Robert Strawbridge was born into a single protestant family living within a short distance of Drumsna in the year 1732.

He was the first to plant organised Methodism in America, he built the first meeting house, performed the first Methodist baptism and converted the first American born Methodist local preacher.

John Wesley founder of Methodism visited Drumsna in 1758 along with other Methodist preachers. They converted a catholic named Lawrence Coughlen, who may have been an influence on Strawbridge.

Strawbridge's new religion caused him trouble and he was forced to leave Drumsna and take refuge in Sligo. He worked as a preacher in Co. Cavan and Co. Armagh. In Terrryhogan Co. Armagh, he met and married Elizabeth Piper.

In the 1760's they left Ireland for Maryland and set up home at Sam's Creek Fredrick County. After arriving Strawbridge began to preach to his neighbours in his two storey log cabin.

Although the Wesley's had been in America before Strawbridge, his log cabin in Sam's Creek is regarded as the birth place of Methodism in America. It is the place of national pilgrimage for the U.S. Methodist's.

He died in Maryland in 1781, and today there are almost ten million Methodist's in the U.S.A.