Lives of Our Founders

Lives of Our Founders

of

First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta

Founded 8 January 1848

February 27, 2013

1847 Schoolhouse and Sunday School

Rev. John Simpson Wilson, Founding Pastor

Please contact any of these members of the Archives & History Committee if you have any questions or any information to add. Please contact any of us for more information, or with further information to offer.

Bill Lyons, Chair & Editor

Karna Candler (Former Chair & Member Emeritus)

Susan Daugherty (Former Chair)

Mary Lou Oppenheimer

Moncure Crowder

Jason Cherry (Historian Member)

This booklet is a companion to the series of booklets History and Stained Glass Windows of First Presbyterian

Church of Atlanta . This document continues to be a work in progress..

We hope that the material in these papers will make the history of our church, our windows, and the material held in our Archives, more accessible to our members and friends.

Bill Lyons can be contacted at wwlyons@gmail.com

or 770-805-9017. To offer comments or ask questions use

Bill’s email, or his Blog at http://sermonsinwindows.blogspot.com

Plans are underway to update this Blog and Web Site. As soon as this report is completed that will be our next priority. Your suggestions are welcome.

© William W. Lyons. This material should not be used, copied, or reproduced without permission from Bill.

Dedicated to

Our Friend, Member, and Pastor

Dr. George Wirth, Senior Pastor, 1990 - 2013

The Archives & History Committee dedicates this publication, with affection and appreciation, to our pastor,

Dr. George Wirth. He revived the History Committee when he arrived in our presence, participated in our activities, and urged us on. Without his longstanding support and enthusiastic participation, much of the achievements of the committee would not have occurred.

Thank you from the Archives & History Committee Members, past and present.

Table of Contents

Explanation of footnotes, references, and abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4

Lives of Our Nineteen Founders and Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

Signers, Spouses, and Wilson by Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

Other Early Members.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Atlanta in 1848: An Imaginary Ride to Found a New Church.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Boyd, Kesiah and Margaret. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10

Brockman, Henry and Ruth A .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Caldwell, Charlotte J... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

Cone, Lucinda (and Reuben) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

Davis, James and Jane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13

Fraser, Hugh Alexander and Julia M. L.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14

Gill, Jane (and Archibald B.). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15

Houston, Oswald and Annie L. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16

Kelsey, Joel and Diana.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17

Norcross, Harriett (and Jonathan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

Thompson, Dr. Joseph, Mrs Mary Ann, and daughter Mary Jane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21

Wilson, Rev John Simpson, Founding Pastor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23

Other Early Members.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25

Earnest Family - Researcher is Bill Lyons.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25

Glen Family - Researcher is Bill Lyons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

27

Healey Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

30

High Family - Researcher Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31

Hoyt Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33

Logan Family - Researcher Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34

Luckie Family - Researcher Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35

Markham Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35

McGinley Family - Researcher Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

Pitts Family - Researcher is Owen Braun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36

Rhea Family - Researcher Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37

Robinson Family - Researcher Needed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37

Shumate Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39

Wilson (A. N.) Family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41

Sermons in Stained Glass Booklets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43

Founders Lives of Our Founders Printed February 27, 2013 (2:29pm) Page 3 of 43

Condensed Table of Contents for Booklets

Booklet 1

Booklet 2

Booklet 3

Booklet 4

Booklet 5

Booklet 6

History - 1847 Thru 1919

Sermons in Stained Glass

Plan and Design

Installation

History Windows - Elements & Counting

Organs, Crosses, Stone of Ephesus, Sanctuary, Handbook, Floor Plans, Gardens, etc

Booklet 7

Booklet 8

Other Factors

Two Bill Lyons

Booklet 9 Correspondence with Artists

Booklet 10 Appendices

A document describing Winship Chapel is also available.

A document describing the Lives of our Founders is in development

Please send Bill your comments and suggestions for additions. Contact Bill to be added to a notification list of significant updates or for notification of plans for presentations based on this material. Any errors this document are the responsibility of Bill Lyons.

Explanation of footnotes, references, and abbreviations

A number of notations and abbreviations are use here for simplicity. Some of these are common in census records, and others come from genealogy habits.

abt - about c - circa (meaning the approximate year) date notation - November 12, 1952 is written as 12 Nov 1952 state abbreviation - the two character notation is used (GA, SC, NC, etc)

A list of references with abbreviations for them is in the appendix

Footnotes

N refers to Garrett’s Necrology with Roll and Frame #

G A&E refers to the multi volume Atlanta and Environs by Garrett with volume and page

150 th refers to our 150 th publication, “A Church on Peachtree”


Lives of Our Nineteen Founders and Others

The names of our Founding Pastor, Rev. John Simpson Wilson, and nineteen signing members have ben celebrated many times. Some information about Dr. Wilson has been offered, but little has been told about the nineteen signers, their spouses, related families, and other early members. This document is a beginning effort to inform our members and friends about these brave people, where they came from, and what they accomplished.

Your help in adding to these records is welcome.

Many records, and various celebration, have told us the names of the signers. In some cases records were lost. In other cases errors crept in. Now, years later, the Archives & History Committee, with the help of other friends, has created this document, Lives of Our Founders. We have included spouses who were involved but not present for the signing. We have corrected some errors which crept in, and documented some other early members.

The traveling Pastor from First Presbyterian, Decatur, who inspired this group was Rev. John S. Wilson.

Here are the names of the nineteen Signers as listed in our 150 th anniversary book, A Church on Peachtree , (this will be referred to throughout this document as “150 th ”):

Joel Kelsey

O Houston

James Davis

Minerva Kelsey [Diana]

Mary A. Thompson

Jane Davis

Keziah Boyd

C. J. Caldwell

H. A. Fraser

Margaret Boyd

Mary J. Thompson

Julia M. L. Fraser

Annie L. Houston

Joseph Thompson

Lucinda Cone

Jane Gill

Henry Brockman

Harriet Norcross

Ruth A. Brockman

Signers, Spouses, and Wilson by Family

Grouped into families, and with names corrected and partially expanded, they are:

*

*

*

*

Boyd Kesiah and Margaret

Brockman Henry and Ruth Ann

Caldwell

Cone

Charlotte J.

Lucinda (and Reuben)

Davis

Fraser

Gill

Houston

James and Jane

H. A. And Julia M. L.

Mrs. Jane (and Archibald B.)

Oswald and Annie L

Kelsey

Norcross

Joel and Diana (Minerva)

Harriett (and Jonathan)

Thompson Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Mary Ann

Thompson Mary Jane (Daughter)

Wilson Rev. John Simpson (later Dr.)

* Identifies families with current

living generations found.

Mary Jane Thompson married Richard Peters in 1848 and joined his Episcopal church.

Henry Brockman and Reuben Cone died in 1851

Margaret Boyd, Julia M. L Fraser, Mrs. Jane Gill, and Dr. Joseph Thompson left to join the new

Central Presbyterian Church in 1858


The earliest source we can find for the names of the Signers is an old newspaper article, Rare Old Papers, published in 1882 (described elsewhere),which gives a list of names from a damaged scrap of paper which is difficult to read. The article mentions that there are nineteen names and lists only sixteen. This list is the earliest source we have found for the use of “Minerva” as the first name for Diana Kelsey. This author’s theory is that this may be the source of this error. The other names missing from the ROP list are Charlotte Caldwell, Harriett

Norcross, and Mrs. Mary A. Thompson.

Other spouses and members were obviously involved before and through the founding who are not in the list of nineteen (sixteen), We have included two spouses of Signers in this report. Both were very involved before the founding.

We hope to find other sources which will help to clarify these mysteries.

Other Early Members

In addition to the Signers and their immediate families there are many other individuals and families, some intertwined with the Signers, who we were involved in our early years. The individuals or families who are discussed in this document are (* indicates that living descendants of relatives have been identified, some are current members, EOC indicates early officer or contributor, but not Signer):

Earnest *

Glen

Hayden

Healey *

EOC

EOC

High

Hoyt *

Logan

Luckie

EOC

EOC

Markham EOC

McGinley EOC

Pitts EOC

Rhea * EOC

Robinson * EOC

Shumate *

Terry EOC

Wilson, A N EOC

Many of these families had members who were involved at the time of the founding, or immediately after, as

Elders, Deacons, Trustee, and/or contributors. Several of those included came to our congregation later and are mentioned here due to their significant contributions. We apologize for leaving out so many, and welcome assistance in adding their life stories to this collection.

Introduction

For many years we have celebrated the names of nineteen Founders. Long ago we lost knowledge of who these pioneers were or how they came to be here in 1847/48. In some cases, we had incomplete names, or incorrect names. It is now clear that others were founders with the nineteen. In this document, and others, we have adopted the practice of identifying the nineteen who we previously called “Founders” as “Signers”. We now refer to the Signers as well as their spouses and others who participated with them in the early days of founding our congregation as “Founders”.

In this report we seek to add to our knowledge about our Founders:

Who were all of the founders? Were there founders not in the list of nineteen?

Where did the founders come from and how did they get here?

What contributions did they make to our congregation and to our community?


Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church

We recently learned that at least one of our Founders, Mrs. Jane Gill, and her husband came from Fishing

Creek Presbyterian Church in SC. The records of Fishing Creek contain surnames of several of our other

Founders. We are investigating to see if we can find links. We interpret the term “dismissed” to be equivalent to

“left here to join another church”.

Kesiah and Margaret Boyd were “dismissed” from Fishing Creek Presbyterian on 28 Dec 1845 (p 76).

Jane and James (Jane twice) Davis were “dismissed” from Fishing Creek Presbyterian in 1818/19 (p 38).

Jane and Archibald Gill were “dismissed” from Fishing Creek Presbyterian in SC about 1832 (p 57).

The story of Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, which is important to this family and other founders is told earlier in the Introduction of this booklet.

Background

This document is a project by our Archives & History Committee to expand our knowledge of the people who formed our congregation. We will use the designation of “Signers” for the nineteen. Their spouses, families, and others who were involved at the time of the founding will be referred to as “Early Members”.

This research has been aided by many sources. Foremost are the lists which have survived. Many of our early records were lost in an attempt to remove them from the city before the destruction of Atlanta in 1864, but some survive. Our history books have several lists, and our oldest surviving session book has a list of members in

1858, after the separation of Central Presbyterian. These and other lists are in the appendix to this paper.

We hope that you will enjoy these stories.

Atlanta in 1848: An Imaginary Ride to Found a New Church

In a companion booklet Moncure Crowder has created the story of a ride by John Wilson through the streets of

Atlanta on January 8, 1848. It brings to life the city and the world in which our founders lived. Through the eyes, ears and thoughts of our founding pastor, we are there.

The history that the reverend recalls during his ride is correct. All of the characters named in the story were real.

The sights, sounds and smells are as the author believes them to have been. In making the reverend's ride as full as possible, some license has been taken with the location and timing of some of the events. In no case has anything been created that did not take place in Atlanta at that time. It just didn't all happen on the same day.

Following are excerpts from the story:

"On the morning of Saturday, January 8, 1848, the sun rose above Rock Mountain a few miles to the east and cast its light on the city of Decatur, Georgia. Turning his face up to catch the pleasant warmth at the beginning of another clear, cold day, the Reverend John Wilson paused and wondered briefly, as he did more and more these days, at some of the changes he had seen in his life.

Most of the changes were for the good, the reverend thought, but some seemed quite frivolous. For example, for more than 20 years he had lived within sight of the inspiring mass of stone known as Rock Mountain.


Recently, however, some had started calling it by a new name, Stone Mountain. Whether "rock" or "stone" the reverend supposed, it didn’t really make much difference but be just couldn't see the purpose in changing what had been a perfectly good name for many years.

The good reverend was almost finished in a task he had done thousands of times, saddling his horse for a ride on the "business of the Lord." This time however, his task was especially gratifying. He was riding the first six miles down the stage road from Decatur to Marietta to the recently incorporated little city of Atlanta to preside over the founding of a new Presbyterian church.

And if ever a city needs new churches the reverend thought with conviction, it’s this unruly, boisterous, and essentially lawless place that some of my Decatur friends call "Sin City." While the number of its good, moral citizens was steadily growing, Atlanta was still dominated by a1l the baser elements associated with a booming, frontier railroad construction center.

Dozens of drinking houses, gambling dives and brothels were open day and night with no regard for the discomfort of the more upstanding inhabitants who did not use their "services.” The population was now close to 2,000 and included a large number of unemployed single males who preyed upon the weaker elements.

Fortunately for law abiding citizens, most of Atlanta’s criminal activity was centered in places such as Murrel's

Row north of Decatur Street and Snake Nation on the Whitehall Road. Into those areas the better citizens, especially the women and children, did not go. The business areas near the railroad depots and along Whitehall

Street were relatively safe and quiet - at least during the day.

Each night the noise of carousing and fighting was heard throughout the city. As yet there was no law enforcement to control the behavior of those who disturbed the sleep of the better citizens. It was hoped that the city's newly created legal structure would provide the means to solve this."

Pausing to look up Marietta Street, the reverend watched the type of chaotic scene that occurred often in the young city. A heavily loaded wagon had become bogged down in the mud. A second wagon pulled out from behind it into the middle of the road to pass. A third wagon, going in the opposite direction, steered off to the edge of the street to get by the other two. With the three wagons taking up the whole street, several pedestrians were forced into a muddy ditch and began shouting at the drivers. Finally, a group of onlookers got behind the stuck wagon and pushed it free. In a few moments the rest sorted themselves out, and life went on as before.

Needing to get out of the middle of the road, Reverend Wilson realized that he had several hours before he was to meet with the church founders. Rather than turning north on Peachtree towards the community building, he guided his horse south on Whitehall and headed diagonally across the intersection. He was going to visit the large store operated by Jonathan Norcross."

Crossing Alabama Street, the reverend continued down Whitehall through the center of the city’s business district. On both sides, 'the street was filled with two story frame buildings. On the ground floor were stores.

Upstair lived the owners and their families. Many of the stores were grocery or general merchandise businesses and seemed to sell the same things. The reverend knew that most of the shopkeepers got as much revenue from selling "spirits" as they got from selling hard goods.

The reverend was between Alabama and Hunter Streets (note: now MLK) when his horse shied. A group of four or five hogs ran past him in the middle of the road. They were heading for "Uncle" Billy Mann's store near the far end of the block. "Uncle" Billy, who owned the hogs, let them run wild and fed them scraps from his store about this time everyday. The animals, who usually wandered loose in the streets, knew when it was time for their main meal and always came "back home" to get it. The reverend sighed and shook his head at another


example of the lack of law in the new city. This would never happen in Decatur where livestock were not allowed to run loose in the streets.

A little past Billy Mann's store, the reverend was met by a heavily loaded wagon, being pulled by a pair of oxen.

Oxen, being much stronger, could handle a load that might otherwise take four, or even six, horses. While it was not uncommon to see four and six horse teams on the streets of Atlanta, some of its citizens preferred to use just two oxen."

"When he had ridden halfway up Peachtree Street to the community building, the reverend heard people singing.

Looking back, he saw a single wagon with a small procession walking behind. In the wagon was a plain wooden casket. The reverend immediately recognized a funeral procession, heading for the city's burying ground. As a courtesy, he stopped to let it pass.

The burying ground was 1ocated on the west side of Peachtree Street several blocks beyond the community church building. (note: about where the Capital City Club now stands). When the spot had been selected, it was well away from the city. Recently, nearby landowners had begun pressuring to have the location moved. With growth, the area was now a desirable place for more houses and stores. There was talk of creating a new cemetery to the southeast of town, but so far nothing bad been done.

When the procession had passed, the reverend rode the final blocks to the community church building.

Dismounting and walking towards the door, he felt a growing excitement. He had done this before, but each time it was special. There was nothing more satisfying than starting a new church."

(Please see our publication, Atlanta in 1848: An Imaginary Ride to Found a New Church , for more of this story)


Our Nineteen Signers and Rev. Wilson

The names of our Founding Pastor, Rev. John Simpson Wilson, and nineteen signing members have been celebrated many times. Some information about Rev. Wilson has been offered, but little has been told about the nineteen Signers, their spouses, related families, and other Founders and Early Members. This document is a beginning effort to inform our members and friends about these brave people, where they came from, and what they contributed to our congregation and our community.

The names of the nineteen Signers have been told many times. In some cases records were lost. In other cases errors crept in. Now, years later, the Archives & History Committee, with the help of other friends, has created this document, Lives of Our Founders and Early Members. We have included spouses who were involved but not present for the signing. We have corrected some errors which were made long ago.

Our founding pastor, a traveling Pastor from First Presbyterian, Decatur, was Rev. John S. Wilson. He inspired this group and also helped to inspire other members of the Sabbath Sunday School who formed the Baptist and

Methodist congregations in 1848. He is remembered as the first pastor to preach in Atlanta 1 .

The following reports represent the nineteen Signers of our founding document (now lost) in eleven surname groups, and Dr. Wilson. Three of these, Davis, Houston, and Kelsey, were the initial Elders. Two were also appointed as Trustees on 28 Jan 1848 (Davis and Houston). Others appointed as Trustees and early Elders include Cone, Davis, Glen, Hayden, Houston, McGinley, and Pitts. These are discussed in the section, Early

Members, if not in this section.

A summary of the Origins and Ages of the Signers and Spouses is included in the Appendix of this report

Boyd, Kesiah and Margaret

- Researcher Bill Lyons - Further research needed

Kesiah and Margaret Boyd both were among the Signers. Both are in the 1850 census in Panterville GA. Both are shown as females. Kesiah is 78 born in NC and Margaret is 50 born in SC.

An ancestry.com family tree shows Keziah Porter, SC, 1772-1858 as husband of William Boyd, Ireland, 1766-

19 Jan 1838 in Chester SC. They were married 15 Jan 1795 in Chester SC, and had five children:

Nancy 5 Mar 1796 SC

David H. W. abt 1797 SC

Margaret abt 1800 SC died abt 1854 GA (married William Spence)

Hugh Milton 9 Jun 1802 SC

Mary K. 11 Jun 1810 died 1 Mar 1839 Chester SC

Thus, it appears that our founding Boyds, mother and daughter, were gone by 1858. It appears that Hugh Milton

Boyd was also involved at the founding.

Martha A. Boyd and Mary R. Boyd are shown as founders of Central in 1858.

Margaret is in the 1860 Census, age 52, born 1800, still living in Panthersville, now with Nancy Wiley, 56, and

Andrew and John Wiley, ages 25 and 22.

1 G A&E I 247

Founders Signers and Dr. Wilson Printed February 27, 2013 (2:29pm) Page 10 of 43

A Kiziah Boyd is in the 1840 Census in Chester SC with 1 female 15-19, 1 female 30-39, 1 female 60-69, and 2 white males 20-29. If these are our Boyds, is Kisiah the female 60-69 (as head of household?) or one of the males?

Kesiah and Margaret were “dismissed” from Fishing Creek Presbyterian on 18 May 1845 2 .

It is not certain that the Fishing Creek Boyds are ours, but the circumstantial evidence is very strong. There was a Hugh McClure

Boyd at Fishing Creek, as well as a Hugh Gaston Boyd. The story of Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, which is important to this family and other founders is told earlier in the Introduction of this booklet.

In 1847 Hugh M. Boyd signed the list of contributors for The Sabbath Sunday School 3 . In July 1848, he signed a subscriber list to pay for the services of their pastor.

A Hugh and Martha Boyd are in the 1850 census in Meriwether County GA. He is 24 born in SC and she is 22 born in GA. Is this the same Hugh Boyd?

Brockman, Henry and Ruth A


Henry and Ruth Ann Liddell Brockman were Signers. Ruth was still a member in 1867, but does not appear in the list of 1878. She was b 18 Apr 1818 and d 10 Nov 1906 and she was buried at Rock Springs Church 4 . Did she move to Rock Springs?

Henry is shown as a contributor in 1848 and died in 1851. Henry is buried in Plaster Cemetery 5 . Henry has not been found in the 1850 census and no other record of his birth date or birthplace has been found.

Miss Lucy J. Brockman and James P. Brockman are also members in 1867. They have not been found in the censuses of 1850 or 1860.

Ruth was a granddaughter of Moses Liddell and Elizabeth Johnson Liddell of Abbeville SC (and later Gwinnett and DeKalb counties in GA). Her parents were Daniel Liddell and Isabella Liddell Liddell. Daniel was the son of William Liddell and Ruth Keith Liddell.

The recording of the Plaster Cemetery 6 also contains information about the Liddell family beginning with Moses and Elizabeth Johnson Liddell. It appears from this cemetery that the Plasters have a relationship to the

Brockman and Liddell families.

Children of Daniel and Isabella Liddell Liddell were:

Moses Wilkerson married Betsy Clower

Thos. Haynie married Eliz. Collier (West Collier’s daughter)

2 FC p 76

3 Martin pp 43-44

4 N 1 25

5 N 1 36 The Plaster Cemetery record was recorded by Miss Emma Plaster in 1950. She was Bill Lyons’ English teacher at North Fulton High School. Thank you again Miss Plaster.

6 N 5 344


Wm. Pinkey married Evelyn Wynne (Grandma Smith’s sister)

Elizabeth Ann married Edwin Plaster

Ruth Ann married Henry Brockman Ruth and Henry are among our Founders

Isabella Jane married Nathaniel Reeder, son of Wm. & Ruth Keith Liddell

James McAlpine married Araminta Gober

Caldwell, Charlotte J.


The name on the Founders list is C. J. Caldwell. We believe this is the Charlotte J Caldwell who is found in the church records in 1858. It appears that Charlotte was the only Signer who may have been a single woman at the time of the signing except for the daughter of Dr. Joseph Thompson.

The 1850 census shows Charlotte (with no E) Caldwell of SC, age 37, born about 1813, living in Black Hall

(DeKalb). She lived with Ruth, 59, and three Caldwell children (Frances, female, 20; John W 17; Mary A 14; all born in GA). Is this three generations of the same family?

Today Blackhall Road is just outside Atlanta between Lake Spivey and I-75, near the intersection with I-675.

The Caldwell and Davis families were both in this census district.

Cone, Lucinda (and Reuben)

- Researcher Jason Cherry

Some of the information in this report was provided by a descendant who is a member of our congregation.

Lucinda Shumate Cone was among the nineteen Signers. Her husband, Judge Reuben Cone, was somewhere else the day the list was signed but is listed as a founding Trustee and gave the property for Marietta I (our first sanctuary on Marietta Street). Lucinda Shumate had married Reuben in Decatur, DeKalb Co., Georgia and later married Judge W. H. Underwood.

Lucinda was born in Fauquier Co. VA on 7 Nov 1796, and died 9 Feb 1872. She was one of nine children of

M/M Mason Shumate. Her parents were founding members of the Decatur Presbyterian Church. Reuben was

Justice of Inferior Court of DeKalb County and a large land owner in Atlanta.

Reuben was born in CT on 14 July 1788, and died 10 Apr 1851. Like Lucinda’s father, Judge Cone was notorious for his generosity and was respected across the country. He moved to DeKalb County in time to become one of the original commissioners of Decatur in 1823 7 .

The 1850 Census 8 shows Reuben and Lucinda as Reubin Corre and Lucinda Corre. He is shown as 60, from CT, living in Atlanta GA. Lucinda is shown as 54, from VA. Living with them is Susan Cone, age 85, J. A. Hayden

40, Harriet E. Hayden 21, Leslie E. Hayden 3, Harriet E. Hayden 1, and two Curriers 35 and 25.

Lucinda and Reuben are connected to other early families, including the Shumates, Haydens, and Healeys. More details of these families are given in other chapters.

A comment by S. B. Hoyt, quoted in the Atlanta Constitution, November 14, 1886 says “the Shumate family and its connections constituted more than half, I think, of the small but devoted band that organized that

7 G II 335

8 Thanks to Owen Braun for his help in finding this.


church.”

Reuben became famous for a landmark case which he presided over in Eatonton Georgia. The town was having a problem with gambling and cockfighting. A grand jury in 1845 handed down indictments on forty residents.

Judge Cone fined each of them ten dollars plus costs, and lectured them severely upon the uselessness and immorality of such habits, and the viciousness of the example which they were setting for the youth of the country. Then commanding the dependents to take their seats, with a solemn face, but a merry twinkle in his eye, he turned to the clerk and said: “Now, Mr. Clerk, enter after these cases, State of Georgia vs. Judge Cone.

Gaming, special information by his honor; plea guilty and fine him one hundred dollars and costs. Call the next case, sir” 9 .

Reuben owned three or four hundred acres of land upon which much of Atlanta was built. Some report that he donated the land for the Presbyterian Church and Baptist Church 10 . Others report that he sold the land for the

Presbyterian Church for $300. Judge Cone had as much or more to do with the founding of Atlanta as anyone in its history. He subdivided his land into small inexpensive parcels with long term notes for payment. This enabled people to afford to move into the city.

Lucinda and Reuben moved to Decatur in the middle 1840's and later to Atlanta. Garrett reports that Reuben donated the land for both the Baptist and Presbyterian churches. The Cones lived at the corner of Marietta and

Peachtree in a mansion known as the “Arlington House”, which later became known as the Arlington Hotel at

Marietta and Cone St. Curiously, it was not burned during Sherman’s destruction of the city. Arlington Hotel was replaced by a three story building called the Hayden Building. Judge Cone died April 10, 1851 in an accident while building his new house.

They had one child, Harriet, who was born on 18 August 1829 in GA and died 4 December 1899. Harriet married Judge Julius A. Hayden in 1847. See their story in the chapter on the Hayden family. Judge Hayden became a Trustee of our congregation in 1848 and is on the 1858 list of members.

Hayden died and Lucinda later married Judge W. H. Underwood. Both she and Reuben are buried at Oakland

Cemetery 11 .

Lucinda is in the 1858 list as Lucinda Underwood. Judge Underwood is not in the list.

Davis, James and Jane

- Researcher Moncure Crowder

Jane and James Davis were Signers and James was an original Elder and Trustee. He contributed to the fund for

Rev. Wilson in Jul 1848.

James, 54, b abt 1796 NC, and Jane, 52, b abt 1798 SC, are found in the Black Hall census in 1850, with 4 children. They are not shown in the 1858 list where two of their children, Samuel and Leander are included.

Black Hall was the designation for DeKalb's Blackhall Militia District near Atlanta. It appears from the census that the Caldwells lived very close to the Davis family in Black Hall.

9 AJC March 1, 1883 A Memory of Judge Cone

10 G II 336

11 G I pp 335, 336 and more)


Jane and James (spelled as Jane) were “dismissed” from Fishing Creek Presbyterian in 1818/19 12 . The story of

Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, which is important to this family and other founders, is told earlier in the

Introduction of this booklet.

The Davis children were all born in SC (ages in 1850 census):

Mary J 27 Milton 29 Sannie 21 (Samuel) Lander 19 (Leander)

Fraser, Hugh Alexander and Julia M. L.

- Researcher Bill Lyons

Hugh Alexander and Julia M. L. Fraser both signed the list of nineteen. Julia U. L. Fraser is a founding member of Central in 1858 13 . No explanation found yet for the “M” vs “U”, or the status of Hugh. Julia (Frazin) is in the

1850 census in Atlanta with five children (Collin Mc K age 8, John H age 6, Mary S age 4, Julia A age 2, Hugh

A age 1). Hugh Senior is not shown. In the 1860 census she is in Marietta with four children (John is missing).

Julia was born in TN abt 1822 14 , and died in June 1876 15 . In 1850 she is reported in the census with a last name of Frazin, and five children ages 1 to 8 (Collin Mc K, John H, Mary S, Julia A, and Hugh A). Her husband is not listed in the census (see below). She is buried in Oakland Cemetery which shows a maiden name of Whedbee.

Her funeral was held at Central Presbyterian 16 .

Hugh Senior is reported to be a Presbyterian Elder, but it is unclear where 17 . Julia’s tombstone at Oakland bears the inscription “Hugh Alexander Fraser of Inverness Scotland passed away 1876". So perhaps Hugh returned to

Scotland, or perhaps 1876 is a stonecutter’s error.

The tombstone also has this to add “Colin McKensie, Son of H. A. and J. M. L. Fraser, 1841 - 1902".

There were four Fraser children 18 . Julia served as a missionary in China for 34 years. Julia “was mother of

Colin M. Fraser and Miss Mary S. Fraser” 19 . Another daughter, Mrs Julia Ansley Fraser Gaither was born in

Lumpkin County in 1847, and died in Fulton in 1930. Another son, Colin M. Fraser, 1841-1902, had three daughters and two sons

Hugh Alexander Fraser (Jr.), Julia’s youngest child, was born in Atlanta. He died 14 Sep 1883 and was buried

12 FC p 38

13 Smith p 116, Church That Stayed

14 Census and Oakland

15 N 7 106

16 N 7 106

17 N 5 529

18 N 5 529-530

19 N 7 106


16 Sep 1883 in Sevierville TN. Hugh lived and married in TN. He left a wife and infant son. Necrology 20 says he had 2 sisters and a surviving brother.

Julia was survived by five nieces and one nephew, W. J. Fraser of Atlanta.

Gill, Jane (and Archibald B.)

- Researcher Karna Candler

Mrs. Jane Gill was one of the nineteen Signers. Jane was a founder of Central in 1858 21 . Some evidence suggests that her maiden name was Williamson. She was born in SC about 1799, and was married to Archibald

B. Gill, born in SC about 1800. We have not found evidence that Archibald was ever a member. In 1850, the census shows her with A. B., 50, and two children, Lanier 27, and John 17. The family believes that Lanier was not a son because there is no record of his being christened at Fishing Creek 22 . Jane is found in the 1860 census living with John 29, and no others.

Jane (and her possible mother, Rachel Williamson) were dismissed from Fishing Creek Presbyterian in SC by

Apr 1832 23 and moved to DeKalb County, location of the future Atlanta.. The story of Fishing Creek

Presbyterian Church, which is important to this family and other founders, is told earlier in the Introduction of this booklet.

In 1853 (recorded 10 May 1855) Jane purchased property form Lemuel P. Grant (another member of First

Presbyterian) located at Decatur Street and Collins Street for $1853.00.

In 1858, Jane was one of several founders and other members who chose to separate from First to form a new congregation on Washington Street. The story of this separation is told in Booklet One of our series of booklets,

History and Stained Glass Windows .

On 30 Jan 1860, Jane signed a will leaving her properties and other items to her children, Martha E. Smith,

Mary A. Reed (Reid in list below), Thomas M. Gill, and John A. Gill (James is not listed).

Jane died 8 Feb 1868 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery along with several of her children according to research by Peggy Beesley, a ggg-granddaughter who now lives in Alabama, who also believes Archibald died by 1870.

Peggy also tells us that the Gill children were:

Thomas Marion Gill, christened 10 Jul 1820 24 , married Elizabeth Crow

James Williamson Gill, christened 2 May 1824 25 , married Fannie McCan 9 Nov 1851.

20 N 5 529

21 Smith p 116 (Church That Stayed)

22 Email of 14 Aug 2012

23 FC 57

24 FC 41

25 FC 55


Mary Agnes Gill, christened 26 Sep 1828 26 , became Mrs. Phillip P. Reid

Martha Elizabeth Gill, christened 22 Jan 1832 27 , became Mrs. Edwin C. Smith

John A. Gill, born in GA abt 1833 28

These christening and birth dates support the conclusion that the family moved from Chester County, South

Carolina to DeKalb County about April of 1832.

Peggy’s assumption is that Rachael Williamson is the mother of Jane but this has not been proven. Peggy believes that Rachel came to Atlanta with the Gill family.

Peggy further reports:

The family had a cotton gin (1860 Census). I know that Jane and a Jim (I'm assuming this is

James) and several of the children are buried in Oakland Cemetery. I did not find Archibald buried there. Perhaps there is another old cemetery where he might be or he might have been buried on the farm.

In April of 1832, the Gill family moved to (the future site of) Atlanta, where their youngest son,

John, was born. Jane and Archibald remained in Atlanta until their deaths.

Houston, Oswald and Annie L

. - Researcher Susan Daugherty

Anna and Oswald Houston were among the nineteen Signers. Anna Louise Houston was born 13 February 1803 in SC, and died 21 November 1888 29 . Anna (Eliza Shaw) (Ann L. or Annie) was Oswald’s second wife. They were married in 1821. In the 1850 census (Ann L.) they are shown with two children, Flora A. 13, and Laura L.

age 7.

Oswald was born in Abbeville District, SC 16 Apr 1798. Oswald received an appointment to West Point in

1818. He served as a Captain in SC. His first wife was Sarah Saxon in 1819.

Anna and Oswald moved to Maury County, TN in 1833, “the year the meteorites fell”. They then moved to

Savannah GA in 1845, and Atlanta in 1846 30 . In 1847, Oswald was injured when his wagon overturned and determined to seek alternative means for earning a living. He engaged in merchandising and served as the first city treasurer.

On the second Sunday in June, 1847, Oswald was a co-founder of Atlanta’s first Sunday School, an ecumenical school for all religions. He and James A. Collins shared the superintendency.

Oswald became one of the first Elders of the Atlanta Presbyterian Church. He also became a Trustee in 1848 and was still shown as a Trustee as late as 1858. In 1854 he was elected as Treasurer of the Atlanta City

26 FC 55

27 FC 57

28 Census 1840 DeKalb

29 N 9 423

30 Pioneer 281


Council.

In 1855 he developed a paralysis and was an invalid until his death 11 June 1861 and is buried at Oakland 31 .

Their son, W. J., served First Presbyterian Church for forty years as a deacon, and later an elder 32 . In our 150 th he is only shown in the list of Deacons for 1858-73 and is never shown as an Elder, which seems to conflict with the “forty years” reference. He was born 10 Oct 1831 in Abbeville District SC. Wiki identifies him as

Washington Jackson Houston for whom Houston Mill Road in Decatur is named. His wife was Amanda C.

Houston who was born in 1833 in GA. Their son, W. J., Jr. was born in 1867.

W. J. became a clerk for Jonathan Norcross after coming to Atlanta. At 17 he became a cashier of the first bank in Atlanta, and received the first deposit ever made in Atlanta. He left the bank in 1851, and joined the Georgia

Railroad as assistant agent. Later he joined the Western & Atlantic Railroad, and then Atlanta and West Point

Railroad. By 1870 the family was living in Decatur. W. J. Jr later became a doctor.

In 1876, W. J. retired to his farm in DeKalb County. Soon however, he joined Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line

Railroad as general passenger and ticket agent. He was known as the first to reduce local passenger fares to three cents a mile, creating quite a stir in railway circles.

The pronunciation of Houston causes some friendly, and at times not so friendly, contention between natives of

Georgia and Texas. The family pronounced their last name "HOUSE-tun" and the (former) street name was also pronounced that way as is Houston Mill Road in Decatur, Georgia, named after the mill that was built by his son

Washington Jackson Houston. Almost everyone who is not from Georgia will pronounce the name in the way of the city in Texas, "HYOOS-tun", and will be quickly corrected by native Georgians.

This Houston family is not connected to the Houston County in GA or the town in Texas.

In addition to census records and other sources much of this information is from Wikipedia.

Dan Gilbert, a member of our congregation, is a descendant of the Houston family.

Kelsey, Joel and Diana

- Researcher Family Source and Bill Lyons

The information about the Kelseys is largely based on research done with the assistance of a researcher for a living descendant of the family who wishes to remain anonymous.

Joel and Diana were Signers. Her name has been recorded in our histories as Minerva (in error).

Joel and Diana 33 (Miles) Kelsey came to Georgia from CT where both Diana (born 1795) and Joel (born 1798) were born. They married in 1818. By 1820 they were in Georgia, first in Hancock County where they remained

31 G A&E I 372, 516

32 Pioneer 281-283

33 The name of Diana Kelsey has been recorded in First Presbyterian publications as

Minerva. The name Diana is used in the 1858 member’s list. We do not yet know the source of this confusion. We have chosen to identify her as Diana (Minerva) Kelsey, or simply as Diana

Kelsey. She was born Diana Miles.


at least into 1840, They then moved to Walton County, before moving to the frontier location soon to become

Atlanta 34 , where they had arrived by 1850.

Joel is listed as a member of the Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church from 1815 to 1839. The family research identifies him as a founder of this church. We believe this to be the Presbyterian Church in Hancock County

(Mt. Zion Presbyterian in Hancock County GA was formed in 1813 by a minister who was once at Fishing

Creek).

For years Diana has been shown in our histories as Minerva. She is shown properly as Diana in our 1858 members list, the ROP list, and in census records. The writer of the ROP article mentions that the old document was difficult to read. Some day we hope to find the source of the name Minerva. Is it a misinterpretation of an old document or perhaps a nickname (Diana and Minerva where names for Greek goddesses)?

Both hailed from old, prominent, and well-educated families in CT. They were among the founders -- the movers and shakers -- of the young Atlanta. They lived in an uptown location in modest affluence. They achieved a position of prominence and notoriety, mostly due to their service to others and their community.

They were founding members of the Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, where Joel was a Founding Elder.

In 1841, Joel Kelsey served on the Board of Trustees of the Social Circle Academy, a coeducational school in

Walton County. Joel, the car builder, moved to Atlanta.

35

He and his wife, Diana, signed the list of nineteen founders, and Joel became an early Elder. Joel served the city of Atlanta, and his church, in many ways. He was the first bookkeeper of the Georgia Railroad. He served on the

City Council. He served in the Confederate Army.

Joel is shown in the lists in 150 th as a contributor in 1847/48 and Elder until his death.

The Kelsey's had three daughters and a son. The daughters married medical men, two married doctors, and one married a dentist. The dentist and his wife went to Texas. In 1867, Joel and Diana went to Texas to visit their daughter and her family. Joel became ill while visiting in Jefferson, Marian County, Texas and died there at age

73. Garrett 36 reports than Joel had returned to New Milford and is buried there. Garrett also shows that Joel had married Ann Treat who is buried in Americus GA. The Garrett information was apparently provided by W. J.

Kelsey, grandson of Joel Sr., on 11 Nov 1936.

After Joel’s death Diana returned to Atlanta and settled Joel's estate. She later went to Americus, GA to live with her daughter, Julia, and her husband Dr. Sion Boon Hawkins, MD and died in Americus in 1872 37 .

Joel Kelsey, Jr., served in the Atlanta Fire Department in several roles and was a machinist for the Georgia

Railroad. He married Frances A. Hill and they had a son W. J. Kelsey. Joel Jr. died 10 Oct 1872, at the age of

33, in Atlanta, a suicide by laudanum poison 38 . the same year as his mother.

34 Information from documentation acquired by Kelsey descendants.

35 Garrett, Atlanta and Environs, Vol I, p59

36 N 5 330

37 Session book of FPC.

38 Garrett Necrology, a report apparently by his son W. J. Kelsey in 1936.


Norcross, Harriett (and Jonathan)

- Researcher Mary Lou Oppenheimer

Harriett Norcross was a Signer and still a member in 1858. Her husband, Jonathan, not a Signer, was a Baptist and is not shown as a member of our congregation in any existing records. He is listed as a contributor to a fund for Marietta I in 1847 and to an effort to obtain the services of Rev. Wilson in July 1848.

Harriet(t) Norcross is shown in the censuses as born abt 1813 in TN. When she married Jonathan Norcross in

Apr 1845 she was a widow, Mrs. Harriet N. Bogle Montgomery of Blount Co, TN. She died Aug 1876.

Jonathan later married Miss Mary A Hill 4 Sep 1877 in Fulton Co, GA..

Jonathan was born in Orono, ME on 7 Apr 1808. He was the second son of Rev. Jessee Norcross of Charleston

ME. He died 18 Dec 1898, at 90. Harriett and Jonathan are buried in Oakland as is their only child, Virgil.

Jonathan went to Cuba as a youth, then spent two years in Philadelphia at the Franklin Institute and then came to

NC in 1833 as a teacher. He arrived in Augusta GA in 1835 39 , as a teacher, and then to Marthasville in Aug

1844 on horseback from Putnam County GA.

In 1850 they have one child, Virgil C. age 5, who became a Baptist minister in Atlanta. Virgil had been approved for ordination by the Presbyterian church and withdrew his application. Virgil died in 1893.

Jonathan set up a saw mill and provided ties, etc for the building of the Georgia RR. A blind horse was the motive power for the saw mill. He gave many slabs to poor people to build homes. He was a member of a group to draft papersf or incorporation of the town of Atlanta to become The City of Atlanta in 1847 40 . He was one of the two candidates for the first Mayor of Atlanta in 1848 when he lost to Moses Formwalt. He co-founded the

Daily Intelligencer in1849.

He was elected as the fourth mayor of Atlanta in 1850 41 . In 1851, he was instrumental in the charter of Atlanta

Bank. He was on the Committee of Citizens (with William Markham) that surrendered the city to Union

General Henry Slocum. Norcross had been in opposition to seccession.

Henry W. Grady dubbed Jonathan the “Father of Atlanta” and “hard fighter of everything” 42 .

Harriett’s accomplishments are not well described in the histories, as is common for that time. She was a positive participant in their activities as long as she lived.

In 1850, Harriett’s sister, “Lucy” Lucinda Mariah Bogel Hoyt and her daughter, Cornelia M Hoyt, were living with the Norcross family. “Lucy” was the mother of our early member, S B Hoyt. See the story on the Hoyt

Family in the Early Members chapter.

39 G A&E I 206 says 1836

40 G A&E I 259

41 Pioneer ??

42 WikiPedia and others


At the meeting of The Atlanta Pioneer and Historic Society in 1871 (perhaps the first and only meeting),

Jonathan told his version of how Atlanta was given the name 43 . He attributes the name to J. Edgar Thompson, and says that the name of the goddess Atalanta had nothing to do with it. Garrett also gives a letter from Richard

Peters on the same subject 44 .

43 G A&E I 226

44 G A&E I 225


Thompson, Dr. Joseph, Mrs Mary Ann, and daughter Mary Jane

-

Researcher Susan Daugherty

Husband, wife, and daughter were all Signers. By 1858 they are all gone from First Presbyterian, Joseph in the

Central separation in 1858, his wife by death in 1849, and his daughter by marriage to Richard Peters..

Joseph Thompson was born in Greenville district, SC 29 Sep 1797 and died 21 Aug 1885 45 . His ancestors were

Scotch-Irish, who settled in PA. Dillsboro and Dillston were named for them. Joseph came to Decatur in 1826 46 and arrived in Atlanta in 1845. When he died in 1885, he was one of the oldest citizens of first Decatur and then

Atlanta 47 .

Mrs. Mary Ann Tomlinson Young Thompson was Joseph’s first wife and mother of Mary Jane Thompson.

Mary Ann was born 6 Jul 1811 and died in Atlanta on 23 Apr 1849 in childbirth. She was the widow of David

Young, a prominent lawyer in Decatur 48 . Although all of the Thompsons are gone from our congregation in

1858, they made many contributions. Joseph is shown in several contributor lists, and was on the building committee for our first sanctuary on Marietta Street.

Mary Jane was born abt 1831 49 and died in 1878. She married Richard Peters in 1848, shortly after the founding and before her mother’s death, and joined him in his Episcopal church. Richard Peters is included as a member of the building committee, probably in 1849, and a contributor (according to ROP) for Marietta I which was dedicated on 4 July 1852. Their contributions to All Saints were very significant. Richard Peters was born in

Germantown PA 10 Nov 1810 and died 6 Feb 1889 50 . The Peters had seven children who reached maturity:

Richard, Nellie, Ralph, Edward, Katherine (now deceased), and May.

While in Decatur, Joseph had an extensive medical practice before suffering an attack of inflammatory rheumatism which forced him to seek a less arduous profession. He became the proprietor of a hotel in Decatur.

He was largely responsible for securing the right-of-way for the Georgia Railroad from Decatur to Marthasville.

At the request of the railroad he became the proprietor of the hotel the railroad had built there. Joseph was president of Atlanta Medical College until his death and still resided on Pryor Street. He was a life long

Presbyterian.

Joseph had a 200 acre farm which was bounded by Whitehall, Capitol, Fair streets and Georgia Avenue.

Joseph’s second wife was Mrs Jane A Reeder of Columbia SC. They married in 1851 and she died in 1854. She was the mother of Mrs. W. L. Calhoun of Atlanta.

Joseph’s third wife Mrs. E. H. Thompson, widow of Dr. Thompson of Macon. They were married Jun 1858 and she died 14 Feb 1884. She was the mother of Lizzie Thompson, who became Mrs. R. H. Elliott of Birmingham.

45 N 15 339

46 G A&E I 60

47 G A&E I 324, 383, 398 ,835 & II 103

48 Pioneer 344

49 1850 Census

50 Reed 688


Before destruction of the hotel by Sherman’s forces he removed to his wife’s plantation in Houston county, returning after the Federals left to find his property destroyed. He managed to overcome the misfortunes and do very well 51 .

It is not known if any of the other Thompson children later became members of First Presbyterian. None are shown in the member’s list of 1858.

The 1850 census shows Joseph Thompson age 52, living with Julia C. age 14, George H. age 13, and Joan age

9, all three children born in GA. The surviving Thompson children were 52 :

Mary Jane married Richard Peters in 1848, see above.

George Harvey, Captain of Gate City Guards 1860-63, became Lt. Colonel, died 1864

Julia Caroline married William P. Orme, Treasurer of Atlanta and West Point Railroad

Joseph Jr, b 6 Jun 1841, d 3 Dec 1921 53 , Pres Atlanta Stock and Cotton Exchange, etc

Joan, married Thomas M. Clarke

Two children who died in infancy (James William and J. Edgar)

Dr. Joseph Thompson, physician & proprietor of the Atlanta Hotel; was considered a "prince of a genial man."

He was one of the incorporators of the Georgia and Western RR in 1854. Dr. Thompson helped register voters in Atlanta in 1867.

Mary Jane all but left the history of our church, until the appearance of Rare Old Papers in 1882. Rare Old

Papers includes this information:

Written across the margin is a notice to the effect that one of the papers was “drawn up by Miss

Mary Jane Thompson, now Mrs. Richard Peters.” And that explains the romance of Richard’s early life!

51 Pioneer 343-344

52 Men Who Made Atlanta, Constitution 5 Nov 1905 p2 and Pioneer p 345

53 N 34 586


Wilson, Rev John Simpson, Founding Pastor

- Researcher Karna Candler

Dr. Wilson’s Life

Atlanta Presbyterian Church was formed on 8 Jan 1848, led by a minister who was involved with the formation of 14 congregations during his career, according to the genealogical records of his family.

In his dissertation for Columbia Theological Seminary in 1941, “The Life and Work of John S. Wilson”,

Chester F. Monk reports from Presbyterian Survey for April, 1941:

The first sermon preached in Atlanta was by Wilson. He organized the Decatur Church as an outpost from Fairview (near Lawrenceville) in 1825. He then organized Philadelphia (in Forest

Park GA, just to the southwest) in 1826.

John Simpson Wilson was born 4 Jan 1796, in Pendleton District (now Anderson), SC, and died 27 March

1873. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta. He was the son of Jane Hillhouse Wilson and Robert Wilson.

Little is known about Robert and Jane. At the time of the Monk paper on Wilson, it was believed that perhaps

Robert Wilson was a second generation American who fought in the Revolutionary War. More is known of Jane

Hillhouse.

John S Wilson was the first of five children. His parents moved to Missouri in his early childhood but returned

South in 1812. John Wilson then “obtained the consent of his parents to leave the plow-handles and commence a course of study in a classical school hard bye.”

He married Juliet Means who was born c 1800 and died 18 October 1868. They had four sons and four daughters. (See family genealogy for more detail).

Rare Old Papers reports:

Dr. Wilson was born in Anderson District (then Pendleton) SC on 4 Jan 1796.He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of that state and chose Georgia as his field of labor. From 1810 {we believe this should be 1824] until 1824 he preached at Ruckersville in Elbert County [apparently prior to license or ordination]. In 1824 he turned his labors toward Gwinnett County, in which field he preached for twenty years, as pastor of Fairview and Lawrenceville churches, and for fifteen years of the time was rector of the Lawrenceville Academy.

In 1844 he removed to Decatur and for fifteen years was the pastor of the church at that place. It will be seen from this that the Doctor must have passed through the wilderness where the city now stands in the period between 1824 and 1836.

Wilson was ordained on 5 Apr 1821 54 . It appears that his first pastorate was at Fairview Church, Gwinnett

County, GA beginning 1 Jan 1824, at a salary of $125 per year. His second pastorate at Decatur GA began in

Oct 1843.

54 Monk


The Rev. J. S. Wilson of Decatur Presbyterian traveled to Atlanta to minister to Christians there. Various accounts say that he ministered on selected Sundays to a multi-denominational group, or to Presbyterians.

Another account of this time states that there were only two Presbyterians in Atlanta.

The title of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him in 1852 by Oglethorpe College. Oglethorpe commenced operation at Midway, near Milledgeville GA, and moved to Atlanta in 1915.

In 1859, he was called as the full-time pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, a church which he had organized in 1848, with nineteen charter members, and which he had served as its stated supply pastor in connection with his duties in Decatur. Dr. Wilson remained with the Atlanta church until his death on March 27,

1873.

He was eminently successful as a teacher, preacher, and writer. He educated hundreds of scholars; organized 14 churches (and other churches were formed by emigrations from his churches). He was sent as a commissioner to

11 General Assemblies, and was elected Moderator of the General Assembly in 1864.

His active ministry covered a period of over 53 years. For 35 consecutive years he failed only once to attend

Synod, and that because of severe family affliction. He attended presbyteries without number. When the Synod of Georgia was organized in 1845, he was elected Stated Clerk, and resigned only at his last meeting, in

November 1872.

One of Dr. Wilson’s sons, a doctor, was shot and killed during the Battle of Atlanta as he cared for wounded in the streets. One of Dr. Wilson’s nephews was President Woodrow Wilson. His great-grandson, Dr. Charles A.

Sheldon, was our organist from 1915 to 1952.

Early records of our church were destroyed by Sherman’s army when Wilson attempted to ship then to South

Carolina prior to his fleeing the city.

From the history of Fairview comes the following:

The other was Rev. John S. Wilson, Fairview’s pastor and also the superintendent of the

Lawrenceville Academy, the area’s first school.

In 1835 the Gwinnett Manual Labor Institute, a school for boys was founded. It was a farm of about 250 acres located near Fairview Church. Trustees for the school included Fairview’s

Reverend John S. Wilson, along with several Fairview members.

The Lawrenceville Female Seminary, an academy to educate girls, opened in 1838. Reverend

Wilson was once again prominent in the effort, serving as first president of the board of trustees.


Other Early Members

In addition to the Signers and their immediate families there are many other individuals and families, some intertwined with the Signers, who we were involved in our early years. The individuals or families who are discussed in this document are (* indicates that living descendants of relatives have been identified, some are current members, EOC indicates early officer or contributor, but not Signer):

Earnest *

Glen

Hayden

Healey *

EOC

EOC

High

Hoyt *

Logan

Luckie

EOC

EOC

Markham EOC

McGinley EOC

Pitts EOC

Rhea * EOC

Robinson * EOC

Shumate *

Wilson, A N EOC

Many of these families had members who were involved at the time of the founding, or immediately after, as

Elders, Deacons, Trustee, and/or contributors. Several of those included came to our congregation later and are mentioned here due to their significant contributions. We apologize for leaving out so many, and welcome assistance in adding their life stories to this collection.

Earnest Family

- Researcher is Bill Lyons

Mary Earnest was born at New Market TN 2 Sep 1845 and died 5 Sep 1934. Her parents were William H. and

Nancy Gillespie Moffett.

John Guilford Earnest was born in Rheaton [see Rheatown-Chucky] TN 16 May 1842 d 8 Oct 1932 55 . He was the son of Nicholas William & Martha Cannon Earnest. Garrett describes him as a “Pioneer Atlanta Physician” who lived at 843 Juniper Street. Garrett comments “see sketch WestView Cem”, but the sketch was not found.

Earnest began serving as an Elder in the 1874 - 1882 time frame according to our 150 th . Dr. Lyons notes (see below) that he served first as a Deacon and then as an Elder, but the record as Deacon is not shown in the 150th.

The Earnests had a son and three daughters 56 .

Nicholas W. Earnest who died 22 Apr 1930 at the age of 56, was born in Jefferson City TN.

Mrs. Chas. S. Northen, Mrs. J. E. Purse, and Mrs. S. E. Hill

Dr. J. G. Earnest appears as an Elder in the list for 1882-83, and served until his death in 1932. His wife, Mary, was responsible for Dr. Lyons beginning his effort to create a draft of a handbook for the stained glass windows in the 1930's.

Dr. Lyons wrote this of the John and Mary (quoted in part):

This in not an obituary, but a brief review of two attractive people who lived and loved through many long and useful years, and now translated into the blessedness of perfect living and loving in the Many Mansions of The Father’s House.

They have left us an abiding glow of their genius for friendship which is so real that it is difficult for us to realize that they are not with us still. Margaret Sangster understood when she wrote

55 N 33 99

56 N 30 406

Founders Other Early Members Printed February 27, 2013 (2:29pm) Page 25 of 43

In due time these choice young people plighted their sacred troth, and settled in Georgia, first at

Newnan, and soon in Atlanta, where they invested their happy and industrious lives in the practice of medicine, in faithful service in the First Pres. Church, and contributing a generous share to all the charm and happiness of a rapidly growing metropolis.

The doctor was an ornament to his profession, and both of them made a happy and welcome contribution to the life of the church, in which he was first deacon and then a ruling elder.

Thus for many years these happy and useful Christians lived, and served, and raised a worthy family.

When the infirmities of age came to them their lives were even more beautiful than before, because their love for everybody, and their loyalty to all that is true and beautiful and good assured those more spiritual qualities of peaceful perfection which none but elderly saints develop.

When the civil war began the doctor was in his senior year at Emory and Henry College in

Virginia. Lacking but a few weeks of graduating, he did not hesitate to leave college and join the

Confederate Army, where he gave an excellent account of himself through all those years of hardship and suffering.

When the war was over he secured his medical training at Jefferson College, Phila. Pa., and went to his splendid life of practicing his healing in Georgia.

When he was an old man, 87 years of age, having retired from active service in his profession, and now, with time to attend to it, he turned back to the days of his college course, and presented himself at the Commencement of Emory and Henry College in June 1929, to receive his long delayed diploma! And it was given with joy and enthusiasm, as in a great throng of witnesses, and a large graduating class, this memorable veteran of The Stars and Bars was awarded the honor he had long before earned.

It was not very long afterwards until he graduated again, this time from The University of Life, well and honorably lived, into the bliss and achievement of Life Eternal. And shortly, his happy playmate of long gone years in beautiful E. Tenn, and his devoted companion of the subsequent years, found him there.

Their pastor loved them, and asked for this privilege of writing such a memorial sketch of them as would be historically true, and although in somewhat of an impressionistic style, it would interpret two lovely and useful lives which God so wrought in one that He never meant to break them asunder.

Before her death in 1934, Mary requested that Dr. Lyons write an explanation of the windows. The notes which

Dr. Lyons created in response became the foundation for the Handbook which Dr. Gardner created, “A Brief

History and Interpretation of the Memorial Windows”, and later the foundation of booklets created by the

Archives & History Committee in 2000 and 2012.

We believe that Dr. Earnest is related to the current Clerk of our Session.

Other Earnests found who do not appear to be related include:


John Henry Earnest, 5 Mar 1895, 24 Feb 1923 57 (father, brother, and 3 sisters)

Glen Family


First Presbyterian records of the 1848-1858 period show two members with Shumate surnames and three members with Glen surnames. These families are also linked with other members.

John and Elizabeth Glen are shown in the 1858 members list with Miss N. E. Glen and Catherine Glenn.

S. B. Hoyt wrote 58 :

I think John Glen is the most modest man I ever knew. He has never passed for what he is worth.

He has been, and is, a man of considerable ability. He and Mrs. Glen have reared a family of ten children, four sons and six daughters--seven of whom are now living. His daughters are Mrs.

John C. Evins, Mrs. Charley Elzre, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Caldwell. They have two sons living, John Cook Glen, and the other not married, I think. They nearly all live at or near Atlanta, and are a lovable and loving family. Mr. Glen now resides at Kirkwood, within a mile and a half of where he and his good wife were married over fifty-five years ago. How beautiful and lovely that is! Liked together by the golden cares of love for fifty-five years! May the evening of their days be spent without a shadow.

Altogether, I think the distinguishing characteristic of the Shumate is, the pains they have taken to rear and educate their children, according to the old bible rule, "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

John Glen married Elizabeth (Eliza) Shumate who was the youngest child of Mason Shumate (described in the

Shumate chapter). Eliza was born 21 May 1816 [abt 1811 in Mason Shumate genealogy?] and died in Atlanta

GA on 25 Feb 1895.

John was born in Laurens SC in 1809 59 , and is of Scotch Irish descent. He died in 1865. He came to GA in 1826, settling in Decatur, where he lived until the 1850's. His parents were William Glen and Mary Ann Cook.

On his mother's side he is a lineal descendant of Captain James Cook, the world-renowned sailor, as the first of mankind who circumnavigated the earth. John was for ten years clerk of the superior court of DeKalb County.

John was the agent of the Georgia railroad, at Decatur, before the road was completed to Atlanta, and has been connected to with the road for over forty years. He was mayor of Atlanta in 1855 60 . Besides this, he held many other positions of honor and trust there. (Source?)

John and Elizabeth Glen are shown in our 1858 list. John was a Trustee in 1858. Catherine, also in the 1858 list, is apparently a daughter born abt 1840 in GA. There is also a Miss N. E. Glenn mentioned in the Rare Old

Papers version of the 1858 list.

John, Eliza, and one of their children are shown later as Glenn 61 , thus further complicating the Glen/Glenn confusion in our research.

57 N 1 208, N 24 603

58 Constitution 14 Nov 1886 p2 and julen.net

59 1850 census

60 150 th 81

61 1880 census


Hoyt says “He and Mrs. Glen have reared a family of ten children, four sons and six daughters--seven of whom are now living.”

Mrs. John C. Evins Mrs. Johnson

Mrs. Charley Elzre

Mrs. Robinson

Mrs. Caldwell

John Cook Glen and the other not married, I think.

The Glen children [need to be researched] are:

Francis Bartow Glen (son), b 1861 Atlanta, d 1 Dec 1928, buried Oakland 62 .

Jerry F. Glen (son,) d of consumption 14 Dec 1872 (funeral at FPC 16 Dec 1872 (Necrology 6 641) [who was his wife]

Edgar Lawrence Grant (son in law of John Glen), b 19 Jan 1857 (or 1852?) Columbus GA, d 11 Feb

1929 (see separate obit in Necrology). Founded Giant Sign Company in 1881 63 .

Glenn Little (grand nephew of John Glen) d Oct 1887, was killed by a train at Oakland Cemetery. (Necrology 9

349 & 350)

Hayden Family


Harriet E. Cone married Judge Julius A. Hayden in 1847. Harriet was the daughter of Lucinda and Reuben

Cone. See their story in the chapter on the Cone family.

Judge Julius A. Hayden was born on 25 August 1810 at Colebrook, Winsted Parish, CT; GS. He was the son of

Luke Hayden and Ruth Humphrey. Judge Julius A. Hayden married Elizabeth B. Leslie in 1843.

Judge Julius A. Hayden married Harriet E. Cone, daughter of Judge Reuben Cone and Lucinda Shumate, on 5

January 1847 at Dekalb Co., GA. He died on 15 February 1890 at age 79 and was buried on 18 February 1890 at

Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, GA; Block 8, Lot 305.

Julius went south early in life, married, remained in Atlanta until about 1882, when he removed to Florida.

Judge Hayden was the first President of Atlanta Gas Light 64 .

Harriet E. Cone died on 4 December 1899 at age 70. She was buried at Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, GA; Block

8, Lot 305. They had moved to Florida where Judge Julius A. Hayden served nearly every year as the

"Chairman" of the "Orange County Fair" in Sanford in the 1880's.

Their Hayden children were:

Elizabeth Leslie Hayden +2 b. 24 Oct 1847, d. 7 Feb 1935 (married Albert M. Thrasher)

Harriet Evelyn Hayden +2 b. 16 Jul 1849, d. 8 Oct 1928 (married Thomas J. Phillips)

Lucie Minerva Hayden + b. 9 Sep 1851, d. 31 Oct 1935 (married George Washington Harrison)

Ellie Missouri Hayden b. 5 Jun 1854, d. 9 Jul 1855

62 Necrology 29 170

63 Necrology 29 326 & 327

64 G II 224


Julia Augusta Hayden +1 b. c 1857, d. 1 Dec 1908 (married Harry Homer Hightower)

Mary Gertrude Hayden b. 20 Nov 1859, d. 25 Jun 1862 (married Whinter)

Julius A. Hayden +1 b. c 1862, d. 29 Apr 1932

Mary Hayden +1 b. c 1865 (Mrs. Mary Hayden Winter)

Nellie Hayden +1 b. 16 Jun 1867, d. 18 Aug 1954 (married John Griffith Williams)

Reuben Cone Hayden b. 1 Jan 1871, d. 23 Jan 1899

Some represent families still present in this congregation.

Harriet Evelyn Hayden also went by the name of Evie Hayden and also Ivy Hayden. She was born on 16 July

1849 at GA. She was the daughter of Judge Julius A. Hayden and Harriet E. Cone. Harriet Evelyn Hayden later married Thomas Phillips. Harriet Evelyn Hayden Phillips died on 8 October 1928 at age 79. She was buried on

9 October 1928 at Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, GA; Block 8, Lot 305. Thomas and Eva were enumerated in the

1880 Precinct 2, Orange Co., FL, federal census, next to Judge Hayden. He was a clerk, age 36, she was 31. The only child in the household was Frank, 7.

The following is from the Atlanta Constitution, 9 October 1928:

Funeral services for Mrs. Evelyn Hayden Phillips, widely known church worker and member of one of Atlanta's foremost pioneer families, will be held at 3:30 o'clock this afternoon from the

First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. J. Sprole Lyons, assisted by the Rev. J. K. Coit of

Nachoochee, will officiate and interment will be at Oakland. Mrs. Phillips died early Monday morning at her residence in the Ponce de Leon apartments at the age of 79, after a protracted illness.

Mrs. Phillips was an active leader in religious activities, and in church and social circles she was warmly admired. While the passing of the beloved Atlanta woman was not sudden, news of her death came as a great shock to her many friends and relatives. Up to the time of her illness six months ago Mrs. Phillips participated prominently in church work being forced to retire recently from active work due to poor health.

Born in Atlanta in 1849 at the old Hayden homesite, corner of Spring and Marietta streets, Mrs.

Phillips lived for nearly four-score years in her native city where her parents distinguished themselves as pioneer citizens. She was daughter of the late Judge Julius A. Hayden and Mrs.

Harriet Cone Hayden and granddaughter of Judge Reuben Cone, in whose honor Cone Street was named.

Mrs. Phillips is survived by a son Frank P. Phillips, of Columbus, Miss; three sisters Mrs. A. M.

Thrasher of Montreaux, Switzerland, Mrs. George W. Harrison of Atlanta, and Mrs. John G.

Williams of Evanston, Ill; a brother, Julius A. Hayden of Philadelphia; two nieces, Mrs. Frank L.

Fleming and Miss Nellie Hightower, both of Atlanta, and a nephew, George W. Harrison, Jr. of

Atlanta.

Some of this is from FindAGrave and some from a Holcomb genealogy 65 .

65 http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/a/y/Lyndall-J-Mayes/BOOK-0001/0021-

0002.html

and http://www.holcombegenealogy.com/data/p496.htm#i24777


Healey Family

- Researchers are Bill Lyons and Quill Healey

Thomas G. Healey and Mrs. Olive Markham Healey are found in the 1858 member list. He is shown as a

Deacon in 1858-73 until his death in 1897.

The Passion window at First Presbyterian was “Given by Mr. Frank P. Phillips in memory of Evelyn Hayden

Phillips (1849-1928)” in 1922, “in memory of William T. Healey and his mother and father”. This window was the fourth in the first group of Tiffany windows.

In his sermon on this window in 1995 Dr. Wirth had this to say:

This morning's sermon is dedicated to Mr. Oliver Markham Healey, a lifelong member of this church who died three weeks ago at the age of eighty-six. He was a faithful Christian, a dear friend to many of us, and he had a special interest in the window on which we focus today.

When the Passion Window was dedicated on the 14th of May, 1922, Dr. J. Sprole Lyons acknowledged in his sermon the artistry of the Tiffany Studios and the generosity of Mrs.

William T. Healey who gave the window as a memorial to her family.

And standing there, beside the pastor, was a thirteen-year-old boy who told me many years later than he was so nervous his knees knocked as he unveiled the cloth that covered the window. It was Oliver Healey, and believing as we do in the communion of saints and that great cloud of witnesses, I sense that Oliver is smiling on us now as we look again at this magnificent window which meant so much to him, his loved ones and to our entire church family all these years.

Thanks be to God for the life, faith, love and loyalty of Mr. Oliver Markham Healey!

Current members of First Presbyterian who represent these families are Quill Healey, his son, and their families.

We thank them for the long service and the many contributions of their family.

The Healeys, Thomas G Healey (1818-1897) and his wife Olive Markham Healey (1824-1913), and her brother,

William Markham and his wife, Olive, were early members of the Atlanta Presbyterian Church. William

Markham presented an appeal to Presbytery in 1853 and was an early Elder.

Thomas G. Healey is was b Mar 1817 66 near Hartford CT and d 26 Oct 1897 67 He was living at 89 Ivy Street.

He left a widow and two sons (Will and Charles). He was one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta.

Healey left Connecticut in 1846 to come to Atlanta in about 1849 68 by way of Savannah and McDonough, arriving months before his brother-in-law William Markham (also from CT). “He was poor at that time, but with determination and energy he resolved to become rich, and by dint of enterprise and hard work he succeeded.” 69 . Markham was also a native of Connecticut and came by way of McDonough.

Thomas G. Healey was a member of the FPC finance committee on 17 Jul 1877, when the contract for the new sanctuary on Marietta was awarded to Cook and Stewart for $36,442.97

70 .

66 1818 per G I 351

67 Atlanta Constitution of 27 Oct 1897, N 12 253-256

68 Garrett says 1852 (N or A&E?)

69 Atlanta Constitution, 27 Oct 1897

70 G I 956


Healey formed a partnership with Julius A Hayden which erected the first Kimball House and several churches, including the First Presbyterian (apparently Marietta I). Healey came to Atlanta poor and his properties and his fortune were severely damaged in the war. He recovered and rebuilt his fortune. His firms were responsible for the First Presbyterian Church (apparently Marietta II), Capital City Club, the Terminal Station, the James home which later became the governor’s mansion, and many other important Atlanta buildings. In 1854, with partners

Judge Hayden (son-in-law of Reuben Cone) and William Helms he formed a gas company and served as president of the company.

T. G. and Olive had two sons, William (Will) T. and Charles Allen. Healey died in 1897 after a long illness.

William T. Healey (Jr.), b 1 Mar 1852 d 27 Feb 1920, was the owner and builder of the Healey Building. His wife was Ada Moore. He was a charter member and first president of the Pioneer School Boys Club (Necrology

23 8-9 and 24 508). William T. is shown as a Deacon from 1899-1906 to 1914-36.

William T. Healey (Jr.) is shown as a Deacon from 1899-1906 to 1914-1936.

William T. (Jr.) And Oliver built the William-Oliver Building in 1930. Garrett identifies two sons, William T.

And Oliver M.

71 [grandsons?

72 ].

It is not known where the following may fit in this Healey family.

Arthur J. Healey, b 14 Jul 1871 d 11 Aug 1922, son of J. B. & Fannie Cady Healey. Wife, Nellie Healey 73 .

Bertrand N. Healey, b 1843 d 29 Nov 1917. Parentage marked “unknown”, signed by W. T. Healey 74 .

High Family

- Researcher Needed

Harriet (“Hattie”) Harwell Wilson (later Mrs. Joseph Madison High), was born on her father’s Sandtown

Plantation on 30 Nov 1862.

75

Hattie was not an “Early Member” of First Presbyterian, but she and her children hold special places in the hearts of our congregation. The High family were very important contributors to Atlanta, First Presbyterian,

North Avenue Presbyterian, and the High Museum. We have not found when she joined First.

Her father was James Harwell Wilson (20 Sep 1810 - 19 Jul 1865), who was the son of William Wilson and

Mary Leake, his first wife. James purchased the Sandtown property in 1832 from Joseph Coryell, and later sold it to Mr. Campbell in 1894 76 .

He was the second occupant of the ante-bellum, Greek Revival, house overlooking the Chattahoochee River where Hattie was born.

"White Columns in Georgia" by Medora Field Perkerson, p. 342 tells this of James Harwell Wilson:

Mr. Wilson refugeed to other parts when the South went to war in the 'sixties but filled the six

71 G II 778

72 G II 870

73 N 34 652

74 N 34 385

75 Information in this report is partially adapted from: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/fulton/TheArts_Hattie_Wilson_done.pdf

76 N 15 297


big square porch columns with wheat in order to preserve his harvest from invaders. The wheat was conveyed aloft to the swinging balcony and poured into the columns, each of which held fifty bushels. When he returned, Mr. Wilson bored holes in the base of each column and out came the wheat. His family thought the house was haunted until an investigation proved that some joker among Northern troops had locked a billy goat in the attic-the only living creature on the place when the family returned.

Sandtown was an old Native American settlement where the Creeks and Cherokees would meet to trade. It preceded Atlanta as a place of residence for the new settlers. The plantation was on the Chattahoochee River just outside the present Atlanta boundaries, near the ancient Native American site of Standing Peachtree. The plantation was 250 acres bounded by Whitehall, Boatrock Road, and Fulton Industrial and 3 other roads. This is approximately 14 miles fromthe location of our Marietta Street sanctuaries.

James third wife and Hattie’s mother, Mary Frances Green, was a native Georgian from Clarke County. They married on 3 Dec 1851.

Hattie was born just prior to the War Between the States. In 1863, she was taken to another of her father’s plantations in Jonesboro to avoid the arrival of the Union Army. The Sandtown plantation was used by

Sherman’s troops as a hospital. Mr. Wilson died 19 Jul 1865, soon after the Federals had attempted to destroy

Atlanta.

After the war and the death of James, Hattie and her mother went to Atlanta and lived in a house “below street level”. Hattie’s mother did sewing and took in boarders to support herself and her daughter. Hattie’s mother remarried Captain Aaron (Gip) Grier in Atlanta 16 Dec 1869 (Hattie was 17 by this time). Gip, a cousin to

Alexander H. Stephens, had lost a leg during the war. He was able to provide a spacious home for Hattie and her mother.

Hattie attended Mrs. Ballard’s School and excelled at the arts and music. She was offered a scholarship in voice and sang soprano in the choir of Central Presbyterian.

Hattie married Joseph Madison High on 6 Sep 1882 at the age of almost 20. He was born hear Madison GA on

27 May 1855. After learning merchandising from his father he had moved to Atlanta in 1880, where he operated the J. M. High Company for many years. Hattie became a member of the Colonial Dames and Regent of the

DAR 77 .

Mary Frances Grier died 6 Mar 1896 78 , after her second marriage, and is buried at Westview. She was shown as a member of First Presbyterian in the 1878 and 1883 membership lists. Hattie High is not in either of these lists.

Her funeral was held at Hattie’s home and services were conducted by Doctor Barnett, pastor of First

Presbyterian, where they were members for years.

She was a member of First Presbyterian at the time she led a group of members to join her in forming North

Avenue Presbyterian in 1898.

The High children were:

Ernest Grier High - b 1883, d 1885 79

Harriett Mary (Hattie May) High - b 1885, d 1974, married Toulman T. Williams 1907

77 usgennet.org

78 From inscription on the Advent window, Constitution 3 Nov 1906 shows 1880

79 1886 per FAG


Elizabeth Emerson High - b 1887, d 1916, married James J. Goodrum

Dorothy Madison High - b 6 Sep 1893, d 3 Dec 1982, m Dennie Robertson Peteet (1874-1950)

Son Dennie Robertson Peteet, Jr. (4 Aug 1923 - 22 Sep 2009)

Hattie assisted in fund raising for the 1895 Cotton States Exposition. At some point she and he mother joined

First Presbyterian and in 1898, Hattie played a key role in the creation of North Avenue Presbyterian. This helped add impetus to the move of our church to 16 th & Peachtree.

After her husband died on 2 Nov 1906, Hattie effectively managed J M High Company for 15 or more years.

In 1911 she made arrangements with Walter T. Downing to create a large home at 15 th and Peachtree which was completed in 1912. (Downing was the initial architect for the new sanctuary for First Presbyterian at 16 th &

Peachtree. Unfortunately Downing died in 1918 in a tragic accident before he could see this design completed.)

No Highs are shown in a 1913 membership of First. We do not know if she ever returned to First after it moved next to her home.

She contributed a fountain by Downing to the City of Atlanta in 1915. The fountain was located at 15 th and

Peachtree [presumably this is the fountain which is there today]. Mrs, High made many contributions to Atlanta and her two churches. On 8 May 1926, she donated her home at 15 th & Peachtree for building an art museum.

In 1931, one year before her death on 21 May 1932, she was the donor of a very special window in our church, the Advent window, which was Tiffany’s final window in our sanctuary. We do not yet know where her funeral was performed or which pastors participated.

She died 21 Mar 1932, less than a year after the installation of the Tiffany window she gave to our church in

1931. We have not yet found the record of her funeral to determine which ministers participated.

Our 150 th contains, these comments about the Advent window:

Given by Mrs. J. M. (Harriett) High in honor of her daughter, Mrs. Dorothy High Peteet, and in memory of her mother, Mrs. Mary Frances Grier (1840-1896), and her grandmother, Mrs. Mary Stiles Green

(1803-1874).

Dorothy High Peteet,. Sep 6, 1893 - Dec 3, 1982 is buried at Westview. Her husband was Dennie Robertson

Peteet, 1874 - 1950. Their son, Dennie Robertson Peteet, Jr., was born August 4, 1923 in Atlanta, GA, and passed away on September 22, 2009.

Members of the High family are also responsible for stained glass windows at North Avenue.

Hoyt Family


Updated after Founders Day 2013

S B Hoyt is shown in the membership list of 1858. Although not a founder, his contributions and those of his family have special places in our history and hearts. S B Hoyt became an Elder 26 Jan 1872. Many descendants of the Hoyt family have been found, some current members of the congregation.

There are two S B Hoyts in our history. The first S B was Samuel Beecher Hoyt (Judge), 18 Feb 1828) - 4 Mar

1894. The second S B was his grandson, Samuel Brown Hoyt 3 Nov 1891 - 24 Jan 1981.

Judge Hoyt was the first in a long line of the Hoyt family which has served our congregation over the years. He


was born at Maryville TN. He married Lizzie M. (Elizabeth McReynolds) Russell on 17 Nov 1859. She was born 8 Aug 1835 in Cassville GA and died 29 Jun 1910. He is believed to have come to Atlanta about 1852.

They had two children, W. R. Hoyt (Willie) and Corrie Hoyt. It is through Elizabeth McReynolds Russell that the relationship between the Hoyt and Lyons families was established. Dr. Lyons and William Russell Hoyt Sr.

(Willie) were 2 nd cousins.

S B (Judge) is first recorded in our 150th as a Deacon and then became an Elder on 26 Jan 1872. William R.

Hoyt and George B. Hoyt later served as Elders.

A notation in our earliest session book shows that he moved his membership to Central on 2 Jun 1873, where he and Miss L. M. Hoyt are shown as joining Central in 1873 80 . Miss L. M. Is obviously Mrs. Lucy Mariah Bogel

Hoyt 81 . It is not clear when they returned to our congregation. S B and Mrs. L. M. Hoyt are shown as members of FPC in the 1867 list, S B as an Elder.

Their son, “Willie”, was at FPC in 1914 to welcome his cousin, Dr. J. S. Lyons, when he arrived as the new pastor. Willie recalled the time when he and his mother “refugeed from their home in Atlanta” and went to

Burke County.

Judge Hoyt’s father was Rev. Darius Hoyt, 10 Nov 1804 - 10 Aug 1837, and his mother was Lucy Bogel Hoyt

19 Sep 1809 - 20 May 1888 (she was the sister of Harriett Norcross, who later married Jonathan Norcross and is buried at Oakland). In 1850, Lucy, now widowed (again) was living with her Harriett and Jonathan Norcross, and Cornelia M. Hoyt, age 14. Cornelia was born in TN.

Darius Hoyt was the son of Rev Ard Hoyt and Esther Booth. Darius and Lucy married 3 Mar 1827. She died at age 79 and is buried Oakland Cemetery.

The family has links with many others, including the Lyons family. S B’s son was William Russell Hoyt (Sr), the “Willie” who welcomed his cousin, Dr. John Sprole Lyons to Atlanta as the new Pastor in 1914. “Willie “,

1860 - 1945, had three wives and was survived by two daughters, three sons, and eleven grandchildren at his death. He and his sister Margaret both contributed their memories of the history of our congregation to our records. “Willie” served as Elder at Central, West End, and First Presbyterian churches. “Willie” founded W. R.

Hoyt and Company, and made many other contributions to our congregation and to Atlanta. In 1939 he contributed the Pentecost window, one of the final History windows.

The church bulletin states the unveiling of the Pentecost window in 1939, was done by Corrie Hoyt and

Elizabeth Clark. Eleanor Hoyt Dabney also participated with them.

Hoyt Genealogy

Several members of the Hoyt family are currently members of FPC. They and others have contributed to this report.

Logan Family

- Researcher Needed

J. P. Logan is mentioned in the list of Elders for 1848-53. We have not found the source for this. Dr. Joseph P.

Logan and Mrs. Ann E. Logan joined Central in 1858 82 where he was an initial Elder with Dr. John R. Rhea 83 .

80 The Church That Stayed

81 Findagrave.com from 1850 census

82 Smith p 116, Church That Stayed

83 Official History of Fulton County, page 559


Luckie Family

- Researcher Needed

Alexander. F. Luckie became an Elder (shown as O. F. In our 150th) shortly after the initial three in 1848 and contributed to the building fund in 1848. He was an organizer of Atlanta Union Sabbath School in June 1847.

No record of him has been found since that time.

He moved to Marthasville from Covington in 1844 and built one of the first Peachtree residences, although it was not then within the town proper. The property, which was located at what was later the corner of Peachtree and Prescott streets, contained a small family graveyard in which Mr, Luckie and several members of the family were buried.

Alexander, his wife Parmelia, and 10 children between 1 and 20 are in the 1850 census (very creative spelling,

Alesmwe Luckie, etc). They were married 12 Dec 1826 in Wilkes County GA. They are also listed in the 1881

Atlanta City directory, although the 1870 census shows P. F. Luckie (female age 63) with 4 others ages 10 - 30.

No male of A. F.’s age is present.

Mary Rushton Luckie joined Central in 1859. Is she related?

Markham Family


William and Olive Markham were involved in our congregation very early. Both are shown as members in the

1858 list. On 28 Oct 1853, he presented an appeal to Presbytery regarding the Church in Atlanta asking for help in paying for new sanctuary 84 . He was added as a Trustee in 1854, and is shown as an Elder in the 1848-53 period and later 85 .

William was born 9 Oct 1811 in Goshen CT, came to NC in 1833, and then to Augusta GA in 1835. His paternal ancestors were from England. He moved to McDonough GA in 1836 where he remained 14 years. He moved to Atlanta and soon married Alice (Alice or Olive?), a daughter of William Berry in 1853. She was born abt 1825 in NC. William apparently died c 1890, six years before the destruction by fire of the Markham House in 1996 86 .

The first mention found in FPC records of Olive is the 1858 members list.

They had two children:

Marcellus (Marselvies in census) O. Markham, m Sarah Andrews Martin. They had a son, William

Markham, b abt 1872, d 9 Nov 1914 87 .

Emma, who married Richard J. Lowry of Atlanta (Reed). [How about Mrs. Olive M. Healey?]

84 Talmage, p 59

85 History of Atlanta, pp 91 & 95, records his work for First Presbyterian

86 G I 922

87 N 24 272


His wife Olive (related to the Healey family) is shown as a member in 1858.

He was a member and active worker of First Presbyterian Church from the time he came to Atlanta 88 .

In 1853 Atlanta had 3800 inhabitants. Markham purchased Parr’s Hall and added five stores. He established the first rolling mill in the South (with Lewis Scofield). He was elected mayor on the Whig ticket. in 1854. He was an incorporator of Western Rail Road Company 89 .

Markham was true to the side of the Union during the “war between the States”. When Confederate soldiers abandoned hope of saving the city, he was appointed one of a committee to surrender the city. After the war, he returned in June 1865. In 1873 he built Markham House, one of the leading hotels in the city.

McGinley Family

- Researcher Needed

G. T. McGinley is shown as a Trustee in 1848 per 11 Aug 1895 newspaper.

Major George McGinley d Jun 1898 In Memphis TN. At one time proprietor of the Kimball House in Atlanta.

Buried at Oakland 90 . He was a member of General Morgan’s staff in Civil War.

Pitts Family

- Researcher is Owen Braun

Updated since Founders Day by Owen Braun

Joseph Pitts was an initial Trustee in 1848.

91 He was also a contributor for the first sanctuary on Marietta Street. In

1854, Pitts’ name, along with several others, was left off the Trustee list when two new Trustees were added.

Presumably, he returned to the Decatur church or another church by then.

In 1830, Joseph Pitts was living in Lancaster SC with his wife Ann and five children.

92 The marriage of Joseph

Pitts and Ann Lemon occurred on 13 Aug 1818.

93 By 1840 Joseph and Ann are living in DeKalb County GA with five children.

94 Joseph and Ann were both born about 1796 in SC.

By 1850, the family was living in DeKalb GA with three children, Mary A. 24, Eliza J. 20, and John R. 17.

95 All were born in SC. In 1860 Joseph and Ann are living alone in Decatur District GA and are both shown as 64.

Joseph served in the Civil war as a Confederate Private.

Mary Ann Pitts married Saniel M. Byrd on 6 Nov 1851 in DeKalb. They are in the censuses of 1860-1880 as

Bird living in Gwinnett County GA. She is widowed in 1880.

By 1870 they are living in Panthersville, DeKalb County GA. Present day Panthersville and the location of the former Panthersville Presbyterian Church are about one mile South of Decatur GA near the intersection of I20 and I285. It is likely that they may have followed Rev. Wilson to Atlanta and then chosen a church closer to

88 Reed

89 G I 383

90 N 12 428

91 1895 Aug 11 Constitution, page 8

92 1830 Census

93 Ancestry.com, Marriage Records from the Pendleton Messenger.

94 1840 Census

95 1850 Census


their home.

Rhea Family

- Researcher Needed

Dr. John R. Rhea was an Elder in 1848-53. He had four brothers, one who was mayor in 1865-68. Dr. Rhea became an initial elder of Central in 1858 with Dr. J. P. Logan 96 .

We believe he came from Rheatown TN.

Mary Lou Oppenheimer, a member of Archives & History, is a descendant of his brother Samuel, who her grandmother married in our church in 1857.

Robinson Family

- Researcher Needed

Updated after Founders Day 2013

The East window is inscribed as given by the English Robinson Family. The 150 th says “Given in love for his family by Mr. James D. Robinson and renovated by the Robinson family”. The bulletin from the dedication says

“given by James D. Robinson, honoring his wife, Emily English Robinson” and “we rejoice that our series is now complete”

An earlier James Robinson became an elder on 27 Sep 1868 (He is shown as an elder in the 1848-1853 period in the 150th).

James Robinson was married to a daughter of Captain James Warren English.

Captain English was a remarkable man who made many contributions to Atlanta and to our congregation. More about him will be told in a special section at the end of this descriptions of the Robinson family.

A George Robinson is shown as a member in 1858 and a Trustee in 1858.

Oakland Cemetery has a James Robinson, b 1811, d 29 Jun 1885, buried with Eugene Robinson, b 1855 and died 26 Aug 1884. James Robinson was b 1811 CT and d 28 Jun 1885 97 . [dates conflict] He was an Elder in the

First Presbyterian Church and lived at 89 Thompson Street. He came to Atlanta in 1849 and was engaged in mercantile pursuits prior to and during the war. Later he engaged in real estate 98 .

He was a model citizen and the father of Mrs. S. P. Murray and James Robinson, Jr. of Atlanta.

Eugene M. Robinson, son of James Robinson, died 24 Aug 1884 at 29 (b 1855) by gunshot wound. His sister was Mrs. Price Murray. (Necrology 8 266).

James N. Robinson is buried in New Hope Methodist Churchyard. He was b 11 Nov 1834 and d 13 Oct 1900 99 .

James D. Robinson, 42 years old died 21 Jun 1887. He was a Lt. Colonel in 42 nd GA. He married Clara Neal. He was a mechanic and pressman for the Constitution. He is buried in Oakland 100 .

96 Official History of Fulton County, page 559

97 N 8 458, conflicts with Oakland date

98 G I 103 has similar information

99 N 2 277

100 N 9 278


C. A. Robinson, b abt 1867, d 25 Sep 1920, was a mounted policeman in Atlanta. He moved to Atlanta from

Lawrenceville. Siblings are 6 brothers (Alonso, Stone Mountain; Robert, Atlanta; Thomas and Saunders of

Lawrenceville) and 1 sister, Mrs. Estelle Turner of Lawrenceville 101 .

J. R. Robinson, step son of John T. White (b abt 1833, d 13 Mar 1921) 102 .

Several Robinsons are buried in Shawdowlawn Cemetery, Lawrenceville. They are George G. 1866-1929,

Joseph C. 1860-1929, Julia 1863-1904, Lula (wife 1 of C. A. Robinson) 1871-1903, Maggie (wife of Newton

M. Robinson d 1907, Newton M. Robinson 1888-1911 (killed in railroad wreck), O. L. (wife 2 of C. A.

Robinson) d 1868, R. N. 1838-1914, Robert L. 1870-1934,Viola C. (wife of Joseph C.) d 1861, William H.

1858-1898. More complete dates are given 103 .

Captain James Warren English

Capt. James Warren English was born in Louisiana, parish of Orleans, October 28, 1837, married July 25, 1865, to Miss Emily Alexander of Griffin, and passed away February 15, 1925.

104

His father, Andrew English, a planter, and his mother died when he was very young. Left a penniless orphan at the age of thirteen; he came to Georgia in 1852, and located at Griffin, where he remained until the breaking out of the civil war in 1861, when he enlisted as a private in the Confederate service.

He volunteered for service in the Civil War as a private and rose to the position as Captain. Later, he was elected Mayor of Atlanta (1881-82). He founded the 3rd National Bank of Atlanta – which later became 1st

National Bank of Atlanta, First Atlanta, Wachovia and now Wells Fargo.

Following the war he returned to Griffin and then came to Atlanta, making it his home May 14, 1865. He was united in marriage with Miss Emily Alexander, of Griffin, Ga., on July 26, 1866. Their family consisted of six children five of who were born in Atlanta: James W., Jr.; Harry L., Edward, Emily and Jennie.

In 1883 he organized the Chattahoochee Brick Company on the Chattahoochee River (near Standing Peachtree) which became the largest of its kind in the United States. Later he was very involved with railroad construction.

He was a member of the city council in 1877-78. In 1881 he was elected mayor.

Captain English was also an early member and contributor to the First Presbyterian Church.

105 He was chairman of the Finance Committee for the building of the second First Presbyterian sanctuary on Marietta Street, and later an advisory member of the Building committee for the new edifice on Peachtree Street. His role in helping to lead our Session to the decision to relocate to 16 th & Peachtree was critical to the success of the move.

In gratifying recognition of the great service he rendered the city he was given the beloved title of "Atlanta's

Grand Old Man" during the latter years of his life.

James and Emily were blessed with a family of six sons and daughters; three of whom, James W., Edgar, and

Edward A., are deceased. mes. English died in 1907 and Captain English passed away February 15, 1925.

Surviving this honored couple are a son, Harry L., and two daughters, Emily, who is now Mrs. James D.

101 N 23 315

102 N 23 596

103 N 2 358

104 History of Atlanta, Reed, 1889, pages 23-27

105 Provided by Mary Catherine 14 Jan 2013


Robinson, and Jennie, who is Mrs. Gordon P. Kiser. Their grandchildren are Mrs. Emily Robinson Head, Jennie

Robinson, who is now Mrs. Allison W. Thornwell, James D. Robinson, Jr., Harry English Robinson, Gordon P.

Kiser, Jr., and Jane English Kiser. Their two great-grandchildren are Arthur Dixon Head and Allison W.

Thornwell, Jr.

From 1871 until his death, he resided on Cone Street between Walton and Poplar in the Fairlie-Poplar district.

The home was torn down soon after, one of the last single-family homes in downtown Atlanta.

106

Shumate Family


The following comment by S. B. Hoyt is quoted in the Atlanta Constitution, November 14, 1886.

“The Shumate family and its connections constituted more than half, I think, of the small but devoted band that organized that church.”

Lucinda Shumate Cone was among the nineteen Signers. Her husband, Judge Reuben Cone was a founding

Trustee. The story of Lucinda and Reuben is told in the Cone section of this document.

107

Berryman D. Shumate Was a Trustee in 1858 and became an Elder 3 May 1858. He died in 1878. Mrs. Nancy

Shumate was a member in 1858.

Their father was Mason Shumate, who was born October 29, 1764 in Elk-Run, Fauquier Co., Virginia, and died

June 28, 1849 108 in Decatur, DeKalb Co. Georgia. He was buried June 1849, Decatur Cemetery, DeKalb Co.,

Georgia. He and Lucinda’s’ mother, Miss Nancy Gatewood, were married in the same county. They moved to

Decatur Georgia in 1824 and had 9 children.

Decatur was not more than a trading post at that time and Mason Shumate opened the first hotel to operate in

Decatur. Mason had considerable land holdings. He was a founder of the Decatur Presbyterian Church. He made education for his children a priority and he was generous to a fault. He died in 1849, shortly after our churches founding of our church in Atlanta.

Mason married Nancy Gatewood abt. 1793 in South Carolina. She was a daughter of James Gatewood and

Sarah Shoemaker. She was born 1 May 1773 in DeKalb Co. Georgia, and died 23 Sep 1838 in Decatur, DeKalb

Co. Georgia. She was buried Sep 1838, Decatur Cemetery, DeKalb Co. Georgia. Mason later married Margaret

Hawthorne 23 Apr 1839. She was born abt. 1763, and died 23 Sep 1848.

The progenitors of this prolific branch of the Shumate family were involved with Presbyterian Church in

Decatur, but never had a direct role in the founding of a congregation in Atlanta It would be interesting to learn of the roles of Mason, Nancy, and Margaret in Decatur and their relationship with Rev. Wilson. Perhaps we will understand this better someday.

This summary of the branches of the Shumate family begins with Mason Shumate. As you will see, the lives of several of his descendants are expanded in other sections of this paper.

For the present we have some knowledge of Mason Shumate, and of his children, some of whom we know were intimately involved with the Atlanta congregation. The stories of some of these children, Berryman, Lucinda

106 Much of this is taken from Memoirs of Georgia, Vol. I, ch. 4; pgs 766-769, The

Southern Historical Association, Atlanta, GA.; 1895

107 Much of this record is taken from: familytreemaker.genealogy.com

108 Julen.net


(Cone), and Eliza (Glen) are told in separate chapters.

Mason may have been a member of the Decatur congregation but never appears to have been a member of our congregation. He and his first wife had nine children. At least three had significant involvement in the founding and early years of our congregation as mentioned above.

Mason ran the first hotel in Decatur, Georgia and owned a large hog farm in what is now Atlanta.

Descendants of Mason Shumate

1 - Berryman Dela Shumate was born abt. 1793 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, and died 1878 in

Lithonia, Dekalb Co. Georgia. He married Thurza Farrar October 29, 1819 in Franklin Co. Georgia, daughter of

Abner Farrar and Catherine Carter. She was born 1798 in Greenville Co. South Carolina, and died 1852 in

Lithonia, DeKalb Co. Georgia. He later married Sarah Giles on January 2, 1855 in DeKalb Co. Georgia. She was born abt. 1810. Berryman was a Trustee of First Presbyterian in 1858 and an Elder in the same time frame.

Berry D. Shumate and Benjamin F. Shumate were on the DeKalb grand jury in Sep 1851 109 .

2 - Lucinda Shumate was born November 07, 1796 in Fauquier Co. Virginia, and died February 09, 1872. She married Reuben Cone in DeKalb Co. Their roles in the formation of our congregation are described in a separate chapter.

3 - Harriette Eugenia Shumate, B. abt. 1797; M. Alexander Corry, May 25, 1825, DeKalb Co. Georgia. Judge

Alexander Corry was a Pioneer of Decatur and Early Settler of Atlanta, Georgia. Mrs Harriett Corry is shown as a member of First Presbyterian in 1858 with Miss Sarah J. Corry

4 - Joseph Dela Shumate was born January 17, 1799 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, and died October

1869 in Texas. He married Amelia S. Montgomery December 19, 1819 She was a daughter of James

Montgomery and Nancy Farlow. She was born April 19, 1802 in South Carolina, and died September 04, 1857.

Joseph D., a miller by trade, and his wife moved to Texas.

Joseph Dela and Amelia had five children:

Oliver Hazard Perry Abner Shumate, b. October 3, 1820, Franklin Co. Georgia;

d. February 9, 1902, Lorrain District, Rockdale Co. Georgia.

Remembrance C. Shumate, b. abt. 1824; d. December 02, 1912.

Christopher Columbus Shumate.

James Mcconnell Shumate.

Harriett Shumate.

Carrie Shumate.

5 - Sarah Gatewood Shumate was born August 31, 1803 in Fauquier Co. Virginia, and died 1833 in Alabama.

She married Jesse Carter Farrar abt. 1819 in Georgia. Jesse was a son of Abner Farrar and Catherine Carter. He was born July 12, 1795 in Halifax Co. Virginia, and died December 16, 1878 in Atlanta, Fulton Co. Georgia.

Jesse Carter Farrar was a War of 1812 veteran and well-known throughout the state. Knight's Georgia

Landmarks and Memorials, page 572 lists him and Robert Farrar "among the most important pioneer residents of Atlanta prior to the Civil War." According to a post on Gen Forum, Jesse also lived in Wilcox or Dallas Co.'s in Alabama before returning to Georgia. In 1840 Jesse lived in Marietta, Cobb Co. Georgia. His father Abner

Farrar was listed in the census in Jesse's household. Abner died in 1841 in Cobb County. Jesse Carter Farrar's date of death is listed as October 16, 1878 in Alvahn Holmes book "Some Farrar's Island Descendants." Jesse is

109 G II 335 and julen.net quoting article in The Atlanta Constitution of 14 Nov 1886


buried in Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Fulton Co. Georgia. He was a Sheriff in 1827, in Monroe Co. Alabama and a veteran of the War of 1812.

Census:

1860 Fulton Co. Georgia, page 827, Family #980. Listed as "Jesse C. Farrar" 65, Land Trader, born VA.

1870 Fulton Co. Georgia, page 292/85, Family #721. Listed as "J. C. Farrar" 75, Ex Merchant, $2500, born VA.

Sarah Shumate and Jesse Farrar had six children:

Catherine Anne Farrar, b. April 23, 1824, Alabama; d. 1917.

Laura Elizabeth Farrar, b. August 21, 1826; d. 1909.

Abner Mason Farrar, b. January 23, 1829; d. Barstow Co. Georgia.

Abner Was a Civil War Vet in 1861 - 1865, Confederate Co. G 38th Georgia Regiment

Sarah Gatewood S. Farrar, b. December 13, 1831; d. 1850; M. J. T. Whitman, before 1850.

R. P. Farrar, b. abt. 1832, was a Corporal in Company A, 19th Regiment CSA. He was killed in the

Battle of Richmond. Son Farrar, b. abt. 1833, was killed during the Civil War.

6 - Cynthia Shumate (Mason) was born abt. 1805. She married Daniel Stone who was for many years clerk of both the Inferior and Superior Courts of DeKalb Co. Georgia. Cynthia and Daniel had two children, O. M. Stone and Frank J. Stone.

7 - Elizabeth Shumate, b. abt. 1807; She married E. G. Adams, who was a Decatur, Georgia merchant who later moved to Mississippi.

8 - Benjamin Franklin Shumate (Mason) was born November 16, 1809 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, and died March 1886 in DeKalb Co. Georgia (buried in the Dabney-Shumate Cemetery in DeKalb). He married

Eliza Simms February 15, 1844 in Pike Co. Georgia. She was born July 29, 1815 in Troup Co. Georgia, and died January 1889 in DeKalb Co. Georgia. Benjamin was a long and substantial farmer of the Clarkston District.

Benjamin and Eliza had four children:

Elizabeth Ann Gatewood Shumate,

b. August 15, 1846, Clarkston, DeKalb Co. Georgia; d. October 17, 1912, DeKalb Co. Georgia.

Laura Katherine C. Shumate, b. February 09, 1848, DeKalb Co. Georgia.

John W. Shumate, b. Bet. 1850 - 1860, DeKalb Co. Georgia; d. April 20, 1885.

James H. Shumate, b. Bet. 1850 - 1852, DeKalb Co. Georgia; d. Bef. 1900, DeKalb Co. Georgia.

9 - Eliza Shumate, b. abt. 1811, Spartanburg District, South Carolina. She married John Glenn, "Kirkwood", near Decatur, DeKalb Co. Georgia. She married John Glen and they are discussed in the Glen chapter.

Possible Shumate family connection - Luther E. Shumate d 2 Dec 1928 at 44. He was a member of the Atlanta police department since 1909 He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery 110 .

Wilson (A. N.) Family

- Researcher Needed

Alex N. Wilson is shown as an Elder in 1848-53 and was still serving as late as 1858 111 . Mrs. H. M. Wilson is listed with Alex N. Wilson in the 1858 list in ROP. Mrs. Sarah Wilson is also listed separately. We are not sure of the relationship.

110 Necrology 29 170

111 150 th p 24 & 115


The 1850 census has N. Wilson age 70, Frances Wilson age 60, both born NC, and Sarah Wilson age 9, and four others 31 - 1

We are temporarily unable to provide the appendix which was included in earlier printings. For copies to the appendix material contact Bill Lyons, wwlyons@gmail.com

or at 770-805-9017.


Sermons in Stained Glass Booklets

The Architecture & History Committee is pleased to offer this series of booklets. We hope that they will help to make information about the history of our church, and the material held in our Archives, more accessible to our members and friends.

The full version of this paper will be available on the web. Contact Bill Lyons for information on how to access the site. This document remains a work in progress.

Printed versions of each of the first six booklets are on display in the Archives & History Room and some are available in the church bookstore or from Bill Lyons. Other resources, including the Appendices, a section on

Correspondence with the Artists, and a complete, searchable, version of the entire paper are available online.

The online resource is most easily accessed through Bill’s blog at SermonsInWindows.com where questions and comments can also be made and read. There is no charge for these booklets and resources. Please see Archives

& History Distribution Fund below.

Bill Lyons can be contacted at wwlyons@gmail.com

or 770-805-9017

Please send Bill your comments and suggestions for additions to these documents. Also, you may contact Bill to be added to a notification list of significant updates or for notification of plans for presentations based on this material. Any errors this document are the responsibility of Bill Lyons.

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Your interest in the windows and the history of our church is appreciated. Please let us know if there are any individuals or groups who should hear about this.

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© William W. Lyons. This material should not be used, copied, or reproduced without permission from Bill

Lyons. Use for FPC purposes will be readily granted, but I want to be sure the latest updates are included and that no revisions are made without my review.

Printed February 27, 2013 (2:29pm) Last Page

Lives of Our Founders - Sermons in Stained Glass

First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta

Founded 8 January 1848

February 27, 2013

Dedicated to

Our Friend, Member, and Pastor

Table of Contents

Condensed Table of Contents for Booklets

Lives of Our Nineteen Founders and Others

Signers, Spouses, and Wilson by Family

Other Early Members

Introduction

Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church

Background

Atlanta in 1848: An Imaginary Ride to Found a New Church

Our Nineteen Signers and Rev. Wilson

Boyd, Kesiah and Margaret

Brockman, Henry and Ruth A

Caldwell, Charlotte J.

Cone, Lucinda (and Reuben)

Davis, James and Jane

Fraser, Hugh Alexander and Julia M. L.

Gill, Jane (and Archibald B.)

Houston, Oswald and Annie L

Kelsey, Joel and Diana

Norcross, Harriett (and Jonathan)

Thompson, Dr. Joseph, Mrs Mary Ann, and daughter Mary Jane

Wilson, Rev John Simpson, Founding Pastor

Dr. Wilson’s Life

Other Early Members

Earnest Family

Glen Family

Hayden Family

Healey Family

High Family

Hoyt Family

Logan Family

Luckie Family

Markham Family

McGinley Family

Pitts Family

Rhea Family

Robinson Family

Shumate Family

Wilson (A. N.) Family

Sermons in Stained Glass Booklets

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