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ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH, BUILT 1734 AT BATH, N. C., 1705

 

 
History Sketch
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St. Thomas’ Parish was organized with a Vestry in 1701.

The Parish was partly maintained by assistance from the So-
ciety for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, of —
England, until long after the erection of the present building
in 1734. In 1715 the Assembly passed an Act causing the

- Parish to consist of “the remaining part of Pamlico River and _

_ the Branches thereof, commonly called Beaufort. precinct, to
_ be one Parish by the name of St. Thomas Parish in this Act.’”

This Act named the following as Vestrymen: ‘The Honorable

See -sChas. Biden, Esq., Gol. Christophe er Gale, Tobias Knight, Esq, : = a

Mr. John Porter, Dan Richardson, Esq., Mr, Thomas Worsely,

3 Capt. John Drinkwater, Capt. Jno. Clark, Mr. John Adams, -

‘Mr. Patrick Maule, Mr. Thomas Harding, Mr. John Lillington,” —
St. Thomas is the oldest Church in the State The brick of.

which it is built were in all probability brought from Eng-

land. People ‘are said to be buried under its pews asi was the

custom in olden days. One slab, of the many formerly there, —

remains on the wall to mark such burial. The deed for the
land and the Old Bible are interesting. The history of the

Church is: tied up with that of the town of Bath, which was

founded by John Lawson, Joel Martin, and Simon Alderson 2
and chartered in 1705. Many stories of the Indians and the —

pirate Teach, better known as “Blackbeard”’ are associated with ©
the place.

J. N. B.

Photographed by T. R. DRAPER, Bath, N, ©,

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