David Searcy Rice (1733 - 1816)

Born 20 Dec 1733 in Hanover, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 18 Jun 1816 at age 82 in Green County, Kentucky

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Biography

"Pioneer Minister of the Presbyterian Church in KY" and ordained Dec 1763.

Rev David Rice did missionary work in VA, NC, and especially Kentucky. He was known by the title, "The Apostle of Kentucky." He was instrumental in founding Hampton-Sidney College of VA, Transylvania University of KY, and Danville Theological Seminary at Danville, KY. He published several books, including an Essay on Baptism in 1787.

During the Revolutionary War, Rev Rice served as a chaplain and orator to the Hanover militia. In 1792, he was a member of the convention which framed the first constitution of KY. He was the first moderator of the first Presbytery, and the first moderator of the first Synod of KY.

He was a strong supporter of a gradual emancipation of slaves. He and his wife, Mary, were buried in the churchyard of the Danville Theological Seminary where, in 1892, a monument was erected by the Presbyterians of KY to honor his many achievements.

Burial: Presbyterian Church Cemetery Danville Boyle County Kentucky, USA

Sources

• Bishop, Robert Hamilton • “Outline of the History of the Church in the State of Kentucky” : Thomas T Skillman, Lexington 1824 pp 2-115 (Memoir of Rev David Rice) https://archive.org/details/anoutlinehistor00bishgoog/page/n29/mode/1up?view=theater

• American Council of Learned Societies • “Dictionary of American Biography” : C Scribner's Sons, New York 1943 p 537 https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer15amer/page/537/mode/1up?view=theater

• Rice, Thomas - the Emigrant, Blog 2006 http://anothersaturdaynightstory.blogspot.com/2006/12/thomas-ricethe-emigrant-our-first.html

• Calhoun, William Gunn • “The Rice Family” : Thomas Rice, David Rice, John Holt Rice : Pioneer Printers; Washington College, TN 1973 pp 6, 113-115 https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/12:22226?tid=35096447&pid=252100335339&hid=1050888880364&_phsrc=zvy100&_phstart=default

• Wilson, James Grant and John Fiske • “Appleton’s Cyclopedia of American Biography” : D Appleton and Company, New York 1888 Vol V p 233 https://archive.org/details/AppletonsCyclopediaOfAmericanBiographyVol.5/page/n249/mode/1up

• Cravens, John Park • “Records of the Ancestry of John Park Cravens” : self published, Booneville, AR 1957 pp 4-6 (Rice line) https://archive.org/details/recordsofancestr00crav/page/n15/mode/1up?view=theater

• Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Rice_(Presbyterian_minister)

• Find A Grave