A History Of The Rise Of Methodism In America - Media Sabda Org

William Hirons, late of Wilmington, Del., a local preacher, and an excellent Christian brother,
was the nephew of Leah Hirons. He, too, went to join the Lord's hosts on the other side of the flood,
in 1858.
One of the slanders that was circulated in this region against Methodist preachers was, "that they
were to the people just what Baal's prophets were in Israel in the days of Elijah -- that there were four
hundred and fifty of them spreading false doctrine through the land. In Northwest Fork, Sussex
county, there was a Mr. Lemuel Davis, who had obtained experimental religion by reading a volume
of Baxter's sermons that has been in this Davis family for two hundred years. Mr. Davis concluded
that he would give the Methodist preachers a hearing, and if they contradicted his experience, he
would regard them as no better than Baal's prophets; but if they preached in accordance with what
he felt and knew, he would receive them as the Lord's prophets. He heard Mr. Pedicord, who soon
told him all that was in his heart. One sermon satisfied Mr. Davis, and he had his name enrolled
among the Methodists, with whom he lived many years; he was a local preacher, and died in a good
old age; he called a son Caleb Pedicord.
In 1780, Mr. Pedicord followed Mr. Garrettson in Dorchester county. "Soon after he came into
the county, one of the violent enemies of Methodism met him, and finding that he was one of the
preachers, beat him on the road until the blood ran down his face. He went to the house of a friend,
and while they were washing his stripes, the brother of the persecutor rode up, and learning that the
preacher had been wounded by his brother, he said, I will go after him and chastise him. So saying
he galloped away, and overtook and beat him, until he promised never to meddle with another
Methodist preacher." We have been informed that these two brothers were "Bannings" by name, and
that they became Methodists.
In 1780, Mr. Thomas Haskins as reading law in Dover De1. Being a hearer of the Methodist
preachers, he was convinced of his lost estate and gave up the study of law, and came out a traveling
preach. It appears that he was, the son of the widow Haskins of Caroline county, near Hunting Creek,
Soon after this the mother became a Methodist, probably through the influence of her son. At her
house quarterly meetings were held for that part of the work at that early day. Soon after, Mr.
William Frasier and wife, who lived near by, were brought under Methodist influence and had
preaching at their house; and about 1785, Frazier's Chapel was erected; it was the second house of
worship that the Methodists put up in Caroline county, following Tuckeyhoe Chapel. A little lower
down, near what is now called Federalsburg, another appointment was established about this time
at Mr. Charles'.
In March, 1780, Messrs. Philip Barratt and Waitman Sipple took the lead in erecting Barratt's
Chapel. Its deed dates from May of this year. It is 42 by 48 feet, built of bricks, two stories high, and
had a vestry room connected with it. It was then, and for a number of years after, far the grandest
country chapel that the Methodists had in, America. By the fall of this year it, was enclosed, and had
a ground floor, with rough seats and pulpit, and was occupied as a place of worship. It was not,
however, finished until two generations passed away. In November of this year the first Quarterly
Meeting was held in it. It was supposed that there were a thousand people in attendance. Dr. McGaw,
Messrs. Asbury, Hartley, Pedicord, and Cromwell, were there to officiate.