THIS part of Colleton County was made a Parish,

by an Act passed Nov. 30, 1706, and its boundaries defined by another passed Dec. 18, 1708, as follow: "to the East by South Edisto River, to the South+ East by the sea, to the North-West by St. Helena Sound, Cambahee River, and the bounds of Granville County, and to the North-West by the North-West bounds of Colleton County."

The Inhabitants having made application to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, the Rev. Mr. Osborn was sent as their Missionary. He arrived in 1713, and was the first Clergyman of the Church of England, settled in this Parish. His cure was very extensive, and his duty laborious. It was 40 miles long and 30 wide, and contained in it 120 families.* Mr. Osborn officiated at five different places for the accommodation of his parishioners, who lived at considerable distance from each other. He had the satisfaction of seeing his labours productive of good; for, soon after his residence in the Parish, he baptised 70, many of whom were adults; and the Lord's Table began to be filled with pious Communicants. Mr. Osborn was greatly esteemed, and the Church flourished under his care. This prosperity, however, was soon interrupted. In 1715, the Indian War broke out, and the savages destroyed all the plantations in the Parish. So sudden was the irruption,

* In 1819, this Parish contained 3079 white inhabitants.

that the Indians were within three miles of Mr. Osborn's house before they were discovered. The Missionary with difficulty escaped to Charles-Town, where he soon after died.

It was some years before the Parish recovered from this disaster. A Missionary was not immediately sent out, but the Clergy of the neighbouring Parishes occasionally officiated in this cure. In consequence of the war, the Church remained unbuilt, and there was no fixed place for divine worship. ` An Act was passed Dec. 9, 1725, appointing Messrs. John Parker, John Hunt, Hugh Bryan and William Evertson, Commissioners for building a Chapel of Ease, at or near Capt. Cox's Plantation; and appropriating £300 cur. for the purpose. The Rector or Minister of the Parish, was required to perform divine service in this Chapel every fourth Sunday, conformably with the Rubrics and Liturgy of the Church of England, &c. It was likewise directed by the Act, that if a Minister of the Church of England should be appointed to the Parish, before the Church was built, he should perform divine service in the Chapel, as he would do in the Parish Church.

The Rev. Mr. Guy visited this Parish pursuant to directions from the Society. He informed them, July 19, 1732, that, there were 44 families belonging to the Church of England, within eight miles of the Church, and 79 Plantations within the same distance. There were 220 acres of Land belonging to the Glebe, about three quarters of a mile from the Church. The Parsonage-House was not in good repair, but another was soon to be built. He likewise stated that, the Parishioners were very desirous of receiving another Missionary.

In 1734, the Rev. Robert Gowie, A. M. arrived in the Province as the Society's Missionary to this Parish, and entered upon the duties of his cure. He was Ordained by Dr. Gibson, Bishop of London, Deacon, Sept. 23, and Priest, Oct. 21, 1733. How long he continued here is not known; but it is probable that it

was not long. He was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Thomson. He was Ordained Deacon, Nov. 8, and Priest, Nov. 15, 1730, by Dr. Chandler, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. Mr. Thomson informed the Society, May 1, 1736, that this Parish contained 120 white families, and 1200 negroes; that as there had been no settled Minister here for some years, he had only 9 communicants. He had baptised upwards of 100 children since he came into the Parish, and 16 since he entered upon the Society's Mission. He further stated that, he officiated once a month at Chehaw, the most remote part of the Parish, where a convenient building had lately been erected. He visited Savannah-Town,* where there was a Garrison, and performed Divine Service in the Fort, on the Lord's Day. He had baptised 10 of their children, five of whom had Indian mothers.

In 1744, he was removed to the Mission in St. George's Parish, and the Rev. Charles Boschi, was appointed by the Society his successor. Mr. Boschi had been a Franciscan Friar, but had become a worthy and pious professor of the Protestant faith in the Church of England. He had been highly esteemed in the Church for seven years, on account of his diligence, integrity, and humble submission to the divine Will. He took charge of this cure Feb. 22, 1745. He was Licensed by Dr. Gibson, Bishop of London, Dec. 12, 1744,"to perform the Ministerial Office in the Province of South-Carolina;" and on the same day subscribed to the Declaration of Conformity to the Liturgy of the Church of England. The Society's Mission to this Parish was dated Dec. 15, 1744.

An Act was passed May 25, 1745, "for founding and establishing a Parochial Chapel of Ease at the Town of Edmundsbury," &c. Henry Hyrne, David Godin, and Barnaby Bull, Esq. were appointed Commissioners to receive subscriptions, and to build the * Savannah, Georgia.

said Chapel. The Rector or Minister of the Parish, was required to perform all the services required by the Church of England, in the said Chapel, and at the Chapel near Pon Pon, alternately, until the ParishChurch should be built.

The Rev. Mt. Boschi informed the Society, Aug. 22, 1747, of his intentions to resign this cure. He had been appointed Chaplain to the Garrison in the Island of Ruatan, in the neighbourhood of the Mosquito Shore.* At the Annual Meeting of the Clergy, April 5, 1749, the Rev. Mr. Orr was appointed to supply the vacant Pulpit in this Parish, once in two months, or oftener, after Mr. Boschi's departure. He left the Province in this year.

The Rev. William Langhorne, arrived in the Province in 1751, as a Missionary from the Society, and entered on the duties of this Cure. He was Ordained Deacon, June 14, 1747, by Dr. Herring, Archbishop of York, and Priest, Sept. 24, 1749, by Dr. Hutton, Archbishop of York. In the following year, he informed them of the kindness with which he had been received by his Parishioners. Subscriptions were opened to build the Chapels at Pon Pon and Edmundsbury, on Ashepoo River, in which divine service was to be performed alternately.

The Journals of the Vestry of this Parish are not of an older date than March 30, 1752, when the following Gentlemen were in Office;

Vestrymen: Henry Hyrne, James Skirving, Thomas Eberson, James Postell, William Sanders, and Joseph Glover.

Churchwardens: John Laird, and Philip Hext.

In Sept. 1752, the Rev. Mr. Langhorne resigned the Cure of this Parish, having been removed by the Society to the Mission at St. George's Dorchester. The Vestry appointed the Rev. John Rowan, of St. Paul's, as his successor, Sept. 28, 1752, and applied

*Ruatan, or Rattan, an Island in the Bay of Honduras, 8 Leagues from the Mosquito Shore.

to the Society to appoint him as their Missionary in this Parish.

It had been originally intended to build the Chapels of wood, but in 1753, the Vestry determined that they should be of Brick. Their dimensions were to be 52 feet by 36, and the walls about 18 feet high. The Pews were directed to be sold.

The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, did not confirm the appointment of Mr. Rowan, but in 1753, sent the Rev. Robert Baron, A. M. as their Missionary to this Parish. He was Ordained by Dr. Sherlock, Bishop of London, Deacon, Sept. 24th, and Priest, Sept. 29th, 1752. His License

for this Parish was dated Feb. 2, 1753. He arrived in Charles-Town, June 1, and entered on the duties of his Cure on the 7th of that month. Mr. Baron was soon after taken ill, and had a severe seasoning, as it is usually called. His Parishioners were scattered over a great extent of country, and were an orderly, well behaved people. The Presbyterians were numerous, but they all lived together in mutual friendship

and christian charity.

The amiable and pious conduct of Mr. Baron had gained him the affection and esteem of his Parishioners. When they were informed of the Society's intentions of removing him to another Cure, the Vestry addressed them on the subject, in a Letter dated at Pon Pon, Dec. 30, 1754. They acknowledged their great obligations to the Society, for their pious and tender care in supplying them with a succession of able and worthy Ministers, and particularly for the present Incumbent, the Rev. Robert Baron. As he enjoyed his health, and the climate appeared to agree with him, they had flattered themselves with the hope that he would be continued in that Mission. They expressed their great regret at the prospect of his removal, and solicited his continuance in this cure. At the same time, Mr. Baron informed the Society, that he