The Upper Octorara Church, in Sadsbury Township, one mile north of Parksburg was organized in 1720. The prefix "Upper" subsequently given to distingish it from Middle Octorara, in Lancaster County, and Lower Octorara, now lower West Nottingham. Prior to 1724 it Was supplied by Rev. David Evans and Rev. David Magill.
The first regular pastor was Rev. Adam
Boyd, a native of County Antrim,
Ireland, who was installed Oct. 13,1724. Previous to this date a log
church building had been erected. Mr. Boyd was at that time thirty-two years of
age, and ten days after his ordination was married to Jane, daughter of
Rev. Thomas Craighead. His original field of labor Was quite
extensive, and embraced that now occupied by several congregations. In
1741 the church was rent in twain by the "Old Side" and "
New Side" controversy, and a new church organized by these of the "New
Side," bearing the name of "The Second Congregation of Upper
Octorara,"
over which the Rev. Andrew Sterling was pastor from 1747 to 1765. They worshiped
in the church edifice which they erected on the farm lately of Cyrus Cooper, now
belonging to
David Parke,overlooking the Great Valley. During the division Mr. Boyd
continued his relations to the old church, and also ministered to the "Old
Side" portion of the Brandywine Manor Church. In 1768 the
divisions were
healed, and the two churchs of Octorara became again one. Mr. Boyd
died
Nov. 23, 1768, aged seventy-six years, having been pastor for a period of
forty-four years.
The stone covering his grave records that he was eminent through
life, for
modest piety, diligence in his office, prudence, equanimity, and peace."
Early in his pastorate the second church edifice, built of stone, Was erected. He left four sons and six daughters, and his descendants
are now
numerous. One of his sons, Col. Andrew Boyd, was lieutenant of the county
of
Chester during the Revolution.
In 1768, Rev. William Foster became pastor of the reunited congregation.
One of their first acts after the reunion Was the enlargement, in 1769, of
the old church to double its former capacity, making it substantially a new
building, and else the erection of a "session" or "Studyhouse,"
as they were
then called,which is still standing in a corner of the present graveyard.
The church edifice which had been used by the 'New Side" was sold and
removed. An old graveyard still marks the spot where it stood.
Mr. Foster
was pastor until his death, Sept. 30, 1780, at the age of forty-one years.
He was evidently a man of very superior mind, and was much esteemed by all
who knew him for his solid sense and unaffected piety. His wife was a
daughter of the celebrated Rev. Samuel Blair, of Fagg's Manor, and he Was
a brother-in -law of Rev. John Carmichael, of Brandywine Manor. Rev.
Robert Smith, D.D., of Pequea, the
father of the celebrated Samuel Stanhope Smith and John Blair Smith, Was an
uncle of Mr. Foster. During the Revolutionary war Mr. Foster Was an ardent
patriot, and so obnoxious did he become to the British by zeal in the cause of
the patriots that they planned an expedition to capture him, but it was foiled through,
the vigilance of his friends. Many of his descendants have filled positions
of prominence and usefulness both in church and State, among them the late
Ron.Henry J. Foster, of Westmoreland Co., Pa. Rev. Alexander Mitchell
succeeded Mr. Foster in the pastorate, and served from 1785 until 1796. He
was a scholar and a man of excellent mind, and social in his disposition,
but as a preacher he was not popular. He died Dec. 6,1812, at the age of
eighty -one years. The following list gives the surnames of families
connected with the congregation at different times during the last century.
In this list of 82 surnames about 30 are borne by members of the congregation at the present day(1889)Alison, Allen, Arthur, Boggs,
Blelock,
Boyd, Boyle, Bailey, Crawford, Cowan, Clingan, Cochran, Copeland, Dickey, Davidson,
Divin, Dougherty, Filson, Fleming, Foster, Futhey, Forsyth,
Fulton, Grier, Gillfillan, Gardner, Good, Glendenning, Heslip, Hope, Hamill,
Henderson, Hershberger, Irwin, Kerr, Kinkead, Kyle, King, Keys, Kilpatrick,
Liggett, Lockhart, Luckey, McAllister, McNeil, McClure, McPherson, McClellan, McCune, McKim, McWilliams, Mitchell,
Morrison, Moody, Officer, Parke, Pinkerton, Porter, Rowan, Richmond, Ramsay,
Robb, Ruth,Sharpe, Scott, Sloan, Sandford, Summeril, Stewart, Smith, Stills,
Thompson, Wilkin, Wiley, Wilson, Withrow, Wents, Wright, Wells, Wallace, Wigton,
and Young.