Most of the folks who attended there and are buried there are relatives of mine, if not directly, they married into the families at some point, fought with them, lived next to them and were overall a part of their lives. My great-great grandparents, H. H.Davis and Julina Aldridge Davis are buried there, with a large number of the Aldridge Clan. Aldridge Patriarch, Caleb Aldridge is buried there, along with both of his wives.
The 1852 deed of to this land to Rehobeth Methodist Episcopal Church South occured 8 years after the separation of the Methodist Episcopal Church South from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1844 over the question of slavery. The church trustees specified the purpose, " To preach and expound God's Holy Word in the house new built or may be built according to the rules and discipline adopted by the ministers and preachers of the General Conferance."
Rehobeth observed the practice of Camp Meetings in which families would build tents or cabins surrounding the church and camp out for weeks at a time while having revival meetings. There is one such camp located not too many miles from Stanly, down around Mineral Springs in Union County below Monroe still in existance, Pleasant Grove Camp Ground.
Rehobeth seems to be the one of the five oldest churchs in Stanly County. Randalls Church, not too far away on the PeeDee River near Norwood, NC claims to be the oldest. Kendall's church in the Kendall Valley Community north of Albemarle, and Ebenezer Baptist, now Badin Baptist, in the town of Badin, along with Pleasant Grove in Western Stanly , and Saint Martin's Lutheran are among the others.
Green Wesley Simpson was a member and a teacher at the church who kept journals and records of the times. Also, the deeds give us a bit of information. A spring is refered to, and a brickyard on the east side of Winfield road. Winfield Road was named for my family, the father and brother of Sarah Winfield Davis. Much of the Davis plantation was originally Winfield property. The road came from Concord in Cabarrus county, passed Saint Martin Church in West Stanly, passed Rehobeth, went through Cottonville and the Davis lands, down through Anson to Wadesboro and on to Cheraw. Cheraw in the early days was a trading center for those living up and down the PeeDee River. Parishoners and circuit preachers traveled by horse and buggy, if not by boat. One report is that they came "with their tar buckets hanging on the coupling poles under the wagons." Rehobeth is perhaps the only church in Stanly County that held camp meetings. The last one recorded was in 1885. The old Harbor stood north of the church with the pulpit elevated on a stage in the middle of the room. The Harbor was later purchased by M. E. Blalock in 1896 and moved to Norwood to use as a barn. Before the church bought a bell, G. W. Simpson would blow a bugle to announce service. The bugle survives as a Simpson family heirloom. The 1920 tornado took all but the floor and a bible. An old school building from Aquadale was bought to replace it.
Trustees:
John W Poplin (father of 2 children who married into my Murrays)
James M Davis (son of Job Davis, my g, g, g Uncle)
William Hendley (haven't discovered a relationship yet, but I've seen a Hendley marry into the family somewhere)
William H Randle (one of the Winfield granddaughters married John Randle Nash)
Caleb Aldridge (my great, great, great grandfather)
Their wives: Mary Ann Almond Poplin, Rowena Lee Davis (wife of Jim), Elizabeth Hendley, Mary Ann Parker Randle, Rebecca Cagle Aldridge (my great, great, great grandmother). Caleb would later marry a widow, Elizabeth Osbourne Bullard after Rebecca's death.
Bible Class: Eli Shankle, Elizabeth C Crump Shankle, Henry L Green, Elizabeth Wilhoit Green, William E Ross, John O. Ross, Mary D Ross, Richard Jackson Ross, Martha M. Ivey Ross, William Daniel Simpson, William F Shankle, Mathew F Davis, Mary Davis, George Ross, Mary Hill Ross, Charles M West, Eugenia Lowder West.
Link to Rehobeth Cemetary Residents:
http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/stanly/cemeteries/rhmchcem.txt
Tent Holders at Camp Meeting:
circa 1880 and prior
I H Underwood James Davis (son of Job) Eben Hearne W R McSwain Noah Pennington Armstead Lilly Linsey Hathcock Bob Carter GW Simpson Ben Snuggs Sam Lilly Pock Ross EO Lilly A Len Roxx WR Upchurch Tom Snuggs O H Upchurch M E Blalock Eli Shankle Tom Colson Frank Ivey Crowell Blalock Ned Davis (son of Job) Merritt Davis (son of Job) Tom Hathcock Martin Hathcock Whitson Mark Tom Frank Lilly Jordan Blalock Dr Bill Kendall Tom Nash GC Howell Arch Freeman George Efird Edmond Nash John W Lisk Frank Shankle Buck Lowder John O Ross Sid Smith Dr Shankle Eli Lentz Jake Efird John Bivens John McSwain George Sides Adam Hathcock Tom Lowder John Ivey Sid Carter Hat Turner John Atkins Doctor Tyson Bill Watkins Martin Shoffner Dick Harris Bob Will , Vol Mauney (Valentine Mauney, son-in-law of James M Davis) , Rich Ross Frank Kendall Hamilton Blalock Nelson Whitaker (husband of Sophia Murray, from my Murray tree), Jesse Murray (son of Ben Murray, migrated to and died in Arkansas) Boy Tyson Caleb Aldridge (gggg grandfather) Ben Murray (brother of ggg Grandmother Prussia Murray Aldridge and Sophia M Whitaker) Ludwell Carpenter (family much married into) Francis Talley Calvin Lee Morse Kendall Shab McSwain Dora McSwain
thanks for the info I am G.W great grandson
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