32 History of Methodism 



parish till 1751, when, by division, St. Michael's was 

 formed. In 169-1 Mrs. Af ra Coming gave to the Church 

 seventeen acres of land then adjoining Charleston, 

 and afterward included in it, which constituted the 

 glebe of St. Philip's and St. Michael's. 



In 1707 the Bishop of London (Dr. Compton) be- 

 ing anxious to appoint to St. Philip's a man of pru- 

 dence and experience, to serve both as rector of the 

 parish and his commissary, to have the inspection and 

 control of Church matters in the province, selected 

 for that place and office the Bev. Gideon Johnston, on 

 the recommendation of the Archbishop of Dublin, the 

 Bishop of Killaloe and the Bishop of Elphin also 

 concurring, in which "his grace assured him that he 

 had known Mr. Johnston from a child, and did testify 

 he had maintained a fair reputation and was the 

 son of a worthy clergyman in Ireland; that he dared 

 answer for his sobriety, diligence, and ability, and 

 doubted not but he would execute his duty so as to 

 merit the approbation of all with whom he should be 

 concerned." Mr. Johnston, the first commissary, con- 

 tinued to officiate at St. Philip's, in Charleston, till 

 April, 1716, when, on going down in a sloop to take 

 leave of Governor Craven, then leaving for England 

 in a British man-of-war, the sloop was capsized, and 

 by a remarkable coincidence he lost his life at the 

 very spot where, on his first arrival in Carolina, it was 

 placed in imminent peril. He was succeeded by the 

 Bev. Alexander Garden, who continued to act as rec- 

 tor of St. Philip's and commissary of the Bishop of 

 London till 1753. 



The whole number of Episcopal ministers who set- 

 tled in Carolina prior to 1731 is .not accurately known, 

 but from that year till 1775, when the American Bev- 



