Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1898-09-23
MARRIED BY A PRISONER.
Ancestors of an Honored Southern
Family were Welded in Jail.

family were Welded in Jail.
VI the immigrants to this country
during the last century none was more
sturdy than the rugged Scotch Irish,
whose notions Of personal and religious
freedom caused them to forsake their
own country and seek homes on this
side Of the Atlantic. Among the num-
Der who thus came to America was
lev. DR.. Thomas Clark, a Scotch Pres
Dyterian, who was educated in the Uni
verslty of Glasgow, but who from 1851
to lI64 was the pastor Of a congrega-
ton In Monaghan County, Ireland. In
the last-named year DIR. Clark, with
about 300 Of his congregation. came to
America. They landed at New York.
where they separated and went part
to Salem, in Washington County, New
York, and the rest to Cedar Springs, In
Abbeyville County, South Carolina
Dr. 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
bany. He resigned from the pastorate
or the Salem church, however. In 1889,
and Joined his brethren In South Caro-
lima. where he was installed as pastor
OF the Cedar Springs congregation in
Abbeyville County, position which he
retained until his death In 1902,
While DR.. Clark was q pastor in Ire
land he refused to take the prescribed
oath of abjuration, because the oath
recognized the king as the head Of the
church; and for such refusal he was
imprisoned in the county jail Of Mon
Afghan County. While thus confined In
jail DR.. Clark officiated at one mar.
riage and thirteen baptisms. The mar.
riage thus celebrated in the Monaghan
county Jail was performed In the year
1854. and the parties to it-John Har.
ris and Eleanor Rendels-preceded
their pastor to America. and settled In
South Carolina. The descendants sot
this couple. whose nuptials We're thus
solemnized In a Jail, have been numer
GUS and distinguished. Twelve of the
ministers of the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian Church of the South are
descended from that couple; twenty
two of the ministers of that church
have obtained wives from among the
descendants Of that couple and many
of their descendants have filled thu
offices Of elder and deacon in tina
church.
The members Of that church still OBJ
serve much Of the severity Of faith ant
practice that chacteriZed their progen
itors In Scotland, and the term .'sece
ders.' by which they are commonl,
known. did not arise from anything IL
this country. but was given to them II
their origin. when Ebenezer Erskin,
and his coadjutors in 1873 secedet
from the Church of Scotland. Thes
secessionists declared that the churcl
from which they parted had becom
corrupted under the various efforts o
the English kings to inject prelacy an,
episcopacy into the Presbyterianism o
| Scotland. When the "seceders," VIII
have since spread into all the Southern
States, esta blished a classical school 70
the education Of their boys at Du
West. S. c., they called 1t Clark an,
Erskine Seminary. and 1t was this sem
mary which grew and developed int
Erskine College. win which the his
tory of the Associate Reformed Pres
byterian Church in this country Is s
closely identified, and the gentlema
who for twenty-five years has preside
over that institution and to whom tn
educators of the State recently PAL
such admirable tribute Is himself
descendant Of the couple whose hand
We're united In the jail of Monagha
County, Ireland. in 1754.-Washingto
I Post.