Georgia: Coweta County: Biography of REV. DR. JAMES STACY, LL.D. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: Nel Rocklein TAROCKLEIN@aol.com ==================================================================== REV. DR. JAMES STACY, LL.D., one of the prominent Presbyterian ministers of the state of Georgia, was born June 2, 1830. His father, John W. Stacy, was a son of John Stacy, who was a native of Wales, and joined the Puritan colony which came to Georgia from South Carolina, and was united in marriage to a Puritan girl. Rev. Dr. James Stacy was reared in Liberty county and received his first religious instructions at the old Midway church, which is supposed to be one of the oldest churches in Georgia. In this church John Stacy, Rev. Stacy's grandfather, was a deacon in 1809, and Ezra Stacy, an uncle, was deacon in 1838. This church has a great history. The first church was organized in 1754, but the building was destroyed by fire in 1778 by a body of men under Col. Prevost. At the close of the revolution it was rebuilt on the same site, and in 1785 was enlarged and so stood until 1792, when the present church was erected. Rev. Stacy had the preliminary advantage of a good common-school education, and at the age of seventeen entered Oglethorpe university, near Milledgeville, where he was graduated two years later. He then entered the Theological seminary at Columbia, S. C., and graduated in three years, having had conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. He immediately entered upon his work, devoting his entire time and energy to it, until now he is one of the leading ministers of the state, and, strange to say, he is the only one of the Stacy name to enter the ministry, although the whole family were devoted Christians. He has been stated clerk of the presbytery since 1866, and stated clerk of the synod of Georgia since 1876, succeeding the venerable John W. Wilson, D.D. In 1877 a $200 prize, which was offered by William A. Moore, of Atlanta, for the best essay on the holy Sabbath, was gained by Rev. Stacy, although there were over 200 contestants. He has been married twice. His first wife lived only a few years, and in 1867 he married Mrs. Kendrick, widow of Maj. Kendrick. She is a daughter of Thomas M. Jones of Newnan. Rev. Stacy is reputed to be the best educated man in this part of Georgia, and is held in the highest regard by all who know him. He has now been in charge of the Newnan church for thirty-seven years. Transcribed from MEMOIRS OF GEORGIA published by the Southern Historical Association, 1895.