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

From the Rev. Thomas Ware's Life we learn the state of things in this place in 1791: "This
borough was infected with mystical miasm, which had a deleterious effect, especially on the youth.
They had imbibed this moral poison until it broke out in supercilious contempt of all who were by
one class denounced as hirelings and will worshippers, and by another as free willers and
perfectionists. Our church was surrounded by hundreds of these sons of Belial, night after night,
while there were scarcely fifty worshippers; such was their conduct, that females were afraid to
attend our meetings at night; and we had to commence service in time to dismiss the congregation
before it was dark."
Mr. Isaac Tussey lived at Shellpot Hill; he was cousin to Mr. Stedham, and received and
entertained the preachers from the beginning, and lived and died a Methodist.
As early as 1771, Mr. Isaac Hersey, who lived west of Christiana, opened his house to the
preachers. Here a society was raised up, and afterwards a church called Salem was built, about 1809;
these are the oldest appointments in Delaware state.
The Tusseys, Websters, Fords, and Clouds, were the first Methodists in Brandywine Hundred, in
the upper end of New Castle county, Del. Mr. Tussey lived on the Delaware river, at Shellpot Hill.
Mr. Thomas Webster lived some two miles north of Wilmington. Mr. David Ford, and the Clouds,
from which family Robert and Adam Cloud, two of the early itinerants, came, lived some six miles
north of Wilmington. David Ford was born about 1750 or 1751. When eighteen years old, he went
to Marcus Hook, on the Delaware river, with a load of ship timber, at which time he heard Captain
Webb preach in his regiments, which, to him, was a great novelty, as he had been raised a Friend.
This was as early as 1768 or 1769. Soon after Webb began to visit Pennsylvania. Friend Ford joined
the Methodists soon after, while he was a single man. When he married, he had Methodist preaching
in his house. In his house Mr. Abbott preached in 1780, when he preached at "D. F. s." See his Life,
p. 112. Some of the above facts are fresh from his son, the Rev. Jesse Ford, who is, and has long
been, a useful preacher among us, and now belongs to the Broad St. Church, Philadelphia.
A society was raised up in the neighborhood of David Fords, between 1775 and 1778; and in
1780, Cloud's Chapel was opened in this neighborhood; and in 1799 it was substituted by a stone
chapel, called Bethel.
It was a custom, in "olden times," to have every year a watermelon fair at the Practical Farmer or
at Marcus Hook. To this fair the Jersey people brought their watermelons, and the Pennsylvanians
bought them, and in return, sold them rum, tobacco, &c. The fair generally lasted three days, and was
a scene of dissipation, steeping the souls of the multitude in sin. Once, when it was held at the Hook,
the Rev. Robert Cann, an early itinerant, came along, and embraced the opportunity to preach to the
people from a balcony, from Job xxi. 3: "Suffer me that I may speak; and after that I have spoken,
mock on." What disposition was found with the assembly to mock the preacher or the sermon, we
cannot tell; but public opinion has so changed that these fairs have been discontinued for many years.
The first Methodist preacher that labored at Wilmington, and New Castle, was Captain Webb.
After him, in 1770, came John King. Then followed, Robert Williams, Richard Boardman, Joseph