(Orangeburg County) The Church Records of Saint Matthews Lutheran Church, Orangeburg, County S.C. and “The Red Church”. Beginning in 1799, Giving Births, Christenings, Confirmations, Marriages, and Burials, 1767-1838.

By: Anne M. Haigler, Pub. 1985, Reprinted 2017, 138 pages, soft cover, Index, ISBN #0-89308-563-4.

This book contains church records from two of St. Matthews churches in Orangeburg, S.C., area; St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Orangeburg, and the other, St. Matthews Episcopal Church at Fort Mootem S.C., also known as "The Red Church".  The St. Matthews Episcopal Parish traces its beginning to a few English and French Huguenot families and many German Swiss who were living in Amelia Township, in what was then Berkeley County. The chapel was built in 1757, and the Parish was established in 1765 extending from Nelson’s Ferry (above Eutawville) to Beaver Creek and from the Santee and Cooper Rivers to the Edisto River. The church was moved in 1800, 1815-1819 and again in 1852 when is was erected on its present site near Fort Motte.  These records from St. Matthews Lutheran Church are going to be of utmost importance for genealogist working in Orangeburg and Lexington counties since both are burned counties and so many of the people are found in these church registers for descendants living later in Lexington County.