SOUTH RIVER MONTHLY MEETING (infrequently called Bedford Monthly Meeting) ~

©1999 compiled by Ed Marsh

To get a clearness with respect to marriage picture of the location of South River Meeting one needs only to think of the city of Lynchburg, Campbell County, Virginia - the city built by the Quakers of South River. In 1750 the location of the city of Lynchburg was a desolate riverbank in the Virginia wilderness. In 1805 it boasted of only five or six hundred citizens. It had several stores, a warehouse, a ferry, a newspaper and many comfortable homes, and across the James River lived a friendly tribe of Monocan Indians. The forest pressed closely to the little town but gradually it was assuming the air of established civilization.

Bedford County, Virginia was set off from Albemarle County about 1752, Albemarle County having been earlier set off from Lunenburg County. Then, in 1781, Campbell County was set off from Bedford County; and Campbell County embraced all terrain surrounding Lynchburg. Thus, persons living in Albemarle Co., in 1750, may have suddenly found themselves living in Bedford Co., after 1752, and in Campbell Co., after 1781, without ever having removed from their originally built log cabins.

While this terrain had been visited by fur traders some years previously, it was in 1650 that the first party of white men set out from Petersburg to explore this wilderness, then inhabited only by tribes of unfriendly Indians. This party of explorers headed by Edward Bland and Capt. Abraham Wood, got only about 65 miles into the wilderness, as "the crow flies"; surrounded on all sides by ferocious Indians, they became afraid and soon returned home. A second exploring party, headed by Major William Harris and John Lederer, started out in 1670 from the site of Richmond, and reached a point but a few miles from the future site of Lynchburg, at which point Major Harris became afraid and returned homeward, though Lederer, taking a single Indian guide, went on into the wilderness and five days later found himself in a village of Sapony Indians, in what is now Campbell County. Lederer is supposed to have been the first white man to enter Campbell and Bedford Counties.

Another party headed by Robert Fallam and Thomas Batts came across country from Petersburg in 1671. These were the first white men to cross the Blue Ridge. Although these men found rich lands already in cultivation by Indians, it was not until about 1742 that white settlers actually began to come to this region in numbers, beginning with the Hat Creek colony. The scouts, preceding them found only one aged white man within a radius of forty five miles. The Hat Creek colonists were Presbyterians. Although historians depict these Presbyterians as being the first white people to inhabit this locality, the Quaker records indicate that there were Quaker families ahead of them, on the lower side of Goose Creek in "Albemarle County" (now Bedford).

It was into this "forbidden paradise", of which no portion is more beautiful than that in which Lynchburg is built, that our South River Quakers came, unarmed, by covered wagon and oxcart, trusting in kindness and their own unexcelled confidence to protect them from the savages. At first they came in small groups, one or two families at a time, but finally they poured in - not in a continuous stream, but in waves. The South River Colony of Quakers (so-called because it lay south of the James River) was the third group to former a settlement in what is now Campbell County.

The family of Charles Lynch, the senior, was the first to enter the area now occupied by Lynchburg and its environs. He had run away from him home in Ireland, at the age of fifteen, aboard an outgoing ship to America. This was about 1720. To pay for his passage across the Atlantic he was apprenticed to a wealthy Quaker planter, Captain Christopher Clarke, who lived in that part of Hanover County which was later set off as Louisa County, and who took a deep interest in the boy's education. Charles studied law and became a good business man, acquiring large land holdings in his own name. In time (about 1733) he married Sarah Clarke, daughter of Capt. Christopher Clarke, and about 1752, removed with his family to what was later called the Chestnut Hill estate overlooking the James River, one mile below the site of Lynchburg. Charles Lynch (senior) never became a Quaker, although his wife, Sarah, was an ardent one. She had joined the Society of Friends at Green Spring, Louisa Co., becoming a member of Camp Creek.

Sarah Clarke Lynch was a remarkable woman and mother. She was a woman of initiative and a devout Quakeress. She had six children and so strong was her sense of spiritual responsibility that she held "silent worship" alone with them in her home. No adequate history could be written of the founding of South River Meeting without giving this account of this woman. Her husband, Charles Lynch, died in 1753; but Sarah carried on with intensive religious zeal. Of her six children, three became well known to history, John Lynch, the founder of Lynchburg; Col. Charles Lynch, from whom the so-called "Lynch Law" takes its name; and Sarah Lynch-Terrell, outspoken opponent of slavery in South River Meeting.

Seeing so many of her fellow Quakers about her, with no meeting house where they could worship, the now widowed Sarah Lynch brought them together to worship in her home and this was the beginning of South River Particular Meeting. In August, 1754, the Friends gathering at the Lynch home petitioned for the right to establish an organized public meeting. This was granted in that same year. Thus, South River Particular Meeting was set out on its long history. For three years following 1754, Friends met in private homes, while a meeting house was being built. It was not until 1757 that the first log meeting house was built, on the land given by Sarah Lynch, and made ready for occupancy. South River Particular Meeting grew so rapidly in membership that, in 1757, in unity with another meeting which had been established at Goose Creek, South River Monthly Meeting was established, to meet alternately at South River and Goose Creek.

A monthly meeting is a business meeting, attended by delegates appointed by meetings for worship (sometimes called particular meetings and sometimes called preparative meetings). At the monthly meeting all business matters of interest to the meetings for worship are discussed and decided upon; also clerks of the meetings for worship bring to the monthly meeting all records of births, deaths, and marriages, for recording by the clerk of the monthly meeting in a special register kept for that purpose. Complaints against members and all matters of dispute are also here decided. No member may bring legal proceedings against anyone whomsoever without the express consent of his meeting. Young people wishing to marry must also come before the monthly meeting at least twice and declare their intention to marry with each other. The meeting appoints a committee to examine into the lives of both the man and the woman and "report to next meeting"; if no objection be found to the consummation of the marriage, the couple is "liberated to marry", and a committee from both the men's and the women's meeting is appointed to attend the marriage to see that it is "carried out according to the good order established among Friends, and to bring the marriage certificate for recording". Marriages between first cousins were not allowed by Quakers.

In such closely related communities as that of South River, first cousins often fell in love and, knowing that their marriage would not be allowed, they frequently married each other anyway, being married either by some minister of another denomination or by a Justice of the Peace. For this they were usually disowned by their meeting but, in many cases, they made a written "offering" for their offense, and were re-instated in membership. This happened in many cases in South River Meeting, as will be seen by the minutes and records.

The first official reference to Quakers in Bedford County (originally Albemarle) is found in the minutes of Upper Quarterly Meeting under the date of 1754:

"A reference from Circular Monthly Meeting (i.e: Cedar Creek) to this, setting forth the desire of Friends of the South Fork of James River in Albemarle County have for an Establishment of a week day meeting to be held there …"

After due consideration this request was granted, and the Particular Meeting thus created was known as "South River"; three years later the monthly meeting took its name from this meeting. When South River Meeting was first established (1754) it became a part of Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting. In consequence of this, the earliest marriages of South River Friends are recorded in the books of Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting. In 1754 "second month and tenth day" we have the record of the first Quaker marriage in "Albemarle", when Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting reported the marriage of Micajah Terrell and Sarah Lynch, "both of Albemarl", who "took each other" in "a public meeting of Friends". This congregation of Friends is known to be the same as that which met prior to 1754 in the home of Sarah Lynch, widow of Charles Lynch, Sr.

page 291

How long Quakers had been on Goose Creek in Bedford County we do not know; nor can we say whence they came as their names are not those found in other Virginia meetings of older vintage. However, in 1756, 10mo. 9th, it is recorded that "A petition of John Eccles and others setting forth their desire to have a monthly meeting at Goose Creek, Bedford Co., Va. and read and referred" [p.291] to the next meeting of the quarterly meeting.

In 1757, the first month, the ninth day it is written: "The petition of John Eccles, etc., being duly considered, likewise two letters from sundry Friends inhabiting near Goose Creek and South River in respect to the establishing a monthly meeting amongst them, and as they are so remote from any monthly meeting, Friends are willing to grant their request provided it can be conducted to the honour of Truth". At the same time seven men were appointed to visit the frontier community "to act therein as they may see fit". Of these seven, four actually made the long journey overland to the country at the foot of the mountains and started the monthly meeting on its unique history.

These four men were, Thomas Mooreman, John Crew, Henry Terril and Robert Pleasants. It is to the latter, Robert Pleasants, of Curles, that we owe our thanks for preserving a mile by mile log of their interesting journey through the Virginia countryside. Because this document not only gives many names of the "founding Fathers" of South River Monthly Meeting but also gives an adequate idea of the location of their homes it should prove a most valuable addition to the colonial history of this section. It is found among the papers of Robert Pleasants, as follows:

"Agreeable to the order of the Quarterly Meeting of the 4th month, 1757, set out on second day the 7th of 11th month and came to Richmond being Henrico Court day where I met with Jno Crew; we lodged at Jos: Elam's (15 miles).

3rd day the 8th we came to Fine Creek & lodged at my Bros. house (27 miles).

4th day the 9th to Jno Nicholas's (36 miles).

5th day 10th by Albermarle Court to MattW Jordan's where we lodged (22 miles).

6th day 11th baited at John Dailey's & lodged at James Crew's (33 miles).

7th day ye 12th Breakfasted at ChaS Linches (Lynch's) thence to Sarah Linches where we lodged (12 miles).

1st day 13 to meeting (3 miles).

"2nd day 14 set out in order to visit Friends near Goose Creek & came that night to John Ecles's (30 miles).

3rd day 15 to a meeting appointed by Jno Ecles at William Morgan's over Goose Creek (15 miles) & returned that night to Peter Holland's (7 miles).

(Total for outward journey, 200 miles).

(Return journey).

4th day of the week & 16th of the month was at Rdied Turner's where we breakfasted thenoe to Jno Hampton's & after to the new meeting house & afterwards to Jno. Ecles' (8 miles).

5th day ye 17 to a meeting appointed by Jno. Ecles at a House of John Pains' near Bedford Court House thence to Daniel Candler's (25 miles).

6th day 18 calldied at Edwdied Marks and so to Sarah Linches (7 miles).

7th day 19 to the monthly meet which was attended by many Friends and was very sattisfactory, from thence we went to Bolin Clerks (5 miles).

1st day 20 to meeting & thence to Sarah Linches (5 miles). 2nd day 21st Set homewards, Calldied at Robt Williamson's & came to Solomon Pirstey's Publick house (40 miles).

3rd day 22died calldied at Jas Gannaway's to breakfast & thence to John Johnson's (30 miles).

4th day of ye week & 23d of the month set out for my Quarter in Lunenburg called at Capt. Irby's (20 miles, thence 15 miles, total 35 miles).

5th & 24 discharged Rudder from any further service as overseer & agreed wifeth Robt Liviret for his Thos. to suceed him & make Indico for one share or 1/4 part, stock crop & thence to Lewis's Ordinary (15 miles).

6 & 25 being very Rainey but so anxtious to get home set out, Baited my Horse at Fowler's & reached Robt. Langley's (30 miles).

7 & 26 Learning that my Brother John was ill set out from R. L. sooner than otherwise I intended & reached home where I found all well (Except my Bror) (20 miles), for which [1] desire to be truly thankfull for as well as the sattisfaction I witnessed in Compliance wifeth the meeting's order.

On Journey Rode in all, 420 miles.

"Dear Friends: Having complyed with your order and visited not only the meetings near South River and Goose Creek but many of the familys of Friends there to belonging and on the whole tho thought them worthy to be indulged in their request. We have therefore established a monthly meeting accordingly to be held on the 3rd 7th day in each month and to circulate from South River to Goose Creek. [We] delivered them such papers as was thought necessary & recommended to their consideration Sundry good rules in practice in other meetings of business but as they are yet young in discipline as well as the Truth we recommend them to your Fatherly care & notice and hope as those who may at present be convinced of the principles of Truth keep their places more may still be gathered to the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls as we apprehend a seeking people. We remain your Friends and Brethern - Thomas Moreman, John Crew, Henry Terril, Robert Pleasants".

Before leaving this most interesting visit it is worth our time to observe that the Peter Holland who played host to Pleasants in 1757 again entertained visitors in 1761. This time it was the missionary preacher Daniel ****tanton of Philadelphia who wrote in his Journal "That night we lodged at Peter Holland's, (near Goose Creek), lying down in one room like a flock of sheep in a fold, being sixteen in number with the Friend's family"!**** (From Weeks)

The first representatives appointed to attend the quarterly meeting from the new monthly meeting were John Eckles, Bowling Clarke, William Johnson and William Kenley, but "the latter only appeared".

page 292

In 1758 Halifax Particular Meeting, on Banister River, was transferred from Cedar Creek Monthly Meeting to this, but did little to aid the infant organization in its weakness, for in this same year the western counties were completely demoralized by an Indian outbreak which [p.292] drove many in great fear from the mountain region back to the older settlements. Goose Creek settlement was abandoned while the Friends in and about Lynchburg and Halifax lived in daily anticipation of massacre. This fear did not pass quickly for even as late as April, 1760, no representatives appeared at quarterly meeting, "Occasioned by apprehensions of danger in those parts from the Indians as appears by a letter from Charles Lynch". Even the Virginia Yearly Meeting in a letter to London, 1758, took notice of "The commencement of a war with a most barbous and savage enemy in this our late peaceful conony … Some of our friends have removed from their habitations on the frontiers, many of them having for some time appeared to the outward eye to be iminent danger, though none as yet have been murdered by the enemy; this ought to fill our hearts with sincere gratitude to God".

In a spirit of sympathy and helpfulness the Upper Quarterly Meeting sent a delegation in 1758 to visit their "tested & tried" brethern on the frontier. Robert Pleasants, speaking for the group made a report of the journey. He says: "Dear Friends: Agreeable to your appointment of the 7th month last (1758) I have visited the monthly meeting at South River and the meeting schd thereby in Halifax County, as also the Friends who removed from their meeting and habitation near Goose Creek and find that there are many disorders subsisting; those in Halifax continue to marry by the Priest, pay their wages and seldom attend the monthly meeting, nor will the situation of others who at present live in Cumberland County remote from Friends admit their attendance; so that it appears as if the monthly meeting has hereto been of little service, kept up only by members of South River Particular Meeting, however, there seems to be a people in each place that are really concerned at the present situation of things, and very desirous that the discipline should be established amongst them, so that I believe a few visits from this meeting would be of good service to a people dispersed in the wilderness part of the Country who are worthy of such care. Signed: Robert Pleasants".

A letter written by Pleasants to his father-in-law Isaac Webster in the 7th month, 1759, gives a human angle to thes visit to the frontier that is not found in the formal records. He tells of his "journey to the westward where we were kindly entertained by our cousin Martha Gilbert, who seemed so glad to see us in that remote place that she shed tears at our going away and the next day followed us, with her daughter Patty, about 24 miles to Sarah Lynche's". She attended several meetings with him before she could bring herself to return to her lonely home.

In some manner the little organization struggled along until peace and security were more certain. When again delegates appeared at quarterly meeting they were to play an important part in the life of the society in the state. For just as South River was to lead in educational matters in later years so South River was the first of the Virginia meetings to verbally support the opinion "that buying and selling of humans ought to be discouraged". That the honor of being the first to act on this resolution went to Cedar Creek must be attributed to the sad fact that in 1771 South River Monthly Meeting was "split" and its rights as an organization withdrawn for three years by the quarterly meeting. In 1782 it was reported that South River had established a school the only one of its kind among Quakers in the Virginia Yearly Meeting.

With the Revolution the Friends of this monthly meeting shared the sufferings and persecutions common to most Quakers. The Upper Quarterly Meeting's minutes speaks of the Friends of "South River Monthly Meeting suffering for the non-payment of taxes for defraying the expenses of the late War", while William Davis has left a most interesting personal account of his sufferings when carried a prisoner to the military barracks at Charlottesville and there beaten with a cat-o'-nine tails.

A similar case of "suffering" appears in the minutes of the western quarterly meeting under the date 1816, January 22: "Stephen Butler and Benjamin Butler (of South River Monthly Meeting) were fined on a refusal to perform a tour of duty under a military requisition in 1814, $48 each; on a second requisition in the same year the same Friends were fined for refusing to perform a tour of military duty $96 each and on refusing to pay the above fines they were taken into custoday … on the 6th of the 10th Mo 1815 and carried to Campbell (County) prison where they continued in close confinement until the 11th at night when they were taken out by a writ of Habeus Corpus and were permitted to have their liberty until the 21st when they were brought before Judge Dabney, who on examining of their fines remitted the sum of $96 to each of them on account of the illegality of the proceedings of the Court Martial. But remanded them to prison on the 22nd, … where they expected to remain until their fines were extinguished at the rate of $5 for every month's imprisonment. But on the 23rd they were set at liberty by the sheriff who informed them that Charles Johnston had paid their fines (this Charles Johnston is not a member of our Society). On leaving prison they paid the keeper for everything he had furnished them with. The officers whose custody the Friends were in behaved in a very friendly manner to them as far as the nature of their office would permit".

page 293

Of all the monthly meetings in Virginia, South River is one of the most important to the genealogist as it was not only a very strong and vigorous meeting in its day but it gave more generously of its membership to the settlement of the Northwestern Territory than any other monthly meeting in the state. This lends it a national significance, for if Virginia has been [p.293] likened to a great gorge through which the floods of migration have poured to inundate the West, then this monthly meeting can be likened to one of the largest channels through which the tide of Virginia Quakers poured through the mountain passes to the plains.

The first members of the monthly meeting were old stock Quakers for the large part, of English extraction from the tidewater section of Virginia, especially Cedar Creek and Henrico Monthly Meetings. Among the first names appearing in the books are: Hendrake, Johnson, Kirby, Neal, Candler, Lynch, Terrell, Clark, Moorman, Echols, Payne, Collins, Farmer, Roberts, Womack, Caldwell and Ayrs. Later in the eighteenth century and prior to the American Revolution the monthly meeting was refreshed and strengthened by the southward movement of Quakers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, headed for the Carolinas and Georgia. Many of these migrating Friends became stranded in Campbell and Bedford Counties and their presence made this one of the strongholds of the Society in this State. Much of this "new blood" was of German and Welsh stock and had drifted south via Hopewell, Fairfax and Goose Creek Monthly Meetings in northern Virginia. So numerous did Quakers become in this section between 1775 and 1800 that many new meeting houses were built and the Society was for a time, the dominant influence in community affairs.

Goose Creek Monthly Meeting, in Bedford County (sometimes called "new Goose Creek", distinguish it from that one of the same name in Loudon County) was set off from South River in 1794; but was laid down in 1812 and the membership returned to South River Meeting. It included all of the present Bedford County. The monthly meetings of South River and Goose Creek petitioned for the right to a quarterly meeting which was granted and set up under the name of Western Quarterly Meeting. This quarterly meeting was discontinued in 1817.

In 1800 the trek of the Virginia Quakers to Ohio, then the "Northwest Territory", began. The cause of their migration was the same as elsewhere - slavery. Feeling they could no longer live in peace with their consciences in a community where slavery was a principal economic corner stone, the Virginia Quakers went west to lands where slavery did not exist. From 1801-1840 eighty six families and forty-three other individuals migrated to the new west carrying certificates of removal from South River Monthly Meeting alone. Thus, the meeting was drained of its membership, and meeting house after meeting house closed its doors. Soon these places of worship fell into ruins or were acquired by other denominations. One meeting house (Seneca) was turned into a private dwelling. South River Meeting, one of the first two meetings belonging to South River Monthly Meeting, was the last to go down, surviving until 1853 when it was discontinued for lack of sufficient members to keep it up. South River Monthly Meeting was officially "laid down" in 1847 when it was still a part of the Virginia Half Yearly Meeting. It never actually functioned after 1843, though the dates in the Register are later than this. These dates were probably added by individuals still belonging to South River Meeting for Worship, for the sake of the record.

The first certificate of removal issued by South River Meeting to the western lands was granted to Isaac James & family, including his wife, Sarah, and children, John, Elizabeth, Joseph (called Josiah in the women's minutes), Mary, Catherine, Sarah and Isaac, which certificate was "received" by Westland Monthly Meeting, Washington Co., Pa., 1801-11-28. Isaac James was soon followed by other families, including the families of Moorman, Gregg, Pidgeon, Holloway, Harris, Tullis (Tullas), Hanna, Ferrell, Johnson, Curles and others. The first families probably went by way of Cumberland Gap and the "Wilderness Road"; but until Friends' meetings were established in Ohio & Indiana, their certificates were left at Westland Monthly Meeting, Washington Co., Pa., and at Redstone Monthly Meeting in Fayette Co., Pa., the nearest meetings to the boundary of Ohio, then called "The Northwest Territory", the intended destination of most of the Virginia Quaker migrant families. After these families arrived in Ohio, they soon set up meetings there, beginning with Concord Meeting (1803), Miami, Center, Fairfield, Western Branch following in about that order. Then, soon after the Indiana Territory was opened up, many of these families migrated into that wilderness, where they soon established other meetings, as well as villages, schools and farms.

page 294

Another cause of the migration of Virginia Quaker families into Ohio had to do with the Revolutionary War. Many young men of the best Quaker families joined the Revolutionary Army of Virginia, for which they were promptly disowned by their meetings. A large number of those who survived the War were reinstated into membership after the War was over. These and the descendants of those killed in the War were granted land bounties by the Legislature of Virginia in the Virginia Military District of Ohio - a larte district set off by the United States Congressffor the use of the State of Virginia in paying off Virginia Officers and soldiers of the Virginia Militia for services rendered. This district embraces Clermont, Brown, Adams, Highland, Clinton, Fayette, Madison, Union and portions of Warren, Greene, Clark, Champaigne, Logan, Hardin, Marion, Delaware, Franklin, Pickaway, Ross, Pike and Scioto Counties, Ohio. Over 8000 land warrants were issued to Virginia soldiers in the Virginia Military District of Ohio alone. These warrants ranged in area from 100 acres to a private who served three years to 1100 acres to a general who served three years. This was a great inducement to Virginia Revolutionary soldiers to remove to Ohio. A number of so-called "Fighting Quakers" from South River Meeting received such warrants [p.294] and removed to Ohio to take up their lands. (See Virginia Revolutionary Records by Brumbaugh, Volume I).

The old stone meeting house at South River (now Lynchburg), built in 1798 and for almost 100 years the meeting place of South River Monthly Meeting, also fell into ruins. In 1903 it was restored by a congregation of Presbyterians and today stands as a historic shrine to the courageous Quaker pioneers of old Bedford County. In 1781 the county was divided into two counties, Bedford and Campbell Counties. By this division of old Bedford County, the territory surrounding Lynchburg was set off as Campbell County. The restored stone meeting house is now occupied for worship by the Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church. It is the historic center of Lynchburg - "The Quaker City of the South". Students of South River records should not be confused by the fact that after 1781 many members of the meeting who had formerly been residents of Bedford County were suddenly found registered as residents of Campbell County; for by this division of Bedford County they found themselves living in Campbell County without having removed from their homes.

(For a fuller history of members of South River Meeting see "Lynchburg's Pioneer Quakers and their Meeting House" by Douglas Summers Brown, published by J. P. Bell, Inc., Lynchburg, Va.)

D.S.B.

See the South River Meeting House Essay Collection