Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Fayette County, Kentucky
CHURCHES:
BOONE'S CREEK (1785)
Boone's Creek Church was organized on the second Sunday in November, 1785, by Elders John Taylor and John Tanner. There were eighteen charter members, Samuel Boone, Sarah Boone, William Scholl, Lea Scholl, Robert Fryer, George Shortige, Turner Crump, John Morgan, James Hazelrigg, Kizziah Shortige, Margaret Shortige, Grace Jones, and Elizabeth Hazelrigg, and others whose names we do not have.
Boone's Creek Church became a member of the Elkhorn Association in August 1786, Elder David Thompson being one of its messengers, and probably its first pastor.
HEAD OF BOONE'S CREEK (1785)
Head of Boone's Creek Church is believed to have been organized in 1785 by Elder Joseph Craig.
BRYAN'S STATION (1786)
Bryan's Station Church was organized on the third Saturday in April, 1786, by Elder Lewis Craig with other "helps," with eight charter members, viz., Augustine Eastin, Henry Roach, William Tomlinson, William Ellis Sr., Joseph Rogers, Ann Rogers, Elizabeth Darnaby, and Elizabeth Rice.
Elder Ambrose Dudley located at Bryan's Station a few weeks after the church was constituted, and was called to be the first pastor. Under his care the church grew to 219 members by 1793. During the great revival which spread over the state from 1800 to 1803 this church received 421 members, and had grown to 561 members by August 1801, when 267 members were dismissed to organize the David's Fork Church. During the great revival Elder Ambrose Dudley baptized on one Sunday 58 converts at David's Fork, and on the following Sunday 68 at Bryan's Station. He continued to preach to both churches until 1806, when he resigned as pastor of David's Fork. He remained pastor of Bryan's Station until his death, January 27, 1825.
The first church building was a log structure, where a second (of which we have no information), and then a third building (of brick) were later erected, within a stone's throw of the famous spring where several intrepid but inwardly quaking women carried the water to the fort when it was besieged by Indians just before the battle of Bryan's Station in 1782. Four years after the battle, the church was constituted. Lewis Craig was one of the most noted and influential preachers of his day. Having been converted and licensed to preach, his zeal was so great that he was several times arrested and imprisoned in Virginia for "preaching contrary to the law." The first time he was arrested he was accompanied by several other ministers, and they were arraigned before the court as disturbers of the peace. The prosecuting attorney represented them as a great annoyance on account of their zeal as preachers. "May it please your worships," he said, "these men can not meet a man on the road but they must ram a text of scripture down his throat." While in prison Elder Craig preached to large crowds through the bars and influenced many to see the error of their ways.
So strongly was his church attached to him that more than half of the members came with him when he emigrated to Kentucky. Gilbert's Creek Church, near Lancaster, was therefore called "the Traveling Church," and was organized in December 1781.
Elder Ambrose Dudley was born near Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1750. He was one of five brothers, sons of Robert Dudley and Joyce Gayle. During the early part of the Revolutionary War, he joined the army, and being a man of fine personal appearance, intelligent and decided, he was soon promoted, receiving his commission as captain from Patrick Henry. While stationed at Williamsburg, he heard Lewis Craig preach through the prison bars, and was converted. After Elder Craig was released from prison he baptized Captain Dudley in the presence of the company he commanded and his fellow officers. Elder Dudley soon began preaching, in the same region, and continued there until 1786, when he came to Kentucky. He purchased 1,450 acres of land about six miles from Lexington, and raised a family of fourteen children.
Bryan's Station Church continued to prosper until it became involved in a difficulty with Town Fork Church. This resulted in its division into two parties. One party remained in the Elkhorn Association, and the other party withdrew and formed, together with ten other churches, the Licking Association. Until 1820 the churches in the two associations did not differ in their doctrine. At that time it became apparent that the Licking Association was opposed to missions, and in 1824 the separation became complete. For most of the century following, both factions of the Bryan's Station Church met in the same meeting house.
Elder Thomas P. Dudley succeeded his father in 1825. He became the pastor of four churches, viz., Georgetown, Mt. Carmel in Clark Co., Elizabeth in Bourbon Co., and Bryan's Station. He continued to serve as pastor until his death in 1886. He was followed by Elder Moore.
TOWN FORK
Town Fork Church was organized in July 1786, by Elders Lewis Craig, John Taylor, Ambrose Dudley, and Augustine Eastin, with ten charter members. Among the earliest members were William Payne, Edward Payne, Thomas Lewis, and William Stone. Elder John Gano was the first pastor of this church, and was followed by Elder Jacob Creath Sr.
MARBLE CREEK (EAST HICKMAN)(1787)
Marble Creek Church was organized in the southern part of Fayette County, on June 15, 1787, by Elders Ambrose Dudley and George Stokes Smith, with nineteen members, including William School, Robert Fryar, John Hunt, Martin Stafford, Samuel Bryant, and Flanders Calloway. This church first joined the Elkhorn Association, and later became part of the Licking Association.
SOUTH ELKHORN
HICKMAN'S CREEK
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