George Leile, Kingston, to John Rippon, London, 18 December 1791.

         A Letter from the late Rev. Mr. Joseph Cook of the Euhaw, upper Indian Land, South Carolina, bearing date Sept. 15, 1790, says, “A poor negro, commonly called, among his own friends, Brother George, has been so highly favoured of God, as to plant the first Baptist Church in Savannah, and another in Jamaica”: This account produced an earnest desire to know the circumstances of both these societies. Hence letters were written to the Rev. Mr. Cook, at the Euhaw; to Mr. Jonathan Clarke, at Savannah; to Mr. Wesley’s people in Kingston; with a view to obtain information, in which particular regard was had to the character of this poor but successful minister of Christ. Satisfactory accounts have been received from each of these quarters, and a letter from brother George himself, containing an answer to more than fifty questions proposed in a letter to him: We presume to give an epitome of the whole to our friends, hoping that they will have the goodness to let a plain unlettered people convey their ideas in their own simple way.

         Brother George’s words are distinguished by inverted commas, and what is not so marked, is either matter compressed or information received from such persons to whom application has been made for it.

         George Leile, called also George Sharp because his owner’s name was Sharp, in a letter dated Kingston, Dec. 18, 1791, says, “I was born in Virginia, my father’s name was Liele, and my mother’s name Nancy; I cannot ascertain much of them, and at length resided in New Georgia; but was informed both by white and black people, that my father was the only black person who knew the Lord in a spiritual way in that country: I always had a natural fear of God from my youth, and was often checked in conscience with thoughts of death, which barred me from many sins and bad company. I knew no other way at that time to hope for salvation but only in the performance of my good works.” About two years before the late war, “the Rev. Mr. Matthew Moore,* one Sabbath afternoon, as I stood with curiosity to hear him, [333] he unfolded all my dark views, opened my best behaviour and good works to me, which I thought I was to be saved by, and I was convinced that I was not in the way to heaven, but in the way to hell. This state I laboured under for the space of five or six months. The more I heard or read, the more I saw that I “was condemned as a sinner before God; till at length I was brought to perceive that my life hung by a slender thread, and if it was the will of God to cut me off at that time, I was sure I should be found in hell, as sure as God was in heaven. I saw my condemnation in my own heart, and I found no way wherein I could escape the damnation of hell, only through the merits of my dying Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; which caused me to make intercession with Christ, for the salvation of my poor immortal soul; and I full well recollect, I requested of my Lord and Master to give me a work, I did not care how mean it was, only to try and see how good I would do it.” When he became acquainted with the method of salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, he soon found relief, particularly at a time when he was earnestly engaged in prayer; yea, he says, “I felt such love and joy as my tongue was not able to express. After this I declared before the congregation of believers the work which God had done for my soul, and the same minister, the Rev. Matthew Moore, baptized me, and I continued in this church about four years, till the vacuation” of Savannah by the British.[1] When Mr. Liele was called by grace himself, he was desirous of promoting the felicity of others. One who was an eye-witness of it, says, That he began to discover his love to other negroes, on the same plantation with himself, by reading hymns among them, encouraging them to sing, and sometimes by explaining the most striking parts of them. His own account is this, “Desiring to prove” the sense I had of “my obligations to God, I endeavoured to instruct” the people of “my own colour in the word of God: the white brethren seeing my endeavours, and that the word of the Lord seemed to be blessed, gave me a call at a quarterly meeting to preach before the congregation.” Afterwards Mr. Moore took the sense of the church concerning brother Liele’s abilities, when it appeared to be their unanimous opinion, “that he was possessed of ministerial gifts,” and, according to the custom which obtains in some of the American churches, he was licensed as a probationer. He now exercised at different plantations, especially on those Lord’s Day evenings when there was no service performed in the church to which he belonged; and preached “about three years at Brunton [334] land, and at Yamacraw,” which last place is about half a mile from Savannah. Mr. Henry Sharp, his master, being a deacon of the church which called George Liele to the work of the ministry, some years before his death gave him his freedom, only he continued in the family till his master’s exit. Mr. Sharp in the time of the war was an officer, and was at last killed in the king’s service, by a ball which shot off his hand. The author of this account handled the bloody glove, which he wore when he received the fatal wound. Some persons were at this time dissatisfied with George’s liberation, and threw him into prison, but by producing the proper papers he was released; his particular friend in this business was Colonel Kirkland. “At the vacuation of the country I was partly obliged to come to Jamaica, as an indented servant, for money I owed him, he promising to be my friend in this country. I was landed at Kingston, and by the colonel’s recommendation to general Campbell, the governor of the Island, I was employ’d by him two years, and on his leaving the island, he gave me a written certificate from under his own hand of my good behaviour. As soon as I had settled Col. Kirkland’s demand on me, I had a certificate of my freedom from the vestry and governor, according to the act of this Island. I began, about September 1784, to preach in Kingston, in a small private house, to a good smart congregation, and I formed the church with four brethren from America besides myself, and the preaching took very good effect with the poorer sort, especially the slaves. The people at first persecuted us both at meeting and baptisms, but, God be praised, they seldom interrupt us now. We have applied to the Honourable House of Assembly, with a petition of our distresses, being poor people, desiring to worship Almighty God according to the tenets of the Bible, and they have granted us liberty, and given us their sanction. Thanks be to God we have liberty to worship him as we please in Kingston. You ask about those who,” in a judgment of charity, “have been converted to Christ. I think they are about four hundred and fifty. I have baptized four hundred in Jamaica. At Kingston I baptized in the sea, at Spanish Town in the river, and at convenient places in the country. We have nigh three hundred and fifty members; a few white people among them one white brother of the first battalion of royals, from England, baptized by Rev. Thomas Davis. Several members have been dismissed to other churches, and [335] twelve have died. I have sent enclosed” an account of “the conversion and death of some. A few of Mr. Wesley’s people, after immersion, join us and continue wth us. We have, together with well wishers and followers, in different parts of the country, about fifteen hundred people. We receive none into the church without a few lines from their owners of their good behaviour towards them and religion. The creoles of the country, after they are converted and baptized, as God enables them, prove very faithful. I have deacons and elders, a few; and teachers of small congregations in the town and country, where convenience suits them to come together; and I am pastor. I preach twice on the Lord’s Day, in the forenoon and afternoon, and twice in the week, and have not been absent six Sabbath Days since I formed the church in this country. I receive nothing for my services; I preach, baptize, administer the Lord’s Supper, and travel from one place to another to publish the gospel, and to settle church affairs, all freely. I have one of the chosen men, whom I baptized a deacon of the church, and a native of this country, who keeps the regulations of church matters; and I promoted a Free School for the instruction of the children, both free and slave, and he is the schoolmaster.

         “I cannot justly tell what is my age, as I have no account of the time of my birth, but I suppose I am about forty years old. I have a wife and four children. My wife was baptized by me in Savannah, at Brunton land, and I have every satisfaction in life from her. She is much the same age as myself. My eldest son is nineteen years, my next son seventeen, the third fourteen, and the last child, a girl of eleven years; they are all members of the church. My occupation is a farmer, but as the seasons, in this part of the country, are uncertain, I also keep a team of horses, and waggons for the carrying goods from one place to another, which I attend to myself, with the assitance of my sons; and by this way of life have gained the good will of the public, who recommend me to business, and to some very principal work for government.

         “I have a few books, some good old authors and sermons, and one large bible that was given me by a gentleman: a good many of our members can read, and are all desirous to learn; they will be very thankful for a few books to read on Sundays and other days.

         “The last accounts I had from Savannah were, that the Gospel had taken very great effect both there and in South Carolina. Brother Andrew Bryan, a black minister at Savannah, has two hundred members, in full fellowships and had certificates from their owners of one hundred more, who had given in their experiences and were ready to be baptized. Also I received accounts from Nova Scotia of a black Baptist preacher, Brother David George, who was a member of the church at Savannah; he had the permission of the governor to preach in three provinces; his members in full communion were then sixty, white and black, the Gospel spreading. Brother Amos is at Providence, he writes me that the Gospel has taken good effect, and is spreading greatly; he has about three hundred members. Brother Jessy Gaulfing, another black minister, preaches near Augusta, in South Carolina, at a place where I used to preach; he was a member of the church at Savannah, and has sixty members; and a great work is going on there.

         “I agree to election, redemption, the fall of Adam, regeneration, and perseverance, knowing the promise is to all who endure, in grace, faith, and good works to the end, shall be saved.

         “There is no Baptist church in this country but ours. We have purchased a piece of land, at the east end of Kingston, containing three acres, for the sum of 155£** currency, and on it have begun a meeting-house fifty-seven feet in length by thirty-seven in breadth. We have raised the brick wall eight feet high from the foundation, and intend to have a gallery. Several gentlemen, members of the house of assembly, and other gentlemen, have subscribed towards the building about 40£. The chief part of our congregation are slaves, and their owners allow them, in common, but three or four bits per week*** for allowance to feed themselves; and out of so small a sum we cannot expect any thing that can be of service from them; if we did it would soon bring a scandal upon religion; and the free people in our society are but poor, but they are all willing, both free and slaves, to do what they can. As for my part, I am too much entangled with the affairs of the world to go on,” as I would, “with my design, in supporting the cause: this has, I acknowledge, been a great hindrance to the Gospel in one way; but as I have endeavoured to set a good example” of industry “before the inhabitants of the land, it has given general satisfaction another way. – And, Rev. Sir, we think the Lord has put it in the power of the Baptist societies in England to help and assist us in completing this building, which we look upon will be the greatest undertaking every was in this country for [337] the bringing of souls from darkness into the light of the Gospel. – And as the Lord has put it into your heart to enquire after us, we place all our confidence in you, to make our cicumstances known to the several Baptist churches in England; and we look upon you as our father, friend, and brother.

         “Within the brick wall we have a shelter, in which we worship, until our building can be accomplished.

         “Your --- letter was read to the church two or three times, and did create a great deal of love and warmness throughout the whole congregation, who shouted for joy and comfort, to think that the Lord had been so gracious as to satisfy us in this country with the very same religion with --- our beloved brethren in the old country, according to the scriptures; and that such a worthy ---- of London, should write in so moving a manner to such poor worms as we are. And I beg to say, That the whole congregation sang out that they would, through the assistance of God, remember you in their prayers. They altogether give their Christian love to you, and all the worthy professors of Jesus Christ in your church at London, and beg the prayers of your congregation, and the prayers of the churches in general, wherever it pleases you to make known our circumstances. I remain with the utmost love --- Rev. Sir, your unworthy fellow-labourer, servant, and brother in Christ.

                                             George Leile.

P. S. We have chosen twelve trustees, all of whom are members of our church, whose names are specified in the title; the title proved and recorded in the secretary’s office of this island.

         I would have answered your letter much sooner, but am encumbered with business: the whole island under arms; several of our members and a deacon were obliged to be on duty; and I being trumpeter to the troop of horse in Kingston, am frequently called upon. And also by order of government I was employed in carrying all the cannon that could be found lying about this part of the country. This occasioned my long delay, which I beg you will excuse.” [338]

* Mr. Moore was an ordained Baptist minister, of the county of Burke, in Georgia; he died, it seems some time since. Editor.

** 140£ currency is 100£ sterling.

*** A bit is seven-pence halfpenny currency, or about five-pence halfpenny sterling.

Text: John Rippon, ed., “An Account of several Baptist Churches, consisting chiefly of Negro Slaves: particularly of one at Kingston, in Jamaica; and another at Savannah in Georgia,” Baptist Annual Register, vol. 1, 1790-93, pp. 332-38.