The title, although currently technically incorrect, is meant to represent the Church and its people from its humble and meager beginnings in the 1740s, its closing during the American Revolution in 1776, and reopening as Christ Church Protestant Episcopal Church in 1784. This is the focus of one of my ongoing scholarly research projects.
The church and congregation were the first Church of England Episcopal Church West of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania Colony. They were located in what is now Huntington Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA but in its creation the area was known as the Bermudian (named from the nearby Bermudian Creek) region of Lancaster County. It may be hard to conceptualize in a time when almost everything has a border of some kind, but back when these little backwoods church was built, areas were still being disputed and formed by the local families that inhabited the areas. This area where the church was built, and a second church and cemetery were built is in Huntington Township although only a small section of the church graveyard remains to tattered and nearly eroded tombstones in a small field bordered by newer housing.
Research is still ongoing, but exhaustive measures are being used to gather the most in-depth understanding not only of the church but its congregation and all the trials and tribulations that have occurred in that direct area (and globally) between 1730s (when first wave of European settlers breached over the Susquehanna River) and 1784 which included:
Cresap’s War (Marylanders and Pennsylvanians disputing settlement areas which led to Mason-Dixon Line in mid 1760s)
French and Indian Wars of 1754 and 1763 (Pontiac’s Rebellion)
The American Revolution
This doesn’t even begin to explain all the different cultures and religions flooding into an area that was still inhabited by the Native Americans, the tensions between the European religious groups in the area, and the major cultural and religious “baggage” of the Scots-Irish, Anglo-Irish, and English now century old (please refer to the English, Scottish, and Irish wars of the 1600s) clashing in the wilderness of Pennsylvania alongside of the German, Dutch, and Welsh settlers each with their own cultures and religious denominations.
The small little church for a short time became the largest Church of England outpost in the region and then almost overnight (really a few years) became a small little community surrounded by a growing resentment to the King of England and all that were perceived to be loyal to the Crown.
At the time, the King was included in the prayers and services of the Church of England Episcopal faith. I imagine you may have heard about Loyalist and Tories in America at the time (those that chose to keep their loyalty to the King and England) that either hindered the colonial effort or straight up took up arms against the “Rebellion”.
But there was also this very small subset of people, out in the middle of “nowhere Pennsylvania” that just wanted to worship their religion the way the wanted, especially after 100 years of religious turmoil back in Great Britain and Ireland. A few church members openly went with the English; a few became Patriot heroes; but most were just trying to live within their community. Aid by way of supplies were given to the patriots but almost the entire congregation refused to Swear Allegiance which would in affect say they were going against their religion and religious ways to worship.
This topic is still being actively researched, and several research topics will be completed concerning these topics. Included items will be:
Congregation history, member lists, and correlated information from local historical records to better help give context and meaning to data, to the lives of the people in and around the Bermudian area.
Proper references and synthesizing scattered information in effort to make a detailed timeline.
Will include sermon transcriptions from Rev William Thomson that were given at Christ Church Huntington in 1760s written by his own hand from his actual sermon book.
Efforts to submit scholarly research for the topic and area as well as providing knowledge for historical and genealogical purposes.