The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
Haberecht settled at Ephrata, and the two Tannebergers at Germantown. In
1741, Haberecht joined the Moravians who were building in “the forks
of the Delaware”, and became one of the first members of the Bethlehem
Congregation. In 1745, David Tanneberger married Regina Demuth, who
had lost her husband the previous year, and they ultimately moved to
Bethlehem also. Meyer never renewed his association with the Moravians.
Before the four started to Pennsylvania, another member had taken the
longer journey, and had been laid beside his brethren in the Savannah
cemetery. This was George Haberland, who died September 30th, from flux,
a prevalent disease, from which almost all of the colonists suffered at
one time or another. He had learned much during his life in Georgia,
had been confirmed in June with his brother Michael, and had afterward
served acceptably as a “Diener” of the Congregation.
On the 7th of October, Seifert and Boehner moved to Tomochichi’s village
to perfect themselves in the language, and begin their missionary work.
As some of the congregation had already left Savannah, and others were
soon to follow, Seifert thought that he could be spared even though he
was “Aeltester”, especially as at first he returned to Savannah every
Saturday to hold the Sunday services. In November he and Boehner spent
several weeks in town helping the carpenters raise the frame of a large
house they were building, and when they returned to the Indians in
January, 1738, Peter Rose, his wife, and surviving daughter went with
them.
Friday, December 13th, John Wesley left Savannah, to return to England.
His popularity had long since waned, in the face of his rigid insistance
on ecclesiastical rules, and it was said “the Brethren alone can
understand him, and remain in love with him.” He was unfortunate enough
to provoke a spiteful woman, a niece of Mr. Causton, the Magistrate, and
so greatly did the persecution rage under her influence, that Wesley’s
chance of doing further good was ruined, and nothing was left but
for him to withdraw. The Magistrates forbade him to leave, (secretly
rejoicing that they had driven him away,) but he boldly took his
departure, without molestation, making his way to Beaufort, where
Charles Delamotte joined him. Together they went to Charlestown, where
he parted from Delamotte, and on the 2nd of January, 1738, sailed from
the continent that had witnessed the shattering of so many fond hopes
and ambitions.
Forty-seven years later Brierly Allen settled in Savannah, the first
minister there to represent the great denomination which grew from
Wesley’s later work in England, and the first Methodist Society in that
city of his humiliation was organized in 1806.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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