Unknown County GaArchives Biographies.....Singleton, William 1830 - 1864
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 4, 2005, 1:30 pm

Author: J. H. Campbell

WILLIAM SINGLETON.

  William Singleton was born at or near Northampton, England, in the year 1830.
His father was a mechanic, but by his skill, industry and economy, amassed
sufficient property to leave his widow in comfortable circumstances. William was
brought up to the trade of cabinet making, and soon became skillful in his
business. His education was limited to the ordinary branches of English—reading,
writing, arithmetic and geography. When he reached the age of twenty, he
emigrated with his chest of tools to America, and, after spending some time in
New York and other cities, at length located in Augusta, Georgia.

  His life for several years was a mixture of business and pleasure. His wages
were good, but he spent them, freely and saved but little. He married and had
two children. During the pastorship of Mr. Ryerson he was brought under the
power of the gospel and professed a change of heart. That the change was real
and radical, was manifest to all who knew him. The death of his wife and
children successively deepened the impressions of his call to the ministry, and
removed the earthly obstacles to his consecration to the work.

  Having been licensed by the Greene Street Baptist church in Augusta, he
entered Mercer University to study for the ministry in June, 1862, and continued
there, diligently and successfully pursuing his studies, until his death in
November, 1864.

  In the meantime, his life was not that of a mere student. Many of the settled
ministers having gone to the army as chaplains or missionaries, the churches at
home called for the services of the younger men. Singleton was first called to
serve the church at Friendship, then Macedonia, and afterwards at Shiloh, all in
Greene county. To these churches he preached with acceptance and success, having
been ordained in Augusta in January, 1863.

  Rev. N. M. Crawford says: "My first acquaintance with brother Singleton was at
a prayer meeting in Augusta, where I was favorably struck by his earnestness in
prayer, and by the remark of brother Frank Swanson, at that time temporarily
supplying the church, 'He is the most spiritual member of the church.' His mind
was good, rather solid than showy. His feelings were tender, his sympathies
easily flowing, and, at the same time, deep, his faith strong, his hope firm,
and his consecration unaffected and unfaltering. He was remarkable for what was
called ‘a gift in prayer,' of which an explanation may be found in a statement
he once made to me, in the unreserve which marked our intercourse as instructor
and pupil. Said he, 'I read from Paul, covet the best gifts, but I show unto you
a more excellent way; and I thought there was nothing better for a child of God
than to have nearness of approach to the mercy seat in prayer; and so I thought
I would covet that, and ask God to give me the grace of prayer.' "

  His death was caused by a violent attack of malignant bilious fever, which
event occurred at the house of the venerable Thomas Stocks, from whom and his
wife he received every attention, as, indeed, their house had been his home from
his first coming to Penfield.


Additional Comments:
From:

GEORGIA BAPTISTS: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
BY
J. H. CAMPBELL,
PERRY, GEORGIA.


MACON, GA.: J. W. BURKE & COMPANY. 1874.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
J. H. CAMPBELL,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.


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