The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-09-21
Scotland Neck Temperance
Association meets the first
and third Tuesday evenings
in each month at SIS.
REV. JOS. BLoUNT CHESHIRE.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

A BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Tho Rev. Joseph Blount Cheshire,
D. D., who died in Tarboro the ninth
of the current month, and who, for
nearly twenty years, was rector Of Trim
ity church, Scotland Neck, in conjunct-
ion with Calvary church, Tarboro, N. c.,
was born in Edenton, N. c., December
29th, 1914. He was the son of John
Cheshire and Elizabeth Ann Blount,
and was the only son of his parents
who lived to maturity. He was edu-
Gated at the old Edenton Academy and
at the Episcopal school in Raleigh.
He read law with the late Thos. p.
Devereux, in Raleigh, and practiced
the profession for year or two in the
Edenton district. At the end of that
time he abandoned the practice and
persuing course of theological study
under the direction OF Bishop Ives he
was ordained Deacon Feb. 20. 1910,
aud May 9th 1841 was advanced to the
Priesthood. His first mlnistrations
were in the town of Halifax, and soon
afterward Trinity Church, Scotland
Neck. He soon extended his labors
to BERTHE and Edgecombe, and in 1912
became rector of Calvary .Church,
Tarboro. From this time he confined
his labors to these two parishes, though
his occasional services extended
| through the counties before mentioned
with rarer visits co Northampton and
for nearly twenty summers he kept up
services In st. PauPs Church, Louis
burg, with frequent vacancies OF that
parish. He continued in charge of
Tarboro and Scotland Neck until
the end of the year 1869 when he
found himself unable to stand the ia
tlgue of the constant driving back and
forth, and had to resign charge of
Scotland Neck. Beyond his own hope
OF expectation he was able to continue
his work at Tarboro until 1889,
| when he resigned active charge of
that parish, though he continued his
connection with it as rector Emeritus
| until the summer of 1893.
| February 9Th, l843, he married Miss
Elizabeth Toole Parker, daughter OF
Theophilus Parker, senior warden OF
the parish at Tarboro. OF this mar
rage four children came to maturity.
This union was unbroken by death fo1
over fifty years. Mrs. Cheshire dying
August 9Th, 1895.
DR.. Cheshire occupied a high posi-
ton In the Diocese of North Carolina
and enjoyed from time to time such
honors- as it was in the power OF the
Convention to bestow, having been q
member. of the standing committee
aud for many years deputy to the
General Convention until he declined
reelection. But his sphere of chic
usefulness was the more contracted
sphere OF parochial activity. The two
parishes which he served so long had
hardly more than name to be, wher
he took charge of them.
When be resigned the charge o
Trinity church, Scotland Neck, in Is
SO, which was before the beginning Of
the present town of Scotland Neck
it was, we believe, the strongest an6
most prosperous country parish il
the Diocese, and in 1889 when b
fceased his active work in Tarboro, Cal
vary Church, IN proportion to thu
size of the community. was very de
cidedly the largest and strongest parish
in the Diocese. But his influence
was not measured by the growth o
his own congregations. He was in hi
theological convictions what is calle'
an old fashioned High Churchman
1.-The church and its Ministry and Sac
raments we're to him OF Divine author
ity and not to be accommodated t
Human ideas of convenience Or ez
pediency. But in the true spirit 9
his Master hie loye and goodness e1
tended far beyond the limit OF an
class. In every man he recognize
brother, and in the communitle
where be minlstered this generous an
loving spirit was the responsive Low
, and confidence of all. His visits an
: his pastoral mlnistrations were thanh
fully reserved by many even of thos
= most opposite to him in theologiss
opinions, and few who ever came i
: contact with him failed to recognize
the sincerity and warmth Of the 10y
lin which his faith exercised and 81
). pressed itself.