The centennial celebration of the Church of the Advent, Williamston, N.C

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THECENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONOF THECHURCH OF THE ADVENTWILLIAMSTON, N.C.IN THEDIOCESE OF EAST CAROLINAOCTOBER 20, 1950

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CHURCH OF
THE ADVENT
(1850-1917)

The Rt. Rev. Alfred A.
Watson, D. D.
Rector (1850-1858)
First Bishop of the
Diocese of East Carolina
(1884-1905)

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Church of the Advent
(1917)

The Rev. Thomas L. Hastings
Rector (1949-)

The Rt. Rev. Thomas H. Wright, D.D.
Bishop of East Carolina (1945-)

James L. Wilson was a resident of Williamston in 1784. In the court house records today we find that he witnessed the will of one Kenneth McKenzie in that year. Five years later Mr. Wilson was called to Holy Orders and he traveled to Philadelphia where he was ordained by the Right Reverend William White,1 the first Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in America. The Reverend James L. Wilson returned to Williamston and from the first federal census in 1790 we learn this much about his family: he had “one boy under sixteen years of age and there were two white femals in his household—including the head of the family.”2 Within seven years he had purchased lots number 14 and 183 on the south side of Main Street between Biggs and Harrell Streets. Sometime in the year 1797 Mr. Wilson moved from here to Halifax County, where our history loses sight of him. Between the years 1790 and 1797, however, Mr. Wilson will be seen as one of the most influential leaders of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina.

By the year 1790 the Episcopal Church in all of America had but shortly been organized; the first General Convention being held in 1785. Yet only five years later in 1790 we find Mr. Wilson and the Reverend Charles Pettigrew of Edenton, N. C., meeting in Tarboro and holding the first convention in an effort to organize the Church in the State of North Carolina. The following passage is from the History of Edgecombe County. “Dr. William White, an eminent figure in the Episcopal Church after the Revolution, in 1789, wrote Governor Samuel Johnston of his desire to inaugurate a movement for the reorganization of the Church. Governor Johnston, being a layman of the church, referred the letter to the Reverend Charles Pettigrew. Governor Johnston and Mr. Pettigrew had for sometime been intimate friends, he being a member of Mr. Pettigrew's congregation at St. Paul's Church in Edenton. The contents of the letter voiced a desire to select some convenient place for the clergymen to meet and consult as to procedure to reawaken an interest in the Church.

“After the matter was referred to Mr. Pettigrew, he wrote letters to Dr. Cutting, rector at New Bern; the Rev. Mr. Wilson, of Martin County, and the Rev. Mr. Blount, residing on Tar River, expressing a desire that they meet at Tarboro on the second Thursday of May, 1790. He mentions this place as a central and convenient location. Accordingly, Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Wilson met in Tarboro on June 5, 1790, and held the first convention of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina. These two gentlemen were met in Tarboro by Dr. John Leigh and Mr. William Clements, who were residents and staunch churchmen. Mr. Pettigrew, in a letter addressed to Bishop White, regretted the fact that no more were in

1William White, Memoirs of the Protestant Episcopal Church, New York 1880. p. 201.2First Federal Census, 1790, State Records of North Carolina, Vol. XXVI p. 725.3Deed Book C, p. 135 and p. 470. Martin County Records.

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attendance, and that he had expected that as many as six clergymen would be present. . . .

“Two years later (after 1791), the third convention met in Tarboro. Mr. Wilson was president and Mr. Clements was again secretary. This convention made considerable more progress in the movement for a church reorganization. A State committee was appointed, and a circular was published calling a fourth convention to be held in Tarboro in May, 1794. The convention of 1793 was the largest held since the Revolution, but consisted of only six persons: Dr. Halling, of New Bern; the Rev. Mr. Gurley of Murfreesboro; the Rev. Mr. Wilson of Williamston; Mr. Wm. Clements, Dr. Leigh of Tarboro, and Mr. F. Green of Craven County. . . (The convention of 1794 elected Mr. Pettigrew to be the first bishop of North Carolina, but his early death prevented him from ever being consecrated.) The Rev. Mr. Wilson had been a strong advocated for the election of a bishop for North Carolina in the conventions at Tarboro, and he was the only minister who attended all four meetings at Tarboro. He was the president of one and had been selected as a delegate to the General Convention.”4

Bishop White notes this last fact on p. 201 of his Memoirs, “The Rev. James L. Wilson embarked as a deputy to the General Convention of 1792 (from North Carolina); but after an unusually long passage, arrived too late. At his special request, his arrival after the adjournment was noted by the secretary.” So we can see the very prominent part which Mr. Wilson of Martin County played in the early Episcopal history of North Carolina.

Now where was the church located that Mr. Wilson served during his seven year ministry in Williamston? The Diocesan Journal of 1790 lists him as the clerical representative of Martin and Edgecombe Counties.5

The only record found to date of an Episcopal Church in or near Williamston around this time is to be found in The Life and Times of Elder Reuben Ross, pages 77 and 90. Reuben Ross was a Primitive Baptist preacher who lived in Williamston in 1800. Suffering financial reverses and desiring to go to Tennessee to resettle and preach, he made preparations for the journey. His son John, who made the trip, tells of it in his book: “The sixth of May, 1807, was set for the commencement of the journey, on which day all were to meet at a deserted Episcopal Church, in a pine forest a few miles west of Williamston, and there pitch their tents for the first time. Several other families had concluded to emigrate with us.” p. 77. “The time for beginning the journey arrived . . . It was agreed that all should leave their homes the same day, in the morning, and meet at a deserted Episcopal church that stood in a forest

4J. Kelly Turner and John L. Bridgers, Jr., History of Edgecombe County, Raleigh, 1920. ps. 442-447.5Diocesan Journal of 1790.

of pines some distance from the town, and there encamp the first night.

“There were many of these deserted churches in Virginia and the Carolinas at that time. When the law was passed depriving the clergy of that church of the sixteen thousand pounds of tobacco to which they had been entitled annually, the Established Church was broken up, and these lonely and decaying buildings might be seen in many places in the country. As many of these churches had grave-yards attached, which were likewise neglected, the superstitious imagined they often saw forms that did not seem properly to belong to this world—not only by night, but sometimes in broad day—standing still or moving about; people generally went a little out of their way to pass around them . . .

“On the day appointed, the whole party met at the old church; and as the night came on, the tents were pitched . . .

The first night we children camped out we were ill at ease. We thought ghosts could not find a more desirable place for their walks than the lonely church. The scarred trunks of the pines, white with the indurated rosin, the moaning of the wind in their lofty tops, and the red glare of the campfires among their branches worked on our imaginations and caused the whole scene to appear weird and spectral. But at length ‘tired nature's sweet restorer’ came to our relief, and in the deep slumber of happy childhood all was forgotten. Next morning betimes all were up, the teams were fed, breakfast prepared and served, the tents struck, and the long journey began in earnest.”6

There stand today, three miles west of Williamston, on the Hamilton road, two cemeteries on the Slade farms. The inescapable conclusion is that this Episcopal church mentioned above stood adjacent to the older of these two cemeteries. In 1790 the Slade family owned almost all of this area near Williamston. The McKenzie and original Slade families were Church families and these facts, with those already mentioned, lead us to conclude that this Episcopal church, abandoned by the year 1807, was the scene of Mr. Wilson's ministry during his years here as an ordained priest of the Church. If the church had a name we do not know it. However, it might very well have been designated as St. Martin's for in the year 1774 when Martin County was created from parts of Tyrrell and Halifax counties, the county was also named as St. Martin's Parish.7

Until the year 1842 and particularly 1850, we hear little more of the Episcopal Church in Martin County.

In 1842 the Rev. William B. Otis was Rector of Grace Church in Plymouth. He held occasional services in Williamston and on December 19, 1842, he baptized the infant son of William J. and

6James Ross, Life and Times of Elder Reuben Ross. Philadelphia, 1882.7State Records of North Carolina, Walter Clark. Vol. XXIII, Laws 1715-1776, p. 976.

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View of the old Church from Church Street before the grounds were cleared for construction of the new church building in 1917. (From an old print).

Frances H. Ellison. This family will be seen as the lay founders of the parish. The date of this baptism is the first official act of administration in connection with what was to become the Church of the Advent congregation. After Mr. Otis, in 1844, the Rev. Alfred A. Watson became Rector of the Church in Plymouth. He came to Williamston as a missionary and held services in the old court house at stated times. Mainly to his efforts, the present organization of the church is due.

The following history is from the papers of the late Miss Emily Whitley. “Mrs. Frances Helen Ellison (whose tablet is in the present church) had at this time (1844) a Sunday School, the children meeting at her house. She also had the children of the slaves to come every Sunday afternoon and say their catechism orally from a little book compiled by Bishop Ives to teach the slaves. Her mother, Mrs. Ann G. Hyman, gave the plot of ground on which the church is built. After the death of Mrs. Frances H. Ellison in 1849, her husband, William J. Ellison, became interested, and with the assistance of Mrs. Ann G. Hyman, Miss Betty Hyman, and Miss Helen Slade, the Church was built with but little outside assistance. Mr. Ellison was very much interested in the work and devoted much time and money to it. His carpenter, Moses, a slave, did most of the work. Rev. Alfred A. Watson planned the church and the plastering of it is due to the earnest efforts of Miss Betty Hyman and her maid, Sabina Hyman, the cost of which was $100.00.

The beginning of this amount, $8.00, was made by the sale of a lamb given Miss Hyman by Mr. Henry Slade. The remaining

$92.00 they raised by sewing, making bonnets, aprons and quilts to sell. Mrs. Ann G. Hyman with the help of her maid, Jane, raised enough money by knitting and crocheting, to buy the chancel furniture, chairs, carpet, etc.

The church was consecrated to the service of God on Friday, April 26, 1850, by Bishop Ives. Bishop of North Carolina, under the name of “Church of the Advent.” He was assisted in the services by Rev. Alfred A. Watson. The dedication sermon was preached from the Gospel according to St. John XII:26, “If any many serve me let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.”

At this time there were two confirmed, Mr. William J. Ellison and his daughter, Annie H. Ellison. Seven persons partook of the Holy Communion, administered by the Bishop.

The church was admitted into union with the Convention of the Church of the Diocese at the Convention held in Elizabeth City, May 30, 1850. Mr. William Ellison and Dr. T. H. Wingfield were the two delegates to the convention.

The Parish not being able singly to support a clergyman, measures were taken to unite with the neighboring Parish of St. Thomas, Windsor, for the purpose of having regular services, and the Rev. Charles A. Maison, formerly assistant minister of St. Paul's, Edenton, N. C., became the first Rector of the united Parishes. His first services in this Parish church were held on the morning and evening of the 21st Sunday after Trinity, October 20th, 1850.

In January 1851 a Communion Service was presented to the Parish by Mrs. Josia Collins of Lake Scuppernong, a handsome silver chalice and paten, with a flagon and two alms basins of britannia ware. In 1851 Mr. John A. Gambrel of New York, a special friend of one of the church members, presented to the church a bell, with complete hangings, toward which the congregation contributed $15.00. On January 5, 1852, Rev. C. A. Maison resigned the charge of the Parish. It was resumed again in June, 1852, by Rev. Alfred A. Watson, who continued to hold it until 1858. At the General Convention of 1853 held at New York, Bishop Ives was deposed from his jurisdiction and office, and Rev. Thomas Atkinson was consecrated to fill his place. Bishop Atkinson made his first visit to the Church of the Advent, April 12, 1854.

In 1857 the chancel was newly carpeted, an altar cloth provided, and brass candle branches placed upon the walls. The second chancel rail was built and also placed there by Mr. Watson himself in 1858.

In 1858 Rev. Alfred A. Watson resigned the charge of the Parish, having accepted a call to Christ Church, New Bern, N. C.

The Parish not being able to support a clergyman, Rev. Benjamin S. Bronson volunteered his services and took charge in 1859, giving one Sunday in each month.

From the Spring 1861 to the Spring 1866, the church was without

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services because of the Civil War. During the four years of the war Miss Betty Hyman was a refugee and it was through her loving care that the Communion Service and chancel carpet were preserved. She sold the carpet and on her return to Williamston gave the money together with the Communion Service to the Rev. Thomas B. Haughton, then minister-in-charge.

She found the little church had been almost destroyed by the Northern army and subscriptions had to be taken up for repairs. As Miss Hyman was the oldest member of the church, it fell to her lot to carry the paper around, and she succeeded in collecting the needed amount.

In the spring of 1866 Rev. Thomas B. Haughton took charge here in connection with Grace Church, Plymouth, and St. Luke's, Washington County. Through the efforts of Mr. Wilson G. Lamb, Mr. Joseph M. Sitterson, Mr. Frank A. Rhodes and a few others in the Parish a vestry room was added to the church in 1869. In 1870 Mr. Lamb and Mr. Sitterson purchased a lot adjoining the church property and presented it to the church. During this same year, the lot was enclosed with a good fence.

On May 27, 1872, Miss Helen Slade, one of the founders of the church, purchased the Rectory at a cost of $1,000 with the understanding that Rev. Thomas B. Haughton would remove to this Parish and occupy the building, which he did on October 17, 1873. The church building was repaired and painted in 1874, towards which Miss Margaret Thompson of Grace Church, Woodville, N. C., gave $100.00, the remainder being given by the members of the Parish. This congregation was also indebted to the Woodville congregation for the gift of a second-hand melodion.

On March 20, 1874, Judge Asa Biggs very kindly gave to the church a strip of land adjoining the church grounds.

The Bishop consented for the Rev. Thomas B. Haughton to relinquish the charge of St. Luke's, Washington County, and Grace Church, Plymouth, in 1875, and instead take charge of St. Martin's, Hamilton, and Jamesville, in connection with the Church of the Advent.

In 1876 a stone font was given to the church by Miss Betty Hyman. In 1877 the melodion given by the Woodville church was replaced with a cabinet organ at a cost of $100.00, the amount being subscribed by a few of the members, and some from the citizens of the town. Through the efforts of Mrs. Dennis Simmons, the church was repaired and painted, steeple changed, new pews and chancel furniture added in 1892. A fence was also built at this time. She contributed generously towards this herself, and with contributions from friends and members of the church collected sufficient funds to complete the work.”

In the long passage above we see the mention of St. Martin's Church in Hamilton. This church became the second Episcopal parish in the county. In 1868 the Rev. Mr. Haughton made this report

to the Diocesan Convention: “With the consent of the Bishop, I have established a missionary station at Hamilton, a village 13 miles from Williamston. There I officiate on the third Sunday in each month. In this field I have been greatly aided in my work by a family whose devotion to the Church is known to those acquainted with this portion of the diocese. A Sunday School has been opened at this station under the care of a Christian lady. In Hamilton, I have baptized three adults and three infants, and have married one couple, which are included in the Parochial Report of the Church of the Advent.”8

In 1873, St. Martin's, Hamilton, was admitted into union with the Convention of the Diocese.

From 1866 until 1894, a span of 28 years, the Rev. Thomas B. Haughton had served as rector of the Church of the Advent. It was during his ministry that the foundations of the parish were solidly laid. We have the Bishop's own words as touching the death of this faithful servant: “Nov. 27, 1894. In St. Thomas’, Windsor, I took part in Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, preached twice, celebrated, and confirmed one person presented by the Rev. T. B. Haughton. This was the last time I saw my old friend and our brother, alive. We had served together all day and had eaten together, he being, as I supposed, in his usual health. At night we bade each other goodbye, not knowing it to be for life. In the morning we started upon our different routes. He drove home, and, before retiring, prepared himself for the Thanksgiving service of the next day. But, just before midnight, his Lord came, and, after a mortal struggle of about 20 minutes, he passed on into the more

Breaking ground for the new church (from an old print), left to right, A. D. Mizelle, Henry Gurkin, Rev. M. Maynard, Wilson Lamb, Mayo Lamb, Mrs. J. G. Staton, Mrs. Nannie Saunders, Mary Smith, and Mrs. Irene Smith Barnes (with parasol).

8Diocesan Journal for 1868.

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In attendance at the laying of the cornerstone for the new church in the Spring of 1916 (reproduced from an old print) were (left to right), Miss Sallie Biggs, Mrs. W. R. Fowden, A. D. Mizelle, W. G. Lamb, Sr., Mrs. J. G. Staton, Miss Mayo Lamb, The Rev. Malcolm Maynard, Henry Gurkin, Mrs. Irene Smith, Mrs. J. H. Saunders, Miss Annie Lamb and Mrs. Irene Smith Barnes.

immediate Presence. It was a very sad event to me. I had known him for 40 years. He had been a personal friend, one who had greatly served me, as a layman, and afterward as a faithful Priest. We had been together as Chaplains in the army. His house was my home when in his Parish. Its doors, indeed, were always open to his brethren, with a hospitality beyond his means. For many years the Rector of the Church of the Advent, Williamston, it will be hard to fill his place.”9

In the Spring of 1916, the Church of the Advent entered a new phase of its history. At that time the Rev. Malcolm Maynard broke the ground for the present church building. Photographs taken then show a group of those attending the service, among whom were A. D. Mizelle and Henry Gurkin, the latter not a communicant of the Church but an interested member of the Bible class so active then. In the summer the cornerstone was laid and the lovely lines of the Gothic structure began to take form. On April 26, 1917, the 67th anniversary of the Parish, the new home of the Church of the Advent became a reality. In his Address to the Diocese in 1917, the Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Darst, the Consecrator, wrote as follows: “April 26. In the presence of a goodly number of the Clergy and of a large congregation, I Consecrated the new and beautiful Church of the Advent, Williamston. The Rev. Morrison Bethea, Rector of St. Timothy's Wilson, who was for many

9Diocesan Journal 1895, p. 15 Appendix.

Members of the choir at the Consecration of the new church, April 26, 1917, are pictured above (from an old print), left to right, Richard Smith, Mrs. Nannie Saunders, Annie Lamb, Wilson Lamb, Jr., Mary Lee Hassell, Mrs. Carrie Rhodes, Mayo Lamb, Mrs. Irene Smith Barnes, Lon Hassell, Sr., Laura Crawford, “Miss Scrap” Thrower, and Rev. C. H. Jordan.

years Rector of the Church of the Advent, preached the Consecration sermon. The Dean of the Convocation, the Rev. Robert B. Drane, D. D., and Rev. C. H. Jordan, the Rector of the Church, assisted in the celebration of the Holy Communion. This Church, which takes the place of the old frame structure, Consecreated April 26, 1850, is the gift of a faithful and generous daughter of the Church, Mrs. James Grist Staton. May her loving gift inspire others to consecrate more of their material things to the service of God.”10

Colonel Wilson G. Lamb was Senior Warden for fifty years prior to his resignation in 1918, and was indeed the father of the parish. Mr. Lamb, “Miss Sallie” Biggs, “Miss Irene” Smith, Mrs. W. R. Fowden, “Miss Chloe” Lanier, “Miss Fannie” Carstarphen, “Miss Ella” and “Miss Fannie” Hassel, and Miss Hattie Thrower were some of the members of the Church of the Advent who watched the parish struggle through lean but happy years, and go forward with new vigor upon the completion of the new building. In years when there was no minister, Mrs. Fowden would lead the Lenten services.

The women of the parish, always busy and interested in doing their part in the work of the church, functioned under the name of the Woman's Auxiliary and Parochial Society, holding bazaars and suppers, and serving meals at the county fairs to make money

10“Bishop's Address,” Diocesan Journal 1917, p. 78.

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to meet the obligations of the organization. Later, with Mrs. Staton reorganizing and planning, this group became the present Woman's Auxiliary. For a good many years meetings were held in the homes of the members, but in 1918 Mrs. Staton converted the second floor of an uptown building into a Parish Hall, and many of the parish activities were carried on there.

During 1924 the rectory was moved and a part of the original lot was sold to the Standard Oil Company. Some changes were made in the rectory and the Pardo family was the first to enjoy the newly renovated house.

In 1929 the Parish was fortunate in having the number of services increased from two to three Sundays a month. Today our records show a membership of 140 persons. The parish is self-supporting and the efforts of those who have gone before are bearing fruit.

Before bringing this historical sketch to a close, more mention should be made of two of the parish's chief benefactors. As stated above, Mrs. James G. Staton was the donor of the present beautiful church building and its furnishings. Besides this wonderful expression of generosity, her devotion to the Church has extended beyond the bounds of this Parish. She has served as President of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Diocese, as Diocesan United Thank Offering Custodian, and as a Diocesan delegate to several of the Triennials of the Woman's Auxiliary. In 1942, on the 25th Anniversary of the new church building, the congregation placed a tablet in the church expressing their gratitude to this loyal “daughter of the Church.”

The other benefactor to the life of the parish is Mrs. “Nannie” Saunders, who for forty years has carried the responsibility for the music of the church. She played the organ regularly for years and is still substituting today; she has trained others to play that instrument so necessary for rendering a “joyful praise unto the Lord,” and she has taught countless boys and girls, men and women those musical parts of the Church's liturgy. Surely her contribution to the parish is immeasurable. Mention could be made of many others who have contributed so much to the life and growth of the parish, but surely these two are outstanding.

At the Service of Consecration the congregation prayed that God would bless the Church of the Advent; that “Thy Name may be worshipped in truth and purity through all generations.” As we observe its 100 Anniversary we can find no better prayer to offer.

APPENDIX

Notes from early Diocesan Journals

1850	Journal
	“Missionary Station at Williamston, Martin County
	Baptisms — Infants, white 2, colored 6,	—8
	Communicants — Died 1, removed 2, present number	—3
	Contributions for Diocesan Missions	$10.97
	This station has just been organized into a Parish, under the name of “Church of the Advent.” A church has been built, paid for, and consecrated within the past year, mostly from the efforts of the members of the Church here resident, and of the citizens of the town. Some assistance, however, has been rendered by members of the Church in other parts of the Diocese, for which we desire to return our brotherly thanks.
	Alfred A. Watson.

1851	Baptisms — Infant, white 6, colored 15; adult, white 4 and colored 3; total	28
	Confirmations — White 3, colored 2	5
	Communicants — White, added 2, present no.	5
	Contributions — For Bishop's salary 3.67
	For Diocesan Missions 6.68
	For General Domestic Missions 2.96
	For Parochial Purposes 14.69
	We have received a beautiful set of Communion Plate from “A Daughter of the Church.”
	The Holy Communion is administered monthly.
	There is here also a congregation of colored people, who appear to be much interested in the services of the Church.
	Charles A. Maison.

1858	“There is much to encourage in the prospects of this Parish. It is small but the ordinary attendance upon the Church services by the citizens of the place is proportionately large, and the proportion of male attendants is unusual.
	The Church is much improved upon the inside, and a bell tower has been commenced.
	A. A. Watson.

1866

“Since March 18th, I have been performing monthly services in this parish . . . This parish has sustained a severe blow in the loss of one of its most faithful and energetic members, Lt. Col. John C. Lamb, who fell mortally wounded in the engagement at Bermuda Hundreds. He was for some time a Vestryman ,and kept constantly in view the good of the Church, and was untiring in his efforts to promote the spiritual welfare of the flock of which he was a consistent and worthy member.”

T. B. Haughton.

1873	“This Parish is now the home of the Minister, who had been made comfortable in a parsonage house which was donated to the parish by a zealous lady member of the Church.”
	T. B. Haughton.

1879	“During the past year the ladies of the parish have succeeded in raising a sufficient amount of money to supply the Church with two very handsome chandeliers — eight lights each, and a very nice and

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	attractive stove . . . the Church building and Rectory are in good condition and entirely out of debt.”
	T. B. Haughton.

1886	“I still have charge of the Mission Station at Jamesville, where I have only been able to make occasional visits in consequence of my not being able to incur the expense of horse-hire, and which the few members, here, have not the pecuniary ability to meet.”
	T. B. Haughton.

SENIOR WARDENS
Of The
CHURCH OF THE ADVENT

1. Wilson G. Lamb (1868-1918)

2. James G. Staton

3. Harry Stubbs

4. N. Cortez Green

RECTORS OF THE
CHURCH OF THE ADVENT

1. Alfred A. Watson (1850)

2. Charles A. Maison (1850)

3. Alfred A. Watson (1852-1858)

4. Thomas B. Haughton (1866-1894)

5. E. P. Green (1896-1900)

6. F. B. Ticknor (1900)