Rev. John Robinson Agnew and Harriet J. H. Agnew

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Husband Rev. John Robinson Agnew ¹

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            AKA: John Robison Agnew 1 2
           Born: 8 Jun 1810 - McConnellsburg, Fulton Co, PA 1 2
     Christened: 
           Died: 3 Feb 1888 - Warren, Warren Co, PA 2
         Buried:  - Cedar Hill Cemetery, near Greencastle, Franklin Co, PA

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         Father: Col. James Agnew (1769-1855) 3 4 5 6
         Mother: Elizabeth Finley (      -      ) 2

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       Marriage: 1839 1

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Wife Harriet J. H. Agnew ^{1 2}

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         Father: Dr. Samuel Agnew (1777-1849) 6 7 8
         Mother: Jane Grier (      -      ) 8 9

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Children

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1 F M. Jane Agnew ^{1 2}

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General Notes: Husband - Rev. John Robinson Agnew

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He was graduated at Dickinson College, and afterward studied one year at Union Theological Seminary, Prince Edward, Virginia, and one year at Princeton. He was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Presbytery of East Hanover, in 1834. His first service was that of a missionary to the Choctaw Indians on Red River, near the Texas border. In 1837 he accepted a pastorate in Venango County, Pennsylvania, which failing health compelled him to relinquish in 1864. He subsequently held such positions as agent for Lafayette College, agent of the Board of Colportage at Pittsburgh, agent of Lincoln University, professor in Steubenville Female Seminary, and Chaplain of the Missouri Penitentiary. While Professor of Astronomy at Steubenville he invented an ingenious set of sectional globes. In 1872 he settled at Greencastle, Pennsylvania, where he lived during the rest of his life, and whither his remains were brought for interment in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

He attended the classical school of Dr. McConaughy, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated at Dickinson College, Carlisle, pursuing his theological education at the Union Seminary, Virginia, and Princeton, New Jersey. He was a missionary among the Choctaw Indians "at his own charges." His first pastorate was at Harrisville, Butler County, Pennsylvania, and Scrubgrass, Venango County, of nine years' duration. His health failed, however, so that he would never consent to be installed again, but was stated supply in various churches; was missionary among the freedmen; chaplain in the Missouri penitentiary during Gov. McClurg's term; agent for Lincoln University and LaFayette College; professor of senior classes in Steubenville Female Seminary, Ohio; agent of board of colportage, Pittsburgh.
He was elected vice-president of Oxford (Ohio), Female College, but did not accept by advice of friends, though strongly urged to by faculty and students. In "Men of Mark" it is said of him "while acting as professor of astronomy, at Steubenville, Ohio, he invented an ingenious set of sectional globes, celestial and terrestial, combined with an orrery in such a manner that all three, in one, more clearly and definitely convey to the mind of the student the movements of the heavenly bodies than has been done by any other invention, and it will be a blessing to any school to be furnished with these appliances for illustrating geography and astronomy. While laid aside from preaching by physical infirmities, at Greencastle, Pennsylvania, he is completing these inventions. [Never completed on account of want of means.] In all the public positions he has occupied the Rev. J. R. Agnew has proven himself to be a man of the very highest principles, faithful, earnest and conscientious in the discharge of his duties, and pre-eminently a man of faith and prayer, preferring the poverty and trials of the Gospel ministry to the many more lucrative positions which have offered themselves to him at various periods of his eventful life." He came to Greencastle, Pennsylvania, from Missouri in 1872, where he remained, entirely laid aside from active life by bodily infirmity, deafness and partial blindness.

1 —, History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Warner, Beers & Co., 1887), Pg 700.

2 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 428.

3 Alex. Harris, A Biographical History of Lancaster County (Lancaster, PA: Elias Barr & Co., 1872), Pg 436.

4 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 426.

5 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 427.

6 Edward B. Reighard, John Agnew of Hominy Ridge (Clearfield, PA: Self-published, 1984), Pg 6.

7 Alfred Nevin, D.D., LL.D., Men of Mark of the Cumberland Valley, Pa. 1776-1876 (Philadelphia, PA: Fulton Publishing Co., 1876), Pg 270.

8 —, Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905), Pg 429.

9 Alfred Nevin, D.D., LL.D., Men of Mark of the Cumberland Valley, Pa. 1776-1876 (Philadelphia, PA: Fulton Publishing Co., 1876), Pg 271.