My Genealogy Hound

JOHN BENJAMIN HARDWICKE, D. D., the son of Samuel P. and Lucy Hudson (Flood) Hardwicke born in Buckingham county, Virginia, August 9,1830. His grandfather was a Baptist minister and preached for many years in Virginia and Tennessee. At the age of twelve, young John B. made a profession of religion and united with the Enon Baptist Church. In 1852 he was ordained at the Enon Church, in order that he might accept calls to two churches in Campbell county, Virginia. He at once became prominent among the young preachers of this part of Virginia. In 1853 he accepted a call to Greenfield, Pittsylvania county, Virginia, where he remained for seven years. Here his special mission seems to have been to aid in rescuing the churches from the blighting influence of anti-mission teachers. He was married to Mrs. M. J. Holland, of Halifax county, Virginia, November 6, 1855, and the names of their children are: A. Fuller, now a prominent man and city clerk in Atchison, Kansas; S. P., a lawyer at Aberline, Texas; Anna J., a teacher in Carthage; John B., Jr., Sallie H., and A. Sennette. Two children died in infancy. The family is exceptionally well ordered, dutiful, talented, and harmonious. His next call was from Danville, which he declined, and after the call was repeated he agreed to divide his time with them until they could secure a pastor. In May, 1860, he accepted a call to the Second Church of Petersburg, and remained there until April, 1804. Here his time was divided between his church and the hospitals that were established in Petersburg during the war. His next pastorate was Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he spent several years of successful labor. Afterwards he removed to Parkersburg, West Virginia. Here he commenced the publication of the Baptist Record which he edited for five years making for himself a wide reputation as writer and editor. His efforts as corresponding secretary of the general association here aided in uniting the Baptists of West Virginia in the support of one general organization, and in harmonizing churches that had been rent asunder by the civil war. In 1873 the college of West Virginia conferred upon him the degree of doctor of divinity. The year following he accepted a call to Atchison, Kansas. He served there for two years and nine months; was then called to Leavenworth, the largest city in the state. While in Kansas he was recording secretary, then president, and afterwards corresponding secretary of the State Convention; he was also a member of the board of directors, and trustee of Ottawa University; he rendered valuable aid in freeing this school from financial embarrassments and difficulties that had hindered its prosperity. In 1878 he accepted a call to the pastorate of the church at Bryan, one of the most influential churches in the State of Texas, where he remained two years and six months, during which time 175 were added to the membership, 100 by baptism. One year was then spent at Waxahachie, where he put the Baptists on a good foundation. He accepted a call to the First Baptist Church of Carthage, Missouri, and June 1, 1882, entered upon his labors where he is still most successfully engaged. In less than a year there have been about eighty accessions to the church. He has quietly put into operation the latent forces of the city, and to use the language of a pastor of another church, he has his forces well in hand, they follow wherever he leads. The church is united, harmonious, active, and hopeful; the members have confidence in his wisdom, and he has faith in his church, and their willingness to act when they find it their duty to do so. He is one of the pastors who accomplishes his ends through others, who rules without lording it over the church. He holds that, spiritually, intelligence, benevolence, and constant activity, are essential to the prosperity of a church, and he labors to secure these. Dr. Hardwicke prepares his sermons with great care, and delivers them in an easy natural manner. As a speaker on the platform he seems at ease and he uses the reserves of the debater with telling effect, and he draws his illustrations from all sources, with now and then a little satire. But it is in the social circle or the inquiry room, where men are to be found who need instruction, that he appears to the best advantage; his wide experience and practical judgment enable him to adapt the truth to all; he knows well their capacity for work, as well as their moral impotence to a given work. An astute politician has said, if he would turn his attention to political affairs he could soon control the destinies of the state. This temptation has never induced him to turn aside from the work of the ministry. The subject of this sketch is a regular contributor to the press. His printed sermons would fill a good sized volume. Their titles are: “Life and Death,” “Turning aside from the truth,” “Support of the Ministry,” “The Providence of God Illustrated in the History of the Dark Races,” “The Great Harvest,” “The Son of Life,” “A Sermon on Pastors,” “A Farewell Sermon for J. A. Taylor, D, D.,” “A Memorial Discourse on Rev. John D. Creathe,” “A Funeral Oration on President Garfield,” “ What a Church has a right to export of a Pastor,” “The Power of Beauty, or Esther the Beautiful Queen,” “A Plea from a Young Man before the Judge of the United States Court of Kansas, who had plead guilty to attempting to pass counterfeit money, etc.,” “Sketches of the Members of the Constitutional Convention of West Virginia,” etc. This gentleman is still in the prime of life; time has dealt kindly with him; he has inherited a vigorous constitution, and a frame which commands attention. Dr. Hardwicke comes from a race of preachers. His great-grandfather, Noah Flood of Virginia, was a Baptist minister. By his mother he is related to the Floods of Kentucky, and the Fuquas and Brocks of Virginia, among whom are some of the most eminent ministers and lawyers of the country. Dr. Hardwicke has a brother, Rev. J. F, Hardwicke, who is an eminent minister and pastor of the Baptist Church at Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has been blessed in his own family. A. Fuller Hardwicke, Esq. of Atchison, Kansas, is one of the most successful young business men of the city; he is a member of the city government and has been for five years. S. Pondexter, his second son, is a rising young lawyer with a good practice; he resides at Aberline, Texas. Miss Anna, his oldest daughter, is reported to be one of the best scholars of her years in the West. She graduated from two schools, taking the highest honors of her class in both institutions; she reads Latin, Greek, French, and German, and is an accomplished and popular teacher. John B., Jr., is in school; Sallie Holmes and A. Sennetta, the youngest children, are at school also. All of the children except one are members of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Hardwicke is a lady of more than average ability; she is active, though quiet and unobtrusive in church work, a devoted mother who has given much of her time to laying the foundation of the education of her children. It must be a great gratification to these parents to observe the future that stretches away before their children, as well as to the children to look back upon those who have labored so assiduously to prepare them for the varied duties of life.