Traveling Church Lists To Kentucky From Virginia http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyscott/churchlist.htm ------------------------------------------------------------ Published Sources: The Travelling Church & Fredericksburg Baptist Church George W. Ranck Rev. Oscar Darter Publ. 1891 Publ. 1959 ------------------------------------------------------------ Kentucky On pages 30 - 31 of his 1910 book The Travelling Church, subtitled "An Account of the Baptist Exodus from Virginia to Kentucky in 1781 under the Leadership of Rev. Lewis Craig and Capt. William Ellis," Professor George W. Ranck produced a partial list of the familes that were part of this historic journey. He writes: How many died on the way, how many were slain by savage foes and how many were injured for life by exposure no records remain to tell nor is there a list extant of the heroic men and women who survived the perils of the wilderness and planted the banner of their faith at Gilbert's Creek. The names of some of them, however, have been secured and are herewith appended... These names were obtained from family records, "Ford's Repository," "Virginia Baptists," "Ten Churches" and "Spencer's History of Kentucky Baptists. " In most cases only the family name was given without either the names or number of the members of the family. The names secured are: ALLEN ELLY PRICE ASHER EASTIN ROBINSON & Wife BLEDSOE GARRARD RAMSEY BOWMAN GOODLOE RUCKER BARROW HUNT SHACKELFORD BURBRIDGE HART SHIPP BUCKNER HICKMAN SHOTWELL CRAIG, Toliver & wife HICKERSON SINGLETON CRAIG, Lewis MARTIN SMITH CRAIG, Joseph MOORE SANDERS CAVE, William MORTON STUART CURD MARSHALL TODD CARR MORRIS THOMPSON CREATH MITCHUM WALTON DUDLEY NOEL WOOLFOLK DUPUY PAYNE WATKINS DARNABY PARRISH, Timothy WALLER DEDMAN PARRISH, James WARE ELLIS, William & PITMAN WOOLRIDGE ELLIS' family of 5 PRESTON YOUNG other members On pages 4 and 5 he adds: It was plain that something very unusual was transpiring at an isolated building in Spottsylvania County, Virginia, one Sunday morning in September, 1781. The house, which stood on the old Catharpin road leading to the then little village of Fredericksburg, and which was located about four miles south of the spot since known as Parker's Station, was surrounded by such a gathering of men, women and children, slaves, pack horses, cattle, dogs, and loaded wagons as had never been seen in the county before, but there was no unseemly disorder and but little noise except such as came from fretful infants and from the bells of the grazing stock. The crowd was too great for the house and most of the people were assembled under the trees in front of it where the women had been provided with seats. It could not be a camp-meeting - there were no signs of either cheerfulness or enjoyment. It was not a funeral though all were sad and many were deeply dejected. It was "farewell Sunday" at Upper Spottsylvania (Baptist) Church - the next morning the congregation was to start in a body for Kentucky. All kinds of property were disposed of, all kinds of arrangements were made and the Farewell Sunday found them heavy-hearted but ready for the start with packing completed, homes abandoned and surrounded by friends who had gathered from far and near to bid them a last and long good bye. Of those not a few were Baptist preachers of Spottsylvania and the neighboring counties. Among them, according to tradition, was Elijah Craig, the bold exhorter of the Blue Run church who had lunched in jail more than once on rye bread and water for conscience sake; Ambrose Dudley who had often labored with him; William E. Waller, pastor of County Line and William Ellis the aged shepherd of the Nottaway flock who had realized what "buffetings" meant long before the Revolution brought its blessed heritage of religious freedom. They had many relatives among the departing throng and all of them but the venerable Ellis soon followed them to the land of Boone. John Waller, pastor of Lower Spottsylvania Church, and the most picturesque of the early Baptist ministers of Virginia was also there. He was the "Devil's Adjutant" no longer. The former persecutor, whole-souled in everything he undertook, had for years been one of the staunchest defenders of the people he had once so energetically reviled. One familiar figure was misssing from the crowd. John Clay, the struggling preacher for the struggling church in the flat and desolate "slashes" of Hanover was not there. Only a few weeks before the father of the eloquent "Harry of the West" had ceased from his labors forever. Preachers were not lacking in the expedition itself. Joseph Bledsoe of the Wilderness Church and father of the afterwards noted Senator Jesse Bledsoe of Kentucky; Joseph Craig, "the man who laid down in the road"; William Cave, a connection of the Craigs, and Simeon Walton, pastor for a season of Nottaway Church, were four of probably a dozen preachers who accompanied it. Many more came after them, so many in fact that an early chronicler of the church in Virginia calls Kentucky "the vortex of Baptist preachers." Excerpts from e-mail comments by Bill Davis: In his book The Travelling Church, George W. Ranck listed the families above as being part of the Travelling [sic]Church caravan. I believe that my ancestor Benjamin Craig was part of the caravan because it was specifically mentioned in an obituary of his son, George Craig, in 1833. I suspect Jeremiah Craig came at that time also. Capt. John Craig and Joice Craig Faulconer were already in Kentucky before the Travelling Church, and Rev. Elijah Craig came to Kentucky a few years afterwards. I've always believed that both Taliferro Craig Sr. and Toliver Craig Jr. were part of it. Surely there were also numerous slaves, including a slave of Rev. Joseph Craig known as Peter Durett or "Captain," who became the first Black Baptist minister in Kentucky. I received an inquiry from someone interested in locating a list of members of "The Travelling Church" when it was in Virginia. I replied that it probably is a misnomer to think of the Travelling Church as a particular church. What's called the "The Travelling Church" was a caravan of 600 - some souls who were led by Rev. Lewis Craig into frontier Kentucky in 1781. Certainly a good portion of the caravan came out of Craig's congregation, hence the name Travelling Church, but I'm sure many of the others that came were from some of the surrounding churches, their relations, and probably anyone else that wanted to travel into frontier Kentucky in relative safety. [This message then referred to Morgan Edward's lists of members of the Upper Spotsylvania Church in Virginia, as copied in Oscar Darter's book, Fredericksburg Baptist Church. See below.] Virginia Fredericksburg Baptist Church Rev. Oscar Darter Publ. 1959 In his book, Fredericksburg Baptist Church, Rev. Oscar Darter quotes two lists from the records of the Baptist minister Morgan Edwards, a contemporary of the preaching Craig brothers. First, Darter quotes Edwards as saying: The Upper Spotsylvania Baptist Church consists of two branches; one near where is a house 40 by 24 built in 1769 on land given by Lewis Craig; the other near Fredericksburg where is also a meeting house. The gospel was at first preached here by Rev. David Thomas, then by Samuel Harris and others. Converts to this ministry were: Lewis Craig Joseph Craig and wife John Craig and wife John Saunders and wife Joseph Allen and wife, son and two daughters Andrew Hampton and wife Charles Robins and wife John Martin and wife John Haden and wife James Gordan William Cave and wife John Bledsoe John Hyat and wife Phil. Conner and wife Benj. Robertson James True James Haden Reuben Young John Price and wife Joice Falkoner Ann Cavender Richard Cavenaugh Ann Neal ______ Robison Christopher Singleton Thos. Heath and daughter Jennings McDonald James Evans Elijah Howell Lucy Martin, Senr. and Jr. Frances Darnel Mrs. Webster Bartholomew Curtis (deaf and dumb man) 5 negroes, men and women a total of 25. Next, Darter quotes Edwards as giving a list of 25 persons, who were on Nov. 20, 1767 constituted into a church by James Reed, Dutton Lane and others. Darter says these are the charter members of the upper branch of the Upper Spotsylvania Church: Lewis Craig * John Waller James Chiles John Saunders * Joseph Craig and wife * Elijah Craig Olden Wisdom William Beckham Joseph Spencer James Crawford Irene Saunders Mary Darnel Mary Brock and daughter Mary Wigglesworth Sarah Crawford Bartholomew Curtis * Nicholas Darnel Martin Wisdom Rachel Allen Robert Huddlestone (a negro) Thomas Martin David Thompson [* Denotes names on both lists] Rev. Darter notes that this is a list of only 24 persons, and suggests that a wife of John Saunders could be the missing 25th person. Darter states that it is uncertain if any of these were members of the other branch of the Upper Spotsylvania Church, meaning the one near Fredericksburg. So apparently both of these lists are of members of the church located 20 miles southwest of Fredericksburg, now known as "Craig's Church." The present Craig's Church is located in the small town of Paytes, Virginia. A granite monument marks the original location out in the countryside. Darter also quotes Edwards as saying the Upper Spotsylvania was a "Remarkable-Mother Church, Louisa, Orange, and Lower Spotsylvania being it's offspring." The Lower Spotsylvania Church "consists of four branches; one near where is a meeting house, 32 feet by 28, built in 1768 on land given by James Wigglesworth, the other in Caroline; the third in Essex and the fourth in Middlesex. The families about [meaning in the neigborhood of Lower Spotsylvania Church, later known as the Waller Church], whereof 216 persons are baptized and in communication here." The bracketed part is in Darter's text. I don't know if any lists of members of these other churches are available. I suspect that since Darter doesn't mention them, they are not available. Bill Davis