The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-04
James Patterson Pressly.
A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH or
HIS LIFE.
A REMARKABLE FAMILY
ssIn the Sight of the Unwise he
Seemed to Die, but his End
was Full of Hope.".

VIII khC oAShU VA INV
Seemed to Die, but his End
was Full Of Hope.".
Rev. James Patterson Pressly, D, D.,
died at Due West, Friday night, 3lst ul-
timo.
He was born near Cedar Spring Church
ut the "Brick House," in 1908, and con-
sequently was in the seventeen year OF
of his age. Ho was the son of David
Pressly who married Jane Patterson.
His father was q man of influence in his
duy, and his mother wa o most remarka-
BILE woman for her intelligence, energy,
piety and force Of character, and raised q
family of children that would be an honor
to any parent.
When these children were growing up
there were fewer facilities for education
than we now possess and it was with the
greatest efforts that the Doctors parents
were enabled to give each of their chill
dren a classical education. They COM
menced life poor, but by their frugallty
and thrift had, before their death, accu-
mulated u handsome estate.
The oldest of the family, and brother of
James Patterson Pressly, tho deceased,
wa Samuel Prossly, who graduated at a
| College in kentucky and studied medi-
cine in Philadelphia, came home n
married Elizabeth Hearst, settled al a
place now owned in part by William
Caldwell, in the lower part of III coun-
ty, where he had an extensive practice
and made q handsome property before ne
moved to Wilcox county, Alabama, IN
1881, where he died soon after, perhaps in
1897. His oldest son., David, Is now a
minister of the gospel in Starkville,
Miss. A second'son, Joseph, was educat-
ed at Due West, and after graduating IN
medicine became a prominent pnysl-
nelius, died in early life. A daughter
married Rev. Warren Flenpiksn who
settled in Chester, and she is the mother
of All influential family Of children. A
second daughter, Eliza, married Rev.
Hugh Haziett, of Alabama. Another
daughter, Sarah, married the Rev. John
Miller, Of Wilcox, .Alabama, who is
now and has been for MANY years, ole
of the most prominent and influential
members of tho Associate Reformed
Church.
Another brother o.. the deceased wa'
r ". John Il. Pressly, d. d, VINO recclt-
Q | his academic course OF ed Lcatloh from
h. celebrated DR.. Waddell and was a
class-mate in that school Of George NC
Dutfie, Jas. l.. Pettigreu, Judge ward
| JAW anu JuuEc AOiiSosASS"
wards graduated, at a Northern College,
and subsequently studied thee log5 un.
dor DR.. John Mason in New York. ! Q
came /, acx after accom-. lis ling his the =
logical course, and scLticu OH the place
now owned by DR.. J. u. Noel, and be-
came the pastor Of Cedar Springs Church
in 1870, where he remained until the
! Fall Of 1857, when he was elected Protes-
| sor of Theology in the Seminary at Ale
ghany. PENNSYLVANIA, which position ne
Occupied until he died in the year 1871.
He left u son. DR., Joseph Hearst Press!y,
D, D., pastor OF the church III Erie,
Pennsylvania. His Oldest daughter mar
RED the Rev. John Steele, D. D., a minis
ter of the gospel in Missouri. A most
promising son, just after completing ms
literary education died before enterIng
upon the active duties OF life. His
daughter Mary married o wealthy mer-
Giant of Allegheny. His youngest
daughter, Miss Linn Pressly, Is living in
Allegheny, Pennsylvania, with her sister
Mary, and is regarded as IL of the most
intellectual and accomplished young la
dies of the city in which she resides.
The oldest sister Of the deceased mar
ried q DIR. Brown and moved to Freddie
County, Ohio, whore they raised q large
and influential family of boys and girls.
The next sister, Mary, married the
Rev. Joseph Lowry. and settled with ler
husband in jefferson County,. Georgia.
She is the mother of Prof. William Low
ry, of Due West, and of the Rev. james
Lowry, Of Dallas, Alabama: Her
daughter married prominent citlZen OF
that county named Patterson ana they
have two sons, ministers OF the gospel;
The third brother was DIR. George w.
Pre- 8 ;ly who received q liberal education,
and after graduating in the literary
course, he studied medicine and gradua-
t. in ISIS under the celebrated DR.. Rush,
in PHILADELPHIA, a most distinguished
physician of his day. lie came back TO
Abbeville County, married Isabella
Hearst, the sister Of the wives OF ms
brothers Samuel and John, n settled
on the public road about four mile, above
Cedar Springs, where he built and occu-
pied the dwelling gently known as the
"Red House." Hes at once wentlrto large
and lucrative practice OF medicine, ana
was at the same time successful at Iarn-
ing. After selling his farm to DR.. Red,.
who succeeded him in tho practice OF
medicine, and after living at IT. se Csdar
Springs Church, no finally settled on the
place now owned by DIR: j.. D. Neel,
where he lived until he died l II the latter
Another brother: William, graduated
ut Miami University, Ohio. He is
now q prominent merchant Of Nom
mouth, ILL.,, and is the only brother still
living.
Last of all we come to the deceased,
James Patterson Pressly, who has TOR
the past half century libored ass .duou ~
in the pulpit. in the recitation room, In Tue
ordinary pursuit Of life and around the
family circle for the advancement OF the
Cause of the Redeemer's kingdom. ne
received his primary education in the
"old field schools in the neighborlood
of his fathers residence, and studied tie
classics under his brother John Il. Press
ly, at Union Academy, which was then
located on the place nov owned by James
H. Wideman. Graduating at Miami
University when he was quite young, ne
returned to tho scenes Of bOyhoOd, stud
led theology under his brother, DIR. John
II. Pressly, md was licensed to preach
the gospel at Cedar Spring by the Second
Associate Reformed P~resbytery about the
wear 1898 or 1929, when he was not quite
twenty-one years of age. He soon alter
wards married Jane Hearst, the niece of
the wives Of three Of his brothers, and
moved to Wilcox County, Ala,
where he was installed pastor Of q
church, and continued his labors ut
that place until 1889 or 1910, when
he was elected to the Greek Pro-
Censorship in Erskine College, which
place he held from hat time until the day
his death. His first wife died in q few
months after marriage. His second wife
was Eliza Young, the daughter Of Esquire
Samuel Young, once a prominent citizen
of this county, then living in Wilcox,
Alabama. BY this marriage two children
were born to them---a son and a daughter.
The daughter, SOM sixteen or eighteen
years ago married S. Watson Reid, ESD,
Of North Carolina, who had graduated at
lGrskinc College Il short while previously.
She afterwards lived with her husband III
North Carolina, until she died some five
or six years ago, leaving a family of
small children. His son, Samuel, now
lives in tho neighl,orhood of Due West.
d. Pressly's last and third wife was Mary
Young, the sister of Professor J.. n.
Young, of Dro West, and of Rev. James
l.. Young, o. Mississippi.