Great Valley & Charlestown Presbyterian Church; Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ Extracted from THE HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, by Futhey and Cope; Oldest Pres. Church in Chester Co, located in Great Valley: - Tredyffrin twp...congregation as early as 1710, not regularly organized till 1714. Largely Welsh congregation in the beginning...later a commingling of Scots-Irish and English.. First minister - Rev Malachi Jones till 1720 - 2nd minister Rev David Evans who resigned ca 1740 because of congregation problems..( Church building erected 1720, stood till 1790.) 3rd minister - Rev John Rowland....strong opposition to him which culminated in 1741 when he was disbarred from preaching in the church by the "Old Side", who were in the majority in the congregation. He then preached to the 'new side' of the congregation till 1743, when they built a church building in Charlestown village, on land given by Job Harvey, a Friend....called the Charlestown Presbyterian Church. principal men concerned with the creation of this church were David Humphries, David John, Griffith Jones, Lewis Martin, and Anthony Prichard. 4th minister - Rev Samuel Evans...1742 till 1747. No minister till; 5th minister - Rev John Kinkead, in 1753... 6th Rev John Simonton till 1791. leading members - 1761; Isaac Davies, Thomas McKean, Enoch Abraham, John Griffith, Daniel Beaton, John Thompson, James Davies, David Davies, William Hudson, John Christy, Daniel John, Isaac Abraham, Llewellyn Davies, Thomas Waters, Thomas Harris, Hugh Reed, Wm Bell, John Shaw, Hugh Frazer, Thomas Wilson, Robert Stevens, Erasmus Lloyd, Jonathan Davies, Joseph Davies. The 2 churches reunited in 1791, under Rev John Campbell, minister till 1798. 1799 Rev Wm Latta and continued till his death in 1647. 1848-1859..Rev Wm Bingham 1859 -Rev Robert Patterson 1868-1871 - Rev Edward Heberton 1872 - Rev Samuel Fulton The Charlestown Church separated again from the Great Valley on the resignation of Mr. Bingham and united in 1859 with the church in Phoenixville...... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This church is in Tredyffrin twp, Chester County, PA, where there was a congregation as early as 1710, but not regularly organized till 1714. The early congregation was largely Welsh. These are listed as the "leading members in 1761"; Isaac Davies Thomas McKean Enoch Abraham John Griffith Daniel Beaton John Thompson James Davis David Davies William Hudson John Christy Daniel John Isaac Abraham Llewellyn Davies Thomas Waters Thomas Harris Hugh Reed William Bell John Shaw Hugh Frazer Thomas Wilson Robert Stevens Erasmus Lloyd Jonathan Davies Joseph Davis ---------------------------------------------------------------- The mentions of David Jones, in connection to the GVBC, in Futhey and Cope; ''It's pastors were accustomed to itinerate though somewhat distant neighborhoods to gather together God's people and preach to them and others the Word. Rev. David Jones went for this and other purposes even to Ohio." "David Jones was the 3rd minister of the GVBC, 1775-76, 1792-1820. " "In 1775, Rev. David Jones moved into the neighborhood and became assistant to Pastor Davis, but during the Revolution he was absent most of the time as chaplain to the army. The church suffered from the favges of the British army in 1777." Chester Co wills that contain David/his children, etc. ADAMS, ANN, widow of Joseph, of W. Fallowfield.March 8, 1800: August 19, 1801.To sister Jennet Allen my bed and furniture during her life and after her death to my grandniece Anna Jones, daughter of Rev. David Jones.To said Anna Jones all remainder of estate.Executor: Friend Samuel Cochran. Testament signed x.Wits: Robert Cochran, David Cochran. CORNOG, DANIEL. Willistown.January 9, 1799: March 16, 1802.To David Jones, minister at Baptist Church in the Great Valley £25.To John Boggs, now minister of the Baptist Church in the Welsh Tract £25. To Joshua Vaughan, now minister of the Baptist Church at Brandywine £25. To Thomas Freeson, now minister of Baptist Church at London Tract £25. To Sarah Llewellin and her daughter Hannah Llewellin £10 each. To Jonathan Jones, who formerly lived with me, £5.To Benjamin Robson £5. To James Demsey £10. To James Bright £10.To Edward Kelly one half of the money he owes me.To my niece Hannah Forest £150. To Catharine Davis £150.To Anne Cornog £150. To Elizabeth Cornog £150. To Jane, wife of Sampson Davis £150. To Sarah, daughter of Isaac Abrahams, £150 at 21. To my wife's niece Sarah, wife of Dr. Davis of Charlestown, £50.To Daniel, son of John Cornog £150 at 21, with rev. to his brother Thomas. WHITE, MARY, widow of Joseph, of Easttown.July 26, 1806: July 26, 1809.Executors to sell house and lot.To sister Hannah, widow of Joel Martin, 5 s. Gives $5 towards building the Baptist Meeting House.To Rev. David Jones, minister of the Baptist Church in Tredyffrin, £20. Remainder of estate to 2 sisters, Lydia, wife of Isaac Thomas, and Rachel, widow of James Keys, in equal shares.Executors: Rachel Keys and nephew Joseph Keys.Wits.: John Reese, James Morris.Letters c t a to Michael McClees, the executors named renouncing. The first GVBC, in 1722, was a log house was built in Tredyffrin, 28 ft square, which in 1770 contained galleries and a stove. The situation was pleasant, being on rising ground by the highay, near a small brook called Nant yr Ewig. t of the ground was given by Wm George, and the rest upon which the building stood was purchased by the church from David Jones. At that time a branch church was located at Yellow Springs, where was a house 30X20 feet on a lot of 4 acres, the gift of Mr. Cox; also a school huse and a stable. About 92 families belonged to the 2 branches."...this was 5 years before David Jones became the minister.