Alabama 1935 in Conecuh County

From "The Trumpet and the Universalist magazine" April 4, 1835
taken from "The Southern Evangelist"
The Cause of the South
Extract of a Letter from Br. H. F. Sterns
Belville, Conecuh Co., Ala. March 1, 1835

Brother Andrews: As it relates to my tour in this vicinity, I will, with cheerfulness acquiesce with your proposals; but taking into consideration the size of your paper, you will excuse my brevity.
I left Montgomery, as you well know, on the 16th ult, on the Dover, a very splendid boat, with fine accommodations, a gentlemanly Captain, and a social company of passengers, some of whom enjoyed themselves with "Jack's Primer," as is usual "to kill time," which the eternal variegated scenery of Southern rivers renders mortally tedious. But the afternoon, evening, and succeeding day passed away, and we arrived at Claiborne, where Left the boat and tarried until the next day at noon. I there got on board a THING they call the Southern Mail Stage, a queer concern to be sure, and after riding for nearly six hours over a space of a country which is well calculated to hold the world together, and a road well adopted to the country, I arrived at the plantation of Squire Boney, in the neighborhood of Burnt Corn. Being somewhat fatigued, I tarried for the night,and shared the hospitality of this gentleman, whom I found to be intelligent, and sharing a good degree of wealth. Through his politeness I was conveyed to the plantation of John Green, Esq. where I arrived on Friday the 18th. This gentleman, I can say in justice, is the father of the blessed doctrine of Universalism in this section of the State of Alabama. He is allowed to be, even by those who who oppose his sentiments, a man of unimpeachable character, a worthy citizen,
and a kind obliging neighbor. He was once a Methodist, but a more intelligent and well-instructed Universalist , and one who has experienced more buffeting, I have seldom found in all my travels. But these things are fast dying away, and the pleasurable gratification which he now enjoys, exceeds all expectations. You may be surprised when I tell you, that upon my arrival in this, to a passing observer wild wilderness, i found that our venerable father Ballou had been here before me, with his unanswerable arguments in favor of Universalism [By way of his books.]
on Saturday, the 14th, after making an appointment for the following Sunday, Mr. Green accompanied me to this place, a distance of eight miles, where I had the extreme pleasure of meeting some few friends, and in the evening returned to a Mr. Jones, an elderly and very worthy man, who has recently embraced the faith of Abraham, and left that of Methodism in the back ground. On Sunday, I repaired to the Meeting House, built of longs, in the pine woods, where I found a very respectable number of persons assembled, though it was a very rainy day, and withal cold. i addressed them from the subject, "God is Love", after reading to them the chapter in which it is found, and some really thought, as I have since been told by them, that I had an Universalist Bible,and they were not satisfied until they found it in their own. The people paid strict attention, and not a few were evidentially surprised to find that "God is Love" and that his JUSTICE would be executed, the sinner punished, and all be holy and happy.
The week following i spent in visiting several neighborhoods, and on Sunday morning I visited Sparta to fulfill my engagement. The day proved to be very fine, though it had some appearance of being wet, in the morning, which probably kept some away, but several observed that they seldom if ever had seen that number before at meeting in that village. I stood in the seat of justice, in the capacity of a pleader for mankind, to believe that they had a kind Father, who would do them no injustice, but would remember their sins and iniquities no more. The excitement, I have since learned, was considerable, and probably the next time I go there I shall occupy the Methodist Meeting House. I returned to Belville the same evening, where I have been since. *****
This day, Sunday, the first of March, I preached under the broad canopy of heaven, to a numerous and attentive audience, surrounded by three or four Methodist preachers, who I previously understood, were to reply, but from some cause, they did not do it. Next Sabbath, the Lord will, I shall preach at Monroeville.


Belville was founded around 1818, by the Brothers Bell.
Conecuh County was formed in 1818; previously it was Indian territory.
Brother Andrews was Rev. L.F.W. Andrews, the editor then of the Southern Evangelist.
Brother Henry Franklin Sterns (also Stearns) was born in Province of Ontario in 1805 ordained in September 1833 in Vermont. by July to September 1834, he was settled in New Hampshire. While histories of Conecuh county state that he was in Alabama in 1830 teaching, Universalist publications suggest that he moved sometime between September of 1834 and February 1835. He began to practice law around 1835. In December of 1835, he replaced Rev. Andrews as the minister of the Universalist Church in Montgomery Alabama. Around 1837 he became a Judge in Conecuh County. In 1856 he went to Texas on business, returning, he did not make it home, dying in Claiborn Alabama in 1857.
Squire Boney
Burnt Corn, Alabama - on the old Federal Road
John Green born in SC, moved to Georgia as a child, became a lawyer and practiced in Burnt Corn, as well as being the first teacher in the county.
Father Ballou -
Mr. Jones
"faith of Abraham" - not Judaism, but apparently Universalism. Ive seen this term in the 1880s as well
Sparta, Alabama
Monroeville, Alabama - county seat of Monroe County,

Mike Seeger (1933- 2009)

i don't claim that Mike Seeger was a Universalist - I dont have a clue as to his religious views. Although I do know that his half brother is an Unitarian Universalist. But his career in music did touch one of the joys of the south - the True Vine music of the pre-war south. Seeger was the most popular and I believe the original revialist of the old time music tradition. He recorded with and re-discovered dozens of old-time musicians. He named bluegrass music.
The rural folks of the south loved old time country music - as did the Universalists of the south. And frankly, one of the appeals of Universalists was that it wasn't a sin to play the fiddle. The Baptist said you would go to hell if you danced, the Universalists would let the dance be right there, fiddles and banjo going. As I read about southern Universalists, I sometimes hear about fiddles - one of the Rev Strains won a fiddle contest! About Clayton McMichen, who's granddaddy helped him learn to play (McMichen grew up in an Universalist household).
i knew bluegrass, but in 1972, with Seeger's Second Annual Farewell Reunion LP, I begin to know old time. From that I discovered that my opera loving father was able to ID Uncle Dave Macon by his voice.
I picked this song, because stuff like this confuses folks - its corny. yep, it sure is, ain't that nice?
RIP Mike, thanks for helping me rediscover my own roots.

Gospel Anchor 1832/3

the below is a list of material related to southern Universalism that appeared in the Troy NY Universalist paper, The Gospel Anchor in 1832.
This listing is both a way to extract information as we wait for some future where it can be reconstructed into articles - and as a way to look at one view of Southern Universalism from northern New York. Ministers are mentioned by their known, to me, connection with the southeast. I may have left out a Rev Newell, but think that he is different than the one in Charleston SC. Rev I D. Williamson is mentioned frequently, as he was a co-editor ("Junior Editor" it says in an article).; he later served briefly in Mobile Alabama, and did a preaching tour of the south.

Gospel Anchor 1932-1833 Volume 2; co-edited by I. D. Williamson; Troy NY; weekly

June 30, 1832 a sermon by T. Fisk -
August 11, 1832 Rev L. F. W. Andrews is announcing the publication of "The Gospel Witness" a 4 page half royal weekly to be published in New Haven, Connecticut.

August 18, 1832 Junior editor ID Williamson "W." reports that he has been sick, now nearly recovered.

August 25, 1832 ID Williamson did circuit travels up to Brattleboro, etc.
Currently Universalists have 14 periodicals, issuing weekly 20,000 copies.

September 15, 1832 Sermon by ID Williamson, delivered at Universalist Convention, held in Utica May 9, 1832

October 6, 1832 married at Newberry District, SC, by Rev Elijah Lynch on the 6th ult, Rev. Allen Fuller, formerly of Middleboro Mass to Tabitha Worthington, all of Newberry. ((modern note: Fuller was invited to SC by the SC Convention. The bride is the granddaughter of Rev Joseph Summers and niece of Rev Giles Chapman, both small u universalist ministers.))

October 13, 1832 'The Mother" a sermon by T. Fisk

October 20, 1832 Sermon by I D Williamson given at the installation of Rev D. F. Le Fevre in Troy NY September 1832

October 27, 1832 -circular letter done at the behalf of the General Convention, state conventions were recommended. There were 6 State Conventions at the time: New York, Maine, South Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. A South Carolina representive was able to attend the General Convention at Concord NH.
LFW Andrews reports that he will help edit the Herald of Freedom, and thus will not be publishing The Gospel Witness. The Herald of Freedom was published by P.T. Barnum.

December 8, 1832 now 30 Universalist newspapers

December 15, 1832 taken from the "Christian Messenger", LFW Andrew's views on ministerial qualifications. He objects to official qualifications.

January 5, 1833 Rev T. Fisk gave the oration at the release of P.T.Barnum from jail - he had been convicted of saying that Rev Seth Seelye defrauded an orphan of $17. Barnum was not allowed to speak in court. There were over 1500 attending the oration. Upon Barnum's way home, the music played was "Home Sweet Home".

January 12, 1833 in an article take from "The Magazine and Advocate", there is an article dated November 7, Newberry SC by A.F. ((Allen Fuller)) entitled Universalism Progressing Toward the South. It was a response to an article in the "Washington (Ga) Observer". Fuller states that "Universalism in not merely as he says, looking towards the South, it has already arrived in all parts of the South., and it's there exerting its influence. Not only is its' Trumpet sounds in North Carolina, as he observes, but it is heard in South Carolina and Georgia and Alabama, where it is accompanied by its Messenger, and its Inquirer is also there found seeking for the right way, and its Magazine well stored with truth, and its Advocate pleading its cause. he seems to regret that we have obtained a church in Baltimore, and that another is being erected in Richmond Va, and we would inform him that there are three meeting houses owned exclusively by Universalists as far south as South Carolina and that another is in progress there. That there are five regularly organized societies or churches in that state, and two preachers of that doctrine: and we hope to have another faithful laborer in this part of the Lords vineyards...."
((the words in capitals are of Universalist newspapers, Trumpet, Messenger, Magazine, Inquirer, and Advocate)).
From the Trumpet: Why do the Universalists have no Doctors of Divinity? Brother Fisk answers that "Because our divinity is never sick."

January 26, 1833 an excerpt from a funeral service by T. Fisk, dealing with the death of a child.

February 2 and 9, 1833 - An account of the hearing of Dr. Thomas Cooper, President of the College of South Carolina (now the University of South Carolina) for heresy. Cooper was an associate of Joseph Priestly. He was acquitted.

April 6, 1833 - "New Publication - Brother Fisk of New Haven, Conn who furnishes newspapers with as much apparent ease as other editors do paragraphs, has established another paper, entitled the "Herald of Universal Salvation". The paper is to be published semi-monthly. "

Misc and more misc II - mostly Georgia

After serious contemplation, I won't be attending the Georgia Convention - my car is needed elsewhere, and it really doesn't make sense for me to rent a car to go to the convention. The fact that i was seriously considering it - says just how excited I was, and how disappointed I am to be missing it. I hope that someone reading this, does go and can give us a report.
(the car being needed elsewhere is for a not-so-secret project of my wife).

I have been studying Georgia some, particularly looking at Monticello and Jasper County were a small band of Universalists were in the early 20th Century. Descendants of Archibald Standifer (of Jasper county) had claimed him to be an Universalist preacher. I've seen no mention of him in the Universalist Registers, but then I've seen others who I know were ministers not in the Registers either (ok, usually because they died before the registers got good and acurate). I then learned that Standifer had been a Christian (Diciples of Christ) minister in the 1830s - preaching at the Republician Meeting House nee' Antioch (still in southern Oconee county near Watkinsville). He was also a subcriber to CFR Shehane's Georgia/ South Carolina DOC newspaper from around that period of time. Did Standifer, like Shehane become Universalist? Not enough information to really know.

I looked briefly at the southwest corner of Georgia looking for (and at) the small Universalist Churches there. I cant come up with family names yet - although a few towns show up. What I really find is my lack of knowledge of Georgia geography and history (once we get past 1-95). So I'm looking at maps and reading history. and the same is true for other parts of the south.

I spent some time at Newberry with G - she showed me where the Hartford Meeting House is (now a rental home) - and we tried to find the Huntsville cemetary is (and thus the old Huntsville Union Church. Now, I had found particuarly good directions to within a few hundred yards of the site. And much to my irritation, the terrian has changed so much, that we couldnt find the cemetary. anybody reading this blog have co-ordinates to it?
the Teague family was mostly burried at their family cemetary, so we didnt expect much to find, it was the idea. The revoluntionary war battlesite nearby remains unmarked as well.

2009 Georgia Universalist News

I was forwarded a copy of some recent news.

The 2009 Georgia Universalist Convention meets in early August, in connection with the Rockwell Church annual Homecoming.
The 2009 Windsor Homecoming will be in September.

History of Universalism in North Carolina (link)

History of Universalism in North Carolina

I commented on this book when it came out - and now I'm glad to say that there is a webpage devoted to selling it . You still can't order on line - but you can print that page out, add your name and address and check, and mail it in. And the publisher's email address is there.

And while you're at it, check out the Shelterneck.org homepage too

Why read history and old books? (Universalist Movement In America 1770-1880)

At the Universalist Convocation in May 2009, I was on a panel to discuss Ann Lee Bressler's 2005 book, "The Universalist Movement in America 1770 - 1880" ---
I and co-panelist, Rev Richard Trudeau, both liked the book. I found it an excellent summary of the original Universalist theology, written in a style easily for non-theologians to understand.
With chapter titles like "Calvinism Improved", "the Challenge of Communal Piety", and "Universal Redemption and Social Reform" what isn't there to like?
Answer: folks who like later versions of Universalism understandably don't like the dismissal of the later version. While I understand their concern, I like the book for what it does show us.

anyway, I ended the panel by reading this from the author's acknowledgments

"Our children ... have grown up with this book. Almost every summer they have endured trips to historic Universalist sites and New England graveyards. The names and teachings of nineteenth-century Universalists must be lodged somewhere deep in their minds. As I complete this work, that is not an unhappy thought. "