Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-03-24
MARRIED IN PRISON,
Ancestors Of an Honored .Southern
Family Claimed This Distinction.

Or the immigrants to this country
during tho last century none was more
sturdy than tho rugged Scotch. Irish
whose notions OF personal and religions
freedom caused them to forsalse their
own country and seek homes on this
s'de OF tho Atlantic Among the num-
her who thus came to America was
REV, DR.. Thomas Clark. Scotch Pres,
bEterian, who was educated In tho Uni.
vorsity Of Glasgow, but who from 1871
10 l'bi was tho pastor OF n congrega-
tlon In Monaghan county. Ireland. In
the last-named year DR., Clark, with
about 800 of his congregation, came to
America. They landed at New York.
where they separated and went, n part
to Salem, In Washington county. New
YORK, and the rest to Cedar Springs,
In Abbeyville county, South Carolina,
DIR. Clark accompanied the party that
went TO Salem. and there became pas
tor OF the first church that was erected
In the state OF New York north OF Al
lany. He resigned from tho pastor
ate of the Salem church, however, In
1882, and Joined his brethren In South
California, where he was Installed az
pastor of the Cedar Springs congrega-
ton In Abbeyvllle county, n position
which no retained until his death In
1902.
While DR.. Clark was pastor In Iro-
land no refused to take the prescribed
oath OF abjuration, because the oath
recognized the king M the head OF the
church; and for such refusal he was
imprisoned In the county Jail OF
Monaghan county. While thus con-
flied In jail DR.. Clark otllciated ut ono
marriage and thirteen baptisms. Tho
marriage thus celebrated In the
Monaghan county jail was performed
In the year 1864, and tho parties to tt
John Harris and Eleanor Rendels---
preceded their pastor to America, and
settled In South Carolina The do
scendants OF this couple, whose nup-
tials were thus solemnlzed In a jail.
have been numerous and distinguished.
Twelve OF the ministers OF the Asso-
ciate Reformed Presbyterian church
OF the south are descended from that
couple; twenty-five OF the ministers OF
that church have obtained wives from
among the descendants of that couple,
and many of their descendants have
filed tho Offices OF elder and deacon In
that church.
The members OF the church still OBJ
serve much OF the severity OF faith
and practice that characterized their
progenitors In Scotland, and the term
"seceders,," by which they are COM
monty known, did not arise from any.
thing in this country. but was given
to them In their origin, when Ebene-
zer Erskine and his coadjutors in 1873
3, coded from the Church Of Scotland.
These secessionists declared that the
church from which they parted had be-
come corrupted under the efforts
OF the English kings to inject prelacy
and epscopacy into the Presbyterian
Ism OF Scotland. When the "seceders,"
who have since spread into all the
southern states. established classical
gchool for the education OF their boys
at Due West, s. c., they called 1t Clark
and Erskine seminary, and II was this
seminary which grew and developed
into Erskine college, with which the
history OF the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian church in this country is
30 closely identified, and the gentle
man who for twenty-five years has pre-
sided over that institution and to
whom the educators Of the state re-
Gently paid such admirable tribute IL
himself a descendant OF the couple
whose hands were united In the Jail OF
Monaghan county, Ireland, In l75i.--
Washington post.