CHURCH.Beards-Presbyterian.Scott

From "Scott County Church Histories"

Beard Church was organized on September 12, 1828 by Reverend John Moreland.
There had been preaching in the forest on the Straight Fork of Eagle Creek
during several days by the Reverends John R. Moreland and William H.
Forscythe.  The site of the church is near Davis almost on the county line
between Scott and Harrison Counties.  A few members of the Mount Pleasant
Church resided in the neighborhood, particularly Hugh and Easter Beard.
During the meeting referred to above, a number of persons made a profession
of their faith in Christ.  These, together with many Presbyterians who lived
in the area, were organized into a church named after Hugh Beard, who
donated the land for the church building, and who, with Francis Adams,
constituted the first bench of Elders.

These are the names of the original members (as inscribed in original church
records): 
Francis Adams, one of the meek of the earth
America Adams, a pious youth, died in 1831
William Adams
Hugh Beard, founder of the Beard Church
Easter Beard, one of God's Elect
Elizabeth Chapel, a good member
J.W. Cogwell
Sarah Line, a good Christian woman
Vance Lemon
Martha Lemon, one of the excellent of the earth all the way from Ireland,
died in 1844
Martha Lemon, daughter of the former died in 1880
Lucy Mitchell
Ann Mulberry
Polly McCabe, one of the Mother's in Israel
James McCabe
James, Ann and J.B. Woods.

The spot on which the organization took place is perhaps some two hundred
yards from the present location.  The first structure was of log
construction located under the shade of forest trees on the bank of a creek.
The log building was used for a number of years before it was weather
boarded, plastered, and fitted with pews and equipped with a pulpit.

From the times of its founding, the church was supplied with preaching by
Rev. William H. Forscythe until his death in 1868.  In a brief history of
the church Rev. Forscythe described the first years:  "The first meeting was
a very precious one, the fruits remaining unto this day.  The Beard Church
has stood firm and prospered for thirty years.  The church house was a logt
house, forty feet by thirty-five feet, and was dedicated to God and his
service by Rev. Nathan H. Hall on a Sabbath in May, 1830 while a large
congregation waited on his ministry with great delight and consolation.
There is not a church in all West Lexington Presbytery that has such a large
territory around it not occupied by other denominations."

The first record of a meeting of the Session of Beard Church was held on
August 26, 1834.  . . .  The first statistical report found shows forty-nine
communicants in 1852 and forty-two in 1855.  . . . The cemetery on the hill
back of the church contains graves of many former members, a number of whom
have descendants who are members of the church today.  

Surnames listed in the Beard Cemetery at Davis include:
Adams, Anderson, Annis, Antle, Arnold
Bailey, Baird, Barnes, Bates, Beard, Blanton, Bryant, Burgess
Carr, Case, Caswell, Chaney, Cheek, Chipley, Coleman, Cook, Courtney, Craig,
Creighton, Crosthwait/Crosthwaite, Crupper, Curtis
Dailey, Davis, Dawson, Dryden, Duncan, Dunn, Dutton
Eads, Evans
Feeback, Fields, Fightmaster, Fish, Fryman, Fuller
Giles, Gillespie, Ginn
Hamilton, Hatton, Havicus, Hedger, Henderson, Hiles, Hillard, Hiten,
Houston, Hughes, Jenkins, Jones
Kearns, Kidwell, King, Kitchen
Lancaster, Lane, Laughlin, Lemons, Lyons
Mallory/Malory, Mansfield, Marshall, May, McBee, McKenney, Merkle,
Middleton, Miley, Mockbee, Moore, Moss
Navarre, Norris
Perkins, Petty, Price
Ralston, Read, Reed, Ritchie, Rogers, Romans, Rosenblum
Sadler, Sharp, Sheritt, Smith, Stanley, Swinford
Tapp, Thompson, Tucker
Vanhook
Walker, Wells, White, Whitson, Wiggins, Williamson, Wilson, Woolums, Wright


Contributed by Jog1@ix.netcom.com (Jo Thiessen)
Date: Tue, 8 Apr 1997