‘MITTIN’ AND ‘FESSIN’
© 2025 Terry Harmon
It’s always interesting and actually quite entertaining to read old church minutes. Some of the oldest of those here in Watauga County, North Carolina belong to the Three Forks Baptist Church (established in 1790) and Cove Creek Baptist Church (established in 1799). Members were often “churched” (that is, brought before the church) on any number of charges, some serious, others trivial and humorous. In one such instance, some of the Baptist brethren found themselves in hot water for “frolicking with the Methodists.”
On occasion, these transgressors included my own family members. In 1817, my 4x great-grandmother, Sabra “Sabry” Hicks Harman, was excluded from fellowship “for her folly and neglect in not attending of her meetings and loose behavior.” In 1829, another of my 4x great-grandmothers, “Sister Mary Ford,” beat the church to the punch. She “laid in a complaint against herself and made satisfaction to the church and was forgiven.”
In subsequent years, Sabra Harman’s son (my 3x great-granduncle), Council “Counce” Harman, would also be cited by the church. Counce was a tall, slim, lively man, who spoke with a long drawl, told funny stories, and liked to sing and make music. Whenever he heard someone picking a banjo, he could not resist hitting the floor to dance. At the age of seventy, he could still clog, buck dance, and run reels. He also liked to nip at the bottle. Despite being a devoted church member and a harmless man who never bothered anyone or meddled in others’ business, Counce delighted in these worldly activities, and this brought much concern to the congregation. Someone would usually “tell on him,” and the next Sunday the preacher would reproach him. Sometimes the church would send word for him to appear before the church body, and he would come forward to ‘mit and ‘fess (his own words for admitting and confessing his sins). The church would then restore him to fellowship, but in a short while, Uncle Counce had to be called upon once more.