Needham Franklin Kirkland (1831 - 1920)

Born 27 Jan 1831 in Barnwell, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Jane Maner (Lawton) Kirkland — married 27 May 1857 in South Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 26 Sep 1920 at age 89 in Bamberg, South Carolina, United States

Biography

This profile is part of the Kirkland Name Study.

Obituary: "SPLENDID CITIZEN OF BAMBERG CALLED TO HIS FINAL REWARD. Bamberg, SC, Sept 28 [1920] - The remains of Dr Needham Franklin Kirkland were laid to rest this afternoon in the cemetery at old Mizpah Methodist Church at Buford's Bridge. Dr Kirkland died yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the home of his son, Clerk of Court A. L. Kirkland, near Buford's Bridge. Dr Kirkland had been in ill health for many months and for the past two weeks has been enduring serious sickness and his death was not unexpected. He had frequently expressed the wish to be buried at Mizpah Church, of which he was a member and a steward for more than 50 years.

The death of Dr Kirkland removed from Bamberg County one of her grand old men. He was in his 90th year and was a power for good throughout his long career.

He was born on January 27th, 1831, on the same place he died, which was at that time incorporated in old Barnwell County, later cut off into Bamberg. He attended the common schools of his community and graduated from the Medical College, Charleston. After taking a post-graduate course in New York he began the practice of medicine in 1857. At the outbreak of hostilities he enlisted in Colcock's regiment, C.S.A., as assistant surgeon, serving throughout the war on the South Carolina coast. Returning from the war he took up again his professional work and for some years enjoyed a wide practice. In 1868 he gave up active practice and devoted his time largely to his farming interests, in which he was quite successful. During the Red Shirt campaign he did his full part toward redeeming his county and state from carpetbag rule.

• He was married on May 27, 1857 to Miss Jenny Thompson Lawton, of Hampton, and eight children were born to them, two of whom died at the age of 20 years. One son, Dr. R. C. Kirkland, died last year. His surviving children are: Dr. N. P. Kirkland, Jr., of Allendale; Rev. W. C. Kirkland, D. D., editor of the Southern Christian Advocate; J. M. L. Kirkland of Beaufort, former probate judge of Beaufort County; A. L. Kirkland, clerk of court of Bamberg County and Mrs. Harry M. Graham of Greenwood.

For sixteen years Dr. Kirkland served old Barnwell County as county treasurer. For ten years he was president of the Citizens Bank, of Barnwell.

As he had repeatedly told his friends, his chief ambition in life was to serve his day and generation according to the will of God. His noble life bears ample testimony to the success he attained in this respect. Your correspondent has never heard a word uttered in criticism of this good man. While he retired from active business life more than 16 years ago, he never retired from religious zeal and activity, and he remained as chairman of the board of stewards of Olar Methodist charge to the day of his death. Anything that pertained to the welfare of his country or community was close to his heart, and while his 90 years prevented the activity of former years, he aided by his wise counsel all those who sought his opinion, and these were many."

Sources

• South Carolina death records
• 1850 US census; Census Place: America, Barnwell, South Carolina; Roll: M432_849; Page: 456A; Image: 266
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 July 2019), memorial page for Dr Needham Franklin Kirkland (27 Jan 1831–26 Sep 1920), Find A Grave Memorial no. 84773627, citing Mizpah Methodist Church, Bufords Bridge, Bamberg County, South Carolina, USA ; Maintained by bioengineer (contributor 47026824) .
• United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3R4-PXN : accessed 16 July 2019), N F Kirkland Sr., Buford Bridge Township Govan, Olar towns, Bamberg, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 4, sheet 27B, family 522, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,517.