Rev. John McPherrin and Mary Stevenson

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Husband Rev. John McPherrin ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 17 Nov 1757 - Adams Co, PA 2 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 10 Feb 1822 - Butler, Butler Co, PA 3 4
         Buried: 

       Marriage: 

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Wife Mary Stevenson ^{3 4}

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         Father: John Stevenson (1729-Abt 1819) 1 3
         Mother: Jean McCombs (      -      ) 1

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   Other Spouse: Joseph Nelson (      -      ) 1

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Children

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1 F Amelia McPherrin ^{1 3 5 6}

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           Died: 1832 5
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         Spouse: Hon. Walter Lowrie (1784-1868) 6 7 8
           Marr: 1808

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2 M William McPherrin ^{1 3}

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3 M Samuel McPherrin ^{1 3}

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4 M John McPherrin ^{1 3}

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5 M Clark McPherrin ^{1 3}

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6 F Mary McPherrin ^{1 3 9}

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           Born: Abt 1800
     Christened: 
           Died: 4 May 1888 - ? Butler, Butler Co, PA
         Buried: 

         Spouse: John Sullivan (1793-1854) 3 9 10
           Marr: 1821 9

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7 M Ebenezer McPherrin ^{1 3}

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8 M Josiah McPherrin ^{1 3}

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9 M Anderson McPherrin ^{1 3}

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General Notes: Husband - Rev. John McPherrin

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He was born Nov 15. [HBC 1895, 680 & TCHBC, 140]
The pioneer of Presbyterianism in Butler County, PA, was the Rev. John McPherrin, who settled there in 1805, having accepted calls from the congregations of Concord and Muddy Creek. The records are not clear in regard to this period of his pastoral labors. In 1806, he is reported as pastor of Concord, Muddy Creek and Harmony, and, in 1809, as pastor of Concord and Harmony. He was installed as pastor of the Butler Church by the Presbytery of Erie, April 7, 1813. This church was then connected with the church of Concord. Mr. McPherrin re­mained as pastor of the united charge until the rela­tion was severed by his death. [HBC 1883, 156]

The pioneer of Presbyterianism in Butler County, PA, and the first pastor of the church in Butler Borough was the Rev. John McPherrin, a man of much ability and large usefulness. He was born in Adams County PA, and his father's family subsequently removed to Westmoreland County. His studies preparatory to entering college were pursued with Rev. Robert Smith, D. D., of Piqua. He graduated at Dickinson College in 1788. His theological education was pursued under the direction of Rev. John Clark, of Allegheny County. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Redstone, on the 20th of August, 1789. On the 22d of September in the following year, he was ordained by the same Presbytery, and installed as pastor of the congregations of Salem and Unity, in Westmoreland County, where he remained until 1803.
In 1805, he became a member of the Presbytery of Erie, having removed to Butler County and accepted calls from the congregations of Concord and Muddy Creek. The records are not clear in regard to this period of his pastoral labors. In 1809, he is reported as pastor of Concord and Harmony.
On the 7th of April, 1813, he was installed as pastor of the church of Butler by the Presbytery of Erie. This was in connection with the church of Concord. Of this united charge he remained pastor until his death, a period of about nine years. His death took place at Butler on the 10th of February, 1822, in the sixty-fifth year of his age and the thirty-third of his ministry.
He was a warm and zealous preacher, but "appears to have been of a nervous, sensitive temperament, illy fitted for the rough contact with life. Dr. Loyal Young, his successor, relates the following of him: "For a few years, he labored under great mental depression. A sense of his unworthiness sometimes led him to the conclusion that it was wrong for him to engage in ministerial work. Sometimes on Sabbath morning he would tell his wife that he could not preach that day, and would seem inclined not to fill his appointment. She would persuade him to go and conduct prayers-meeting, if he could not preach. On such occasions he would generally preach sermons of unusual power."
A glimpse of the character of the pioneer preacher is afforded by the Hon. Walter Lowrie: "Mr. McPherrin did not write his sermons. He used very brief but comprehensive notes. * * * He was tall in person, his hair when I first saw him quite gray, and his whole appearance the most venerable of any man I have ever seen. Decision and energy were the leading traits of his character. He knew not the fear of man, though sometimes his firmness degenerated into obstinacy. His natural temper was warm; hypocrisy formed no part of his character, and his heart was the seat of friendship and good will to man. He possessed a strong mind and strong natural abilities. * * * As a minister of the Gospel, his zeal in his Master's cause never flagged, and his sincere desire to do good was his ruling passion through life. His eloquence was classically chaste, yet strong and nervous. His hearers were, in general, rather awed than charmed, more instructed than delighted, yet often did the tears of his audience flow before they were themselves aware of it." From the "History of the Presbytery of Erie." [HBC 1883, 173]

1 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 184.

2 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 680.

3 James A. McKee, 20th Century History of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1909), Pg 140.

4 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 681.

5 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 675.

6 George P. Donehoo, Pennsylvania - A History (NW) (New York, NY; Chicago, IL: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926), Pg 149.

7 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 971.

8 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 674.

9 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (R. C. Brown & Co. Publishers, 1895), Pg 677.

10 —, History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883), Pg 56, 331.