Dear Robert, My sincere gratitude for your time in preparing (typing... mine is getting rusty by the day:-) this for moi. I have a couple questions/hypothesis, of which I shall insert in the history below. BTW... do you have any idea how the Middle Fork Church, came by the name "Old Ruff"??..... ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert L Webb <bwebb9@juno.com> To: <thward@cafes.net> Sent: Wednesday, 08 November, 2000 8:22 AM Subject: Middle Fork "Old Ruff" Church Hi, Trev! Here is some info on the Old Ruff Church: MIDDLE FORK OF SALINE RIVER Middle Fork of Saline River Church was organized on July 1, 1826, by Elders Wilson Henderson and Charles Lee. The charter members, who were dismissed for that purpose from Bankston's Fork Church, were John Hall, Matthew Hall, Henry Hall, William Hall, Stephen Caldwell, Elizabeth Rogers, Sinthy Hall, Polly Caldwell, Prudence Hall, Rhoda Abney, Elizabeth Jones, Elizabeth Hampton, and Sally Williams. -------------------- (insert) I see that from the 5 county history, Wilson Henderson, in 1837 was organizing Raleigh Church, a new organization that grew out of a division of the Old Bethel Creek church regarding foreign missions (Bethel had two party's, mission and anti-mission).... Okay- those listed above were said to be dismissed from Bankston's. Is there a list of these same members noted in Bankston's membership before this 1826 date? Also, I'm trying to recall where Bankston was located? I remember seeing this name on an old map but can not remember.... ohh... I think I just found my own answer. According to the 5 Co hist., it was located about 6 miles west of Harrisburg..... but, this says it was organized in July 1854. The above refers to Bankston before 1826?? Says here it was first a member of the Franklin Ass., and then joined the Big Saline.... help!! and Josiah Williams was the first pastor... ------------------------- Some of the pastors of this church included Elders Wilson Henderson (1826), Charles Lee (April 1834), William Gholson (October 1834), Joseph Tucker (November 1835), William Thomas, Achilles Coffey, J. T. F. Lewis (1849), Thomas Spain (September 1852), Thomas Coffey, John Gibson, C. M. Weaver, C. C. Mitchell, L. P. Harriss, W. E. Weaver, and A. H. West. ------------------- (insert) The pastor above, J. T. F. Lewis. I believe this to be 44 year old Jeremiah Lewis born TN in the Hamilton Co 1850 census (from looking at his neighbors, looks to be southern Ham Co.).... This brings me to my original query, Elizabeth (Carner?) Jones, my ggg. Her son, and my gg, William Jones, married his first wife Rebecca McFarland, 2 Oct 1850 in Saline by J. T. F. Lewis.... this would be right on target with the pastorial date you have of 1849. Now I know I have to have a copy of the full membership that you mentioned. William Jones 2nd wife, Mary Caroline (Mace) Sullivan, is my grandmother. She married William 40 years later, after Rebecca died. These are who I descend from, and this Mace family has been our biggest brick wall. Mary Mace was the d/o Thomas J. Mace & Nancy Keaton (another wall). Thomas Mace had a brother George Mace (who married Mahulda Oglesby). They all lived in the Tate Twp & Long Branch Twp. area.... My MACE/MASE line (Thomas) is missing by the 1870 & 1880 Saline (and nothing in Ham Co) census. Can you please find a church membership, or dismissal date from a church in NW Saline or SW Ham Co's ----------------------------- Middle Fork Church united with the Muddy River Association in 1826, and was dismissed to go into the organization of the Bethel Association in 1829. When the division came in the Bethel Association, in 1900, this church went with the Absoluter faction. The church dissolved in 1932. ----------------------------- (insert) So they united with Muddy within months of actually starting their church. This says here the division came in 1900.... isn't this the same division I spoke of above, around 1837??..... The Old Ruff went with the Absoluter faction, correct? Can you elaborate on Absoluter please.... ------------------------------ In November 1840 Middle Fork Church agreed to build a new meeting house near the old one. These first two buildings were probably both log structures. In August 1846, and again in August 1858, the church appointed three trustees to obtain a deed for the church property. In September 1866, the church agreed to hold their winter meetings at the Hall Town school house. In March 1869, the church agreed to sell their meeting house. In October 1870 the church appointed trustees to procure a deed for land on which to build a new building, at Hall Town, which was done. The next month a building committee was appointed to superintend the construction. This building was used by the church until it dissolved, and it stood for many years afterwards, until it was finally torn down. ------------------------------ (insert) Okay- on a visit to the Old Ruff Cemetery, I was told that the church was ounce in the near vicinity of the cemetery. If I am correct, this cemetery is at least a mile or so, SW of Hall Town.... I wonder if it was one of the log structures that would have been near Old Ruff cem. Which brings me to my next question, which one of those in the paragragh above do you have a pic of, the last one? I am interested also to know in the staement above... "In August 1846, and again in August 1858, the church appointed three trustees to obtain a deed for the church property" I am wondering what piece of land they were trying to aquire.... the land where Old Ruff cem is located, or land in Hall Town.... And finally..... they built a church in Hall Town. I did not know there was a church there. Was it called Old Ruff?? The nearest church I see to Hall Town is Pleasant Valley? Thank you Robert (or anyone) for indulging in my questions.... Best Regards, Trev