The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1889-09-27
FAMOUS NORTH CAROLINIANS
SOME EMINENT MEN WHO HAVE
LIVED IN NORTH CAROLINA.

| Rev. DR.. Hufham's Sketch of s'ThOmas
Meredith and His Times''-.Interestins
and Valuable.
| We have been very much interested in
reading series OF articles from the pen of
''Bishop" J. D. HUFHAM, of Scotland
Neck, which have been appearing in the
last few numbers of the Biblical Recorder
| on "THOMAs MEREDITH AND HIS TINES, y
| The style is to US most pleasing flowing,
easy and graceful English. The man he
| writes of was a conspicuous figure in
North Carolina for many years and he
wrought work which will live as long as
| North Carolina is a State. The times
| were among the most interesting of all
eras in the history in the State. We re-
| gret that we have not sufficient space to
publish the entire article. AS we cannot
do that, we condense the history OF
REV. THOMAS MEREDITH. In the begin
ming DR.. HUFHAM says:
In the old cemetery in Raleigh there is
| a monument of white marble, without or
nament and of modest dimensions, placed
there by North Carolina Baptists to mark
the resting place of what was mortal of
| IuOudS McFeulCu. IL DedTS lIlIS luSCTlp-
| ton: ''Tbis monument was erected by
the Baptists of North Carolina in memory
of their beloved brother, Rev. Thomas
Meredith, who departed this life Novem-
Der 18th, 1850, in the seth year of his
| age But few of those now living have
seen it. 1t is not easy to find the spot.
The present writer had a Wearisome
| search when he first went to look for it
nearly thirty years ago.
| Such is Meredith's burialplace Almost
| as little is known of the details of his life
| and " Srk, of the man himself, and of the
| place which he filled in the denomina-
tional activities of his time: all faded into
the shadow of tradition; mere appear
ance in the cleaning; bare outline,
| without symmetry or verisimilitude. To
| show what manner of man he was, what
| the service which he rendered to the Bap-
| fists of the State, and what the debt of
gratitude which they owe to him, is the OBJ
ject of the present papers.
Then follows an admirable review of
the condition of the Baptist churches iii
| North Carolina for years before and after
the coming of Mr.. MEREDITH to Edenton
which was in 1918. In 1894 there were
49 churches and $500 members. The
leader of the Baptists was MARTIN Ross,
"a singularly gifted, clear sighted, many
sided man whose services entitle him to
be held in everlasting remembrance,
though even his name is unknown to this
! generation of Baptists, and others have
received credit for the work which he did
1t was he who welcomed MEREDITH on his
coming and introduced him to the Bap
IL, 81 ~ r.,
| der of his life, they were tenderly at
tached; and MEREDITH's sketch of him af-
ter his death is the best piece Of literary
work that l have seen from his pen y
He had been soldier in the Revolution
ary War and was born near Williamson
| in 1862. He was great organizer and in
| 1903 began the agitation which afterwards
resulted in the organization of the Bap-
tist State Convention. 1t was first Gen
| eral Meeting of Correspondence. Ia 1896,
MARTIN Ross moved the appointment of a
committee to correspond with the associa-
tions of the State on the expediency of
organizing Baptist State Convention.
! He was Chairman of the Committee, and
| THOMAS MEREDITH was III mber Of the
Committee. Before the plan could be car
ried out Ross died. DR.. HUFHAM says:
To Martin Ross, faithful soldier of his
| country and OF Christ, one of the ablest
and purest men of that day, belongs the
| credit of having first seen the need and
| laid the plan Of the one Organization
through which the Baptists of the State
east of the Blue Ridge have been working
| with such gracious results for we'll nigh
| sixty years.
| or Meredith's early life the a, c-,unts 10
| not agree. This is certain: That he was
the son of Pennsylvania farmer; that ,
| in his youth, he went to Philadelphia
| either to engage in business or TO com
| plete his educate IN; that, while there, he
was converted, baptized and licensed to
preach; that, either there or elsew here, he
received excellent intellectual training
with certainty.
| In 1918, in his gath year, he came to
Edenton. What brought him, whether
the spirit of restlessDess and adventure
common to young men, or acquaintance
| with the business men of Edenton, or the
| desire to go where his services were most
needed, or the advice of pastor or other
friend, it is impossible to say. He was
fortunate in the time of his coming and in
the selection of place. The denomina-
| ton was in a state of transition, moving
towards those great undertakings which
make the decade from 1880 to 1910 for
| ever memorable in our history. He was
| in the foremost of our Associations, and
near its foremost man who gave him cor
dial greeting; gave him also the benefit of
| his own vast influence. His ordi alton
took place in Edenton. At the instance
of Martin Ross, he received from the Gen
eral Meeting an appointment as missiona
ry to labor in the eastern part of the State.
| Through the influence of some young la
dies who were at school in Edenton, one
of whom Miss Georgia Sears) afterwards
became Mrs. Meredith, he made a pro-
| tracted visit to the church in Newberne,
then without pastor. His report shows
that he was pleased with the church. The
church was so we'll satisfied that he was
settled over it as pastor SO soon as the
necessary arrangements could be made.
Under his ministry there was steady but
not rapid growth. A pastorate in Savan-
nah, Ga, followed. Thence he returned
to Edenton about the year 1926 as pastor
! of the church in that place.
MEREDITH carried on the correspond
ence with the Associations relative to the
formation OF the State Convention. He
arranged the details prepared the plans
wrote the Constitution and the address