Zephaniah STOUT and child's funerals, October 1781, New Jersey
I am transcribing the journals of my ancestor, the Baptist minister Rev. Oliver HART. During the Revolution he left Charleston, SC and became the minister at Hopewell (NJ) Baptist Church. I thought these entries would be of interest to researchers of Zephaniah STOUT who died Oct 10, 1781 (all dates are for 1781):
"Friday Oct 5: Rode up to Amwell to attend the Funeral of Mr David Stout, an aged Member (68 yrs old) of this Church. I preached a funeral Sermon from Isaiah 38.1. Dined with Squire Nathan and then returned Home.
"Wednesday Oct 10: Rode in Company with my Son John to see poor Zephaniah Stout, but found Him dead. He died about 10 o'clock A.M. And is to be interred Tomorrow. I am invited to preach his Funeral at 12 at Noon. O that I may be enabled to improve the melancholy Providence of his Death to the Benefit of the Living. Amen.
"Thursday Oct 11: Attended ye Funeral of Mr Zephaniah Stout, Æ [aged] 27 years, a Member of the church, of an excellent Character, whose Death is a great Loss to the Church, to the World and to his Family, having left a valuable Widow and two small Children. I preached from 1 Thessalonians 4.14 and was favoured with pretty good Freedom. The Corpse was inter'd at old Col. Stout's burying ground on the Hill [present day 'Union Cemetery of Wertsville', Hunterdon Co., NJ.] A respectable and numerous Concourse of People attended the Solemnity, and behav'd with much Gravity.
"Lord's Day Oct 14: Preach'd from Ezekiel 34.29 And I will raise up for them the Plant of Renown. Through Mercy had pretty good Freedom. O that a Blessing might attend the Word.About 4 o'clock was invited to the Funeral of Zephaniah Stout's Child, Tomorrow at 2 o'clock P.M.
"Monday Oct 15: Attended ye Funeral of the late Zephaniah Stout's Child. I preach'd from Matt 24.44 Therefore be ye also ready &c. Had not so much Freedom as I could wish, especially in the former Part of the Discourse.However, felt warm in addressing my hearers, according to their several Ages, to labour to be ready for Death and Judgment. After the Child was inter'd, rode home with the poor Widow-Mother, and was much pleased with her Conversation. God has done great Things for her during her Afflictions, they have operated kindly, brought her to the Feet of Jesus, weaned her from sublimay Things and taught her to make the Lord her All. In short, she delighted me much, and yet made me ashamed when I saw how far Short I come to acting the Christian and Minister. O Lord, revive thy Work in my Heart, remove Deadness from my Soul, teach my Tongue to speak thy Praise."
The journals are part of the Oliver Hart Collection at the South Carolinaiana Library at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
I am not related to the Stouts.
~Carol
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Re: Zephaniah STOUT and child's funerals, October 1781, New Jersey
David L. Blackwell 4/05/11