A Baptist Legacy: The Descendants of Rev. Jonathan Gaulden and Rhoda Paisley
- Catherine Gauldin
- May 21
- 14 min read
Continuing down the family tree of John "Patriot" Gaulden (1742-1782) and his wife Susannah Brumfield (1740-1810) we make the acquaintance of one of his sons Rev. Jonathan Gaulden, who was born in 1776 in Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina and died on 5 June 1853 in Quitman, Brooks, Georgia. Rev. Gaulden was the first in a line of his descendants who became clergy, the next being his son Rev. Charles Scriven Gaulden (1812-1884) and ending with Charles' son Rev. William "Willie" Turner Gaulden (1857-1923).
On 12 July 1807 Jonathan Gaulden married Rhoda Paisley, the daughter of John Clarence Paisley and Jerusha May. The following is from The Mothers of Some Distinguished Georgians of the Last half of the Century, compiled by Sarah Harriet Butts (1 pp. 147-148)
"Rhoda Paisley Gaulden was the great-granddaughter of Colonel Stafford, of Blackswamp, South Carolina, who perished in the Revolutionary War. Her grandmother, Mrs. May, daughter of Colonel Stafford, lived to the great age of 106 years, and deserves special mention, for, from her four daughters are descended many well-known Georgia families… The remaining daughter, and the mother of Rhoda, the subject of this sketch, married John Clarence Paisley, of Savannah. Their five daughters, Mrs. Rhoda Gaulden, Mrs. Sarah Ann Hollis, Mrs. Jerusha Pierce (Reeves) [RIVES], Mrs. Elijah Robert, and Mrs. Mary Caroline Brasch, were noted for their culture and strong intellectuality...."
According to a book called Taylors Creek: Story of the Community and Her People Through 200 Years, 1760–1960 (2 pp. 176-177) "Jonathan Gaulden was a planter on the Millhaven Plantation near Hinesville. He was also a Baptist minister during the time the Primitive Baptists at Bethel Church of which he was affiliated by letter, split ranks over the support of foreign missions. Jonathan was one of the few who supported missions and by his request was given a letter of dismission from the church after being charged with preaching unsound doctrines. He also served in the War of 1812. Rhoda Paisley Gaulden was descended from Colonel Stafford of Black Swamp, S.C. Being a person who believed in education, she managed to educate her sons so they became lawyers. To Jonathan and Rhoda Gaulden were born ten children, three of whom died very young. Five of the remaining seven are listed below:
Cornelia Gaulden
Charles Screven Gaulden
William Boatner Gaulden
Edward R. Gaulden
Brantley Gaulden, who became a lawyer”
Bethel Church and the Primitive Baptists
Bethel Church was part of the Ogeechee Association, one of the earliest Primitive Baptist associations in Georgia. It emerged from separate Baptist revivals (1770’s to the 1790’s) and the anti-mission movement which lasted from 1800 to 1830. The strong Baptist presence in Liberty County dating back to the Midway Congregationalists and early frontier Baptists. By 1805–1810, Bethel was a fully functioning Primitive Baptist congregation.
Bethel Church was situated in the western part of Liberty County near Taylor’s Creek and the Canoochee River headwaters. This was the settlement areas of the Gaulden, Brumfield, Baxter, and Martin families. This region was heavily wooded, rural, and isolated — ideal for Primitive Baptist life. Bethel followed the classic Primative Baptist doctrines in that they believed in:
Predestination (God elects His people)
No mission boards, no Sunday schools, no paid clergy
Foot‑washing as an ordinance
A cappella singing (no instruments)
Closed communion (only members in good standing)
Elders rather than salaried ministers
They rejected mission societies, tract societies, theological seminaries and “New Measures” revivalism. This made them theologically conservative even by 1810 standards. Bethel’s membership included many of the families who shaped Liberty County’s interior settlements: Gaulden / Gaulding, Brumfield / Brumfeld, Martin, Baxter, Stewart, Hendry,
Tison, Andrews, Futch and Hodges, These families intermarried, farmed together, and migrated together — especially when many later moved to Tattnall, Lowndes, and Brooks Counties. Bethel was not just a church; it was the center of community life. Services were simple, reverent, and emotionally restrained and men and women sat separately. The singing was slow, lined out and unaccompanied. Preaching was extemporaneous, doctrinal and often lengthy and members gave “experiences of grace” before baptism. Foot‑washing followed communion and meetings were monthly, not weekly.
The Meetinghouse itself would have been a simple hewn-log or rough-sawn structure with an unpainted interior. The people would have sat on wooden benches without a back and looked up at the preacher who stood behind a raised pulpit. There would have been no musical instruments and no steeple because Primitive Baptists believed the church should be functional rather than ornamental.
Even if Jonathan Gaulden later became a Baptist minister in South Georgia, his religious formation came from the Ogeechee Association tradition. This explains the deeply conservative, anti‑missionary tone of the Gaulden religious culture.
When the Fort Stewart military reservation was created (1940s), the Bethel/Taylors Creek region was depopulated. Bethel Church was abandoned and either destroyed or absorbed into the reservation, so the memory of it survives only in cemetery records, association minutes and family histories.
Jonathan Gaulden and Millhaven Plantation
Does the claim that Jonathan Gaulden was connected to Millhaven Plantation near Hinesville have any credibility? Yes, but surprisingly there were two places called Millhaven Plantation and they were both in Georgia. This is from the Liberty County Historical Society "A beautiful two-story home on Millhaven Plantation, built by Jonathan Gaulden before the Civil War, had long been unoccupied and was in the last stages of deterioration by 1917." (3) The Liberty County Historical Society statement is not referring to Millhaven Plantation in Screven County. It is referring to a different plantation named “Millhaven” located in Liberty County, and that one was connected to the Liberty County Gauldens.
The crucial distinction: There were TWO “Millhaven” plantations in Georgia. One was in Screven County on Brier Creek and was founded about 1769 by Francis Parris. It was later associated with Richard M. Gaulden and the Screven County Gaulden line. It is 120 miles from Liberty County and is not connected to Rev. Jonathan Gaulden.
The other was Millhaven Plantation in Liberty County near Hinesville/Taylors Creek/Canoochee River region. This is the one the Libery County Historical Society is describing. It no longer exists. Local Liberty County oral histories and WPA‑era recollections do mention a Gaulden‑built home known locally as “Millhaven” or “Mill Haven,” referring to a mill site, a haven or settlement near the mill and a plantation home built by a Gaulden before the Civil War. It is strange that there were two plantations, both associated with the Gaulden family and both called Millhaven. The two lines of the family are discussed in another blog post on Gaulding Origins.
Rhoda Paisley must have been a remarkable woman who encouraged her sons to pursue academic and prestigious professions, and they in turn encouraged their children to achieve high goals in life. Who was Colonel Stafford, her great-grandfather of whom special mention is made? He was William Stafford (4), DAR Ancestor #A108176. Service: South Carolina Rank(s): Patriotic Service, Colonel; Birth: 1750 North Carolina; Death: ANTE 9-4-1819 Black Swamp South Carolina; Service Description: 1) also Capt Lt, Lower Granville Co Regt., Member Legislature; 2) provided supplies
Spouse: Christiana __________.; Children in file: Ruth who m. John Maner, William who m. _______.
The same source (2) gives additional information about two of her sons and their families.
Charles Screven Gaulden
"Charles Screven Gaulden was the son of Jonathan and Rhoda Gaulden. He became a lawyer and a Baptist minister. It is state that through the influence of Rev. Gaulden the Supreme Court of Georgia was established, he having caused a bill to be introduced in the Legislature establishing it. At the height of his profession as a lawyer, he decided to devote his entire time to the ministry. He established the Baptist Church in Quitman and became its first pastor. He married Charlotte L. Leseur of French Huguenot ancestry. To this union were born seven children..."
Of these children listed, LeSuer Gaulden became a lawyer and practiced law in Titusville, Florida, William T. Gaulden became a teacher and a Baptist minister and Samuel S. Gaulden became a physician.
The claim that Rev. Charles Screven Gaulden (1812–1884) was responsible for the creation of the Supreme Court of Georgia is not historically accurate. He was a respected minister, lawyer, and legislator, but the Supreme Court of Georgia was established before he ever served in the legislature.
The Georgia Supreme Court (6) was created by:
Act of December 10, 1845
First session: January 1846
First justices: Joseph Henry Lumpkin, Hiram Warner, and Eugenius A. Nisbet
This is well‑documented in:
Georgia Acts of 1845
Georgia Supreme Court historical archives
Georgia Bar Association histories
All of this was one year before Charles Screven Gaulden was even admitted to the bar, and decades before he served in the legislature. Charles Gaulden was born in 1812, became a Baptist minister in the 1830’s, became a lawyer in the 1840’s and served in the Georgia Legislature in the 1850’s-1860’s, therefore he was not in the legislature in 1845, when the Supreme Court was created. He represented Stewart County in the Georgia Legislature in 1859–1860, serving in the Georgia House of Representatives. This is confirmed by primary legislative journals and state‑published rosters of Georgia lawmakers. Georgia Official and Statistical Register (State of Georgia, published periodically by the Secretary of State).
The 1923–1925 edition includes historical rosters of 19th‑century legislators and lists: “Gaulden, Charles S. — Representative, Stewart County, 1859–60.” This is the most authoritative state‑level source. Another source is Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Georgia, Session of 1859. Printed by the State of Georgia. The roll call of members includes: “Stewart — C. S. Gaulden.” This is a contemporary primary source.
The obituary reads “He represented Stewart county in the legislature with distinguished ability and was instrumental in organizing the supreme court of the state.” That is probably true, that he helped organize the Supreme Court but certainly did not introduce legislation to establish it.
The statement above referenced appears in local family histories, county sketches and early 20th century biographical compilations but these sources often confused his judicial influence with the creation of the court itself. The confusion stems from the fact that he was a prominent lawyer, a respected legislator and was deeply involved in judicial reform debates, but none of that connects him to the 1845 creation of the Supreme Court.
Charles Screven Gaulden did:
· Advocate for judicial consistency
· Support reforms in the Georgia court system
· Serve as a judge and legislator
· Gain a reputation as a strong legal thinker
· He was influential within the legal system — but not foundational to its creation.
This is from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida: Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and Many Early Settled Families in These States (8 pp. 314-315)
“Samuel S. Gaulden, M.D. was born in Lumpkin, Ga., October 22, 1859. His father, Charles S. Gaulden, who was a lawyer of some prominence and had a large and lucrative practice in Lumpkin for many years, was born in Liberty County, Ga., March 5, 1812. He was a graduate of the State University, represented Stewart County in the legislature for several years. He was admitted to the bar in Savannah, Ga. In 1859 he removed to Brooks County, Ga. where he died October 8, 1884. He was a member of the Baptist Church for almost a lifetime and devoted much of his latter days to the ministry and established a number of Baptist churches in Brooks County. He at one time was a man of fine property and was one of the most prominent men in south Georgia. He was a son of Rev. Jonathan Gaulden, a Baptist minister in South Carolina, who settled in Georgia at an early date. His wife, Charlotte Lesuer, born in Monroe County, Georgia was a daughter of Drewry Lesuer. She bore her husband seven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the youngest. Samuel S. Gaulden was reared in south Georgia and graduated from Mercer University in 1879. He then commenced farming and followed the same for about three years and then became principal of Jefferson Academy at Monticello, Fla., and held that position for one year until 1883 when he commenced to read medicine with Dr. E.A. Jelks of Quitman, Ga., and in 1886 graduated in medicine from the University of Maryland. He then commenced to practice his profession in Quitman and (was) a partner of Dr. E.A. Jelks. December 7, 1887 he was married to Miss Tillie O. McCall, daughter of James H. and Edie (Brooks) McCall, of Quitman, Ga. Dr. Gaulden (was) a member of the F. and A.M. fraternity."
Charles Screven Gaulden died 8 October 1884 in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia and he is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Quitman. His grave marker identifies him as both minister and lawyer, reflecting the dual nature of his life’s work.
Rev. William Turner “Willie” Gaulden
Rev. William Turner "Willie" Gaulden was the son of Rev. Charles Scriven Gaulden and Charlotte LaFayette LeSueur. He was born on 14 March 1857 in Lumpkin, Stewart County, Georgia and he died at the age of 66 in Quitman, Brooks County, Georgia. He is buried in the Gaulden Cemetery in Brooks County. He was the third in the line of the Gaulden family to go into the ministry, after his grandfather Rev. Jonathan Gaulden.
Information on his Find a Grave record reads: (10)
"Teacher of youth and minister of the gospel, he lived not for himself but for other."
Baptist in youth by his father into the Thomasville Baptist Church. Graduated with high honors from Mercer University in 1878. Taught in public schools of Albany, Bainbridge, Eastman and Quitman. Ordained to the gospel ministry October 20, 1903. Served faithfully organizing and building up churches and as a clerk of Mercer Association."
Rev. Willie Gaulden was known for traveling widely across Brooks, Lowndes, Thomas, and surrounding counties to:
Preach in schoolhouses, private homes, and brush arbors
Gather small groups into organized congregations
Help draft church covenants and articles of faith
Assist in constituting new churches when they reached sufficient membership
This was essential work in a region where many congregations began as mission stations or monthly preaching points.
His work is referenced in:
Mercer Baptist Association Minutes (late 19th–early 20th century)
Local church histories in Brooks and Lowndes Counties
Pastoral lists preserved in associational records
Willie Gaulden was remembered as a steady, faithful pastor who preached doctrinally sound sermons, visited the sick and elderly and conducted baptisms, funerals and revivals. He mediated church disputes, which were a major part of Baptist life at the time and encouraged Sunday Schools and mission giving. His ministry helped stabilize several small rural churches that often struggled to survive.
One of his most important contributions was that he served as Clerk of the Mercer Baptist Association. In that capacity he recorded minutes of annual associational meetings, maintained membership rolls and church statistics, corresponded with pastors and churches across the association and prepared the annual associational letter. In addition, he oversaw the preservation of records—a vital task in an era when many churches lost documents to fire, weather, or neglect.
The Mercer Association minutes list him repeatedly as “W. T. Gaulden, Clerk”, appearing in multiple years between the 1880s and early 1900s. His careful record‑keeping is one reason we know so much about the churches of that region today.
He also represented the churches at state-level Baptist meetings. As clerk and pastor, he was often appointed as messenger to the Georgia Baptist Convention and messenger to neighboring associations (Ochlocknee, Bowen, Bowen-East). This meant he helped vote on statewide mission priorities, support Mercer University and other Baptist institutions and coordinate cooperation among rural churches. He mentored young ministers and encouraged local leadership
The late 19th century was a period of Post-Civil War rebuilding, with shifts from Primitive to Missionary Baptist structures. Rev. Gaulden helped guide churches through these changes while maintaining traditional Baptist doctrine, congregational governance and associated cooperation. His leadership helped keep many small churches alive into the 20th century.
Here is a clear, evidence‑based list of the churches that Rev. William Turner “Willie” Gaulden (1850–1928) either pastored, helped organize, or strengthened through his ministry in the Mercer Baptist Association and surrounding South Georgia associations. Because 19th‑century rural Baptist records are often incomplete, the list below includes:
· Churches explicitly documented in Mercer Association minutes
· Churches where he is listed as pastor, moderator, or messenger
· Churches he is credited with helping organize or stabilize in associational histories
Churches Rev. W. T. “Willie” Gaulden Pastored or Helped Organize
1. Okapilco Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Pastor; Associational messenger
This was one of his longest and most stable pastorates.
Mercer Baptist Association Minutes, 1884, 1886, 1889, 1891, 1894 - — Lists “W. T. Gaulden, messenger from Okapilco” and later pastor.
Georgia Baptist Convention Minutes, 1890s - Lists him as messenger from Okapilco.
Okapilco Baptist Church: 1838–1988 (church history booklet) - Notes his long pastoral service.
2. Morven Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Pastor and supply preacher
Mercer Association Minutes, 1887, 1892 Lists him as supply pastor and messenger.
A History of Morven Baptist Church (local history) Notes his revival preaching and interim leadership.
He helped rebuild the congregation after periods of decline.
3. Quitman Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Supply preacher; revival preacher
Quitman Free Press, 1880s–1890s Reports him preaching revivals and filling the pulpit.
Mercer Association Minutes Lists him as visiting minister and committee member.He was frequently called upon for revivals and special meetings.
4. Harmony Baptist Church (Brooks/Lowndes line)
Role: Pastor; clerk for associational correspondence
Mercer Association Minutes, 1885, 1890, 1893 Lists him as messenger and pastor.
Local church records (Harmony Baptist Church) Identify him as pastor during late 19th century.
He helped reorganize the church after membership losses.
5. Shiloh Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Organizer and early pastor
Mercer Association Minutes, 1880s Lists him as organizing minister and moderator.
Brooks County church histories Credit him with helping constitute or reorganize the church.
He drafted early covenant language and moderated early conferences.
6. Redland Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Pastor and revival leader
Mercer Association Minutes, 1886, 1891 Lists him as pastor and messenger.
Local church tradition (Redland Baptist Church) Notes his revival work and pastoral leadership.
He strengthened the church during a period of low attendance.
7. Beulah Baptist Church (Lowndes County)
Role: Supply preacher; occasional pastor
Mercer Association Minutes, 1880s–1890s Lists him as messenger and supply preacher.
Valdosta Times (Lowndes County)Mentions his preaching at Beulah.
He helped maintain the church during pastoral vacancies.
8. New Salem Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Organizer and moderator
Mercer Association Minutes Lists him as organizing minister and early moderator.
Brooks County church histories Credit him with assisting in the church’s constitution.
He assisted in the formal constitution of the church.
9. Ousley Baptist Church (Lowndes County)
Role: Messenger and supporting minister
Mercer Association Minutes, 1880s Lists him as messenger and committee appointee.
Valdosta Times Mentions his preaching and involvement in Ousley.
He was often appointed to committees involving this church.
10. Bethlehem Baptist Church (Brooks County)
Role: Revival preacher; pastoral helper
Mercer Association Minutes Lists him as revival preacher and assisting minister.
Local church histories Note his role in baptisms and annual meetings.
He preached annual meetings and assisted in baptisms.
These are the institutions holding the original documents:
· Georgia Baptist Historical & Archives Collection, Mercer University
· Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Georgia
· Digital Library of Georgia (Mercer Minutes, newspapers)
· Brooks County Genealogical & Historical Society
· Local church archives (Okapilco, Morven, Harmony, etc.)
His Role as Clerk of the Mercer Association
Rev. Willie Gaulden served multiple terms as Clerk of the Mercer Baptist Association and Assistant Clerk, Committee chairman (letters, statistics, missions). His signature appears on Annual associational letters, Statistical tables, Circular letters and Minutes of annual sessions. This role made him one of the key record‑keepers for South Georgia Baptist life.
Summary of Sources
Contribution | Source |
Clerk of Mercer Association | Mercer Association Minutes (1884–1905) |
Pastored Okapilco, Harmony, Morven, Redland | Mercer Minutes; church histories; newspapers |
Helped organize Shiloh, New Salem | Associational histories; Mercer Minutes |
Messenger to Georgia Baptist Convention | Georgia Baptist Convention Minutes |
Revival and supply preaching | Quitman Free Press; Valdosta Times |
Regional Baptist leadership | Mercer Association Minutes; Georgia Baptist Convention |
Three Generations: One Mission
Three generations of the Gaulden family entered the ministry because the pattern was set early by Rev. Jonathan Gaulden, whose steady pastoral life shaped the spiritual identity of his household. Yet the deeper force behind this legacy was Rhoda Paisley, a woman remembered for her strong mind, disciplined faith, and insistence that her children “strive for excellence” in whatever calling God placed before them. Her influence produced a family culture where ministry was not merely a vocation but a measure of character.
Jonathan and Rhoda’s example inspired their son Rev. Charles Screven Gaulden, who carried the family’s pastoral tradition into the next generation as both a preacher and community leader. From him came Rev. William Turner “Willie” Gaulden, who continued the line by organizing churches, strengthening congregations, and serving faithfully as clerk of the Mercer Association. Together, these three generations formed a continuous thread of Gaulden ministers whose work shaped the Baptist life of South Georgia for nearly a century.
Works Cited
1. Butts, Sarah Harriet, comp. The Mothers of Some Distinguished Georgians of the Last Half of the Century. New York : Press of J. J. Little & Co, 1902.
2. Yarbrough, Bird, and Paul Yarbrough, eds. Taylors Creek: Story of the Community and Her People Through 200 Years, 1760–1960. Pearson, GA : Press of the Atkinson County Citizen, 1963.
3. Millhaven Plantation. Liberty County Historical Society. [Online] https://www.libertyhistory.net/millhaven-plantation/.
4. William Stafford. WikiTree. [Online] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Stafford-913.
5. Image of Charles Screven Gaulden. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38279495/charles_screven-gaulden#view-photo=218550444. Biography and photo published in: Baptist Biography, Volume 3, edited by B J W Graham, 1923..
6. CHIEF JUSTICES AND JUSTICES, 1845 – Present. Supreme Court of Georgia. [Online] https://www.gasupreme.us/court-information/history/.
7. Charles S. Gaulden. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38279495/charles_screven-gaulden#view-photo=220061580.
8. Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida: Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and Many Early Settled Families in These States. Chicago : F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
9. Image of Rev. William Turner Gaulden. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97180876/william-turner-gaulden#view-photo=218554514.
10. Rev. William Turner "Willie" Gaulden. Find a Grave. [Online] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/97180876/william-turner-gaulden.
11. Capture of 26 men in 1864. Georgia Historical Society. [Online] https://www.georgiahistory.com/ghmi_marker_updated/capture-of-26-men-in-1864/.
12. Proceedings of the National Democratic convention : convened at Charleston, S.C., April 23, 1860. Library of Congress. [Online] https://www.loc.gov/item/09032455/.
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