U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fay, Nathaniel Thomas (b. 1813) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 670-673 REV. NATHANIEL THOMAS FAY. — To glance but casually over the long and useful life of the venerable gentleman whose name appears at the beginning of this record, recalls some of the most stirring events in the nation's history and its most wonderful development, while his personal achievements have been such as to bring him honor and esteem and an abundance of sincere affection for his declining years. Rev. Mr. Fay, who resides at New Cumberland, Hancock County, was born November 26, 1813, in Camden, Maine, and is a son of Jesse and Lucy (Brown) Fay, the former of whom was born at Princeton, Massachusetts, and the latter in New Hampshire. Silas Fay, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Massachusetts, but removed to Maine and located in the vicinity of Camden, where he bought a large tract of land, a portion of which, including the old home, has been in the family until recently. Jesse Fay, father of our subject, was born April 24, 1783 and died on the farm near Camden, June 17, 1865, having been a farmer in that section all his life. He married Lucy Brown, who was born October 12, 1780, and died August 21, 1867, and both lie at rest in the family plat in the Camden cemetery. She belonged to a prominent old Puritan family and her brothers were early cotton and wool manufacturers in New Hampshire. The children born to Jesse Fay and wife were: Anna Elizabeth, who married Nahum Walker — both are now deceased and their two sons are living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Frederick Brown, who lived the greater portion of his life at Tiffin, Ohio, but died at Union Springs, Alabama; Nathaniel Thomas, our subject; Silas, who lived and died at Camden, Maine, where he was engaged in farming; and Lucy, Maria and Achsah, all deceased, who lived on the old farm near Camden. Jesse Fay served in the War of 1812, in the Massachusetts militia, for which he received a pension. Nathaniel Thomas Fay was reared in the old Camden home and attended the local schools until 1832, when he entered Munson Academy at Munson, Massachusetts. After two years of instruction under Professor Lawton, he was ready for college and in 1834 he entered Amherst College at Amherst, Massachusetts. After one term there, he removed to Colby College at Waterville, Maine, and was there graduated in 1839, with the degree of A. B. he was a student for one term at that great school of Presbyterianism, Andover Theological Seminary, and then entered Bangor Theological Seminary, where he was graduated, in 1842. Rev. Mr. Fay entered upon his ministerial duties at Montgomery, Wood County, Ohio, as pastor of the Presbyterian Church at that point, which later became a Congregational Church, and made that town his home until 1890. While Rev. Mr. Fay has been blessed in his religious work, there is one portion of it upon which he looks with the greatest satisfaction. During the Civil War, he was selected by the Christian Commission, one of the greatest of the philanthropic enterprises of the time, to go South as one of its representatives. He was placed at City Point, Virginia, at the time General Grant made that place his headquarters. Later he was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, and to Huntsville. Alabama. His ministrations continued with the sick and wounded and were rewarded in such ways as to bring comfort and rejoicing to the heart of this faithful clergyman. His help was given to the body as well as to the soul and his work in this line was of the greatest assistance at that time to the overtaxed physicians and surgeons. For the past 10 years, Rev. Mr. Fay has not been in active relations with any charge, but keeps in correspondence with his brethren and attends all ministerial meetings that he is able to reach. Despite his age, he cherishes the hope that he may be able to attend the centennial celebration of the Elm Street Congregational Church, of Camden, Maine, in 1905, which was organized in 1805 and of which he is the oldest member. He has been a strong supporter of the Republican party ever since its organization, and cast his first vote for President Zachary Taylor. Rev. Fay was first married on February 13, 1844, at Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Roxanna Woodbury, who was a resident of Wood County, Virginia, at the time of their marriage. She was a daughter of Rev. Benjamin Woodbury, an eminent minister of the Congregational Church in Massachusetts and later in Ohio. These children were born to them: Ellen, who married Heman McDaniels, — they reside in Oberlin, Ohio, while their children are being educated; Benjamin, who died young; Lucy, who married W. R. Gillis, an engineer, and lived in Minnesota; Abigail, who married Prof. G. T. Jewett, principal of a school for young ladies at Newton, Massachusetts; Henry, who studied medicine but became ill and went to the West, and now resides on his large ranch in California; Mary, who married A. Stackwiller and is now deceased; Jessie, who married M. H. Brundage, now a resident of Russell, Kansas; Frederick Brown, who died young; and Hattie, vocal and instrumental music teacher at Howard College, a graduate of the Boston Conservatory, and an accomplished young lady, died in young womanhood, and Anna, who was for a time at the head of the public schools of Mason City, Minnesota, and who is married and resides there. The mother of these children died November 2, 1872. The second marriage of Mr. Fay was to Mrs. Louisa Maria (Thompson) Chapman, who was born at Fairview, Hancock County, Virginia, now West Virginia, in 1832, and is a daughter of Dr. Giles S. and Johanna Lamaster (Chapman) Thompson, being one of six children born to her parents. Dr. Thompson was born at Canandaigua, New York, and in 1824 removed to Hancock County, this State, as a teacher. He died at the age of 40, and his wife at the age of 70. Dr. Thompson's wife was a daughter of William Chapman, one of the very early settlers in Western Virginia, coming from Maryland, and entering 1,000 acres of land on which he engaged in extensive farming operations. Mrs. Fay is the only surviving member of her parents' family. Her first marriage was to William Chapman, who at death left two children, — Rose R. and John William, who reside in Hancock County. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Hancock County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/hancock/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------