Old Catholic Presbyterian on Old Rocky Mount Road in Chester County, S.C.

2330 Old Church Road

London Engraving of the Port of Charleston, S.C. – 1772

City Directories and History:  One of the oldest church congregations in the region is Old Catholic Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Robert Lathan wrote, ” One of the oldest Presbyterian church, in fact, with the exception of Richardson’s… so far as is know, in Chester County, is Catholic. At this place from May 1759, until 1773, a period of fourteen or fifteen years, Covenanters or Reformed Presbyterians, Associates and Presbyterians, worshiped together.”

Early image of Catholic Presbyterian Church of Chester Co., courtesy of the Chester Co. Library. Building completed in 1842.

Other writers have stated that the church was organized a little later but certainly well before the American Revolution, William

Richardson was regularly preaching at the location called Catholic (meaning universal). The first church building was on a three acre lot given by John Bailey. Earliest know members included; Steel, Bailey, Brown, King, Corder, Culp, Currey Dunn, Nixon, McCalla, Hemphill, Harbison, Johnson, Coulter, and Harper. Not until 1788 did the congregation build a new larger house of worship. Again in 1839, the congregation bought from James McDowell, five additional acres of land and commenced to plan the building of a large brick church. This building was finished in 1841. Not until the 1870’s, under the leadership of the Rev. James White, did the church have a wooden floor installed, replacing that of the original brick flooring. It was also during this time that the gallery for the slaves and the exterior steps removed.

Catholic Presbyterian Church. Image courtesy of photographer Bill Segars – 2007

Catholic Presbyterian Church

Catholic Presbyterian Church

Catholic Presbyterian Church

Catholic Presbyterian Church

Catholic Presbyterian Church

Catholic Presbyterian Church

Click on the More Information / Newspaper Article > link found below the picture column for additional data or pictures.

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William Martin was born at Ballyspollum, near Ballykelly, County Londonderry, Ireland on 16 May 1729. On 2 July 1757, he was ordained a Covenanter minister in an open air service held at The Vow, between Ballymoney and Kilrea, County Antrim. As the only Covenanter minister in Antrim and Down, the two counties became his parish, so to speak, and Rev. Martin, though resident at Kellswater, had supervisory responsibility for Covenanter groups at Ballymoney, Dervock, Cloughmills, Leighmore and Cullybackey. Rev. William Martin was no shrinking violet. On top of his mammoth preaching and pastoral duties, he was vocal in his opposition to the High Church (Anglican) authorities who openly discriminated against the Presbyterians. The oppressed Presbyterians were subjected to excessive rent demands and when payment could not made, the tenants were evicted. During this period, many agents were active in Northern Ireland, representing that South Carolina was offering a bounty to settlers. Many of the poor and oppressed Scots-Irish had migrated to South Carolina. It was during this time that Rev. Martin “received a call to Rocky Creek”, a small settlement in South Carolina.

R&R HISTORY LINK: 1772 – Rev. Martin Comes to S.C. with his flock.

In Rocky Creek, South Carolina, there were about five or six Presbyterian groups including Associate, Covenanter, Burgher, Anti-Burgher, and Seceders. These groups combined to build a church on Rocky Mount Road, about 15 miles southeast of Chester. They called the Church “Catholic” indicating that all of the various groups were to worship there. By 1770, the Covenanters wrote to Ireland requesting that a minister be sent to South Carolina. It was probably in response to this call that Rev. Martin decided to go to South Carolina.

The traditional story is that there many incidences of violence resulting from the conflict caused by the high rents and evictions. Following one such incident, Rev. Martin preached a sermon calling for his entire congregation to accompany him to South Carolina. In 1772, a total of 400+ family units responded to Rev. Martin’s call to South Carolina and around twelve hundred Covenanters and others, including Roman Catholics, left Ulster under the leadership of Rev. Martin. A total of 5 ships took the emigrants to the New Country.

• The James and Mary, departed Larne on 25 August 1772 and arrived in Charleston on 18 October 1772.
• The Lord Dunluce, sailed from Larne on October 4 and arrived in Charleston on December 20.
• The Pennsylvania Farmer, sailed from Belfast on October 16 and arrived in Charleston on December 19.
• The Hopewell, sailed from Belfast on October 19 and arrived in Charleston on December 22.
• The Free Mason, sailed from Newry on 27 October and arrived in Charleston on December 19.

(Information courtesy of Boydroots.net – an excellent write up of  Rev. Martin’s Movement)

R&R HISTORY LINK: Covenanters at Old Stone Church in Fairfield County, S.C.

*** Also see history of Rev. Hugh McMillan of Chester and Fairfield Co. leading Covenanters to Ohio.

NAMES ON THE HISTORIC MONUMENT – AMERICAN REVOLUTION:

Colonel John Nixon, Captain Hugh Knox (1755-1821), Robert Archer (1748-1818), William Anderson (1744-1780), John Bailey, James Bankhead, John Bankhead, James Barber, Hugh Boyd, John Brown Sr., John Caskey, George Cherry, Alexander Crawford, Alexander Chesnut or Chestnut, Samuel Chesnut, Thomas Garret, David Graham, James Harbison (1762-1835), Patrick Harbison, William Harbison, Robert Harper, Andrew Hemphill, William Hicklin (1734-1819), Arthur Hicklin, John Johnston (1758-1806), John King, James Knox M.D., William Knox, William Knox, Captain John Steel (1750-1810), Capt. Benj. Land, John Corder, John Lee, David McCalla (1756-1811), John McClurken, Matthew McClurken, Thomas McClurken, Hugh McDonald, William McDonald, William McGarity, Alexander McKeown, James McKown, John McKeown, Moses McKeown, John McWaters, William Nesbit, James Peden (1734-1811), David Robinson (1838-1812), Thomas Sanford, Thomas Steel, William Stinson (1752-1809), Andrew Stevenson, William Stroud Sr., William Stroud Jr., Hampton Stroud, Thomas Stroud, John Stroud, Thomas Thorn.

R&R HISTORY LINK: the Rev. Wm. Martin Leads Settlement to S.C.

BETHLEHEM MEETING HOUSE
Very little is known about this Presbyterian house of worship. From some notes of Rev. Saye and Daniel Stinson – “Cedar Shoals rather stands in the place of two former places of worship to wit: Lower Fishing Creek and Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a branch of Catholic and was supplied by the minister of Catholic for quite some time. Under the ministry of Mr. Brainard, it began to flourish. Later it was supplied by Rev. J. L. R. Davies, but he gave it up for what he considered a more important enterprise in the upper part of the congregation. The Gaston connection resided between Lower Fishing Creek and Bethlehem.” Mr. McCulluch continued to preach at Catholic in the year 1807 and 1808, preaching one-fourth of his time at Rocky Mount. At the first of the year 1809, he began preaching in the neighborhood of Beckhamville, at a newly built church called Bethlehem, a branch of Catholic. The church was therefore organized in 1809.

Copies of the original notes of Trustees of Bethlehem Meeting House – Jan. 31st. 1826 – “Pursuant to notice, an election was held for Trustees at said meeting house and the following persons was hereby elected, viz: John Ferguson, Manager; Dr. Wm. Cloud, Wm. Anderson, Esq. Gardner Jamieson, Benjamin Jackson and John Ferguson. Witness Joseph Gaston was elected in the place of Gardner Jamieson and John B. Gaston, Secretary.” (Signed) D. G. Anderson  (Information courtesy of and from: CDGHS Magazine)

See the Built of Brick Jaunt – Driving Tour

NAMES FROM THE COVENANTER ROLL ARRIVING WITH REV. MARTIN:

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R&R HISTORY LINK: a SOURCE OF LINKS TO PRES. SETTLEMENT IN SC

R&R HISTORY LINK: Slavery creates riff among ARP members – Covenanters….

R&R HISTORY LINK:  OLD STONE CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD – FAIRFIELD CO SC

R&R HISTORY LINK:  UPPER FISHING CREEK PRES CHURCH – HISTORY

R&R HISTORY LINK:  REV. JAMES S. WHITE OF ROCK HILL SC

R&R HISTORY LINK:  NATIONAL REGISTER IMAGE(S)

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