Letter from Chandler Furman: A younger son of George Scrimzeour. Quarreled bitterly with his father over his marriage; because of it came to US. Left a sizable estate when he died in about 1805. Only child was Eliza Scrimzeour (great grandmother of Chandler Furman).

1800 US census, South Carolina, Beaufort Co., St. Lukes Parish:
James Scrimzeour 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 11 [James, wife Mary and daughter Eliza]
--------same page-----------------------------
John Morgandollar 0 0 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 1 0 80
John Burns (on following page)
[Columns are:
first five: free white males: under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-44, 45-over
second five: free white females: under 10, 10-15, 16-25, 26-44, 45-over
eleventh: all other free persons
twelfth: slaves]



http://singletonfamily.org/cards/getperson.php?personID=I11571&tree=Singletons:
born in Thornhill.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~lizzie/Scrimgeour.htm:
The picture is of the first Little Britain meeting house, for which Patrick McClaughry furnished the land and which he built in 1765. This picture was drawn by Elizabeth King Crawford 150 years after the church was built, for fortunately, accurate description of it was given in writing. The first three pastors preached in this building. Shortly after the fourth pastor came, the building was torn down and a larger one erected on the same spot.

The third pastor was the Rev. James Scrimgeour. He was born near Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1757. He was graduated from Edinburg University in 1777 where he won distinction for his classical learning.

He studied theology for five years at the Hall of the Associate Church under the Rev. John Brown of Haddington who is said to have had a high ideal of the talents of Mr. Scrimgeour and of his qualifications for the service of Christ in the Gospel.

He was licensed in 1782 and in 1784 was ordained and installed pastor of an Associate Presbyterian Church at North Berwick. Here he was well liked and successful.

In 1794 there was a tragedy of some sort in connection with his father�s death, and Mr. Scrimgeour was so affected in both mind and body that he had to resign. After a while his health was improved and he took charge of a theological bookstore in Edinburgh, and sometimes supplied neighboring churches.

In 1802 he came to America with Dr. John Mitchell Mason who had gone to England and Scotland to gather funds and stir interest for a seminary in America and to get ministerial help from Scotland.

He raised $5000 and spent $4000 of it for books, which formed the first major theological seminary library in America. The General Synod of the Associate Reformed Church appointed Dr. Mason and Mr. Scrimgeour to draw up a plan of studies for the seminary.

Their plan is the first such document in the history of American Protestant Seminaries. How much of the plan each wrote is not recorded. A preamble to THE PLAN emphasizes "the high seriousness of establishing a theological seminary which is to form and fix the character of the future ministry of the church.

The students to be admitted must give evidence of a previous faith and of natural talents. Mere piety without a suitable portion of good sense will never answer the Apostle�s requisition �apt to teach.� The fundamental principle of the plan of studies is the all-sufficiency of the Bible. The Bible itself is to be the great system of study and what is commonly called systematic divinity, a mere auxiliary."

The General Synod chose Dr. Mason to head the seminary, but Mr. Scrimgeour had not small part in its founding. Such was the caliber of Rev. James Scrimgeour.

He became pastor of the Associate Reformed Church, Newburgh, daughter church of the Little Britain Church, in 1803 when it was in its first location on Renwick Street near Liberty, and remained there until 1812 when he came to Little Britain where he continued to preach until his health failed in the summer of 1824. He died Feb. 4, 1825 and is buried in the Little Britain cemetery close to the church.

No photograph of Mr. Scrimgeour can be found, but we have word pictures. James Brown Scouller in "A Manual of the United Presbyterian Church of North America," 1751-1887 says of him, "He was six feet high, of good presence, and possessed a deep rich voice which remained unimpaired to the last, notwithstanding the enormous quantities of snuff which he too."

"He was a rich and instructive even attractive preacher. His sermons were a nice skeleton filled out almost entirely with Scripture quotations. Although very solemn in the pulpit, he would sometimes say and do ludicrous things without regarding them as such and without losing his own seriousness."

"He once observed one of his hearers in a profound slumber, when he stopped in his sermon and asked a parishioner sitting near to wake him up. The nudge, however, was so gentle as to make no impression. The good pastor, perceiving how the case stood exclaimed with the greatest gravity and the broadest Scotch, �Shak him, Dawvid, shak him.� "

In "The Centennial Memorial�One Hundredth Anniversary of the A.R. Presbyterian Church of Little Britain, N.Y., 1857," there is this about him, "As a man, he was frank, sincere and friendly; as a son, a husband, and a father faithful and affectionate; as a Christian, and Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile; and as a preacher of the Gospel, as thousands, both in Scotland and America who were long edified and delighted with his ministrations can witness, �Simple, grave, sincere and tender in address, as well becomes a messenger of grace to guilty men; in doctrine uncorrupt, in language plain, and plain, in manner; decent, solemn, chaste and natural in gesture; much impressed himself, as conscious of the awful charge, and anxious, mainly, that the flock he feeds may feel it too.� �The theme he delighted to dwell on was the person and work of the Redeemer, exemplifying the apostolic determination, to know nothing among his people but Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

While in Newburgh he married Janet Boyd. She lived only three years after their marriage. They had one son, Ebenezer. Janet died less than a year after they moved to Little Britain, and James Scrimgeour was left with a small boy to bring up. He broke up housekeeping and boarded.

The following is copied from a hand written letter of 1888 from Joseph Alexander, son of James Alexander the weaver, to "Rev. R. Howard and Mrs. Wallace, Esteemed friends�I will give a few recollections of the Rev. James Scrimgeour the 3rd Pastor of the Associate Reformed Church of Little Britain. It was my pleasure to make his acquaintance in April 1816 when I was just 12 years of age. His manly form and Christian bearing made an impression on my young mind which has remained with me all these 72 years. Mrs. Scrimgeour died soon after his settlement but at what time I don�t just now recollect. (Note: it was Dec. 2, 1812.) My Father moved on the first of April 1816 where Mr. Humphrey now lives, next east from Mrs. Ann Scott�s farm. Mr. Scrimgeour and his son Ebenezer commenced boarding with us at that time and remained with us for a number of years. Ebenezer being quite a wayward boy gave his Father a great deal of trouble. What ever became of him after his Father�s death I never knew. Mr. Scrimgeour at once elected me as his waiter boy to assist him in harnessing his horse and always had the honour of riding to church with him and hitching his horse under a certain tree back of the church. In a few years he changed his board to Deacon James Boyd who lived then where the late Mr. Goldsmith lives just north of Mrs. Finley, and in 1823 he changed from Mr. Boyd'� to Mr. Grant Bowers where Mr. Marvin now lives just south of the Methodist Church where he remained until his death which occurred on the 5 February 1825�.It was my privilege to watch with him a number of nights� and but a short time before breathing his last he said, �Joseph, God will reward you for all your kindness to me.��Thus that good man died to all appearance with old age only 68 years and 5 months. The most solemn day I ever witnessed in that old church was the last time that he occupied the pulpit in discharge of his ministerial duties. On that occasion he ascended that old fashioned pulpit with rather feeble step but went through with the opening services as usual, but when he announced his text he could not recollect a single word of his sermon. It has always been his custom to preach without notes, but having his notes in his pocket he turned to them but could not read a word, and then heaving a heavy sigh he said, �Oh my memory is gone. I cannot read what I have written,� and added �I never came to the house of God better prepared for the discharge of all its duties than today but my memory is gone.� Then elder John Shaw went to his relief and requested him to dismiss the congregation by pronouncing the benediction, which he did with much trembling amid the weeping of many warm friends. He never entered the pulpit afterwards but once when the Reverend R. H. Wallace preached as a supply. He was so well pleased on the occasion that he at once advised the congregation to secure his services permanently�The duty devolved to me to notify the congregation to attend his funeral at the Church on the following Saturday afternoon, and I well recollect that there were nearly 100 sleighs followed his remains from Mr. Bowers to the Church, led by Dr. Drury as attending physician and about 16 clergymen of different denominations all furnished with linen scarfs with a large rosette on the shoulder. The bearers were also furnished with scarfs. The services at the Church were very solemn and impressive. The sermon was preached by his devoted associate in the ministry, Reverend Dr. McJimpsey�"

That was a long quotation from a much longer letter. Where Mr. Humphrey lived is the farm just sold by Mr. Robert Armstrong. James Boyd lived down a long lane opposite the Tenny�s Twin Oak Farm on Drury Lane. Mr. Grant Bowers� place is where St. Joseph�s school is now.

The following just can�t be omitted. It is from "The Christian Instructor" for August 1847. "He was one of those on whom the utmost reliance could be placed, for he was a man of firm, inflexible principle. Neither fear nor favour could induce him to swerve from what he believed to be the path of duty�He shone in the pulpit. In his sermons he never attempted to be profound or metaphysical�He was literally a minister of the Word; his argument, his illustration, and the very words with which his ordinary ideas were clothed were all derived from Holy Scripture�It was like listening to majestic music to hear his deep toned voice in the pulpit. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Mr. Scrimgeour was short in all his public services; his sermons rarely exceeded forty-five minutes; but then they were full of matter. He had a fine library, not only of theological but also of classical works and he made good use of it."

James Scrimgeour made his will less than a month before he died. It is recorded in Goshen. It shows a good mind and a loving heart. He left almost everything he had to "my only and dearly beloved son Ebenezer James Hall Scrimgeour."

The few pieces of household furniture that had been saved were to be sold for his son. But his mother�s china was to be saved for him, also silver tea and table spoons, milk pot and sugar dish, gold watch chain and seal, silver shoe buckles, a pocket Bible bound in red Morocco.

He was to have whatever books he wanted, and the rest sold for him. And he mentioned as his guardian the merchant in New York for whom he was working. The whole document shows his love and concern for the boy.

Such was James Scrimgeour, one of God�s good gifts to Little Britain.

• Married: 4 Mar or 27 Feb 1794 in Coosawhatchie, Jasper Co,, SC or Scotland

1. Eliza Ann SCRIMZEOUR b: 16 Jul 1795 in Coosawhatchie, Beaufort Co., SC