Wayne County, NC - Heritage Series Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be reproduced without permission. LaPierre - A Pioneer Minister "Our Heritage" By Claude Moore For several generations the name of John LaPierre was legion throughout the lower Cape Fear, in Onslow County, and at New Bern because of his pioneer efforts for the Anglican Church. He is believed to have been a native of France, possibly a French Huguenot minister. He was received into the Church of England in 1707 and was ordained by the Bishop of London. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV in 1585 more than a hundred thousand French Huguenots (Protestants) fled France, many of whom went to England. In 1708 the Rev. John LaPierre was sent to South Carolina and for twenty years he served the parish of St. Dennis which was made of French speaking colonists and he assisted in the English parish of St. Thomas. He held services in French for the Huguenots. Even though the Huguenots were of the Calvinist tradition most of them joined the Anglican Communion and more especially after so many had intermarried with the English Colonists of Carolina. In 1726 the town of Brunswick was settled and there was no minister in the lower Cape Fear. In 1728 John LaPierre was sent by the Anglican Missionary Society to minister to the colonists in what became St. James Parish in 1729 and St. Phillips Parish, Brunswick. Governor George Burrington who owned a plantation called "Stag Park" near Burgaw was governor of the colony at that time and he had difficulty in collecting the church tax levied for the support of the parish. About this time, the highly educated and wealthy, the Rev. Richard Marsden, came to New Hanover and built "Castle Hayne" (later called the Hermitage). He was a merchant and ship owner and offered to serve St. James Parish without charge. He also preached in Onslow County. It is said that when Marsden held service in New Hanover, he would invite the entire congregation to go home with him for dinner. LaPierre wrote critically to the Bishop of London about this arrangement. LaPierre was probably the first rector of St. James Parish. LaPierre was also conducting services, making converts and baptizing at New River and Richlands in Onslow County. He moved to New Bern around 1735 and remained there until his death in 1755. New Bern had had religious services since its founding in 1710, but no church. In 1741 by an act of the Assembly, Craven County was made into a parish to be known as "Christ Church Parish." A brick church was begun and was completed in 1751, and is believed to have been in the Georgian style and similar to the Prince George, Winyah, Church in Georgetown, South Carolina. When the Assembly met in New Bern, LaPierre served as chaplain and often preached a sermon to them. Legislators did need preaching to in those days. The Rev. George Whitfield attended LaPierre's services when he visited New Bern in 1737. In 1740 LaPierre bought a tract of 360 acres on the south side of the Neuse River and he bought a lot on Jones Street in New Bern. LaPierre was married but we do not know her name. They had at least one daughter, Martha LaPierre, who married Benjamin Fordham of Craven County and they had a son, Benjamin Fordham Jr. (born 1743). Benjamin Fordham Jr., married and lived on a plantation in Jones County bordering on Joshua's Creek. Benjamin Fordham Jr., married and had twelve children: Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Small; Tena, who married (1) Blackshear (2) Williams; John, who married three times and had fifteen children; Mary who married John Stanly; Ann who married a Mr. Underwood; Leah who married James Stanly Jr.; Susannah Fordham; and Martha who married (1) John Koonce (1) Stephen Miller. Descendants of these families live all over the United States. ============================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Guy Potts ==============================================================