USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Newville > History of the Big Spring Presbyterian Church, Newville, Pa. : 1737-1898 > Part 8
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The house in which Revs. William Linn and Samuel Wilson lived having passed out of the possession of the congregation, no necessity for a parsonage was felt dur- ing the ministry of Dr. Williams or Mr. McCachran, as they owned farms upon which they lived. After the loca- tion of Mr. Henderson this necessity arose. The congre- gation on January 26, 1854, authorized the trustees to sell the remaining quit rents on borough lots, and invest the proceeds of such sales in a lot on which a parsonage was to be erected. The lot was not, however, purchased until January 28, 1857, when the trustees bought from Peter A. Ahl, one acre of ground on what is now Parsonage Street, this ground included lots Nos. 55, 53, 51, 49, 47, and 32 feet in width of lot No. 45. The price paid was four hundred dollars. Immediately after the purchase of a lot a comfortable and commodious brick parsonage
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was built at a cost of twenty-three hundred and twenty- two dollars. This was improved in 1866, by the ad- dition of a porch in front of the house, and in 1888 the property was enclosed by an iron fence.
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RULING ELDERS OF THE CHURCH.
SABBATH SCHOOL AND SOCIETIES OF THE CHURCH.
The first elders of whom we have an account, we find taking part in a joint meeting of the sessions of the Big Spring, Middle Spring and Rocky Spring churches in 1743 .* They were probably among the first or- dained after the organization of the congregation. Their names were: David Killough and Samuel Lem- ond.
We find James Walker and Alexander McClintock, associated with William Lemond and David Killough, in obtaining a warrant for the glebe land in 1744, and presume they were also elders, but we have nothing defi- nite to prove it.
The elders in 1790 and during the ministry of Rev. Samuel Wilson, were William Lindsay, John Carson, Robert Lusk, John Lusk, William Bell, Thos. Jacob, Samuel McCormick, Robert Patterson, John Robinson, Hugh Laughlin, John Bell, John McKeehan, David Ralston, John Caldwell, William Stevenson.
During the ministry of Rev. Joshua Williams, the following elders were ordained:
Nathan Ramsey, Alexander Thompson, Thomas McCormick, Isaiah Graham, Richard Woods, John McCune, James Brown, Atchison Laughlin, James Laird.
The following were ordained by Dr. Williams, Sept. 29,1827:
Robert McElwain, Nathan Woods, Samuel McKee- han.
*Sess.on Book of Middle Spring Church.
THE INTERIOR OF THE BIG SPRING CHURCH.
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The following were ordained July 30, 1836:
David Ralston, William Davidson, James Laughlin, James McElhenny, Andrew Coyle, Samuel Davidson.
The following were ordained Nov. 17, 1848:
William Ker, William Green, James Fulton, Joseph Jacob.
The following were elected Nov. 22, 1858:
Thomas Stough, William Brown, Wm. Mills Glenn, Robert Mickey, James B. Leckey.
The following were elected Nov. 19, 1870:
George Gillespie, D. D. G. Duncan, and William Green, re-elected.
The following were elected Nov. 17, 1877, and ordain- ed Feb. 16, 1878:
Samuel A. McCune, Peter Ritner, John Wagner, David A. Mckinney, Edwin R. Hays.
The following were elected June 27, 1893:
Dr. John C. Claudy, James Cunningham, George W. Swigert, John F. Kendig, Dr. E. J. Zook.
The Sabbath School was organized in 1817. It was not exclusively Presbyterian. It was called a union school although most of its officers and teachers were Presbyterians. Rev. Alexander Sharp, D. D., then a young man attending Latin school in Newville, was the first superintendent. The following in the order they are given have been superintendents of the school. We have been unable to fix the exact date of the incumbency of all. Alexander Sharp in 1817; Nathan Reid, John Moore, several years prior to 1831; Andrew Thompson, James Laughlin, James R. Irvine, the first superintend- ent after the school was made exclusively Presbyterian; Andrew Coyle, W. B. Johnson, Joseph C. Williams,
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John M. Davidson, J. Hunter Herron, in 1860; J. Blair Davidson, in 1862; James R. Brewster, in 1865; Thomas Stough, W. H. Thompson, David A. Mckinney, 1877 to 1880; Thomas Stough, 1880 to 1892; Edwin R. Hays elected 1892 the present incumbent.
On July 5, 1814, a Ladies' Bible Society was organized under the name of the Newville Bible Society as an aux- iliary of the Philadelphia Bible Society. As the society has always been officered by a Presbyterian it has been looked upon as an organization of that church. The society organized with fifty-six members each of whom were to pay an annual membership fee of one dollar. The treasurer was the principal, and for many years has been the only officer of the society. The treasurers have been in the order given, Mrs. Elizabeth Davidson, Mrs. Jane McCandlish, Mrs. Agnes Wood- burn, Mrs. Ann Davidson, Mrs. Jane McFarlane, Miss Jennie W. Davidson and Mrs. Jane McCandlish the present treasurer.
The first Home Missionary Society of the church was organized February 14, 1867; Rev. P. H. Mowry, pres- ident. The Society of Hopeful Workers was organized 1871; Miss Mamie McCandlish was the first president. The Young Ladies' Branch of Workers, organized 1873, with Mrs. Margaret Stough as president. The Ladies' Foreign Missionary Society was organized Nov. 1, 1879; Mrs. J. B. Morrow was the first president. The Young Ladies' Branch of Hope, organized Nov. 15, 1878, with Mrs. J. B. Morrow as president. The Boys' Band organ- ized March, 1878; Mrs. Jennie E. Hays, president. The Christian Endeavor Society was organized Dee. 8, 1889; Mrs. Belle McK. Hays Swope, was its first president.
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SONS OF THE CHURCH WHO HAVE EN- TERED THE MINISTRY.
James Graham was a. son of James Graham who lived in Westpennsboro township. He was born October 16, 1775, and died June 5, 1848. He was graduated from Dickinson College, 1797. He read theology, and was licensed to preach in November, 1800. He accepted a call to the Beulah Presbyterian Church, in Allegheny County, Pa., and was ordained and installed pastor of that church October 18, 1804, and so continued until his death. He married Elizabeth Martin, of Sunbury, Pa., June 14, 1804.
Alexander Williamson was a son of David and Tamar Williamson. He was born in Mifflin township, Septem- ber 17, 1797. He was graduated from Jefferson Col- lege in 1818. He entered Princeton Seminary in 1819, from which he was graduated in 1822. He died at Corydon, Ind., July 14, 1869, after having served faithfully, laboriously and with much self denial as a · home missionary, in building new churches in a mala- rious region of country, for a quarter of a century.
MeKnight Williamson, was a son of David and Ta- mar Williamson. He was born in Mifflin township on his father's farm, Feb. 28, 1800. He graduated at Jef- ferson College in 1820. He entered Princeton Theolog- ical Seminary in 1822, and graduated in 1825. His first pastorate was the Dickinson congregation, not more than a dozen miles from his home. He was ordained and installed there, Oct. 20, 1827. Most of his minis- try was spent in the State of Ohio.
Moses Williamson, was also a son of David and Ta- mar Williamson. He was born on his father's farm
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near Newville, May 7, 1802. He made a public pro- fession of his faith and was received into the Big Spring church in the seventeenth year of his age. He was graduated from Dickinson College in 1824. He en- tered Princeton Theological Seminary in 1825, from which he was graduated in 1828. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Carlisle, April 28, 1828. He after- wards spent six months in study at Andover Theolog- ical seminary, and subsequently became pastor of the Presbyterian church, at Cold Spring, Cape May Co., N. J., where he remained for over a half a century. He married Sept. 15, 1834, Emily H., daughter of Hum- phrey Huges, of Cape May. He died Oct. 30, 1880.
J. Davidson Randolphi, was a son of Paul and Betsy (Lecky) Randolph. He was born May 16, 1831, died May 23, 1897. He graduated from the College of New Jersey, 1858, and from Princeton Theological Seminary 1861. He was licensed by the Carlisle Presbytery, June 13, 1860. He was ordained and installed pastor of the Presbyterian church at Frenchtown and Kingwood, May" 16, 1864, and later served the congregations of Pitts- grove, Daretown, Christiana and Atglen, where he died.
William McCandlish, although not born within the bounds of the Big Spring Church, was reared here and can be called a son of the church. He was born in
Scotland, Sept. 12, 1810. His father, Alexander Mc- Candlish, came to this country in 1817, and settled near Newville, and died there in 1821. William, after many struggles against poverty, entered Jefferson College, from which he was graduated, 1834. He entered the Western Theological Seminary in 1834, graduating in 1837; licensed Sept. 1837, by the Presbytery of Car-
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lisle; ordained May 1839 by the Presbytery of Wooster, O. He was actively engaged in the ministry of the Presbyterian Church for forty-five years and died in Omaha, Neb., Aug. 4, 1884.
Samuel Davidson, was a son of John and Nancy (Sterrett) Davidson, of Westpennsboro township. He entered the ministry of the Presbyterian Church and supplied the churches of Derry and Paxton, between 1790 and 1800. He died prior to 1800.
Williamson Nevin Geddes, Ph. D., son of Dr. John P., and Catharine I. (McClay) Geddes, was born in Newville, Pa., Dec. 28, 1836. He was graduated from Jefferson College in 1854, entered Princeton Theolog- ical Seminary, from which he graduated in 1858. He taught several high grade schools in Virginia, Mary- land and New Jersey; was stated supply at Charlestown, W. Va., in 1869 and 1870; was ordained by the Pres- bytery of Carlisle, May 5, 1871; pastor of the Presbyte- rian Church in Waynesboro, Pa., in 1871. In 1872 he accepted the chair of Latin and mathematics in Han- over College Ind., where he remained until 1876. He was one of the editorial staff of the "Standard Diction- ary" recently published.
John Hood Laughlin, son of John and Jane (Hood) Laughlin, was born at Newville, March 23, 1854. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey and from Princeton Seminary in 1877. He was ordained April 13, 1881, by the Presbytery of Carlisle, a missionary, and sailed for China September 1881, where he still labors. He married first, July 9, 1881, Annie Johnson who died in China, leaving an infant daughter. He married secondly, Aug. 17, 1886, Jennie Anderson.
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PASTORS OF THE BIG SPRING CHURCH.
REV. THOMAS CRAIGHEAD.
Rev. Thomas Craighead belonged to a family of mi- nisters. He was a son of Rev. Robert Craighead, a native of Scotland and pastor in Derry and Doneagh- more, Ireland. He was a brother of Rev. Robert Craig- head, Jr., who was moderator of the Synod of Ireland. Thomas Craighead was born in Scotland and studied medicine there, but afterwards read theology under his father in Derry, and was licensed to preach the Gospel, was ordained and settled some ten or more years in Ireland. In consequence of the numerous grievances to which the Presbyterians were subject in Ireland, he joined a company of emigrants and came to America. He first settled in Freetown, Mass., where he continued for some time, but became dissatisfied because of a want of sufficient support. Cotton Mather, the distinguished minister of Boston at that time, urged his friends at Freeport to "provide for his continuance and spoke of him as a man of an excellent spirit, and should he be driven from among you it would be such a damage as is not to be thought of without horror." In January, 1724, he became a member of the New Castle Presbytery and accepted an invitation to preach at White Clay Creek and Brandy Wine. In 1733, he was called to Pequea, Penna., where he was very active in gathering and building up new congregations. He was released from Pequea September 19, 1736.
At a meeting of Presbytery, October 27, 1736, Rev. Thomas Craighead was appointed to supply Conodo- guinet for six months. The following year he was called
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to supply the people of Hopewell, but was not installed until October 13, 1738, on account of the difficulty in locating the church on the Big Spring, and a trouble in his own family, he having without consulting his ses- sion suspended his wife from church privileges, because she failed to live in peace in the same house with her daughter-in-law. He did not live to minister to the congregation on the Big Spring more than seven months, but died suddenly the latter part of April, 1739, just after preaching an eloquent discourse to his people. His doctrinal views were in strict accordance with the West- minster standards, to which he was warmly attached, and which he had adopted both in the Presbytery of New Castle and Donegal as the confession of his faith. Mr. Craighead left four sons, Thomas, Andrew, Alex- ander and John. John was a farmer and lived south of Carlisle.
REV. JOHN BLAIR, D. D.
Rev. John Blair was born in Ireland in 1720, and came to this country when quite young, and most prob- ably his father settled near Brandywine or Red Clay Churches in Chester County, Pa., as the name of Wil- liam Blair occurs as an elder from there in 1729 and 1732. He and his brother Samuel received their classi- cal and theological education under William Tennent at the Log College at Neshaminy, Bucks County, Pa. He was licensed to preach by the New Side Presbytery of New Castle, and was ordained pastor of the congrega- tions of the Three Springs, Big, Middle and Rocky, De- cember 27, 1742. During his pastorate here he made visits to Virginia, the last in 1746, preaching with great
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power and effect in various places, organizing several new congregations, and leaving where ever he went an abiding impression of his learning and piety. It is stated by some writers that he resigned his pastorate of the churches of the Three Springs December, 1748, but this is probably incorrect. Whilst the exact date of his resignation is involved in much uncertainty, the weight of evidence points to the year 1755. In 1757 he ac- cepted a call to the church at Faggs Manor, Chester County, which had been made vacant by the death of his distinguished brother, Rev. Samuel Blair. Here he remained ten years, taking his brother's place both as pastor of the church and principal of the classical school which his brother had conducted. In 1767 he was chosen to fill the newly founded chair of divinity in Princeton College, and was also chosen vice-president, and was its acting president until Dr. Witherspoon en- tered upon his duties in 1769. It soon became evident that the fund contributed to endow the chair of divinity was insufficient for the support of the professor. Ac- cordingly Dr. Blair resigned his position and Dr. With- erspoon performed the duties of both positions. Dr. Blair then accepted a call to Walkill, Orange County, N. Y., where he continued until his death, December 8, 1771, at the age of fifty-one. Dr. Blair was without doubt among the foremost preachers of his time. Dr. Archibald Alexander expressed the opinion that "Dr. Blair as a theologion was not inferior to any man in the Presbyterian Church in his day. He was a judicious and persuasive preacher, and through his preaching sin- ners were converted and the children of God edified. His disposition was uncommonly patient, placid, benev-
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olent, disinterested and cheerful. He was too mild to indulge in bitterness or severity." Dr. Blair married the daughter of John Durburrow, of Philadelphia. The Rev. John D. Blair, D. D., of Richmond, Va., was his son. His daughter was married to the Rev. Dr. William Linn, one of his successors in the church of Big Spring. His published writings are Animadversions on "Thoughts on the Examination and Trials of Candi- dates," "The Synods of New York and Philadelphia Vindicated," "A Treatise on Regeneration," "A Treatise on the Nature and Use of the Means of Grace."
REV. GEORGE DUFFIELD, D. D.
Rev. George Duffield was born in Pequea township, Lancaster County, Pa., October 7, 1732. He was the third sou of George and Margaret Duffield who came to that place from the north of Ireland, between 1725 and · 1730. His parents were of French Huguenot extrac- tion, the family having first taken refuge in England and later settled in the north of Ireland. The name was originally Du Field. The subject of this sketch was prepared for college at the Academy of Newark, Dele- ware, and graduated at Princeton in 1752. He studied theology under Dr. Smith at Pequea; was tutor in Prince- ton College from 1754 to 1756, and was licensed by the Newcastle Presbytery, New Side, March 11, 1756. He was called to the churches of Big Spring and Carlisle, New Side, some time in 1757, but was not ordained un- til September, 1759. In 1763 Mr. Duffleld was called to the second church in Philadelphia, which had been organized out of the followers of Mr. Whitefield, and of which Rev. Gilbert Tennent, one of the most remark-
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able preachers of that day was the pastor. This call was not accepted, and in 1766 it was renewed, but Pres- bytery declined to place it in his hands. In 1769 his relation with the Big Spring church was dissolved, and in August of that year a call was presented for one-third of his time from the newly organized congregation of Monaghan. This call was accepted and he was released from Big Spring and was installed there Nov. 14, 1769.
May 21, 1772, a call was presented from the Third Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, which after much
consideration was accepted. He was installed pastor of that church notwithstanding the opposition of its elders, the Presbytery and the trustees of the First Church, and continued in this relation until his death, February 2, 1790. His remains were buried beneath the central aisle of that church. Dr. Duffield was a man of ardent temperment, an earnest, zealous and popular preacher, in hearty sympathy with the great revival movement, and with the followers of Whitefield. He was equally zeal- ous and patriotic in the cause of his country, and threw himself with all the ardor of his nature into the cause of independence. He was chosen Chaplain of the Con- tinental Congress, and was often found following the army, doing all that he could to encourage, comfort and stimulate the soldiers, and in preaching to them the gos- pel and administering to them its consolations. Dr. Duffield was the first stated clerk of the General Assem- bly. He was twice married, first to a daughter of the Rev. Samuel Blair. She died September 25, 1757, at Carlisle. He married secondly Margaret, sister of Gen- eral John Armstrong, of Carlisle. By this marriage he left two children, one of them being the father of the
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late Dr. Duffield of Carlisle and Detroit.
REV. WILLIAM LINN, D. D.
Rev. William Linn was born in Lurgan township, Franklin County, Pa., February 27, 1752. He was the oldest son of William Linn, a ruling elder in the Middle Spring Presbyterian Church. His mother is be- lieved to have died in Shippensburg, November, 1755, where the family had taken refuge in consequence of the Indian raids at that time. His grand father had come from Ireland in 1732 and settled first in Chester County, and from thence had come, prior to 1750, to the Cum- berland Valley and purchased and settled upon a tract of land where William was born. After persuing a preparatory course under Rev. George Duffield and in the school of Rev. Robert Smith, at Pequea, Mr. Linn entered Princeton College and graduated in the class of 1772. He studied theology under his pastor, Rev. Robert Cooper, D. D., and seems to have been licensed and ordained by the First Presbytery of Philadelphia, or that of New Castle, in 1775 or 1776, and was ap- pointed Chaplain to the Fifth and Sixth Pennsylvania Battalions, February 15, 1776. Shortly after Magaws battalion was ordered to Canada, when Mr. Linn re- signed because circumstances would not admit of his protracted absence from home. He received a call to the Big Spring Church, April 9, 1777, and was installed pastor of that church October 3, 1777. Here he con- tinued until 1784, performing faithfully the duties of pastor and preacher. He was then elected principal of Washington Academy, Somerset County, Md. At the end of one year on account of sickness in his family he
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was obliged to resign and remove from that region. He accepted a call to the Presbyterian Church at Elizabeth- town, N. J., in 1786, and in 1787 he was called to be collegiate pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church in the city of New York, which position he accepted and occu- pied until 1805. After entering upon his work here he was chosen the first Chaplain to Congress, May, 1789. In his position in New York, Dr. Linn rose to great eminence in the ministry, and attained a reputation tor talents and eloquence second to no other minister at that time in the city. Dr. Linn resigned the pastorate in New York in 1805, on account of declining health, and removed to Albany, N. Y. He there engaged to supply the church, preaching once each Sabbath for one year. In the meantime he was chosen president of Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., but was unable to accept the position on account of rapidly failing health. He died in Albany, January, 1808. Dr. Linn was thrice married, first January 10, 1774, to Rebecca, daughter of Rev. John Blair, by whom he had seven children, one of which was Rev. John Blair Linn, D. D. He married secondly, Catharine, widow of Dr. Moore, of New York and had one son. He married thirdly, Helen Hanson, they had one son.
REV. SAMUEL WILSON.
Rev. Samuel Wilson was born 1754, in Letterkenny township, Cumberland, now Franklin County, Pa., in sight of the old Rocky Spring Church, in which his par- ents worshiped, and in the grave yard of which several generations of his family are buried. He was the fourth son of John Wilson, a farmer of Scotch Irish parentage,
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and his wife Sarah Reid. The youngest son of the family entered the army where he contracted camp fever and came home and died in 1778. Samuel attended his brother during his sickness and also contracted the disease and was very ill. During this sickness he re- solved, if his life was spared, to devote it to the service of God in the work of the christian ministry. Accord- ingly, on his recovery, he relinquished farming and went to Princeton College, from which he was gradu- ated in 1782. He studied theology under Dr. Cooper at Middle Spring; was licensed by the Presbytery of Donegal, October 17, 1786; called to be pastor of the Big Spring Church, and ordained and installed June 20,1787. "He continued to labor faithfully, acceptably, and usefully in the Big Spring congregation until his · death." Soon after his settlement in the ministry he married Jane, daughter of Archibald Mahon, of Ship- pensburg, Pa., and grand daughter of David and Martha Mahon, of Rai, County Donegal, Ireland. They had two children, John, who died January 30, 1809, aged sixteen years, and Jane, who married Dr. William M. Sharp, of Newville, and who died there July, 1876. A number of the great grand children, and great, great grand children of Rev. Samuel Wilson, are now mem- bers of the Big Spring Church. He died March 4, 1799, and rests beneath a large marble slab which the massive walls of the church he built in his early minis- try shade from the slanting rays of the setting sun.
REV. JOSHUA WILLIAMS, D. D.
Rev. Joshua Williams was of Welsh descent. His grand father, Joshua, came to this country prior to 1764,
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and located in the Welsh settlement in Chester County, Pa. He had two sons, Louis and Joshua, both of whom served in the Revolutionary war. Louis married Mary Hudson and settled at Dillsburg, York County, Pa., where they raised a family of eleven children. The Rev. Joshua was the third son and was born March 8, 1768. He prepared for college at Gettysburg, Pa., un- der the tuition of Rev. Mr. Dobbin, and entered Dickin- son College from which he was graduated 1795. He read theology under Rev. Dr. Cooper, at Middle Spring, and was licensed to preach the gospel by the Presbytery of Carlisle, in 1797. In the following year he was called to become the pastor of the churches of Paxton and Derry, and was ordained and installed by the Presby- tery of Carlisle, October 2, 1799. After laboring there with increasing usefulness for two years, he received a call to the church of Big Spring, which he accepted, and was installed there April 14, 1802. Here he continued for twenty-seven years, the able minister and faithful pastor of this people, when, in 1829, in consequence of impaired health, he resigned.
It is said that "few men in the ministry of the Pres- byterian Church of the eminent talents, learning, piety and usefulness of Dr. Joshua Williams, were so little known to the church at large. This was doubtless ow- ing to the quiet and retired life which he lived, and to the absence in him of everything like a spirit of self as- sertion, or obtrusiveness. He was by nature possessed of an acute and vigorous intellect. His judgment was regarded as sound and discriminating, and he had a re- markable taste and aptitude for metaphysical reasoning. His mind was richly stored with the results of extensive
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