INMONROE-L Archives

From: Randi Richardson <>
Subject: James M. Mathes
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 1999 17:39:29 -0500

The following information was extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE
PIONEER PREACHERS OF INDIANA, by Madison Evans, A. M., Philadelphia, PA.,
1862, pp. 277-299.
This book is available from the public library at Danville, Indiana.

"Of all the preachers of Indiana, whether of the past or the present day,
no one has contributed more to the progress of the current Reformation than
(James M. Mathes). He was born on the 8th of July, 1808, in Jefferson
County, Kentucky, near the site of the present village of Brownsborough.
His progenitors, a few generations past, were inhabitants of the county of
Antrim, in north of Ireland. His grandfather served under General
Washington in the war of Independence, as quartermaster of a Virginia
regiment. His father, Jeremiah Mathes, was born in Shenandoah County,
Virginia, whence, about the close of the last century, he emigrated to
Kentucky.

"In the year 1804, Jeremiah Mathes was married to Florence Cameron, a
descendant of the celebrated Parson Cameron, who is embalmed in Scottish
history by the side of the Wallaces and Bruces. Her father, John C.
Cameron, an educated Scotchman, also
served a long time in the Revolutionary war, and was wounded in the battle
of Brandywine...

"James M. was the second of a family of eleven children, six sons and five
daughters. Two of his brothers, John C. and J. J. W., are also...ministers
of the gospel. The other three, Henry, William and Franklin, are
industrious and well-to-do farmers. All the brothers, together with the
five sisters are still living, and all are
faithful members of the Christian Church...

"When, in 1816, his father removed with him to Indiana, Owen County was a
wilderness from which the savages had not retired before the advancing tide
of civilization...

"On the 5th of March, 1829, he was married to Sophia Glover, a pious young
sister in the household of faith. She was born in Virgnia, whence her
father removed, first to Montgomery County, Kentucky, and subsequently to
Owen County, Indiana...

"Their union has been blessed with three sons and three daughters, all of
whom are still living, and all are members of the Church of Christ except
the youngest man...

"In June, 1831, he re-organized the church at Old Union, all the members
entering heartily into the Reformation except one sister...In the fall of
the same year (1831) the first co-operative meeting held in the State took
place at Crawfordsville...At that meeting, and in the house of old brother
James McCullough, Elder Mathes made his first attempt at preaching beyond
the bounds of his own congregation...

"He did not receive from the churches, during the first ten years of his
ministry, an average of one hundred dollars per annum...From 1830 to 1838
he taught school the great part of his time, but preached on Sundays in the
neighborhood, and, occasionally, during his vacationns, he held protracted
meetings at various points...

"In August of 1838, (he) removed to Bloomington and became a student of the
State University. To maintain his family and defray his expenses in
college, he preached regularly for the churches at Bloomington, Clear
Creek, Harmony, and Richland. These congregations prospered in his hands...

"He remained in the University until April, 1841, and was, at the time of
leaving, a member of the senior class. Financial embarrassments prevented
him from being graduated. On leaving college he returned to his little
farm in Owen County; and having made arrangements for its cultivation, he
gave himself wholly to the word...

"In July (1843) he commenced the publication of 'The Christian Record,' a
neat monthly of twenty-four pages...It was first issued at Bloomington, and
it gradually increased in popularity until it reached its maximum
circulation of five thousand...

"In the Fall of 1843 he sold his farm and removed to Bloomiington that he
might the better superintend his publishing business. About the year 1848
he purchased the office, press and stock of the 'Bloomington Herald,' and
commenced the additional publication of 'The Indiana Tribune,' a weekly
family newspaper, neutral in politics.

"In the Spring of 1851 he discontinued The Tribune, and removed to
Indianapolis, where he continued the publication of the Record. There he
also engaged in the book and stationery business; and finally became a
stockholder in the Indiana Journal Company.

"During his residence in Indianapolis he performed an immense amount of
labor...Under such constant pressure his health gave way; and he found it
necessary to undo the heavy burden by changing his locality.

"Accordingly on the 5th of November 1855, he left Indianapolis and removed
to a farm which he had purchased, near Bedford, in Lawrence County...For a
few years after his removal to Lawrence he continued to publishe the Record
at Indianpaolis; but he finally establsiehd a printing office at Bedford,
which then became the place of publication. In a few months he again
removed the Record to Indianapolis, where he continued to have it issued
until June, 1859, when, owing to the inconvenience of editing at so great a
distance, he transferred it into the hands of Elder Eliijah Goodwin...

"Improved in health but not in fortune by his residence in Lawrence,
(Mathes) gave up his farm, for which he was unable to pay; removed with his
family to New Albany; and became the pastor of the church in that city.
This position he occupied from June, 1859, to May, 1861...

"In May, 1861, he removed from New Albany to assume the pastoral oversight
of the congregation at Bedford...Both of his married children reside at
Bedford, the presence of whom and of a multitude of brethern and friends
who fully appreciate him and his labors, greatly lightens the otherwise
heavy burdeen of his long-accumulating cares...

"For the last thirty years he has been industriously employed in the
evangelical field; during which period his preaching alone has induced
thousands to glorify the Father in the confession of the Son. Of these
converts over 4,000 have been immersed by his own hands...

"Elder Mathes is a medium-sized man, having weighed until recently about
145 pounds. He is five feet nine inches high, has a full round chest, and
great muscular power. He stoops a very little, as he walks with a quick,
stealthy step...He has coarse black hair, and his blue eyes indicate a meek
and quiet spirit, a sober reflecting mind. He has a fine constitutioon,
which is but slight impaired by the infractions of time and toil...

"The following are the leading traits of his character: (1) he is a man of
great ingenuousness...(2) very much of his usefulness as well as happiness,
results from his eminent socialibility...(3) of such a nature as his,
hospitality is a spontaneous growth...(4) he is a true philomathean--one
who loves the truth and searches for it as the covetous do for his
treasure...(5) as a speaker he is always readdy upon any subject within the
wide range of his investigations...(6) as a writer he has long occupied a
high rank, as the popularity of the Record, and of his other publications,
clearly attests...(7) as a religious editor he was eminently successful,
because of his rare qualification."

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