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Old St. David's Church, Cheraw, SC :
 In 1768 by an act of the General Assembly of the Province of South Carolina, St. David's Parish was
established to serve both the religious and civic needs of a growing
population. The parish included the lands that later became Chesterfield,
Marlboro, and Darlington Counties and portions of Florence and Lee.
During the colonial period, the Anglican Church was the established church in
South Carolina, and the Vestry was as much a political body as a religious one. The wardens and commissioners
were responsible for the roads, the poor, orphans, voting and collecting taxes in addition
to their church duties.
This last parish to be established under King
George III was named for David, patron saint of Wales. The first major
Settlement in the Old Cheraws was the Welsh one near present day Society
Hill, and the "Welsh Neck" made up a large portion of the new parish.
On February 22, 1770 the Commissioners contracted the building of a church with Thomas Bingham, carpenter.
The building was to be located on the southwest side of the Pee Dee River on land
granted for that purpose by Ely Kershaw, who owned most of what is now the downtown area of Cheraw. The church was
in use by 1772, but was not actually completed until 1774.
During the Revolution, St.David was used by
the South Carolina militia as quarters on several occasions, and in the
summer of 1780, the 71st Highlanders (British) also used the church for quarters and
a hospital. The Highlanders were a regiment of Lord Cornwallis' Army under
the command of Colonel Campbell. A number of them became ill, probably
with small pox, died and are buried in an unmarked mass grave at the front
of the church. The officers were buried individually in graves covered by
brick mounds.
The first "settlement" clergyman was the Rev. Andrew Fowler who came in 1819. He
also founded a mission in Wadesboro NC. Later rectors founded the
Episcopal churches in Society Hill (1834) and Bennettsville (1863). Two
Episcopal Bishops were rectors of Old St. David's. The Rt. Rev.
Alexander Gregg was the rector from 1846-1859. He also authored A
History of the Old Cheraws. The Rev. Gregg was called to be the first
Episcopal bishop of Texas where he named a number of parishes
"St. David's" after his former church.
During the War Between the States, Old St. David's was used as a
hospital by both armies. There are two drawings showing the church with rows of tents among the
graves. The church was slightly damaged in the munitions explosion that
destroyed most of the business area at that time.
In the surrounding cemetery lie soldiers from all of America's wars. The
first Confederate Monument (1867) ever built is there, as well as the
graves of famous steamboat commander Moses Rogers, and Alexander Gregg.
While the old portion of the cemetery belongs to the Episcopal Church,
people of all faiths are buried here, and there is even a Catholic
section.
Please note that because the Vestry of St. David's also served the community as a political body
(voting, collecting taxes, etc.), early records will contain the names of members of all religious denominations.
Minutes of the Vestry
April 1768
The following gentlemen were named Commissioners for the Parish of St. David's:
Claudius Pegues, Charles Bedingfield,
Philip Pledger James James
Alexander Mackintosh Robert Weaver
George Hicks James Thomson
Thomas Ellerbee Thomas Crawford
Robert Alison Thomas Porte
Thomas Lide Benjamin Rogers
August 1st 1768
The Commissioners met at the House of Mr. Charles Bedingfield.
Absent were Thomas Ellerbee, Robert Weaver, James Thomson,
Thomas Crawford and Thomas Porte.
Declining to act as Commissioners were Alexander Mackintosh, James James
and Robert Alison.
Elections were held.
Elected as Vestry Men:
Claudius Pegues, Philip Pledger, William Godfrey, Charles Bedingfield,
Thomas Lide, Thomas Ellerbee, Thomas Bingham
Elected as Church Wardens:
Alexander Gordon and Benjamin Rogers.
Durham Hitts was appointed Clerk of the Vestry.
Electors were:
William Hardwick
Duke Glen
John Mackintosh
John Jenkins
Edward Ellerbee
John Husbands
Thomas Boatright, Senr.
Jesse Counsell
John Pledger
Robert Clary
Robert Anderson
Benjamin Jackson
James Knight
Samuel Wise
James Thursby
Thomas Williams
Thomas Wade
Leonard Dozier
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