OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 893 



citizens, (including a large number of persons from abroad) as indicated, tliat. how- 

 ever he may have been censured by persons of opposite political opinions, while livinn. 

 he was yet one, who, in public estimation, was both w ijreat and w (jood man; one, de- 

 serving for his acknowledged strict integrity and his well known benevolence, esteem 

 and regard; as, for his learning, satesmanship, elotiuence and talents, he cunimaudcd 

 deference and respect. 



On opening his Will, it was found that he had remembered the pt>or of Lancaster, a« 

 well as the Church of which he was a member; and had arranged that a handsome a<l- 

 dition should be made to the Fund which he had appropriated for their Ix-nefit, years 

 before. It may be added, that in person he was large; in manners courteous and 

 polished; and that his stores of knowledge and his powers of conversation were sucli, 

 that no one could be long in his company without being deeply interested, ami without 

 receiving valuable information. 



Carmichael, JohnI was born in the town of Tarbert, in Argyleshire, Scotland, Oc- 

 tober 17, 1728. His parents, Donald and Elizabeth (Alexander) Cannichacl, were both 

 exemplary members of the Presbyterian church, and migrated to this country in the year 

 1737. As they drew near the American coast, after a long voyage, a sudden gust well 

 nigh overturned the vessel; and their son John, then a little boy eight years old, was 

 precipitated overboard; but, happily, the waves bore him within reach of the Captain, 

 and his life was saved. After remaining a short time at New York, they removed to 

 Hackensack, a Dutch settlement in New Jersey, where they experienced nuich kind- 

 ness from the people; but the irreligion, especially the profanation of the Lord's day, 

 that prevailed theie, led the pious father to seek, particularly on account of liis cliildrcn, 

 a more congenial residence. Such a place he found in what was then called Ward 

 Session, a few miles from Newark, N. J. Here the family attended the ministry of tho 

 Rev. Aaron Burr, whose preaching made a deep impression on the mind of this son, 

 and whose addresses at the Communion table he always remembered as having been 

 characterized with great pathos and power. 



In the year 1745, death deprived him of his father; he entered the College of New 

 Jersey in the year 1755, and was admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in August, 

 1759. In November following, he was summoned to the death-bed of his mother, where 

 he witnessed a scene of remarkable Christian triumph. 



After studying Theology at Princeton, under the direction of the Kev. Samuel Davies, 

 who had succeeded to the Presidency of the College the year he graduated, he was 

 licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, on the 8th of 3Iay, 17(10. 



Some time in the year 1760, he received a call from the church of the Forks of Bran- 

 dywine, Chester county. Pa., to become their Pastor. This call he accepted; and tho 

 Presbytery of Newcastle, then lately constituted from a part of the Donegal Presby- 

 tery, met at the Forks of Brandywine, April 21, 1761, and ordained him to the work of 

 the ministry, and installed him Pastor of that Congregation. This connection con- 

 tinued until it was tenninated by his death. 



When the war of the Revolution came on, ^sh: Carmichael showed himself an earnest 

 and uncompromising friend to the liberties of his country. In the summer ot 1 . .•» 

 the militia of the town of Lancaster requested him to preach a military .sennon, pnntcU 



^^Th^e Rev^ Dr' J. N. C. Gricr, in a discourse which he preached in 1849, cntaining 

 the History of the Church of the Forks of Bran.lywine, pays the following tribute to 



Mr. Carmichael: . , . , i . ■ i.»,. ;„ ♦!,« 



-The Rev. John Carmicliael was an eloquent man, m his day, and mightj m the 

 Scriptures.' He was a man of ardent feelings, and what he did, he did -| ' - "J..' ^ 

 He was the Pastor of this congregation during the whole of the great A-- - ' I^^ 

 lution; and, like most of the Presbyterian clergpnen of that day, he e-spou-v-'d th. cause 

 1 Abridged from SpragueM AnnaU uf the American Pulpit. 



