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"When it did it commenced to Happen"
Annie Louise Elderkin
Elderkin, Lincoln, Peck, Family
by Michael Markley
Chapter 1
Beginning
Providence: "God will provide" Genesis 22:8 Abraham speaking to his son. "The Lord will provide" Genesis 22:14. Speaking to Gods provisioning for the ongoing existence of his creation.
Merriam Webster: defines Providence as being Gods "power sustaining and guiding human destiny."
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1636 Moshassuck: The Reverend Roger Williams believed in religious freedom, the freedom of speech, and Indian rights to property. He decreed it was "by God's Providence that this home. Moshassuck, was provided for him and his followers".
AI Depiction of Moshassuck/Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag Tribe along the Seaconke River
By the agreement of two historic tribes, the Wampanoag and the Narragansett. The productive lands and waters between the Moshassuck and Seaconke rivers were given to Roger Williams.
Seaconke and Moshosick Wampanoag lived in the area of Seekonk, Ma. and Providence, R.I.
Dr. John Erhardt: The History of Seekonk, Rehoboth, Pawtucket, East Providence, Barrington to 1645 (1982)
Wampanoag Tribes during the 1600's
This land at the time and going forward for a short period was still inhabited by the Moshassuck and Seaconke Pokanoket Wampanoag people. Williams became known as the great friend of the Indians. Thus, the city of Providence, in the soon to be Colony of Rhode Island was founded.
Providence, Rhode Island Colony 1638
1645: The Rev. Samuel Newman pastor of the Rehoboth Congregational Church gives a new name to Seaconke. This being now an English town an English colony, he and the community chose the biblical name of Rehoboth.
Taken from Genesis 26:22 and from Genesis 36:37; meaning a place of fresh water and space to grow near the river. Seaconke was on the Seaconke river where there was abundant land and fresh water springs.
1675: A war spreads across New England. Having started in the communities on the Seaconke Plain. Tribal communities' fought to throw off yoke of colonial domination. They fort for their freedom and independence. The English called this war, King Philips War.
1676: The war in southern New England would see its end in August of 1676. The war would not conclude in the favor of the Wampanoag.
The colonies would write laws to try dissolve tribes. Outlawing tribal existence in the colonies. Wampanoag people lost their being and identity. To survive the future they must forget or subdue deep into their consciousness who they were. They must speak the language and carry the name of their colonist owner.
The colonists persecuted a genocide, upon the Wampanoag. Moshassuck and Seaconke became a Killing field. Surviving men were sold into slavery in far off places, some became refugees in other lands.
Refugees, unable to feed themselves and their children filled the streets of Providence. Roger William great friend of the Indian, chaired a post war committee dealing with how to handle the influx of refugees into Providence. The decision of the committee was to take all the surviving young men to Newport and sell them into slavery in far off place. Today places like, Barbados, the Bahamas, Bermuda and even Tangiers have a population that can trace their genetic roots to the Wampanoag of southern New England.
The Providence Committee then sold remanent surviving woman and children into local slavery. Slavery designed to pay for colonial debt in the fighting the war and free labor to support colonial plantations and urban industry.
The survivors were cut off from their culture, religion, history, creed, society, freedom, education, livelihood, future, language, and their natural born life. They did the work of and for the colonist.
The laws that were written in the colonies were later assumed by the states. Laws that would not allow the Wampanoag to be tribes. The Wampanoag were legislated to lose their existence and enslaved to lose their identities.
Some laws in Rhode Island and Massachusetts were written to not allow Indian or enslaved people to walk the streets at night. In Boston as late as 2004 a Wampanoag could be thrown out of the city if found on the streets after sunset. The colonial thought process was that the Indian in the man had to die to save the man.
The Anglican and Episcopal church's considered the Wampanoag to be heathens that needed to be Christianized to become civil men.
Wampanoag ancestors past down their sorrowful history, in an emotional cloak that dictated they must never say who they were, less they and their families would suffer the curse of governmental punishment. They hid in plain sight for 250 years, doing menial but necessary work of the community. In some cases, only their genetics would one day tell their story.
In the 20th century the Elderkin and Lincolns were still cloaked in this long-imprinted guilt. They may have long been in this world, but they were not a part of it.
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1706: Gold Coast Ashanti Africa - a boy was born. What his name was, where exactly he grew up, who his family was may be lost to history. We can assume that his family and village was apposed to Ashanti dominance. Thus he was subject to sale by the Ashanti to English slave traders or be captured.
Gold Coast Ashanti West Africa early 1700's
1728: Colony of Rhode Island Newport, R.I. Bowens Wharf Thames St. This young African man was sold into slavery. His purchaser, is assumed to have been John Slocum. Mr. Slocum was one of the largest slave owners in the colony. Shortly after his sale he came to be in the hands of pastor Samuel Peck of Rehoboth Mass Bay Colony.
Pastor Peck was a "Separatist" preacher. Well known in the colony. His church was in Rehoboth, but was friends with the Slocum Family of Dartmouth. It may have come to be that the Slocum's donated this newly bought slave to pastor Peck and his work.
Pastor Peck named his new slave Jeremiah. He kept him in his home for many years. Jeremiah's grandson states in a January 17, 1879 newspaper article that his grandfather was treated well by pastor Peck.
Jeremiah would never get to go home. The love of his parents and family would be just memories. Jeremiah out lived his master. Pastor Samuel Peck died in 1788.
AI depiction of enslaved young man arriving in Newport, R.I.
1748: Jeremiah marries Elizabeth "Betsey" Jacobs a Narraganset tribal descendant. They had two Children a son and a daughter.
Betsey and her daughter Barbery were both known in the town of Rehoboth to be Indian doctress's. Jeremiah's son Primus paid the penalty of slavery. He was a slave for the Slocum family, of Dartmouth. Maybe to pay for his fathers gift to Pastor Peck.
AI (Gemini) depiction of a Wampanoag woman 1750
1777 Dartmouth Ma: Primus Slocum son of Jeremiah Peck became a free man due to his owners becoming Quakers. The Quaker movement came to southern New England in the mid 1700's and its creed did not believe one man should enslave another.
Primus kept his freedom by serving in the 1st Rhode Island Regiment known as the "Black Regiment" because it was made up of African and Native American slaves. Fighting on the side of the colonist during the American Revolution. The colonist fought for their freedom from Great Britain as the Wampanoag had fought for their freedom from the from their enslavers, some 100 years before.
Fighting on the side of the colonists in the new United States of America. Primus was rewarded with the guarantee of immutable freedom.
Primus married Mary Cleburne in 1785. Mary's father was Wampanoag and her mother an enslaved African. They lived as free people in Rehoboth, Ma. They were hard working and in their life time Primus and Mary purchased land throughout Seekonk, Ma.
They had three children, Jeremiah, Elizabeth, and Susan. they would bring them up as Wampanoags and embed in them as much tribal culture as they could but also cloak them in the understanding that they could not publicly say or be Wampanoag less they suffer the curse of the past.
1810: "Betsey" Jacobs passes away on 09 Dec 1810, having lived 90 years.
1816: Jeremiah survives his master, his wife, and probably his African Family. He lives long enough to see his son become a free man.
Jeremiah past from this earth on 16 February 1816 having lived 110 years.
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1790: In Melanesia a boy was born, whose name and exact place of origin is not known. He would grow up in the Islands off the coast of "New Holland", todays Australia. He was taken or given to be a cabin boy on the American flagged Brigantine Eliza, a ship that sailed out of the port of Providence, R.I. and traversed the world.
AI (Gemini) depiction of a Polynesian cabin boy, 1800's
New Holland 1644
Circumnavigating the world is a life adventure for anyone. But for this young man it meant never being able to return home to his family. It meant a new life in a far off place. It was a daunting paradigm change.
1812: The Cabin boy was in Rhode Island still with his ships captain Eleazer Elderkin. Based on the Rhode Island laws of 1654 and 1778 his indentured servitude to Captain Elderkin would last no later than his 24th birthday. Like so many other slaves when freed he took with him the name, language, and religious faith his master gave him. His name Elderkin, Marcus Aurelius.
Marcus was of no biological or familiar relation to Eleazer and the Elderkin's that settled in Rhode Island and Connecticut in the early 17th Century. But he is the progenitor of the Elderkin name in the Elderkin Lincoln family.
1818: Mary Cleburn Primus Slocum's wife, mother of Jeremiah, Elizabeth, and Susan passes away having lived 63 years.
1821: Upon leaving the home of Eleazer Elderkin, Marcus met Elizabeth Slocum of Seekonk, Ma. They married on August 24 1821. They lived in Providence and Warren, R.I. in the early years of their marriage.
1826: Primus Slocum, a free man, passes away. Born a slave dyeing a free man, he saw the passing away of the colonies and the birth a new nation.
Primus leaves his children his property. To his son Jeremiah he leaves his home and lands surrounding it in Pawtucket. To Elizabeth he leaves the western part of Chestnut St, to Susan he leaves the eastern part of Chestnut St. in Seekonk, Ma. Primus died on 03 Nov 1826, he was 73 years old.
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1828 - Marcus Aurelius' Elderkin met and married Elizabeth Slocum they had five children Marcus Aurelius' (1825-1874), Johnathan Russell (1826-1886), Charles Clifford (1832-1860), John Louis (1832-1914), and Ann Elizabeth (1834-1853).
All born in the Elderkin home, lived, grew up, and died on Chestnut St. in Seekonk, Ma. Most made their living as laborers, farmers and moonshiners!
Elderkin Family Home
The Elderkin homestead stood on Chestnut in Seekonk, Ma. for 120 years. Today the Elderkin Family has lived on Chestnut St. for almost 200 years.
What did a man from African culture, Jeremiah, two woman from native American culture, Betsey Jacobs and Mary Cleburn, and a man from a Melanesian culture, Marcus, have in common? They all were born and grew up in tribal cultures, They all were outcasts in colonial and early American society. They all probably sort each other for the comfort of a common culture and accepting society.
1855: Elizabeth Slocum passes away on 03 September, having lived 61 years.
1859: Charles Clifford Elderkin passes away suddenly. Jonathan Russell his brother marries Mary Ann Dalton an Irish woman Charles Clifford's wife and becomes stepfather to Charles Henry Elderkin.
1860: James Henry Peck is born. He is a descendent of Joseph Peck who came to America in 1638 and settles in Seaconke in 1643. Seaconke was given to Joseph Peck and the Weymouth planters by Massasoit in 1643.
1862: Johnathan Russell and John Lewis join the Massachusetts 47th infantry Regiment the "Merchants Guard Regiment". They fought in the Gulf, and from New Orleans up the Mississippi to Cairo Illinois.
1870 - Marcus Aurelius' past away at home, 03 May. Having lived 80 years.
1880: Charles Henry Elderkin son of Charles Clifford marries Amelia Jane Elderkin daughter of John Lewis Elderkin. Between 1881 and 1909 they have 16 children.
1886: Jonathan Russell Elderkin passes away on Christmas eve having lived 65 years.
1895: James Henry Peck, a farmer marries Miranda Malvina Elderkin, Daughter of John Lewis Elderkin. They have 7 Children, Ada (1895-1975) founder of the FFMCSM, Annie (1898-1980) founder of the FFMCSM, James Henry (1900-1980) member of the FFMCSM, Lester Arthur (1902-1981) founder of FFMCSM, Harold Edward (1904-1908) past away from influenza, Nellie Viola (1906-1986) founder of FFMCSM, William Sanford (1910-1990) member of FFMCSM.
1905: Mabel Elderkin daughter of Charles and Amelia marries Bernard Lincoln in Seekonk. They have 8 children between 1907 and 1924.
1911: The Providence Society of the Free Methodist was established, in Providence, Rhode Island. Reverend David L Stanton was the first pastor.
1914: John Lewis Elderkin Passes away. Having lived 81 years. John Lewis kept the remembrance of Metacomet, Wamsutta, and Ousamequin alive by celebrating their Wampanoag heritage with an annual gathering at Annawan's Rock.
1920: Charles Henry Elderkin dies from hypertension at 61 years old. Leaving Amelia Jane with the Elderkin Family home and the lonesome burden of being the head of the family.
1921: Miranda Elderkin Peck wife of James Henry Peck dies from Diabetes. She was 45 years old.
Chapter 2
Condition
Amelia Jane Elderkin 1864-1935
1924: New Years morning, Amelia Jane Elderkin sat quietly at her kitchen table and watched the light dry snow from new years eve float on the early morning wind. It was going to be a sunny but cold day on Chestnut St. She thought about her father now being gone 10 years (John Elderkin 1833-1914) her mother even longer (Martha Ann Miller 1844-1907). Worst of all her husband Charles Henry (1859-1920) had been gone almost 4 years.
Amelia gave birth to 16 children. On this morning 12 were still alive, 9 boys and 3 girls, and 22 grandchildren. She worried for her family. Her boys especially, they all had jobs working as laborers and farmers. But it was the other thing they did that was wrong. In the back woods of Chestnut St. they ran stills. They were moonshiners making as much money as they could during prohibition. Unfortunately they also drank to much.
Annie Elderkin wife of Amelia's oldest son James said in a 1970's newspaper article "We had to have dances on Saturday nights and it was awful how the young boys god drunk on moonshine". In later comments to Michael Markley she said she often would have to kick her husbands brothers off the front porch on Monday morning so she could get out the front door to go to work.
Amelia worried about the condition of her family. She new the life they lived was not right. She worried if the moonshine did not kill them it would get them arrested. Her heart was heavy.
On 02 June 1924 Native Americans were given citizenship in the United States. As an American no longer did the cloak of guilt have to apply to being a Wampanoag. But ingrained guilt, habits, and ignorance are not easily purged from a community.
The yoke of enslaved servitude had past many years earlier. But yet for the Elderkin's of Chestnut St. the cloak of guilt was not easily removed. It would take generations and the "gospel" of Jesus to free their minds and souls.
Being the Elderkin and Lincoln ancestors were made up of African, Native American, and Melanesian tribal cultures, their children were immersed in tribal ethnicity and understanding. Their core beliefs were not those of the European cultural.
So in the white non tribal community in which they lived and worked they were outsiders. They had minimal understanding of Christianity, lived in a bigoted society, Looked down upon as second class citizens because they were a people of a different color, a different culture, a different history.
Most Elderkin's and Lincolns post civil war were baptized, and sometimes married in Saint Stephens church in Providence , R.I. But, they did not regularly attend Church. Annie Elderkin explains in 1970's Newspaper article that they were "a poorly people" and "did not have good clothes to go to church in". Again the cloak of shame, guilt, poverty and second class citizenship kept the Elderkin's and Lincolns from Christian belief. They were alive in this world but not a part it.
AI (Gemini) depiction of a snow swept country road, as Chestnut St. may have looked on 01 Jan 1924
The door to Amelia Janes heart was heavy, cloaked with the guilt of being a family of lost identity, in a world where they could not live and be who they were.
Her children were lost to country and God. Her boys were moonshiners. Theirs was a life without purpose, a life not well lived, a Godless life.
AI (Gemini) depiction of an outdoor moonshine still during prohibition days of the 20th century.
Amelia Jane Elderkin and Family
Chapter 3
Foundation
Rev. Charles E Ross
New England District Superintendent of the New York Conference of the Free Methodist Church 1923-1926
Charles Everett Ross was born 28 Mar 1885 in Schultzville, Pa to Willard Irving Ross (1866-1937) and Hattie Walter (1867-1898). He married Gertrude Bigham (1889-1987) on 08 Oct 1913.
Charles was the superintendent of The Times Herald Publishing Co., of Grand Forks, N.D. They returned to Pennsylvania where Charles became a minister, of the Free Methodist Church. Rev. Ross took on increasing responsibilities. Becoming a district superintendent in the New York and then New England districts at a young age. He ministered in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
A church must first begin with a congregation. The physical structure that houses that church must be built on a sound foundation. Pastor Ross and Gertrude, were the rocks that such foundations are made.
Pastor Ross helped build the Clinton, Ma. congregation a new church in 1923. He then was Transferred to Rhode Island to help the floundering First Free Methodist Society of Providence, first built in 1911; founded by pastor D.C. Stanton.
Pastor Ross, and wife Gertrude, moved the Rumford section of East Providence, R.I. There they had a daughter, Jean. They attended many community events, and churches, reaching out to the community.
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AI (Gemini) depicted tent meeting from the 1920's
Amelia daughter of Mabel and Bernard Lincoln and the Granddaughter of Amelia Jane Elderkin opened the door and began to throw back that cloak of guilt. She began to attend church meetings at the Holiness Mission in Rumford. R.I. held by Pastor Robertson of Attleboro, Ma. There She met and was befriended by Rev. Charles E Ross and his family.
Pastor Ross was the superintendent of the New England district of the Free Methodist church. He had recently built The First Free Methodist Church of Clinton, Ma., in 1923. He came to Rhode Island to help the Floundering Free Methodist church in Providence, R.I.
Pastor Ross took interest in Amelia and her family. Amelia introduced the Ross's to her family. The Lincoln family began to hold meetings conducted by pastor Ross in their home. Amelia's name sake and Grand mother Amelia Elderkin stressed the need for God in her families lives. She was greatly concerned with the condition of her sons, and their involvement in the making, selling and drinking of moonshine.
In the fall of 1924 Pastor Ross held a tent meeting off ledge road in Seekonk that was greatly attended. Amelia Elderkin offered to hold on going meetings with Pastor Ross in her home, as the size of the meetings was growing and she had the largest home in the family.
The gospel of Christ was sweeping through not just the Elderkin Lincoln family but also the local community.
Grand Ma Elderkin's home soon was overwhelmed, and people would stand on the lawn and sit under the trees as Pastor Ross would preach the Gospel of the Lord. The neighbors would hear the singing and come out of their homes to listen.
As people of Wampanoag decent Christianity or any religion did not have a big place in their hearts. The gospel soon began to fill that void. The glory of God filled their souls, and their need for sanctification, to be cleansed of their sins took the place of moonshine in their lives. That summer and fall of 1924 Pastor Ross had brought Christianity to Chestnut St. in Seekonk, Ma.
The Elderkin and Lincoln children soon realized, after hearing Pastor Ross that they were living lives that were not right with God. They lived in sin; under conviction they came to the Lord of "Providence" for sanctification and his grace.
That summer and fall of 1924 many Elderkin and Lincoln family members accepted the lord into their hearts and began their life anew in their belief in Jesus and his gospel.
Many more were saved from their sins and transgressions on the Lawn of the Elderkin homestead.
The Providence of God moved mountains, bore the ransom sacrifice of Jesus, and shined his glory on and in the souls of the Elderkin Lincoln family. He would soon provide a home, a house of worship "The First Free Methodist Church of Seekonk, Ma."
Elderkin, Lincoln founding members of the First Free Methodist Church of Seekonk, Ma.
More history of the FFMCSM can be found in the Origins page of this website. History Chapter 4 "Construction" will be posted in early July 2025
Chapter 4
Construction
Reverend Ross had the new charge, honor, and responsibility of being named the superintendent of the New England District of the Free Methodist Church. Transferring out of Clinton, Ma. his work in the Providence area was to build up the floundering Providence Society founded in 1911.
Unfortunately he fell ill shortly after the completion of the Clinton church, he did not get better after moving to East Providence, R.I. He was diagnosed with Tuberculosis.
All through his building of a new Society and physical church in Seekonk, he also fulfilled his commitments and visited other Free Methodists Churches in New England.
It was Gertrude Ross that first put into Pastor Ross's mind the idea that the Elderkin Lincoln families had enough people and big enough community to start its own Free Methodist Society and maybe even build a church.
And so, it came to be ... that 20 people stood up to bear the burden of organizing a society. With the help of the few remaining members of the Providence Society joining in there became a movement that spread across the Free Methodist Church nationwide.
50th Anniversary: Story of the founding of the FFMCSM and how Free Methodist societies saved Indian Head pennies and Nickels to help fund the building of the Church.
After Having secured the property at 453 Taunton Ave and 63 Back St. Reverend Ross was only able help by giving direction, as he was "lame". His commitments to the New England district and the worsening Tuberculosis kept the reverend in bed resting.
Fortunately, the Elderkin, Lincoln, Smith, Peck, and Jennings family had a God given talent they were natural carpenters. As laborers they had built many barns, sheds, homes and additions. They also could follow plans. As new children of God they were excited and empowered by the spirit of the Lord to work hard in a timely fashion.
As a chef or a baker must follow a recipe to create something that was previously not there. The new church family followed the words of Reverend Ross as he lay sick in his bed. Mrs. Ross would curry Rev. Ross's instructions from their home in East Providence. They would be given to James Elderkin to interpret and direct the crew.
50th Anniversary: The family history of the Elderkin's being saved and sanctified inspires the New England Conference.
The enthusiasm of the building of the church ignited a flame in the spirits of the new congregation. They were anxious to hold there first meeting inside their "family" built church. They did so on May 03, 1925.
As they did so sooner rather than later. They did so without Rev. Ross or any official pastor. That Summer with the help of Amelia Janes sons, Gertrude Ross became Sheppard of the new Seekonk Congregation. Gertrude Ross became the first official Pastor of the First Free Methodist Church of Seekonk, Ma.
Gertrude Ross would go on to become one of the first ordained female ministers in the United States. Sister Ross was a kind studious loving wife to her husband. Together they founded the First Free Methodist Church of Seekonk, Ma.
Gertrude Ross Biography - First Pastor of the FFMCSM
Chapter 5 "The Mission" will be posted in September 2025 More FFMCSM history can be found on the History page subheading "Chestnut St"
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