St. Thomas and St. Denis: Fall Family Event

A full congregation for Morning Prayer. St. Thomas is also known as "Brick Church" and "White Church." Throughout history it is most often termed St. Thomas and St. Denis church.

Members of The Huguenot Society of South Carolina and The Society of First Families of South Carolina 1670-1700 gathered with their guests at the parish church of St. Thomas and St. Denis for a beautiful day of worship, food and fellowship.

On Saturday, October 12th at 11:00 am the doors to the parish church of St. Thomas and St. Denis were opened for a special service of remembrance in honor of the French Protestants (Huguenots) who had settled there. Many had fled France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and, shortly after their arrival in Carolina had continued up the Cooper River from Charles Towne to settle near Wisboo Creek in an area that became known as Orange Quarter. Before 1700 they had established a congregation and place of worship situated along the creek. Over time the creek became known as French Quarter Creek and the church as St. Denis. In 1708 St. Thomas was built as the parish church for St. Thomas and St. Denis Parish and gradually the French Protestants at St. Denis migrated down Cainhoy Road to this church.

MORNING PRAYER

The Rev. Charles Jenkins, Chaplain of The Huguenot Society of South Carolina, officiated the Morning Prayer service and Readers included Mr. John “Jack” Bacot Williams, President of The Huguenot Society of South Carolina; Mr. Julian Victor Brandt, III, President of The Society of First Families of South Carolina 1670-1700; and Mr. Andrew Cleveland Gillette, member of both societies and an Elder at The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church of Charleston. The Lord’s Prayer was lead in French by Mrs. Renée Marshall, a member of both societies and Director of Genealogy and Research for The Huguenot Society of South Carolina. The Greeter for the service was Miss Elizabeth F. Gay, Executive Director of The Huguenot Society of South Carolina. The service included a Homily on the meaning of the revocation and how the beliefs of our Huguenot ancestors is relevant today. In attendance from the Board of the Huguenot Society were: Mrs. Margaret Garrett, First Vice President; Mr. Rick Wilson, Treasurer; and, Mr. John Horlbeck Mrs. Bessie Hanahan, and Mrs. Katie Hyman, Vice Presidents. Also, Mr. Jack Huguley, former President of the Society, was in attendance.

Psalm 84 was read as it had been on September 21, 1937 when the church reopened after a major renovation. The Gospel lesson from Matthew was read at a service at the French Protestant (Huguenot) church in Charleston years ago as a poignant reflection of our Huguenot ancestors’ perseverance during the religious wars, especially following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

SHARED PICNIC

Following the church service, everyone enjoyed a bountiful table of shared family recipes and the delicious pulled pork and chicken BBQ selections of Mr. John Reed of Reed’s Catering. Everything was both beautifully presented and delicious. If you happen to have grown up in the Lowcountry, you likely attended fall services across the early churches and chapels of the area followed by a picnic. For many this meant preparing a special dish the day before and then packing up the lawn chairs, card table, table cloth and some dishes in the station wagon to drive out to Berkeley County. The shared dish usually road in someone’s lap carefully protected from any chance of bruising or spilling. The ride was relaxing as the large Grace Memorial Bridge that crossed the Cooper was left in the rear view and ahead was mostly pine trees and a two lane road. This was long before the larger development of Mt. Pleasant and Daniel Island. You really felt as though you were headed into the deep woods and back in time. The drive would range from forty minutes to about an hour depending on the chapel we were to visit and it allowed time for your parents to remind you why you were going and what was so important about the day. There was also some quiet in the car to gaze out the window into the thick forest and think about what it must have been like to settle there so long ago.

This is how genealogy departs from a piece of paper and comes alive. It is passed down with joyful events and hours of conversation in the shade of the pines on sandy ground. It’s one thing to study lineage or to read accounts of history in journals and books, but nothing is quite the same as sitting with members of several families and hearing first hand the stories that have been passed down through time. There is also a sense of fellowship and connection that cannot be attained via email or correspondence. “Everyone comes together and there is plenty of hugging and catching up. You will see faces that resemble your own as many are close or distant cousins and there is a comfort in that which is hard to explain unless you experience it. And, children see the bonds that stretch back seven to eight generations or more,” said Ms. Elizabeth Gay. “Our mission is to perpetuate the memory of the Huguenots. This type of event provides a means to remember our history and affords our membership a joyful means of visiting and forming friendships,” she added. The event had attendees from the Lowcountry as well as upstate South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and more.

HISTORIC EXHIBIT

During the picnic an exhibit was installed inside the sanctuary that featured the Orange Quarter and St. Thomas St. Denis Church. There were numerous colonial maps tracing the mention of the early French and English settlers along with a study of the renovation done in the 1930’s. Mr. Brandt provided information on additional preservation actions The Society of St. Thomas and St. Denis 1706 had taken to preserve the church. He also showed everyone the original floor of the church via a removable portion of the present floor. The scorched wood is there to see - a remnant of the 1815 forest fire that nearly destroyed all of the 1708 building. This exhibit was the beginning of what will be a talk on the Orange Quarter offered by the Society later this year as a virtual talk for all to enjoy. The guests enjoyed exploring the exhibit for their family names or areas they know were their origins in the Carolina as well as learning new things about Orange Quarter and its settlers. There was also an exhibit on the Colonial Religious Corridor, East of the Cooper, about which The Huguenot Society of South Carolina is developing a talk. The corridor is a study of the early Huguenot churches, and the parish churches and chapels-of-ease that correspond to the Church Act of 1706 in South Carolina. The corridor begins with Christ Church and makes its way up to St. Stephen and then down to Saint James-Santee Parish Church / The Brick Church at Wambaw.

The Colonial Religious Corridor

EAST OF THE COOPER

The corridor is a topic in development for a future talk to be delivered by The Huguenot Society of South Carolina. It begins with the pre-1701 Huguenot settlements and churches and proceeds to the Anglican chapels and churches into which the Huguenot congregations merged over time. This corridor of existing structures, ruins and cross sites is an important part of South Carolina’s colonial history. They all hold a significant place in understanding the people of the period and their development.

The French Protestant (Huguenot) churches are pre-1701.  Click here to study the Church Act of 1706 that established the parishes.

THE COLONIAL RELIGIOUS CORRIDOR

This corridor can be driven in a day with a nice break for lunch near Mepkin Abbey. The Huguenot Society of South Carolina is developing a talk on the corridor and how it relates Huguenot history.

CROSS SITE VISIT

After the event several attendees took the short drive up Cainhoy Road to the French Santee creek to visit the Huguenot cross site. The granite marker was installed in 1922 to remember the location of the Orange Quarter French Protestant congregation and their church of St. Denis. Many descendants have ancestors who began at Orange Quarter/St. Denis and then their descendants attended St. Thomas.

Caroline Clary Lesesne

Miss Lesesne stands at the site of her ancestors’ place of worship. She is a direct descendant of several Huguenot lines and had descendants attend St. Thomas where their graves reside today.

This return to St. Thomas and St. Denis was very meaningful. We look forward to future programs at the church and an annual return each Fall to remember the revocation. Follow us on social media and read our e-newsletter that is emailed monthly and you will see future information on our programs on Orange Quarter and the Colonial Religious Corridor.