John "Swearing Jack" Waller (1741-1802) Part 2

This is a monument to John Waller. The photo is from an
annual tour of Virginia Baptist History hosted by the
Upper Spotsylvania Missionary Baptist Church

In addition to his own church Waller’s in Goochland, founded in 1769 John had a role in several other Baptist churches within three associations – Dover, Goshen and Culpepper Associations. One such facility was Roundabout which was located in Louisa County. Roundabout was founded in 1791 and John was nominated to serve as pastor in 1792. “As if God would clearly sanction the appointment, He granted a powerful revival of religion soon after he was called to the pastoral care. More than one hundred were baptized in the course of a few months.”

Similarly, John had a role at Guinea’s Bridge parish (1774) that began under the leadership of Joseph Craig. He was replaced by N. Holloway. When Holloway moved to Halifax “the members of the parish then procured the stated ministrations of Elder John Waller, under whose care they were prospered. In 1797 the Lord poured out His Spirit abundantly, and many were turned to righteousness. More than one hundred were added. After the removal of Mr. J. Waller, in 1793, they were destitute of stated preaching for several years. So great was the decline that they had serious thoughts of dissolving their constitution, but finally, having obtained the regular ministrations of A. Waller, (John’s nephew Absalom Waller) they again raised their heads. In 1800 they had the happiness to see a precious work of God among them. As many as 104 were baptized, and some of them were clever and useful men. Their meeting house is a very short distance from the county line, in Caroline. Mr. A. Waller still attends them. This body did not continue to be represented long under the above name.”

John served as the first pastor of Burrus’s Church in Caroline County. He was assisted by Andrew Burrus. John Broaddus took over the parish when John moved to South Carolina, and served for thirty years. A new meeting house was dedicated in September of 1838 and the name of the church was changed to Carmel. Due to disagreements among its members Burrus’s nearly dissolved at one point. Instead in 1800 twelve members left the church to form Bethel Church.

Historic sign for the Massaponax Church, one of many that
John Waller inpacted

As John’s original church grew, groups broke off to form new parishes and continued to follow the Arminian teachings of John. Massaponax was founded sometime before 1785 and constituted in 1788. Mr. Mastin, who was ordained by John Waller was a confirmed Arminian. After some conflict arose John was asked to take over and under his leadership the parish thrived. Mine Road was one such parish that began in 1791 under the guidance of Henry Pendleton. John’s mother Mary was a Pendleton so Henry was likely related in some way. Piney Branch (1789) was another of Waller’s offshoots. It was located close to Fredericksburg.

County Line (1782) is another church that broke off from Waller’s. After County Line was constituted they called upon William Waller (John’s brother) to serve as pastor but when William moved to Kentucky in 1784 John Waller replaced him. William also served as pastor at Goldmine Church in Louisa County. At some point John’s nephew Absolom Waller took over County Line and he continued to serve there until his death in 1820.

Massaponax Church founded before 1785

William’s Church was located in Goochland and was for many years under the ministerial care of Elder John Waller. Ten other parishes where John had a role were Rappidan (1773), Powhatan, Goochland (1774), Lower King & Queen (1772), Dover (1773), Exol (1775), Chickahominy (1776), Licking Hole (1776), Scarrot’s (1777), and Little River (1791).

One account from John’s opponents bemoaned, “These new churches, filled with young and inexperienced members, were visited frequently by J. Waller, accompanied sometimes by one, and sometimes another of the preachers of his own vicinity. His ministrations were, on the one hand, exceedingly salutary and comfortable to his friends; but on the other, highly displeasing to the enemies of the Baptists. They viewed Waller as the ring-leader of all the confusion and disturbance that had befallen them. Great congregations of people attended the Baptist meetings, while very few went to the parish churches. The zealots for the old order were greatly embarrassed. " If" said they, " we permit them to go on, our church must come to nothing, and yet if -we punish them as far as we can stretch the law, it seems not to deter them; for they preach through prison windows in spite of our endeavors to prevent it."

Founded in 1772, John Waller served
as the first preacher

In 1793, John, his family and several relatives and other followers moved to Abbeville South Carolina. Prior to leaving John attended an Association meeting at Thompson’s meeting house in Louisa County on October 18, 1793. While there he received a letter of recommendation and was acknowledged as the oldest minister in the Association and among the oldest in Virginia.

As noted in Virginia deeds, John and his wife Elizabeth sold two tracts of land to Benjamin Waller in October of 1793. One was a 150 acre lot that sold for 75 pounds and the other 369 acres that sold for 275 pounds. John had an uncle, a brother and a son named Benjamin. The uncle was dead so these sales could have been to his brother but most likely were to his son Benjamin Waller (1768-1804). Note that seventeen years after the American Revolution the conversion to using dollars as currency had not occurred.

After settling in South Carolina John founded Bethabara Baptist Church near the Saluda River in Laurens County in 1794. He also founded Siloam Baptist Church in 1799. “The church organizing committee was composed of John Waller, Rev. David Lilly, William Chiles and Meshec Overby. There were 31 members. Charles Fooshe is listed as the first deacon and Joel Lipscomb, the second. Siloam Church is about five miles north of Ninety Six on state highway 101. Waller left shortly after the church was founded. By 1795 there were 56 members of the church. It was incorporated in 1805 and in about 1812 its name was changed to Fellowship”.  (Greenwood County Sketches) Both of these churches still exist, as does Waller’s in Virginia.

Bethabara Baptist Church which John founded
in Laurens County, south Carolina

John and Elizabeth appeared on the 1800 census living in Abbeville, South Carolina. They were partial owners of a sawmill and a gin house. John’s will, dated December 11, 1801 notes that he had 31 slaves at the time of his death and a 325 acre farm that he left to his wife. He left his half of the sawmill to his son John Nicadermus and divided his slaves, some household furnishings and livestock among all of his children. In his will he specifically asked his children to "rule the slaves I've given you with mercy and give them what is equal and right and not part man and wife among them if they can prevent it." I was glad to find this statement in John’s will and hope certainly that all of our slave owning ancestors treated their charges in a similarly just manner.

John died on July 4, 1802. He was 60 years old having lived an extraordinary life and contributed meaningfully to our American history. He is buried along with his wife and other family members in the Waller-Hackett Cemetery in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Siloam Baptist Church, the 2nd
church John founded in South
Carolina, 1799

According to Greenwood County Sketches, a book by Margaret Watson, there is a place in South Carolina known as Wallerville. It was located south of the intersection of Highways 25 and 178 on the west side of Mathews Road. Supposedly Wallerville was founded by descendants of Rev. John Waller. Accounts say that the Waller home which was owned by the Tolbert family burned some years after the Confederate War, and the site was called “the burnt place” for decades thereafter. I was not able to find any references or photos of Wallerville in a Google search.