BIO: Richard SANCKEY, Dauphin County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, page 261.
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  SANCKEY, REV. RICHARD, a native of the north of Ireland, was born 
about 1712.  He studied theology at Glasgow under Principal Stirling, 
and came to America in the summer of 1735.  He was taken on trial by 
Donegal Presbytery the 7th of October same year, licensed October 13, 
1736, and sent to the church on Manada creek.  This congregation is 
first mentioned in October, 1735, Lazarus Stewart appearing to 
supplicate in its behalf the next year. The Rev. William Bertram, of 
Derry, moderated the call which was brought to the Presbytery for Mr. 
Sanckey by John Cunningham and Robert Green, June 22, 1737.  From that 
time onward the congregation is styled Hanover.  Mr. Sanckey accepted 
August 31, 1737, but it appearing that his trial sermon was transcribed 
out of books to give a false idea of his ministerial powers, and 
contained most dangerous errors, the Presbytery rebuked him and delayed 
his ordination.  The Rev. George Gillespie remonstrated with the Synod 
not to countenance such levity especially as Mr. Sanckey had sent the 
notes to Henry Hunter, "who had preached them to his own overthrow."  
Hunter had passed himself off as an ordained minister of the New Light 
Presbytery of Antrim in the bounds of Lewes Presbytery, and the Synod 
finding his credentials of license genuine, but that he had not been 
ordained, that he had been guilty of prevarication, and also that money 
had been given him to go to the Bishop of London for orders, resolved, 
nem. con., not to countenance him, especially as there was "ground to 
suspect his principles,"  until he had gone through the ordinary course 
of trials in some of their Presbyteries.  He acquiesced; and coming 
before Newcastle Presbytery with notes stolen from heretical divines, 
he was rejected.  The Synod blamed the Presbytery of Donegal for not 
taking notice in their minutes of Rev. Sanckey's plagiarism, or 
censuring him on that account, but as he had been sharply rebuked, and 
his ordination delayed a considerable time, they declined to lay any 
other burden on him.  He was ordained August 31, 1738.  For a period of 
twenty-one years Mr. Sanckey continued in the pastoral care of Hanover 
church.  On June 6, 1758, having received a call to the congregation of 
Buffalo, in Virginia, and designing to remove there, he applied for and 
received his credentials from the Presbytery.  Accompanied by many of 
the Hanover people, he removed in 1760, where he joined the Hanover 
Presbytery, and served his congregation faithfully and well.  He 
presided at the opening of the Synod of Virginia in 1785; lived to a 
good old age, respected by his people and his brethren in the ministry.  
We have endeavored to secure additional information in regard to him, 
date of his death, etc., but have failed.