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ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH, KING AND QUEEN.
This parish was probably established in 1691, there being no
certain account of it.[106]
In the years 1754 and 1758, and again in
the years 1773-74 and 1776, the Rev. Mr. Dunbar was minister of
this parish. No minister appears on our journals to represent this
parish until the year 1793, when the Rev. Thomas Andrews appears
from St. Stephen's parish, but whether St. Stephen's of King
and Queen, or of Northumberland, does not appear; but there
were some faithful laymen in that parish, who steadily adhered
to its falling fortunes. Anderson Scott and Henry Young appear
as lay delegates in 1785 and 1786. Mr. Thomas Hill and William
Fleet are lay delegates in 1796. Mr. Thomas Hill had attended
alone, without minister or associate layman, during several of the
preceding Conventions; but, after 1796, St. Stephen's parish appears
to be deserted.
Of the churches in this parish I know nothing, unless the following
is a description of one of them:—"In the northwest of the
county, in an old and venerable grove, stands St. Stephen's Church,
I think in the form of a cross. There is no wall around it, but it
is in good repair. It is principally used by the Baptists, but Episcopal
services have sometimes been held in it of late years, and
one of the Bishops has visited it, I believe."
From this whole county Episcopalians have nearly disappeared,
either by death, removal, or union with other denominations.
In 1724 the Rev. John Goodwin was minister. The parish was thirty miles
long, had three hundred families, sixty communicants, a very poor house and glebe,
two or three little schools, unendowed. The parish-library consisted of three
books,—the Book of Homilies, the Whole Duty of Man, and the Singing Psalms.
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