The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-09-08
DESCENDED FROM A JAIL UNION.
Ancestry OF Some Known in Southern
Religious and Educational History.
Waahl lnRfnn EYeninR Star.

or the imm igrants 10 this country during
the last century. none were moro STURDY tnan
the rugged Scoteh-Ir,sh whose notions OF per
sonal and religious freedom caused them to
forsake their own country and to seek homes
on this side ofthe Atlantic. Among the num-
her who thus came to America was the Rev.
DR.. Thomas Clarke; SeotchPresoyterlan, VINO
but who from l75l TO 1764 was the
pastor OF a congregation In Monaghan coun-
ty Ireland. In the last named year DR. Clarke,
with about 300 Of his congregation, came 10
American. They landed ut New York, at
which place they separated and went, part
to Salem. In Washington county, y. T., ana
the rest to Cedar Springs. In Abbeville county,
went to Salem, and there became the pastor
OF the frat church that was erected In the
state OF New York north OF Albany. He re-
signed from the pastorate OF the Salem churcn
however, In 1882, and Joined his brethren In
South Carolina, where he was Installed as
pastor OF the Cedar Springs congrega tion IN
Abbeville county; a position he retained un-
I'll his death In 1892.
While DR.. Clarke was a pastor In Ireland
he refused TO take the prescribed oath OF ab-
juration. because the oath recognized the
king as the head of the church, and for such
Of Monaghan oou MY. While thus confined
l q Jail DR.. Clarke otficlated at one marriage
and thirteen baptisms. The marriage thus
celebrated In the Monaeham county jail was
performed In the year 1854 and the parties 10
IL, Joan Harris and Eleanor Renalds, preced.
ed their pastor to America and settled In
South Carolina.
The descend dants Of this couple whose nup.
tials we're thus solemni nized 10 jail have been
numerous and distinguished, Twelve OF the
m nlsters of the Associate Reformed Presby.
te rlan Church Of the South are descended
from that couple, twenty-five OF the minis
ters Of that church have obtained wives from
among the descendants Of that couple. and
many OF their descendants have filled the OF.
fees OF elder and deacon in that church.
rNLx n hat nh
10 uch Of the severity OF faith and practice
that chara cterized their progenitors In Scot
land The term "Seceders," by which they
are commonly known, did not arise from any
thing In this country, but was given TO them
In their origin when Ebenezer Erskine ana
his coadjutors in 1873 seeded from the Church
of Scotland. These secession lists declared
that the church from which they parted hao
become corrupted under the various efforts of
the English kings TO inject prelacy and epls'
copacy into the Presbyterlanism OF Scot
land.
When the "Seceders," who have since spread
into a II the southers states, esta ltshed cas.
sIcal school for the education OF their boys ~
HCIarke and E-skine Seminary" and II was
this seminary which grew and developed In
To "Erskine College," an institution which ls
closely identified with the history OF Associ-
ate Reformed Presbyterianism In this coun-
try and the gentleman who for twenty-five
years has presided over that Institution, ana
TO whom the educators OF South Carolina re-
Gently paid most admirable tribute. is him.
self descendant Of the couple whose hands
were united in the jail OF Monaghan county,
Ireland, In l75i.