University of Virginia Library

UPPER ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

Upper Zion Baptist church, six miles northeast of Bowling

Green, was organized in 1774 and was originally known as Tuckahoe
church. The first Baptist preacher to visit the community where
the church was subsequently established was the Rev. John
Corbley who came to Virginia from Ireland. He was imprisoned
in Culpeper for preaching the Gospel and later was imprisoned in
Pennsylvania on the charge of complicity in the "Whiskey
Insurrection." He died in 1805 and his wife and children were
murdered by the Indians.

The Rev. Messrs. Lewis Craig and John Waller preached in
the vicinity of this church in 1771 and 1772. It was here that a
warrant was issued for the arrest of Mr. Craig on the charge of
preaching the Gospel without proper ordination. He was carried
before a magistrate to whom he gave bond not to preach in the

county within a certain number of days, but reconsidering what
he had done and feeling the injustice of the measure, he decided
to violate his bond and incur the penalty. Accordingly he
preached for some time on Reuben Catlett's plantation for which
he was again arrested and committed to jail in Bowling Green
where he remained for three months. He found in the jail
Edward Herndon and B. Chewning who had been committed on
the same charge, but being "exhorters" only they were soon
released. In 1773 James Ware and James Pitman were imprisoned

Rev. William A. Baynham

sixteen days each for having preached in their houses.
They offered to give bond for their good behavior, but not for
preaching in their houses in particular, which offer was at first
refused and acceded to afterward. It is recorded in Semple's
History of Baptists in Virginia that when Waller and Craig were
imprisoned in Fredericksburg the minister of the established
church, who had preached a sermon in Caroline against the
Baptists, paid them a visit, conversed with them on religion and
on taking leave of them, offered to be their security if they chose
to give bond. In 1775 the Rev. Younger Pitts and his companion,
one Mr. Pickett, were arrested and threatened with being brought
before a magistrate, but after some abuse were released.

In 1819 the name of the church was changed from Tuckahoe

to Upper Zion. The Rev. Messrs. John Shackleford, John
Sorrel, John Micou, Mordecai W. Broaddus, Robert W. Cole,
George W. Trice, William A. Baynham, A. J. Ramsey, Andrew
W. Broaddus, II, R. L. Gay, E. M. Dowley, John Pollard, J. M.
McManaway, R. E. Vellines and L. M. Ritter have served this
church in a pastoral capacity.

Among the deacons of Upper Zion in former years may be
named Younger Martin, George Marshall, Sr., John Cherbury
Gravatt, Dr. Lunsford, Thomas Broaddus, James H. Broaddus,
James U. Carneal, Philip H. Carter, Andrew J. Gravatt, William
L. Andrews, John F. Wright and Thomas J. Motley.

More recently and of the present day may be named Deacons
Luther B. Brooks, Calvin N. Houston, A. F. Wright, R. H.
Eager, M. H. Jones, T. J. Carter, D. L. Cook, J. W. Guerrant
and Andrew B. Marshall.

Among the Clerks of the church may be named Robert S.
Wright, Sr., George W. Marshall, Sr., Robert S. Wright, Jr.,
George W. Marshall, Jr., Benj. F. Smoot, Sr., G. H. Pitts, J. C.
Sale and A. B. Marshall.