Smith, of So. Ca. Deacon, Dec. 20, 1795, and Priest, Dec. 19, 1796. Mr. Thomson removed to St. James', Goose-Creek, and was succeeded by the Rev. George T. Nankivel, who was Ordained by Dr. Porteus, Bishop of London. He returned to England in 1809, and was succeeded in 1811, by the Rev. Joseph Warren, formerly Rector of the church on Edisto Island. He died in 1815. There is no Incumbent at present. [1819.]

The church was burnt in March 1815, in a conflagration of the woods. It has lately been rebuilt. It is 37 feet by 27; and its height 22. It is without Galleries or Pews. There is no Glebe; but the funds are good and increasing, and the public worship of the Episcopal Church will soon be restored to the Parish. From the unhealthiness of the climate, Divine Service is suspended during the summer.

1

CHAPTER IX.

St. James' Parish, Santee.

THE Parish of St. James', Santee, consisted chiefly of French Refugees, conforming to the Worship of the Church of England, and was usually denominated the French Settlement, or French Santee. That part of the Parish which now forms St. Stephen's, was called English Santee. St. James' contained upwards of 100 French families, who had fled from persecution after the revocation of the Edict of Nantz in 1685. There were likewise 60 English families, besides free Indians and Negro Slaves, and the inhabitants are said to have been industrious and religious.* The Church was built, at James-Town, of wood, on a brick foundation. When it was founded, is not now known, but the ruins still remain in the midst of a settled plantation. The Rev. Philip de Richbourg, a worthy and pious man, was its first Minister.

The Inhabitants petitioned the Assembly in 1706 to have their settlement made a Parish, and, at the same time, expressed their desire of being united to the Church of England, whose doctrine and discipline they professed highly to esteem. The Assembly passed An Act April 9, 1706, to erect the French Settlement on Santee into a Parish." This was afterwards repealed, and the Parish established by the Church Act, Nov. 30, 1706, wherein the Church at James-Town,

* In 1819 this Parish contained 411 white inhabitants.

was declared to be the Parish Church of St. James, Santee. The boundaries of the Parish were defined, by An Act Dec. 18, 1708, "to the N. E. by Santee river, to the S. E. by the Sea, and to the S. W. by Berkley County."

The Vestry having petitioned the Assembly, it was Ordered, June 3, 1712, "that the sum of £100 be paid the Vestry and Churchwardens of the Parish of St. James, Santee, out of the Public Treasury, towards purchasing the plantation of Alexander Chastaigner, and the Houses thereon standing, for a Glebe, Parsonage-House and Church, and to no other purpose or design."

An Act was passed June 12, 1714, " to erect a Parochial Chapel of Ease, separate from the Church of St. James', Santee, in Craven County, in the Parish of St. James." It was directed to be built at Echaw, and the Rector of St. James' was required to perform divine service therein according to the Rites of the Church of England.

In 1717, the Rev. Mr. de Richbourg died, greatly lamented for his piety and usefulness. The Parish continued vacant until 1720, when the Rev. Mr. Pouderous was licensed for this Cure, by Dr. Robinson, Bishop of London. These Clergymen were not Missionaries, but the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, made them occasional presents, in consideration of their diligence and zeal.

In 1730, the Rev. Mr. Pouderous died. He was succeeded by the Rev. Stephen Coulet, who was Licensed for this Parish, by Dr. Gibson, Bishop of London, Aug. 9, 1731, and arrived in CharlesTown December 9, following. Having submitted his Testimonials to the Bishop's Commissary, he entered upon the duties of his Cure. He had been Ordained in the Church of Rome, but had renounced its errors, and embraced the Protestant faith in the Church of England. He stated to the Commissary that, he had

exhibited his Letters of Orders to the Bishop of London, with which he was satisfied. He had left them with the Vestry of the Church in the Savoy, lest, onhis passage to America, he should fall into the handsof the French, or other Roman Catholics, and lose his life for having abandoned the Communion of the Church of Rome.

The Chapel of Ease at Echaw being found of little" use to the Inhabitants, it was abolished, and two other Chapels ordered to be built, by "An Act to Repeal an Act for appointing a Chapel at Echaw, in the Parish of St. James', Santee, in Craven County, and for crecting two other Chapels in the said Parish, and to provide, that the Rector for the time being, of the said Parish, do preach and perform Divine Service in the English Tongue," passed August 20, 1731.

The Chapel in the lower part of the Parish, was directed to be built at the dividing of the Paths that lead to Mr. Jerman's and Santee Savannah, usually. called Mr. Horry's Savannah; and Messrs. Jonah Collins, Daniel M'Gregory and Elias Horry, were appointed Commissioners for building the same. The Chapel in the upper part of the Parish, was ordered to be built some where near the place called Mr. Waites' Wolf-Trap. Messrs. William Waties, William Drake, and Thomas Cooper, were appointed Commissioners; and £200, were appropriated for each Chapel. The Rector of St. James', Santee, was required to officiate alternately at the Church and Chapels, in the English Tongue, and according to the Rites and Customs of the Church of England.

The Rev. Joseph Bugnion, petitioned the Assembly, Feb. 8, 1738-9, and stated that he had officiated in this Parish from Jan. 1735 to Sept. 1736, and solicited the usual payment for such services. The Assembly granted him £366 13 4. As Mr. Coulet was the Incumbent of the Parish, it is probable that he was out of the Province during that period..

The place selected for the Chapel at the lower end of the Parish, being deemed inconvenient by the Inhabitants, the building of it was postponed; and the Assembly, March 8, 1742, directed it to be built on or near the place where the old Chapel at Echaw stood. The second Echaw Chapel was built of brick, and completed in 1748. The following Inscription is cut in one of the bricks: P. D. Aug. 15, 1748. A convenient Parsonage-House was likewise built of brick, contiguous to the Chapel.

The Parish having become vacant by the death of the Rev. Mr. Coulet, in 1748, it was agreed at the Commissary's Visitation, April 5, 1749, that the Rev. Messrs. Fordyce, and Keith, should supply the vacancy as their convenience would permit.

The earliest Parochial Record extant, is April 8, 1751, when the following Officers were elected for the Church:

Vestrymen: John Mayrant, Edward Jerman, Daniel Horry, John De Liesseline, John Gendron, Jun. Alexander Chovin, and Isaac Dubose.

Churchwardens: Isaac Legrand, and David Palmer. At the annual meeting of the Clergy at CharlesTown, April 17, 1751, it was agreed that, the Rev. Messrs. Durand, Garden, junr. and Cuming, should supply the vacancy in this Parish, by turns, every third Sunday, until a Missionary should arrive from England. And at the meeting held April 8th, 1752, the Rev. Mr. Durand, and the Rev. Mr. Garden, jun. were appointed to this duty. In the following year, Mr. Durand was appointed alone.

An Act was passed, April 21, 1753, authorizing the commissioners to sell the Pews, for the purpose of finishing and adorning the Chapels of Ease.

The Parish of St. James' was divided, May 11, 1754, to form the Parish of St. Stephens, and the Chapel of Ease at Echaw, was declared to be the Parish Church of St. James', Santee.