Hi - This is from Bill Davis on VA-Roots. I have his permission to repost to DARNELL. Bill says he has been on this list at various times as his great grandmother was a Darneille and his mother's name, Alice Inda Craig, is in the H.C. Smith book. If you have questions or comments for Bill PLEASE DON'T HIT THE REPLY BUTTON but write to Bill at <wmadavis@kih.net> There are at least two DARNELLs on this list. Diane Hettrick dhettrick@earthlink.net -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Bill writes: I received an inquiry from someone interested in locating a list of members of "The Travelling Church" when it was in Virginia. I replied that it probably is a misnomer to think of the Travelling Church as a particular church. What's called the "The Travelling Church" was a caravan of 600 - some souls who were led by Rev. Lewis Craig into frontier Kentucky in 1781. Certainly a good portion of the caravan came out of Craig's congregation, hence the name Travelling Church, but I'm sure many of the others that came were from some of the surrounding churches, their relations, and probably anyone else that wanted to travel into frontier Kentucky in relative safety. In his book FREDERICKSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH [1959], Rev. Oscar Darter quotes two lists from the records of the Baptist minister Morgan Edwards, a contemporary of the preaching Craig brothers. Darter quotes Edwards as saying the Upper Spotsylvania Baptist Church consists of two branches; one near where is a house 40 by 24 built in 1769 on land given by Lewis Craig; the other near Fredericksburg where is also a meeting house. The gospel was at first preached here by Rev. David Thomas, then by Samuel Harris and others. Converts to this ministry were: Lewis Craig Joseph Craig and wife John Craig and wife John Saunders and wife Joseph Allen and wife, son and two daughters Andrew Hampton and wife Charles Robins and wife John Martin and wife John Haden and wife James Gordan William Cave and wife John Bledsoe John Hyat and wife Phil. Conner and wife Benj. Robertson James True James Haden Reuben Young John Price and wife Joice Falkoner Ann Cavender Richard Cavenaugh Ann Neal ______ Robison Christopher Singleton Thos. Heath and daughter Jennings McDonald James Evans Elijah Howell Lucy Martin, Senr. and Jr. Frances Darnel Mrs. Webster Bartholomew Curtis (deaf and dumb man) 5 negroes, men and women a total of 25. Darter then quotes Edwards as giving a list of 25 persons, who were Nov. 20 1767 constituted into a church by James Reed, Dutton Lane and others. Darter says these are the charter members of the upper branch of the Upper Spotsylvania Church: Lewis Craig * John Waller James Chiles John Saunders * Joseph Craig and wife * Elijah Craig Olden Wisdom William Beckham Joseph Spencer James Crawford Irene Saunders Mary Darnel Mary Brock and daughter Mary Wigglesworth Sarah Crawford Bartholomew Curtis * Nicholas Darnel Martin Wisdom Rachel Allen Robert Huddlestone (a negro) Thomas Martin David Thompson [ * mark names on both lists] Rev. Darter notes that this is a list of only 24 persons, and suggests that a wife of John Saunders could be the missing 25th person. Darter states that it is uncertain if any of these were members of the other branch of the Upper Spotsylvania Church, meaning the one near Fredericksburg. So apparently both of these lists are of members of the church located 20 miles southwest of Fredericksburg, now known as "Craig's Church." The present Craig's Church is located in the small town of Paytes, Virginia. A granite monument marks the original location out in the countryside. Darter also quotes Edwards as saying the Upper Spotsylvania was a "Remarkable-Mother Church, Louisa, Orange, and Lower Spotsylvania being it's offspring." The Lower Spotsylvania Church "consists of four branches; one near where is a meeting house, 32 feet by 28, built in 1768 on land given by James Wigglesworth, the other in Caroline; the third in Essex and the fourth in Middlesex. The families about [meaning in the neigborhood of Lower Spotsylvania Church, later known as the Waller Church], whereof 216 persons are baptized and in communication here." The bracketed part is in Darter's text. I don't know if any lists of members of these other churches are available. I suspect that since Darter doesn't mention them, they are not available. In his book THE TRAVELLING CHURCH, George W. Ranck listed these families as being part of the Travelling Church caravan: ALLEN ASHER BARROW BLEDSOE BOWMAN BURBRIDGE BUCKNER CARR CAVE, William CRAIG, Toliver & wife CRAIG, Lewis CRAIG, Joseph CREATH CURD DUDLEY DUPUY DARNABY DEDMAN DUDLEY DUPUY EASTIN ELLIS, William & family of 5 ELLY GARRARD GOODLOE HART HICKMAN HICKERSON HUNT MARSHALL MARTIN MITCHUM MOORE MORTON MORRIS NOEL PARRISH, Timothy PARRISH, James PAYNE PITMAN PRESTON PRICE RAMSEY ROBINSON & WIFE RUCKER SANDERS SHACKELFORD SHIPP SHOTWELL SINGLETON SMITH STUART THOMPSON TODD WALTON WARE WALLER WATKINS WOOLFOLK WOOLRIDGE YOUNG I don't know where Ranck got this list or how he compiled it. I believe that my ancestor Benjamin Craig was part of the caravan because it was specifically mentioned in an obituary of his son, George Craig, in 1833. I suspect Jeremiah Craig came at that time also. Capt. John Craig and Joice Craig Faulconer were already in Kentucky before the Travelling Church, and Rev. Elijah Craig came to Kentucky a few years afterwards. I've always believed that both Taliferro Craig Sr. and Toliver Craig Jr. were part of it. Surely there were also numerous slaves, including a slave of Rev. Joseph Craig known as Peter Durett or "Captain," who became the first Black Baptist minister in Kentucky. Bill Davis **************************************************************** * * * <wmadavis@kih.net> * P.O. Box 337 * Ghent * KY * 41045 * * ****************************************************************