KNOX COUNTY OHIO - Norton's History of Knox County [Chapter XXII]

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A History of Knox County, Ohio, From 1779 to 1862 
Inclusive: Comprising Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes and 
incidents of men connected with the county from its first 
settlement: Together with complete lists of the senators, 
representatives, sherriffs, auditors, commissioners, 
treasurers, judges, justices of the peace, and other 
officers of the county, also of those who have served in a 
military capacity from its first organization to the 
present time, and also a sketch of Kenyon College, and 
other institutions of learning and religion within the 
county. 
By A. Banning Norton.

Columbus: Richard Nevins, Printer. 1862
Entered according to the act of Congress in the year 1862 
by A. Banning Norton, In the Clerk’s office of the Southern 
District of Ohio.
     ____________________________________________

Chapter XXII
		
AMONG the old settlers whose names have figured 
conspicuously in the history of Knox county, was Anthony 
Banning. Connected with the business, the growth and 
prosperity of the county at every period of its history after 
the first, and concerned as he was in various industrial 
pursuits, in commercial operations, in temperance 
movements, in church affairs, in political actions; and as his 
name has been widely known in legal history, his memory 
is worthy of more than a passing notice. "Judge" Banning 
as he was called more frequently than "Parson," 
notwithstanding his monument states that he was a 
Methodist preacher sixty years. was born in Talbot 
county, Maryland, and was the only son of James 
Banning, a proprietor of much consideration and influence, 
who had but two children, the son, James Mansfield 
Anthony Banning, and a daughter who married Benjamin 
Chew. of Philadelphia, Chief Justice of the State of Penn-
sylvania, a lawyer of much distinction and a man of great 
wealth, who was a bosom friend of Washington and 
whose family were his most intimate associates.
His parents died when he was very young, and he was 
consigned to the care of an uncle, Henry Banning, a 
bachelor, who was a sea-captain and took Anthony with 
him several voyages. The family were members of the 
Episcopal church, but in his eleventh year Anthony joined 
the Methodists. When about sixteen he went to preaching 
as a circuit rider in Grecubrier, Virginia, and the wilderness 
mountain region. In consequence of the great length of his 
name, and its inconvenience

in writing, he dropped a portion of it in early youth. He 
married Sarah Murphy, daughter of one of the first settlers 
on Redstone, near Uniontown, Pa., who was also a native of 
the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and had been raised near 
Ellicott"s mills. The children, by this marriage, were Sarah, 
wife of Daniel S. Norton; Jacob M. who died in 1835, and 
whose widow and children reside in Hardin county; Rachel, 
wife of Rev. Elnathan Raymond; James ~.; Mrs. Mary 
Caswell; Elizabeth, Mrs. Bronson; Priscilla. Mrs. Gray, and 
Anthony.
After his marriage he settled in Fayette county, Pa., and 
resided for several years near Mt. Brad-dock and in 
Connelsville, where he preached the gospel. carried on a 
tanyard, kept a store, officiated as a justice of the peace, 
(from 1790 until 1799) traded in stock of every description, 
and navigated the western waters.
During his residence in the Keystone State slavery existed 
there, and this good man thought it no sin to better the 
condition of negroes by holding them in bondage. Twenty-
eighht family slaves of the Maryland stock were thus held at 
his marriage, and he subsequently bought Hannah, Peter, 
Jim, Cass and George, in Virginia.; and in moving west sold 
them to Daniel Rogers and Abraham Baldwin, two of the 
most respectable and worthy men in that country.
In one of his trading expeditions on the western rivers he 
sold a load of goods to Ebenezer Buckingham, of Putnam, 
for the fine farm now occupied by Nicholas Spindler, Esq., 
hi Howard township. He made several trips up the 
Muskingum

with goods and wares from 1808 till he moved out in 
1812. After he had bought lands in the county he traded a 
lot of iron, leather, saddlery, &e., to Samuel Kratzer, Esq., 
for the principal part of his interest in the town of Mount 
Vernon, and then took up his residence here. During his 
long abode he was engaged, as elsewhere, in a diversity of 
pursuits; and by reason of his remarkable energy, industry, 
prudence and business tact, prospered in all and enjoyed, 
to a very great extent, the confidence of the people. He 
was for the greater part of his life concerned in 
merchandizing at Mount Vernon, Tymochtee, Danville, 
&c.-carrying on his mills at Clinton and his tanyard, 
farming extensively and preaching.
His name is found as President of the first Clay meeting 
ever held in this county; he was all his life an ardent 
admirer and friend of that great statesman and patriot. In 
principle, politically. he was a Whig-religiously, a 
Methodist-strictly moral and temperate-in all the relations 
of life a good example.
He was honest and conscientious-liberal and kind hearted-
determined and resolute-never disguised his sentiments or 
harbored unkind thoughts; was not a fanatic in temperance, 
morals, politics or religion; but by his well balanced mind 
and daily walk exerted a great influence for good.
Among other public, positions held by 1dm was that of 
Commissioner to select the permanent seat of justice of 
Clermont county, under act of the General Assembly, 
January 25th, 1823, associated with John C. Wright, then 
of Jefferson, and James

Clark, of Stark. He served as one of the Associate Judges 
of this county from 1827 to 1834.
In every public enterprise and work calculated to benefit 
the town, county and people lie was active, liberal and 
useful. Among the many incidents of his life the following 
most clearly shows the liberality of his mind: In 1836 he set 
about erecting a church near his residence, and upon his 
own land. The neat brick edifice had been in-closed and 
about completed, when the Rt. Rev. Bishop Purcel visited 
Mt. Vernon for the first time, and there being no Catholic 
church the followers of that denomination, of whom there 
were but two or three families then in the place, to wit-
David Morton"s, Wm. Brophy"s and Tim. Colopv"s, re-
quested the use of one of the churhes for the Bishop to hold 
service in on the forenoon of a certain Sunday. The favor 
was denied. An effort was then made to procure the use of 
the court house. and that too was refused. The writer. then a 
small boy, having heard the circumstances on his way home, 
stopped in at Judge Banning's and stated what had 
occurred, when he at once buttoned up his vest and coat, 
took his cane, went up to David Morton"s, where the Bish-
op was staving, and tendered the use of the Banning Chapel 
for Catholic service. The offer was most gratefully and 
graciously accepted, and the first Catholic discourse ever 
delivered in this town was pronounced at the Banning 
Chapel. This, in the eyes of many bigoted and intolerant 
minds, was a very great sin; but the religion of Grandfather 
Banning was of that catholic spirit which

enabled him to do acts of kindness and pour Out heart 
offerings as becometh a true christian. And here we will 
record that this "bread cast upon the waters returned again 
after many days" in like spirit.
In February, 1844, Judge Banning was drowned in the dam 
of the Clinton Mill Company, when attempting to cross upon 
the ice to his farm, after some infernal fiend had burned up 
the Norton street bridge. His body was soon recovered and 
great efforts were made to resuscitate life, but in vain. He 
was in his 76th year, and remarkably vigorous and robust for 
one of his age.
The Catholic sect having increased to a considerable 
number, and having, by liberality of our citizens, erected a 
neat brick church, Bishop Purcel again visited Mt. Vernon to 
consecrate it-and most happily referred to the circumstances 
at tending his first visit and the charitable and brotherly 
kindness of Father Banning, and devoutly offered up his 
supplications to the throne of mercy in his behalf. The 
incident was a most affecting one. and the eyes of many 
were suffused with tears as their supplications were offered 
up.