[1] Most of these letters were written by two colored preachers, George
Liele and Andrew Bryan.
[2] Mr. Moore was an ordained Baptist minister, of the county of Burke,
in Georgia; he died, it seems, some time since. EDITOR.
[3] 140 l. currency is 100 l. sterling.
[4] A bit was seven pence half-penny currency, or about five pence
halfpenny sterling.
SKETCHES OF THE BLACK BAPTIST CHURCH AT SAVANNAH, IN GEORGIA; AND OF THEIR
MINISTER ANDREW BRYAN, EXTRACTED FROM SEVERAL LETTERS
Savannah, July 19, 1790, &c.
_Dear Brother_,
"With pleasure I receive your favor of the 20th ult. more particularly,
as I trust the correspondence may be of use to Brother Andrew's
church; concerning the origin of which, I have taken from him the
following account.
"Our Brother _Andrew_ was one of the black hearers of _George Liele,"_
of whom an account was given before; and was hopefully converted by his
preaching from chapter III. of St. John's Gospel, and a clause of verse
7, _Ye must be born again_; prior to the departure of _George Liele_ for
Jamaica, he came up from Tybee River, where departing vessels frequently
lay ready for sea, and baptized our Brother _Andrew_, with a wench of
the name _Hagar_, both belonging to _Jonathan Bryan_, Esq.; these were
the last performances of our Brother _George Liele_ in this quarter.
About eight or nine months after his departure, _Andrew_ began to exhort
his black hearers, with a few whites. Edward Davis, Esq.; indulged him
and his hearers to erect a rough building on his land at _Yamacraw_, in
the suburbs of Savannah for a place of worship, of which they have been
very artfully dispossessed. In this their beginning of worship they had
frequent interruptions from the whites; as it was at a time that a
number of blacks had absconded, and some had been taken away by the
British. This was a plausible excuse for their wickedness in their
interruptions. The whites grew more and more inveterate; taking numbers
of them before magistrates--they were imprisoned and whipped. _Sampson_,
a brother of _Andrew_, belonging to the same master, was converted about
a year after him, and continued with him in all their persecutions, and
does until now. These, with many others, were twice imprisoned, and
about _fifty_ were severely whipped, particularly _Andrew, who was cut
and bled abundantly_, while he was under their lashes; Brother
_Hambleton_ says, he held up his hand, and told his persecutors that he
rejoiced not only to be whipped, but _would freely suffer death for the
cause of Jesus Christ_. "The chief justice _Henry Osborne_, Esq.; _James
Habersham_, Esq.;[1] and _David Montague_, Esq.; were their examinants,
and released them. Their kind _master_ also interceded for them; and
was much affected and grieved at their punishment." Brother _Hambleton_
was also an advocate for them; and further says, that at one of their
examinations _George Walton_, Esq.; spoke freely in favour of the
sufferers, saying, that such treatment would be condemned even among
barbarians. "The chief justice _Osborne_ then gave them liberty to
continue their worship between sunrising and sun set; and their
indulgent _master_ told the magistrate, that he would give them the
liberty of his own _house or his barn_, at a place called Brampton,
about three miles from town, and that they should not be interrupted
in their worship. In consequence hereof, they made use of their
masters _barn_, where they had a number of hearers, with little or
no interruption, for about two years. During the time of worship at
Brampton Brother Thomas Burton, an elderly baptist preacher, paid them
a visit, examined and baptized about _eighteen_ blacks: at another period
while there they received a visit from our brother _Abraham Marshall_[2]
who examined and baptized about forty and gave them two certificates
from under his hand;" copies of which follow:
This is to _certify_, that upon examination into the experiences and
characters of a number of _Ethiopians_, and adjacent to Savannah, it
appears that God has brought them out of darkness into the light of the
Gospel, and given them fellowship one with the other; believing it is
the will of Christ, we have constituted them a church of Jesus Christ,
to keep up his worship and ordinances.
(Signed) A. Marshall, V.D.M.
Jan. 19, 1788.
This is to certify, that the Ethiopian church of Jesus Christ at
Savannah, have called their beloved _Andrew_ to the work of the
ministry. We have examined into his qualifications, and believing it to
be the will of the great Head of the church, we have appointed him to
preach the Gospel, and to administer the ordinances, as God in his
providence may call.
(Signed) A. Marshall, V.D.M.
Jan. 20, 1788.
"After the death of their master his son, Dr. _William Bryan_,
generously continued them the use of the _barn_ for worship, until the
estate was divided among the family. Our Brother _Andrew_, by consent of
parties, purchased his freedom, bought a lot at Yamacraw, and built a
residence near the dwelling house which their master had given _Sampson_
liberty to build on his lot; and which have ever been made use of for
worship. But by the division of their master's estate, the lot whereon
_Sampson_ had built a house to live in, and which until this time
continues to be used for worship, by _Andrew_, fell into the hands of an
attorney, who married a daughter of the deceased Mr. Bryan, and receives
no less than 12 l. a year for it. _Sampson_ serves as a clerk, but
frequently exhorts in the absence of his brother who has his
appointments in different places to worship.
"Brother _Andrew's_ account of his number in full communion is TWO
HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE, and about THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY have been
received as converted followers, many of whom have not permission" from
their owners "to be baptized.--The whole number is judged to be about
five hundred and seventy-five, from the towns being taken to this
present July. I have consulted brother _Hambleton_, who thinks they have
need of a few Bibles, the Baptist Confession of Faith, and Catechism;
Wilson on Baptism, some of Bunyan's works, or any other that your wisdom
may think useful to an illerate [sic] people. They all join in prayers
for you and yours and beg your intercession at the throne of grace for
them, as well as for the small number of whites that dwell here; and
among them I hope you will not forget your poor unworthy brother, and
believe me, with sincere affections and brotherly love, your in the
bonds of the Gospel,
(Signed) Jonathan Clarke[3]
Concerning the church at Savannah, the late Rev. Mr. Joseph Cook, of the
Euhaw, upper Indian land, thus writes: "From the enclosed you will see
how it became a church, and what they have suffered, which is extremely
affecting, but they now begin to rise from obscurity and to appear
great. I have some acquaintance with their pastor, and have heard him
preach; his _gifts are small_, but he is _clear in the grand doctrines_
of the Gospel.--I believe him to be _truly pious_ and he has been the
instrument of doing more good among the poor slaves than all the learned
doctors in America."
The friends of our adorable Redeemer will, no doubt, rejoice to find
that this large body of Christians negroes, under the patronage of some
of the most respectable persons in their city, "have opened a
subscription for the erecting of a place of worship in the city of
Savannah, for the society of black people of the Baptist denomination--
the property to be vested in the hands of seven or more persons in trust
for the church and congregation."
Their case[4] is sent to England, recommended by
J. JOHNSON,[5] Minister of the Union Church.
JOHN HAMILTON.
EBENEZER HILLS.
JOSEPH WATTS.
D. MOSES VALLOTTON.
JOHN MILLENE.
ABRAHAM LEGGETT.
Since the preceding account has been in the press, other letters have been
received, of which the following is an extract.
Kingston, Jamaica, May 18, 1792.
_Rev. and Dear Sir_,
In answer to yours I wrote December 18 last, and as I have not received
a line from you since, I send this, not knowing but the other was
miscarried. Mr. Green has called upon me, and very kindly offered his
service to deliver a letter from me into your hands; he also advised me
to send you a copy of our church covenant, which I have done: being a
collection of some of the principal texts of scripture which we observe,
both in America and this country, for the direction of our practice. It
is read once a month here on sacrament meetings, that our members may
examine if they live according to all those laws which they profess,
covenanted and agreed to; by this means our church is kept in scriptural
subjection. As I observe in my last the chiefest part of our society are
poor illiterate slaves, some living on sugar estates, some on mountains,
pens, and other settlements, that have no learning, no not to know so
much as a letter in the book; but the reading this covenant once a
month, when all are met together from the different parts of the island,
keeps them in mind of the commandments of God. And by shewing the same
to the gentlemen of the legislature, and the justices, and magistrates,
when I applied for a sanction, it gave them general satisfaction; and
wherever a negro servant is to be admitted, their owners, after the
perusal of it, are better satisfied. We are this day raising the roof on
the walls of our meeting house; the height of the walls from the
foundation is seventeen feet. I have a right to praise God, and glorify
him for the manifold blessings I have received, and do still receive
from him. I have full liberty from _Spanish Town_, the capital of this
country, to preach the Gospel throughout the Island: the Lord is
blessing the work everywhere, and believers are added daily to the
church. My tongue is not able to express the goodness of the Lord. As
our meeting house is out of town "(about a mile and a half)," I have a
steeple on it, to have a bell to give notice to our people and more
particularly to the owners of Slaves that are in our society, that they
may know the hour on which we meet, and be satisfied that our servants
return in due time; for which reason I shall be greatly obliged to you
to send me out, as soon as possible, a bell that can be heard about two
_miles_ distance, with the price. I have one at present, but it is
rather small. The slaves may then be permitted to come and return in due
time, for at present we meet very irregular in respect to hours. I
remain, with the utmost regards, love and esteem,
Rev. Sir, yours, &c.
George Liele.
Copy of a Recommendatory Letter of Hannah Williams, a Negro Woman, in
London. It is all in print, except the part of it which now appears
in Italics.
Kingston, Jamaica, we that are of the Baptist Religion, being separated
from all churches, excepting they are of the same faith and order after
Jesus Christ, according to the scriptures, do certify, that our beloved
_Sister Hannah Williams, during the time she was a member of the
Church at Savannah, until the evacuation, did walk as a_ faithful,
well-behaved Christian, and to recommend her to join any church of the
same faith and order. Given under my hand this 21st day of _December_,
in the year of our Lord, 1791.
George Liele.
--_Baptist Annual Register_, 1790-1793, pages 339-344.