EPISCOPAL CHURCHES IN SAINT MICHAELS

the old church and the new

Work was begun on the new Parish church of St. Michaels Parish, Talbot County, Md., Tuesday, June 25, 1878.

In tearing down the old church the parts near the walls were found to be entirely decayed, and the walls themselves cracked from the top to the foundation and started out of plumb from three to five inches. The workmen found the tomb of Rev. Henry Nicols under the chancel in good preservation, and also the tomb of Rev. Mr. Chamberlaine on the interior of the west gable; these were carefully protected from injury. The following is the Latin inscription on the slab over Rev. Mr. Nicols's tomb, which was covered by the chancel floor, and exposed when the chancel was removed:

Jacent Exuviae

H. S.

H. Nicols, A. M.

Coll. Jesu Ox:

Olim Socii

Hujus Ecclesiae Pastoris. Indignissimi

per Annos 41.

Nati Aprilis 1 mo 1687

Denati Feb'y 12 mo 1748

Salvam fac Animam Christe

pro meritis fuis

Vixit Annos 70

Sal fatuum conculcate

Haccipsc jussit insculpenda

This inscription may be translated thus:

Here lies the remains of Henry Nicols, A.M., formerly a fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, and a pastor of this church for 41 years—most unworthy. Born April 1st, 1678; died Feb. 12, 1748. Save his soul, O Christ, for Thy own merits. He lived 70 years. Tread upon salt without savor. He ordered these to be inscribed.

The present church is not very old, having been built in 1812. It is the third church on the same spot.

The first recorded baptism took place in 1672. These different churches judging from the records cost the sparse and scattered population much labor and self-denial, and the present congregation cannot expect to finish the work which they have now begun without experi

encing the same self-sacrifice. The church would not be a worthy offering to God if it cost them nothing.

The plan of the new church is by Henry M. Congdon, 111 Broadway, New York; it is, we believe, of the early English transition style. The dimensions, in length, from west gable of tower, to east gable of chancel is 100 feet, full width from outside to outside 52 feet; within these walls there is a vestibule in the tower 12x15 feet, a nave or audience room 48x48 feet, a chancel including choir 25x25 feet, an organ room 10x12 feet and a vestry room 10x12 feet. The central aisle will be 7 feet wide with two side aisles along the walls. Beside the entrance through the tower there will be an entrance through a south porch. The Sunday school room is placed in a gallery over the north gable, it will be a handsome room, throughly lighted and ventilated, approached through a winding stair-way in the tower, dimensions about 18x48 feet. When finished it will be so arranged that after the school is over it can be turned into a pleasant and roomy seating-place for the colored people. The front elevation of this church with tower and spire is very beautifully proportioned, and when finished will be a great ornament to the town of St. Michaels. The outside dimensions of the tower are about 20x20 feet, stone-work running up about 60 feet, finished with a spire including cross, about 45 feet, making in all 105 feet. The whole church is plain but beautifully proportioned and if finished as designed by the architect will do credit to the vestry of St. Michaels Parish, be an honor to the neighborhood, and enhance the fame of the architect.

When the floor of the old church was taken up, some old flint-andsteel muskets were found. It is known that during the war of 1812 the church was occupied by soldiery, and these old muskets have doubtless been there since that time.

EARLIEST CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN

TALBOT COUNTY

The ancient town of Doncaster stood on the tract of land in Miles River neck which continues to perpetuate the name of Doncaster farm. It was located at the mouth of Wye River, opposite Bennett's point. Bruff's Island was separated from the town of Doncaster by a narrow, but deep, channel through which the largest sailing vessels could pass. The stone foundation of a large building that was evidently a tobacco warehouse, and which had been completely covered by the sand for more than a century was unearthed, in 1912, by some workmen engaged in building a concrete sea-wall for Mr. Sidney S. Schuyler, the present owner of Bruff's Island, and also of a part of the Doncaster farm. There is a plat of the town of Doncaster still preserved by Mr. Charles Howard Lloyd upon which is marked a Roman Catholic Chapel with a steeple on it. This was doubtless the chapel which Frances Sayer, the widow of Col. Peter Sayer, in her will probated 27th September, 1698, ordered built of lime and brick over the burial place of her late husband, who was High Sheriff of Talbot County, and who died less than a year before her. In his will, probated 2nd November, 1697, he devises one-third of his estate "to the English Benedictine Nuns and English Benedictine Monks at Paris, and to English Friars." He also directed his Executors, (his wife, Frances, and nephew, Charles Blake,) "to sell Proptr's Island, or some other piece of property, and out of the proceeds to pay certain personalty to Thomas Lifeholly, to each of testator's grandchildren (unnamed), and to all priests in the Province." The Island referred to was Crouch's or Bruff's Island, which, however, he had sold before his death to Edmond O'Dwyer.

Philemon Lloyd the only child of Edward Lloyd, the Puritan, married Henrietta Maria Bennett, the widow of Richard Bennett, of Bennett's Point. He was accidentlly drowned in Wye River, leaving her a young widow with an infant son, Richard Bennett, Jr. She brought to her second husband a large fortune, and bore him three sons and four daughters. Among the many tracts of land mentioned in her will, probated June 2, 1697, she mentioned the Great Island in Wye River bought of

Charles Hemsley. Being a daughter of Captain James Neale and Henrietta Maria Gill, who were Romanists, she was a devout Catholic, as is evidenced by the following devises in her will. "To the priests at the Chapel at Wye River 100 acres, 'Town Road,' bought of Richard Hazelten and also land bequeathed testatrix by John Londy of Chester River." John Londey, by his will executed April 2, 1693, devised onethird of his estate to Roman Catholic Chapel at mouth of Wye River.

OLD ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH

Rev. Joseph Mosley, a Jesuit Priest, who came to Cecil County in 1760, had charge of a Catholic mission at Bohemia Manor until 1787. He travelled all over the Eastern Shore, and in the journal, left by him, he says he baptized about 600 persons, many of whom were negro slaves, and that between the years 1766 and 1787, the accessions to the Catholic Churches to which he ministered, including some on the Western shore, numbered 185, and he performed the marriage ceremony 170 times and officiated at about 175 funerals. In 1764, he organized a church at St. Joseph's in Talbot County, and probably with a view of founding another mission similar to the one at Bohemia, purchased about three hundred and fifty acres of land in Chapel District, near the border line of Queen Anne's County. The next year he placed eight negroes, which he brought from Prince George's County at a cost of £10, each on this farm. These negroes are supposed to have been in charge of an overseer. Father Mosley's journal contains many curious entries illustrative of the manners and customs of society at the time they were made. Among them are the following: "4th November, 1770, I married Jerry, a negro of ours to Jenny, a negro belonging to Mr. Charles Blake, but afterwards bought by us. Test,—many negroes, both ours and others, at St. Joseph's, Talbot. 23rd July, 1777, I married Davy, a negro of ours, to Hannah, a negro of John Lockerman, by his consent. Many negroes of his and our family being present. September, 1795, married at home a wench of John Connell (Senior), named Hannah to a fellow of Tullies Neck, by note." There are many entries in Father Mosley's journal of marriages of negroes "by note," which meant that the sable couples had notes from their owners requesting or authorizing him to perform the marriage ceremony. The above data, in relation to Father Joseph Mosley is taken from Johnston's History of Cecil County. The Catholics continued to hold this farm until 1882, when they sold it to John P. Stelle. They, however, retained the Church

and a few acres surrounding it. This ancient brick edifice although now (1914), just a hundred and fifty years old, is in a good state of preservation and regular weekly services are held in it by Priests from the Parish Church in Easton. The Jesuits had conveyed this entire property in 1874, to the Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington. Father Albert Peters was the last resident Pastor of the Jesuit Society.