In a message dated 10/16/99 8:56:30 AM Central Daylight Time, peggythompson@hotmail.com writes: << I just recieved my gtgrandfathers Abija Keith old trunk and I found that my gtgtgrandmother is buried in Bowman Ridge Cemetery.Is this cemetery still around and if so how can I can I get information from it. My grandmother Elizabeth Keith died Feb.2,1895. After the death of husband Nichodemus Keith in 1853 I believe she married a John Leonard Uzzell so I dont know which name she is buried under. Also does any one know when the Primitive Baptist Church was started? Thank You, >> Peggy Thompson, Seems likes we are overrun with Peggys.....I got a private E-mail late last night from Peggy Harrington of Bridge City (near Port Arthur) and also acknowledge the posts of Peggy Broughton of Purves. Are you familiar with a book entitled "Descendants of Nichodemus Keith and Margaret Borden", publ. 1987, by Roy T. Mitchell of Eagle Lake, Texas. Hardbound. It is the most thorough treatment of this line that I have seen. I have been to Bowman Ridge but it has been several years. If I am thinking of the right cemetery, it is well maintained and is still active but I am sure others can give better information on that particular cemetery. Growing up in a family of several generations of Primitive Baptists including a brother and four first cousins who were ordained ministers, I will give you my perspective. The Primitive Baptists Churches in America are generally those whoses articles of faith are those of the "Philadelphia Confession of Faith of 1776" and several years earlier there was a London Confession of Faith in Great Britain. A book published in 1885 by Halsell, who was the president of Duke University and whose education was in linguistics completed a book that his father started. The father was Sylvester Halsell and I don't recall the given name of the son. The son could read or speak as many as fifteen different languages therefore much of the church history is based on early day writings. Remember that before Gutenberg invented typeset in the 1400s that documents were in handwritten manuscript and much of the writings were in Latin, German, Hebrew, Greek or other languages. In short, Halsell will submit Church history century by century to the first century Christians. Your early day Baptists were known by names that were given them by others and for this reason, they were known by numerous other names throughout the middle ages depending on what country the people were in. Baptists were persecuted by the Roman Catholics throughout the centuries.....beheadings, burned at the stake, and structured genocide of these peoples by the organized church of Rome or Constantinople or the Islamic church. Martin Luther, with his 95 Theses in 1517, was one who with other groups were responsible for the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century whereby organized churches that are now Lutheran, Presbyterian, Church of England --- (Episcopal Church as it is known in the USA)-- all broke from the Church of Rome. To understand how the Primitive Baptists think, the term "protestant" when applied to them is considered an insult as they were never of the organized Roman Church. Their practices and principles were different and they were not a party to the reformation. These newly organized Protestant Churches still continued to persecute the Baptists or Rebaptizers or whatever they were called. Many were driven into Wales which became a haven somewhat for the people. My late brother who passed away in 1990 was a mild mannered pastor of two churches at the time of his death.....San Angelo and Eldorado. But if one called him a Protestant, he could flair up real quick. But if you are more interested in learning about the PB, locate the book by Halsell. It is probably 1,200 to 1,400 pages in length so it is not an overnight read. The first church in the Erath County area was in July 1859 in the Duffau area and was known as the Bosque Church. Elders Henry Hurley and C.D. Skidmore and deacon James McCarty were the principals and members included surnames Turnbow, Gotcher, Havens, Boucher, Martin, Gilbreath, Mefford, Roberts, Cain, Gotcher, Burnett, Hollis, and Manney. Other churches followed over the course of years. The first church of Texas was that of the Pilgrim Church founded by Elder Daniel Parker, he of the Parker family of Cynthia Ann Parker--captured and raised by the Comanche, and was near Palestine. Mexico would not allow any churches to be formed within the province of Texas as the Catholic church was the established church. Parker and others travelled from Illinois by wagon train and "established a church" in route to Texas thus technically not establishing a church "within" Texas. Hopefully this gives you some insight and background on the Primitive Baptists. Bill McCarty Odessa, Texas