Notes for Rene Chastain: NOTES: He moved out of the Parish at a very tender age with his parents who settled in that portion of Goochland County, Virginia, which became successively Albemarle County and Buckingham County. "Though his education was much neglected, his morals were of the most unimpeachable character" [Taylor]. Outside limits to his marriage date are derived from two sources: "Virginia Baptist Ministers", Taylor, states in part "he was married 'in his nineteenth year'". Additionally, a deed of 28 February 1761 by her father "James Ford of the County of Abemarle in Tillotson Parish to Anne Chastain of the said County and Parish" of 100 acres in Albemarle on a branch of the Slate River [Abemarle Co., Virginia, Deed Book. 3:15]. Soon after his marriage "under the (Baptist) preaching of elder C(hristopher) Clark, (he) was awakened to the exercise of pungent conviction for sin . . . in August 1770 he was baptized . . . and immediately began to preach Christ to the people. In April 1772, Buckingham Church (Baptist) was constituted, at which time he was ordained. He was at once chosen their Pastor, and continued in this office as long as he lived, a period of 53 years" [Taylor, pp. 205-207]. In the period just prior to the Revolution, he became involved in the Chesterfield County anti-Baptist troubles. At various times he supplied regularly the Cumberland, Providence and Mulberry Grove Churches. Taylor's date for the constitution of the Buckingham Baptist congregation, 1772, seems just a little late, for the "Minutes ofthe first separate Baptist association held at Craig's meeting house in Orange County, second Saturday in May 1771" record "Rane Chastain, Jr." as a delegate from "Buckingham, a new church" [Robt. B. Semple, "A History of the Rise and Progress of the Baptists in Virginia," Richmond, O'Lynch, 1810, p. 49]. Semple, a contemporary, places the founding of the Buckingham Church as occurring 1771. "It was not long before Mr. Chastain, their present pastor, commenced preaching. He has been their Pastor, their only one, from the beginning. Surely no people need ask to be more blessed in a pastor. Under him the Church has prospered almost uniformly . . . Under the prudent management of this venerable pastor, they have not passed through such severe conflicts as some other churches. Mr. Chastain is now an old man, and ripe for the crown that awaits him. As a preacher he is held in high esteem for soundness, simplicity and usefulness" [pp 215-16 of Semple]. "Rane Chastain" is also credited with having "planted" the Union Church in Buckingham County in 1786. He continued to farm as well as preach, and in 1782 was listed as the owner of 300 acres in Buckingham County [Buckingham County Real Property Tax Lists]. Of his dual vocation, Taylor says: "By his churches he was tenderly loved . . . It was much to be regretted they failed to supply him such a support for his family as would enable him to devote more time and labor to their spiritual good . . . elder Chastain would sometimes say, if the Lord will keep me humble, the churches will keep me poor. And so it was, for he would often during the week be compelled to plough until the hour for public worship, and again return to the field. He could truly say his own hands ministered to his necessities.
TAX NOTES:
The personal property tax lists of 1782, calling him "Rane Chastain Jr" account for two slaves (Will and Sall), six horses and twelve cattle. The 1784 property tax list credits him with two slaves, two horses and nine cattle. He is there denominated "Rane Chastain Junr (A.B. Preacher)" (A.B. standing for Anabaptist, the then current apellation for Baptists in Virginia), to distinguish him from (1) Rene Chastain Senr., his father still living in South Carolina, and (2) his first cousin Rene, living in Buckingham, who is called by way of distinction on the list, "son of Peter." The 1785 list shows him with a total of five tithes, only one of them being a slave, the others being himself, one son over 21, and two sons between 16 and 21. The 1787 list calls him "Rane Chastain (Divine)."
DEATH NOTES:
The decease of "The Rev. Rainey Chastein, 85, in Buckingham County" is reported in the (Richmond) "Family Visitor" of 22 November 1823 (re-printed in VMHB, 68:64). Actually he was 82 years of age. Taylor says, accurately, "After an illness of five weeks, he calmly resigned himself to death, in the 83rd year of his age."
More About Rene Chastain: Date born 2: Jun 30, 1741766 Ordination: Apr 1772, Baptist Minister.767, 768
More About Rene Chastain and Anne Faure: Marriage: Abt. 1760
Rene Chastain (b. Jun 28, 1741, d. date unknown)
Notes for Rene Chastain: