|
Photo from the Mary Jane
McCrary Collection. Photo Book 1, Page 43.
Rowell Bosse NC Room Transylvania County
Library.
HISTORY OF CATHEY’S CREEK
BAPTIST CHURCH
by Mrs. Belle Blake
Rogers
The first
organization of the Baptist in what is now
known as Transylvania County, and from which
grew the organization known as Cathey’s Creek
Baptist Church was designated as an arm of the
French Broad Baptist Church of Buncombe County.
This Mission was started April 17, 1813 and was
the result of labors of Elder Benjamin King,
who continued as leader of the Mission until
July 22, 1822, when Cathey’s Creek Church was
organized, at which time he was elected pastor
of the church and served continuously until
1840.
For about 18
years of its early history, Cathey’s Creek
Church embraced in its constituency the
territory of the present county of
Transylvania.
As nearly as can
be determined from the old records, it is
thought that the charter members of the church
were: Robert Jordan, Mary King, Nancy
Patterson, Phoebe Johnson, Samuel Johnson,
Peggy Johnson, John Crow and Absolum Hooper.
The records show the following members joined
prior to the permanent organization of the
church in 1822: Mary Wilson, Sallie Sutton,
Nancy Hogsed, Kizzie Duckworth, Hannah Ball,
Francis Allison and wife, Anna Allison, Susanne
Nicholson, Peggy Davis, William Gillespie,
Robert Gillespie, Anne Owen, James Owen, Phoebe
Burrell, Hannah Nern, Issac Trammel, William
Galloway, Sarah Galloway, Esther Glazener,
Surry Davis, David Hedden, Millie Gillespie,
Sallie Gillespie, Peggy Hooper, Jonathan
Siniard, Peggy Siniard, Robert McMinn, John
Aiken, John Galloway, Jr., Betsy Galloway,
Priscilla Spigle, Kizzie Galloway, Vicey
Nicholson, Jane Rea, Betsy Reed, Zilpah Trummel
and Sallie Aiken.
The first church
house was built on a ridge east of what is now
known as Selica, which was used for a short
while when a log house was built on the present
site about 1821.
About the year
1830, Benjamin Wilson built a saw mill on
Cathey’s Creek, which was the first saw mill in
Transylvania County and sawed lumber for a
frame house. This house was built on the spot
where the present church now stands and this
building was accidently burned about the year
1887. Soon after another church was built on
the same spot, but was not finally completed
until about the year 1900 when the house was
completed. This work was largely contributed to
by I. E. Duckworth, Mrs. Bessie Bet Duckworth
and Mr. C. C. Duckworth.
On January 18,
1813, Mary Wilson was received into the church
by experience of Grace and so far as is known
she was the first convert of this church and
the first convert in what is known as
Transylvania County.
The first
Association affiliations were decided on in the
year 1815, and a letter was sent by the Church
of the Saluda Association. The church later
affiliated with the French Broad Association,
then the Salem Association, then a Transylvania
Association of short existence and finally in
1822 [1922?] went into the organization of the
Transylvania County Association. Sometime
during the history of the church it was a
member of what was known as the Twelve Mile
Association (S.C.).
It seems from the
records that Robert McMinn was the first
minister licensed by this church as the records
state that on June 20, 1819, Robert McMinn was
licensed to exercise his gift within the bounds
of this church. On October
2nd following this date, Robert
Jordan was licensed to preach.
The first
recorded death of the membership was Kizzie
Duckworth, who died January 16, 1820.
The third Sunday
and Saturday before has been the regular
meeting day of the church since its institution
117 years ago.
The records fail
to give the names of the pastors and clerks
throughout the history of the church, but so
far as is known Benjamin King was the sole
pastor from 1813 to 1840; he was followed for a
short while by Robert Jordan. Merit Rickman
served a short time. These two pastors served
the church for ten or fifteen years after the
death of Benjamin King.
From Sinard –
Siniard book by Lois B. O’Kelly,
published 1977, p. 300-301, available in
Transylvania County Library. Transcribed by
Linda O. Anders, 24 April 2003:
 ^Back
to Top
Part of the Cathey's Creek Baptist Church
Membership Records. Cathey's Creek Baptist
Church, located in Transylvania County, NC, was
the first church formed in the
county.
These records were copied by
the Church Clerk, Nell Waldrop, 26 Nov
1985
Transcribed by Linda O.
Anders, 14 Jan 2003
Transcription of first page
below:
Aiken, Charlotte Duckworth by
experience
Sept. 19, 1830 – Aikens,
Ezekiel “
Dec. 11, 1837 – Allison,
Francis “
Mar. 16, 1838 – Adams, Matilda
“
Jan. 19, 1839 -- “ “ Dismissed
by Letter
Aug. 25, 1838 – Adams, James By
experience
Jan. 19, 1839 -- “ “ Dismissed
by Letter
Aug. 26, 1838 – Allison, Mary
By experience
Oct. 7, 1838 – Aiken, Levisey
Rec’d by Letter
“ -- Allen, Elizabeth By
experience
Aug. 15, 1834 – Beasley, Lydia
“
March 12, 1836 – Beasley,
Joseph “
Nov. 15, 1828 – Beasley, Kizzie
“
Oct. 20, 1829 – Beasley, Reuben
“
Nov. 17, 1833 – Bracken, Lovina
Kitchen “
May 16, 1834 – Bracken, Nancy
“
May 26, 1838 – Cison, James
“
May 20, 1826 – Cook, Anna By
Letter
March 18, 1825 – Davis, Surry
Excluded
Nov. 15, 1828 -- “ “ Dismissed
by Letter
Jan. 18, 1823 – Duckworth,
Sarah By Experience
Jan. 28, 1834 – Duckworth,
Jonathan “
Nov. 19, 1834 – Duckworth, John
McCamy “
“ -- Duckworth, Sarah (Hamlin)
“
May 18, 1838 – Duckworth, Jane
“
“ -- Duckworth, Elizabeth
1 Hamlin “ Died Feb. 1,
1854
May 25, 1838 – Duckworth,
William “
Sept. 17, 1825 – Erwin, Thomas
“
“ -- Erwin, Mary “
Oct. 7, 1838 – Erwin, Nancy
“
Aug. 16, 1834 – Frazier,
Margret “
1
The writing
is unclear but looks like “nee Hamlin”,
which would mean her maiden name was
Hamlin;
however, other records indicate she was a
Duckworth and married John Reagan Hamlin.
Transcription of second page
below:
Nov. 19, 1837 More, Priestly
Experience
Jan. 19, 1838 More, Mary Ann
“
May 21, 1838 Nicholson, Sarah
(Wilson)2 “
July 15, 1826 Owen, James
Died
May 18, 1838 Owen, Levina
Experience
Aug. 26 “ Owen, Sarah “
Feb. 16, 1839 Owen, Sarah
(Adams3 Dismissed by
letter
Aug. 26, 1838 Owen, Elizabeth
Experience
June 18, 1824 Patterson,
Elizabeth “
Nov. 17, 1825 Philips, Rutha
“
July 20, 1832 Powell, Jane
“
Aug. 16, 1828 Reese, Nancy
“
July 28, 1828 Swainey, John
“
Aug. 26, 1838 Stamey, John
“
Dec. 18, “ 4, Nancy “
Aug. 21 “ Taylor, Mary “
2
Again this
notation “(Wilson)” is unclear as to
meaning. From other records, we find that
Sarah
Nicholson, born 1819, married
Matthew M. Wilson.
3
It is
possible since Sarah Owen had joined in
1838, the notation “(Adams” means that
was her married
name and that she was leaving
to join her husband’s church.
4 Writing is not
clear.
^Back
to
Top
|
