Rev. Matthew Henderson and Mary Ferris
Husband Rev. Matthew Henderson 1 2 3 4
Born: 1735 - Fifeshire, Scotland 2 Christened: Died: 2 Oct 1795 2 Buried: - Chartiers Presbyterian Church, Washington Co, PAMarriage:
• Note: This may be the same person as : Rev. Matthew Henderson.
Wife Mary Ferris 2
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
Children
1 M Rev. Matthew Henderson 2 3 5 6 7
Born: 10 Jan 1762 - Octoraro Creek, Chester Co, PA 3 7 Christened: Died: 21 Jul 1835 7 Buried:Spouse: Rebecca Patterson ( - ) 3 5 7 Marr: 3 Oct 1786 3 7
2 F Mary Henderson 2 6 8
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Samuel White ( - ) 8 9
3 M John Henderson 2 6
Born: Christened: Died: - Mt. Pleasant Twp, Washington Co, PA Buried:Spouse: Isabella Russell ( - ) 2
4 F Ellen Henderson 2 6
AKA: Helen Henderson 10 Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: Dr. Samuel Murdoch, M.D. (Abt 1764-1845) 2 11
5 F Ann Henderson 2 12
Born: Christened: Died: 4 Oct 1853 13 Buried:Spouse: Rev. Thomas Allison (1771-Abt 1840) 2 13 14
6 F Elizabeth Henderson 15 16 17
Born: Abt 1780 Christened: Died: Mar 1863 - Canonsburg, Washington Co, PA 18 Buried:Spouse: Alexander Murdoch (1770-1836/1837) 15 16 17 Marr: 1803 18
7 M Rev. Ebenezer Henderson 2 6 7 20
AKA: Rev. Eleazer Henderson 19 Born: Christened: Died: 17 Sep 1804 - Staunton, Augusta Co, VA 6 21 Buried:Spouse: Agnes Noble (1781-1871) 19 20
8 M Joseph Henderson 2
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
9 M Robert Henderson 6 22
Born: Christened: Died: Dec 1866 22 Buried:Spouse: Elizabeth "Betsy" Russell ( - ) 22 23
10 F Jane Henderson 2 15
Born: Abt 1784 Christened: Died: 1870 24 Buried:Spouse: James Clark (Abt 1784-1821) 2 15
General Notes: Husband - Rev. Matthew Henderson
He graduated at Glasgow, studied theology, and was licensed to preach in 1756. Ordained in 1758, he was sent to America. Soon after his arrival he settled as pastor of the Associate Church at Oxford, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and remained at Oxford until 1781, when he became pastor of Chartiers and Buffalo churches in Washington County, Pennsylvania, being the first minister of that denomination to settle west of the Alleghany mountains. He remained with this people, teaching and preaching the Gospel, until called to his rest. A falling tree caused his death.
He was in the line of Rev. Alexander Henderson of "Solemn league and Covenant" fame, of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Rev. Matthew Henderson was born in Scotland, and after preliminary study entered the University of Edinburgh, there obtaining an exceptionally good education. When a young man of twenty-three years, he was ordained into the ministry of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian church, and in the year of his ordination came to America, settling first in Oxford, Pennsylvania, where he remained as pastor until 1779. In the latter year he crossed the mountains to Washington county, Pennsylvania, becoming one of the first ministers of the faith west of the Alleghenies, and continued active in the ministry until his death, which occurred accidentally, he receiving a blow from a falling "bee-tree," which his sons had cut down to obtain its delectable yield. He was a member of the first board of trustees of the old Washington Academy, serving as its president from 1787 to 1792, and was also interested in the organization of Jefferson Academy, at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He was a man of sterling character, loyal to his friends and to his church, but nevertheless broad-minded to a degree that would permit him to lend his support to the founding of a non-sectarian educational institution when such action received scant approval from the clergy. Washington and Jefferson College is his debtor for service rendered in the days of its infancy, when he worked assiduously to assure its permanent usefulness. He was a man of courageous determination, living a life beautiful in its simplicity and earnest faith, going his daily way, thinking ill of no man, doing naught but good to any man, and was blessed in his ministry, as he so richly deserved. On his tombstone is the following description, the testimony of one who knew him well:
In Memory of Reverend Matthew Henderson,
Who departed this life
October 2, 1795.
Aged sixty years and in the
thirty-seventh year of his ministry.
In Heavenly toils, O Henderson, grown gray,
Thy earthly frame was hastening to decay,
Thy growing languor threatened to detain
Thee from thy loved employment, but in vain.
For in thy course no Sabbath failed t'attest,
Thy love of souls which burned within thy breast,
Till by one transient stroke, which gave release,
Thy Saviour bade thee enter into peace.
Great and most happy change from battered dust,
Unto the glorious mansions of the just!
Let us prepare to measure that bright road;
The best of all our friends is there-our God.
[GPHWP, 1555]
There may be some duplication in the lists of his children; there may be others not listed here at all. He had fourteen children, of whom four died in infancy. Five sons and five daughters lived to maturity.
He came from Fifeshire, Scotland, where he was born, and was a graduate of the University of Glasgow. In 1758 he was ordained a minister of the Associate Church of Scotland, better known as "Seceders," and immediately afterward came to America, settling first at Oxford, Chester County, Pennsylvania, About 1779 he came to Washington County, where he became pastor of the churches of Buffalo and Chartiers in 1782. He took a high place among the leading men of his denomination and became a noted worker along the lines of higher education. He was one of the charter members of the board of trustees of Washington Academy, at Washington, Pennsylvania, and the first president of the board. He was one of three men who virtually founded Jefferson Academy, at Canonsburg, the two above named schools both afterward growing into collegiate dignity, and being later merged into Washington and Jefferson College. Mr. Henderson was also one of the original incorporators of the academy from which has grown the University of Pittsburgh. [HIC 1913, 616]
The circumstances of his death are given as follows by his daughter Elizabeth (afterwards Mrs. Alexander Murdoch), who was then with him:
"On the evening of October 1st [1705] he had expressed to his children a wish that they would fell a bee-tree which had been discovered on his farm, and preparations were accordingly made to proceed to it early in the morning. He had acquainted his daughter Elizabeth, then a child of ten years of age, with their purpose, and told her that if she could get up in the morning without awakening her younger sister, Jane, she might go with him. Accordingly, the next morning he went quietly to her bed and touched her gently, to awake her without disturbing her sister. She was soon up, and having dressed herself for the expedition, hurried into her father's room, supposing him also to be ready. She found him on his knees engaged in secret prayer, and immediately withdrew. Soon after this she observed him going down to the spring with a basin and towel to wash himself, as was his custom in the morning. Some time after he had returned she again ventured into his room, and again found him engaged in prayer. Soon afterwards he came out, and taking her by the hand he led her to the place where his sons, Ebenezer and Robert, had been for some time engaged in felling the tree. The tree stood upon a bank, and it was supposed would fall down the side of it. Mr. Henderson and his daughter approached towards it on the higher ground, where it was thought was no danger. Here they stood for a little time, at some distance from the tree, awaiting its fall. It proved to be decayed in the centre, and fell much sooner than had been anticipated, and also in a direction opposite to that in which he supposed it to be falling. On this occasion, as usual, he ran, but in the same direction with the falling of the tree. His daughter followed his example, but varied somewhat in her course and escaped any injury. Her father had run to such a distance that it was only the branches which reached him, and his body was but slightly mutilated. Only a slight flesh wound was discovered on his head, yet he appeared to have died instantly, not having been observed to move or breathe by his sons, who were immediately beside him." [HWC 1882, 709]
1 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 708.
2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 194.
3 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 617.
4 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), Pg 1555.
5 Alex. Harris, A Biographical History of Lancaster County (Lancaster, PA: Elias Barr & Co., 1872), Pg 435.
6 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 709.
7 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915), Pg 1556.
8 Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910), Pg 785.
9 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 194, 1191.
10 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 98.
11 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 545, 709.
12 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 709, 831.
13 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 831.
14 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 406.
15 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 710.
16 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 132, 194.
17 Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910), Pg 541.
18 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 132.
19 —, Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (J. H. Beers & Co., 1903), Pg 5.
20 —, History of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 185.
21 —, History of Lawrence County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 186.
22 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 1223.
23 —, Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Vol. II (Madison, WI: Northwestern Historical Assosciation, 1904), Pg 305.
24
—, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 99.
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