> A very quick Google search seems to indicate that the term hardshell Baptist refers to the Primitive Baptists. I'm sure others will have more information on the connections between the Brethren and the Primitive Baptists. > Yes, the Primitive Baptists are often called "Hardshelled Baptists" - If you've been following my messages about the "Frontier Brethren" - the very early Brethren who went to Kentucky (and in far southern Indiana and Ohio), were basically Pietist - our origin, but we were also of Anabaptist tradition. We were the "Taufer Gemein" - the "Baptist Brethren" (long before we became the "German Baptist Brethren"). Following the 1820s action of Annual Meeting against the Frontier Brethren - because they refused the traditions (legalisms) that had developed in the Brethren through the Annual Meeting and the Elders, these Kentucky Brethren were "expelled" (their term).. The Annual Meeting Elders visited the Kentucky churches (probably all of them, but we have just a few records) - the Elders found "error" in the churches - one thing, or another, that did not agree with the "Ancient Traditions" developed by the Elders during and following the American Revolution. These Frontier Brethren formed the "Brethren Association" to hold the traditions that they had held (mostly) into the Carolinas and on to Kentucky. Part of this was a direct result of the "Great Revival" as it came to Kentucky, which lead many into the Disciples of Christ and Church of Christ (Campbellism). There were many who did Not go with the Revival. While some of these stayed with Pietism - and went Methodist, and others followed the Pietist tradition of Eternal Restoration - and became Universalists - many were Baptist - and in almost every Brethren church congregational area - there were those who stayed as Baptists. Some of these were "General Baptists" - who became part of the Southern Baptists - but even more frequently I find Brethren family names on the founding roles of early Primitive Baptist churches. A couple days ago, I mentioned the Drakes Creek Church (Simpson/Warren Co KY) where the Brethren Minister, William Lowe [after the Hendricks Families (Universalist) migration to MIssouri] is found preaching for the Trammels Creek General Baptist Church (Allen Co KY) and the Lick Creek Primitive Baptist Church (Simpson Co KY) (maybe 15 miles apart). The Lick Creek records have several of the known Brethren Names on its early membership role. Now, I've centered my research in Kentucky - but I've found these same trends down at the Obannon Church (Stonelick now - I pastored there for 15 years) - east side of Cincinnati - and especially among the Bullskin Church -down on the Ohio River. A Primitive Baptist church there washes feet and has a full meal at communion - from what I heard. Similar was true over in Adams-Highland Cos OH (where my dad pastored, and I taught school) - the old Brush Creek Church. - these churches were founded about 1800 - mostly coming up from Kentucky. It is even true here at the Four Mile Church (Union Co IN) - and I have my burial lot with "the family" at the Concord Church of Christ, in Preble Co OH - and I'm a Church of the Brethren minister and Elder. I know that as the Brethren children moved on west - up into Illinois - into Missouri (and I lived in MIssouri, when a child) - and Iowa - many of these families did not stay with the Brethren denomination - but are found among these same several other denominations. Merle C Rummel