Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER YIL History of an Old Steward's Book--Curious Extracts--Sketch of Tobias Gibson--Of Randall Gibson and Wi'liam Foster, the First Stewards in Mississippi--Miles Harper--William Winans. We have in Fayette Circuit, . Mississippi Conference, one of the most interesting historical records to bo found in the archives of Southern Methodism. It is the Steward's book, which, with but few omissions, has been regularly kept for sixty years. It contains the names of all the Presiding Elders of the District and preachers of the circuit in regular succession, with the amount of their claims and receipts, the manner of raising the money, and the places from whence it came, etc. Tho way this interesting record came into the hands of the present Board of Stewards of this circuit seems to have been this: The little tract of country now embraced in Fayette circuit was about the center of Tobias Gibson's original Natchez circuit, and as new circuits were set off from either end the records tended toward the center, so that when this got to be Cole's Creek circuit, about thirty-six years ago, with Reuben B. Ricketts for Recording Steward, tradition says ho collected all the official records be could find pertaining to the finances of the circuit, as it had been and then was, and transcribed them into a suitable book; since which time John M. Folks and Benjamin F. Jones, his successors, continued the records with praiseworthy caro to the death of Mr. Jones, February 6th, 1860; after which all the records were placed in the hands of Eev. George C. Armstrong, a local Elder of the circuit, by the Quarterly Conference, with a request that he transcribe the whole into a largo ledger specially made for the purpose, which has been done, including all late..
