 | A history of Caroline county, Virginia |  |
CONCORD BAPTIST CHURCH
This church is situated near Dawn in the southern part of
Caroline and was organized on July 10, 1841, with the following
charter members: Albert S. Hundley, William Mallory, Edmund
C. Chiles, John Thompson, Wm. R. Peatross, Thomas Hurt,
Benjamin Hurt, Samuel C. Peatross, Andrew Long, Richard
Baughn, John T. Harris, John S. Blanton, John W. Hundley,
James F. Chiles, John Lucord, John E. Bowers, Mary J. Hundley,
Frances O. Harris, A. V. Harris, F. E. Harris, M. E. Harris,
Nancy Shipp, Parmelia Mallory, Elizabeth Burruss, Sarah P.
Peatross, Elizabeth Seay, Angelina W. Seay, Frances Peatross,
Sarah P. Kelly, Jonah Peatross, Lucy Hundley, Frances Stuart,
Jane Thompson, Elizabeth Chiles, Lucy Ann Chiles, Frances
Bowers, Lucy A. Bowers, Mary D. Peatross, Lucy Blanton,
Eliza A. Blanton, Jane E. Duval, Ann R. Peatross.
The larger part of these members came by letter from the
Reed's Baptist church. Their first pastor was the Rev. George
W. Trice. Descendants of many of the charter members still
reside in Caroline and hold membership with Concord.
The first house of worship of this congregation stood across
the road from the present site. Mr. Joseph Brame, a great
uncle of Mrs. Sarah Peatross Saunders, who united with the church
in 1855 and is still a member, donated the land and had the first
house erected at his own expense.
A Sunday school was organized in 1856 with John T. Harris
as superintendent. The report of the following year shows eight
teachers and thirty scholars. In 1858, W. C. P. Ramsey became
superintendent.
In 1842 Concord reported 74 white and 12 colored members,
in 1847 it had 114 white and 102 colored members and in 1859
there 86 white and 262 colored members. In September, 1857,
the present building was erected and dedicated. The fact that
the church constitution stated that, "The government of the
church shall be in the hands of the free white male members"
probably kept the property from passing into the hands of the
colored membership after the Civil War.
Among the church clerks from 1859 to the present time have
been: A. S. Hundley, Thomas R. Haywood, Joseph M. Seay,
Wm. T. Blank, Wm. S. Bowers, W. H. Bowers, R. N. Allen,
Wm. W. Carter and Claude Hutcheson.
Among the moderators who presided over the business meetings
of the church from 1868 to the present were: James T. Hurt,
Isaac H. Bullock, Obediah Atkinson, Aldred Blanton, W. R.
Peatross, John E. Chiles, Wm. T. Chiles, A. M. Hundley, W. B.
Garnett, Wm. C. Moore, Dr. L. C. Pollard, James Garnett, J. J.
Atkinson and Alfred E. Bowers.
John B. Gathright was chosen superintendent of the Sunday
school in 1880, George H. Saunders in 1866 and later John T.
Terrell and Samuel L. Chiles filled this office.
Rev. A. B. Smith was chosen pastor of the church in 1849,
again in 1854 and still again in 1875, serving about seven years all
told. Rev. Thos. H. Fox was chosen pastor in 1851, and served
a short time. After 1859 no records can be found of the affairs
of the church until 1866, when the church reported 67 white
members. Rev. A. R. Fox was pastor in 1867-69, then follow
the pastorates of Rev. P. B. Reynolds,; Rev. J. H. Newbill, Rev.
Geo. W. Reggan, Rev. Chas. P. Scott and Rev. J. B. Wright.
At the age of 80, Rev. Robert Ryland, D. D., first President of
Richmond College and the first Baptist Chaplain of the University
of Virginia, became pastor and served one year. Among the
later pastors of the church are Rev. Messrs. W. T. T. Noland,
W. E. Robertson, Wm. Owen Carver, Melvin A. Martin, James
Quarles, Geo. Tyler Terrell and W. D. Bremner.
Among the women who wrought in Concord church between
1850 and 1880 may be named Mesdames Mary Croughton Hurt,
Lucy Johnson Peatross, Mary Peatross Moore, Jane Seay Duval,
Lucy Duval Martin and Miss Marie Etta Peatross.
In more recent times we find among the prominent workers
in the church Mesdames Etta Saunders Duval, Emma Dabney
Freeman, Louise Terrell Campbell, Georgianna Hill Andrews,
Mary Heywood Campbell, Mary Atkinson Barlow, Anna Young
Dimue, Ruth Bowers Martin, Margaret Pollard Bowers and
Misses Kate Garnett, Otera A. Campbell, Mabel Chiles, Gertrude
Saunders and Ruth Hutcheson.
| A history of Caroline county, Virginia | |