Elder Jabez Ham (1796-1842) = Farmer. Primitive Baptist minister. Born on August 3 to Rhoda and Stephen Ham, Sr. of Madison Co, KY.
Jabez married Hannah S. Todd (b.1798), daughter of Hannah and Peter Todd [1756, PA.- c.1841, Ky.) a former Revolutionary War Soldier, on January 13, 1814. They emigrated to Missouri in 1817 and altogether had 14 children. A dark chapter came into their lives when Indians massacred all passengers, including two of their boys, on a wagon train going west but one, Joel Campbell Ham (1818-1887). He escaped by crawling into a haystack and the Indians overlooked him. He returned to Missouri.
(Note: According to a cousin, she had never heard of the above Indian massacre story, but I obtained the story from the genealogy compiled by Rev. Ervin C. Tipton, whom my grandmother corresponded with during her own family research. )
Elder Jabez Ham organized a church on Loutre Creek in Montgomery County, Missouri called New Providence in 1826. In a letter, written by a Callaway County woman to her sister in Kentucky about a wedding she attended officiated by him, she described him thus: "He had on a long buckskin overcoat that looked so funny! Mr. Ham was a spelling and reading the ceremony from the book." He was said to be quite a character. Another story involves a State senator, one Mr. Harper who left Montgomery County to get a load of corn in Callaway County. Harper wore his usual home-spun clothes and on his way back home, he went by a house where Jabe was preaching. Harper stopped by to hear it and during the services, Jabe asked the congregation to kneel in prayer, which all did except Harper, who leaned his head upon his hand. Then Jabe prayed that the Lord would bless "that Virginia man, who had on store clothes, and was afraid or too proud to get down on his knees."
He passed away in Callaway County, Missouri on December 12, 1842 and is buried in the New Providence church cemetery. His Findagrave #28718049 memorial.
* Historical Note: According to the Primitive Baptist Church Library in Carthage, IL (link below), there were five bodies of Primitive Baptist churches in Montgomery County - Elkhorn, Little Bethel, Loutre, Macedonia and New Providence.
More to Read:
1. 1830 US Federal Census, Montgomery County, MO.
2. The Ham Family Kith and Kin. By Rev. Ervin Charles Tipton. San Rafael, CA. 1977.
3. Madison County, Kentucky Marriage Records, Vol. 1, p. 113.
4. "History of Elk Fork Township: Joel C. Ham." The History of Pettis County, Missouri. A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri: With Numerous Sketches …By William Smith Byron and Rose, p. 972
5. Revolutionary War Records for Peter Todd, #S31430, Rowan County, NC under Capt. Robert Moore
6. The Ghost Towns of Central Missouri: Callaway & Osage Counties. by Kelly Warman-Stallings. Ketch's Printing, Jefferson City, MO, 1998. Vol.2.
6. The Ghost Towns of Central Missouri: Callaway & Osage Counties. by Kelly Warman-Stallings. Ketch's Printing, Jefferson City, MO, 1998. Vol.2.
8. Ham Country
9. YouTube video (sorry, the quality of the video is not that great)
10. Primitive Baptist Church Library in Carthage, IL
11. Access Genealogy
12. Charles Harper, 2nd District (1842) Missouri State Senators
10. Primitive Baptist Church Library in Carthage, IL
11. Access Genealogy
12. Charles Harper, 2nd District (1842) Missouri State Senators
Places to Visit:
According to the above cousin, there is a family reunion for the Ham descendants, but I have never been.
