Parish History
In 1692, St. James' Parish, Old Herring Creeke, was officially established when the Maryland Assembly, acting on the orders of Sir Lionel Copely, Royal Governor of Maryland, enacted the Act of Establishment. That Act divided the Province of Maryland into 30 Anglican Parishes. There were, however, people worshipping in the area before that time. The exact location of that church is unknown. In 1695, the vestry ordered a church built on the present site.
The Rev. Henry Hall was called as the first rector, and remained at St. James' until his death in 1722. When the old church became inadequate for the needs of the parish in 1763, the vestry ordered that a new church be built. It was completed in 1765, and continues to serve the congregation today.
St. James' Parish opened the first parochial lending library of the American parishes of the Church of England in 1698. It was founded by the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bray, who donated 118 books for the library that year.
In 1792, the seventh rector of St. James', the Rev. Dr. Thomas John Claggett, resigned to become the first bishop of Maryland. He was the first Episcopal bishop to be consecrated on American soil.
The parish founded several chapels: St. Mark's Chapel at Friendship, consecrated in 1850 and sold in 1915; The Chapel of St. James the Less in Owensville in 1853 (now Christ Church, West River); St. James' Chapel in Tracey's Landing in 1876; and St. Mark's Chapel built in 1924.
Who was St. James?
Saint James, son of Zebedee, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of John the Apostle. He is called Saint James the Greater to distinguish him from James, son of Alphaeus, who is also known as James the Less. James is described as one of the first disciples to join Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him. According to the Gospel of Mark, James and John were called the "Sons of Thunder". James was one of only three apostles whom Jesus selected to bear witness to his Transfiguration. Acts of the Apostles records that Agrippa I had James executed by sword, making him the first of the apostles to be martyred.
