Daniel Staunton in “Life, Travels and Gospel” reports that in December of 1760, “We went forward crossing the Patowmac into Virginia: the next Meetings were Fairfax, Goose Creek, Potts’, or the Gap, some of which were largely favored with solid comfort and satisfaction, there appearing many dear Friends with whom I had unity in Spirit: from the last place we traveled till we got over Shanandore river, and lodged at John Vestal’s.”
The Potts’ or Gap Meeting to which Staunton alludes, was held at Hillsboro and was a meeting held under Fairfax. It was a constant source of disputation and trouble to its Monthly Meeting, delegations often being sent to try to straighten things out with the Potts and Janneys of that section, but to no avail; for instance, Fairfax minutes report in 1761—“As Friends of Goose Creek and Friends of the Gap have not attended business meetings—this meeting appoints Mary Janney, Rachel Hollingsworth and Sara Janney to visit (them) to excite them to more diligence.” In 1765 “—if any disorder appear this meeting appoints David Potts to supervise.” Still in 1765 “—this meeting takes no note of the great deficiencies of the Gap Friends in several particulars—” Meetings were held in the home of David Williams until finally the Gap Meeting came through with a meeting house, as this minute from Goose Creek testifies: “Friends of the Gap reporting that they have built a house for the conveniency of holding their meetings in, and got it now nearly ready, this meeting concurs with their proposal in 1770 of holding it therein accordingly.” The land was two acres conveyed by Mahlon Hough to Stephen Gray, Isaac Nichols, Jr., Thomas Smith and William Hough, “to permit Such People Called Quakers to erect a Meeting House, Schools, Yard and Place of Burial.” In 1804 it is noted that the Gap Meeting is small and in 1805 it is laid down. Sic transit mundi.
South Fork Meeting was another meeting which did not long survive, despite the observation of the traveling minister John Comly in 1829 that it was strong and healthy. Yardley Taylor states that the meeting was active in 1853. A later minister reported that all they thought about was cock fighting and horse raceing. South Fork’s “worldiness” caused “concern” for its members “drank to excess,” “fought, gambled”, “took to horse raceing,” and “were lax morally.” This meeting was laid down shortly after the Civil War, and the administration of its graveyard on a small budget has been a head ache to Goose Creek Meeting ever since.