Compiled for the African Americans in Boone County Project sponsored by Preservation Kentucky.
Belleview Baptist Church: Church Records, 1803-1914. Book One: March 1803 – June 1827. Boone County Library, Burlington, KY.
“The Church of Christ at Middle Creek, constituted March 12th 1803 on the principles of the Philadelphia Baptist confession of faith as recd by the Elkhorn Association. William Cave, Lewis Deweese, John Watts, Lewis Webb, John Hall, Chichester Matthews, Jeremiah Kirtley”
Members: Men: Christopher Wilson, Wm Brady, Uriel Sebree, Jamison Hawkins, Wm Rogers, Elijah Hogan, Isaac Carlton, Thos. Carter, John & Jas Ryle Women: Dorcas Carlton, Lucy Hogan, Nancy Carter, Sally Ryle, Mildred Sebree, Sally Rogers, Ruth Hawkins, Fanny Sebree, Heather Bradley, Lucy Wilson Slave: Alce, Anthony
14 May - Rachell, black woman, recd by letter
13 August - Brother Harry (Jas. Ryle) recd by letter
10 September - Sister Suckey (John Ryle) recd by letter
?October - Brother Hawkins brought complaint against Anthony for “having taken that which was not his own” & then “departed from the truth” found guilty by majority & suspended
12 November - Anthony, failing to give satisfaction, excluded
10 March - Robert Garnett & wife recd
11 August - Francis Lehue recd
13 October - Bro Kirtley complained of Watts for saying 1. “while the sun & moon continued to move he could not have fellowship with sister Cornett, 2nd that nothing but devilish lust caused her to marry Cornett, 3d that this Church had acted partially” – guilt not found! (8 Nov 1806 – entry ordered to be erased)
10 November - Watts complained that Wilson & Hawkins acted partially – guilt not found!
8 December - Rule 3 adjusted – “which notice shall be given personally & in a friendly & Brotherly manner” – Mildred Cornett recd letter of dismission
9 February - Complaint brought by Bullittsburg that Middle Creek Church was in disorder. Bro Watts complained of for using unsavory language. Jas (Jas Talbot) recd
? April - Garnett questions whether church is treating Watts in brotherly manner in not “committing a complaint exhibited by him against Mildred Cornett to record for investigation?” No he was not treated brother, taken back in.
10 August - Taking up that 3d rule again
14 September - Bro Hall complained of Watts – 1. Making public statement that John Brown “was a man of better character” than Hall at the Courthouse “and search it from Dan to Beersheber”, 2. For saying Hall was a tyrant, 3. For words of an entry in Store Book “John Hall Esquire Candidate for the Assembly. Cr[edit]. 2 inches of Muslin.” Watts excluded for failing to give satisfaction.
12 October - Query: (Bro. Wilson) “Is it right for members in good standing to suffer or invite excluded persons to preach in their houses, when knowing to be such?” Answer – NO! Members from several churches get together to hear Watts charges & concluded his exclusion right, but Church could have acted better. (Editor's Note :Watts given letter of dismission but Bullittsburg refused to take him in & he returned)
8 November - Day for letters of dismission: J. Hawkins & wife, Wilson & wife, Mildred Cornett, Winifred Johnson, Carter & wife, Lewis Conner, Rogers & wife.
12 December - considered improper to dismiss so many when convenient to church
10 Janurary - Alce recd letter of dismission
8 July - Brother Garnett disturbed by rumors that some are accusing him of charging too much as miller.
15 October - Complaint brought by Esick (Bullittsburg) against Harry (Jas. Ryle) for reporting that he [Eseck] was a “news carrier” – not guilty (Editor's Note: could be a deadly accusation)
23 February - Thos & Sarah (Doctor Hobles/Nobles) recd
14 April - Silvey recd
3 June - Jacob (Barkshire) recd
10 August - Anthony restored, Darkey (Barkshire) recd
3 February - Hannah (Polly Whittenten) recd
10 July - Watts complained against Anthony for having child by a white woman (this is a public report)
11 August - found guilty & excluded (not present)
9 March - Talbot recd by letter, black man
12 October - recd Sam, black man
8 November - recd Fillis & John (Brady)
13 December - recd Abraham, Charles, Patsy
10 Janurary - recd Ny, black man
13 February - recd Jenny, Amy, & Judy; Judy, Milly, & Violet
8 August - Reuben Graves complained against Aaron his slave boy, stealing neck handkerchief – found guilty & excluded (all meetings hereafter are not dated but are the second Saturday of each month)
April - Wm Garnett complained of Sam, stealing & lying (Editor's Note: Doesn’t sound like Sam is his bondsman)
August - Harry complained of Tony (both Jas. Ryle) for stealing knife & lying -excluded in Sept
November - John Ryle complained of Amy (his slave) for adultery – excluded in Dec
December - Wm Garnett complained against Sam for adultery & lying – excluded in Jany
August - Edmond recd
September - Dick (Willis) recd
April - Aaron (Capt Bush) recd
July - Scott complained against Benj Stephens that he professed belief in universal salvation – excluded in August
October - John Ryle brought complaint against Sarah (Mrs. Noble) for taking horse from Willis & riding it in the night to Robert Kirtley’s
May – John Ryle complains of Ally (Lewis Willis) sin of fornication. She did not attend in June & was excluded. Middle Creek Church Record, Book Second, July 9th, 1827
At end of Book One is table of admissions/dismissions
Admitted - 1818 Amy (Edward Meeks), Jude (John Ryle), Jude (Wm Willis) Aaron (Reuben Graves), Joy (John Ryle), Milly (Benj. Stephens), Violette (Jos. Hawkins), Caesar (Lewis Riddle), March (John Ryle), Talbott (Jos. Hawkins), Ally (John Ryle), Jenny (Wm Ryle)
February - Larkin Ryle complains of Milly (Benjamin Stephens) for adultery – did not attend in March & was excluded.
May - Winne (John Berkshire) baptized
March – Ruth (Mrs. Scott) received
April – John (Mrs. Nancy Rogers) rec’d
May – John not to be baptized by agreement of church
July – John accused by Larkin Ryle of stealing tobacco. Objections to his experience cause church to no longer consider him a candidate for baptism.
August – Jude (E. Ryle) rec’d for baptism
September – Sarah (Nancy Rogers) rec’d
September – rec’d Mary (brother Utze), John (Sister Rice), “Wesley & Shedrach, men of colour” (Editor's Note: This becomes the way to refer to all African Americans, so difficult to tell if any are free or not)
October – Mary (sister Rice), Abraham (bro. Ryle), John (sister Rogers) is restored; Couzy & Thomas (Eliza Percival) rec’d, Lee (brother Garnett), Fanny (sister Kirtley)
November – Lucy (or Dicey?)(brother Hogan), Annis (S. J. Brady), Milly (brother Garnett), Fanny & Abed, “rec’d Nancy Elen Carter Lucy Mary Stephens Monday Night rec’d Coah” (Coah, Nancy & Ellen were probably all from the Dinsmore farm)
December – contemplating church in Burlington; rec’d Moses, Noah, Jane, George, Bob, Cela Editors note: (Cela was Sam’l Huey’s – don’t know about the others); Tom, Fanny & Louisa given letters of dismission with the Allen & Percival family members.
Janurary – rec’d Slaughter (Mrs. Sellers)
February – rec’d Carter (Betty Utze)
March – Amy (Sister Allen), Milly (brother Thomas Huey), Nathan (Sister Huey), and Margaret (Sister Huey)
June – Big Bone also establishing a church – Hueys, Masons, Hardesty, Hatton, Fowler, Johston, Riley, Robert (R. Huey) and Margaret (Jane Huey)
September – King (Jeremiah Garnet) rec’d
October – Samuel (sister Utze) rec’d
December – George & Silas (Sam’l Huey) granted dismission
March – Wm Garnett complains of Lewis “a Br of colour” (no owner mentioned, could be Dinsmore) for adultery. Abram, another br. of colour & Milton Scott asked to cite him to next meeting (Editor's Note: Interesting that another African American used to cite him to meeting – usually all white men).
April – Lewis doesn’t show up & church “not being willing to bear with him any longer”, excludes him.
May – Annis, woman of colour, complained of herself for adultery. Church unwilling to beear with her any longer.
July – Sarah (Mrs. Latimer) rec’d
Janurary – Nathan, bro of colour, charged himself with adultery – not willing to bear with him. (Editor's Note: [Seems to be a pattern here, willing to bear with whites (who admittedly are not being accused of adultery) & unwillingness to bear with blacks (whose marriages are not recognized by law anyway)])
December – John, brother of colour, charged Abram, br of colour, with dancing
April – Betsy, wom of colour, (J. Ryle) rec’d
April – D. M. Scott charged Lewis (Abel White) br. of colour with stealing & lying about it. Lee & Sarah (R. Latimer) bro & sister of colour now living in MO.
October – Dell Scott reported the death of Noah
November – Wm Huey cited Moses “who eloped from this part of the country a short time since” & for wanting to fight – (Editor's Note: Difficult to tell if Moses ran away or if he just left for a short time & then came back)
April – Jack (Sarah Ryle) cited for dancing
October – Alla cited for adultery (Mrs. Hagis—)
March – Wesley cited for fiddling & dancing
destitute of business – nothing but date & “No business Adj.”
July – in making list of members, made distinction between those who had left the state (Pelham, Tom, Anderson, Steve, Jude, Mary, & Ellen “who have more recently gone to parts unknown to us”) & those who still live close – reason why they waited until just after the war to do business – lots being done now. (Ellen may be Dinsmore)
September – SP Brady reported that Lewis, Nancy, Ann, & Louisa left state in disorderly manner (Nancy, and perhaps Ann & Lewis from Dinsmore’s) (Editor's Note: Don’t see any more mention of runaways.)