?

i found this short observation in the July 9, 1896 issue of THE CHRISTIAN LEADER to be worth passing on - unsigned but maybe by George H. Emerson

Universalism is not exactly convertible with universal salvation. Universalism presents indeed the issue of the final salvation of all souls, but it includes this - it is not simply IT. Universalism is a system of truths; it has many parts with many applications to life and conduct. The being, character, supremacy of God; his relations to the world and particularly to the beings created in His image; the consequent relations of souls to Him and to one another; the claims of justice and humanity and the privilege of worship - there are particulars enough to give matter for octavos. But the salvation of all mankind, essential to keep the system intact, is but a principal point, There are we find, many believers in Universal Salvation; but there are not so many believers in full Universalism.

he also says later in the page:

Universalists are more doctrinal in their thought, temper and habitual speech as they get further from the Universalist centres. We note that our Pennsylvania Conventions and Associations emphasize the doctrines of Universalism far more than do the Conventions and Associations of New York and Massachusetts. The letters of Dr. Shinn and the reports that come from Texas are "full of the doctrine" and for the reason that the atmosphere of those places puts Universalists on the defence. It would do any of our young men just out of Theological School good to try a campaign in New Jersey and the South. It would "set them" for life and make them better preachers for Boston and New York.

"everything in moderation" is not exactly something that Universalists would say: but the Buddha did, and what's good enough for him is good enough for me! More seriously, I have enabled moderation for comments. Not due to anything the readers of this blog have said or done, but because of drive-by-spammers. Until today I could put you with shoe and pottery ads, and all the rest (and just delete them), but today this blog got x-rated material. Now, while this is always a possibility that some x-rated material might be acceptable for this blog - this wasn't it. (hey anything is always a possibility!). Since I do take vacations, and I don't like the idea of that particular spam sitting on my blog for a week or so -- all comments from now on will be moderated. Frankly I don't see any likelihood of someone making any offensive comment here other than spammers, so I haven't made any moderation policies other than that. Please don't prove me wrong!

this small booklet was published in 1985 for the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Georgia Universalist Convention. The author, William Howard Balkan, was then the minister of Rockwell Universalist in Winder, Ga. I know almost nothing of Rev Balkan, other than he was a minister at Canon, Ga as well, and was a previous Luthern minister.
Sadly enough the 1965-1985 chapter 'we pause' could be written as 1965-2005.... as things remain about the same.....

some people pack clothes, check their car's engine and tires, to get ready for a trip. Me? I read a book or two! Getting ready for Mississipi, Ive read the "Civil War in Mississippi" (no major battles near Ellisville); I've re-read D. B. Clayton's autobiography (no mention of services near Ellisville), Im currently reading "Disloyalty in the Confederacy" as a prelude to reading "The Free State of Jones" (no known Universalists mentioned in the index - although the Herringtons and the Duckworth family are mentioned (but they're both large families). As some of you may or may not know, there has long been the story that Jones County Mississippi during the civil war allegedly suceded from Mississippi and started their own republic -- while I wont get much knowledge of Mississippi Universalists from reading this, I should get some of the history of the area when the Universalist church was founded. Later I will re-read parts of "the Larger Hope" dealing with Mississippi in the 20th century. I already know that one of the Strain(s) was preaching nearby before the founding of the "Our Home" church... the 1933 and 1934 yearbooks list 4 Universalist churches in Mississippi, three near Ellisville! However none of those three had responded to requests for information during the height of those depression years, Burrus, Our Home, and Ellisville, Names like Kirkland, Herrington, and Collins. Preachers in Mississipi in the 1930s - John David Morris, of Laurel - ordained 1908.

Here are some Sunday School pins - cute, eh? I post an explanation for them next, that might or might not take away some of the magic.....

these are ads for the various sunday school pins taken from 1917 (in this case from the United Brethren yearbook)

Well this past weekend, we went to just west of Newnan Ga (between Atlanta and the Alabama line) to hear a memorial service by the SAR and the DAR to honor a relutionary ancestor of my wife. We were of course the only folks there from SC - although the guy from New Jersey did drive further - much further!
On the long drive back, we stoped by various historic sites closed due to blue laws - and then we get the idea of driving to Hart County Ga to the cemetary where the ancestor's wife is presumbly burried. Apparently, they took 1-85 from one side of Georgia to the other. With that idea, I immediately checked the internet and saw that the Canon Ga UU church was not having a service that Sunday, but since we would be driving nearby, we opted to drive past - for photo ops (pics when i get them developed, which seems to be only a yearly occasion).
I knew Canon Ga was going to be small, but i didnt know it was going to be that small! Now, Outlaw's Bridge NC Universalist Church is 1/4 of the town, and Red Hill Universalist Church, NC is out in the country, so it shouldnt have been that surprising - but it was.
the town consists of 5 churches, two streetfulls of buildings behind them (one of the churches being a storefront in the block), most of the stores looking closed - hey, there are bluelaws in Georgia, otherwise i'd know if any were open. there is a seemingly empty church beside the U church from the same blueprint (no name on their sign - my wife thinks it might be the Baptist who moved next door). The UUs do have a fellowship hall on the otherside of the building, across a side street - and a nice granite table behind the church for the usual southern outdoor picnics....
My wife saw the setting and said "what a nice place for an Universalist Convocation" - of course with fancy hotels just a ways down on the lake, it could be.....
Back home, my wife does a quick check to see if she is related to any of the Universalist Bowers - and while she has Bowers in her family (from Bowersville!), she doesnt see any blood kinship - but the family names are familiar - even J. M. Bowers mother has a good former Quaker name, that my wife is related too.... but since she is related to virtually everybody in the three counties there, and up and down the river, I suspect we will discover it somewhere.....
So we can halfway claim kinship to the church there.
Just like Im related to most of the folks at Outlaw's Bridge....

Oh despite the southern tradition of "who's your daddy", neither of us are in the DAR, SAR, SCV, Colonial Dames, etc etc, we could join of course..... ;-)

Ok, Ive been digesting alot of stuff recently, from Canon Ga ((it seems that Rev. J.M. Bower's older brother - 24 years older brother- a Church of Christ minister, was one of two voters in Georgia to vote for Abe Lincoln in 1860 - he credited his father with his thinking that way)) to re-reading the book on Unitarians in the pre-1860s south - which includes the two Unitarian -Universalist churches in Richmond and New Orleans, which led me to reading the Richmond part of the biography of one of the ministers there. Also a recent military history spends a couple pages talking about Marie Boozer (Feaster). The new Universalist Hearld came in. The Universalists had a church building in Mobile Al in the 1830s.

My plans eventually are to learn HTML coding, and put up a nice website (i have a free one from google - which is mostly blank), I then will have States and Churches and Ministers and Layity all nicely hyperlinked (does calling it hyperlinked show my age??) together, so that if someone clicks on Mobile, they get to see what I've dug up, and if they click on Rasnake (who's from Virginia and not SC by the way), they'll see what I've dug up.
The fact that I'll have to learn coding suggests how unlikely this is......
... but those are the plans

Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate
volume 17 #2 Utica, NY January 9, 1846

MOBILE
By a letter in a late number of the CHRISTIAN MESSENGER from Br. I. D. Williamson, we learn that he is again at Mobile preaching the gospel of universal grace to the people of the South; and on account of his state of health (an asthmatic complaint) will probably remain there. --The Church that his friends lately purchased and paid for was found to have a prior claim on it to that of the society of which it was purchased; and the "uncertain law" has decided that the claim is good. Hence our friends have got to pay for it AGAIN, before their title will be good. Well Br. W. says the money, some $3000 is mostly raised for the purpose, and thinks the Universalists will still secure by again buying the house. We hope so.

D.S. ((note: Rev. D. Skinner))

other notes: the Christian Messenger was a NYC paper -

Ok, Im off to Mississippi! and the Universalist Convocation!
got two days to get there - we're taking the scenic route!

reports from the UC, depend on net acess!

see ya!

Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church in Ellisville Mississippi !

We made it to Laurel and Ellisville on Friday (spending much of the morning in Alabama at Moundville - touring the old mounds - built 1000 years ago)

Met the leaders of the Our Home Church, meet nice folks that I met last year - (Rich Kostner says the subscriptions of the Universalist Herald are up from last year !) Talking to some nice new folks --

Rev Lapoint wants to make sure we look for now and the future - as no one can live in the past --
Rev Chandler started his service by saying that seeing the picture of Daniel Bragg Clayton on the wall reminds him that Clayton used to preach for 3-4 hours and folks would love it -
-- I was wondering if he was trying to beat Clayton's record tonight.... Longest UU service I had ever attended, good thing that we ate before hand! My wife says she told me I should have had regular instead of decaf!

Tomorrow starts at 9 and runs to 8 or 9 - but lunch and dinner are on the schedule. and I will remember to nix on decaf!

Long day at the church - but a long great day!

Day starts with a service by the Rev. Derek Parker -
a wonderful preacher, and he would seem to be a wonderful minister....

Rev Gordon Gibson talked about Mississippi's own Judith S. Murray -

I attended the Rev. Doak Mansfield's talk on Social Justice, and how to do it - I confess to always enjoying hearing liberal southern preachers - the sound feels good! Heard some good ideas

There was a talk about Unitarians in southeast Europe and the hope for a Universalist future there.

Martha Thompson spoke about the UUSC


and last, but far from last: the dynamic Linda Foshee spoke on the history of Universalism in the deep south - lots of singing and slides! Very fun way to end a productive day.

(note that I didnt make any comment about the food..... or the fellowship ... I ran out of superlatives!)

posted two days late....

buisness meeting in the AM, I am nominated to do the new UC mailing list

Morning church service even had the Pastor Rev Luck in tears of joy!

and a great lunch! afraid to weigh myself.....

after hours, we went to Burrus Memorial Church -

I'm probably not going to post anymore on Mississippi, untill i get my pictures in (one set is at the developers, the others probably will have another 10 pictures to go....)

"Our Home Universalist Unitarian Church" is a wonderful name...
they had a timeline on the wall of important church events, and photographs of past ministers (and layleaders) - thus keeping their history alive to current and next generations. I wish I had copied the dates of ministers - especially since ive been trying to keep up with Rev Rasnake who was there (if my memory serves) from c1942 to his death in 1950.
I bought souvineers of course, t-shirts (on sale) and a cd-r of "Free Chruch of Jones", a bluegrass single recorded in 1983 by Papa Reece Owens (off an LP made at that time). Probably the only bluegrass UU Church song; certainly one of only a handful of UU church songs.
Went to Buruss Memorial , where the hurricane damage was worse than at Our Home - It looks as if there may be some structual damage inside. There was reports of vandalism, but I couldnt tell which was hurricane and which was vandal. We pulled out two Universalist books out of the boxes of books - one a copy of one of I. M. Atwood's contributions to the "Manuals and Faith and Duty" -- and the other, a copy of D.B. Clayton's "47 Years in the Universalist Ministry". I found it interesting that the cover binding was a different color than mine, and that there wasnt a photograph of Clayton as the frontpiece. Apparently there were two editions?

If you're in southwest Mississippi near I-59 on Sunday Morning at either Ellisville or Laurel; stop by "Our Home"! I suspect that you'll be glad you did.

they have a new sign now: this is the old one.....

More pictures from last summer

Her tombstone states

Oh, send me out to tell
the Nations of a Love
that bars no soul outside
That Heavenly Home above.

So I actually developed two rolls of film so far this year!

part 2 will be when I get the next reel finished!

At the Universalist Convocation, I asked a question about Rev Daniel Clayton, and I was told (by someone, CS?) that I was the expert on Clayton! Hmm... i dont know if I would go that far, although I confess I do know some of the trivia ... Clayton had a great granddaughter who married a guy who pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers!

Anyway, while Clayton and his second wife and two of his sons are burried in Columbia, SC;

In the Red Banks Cemetery in Red Banks, Mississippi
are burried

William Clayton (May 13, 1791-August 5, 1856)
Elizabeth Clayton (September 24, 1794-December 26, 1869)
this would be D,B,'s father and step-mother. At least I hope this is the step-mother.

also burried there
Rebecca B. Clayton (November 5, 1821 - September 7, 1847)
married November 5, 1839
yes, she married D. B. on her 18th birthday - died before her 26th.
He calls her the love of his life.
Sallie Clayton (died August 18, 1856, age 10 months)
the daughter of Clayton and his second wife Mary A.
Her formal name was Sarah, and she was born on October 18.

Other Claytons in the cemetary, I havent done research on D.B.'s half siblings and cousins.

I wish I knew more about the Rev C. F. R. Shehane; but from what little I do know, Im glad I didnt KNOW C.F.R. Shehane.... but all I wanted to do today is to quote a blurb taken from the June 22, 1855 issue of the Vermont Patriot of Montpelier, Vt. I'm not sure I necessarily believe it, although I dont really doubt it was published! " UNIVERSALIST PREACHER FATHER SHEHANE - called by the people "the walking Bible". In an Alabama court it was discovered there was no Bible, so the judge had the jurors swear by placing their hands on the preacher."

ok, ok, ok, this is so minor "Much ado about Nothing" - that Im mentioning this here, so you can skip it - this is really misc - out of context - and frankly here only to remind me the next time I want to get eye strain by reading poor scratchy microfilm, what to look for. this is for those of us - ok me - who want to know everyword Clayton said ....

Ive read through microfilm issues of THE STATE looking for Clayton mentions (ok, i cheated with the exception of a year where it wasnt available, I read the microfilmed index first), but somehow I missed the below excerpt . Said excerpt taken in who knows what context from THE STATE and put in the 1982 book, MILL AND TOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA 1890-1920, David L. Carlton, Louisana State University Press.


two comments before the quote; THE STATE quickly became the leading Columbia SC newspaper, but Clayton's son - Albert (A.W.) Clayton had owned an afternoon Columbia paper that was a competor to THE STATE. Another son, Virgil (V. P.) had been Postmaster of Columbia, an appointed political position. Virgil had various letters in THE STATE, where he defended himself (at one time THE STATE accused him of forcing postal employees of voting Republican), and offered political solutions
This before Albert went back to Feasterville area, and Virgil down to Charleston for a higher appointed political position

"The Revered D.B. Clayton complained in 1896, of the 'cupidity of lounging, loafing, lazy men.'"
June 7. 1896.

See I told you it was much ado --- we all know that lounging loafing lazy men are like that!

I see it's been a full month since I posted here - doesnt seem that long...

been on the road some of those times (two weekends in Raleigh for family buisness - and yes my nephew will be going to Guillford College - a College associated with the Society of Friends. And No, I wont be having him do research for me on those Teagues and other SC Friends who became Universalists.

I've also been having to work ! And to be honest, the sort of work I do can be draining
(yeah, yeah, I know - isnt that why they call it work instead of play?)

But I havent been totaly forgetting southern Universalist history -
- I recently read "We Would be One: A History of Unitarian Universalist Youth Movements" which i will mention later the various southern universalist parts -

Im currently reading the "Procedings of the Universalist Centennial .... 1870"
There is a report from a distant relative (about her Sunday School), Mrs Outlaw refuses to be discouarged - thank goodness. And yes, I will quote here.

I continue with my other interests, done a lot of work for a tribute to artist Al Hartley, and a tribute to editor / writer Richard Hughes just reprinted, has inserted a credit for work i did 20 years ago, and never recieved credit for. i continue to visit revolutionary war sites in the Carolinas (there are well over 200 in SC alone, so i dont really expect to get to all of them).

Lastly, I honor my father-in-law by watching episodes of Maison Ikkoku -
(a mild joke that nobody will get - least of all him)

and did you know, it's hot in the south??
no wonder they drank alot of booze - and why the Universalists were temperance.....

best wishes all
steven r

In the mail today was a copy of VOICES OF THE FAITH: A BIRTHDAY BOOK, by J. W. Hanson.
"Containing a selection for Every Day of the Year from Writers expressing the Universalist Faith"
(4th edition 1891)

so like most folk I checked my birthday ( in my case it's August 13) and much to my surprise.
it's a quote by Rev. D. B. Clayton

"An important work will be done toward the saving of this word and the saving of every soul in it, when intemperance and licentiousness and gambling, and all forms of oppression, and all other great moral evils, are done away. Every dram-shop, every gambling hall, every all of intemperance, or gambling, or licentousness that exists, is a force working against the cause of universal salvation; and the degree that we give it any countenance or support we are woking against the will of God. When we profess belief in the final salvation of all; when we declare it to be God's will, and then give countenance to, or fail to contend against, anything that corrupts morals, or deadens spirtual life - is there any greater impiety than that?"

Not that I can tie in Saluda SC and Brewton Al Universalist Church(es) - but I was thinking of both yesterday and today.

Someone was telling me yesterday that they were in the Saluda SC church building 20-25 years ago, and was able to see stars that had been painted on the interior roof of the church. They asked me if that was common in Universalist Churches - I dont think so...

At one time, the Brewton Alabama Universalist Church was one of the largest in the south. In the 1950s Rev. Richard W. Knost had his radio show "Universalist Hour" broadcast from there. Not sure when the church ended - but the building is currently housing the
Cornestone Community Church of God. Families would be McGowan, Miller, etc.

yes, the Lyman Ward Military Academy
is the most solid southern Universalist Heritage remaining.

Universalists allowed for freedom of individual conscience - and that means freedom to believe and object to war on religious grounds and freedom to serve in the military. Southern Universalists often picked the last freedom - the freedom to serve. From Rev Giles Chapman who served in the Revolution, to Rev Strain who served in both the Mexican and Civil War, to Rev Clayton who served in the Civil War, to a modern family who proudly has 4 generations to be career military, yet Universalists. Plenty of northern Universalists (and Unitarians) also served in the military - and even Unitarian Universalists, not that long ago as US Secretary of Defence.

While I dont know what Rev Ward's feelings would be toward the military aspect of his school - I do know that he would strongly be glad to be associated with the education and the teaching of self-discipline that would enable young people (in the current school, that is young men) to grow and learn - to be able to chose what direction they want their life to be. He stated "We help deserving youth to help themselves."

In the alumni website www.lwalumni.org
there are rememberances of the old SOUTHERN INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE,
with the "God is Love" plaque in Goodwill Hall.

the list of Universalist family names in the alumni and board section: McGowin, Ross, Langley, Weed, Foshee, Simmons, Teague, Canfield, Clapp, Rasnake, Chapman, Coleman, Herrighton, Strain......

I'm sure the modern Lyman Ward Military Academy doesn't have enough Universalist Heritage to satisfy myself - how could it? It was a non-secreterian school from the begining -- but it still remains a most powerful reminder of the Universalist commitment to "make it possible for earnest industrious youth to win an education and to learn to lift instead of to lean."

John Stancill ( -1795) was one of the first known preachers of universalist restoration in North Carolina. He was an elder in the Baptist Church, and preached from the 1760s to 1790s. Variant spelling of his name is " Stansel/Stancil/StansalIs ". If that's all you want to know, you can stop there. Either he or his parents were born in Maryland. He was a elder in the Flat Swamp Baptist Church - which is near the border of modern Martin and Pitt county in North Carolina. (the county line changed so its not in the county now it was then). This church is roughly ten miles north of the present Greenville NC. It's my understanding that the church still remains as of 2002. In the upheavals of the Baptist Church in the 1830s - Flat Swamp sided with the Primitive Baptists (also known as Old School Baptist). The Primitive Baptists did not have "clergy" but Elders. The below from 'the History of the Church of God"(1886) by Cushing Biggs Haskell and Sylvester Haskell - concerning the Flat Swamp church. "In the beginning, however, of the year 1776, this church was constituted, ...And at the same time John Page, one of her members,was ordained to the administration of gospel ordinances. Elder Page took the pastoral care of the church, and labored with great zeal and success......1795. Some time previous to this the church had experienced great difficulties; as the love of many began to wax cold, it gave an opportunity for the enemy of souls to sow seeds of discord among them. The church seemed to go down to ebb tide, while errors were spreading and extending in the doctrines of Arminianism and Universalism. There were no ingatherings for several years, and the Lord was pleased to call their pastor to his rest in 1795; and although there had been raised up in this church several preachers,yet at this time she was entirely destitute of ministerial gifts. In this destitute situation she raised her cries to the Lord to sendforth laborers, and to raise up one to go in and out before her. In answer to these cries, it appears the Lord was pleased to send her Elder Joseph Biggs, who had been lately received a member at Skewarkey. The church gave him a call to take the pastoral care in February, 1796, but according to his request ordination was deferred until February, 1797. The church being in a cold state and abounding with disorders, there were no additions, many excommunications, very little decorum, and conferences thinly attended. Often did her young pastor sit in conference with only seven or eight members. "(for what it's worth, one of my relatives had ordained Elder Biggs). From Vol. 1 of THE LARGER HOPE: The First Century of the Universalist Church in America, 1770-1870 by Russell Miller on page 758 in a section titled North Carolina: "Two Dunkards, John Ham and John Stanstel, were responsible for the first Universalist preaching in the years between 1780 and 1800 in eastern North Carolina, where most of the earliest Universalist societies in the state were organized. ( from Jacob Frieze,"History of Universalism in North Carolina," Universalist Magazine 9 (11 August 1827): 30-31, reproduced from the Liberalist (Wilmington, NorthCarolina). Also "At the meeting of the Kehukee Baptist Association in Halifax County in 1790, three elders were appointed to visit the Flat Swamp church ... to investigate the theological damage done by "a certain John Stansill," who was propagating the doctrine of Universal Restoration." As for Stancill being a Dunker - well, I don't believe he was a GermanDunker -however I'm still trying to figure out English Dunkers in the Carolinas! The Dunkers (aka as Tunkers, German Baptist Brethren andcurrently Church of the Brethren) in South Carolina and some in central North Carolina did all become Universalist in theology in the 1790s - and Universalist Churches by the 1820s.... anybody know anything else?

Back on August 13th, I played tourist by going up to Greensboro NC (as some of you with long memories know) - I went to the nearby Battle of Almanace battlefield. This 1771 battle was the upcountry settlers against the Costal British "taxation without represntation" Government. My wife had ancestors who apparently were involved in the pre-Battle attacks on the land speculators in German central North Carolina, and she also had ancestors on the pro-British squash them flat military side. The Teagues also were on the list of folks not granted a pardon, and they quickly moved down to SC, where some of them eventually became Universalists. I found it interesting that one of the leaders of the NC Regulators (who was not at the battle being a Quaker), Herman Husbands, moved back to Pa, and was later envolved in the Whiskey Rebellion. Not Universalist connected - but sill of interest. i noticed that there is alot of Friends in the eastern North Carolina area where Universalists also flourished - worth looking into.
We also looked at the battle of Guilford's Courthouse, and atteneded First Day Service at the NewGarden meeting House. And of course wondered around the tombstones. I suspect I'll need to know more about Lutherans and Morivans and other German of the Carolinas - the more you know, the more you need to find out....