Meredith, I don't honestly know the answer in full to that, but since he donated the land for Great Marsh Church, would assume generally in St Pauls - Raft Swamp area. Lynn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Page, Meredith C" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 12, 2000 11:37 AM Subject: RE: [NCROBESO-L] Rev Elias DAVIS JOHNSON of Raft Swamp and Great Marsh Baptist Churches > **He was also surveyor and a barrel maker in addition to being one of the > largest farmers in Robeson county.** > > Where was his farm located? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Lynn Prettyman [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2000 2:35 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [NCROBESO-L] Rev Elias DAVIS JOHNSON of Raft Swamp and Great > Marsh Baptist Churches > > > Donna, > > I hope you don't mind if I answer to the list re: your hopes that I had > more info on our grandfather JOHNSON. One of the benefits of having an uncle > that is not only a minister, but also a genealogist, is his church > histories. > > In Sept of 1882, Raft Swamp Baptist Church called our grandfather, the Rev > Elias DAVIS JOHNSON to be pastor there, and in October he accepted, but > before that, he was a founding member of Great Marsh Baptist Church in St > Pauls. Uncle Nash wrote a history of Great Swamp in honor of its Centennial > year in 1972 and dedicated it to our grandfather and tells us a little bit > about him. > > Here, in part, is what Nash has to say: > > The Early Beginnings > > The Great Marsh Baptist Church, located about a mile south of St Pauls, > was organized in mid-summer of 1872. The Presbytery to constitute the church > included Elder Furney PREVATT, pioneer Robeson County minister, and his son, > Elder F. A. PREVATT, and Elder Elias DAVIS JOHNSON. We are told there were > 12 men and women of Baptist persuasion who became the first members. The > following list was more likely included in this number: Elder Elias DAVIS > JOHNSON and his wife, Sarah Caroline HUMPHREY, W. S. JOHNSON, J. H . > JOHNSON, > J G FISHER and wife, Charity FISHER, Archibald ODUM and > his wife, Eliza ODUM, J R BELCH, Solomon BELCH and Wrial (sic) WILLOUGHBY. > > The site for the first church building and meeting place ( the present > location) was donated by Rev Elias DAVIS JOHNSON and Archibald ODUM. > > Elder Elias D JOHNSON was called as the first pastor following the > constitution of the church and the first deacons were Duncan HUMPHREY and J > S JOHNSON. > > Elder JOHNSON served from 1872 until 1884 and from 1886 until his death in > 1893 for a period of 21 years. [He served concurrently at Raft Swamp until > at least 1891] > He was the son of Samuel JOHNSON and Sarah DAVIS of Bladen county. He was > born Aug 6, 1828 in the Hickory Grove Baptist Church community of Bladen > county and died on Feb 7, 1893, at his home near the Great MARSH Church. He > is buried in the Great Marsh Church Cemetery. He had given much of the land > for the cemetery and he gave part of the land upon which the church was > built and led in the organizing of the church. He was married to Sara > Caroline HUMPHREY of the Saddletree Baptist Church Community. At the age of > 17 he was baptized into the fellowship of the Hickory Grove Baptist church > by a Rev McFALL. > He was ordained to the gospel ministry in the year 1855 at Raft Swamp > Baptist Church in Robeson County by Elder Furney PREVATT and Rev Isham > STONE. His education was limited, but he was apt and quick to learn. As a > preacher, he was popular and always had every Sunday engaged during his > ministry. He preached in Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, Bladen and Columbus > counties. He was pastor of the Raft Swamp Baptist Church when Robeson > Association was organized there in 1882. He was also pastor of Cedar Creek > Baptist Church of Cumberland County when the Cedar Creek Association was > organized at that church. He was also surveyor and a barrel maker in > addition to being one of the largest farmers in Robeson county. He served > also as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lumberton during the > Reconstruction years following the Civil War and was also Treasurer of > Robeson County. At least seven of his descendants have been leaders in the > Great Marsh Church and the First Baptist Church, St Pauls, as well as many > other churches throughout the state. > > I have a copy of a eulogy written by J G FISHER which Uncle Nash gave me, so > it might be the same one as you have. Rev FISHER identifies Sarah DAVIS as > being sister to the Rev Elias DAVIS and he says Samuel JOHNSON was a > Methodist and Sarah was a Baptist. He says that at the time of our > grandfather's marriage to Sarah HUMPHREY in 1849 and for some years > afterwards, he was not worth any more property than it would take to pay his > debts. > > This is all that I have, Donna. I hope I was able to help you out. > > For those of you who wonder why I haven't as yet given any of Raft Swamp's > history, I'm still thinking about it because of the copyright thing. I > haven't heard from anyone yet who thinks I shouldn't, so maybe it will be > all right if I do. > > Lynn > [email protected] > > ______________________________ >