Ausrka, Fereby, and Cheney, servants of B. M. Sanders, T. West, and Prof. Sanford

This post is part of an ongoing project to record names of enslaved people of Greene County, Georgia I find in historical records.  

Penfield Baptist Church: 1839–1885, p. 126.

Penfield Feb. 4th, 1849

The colored church met in conference and bro. Howel presided. The door of the church was opened and sister Ausrka a female servant of Bro. B. M. Sanders presented a letter from Greensboro Church and was received. After an examination of the case of sister Fereby, it was found that her crime was “having used opprobrious language.” She was called to make explanations to the church, but replied that she had none to make. Supposing from her conduct that she designed not to be submissive to God and the church she was unanimously excluded from fellowship. A collection was then taken up for purchasing a table for the use of the church. Adjourned. W. Morgan, Clk.

Note: Opprobrious is an adjective that means “expressing severe criticism and blame” according to the Cambridge English Dictionary.

Penfield Baptist Church: 1839–1885, p. 129.

Penfield, July 1st, 1849 

The African Church met in conference Brother Everett, presiding. The door of the church was opened. Fereby, a servant girl of T. West, who was formerly excluded, expressed a desire to unite with the church again and after making satisfactory acknowledgements and exhibiting to the church signs of a sincere repentance for her misconduct, was restored to full fellowship. Sister Cheney, a maid servant of Pro. Sanford’s, applied for a letter of dismission, which was not granted, in consequence of some misdemeanor or difficulty in which she was involved. A committee was appointed consisting of Breth’ P. Jackson, A. Cox, G. D. Hubbard to investigate the matter and if possible adjust the difficulty. No further business, the conference adj. 

H. F. Lipford, Clk pro tem

Reference

• Opprobrious, Cambridge English Dictionary; https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/opprobrious.
• Penfield Baptist Church Minutes: 1839 – 1885, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, pp. 126 and 129.