Clergyman James
Satterfield
by
Mollie
Lewis Lyon
Let me
introduce you to the Clergyman. He is one of my ancestors that has
made reading about my line easier because much is written about him.
He would be an uncle, about seven generations back.
He was
born in 1767, the fifth child of James and Margaret (Meed)
Satterfield, in Queen Anne County, Maryland. The father died and
Margaret married a Mr. Davies. The family moved to Washington County,
Pennsylvania as they were farmers and the country was expanding.
James
didn't want to stay on the farm, though. 1790, exporting provisions
to New Orleans provided a new venture. He built his own flatbed. Most
flatbeds at this time carried flour, bacon and whiskey. James only
carried his flour and some from his neighbors. He did well with this
trip, enough that he could sail back to Baltimore. He visited friends
in Maryland. On his walk back to Pennsylvania, he had time to wonder
about life. He quoted about his thoughts on the walk, “I felt
something pressing on me that I should take the money thus earned and
go to learning.”
Part of
the choice came from an earlier decision at fourteen, as some sources
state, he found religion. After his time at the academy at
Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, he pursued a course in theology under Dr.
John McMillan. This was common at the time. A sort of apprenticeship,
like many trades, to prepare the student for his vocation. The
foundation of Princeton Theological Seminary, the first of its
kind,in 1812, impressed James. He believed this to be a great event
in the history of the Presbyterian Church. He did not attend
Princeton, as he was established by then as a reverend. He wanted to
see uniformed scholarship for ministers of the Gospel.
By 1800,
James was licensed by the Presbytery of Ohio and must have felt
secure enough in his profession that he married Polly Orbison of
Washington County, October 28, 1800, soon after a missionary tour
among the “Indians,” as far as Detroit. According to Neshanock
Presbyterian Church in New Wilmington history, on the fourth Sabbath
of July, 1801, he received the call from the united congregations of
Moorefield and Neshanock. Moorefield was log cabin church where the
cemetery is now in Hermitage.
Both
churches were built of logs. March 2, 1802, after the Presbytery
fasted and prayed, they laid hands in the presence of the
congregation, set him apart to the office of gospel ministry and
installed him according to his call.
James was
thirty three and they felt he had “ripeness of judgment and breadth
of experience.” He was strong, “physically, mentally and
spiritually.” But they weren't as good at paying him his income as
they were of paying him compliments. He had to purchase two hundred
acres on the Shenango River, outside of Wheatland. This land was
closer to Moorefield Church. He lived on this land and farmed it
until his death. Unfortunately, Polly died July 23, 1802.
Between
the two congregations, he had one hundred forty members. He also held
offices higher up in church government, such as treasurer, moderator
and stated clerk at different times. He was a minister, a farmer and
traveled on church business. Catechism was taught in homes, so he
found himself on horseback often to teach this as well.
The
frontier soon gave way to new settlers. New denominations grew in the
area, to compete for church membership. Atheism and lawlessness posed
a bigger problem. As trees fell though, sin's actions couldn't hide
as well. Churches then held their own trials for the members.
Gambling was one crime a few were charged with.
At this
time, the physical appearance of James written - above medium height,
lightly, though strongly built, his “face revealed character that
commanded respect.” He found his second wife, Ann Gibson from the
Neshanock Church, marrying her March 27, 1804. The had five
surviving children- Samuel, Mary, Sarah, Margaret and James. Hadassah
and Annie died in infancy. Ann, also passed away September 12, 1816.
James'
third wife is interesting. Sarah was born 1789, the first white
child born in Pennsylvania west of the Allegheny River. She was also
the daughter of General David Mead of Meadville, Pennsylvania.
I wish
sometimes the history books told of how they met. The clergyman and
Sarah married September 3, 1816. Sarah died May 22, 1823. They had
two children, Mead and Elizabeth. They lived to adulthood and
married, but neither had children. Mead became a minister, too, in
Harrisville, Pennsylvania. He died after four years of service.
The
Clergyman, as everyone called James, moved on to found the Unity
Church outside of Mercer, in 1832. He helped start churches in
Trumbull County, Ohio, too, as part of the Hartford Presbytery. June
27, 1837, he was appointed to organized the West Middlesex (in town)
Church as well.
To the
end of his life they described him, as wearing his hair in a braid,
clinging long to knee breeches and silver buckles after they were out
of style. His physical endurance was remarkable with his many
hardships, yet in his eighty ninth year, he could mount his horse
unaided.
James
must have kept ties with his first church. His sister, Margaret
Campbell belonged there, and her family. Moorefield, though, on
August 16, 1844, absorbed into a new church at Sharon, Pennsylvania.
He mounted his horse, even in bad weather, November 1857. Services
were all day then and he stayed the whole time. He developed
pneumonia, forcing him to bed at his daughter's home. On November 20,
1857, James spoke his last words. He hoped his wick was trimmed and
burning, like the virgins' lamps in Matthew 25, ready to meet the
Lord. From reading, not only the accounts from his members, but what
he did as long as he did, I think he was ready.
The
clergyman's body is buried at Moorefield Cemetery, row 16. 2. About
sixteen years ago, when I first started researching my family, I
found the tombstone and was able to read “Reverend James
Satterfield died, November 20, 1857.” A few weeks ago, I went back
to take a picture and the etching has washed off the limestone.
Fortunately, a couple of women wrote down all the graves in Mercer
County, recorded in volumes. The Mercer County Historical Society and
Grove City Historical Society has copies of these books.
His
picture is hanging on the wall at Unity Church. I couldn't find it
anywhere for the longest time and I thought, he's too far back. I
asked the Unity Facebook page if they had a history of their church
and the message came back, they had a display with his photograph.
James
Satterfield impressed me most with his stamina. He came to Jesus at
age fourteen. He decided after making money to learn and leaned to
the ministry of the gospel. He never wavered from what I've read. It
is reported his sermons were well prepared. He handled a trial on his
theology brought about by an elder with grace. He founded many
churches in this area and was part of my spiritual heritage even when
I didn't know it. And he was ready to die, at age ninety in 1857.
 |
| At Unity Presbyterian Church |
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| Unity Church |
 |
| Along the Shenango River, where James Satterfield's house was |
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| His final resting place |
