Estill-Montgomery-Powell County KyArchives Biographies.....White, Preacher, Thomas 1784 - 1855
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Tony Belcher tonylinda@irvineonline.net April 4, 2010, 2:04 pm

Source: South Irvine Church of Christ Directory
Author: Tony Belcher

Outline of information about Thomas White
by Tony Belcher

{Note: Sources include John Sparks (JS), John Augustus Williams (JAW), and
internet websites. Sparks wrote a large volume about Raccoon John Smith in 2005
and Williams wrote a biography of Smith in 1870. More information about White is
also found later under Mt. Tabor section}.

1784 Some sources have Thomas White being born in Fayette, Ky. the son of Aquilla
White and Susannah Noland (ancestry. com). Aquilla White was born in Baltimore,
MD in 1745 and died in Montgomery Co, Ky. in 1823. He came to Boonesboro in
1779 (http://gesswhoto.com/olden-daze/index16.html). Aquilla and his wife were in
the 1810 U.S. Census in Madison Co. and in 1820 in Montgomery. Thomas’ brother,
Aquilla Jr., is found in Estill Co. in 1820. Thomas is in the 1830 Census in Estill
and in
1850 in Montgomery, listed as a clergyman. Estill became a county in 1808, taken
from parts of Madison and Clark. It included areas occupied by Lee, Owsley, and
Breathitt until they became counties later. Powell was formed from parts of Estill
and
Montgomery in 1852. White died in 1855 in Powell County and was buried in Stanton.
1817 Thomas White was pastor of Mt. Tabor in Estill Co. and was at the North
District
Baptist Assn. meeting and lodged objections to the Baptist Missionary Society.
Sparks says he was a former member of the Tates Creek Log Meeting House in
Madison County (JS 178). Mt. Tabor was a member of Tates Creek Assn. in 1803.
1819 White preached the introductory sermon at North District meeting. Sparks says
he was of the Elkin faction (JS 193) which partly had to do with the Lulbegrud
Baptist
division in Montgomery.
1822 Performed marriage of Talitha Tipton & John Walker in Estill Co, June 4
(www.acetipton.net/john300.html). As noted later, the Tipton name was prominent in
eastern Estill County, especially at Mt. Tabor and Mt. Carmel churches.
1824 White was appointed to arrangement committee by Raccoon John Smith at
North District meeting. Still pastor of Mt. Tabor Baptist in Estill. Elkin died
about 1821
and David Chenault led the opposition against R.J. Smith around this time (JS 224).
This power shift may have influenced White to side with Smith and the Reformers.
1825 Performed marriage of Jonathan Tipton & Barbara Becknell in Estill, Dec. 22
(www.acetipton.net/john300.html).
1827 White was pastor of Mt. Tabor & Salem in Estill. Sent in queries to North
District
Assn. about Living Oracles translation by A. Campbell. Appointed to arrangement
committee by Chenault (JS 240). Chenault preached at Cane Springs in Madison.
1828 Pastor of Salem Baptist. Sent queries to North District Assn. about
Paidobaptists
& Arians. White chosen as alternate for introductory sermon. R.J. Smith
chosen to give the sermon (JS 261).
1828 Another Baptist Reformer and Campbell ally, James Fishback, toured the “hills
of Red River” this year and caused a stir (JS 290). This would have included the
northern and eastern sections of Estill.
1829 Thomas White gave introductory sermon at North District meeting at Unity
Baptist in Clark Co. (JAW 295).
1830 White was moderator at Spencer’s Creek for the North District Reformers. Now
pastor of Beaver Pond (JAW 352, JS 290, 298, 306) in Stanton (then Montgomery
Co.). There was also a Beaver Pond on Red Lick later (Estill Co.). Salem and Mt.
Tabor from Estill attended the 1830 Lulbegrud conference in opposition to the North
District Reformers. White was firmly established with the Reformers by this time.
1830 White performed marriage of William Dandridge and Amye Newton on Dec. 9
in Estill County (http://listsearches.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NEWTON/2003-
04/1049252952. Note: May have to type in address to access).
1831 North District Reformers meet at Sommerset church near Mt. Sterling. White
was moderator (JAW 415). Reformers dissolve their association with the North
District Baptists.
1832 White was witness for George Sheffield in Estill Co Court, stating he was
acquainted with him and vouched for his military service
(http://boards.ancestry.com.
au/localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.counties.estill/3554/mb.ashx). Sheffield
was
a member at Mt. Tabor (see later).
1845 Married William Patrick & Nancy Adams Feb. 1 (Ellen & Diane Rogers papers)
(http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~guyzimmerman/b498.htm).
1850 Listed in the U.S. Census as a clergyman in Montgomery County (age 66, wife
Mary 67, daughter Sarah Miller 29, black servant James Holley 18). Note: Parts of
Montgomery and Estill were used to form Powell County in 1852.
1851 Married John French & Sarah McLaughlin, Sep. 25 at home of bride in Stanton.
Witnesses: Robert Knox & Mary J. French. Signed “Thomas White, Minister Church
of Christ.” Source: French family bible (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~
kycampbe/biblefrench.htm).
1855 Died and buried in Stanton, Powell Co. Inscription on tombstone reads: "Rev.
Thomas White, 
1784-1855. First minister of Beaver Pond Church of Christ Now the Stanton Christian
Church."

More About Mount Tabor Baptist Church

A book by the Estill County Historical Society has an article about Mt. Tabor from
the
research of Ellen Rogers (A Pictorial History of Estill, 1808-2008, pg. 58). Most of
the
article tells of a law suit that occured around 1850 between members of Mt. Tabor.
Depositions were taken from several people acquainted with the church and they
reveal important dates and facts relating to the history of the church as follows:
1. Mt. Tabor was a member of North District Baptist Association in early 1800’s.
Some of the members were: Jesse Noland, James Blackwell, Samuel Tipton, Reuben
Tipton, Jamison Arvin, William Arvin, John Arvin, George Sheffield.
2. A split occured in the church in late 1820’s. Reformers left Mt. Tabor and built
another church 4-6 miles away on Miller’s Creek. It seems neither church did very
well. Mt. Tabor Baptist fell into disrepair and the Reform/Christian Church did not
last
long. Trustees for both churches got together and built another church on the
original
Mt. Tabor land around 1850.
3. The deposition of Jonathan Tipton in 1853 mentions Thomas White. He stated the
church was Calvinist Baptist and when White visited Montgomery Co., he became a
Reformer and left the Baptist Church. White and others built a Reformed church,
while some members of Mt. Tabor stayed and met 18 years or more after the split.
Tipton also said White came back at some point and tried to fix the old house and
explained he hadn’t been preaching the truth in the Calvinistic Church. Later, one
of
the Reform members bought the Mt. Tabor building, the trustees from both churches
united and together they built another Mt. Tabor church.

Summary: Mt. Tabor started as a Baptist church and was influenced by the Reform
Movement, being led by Thomas White. Although the two split groups did not thrive
separately, they got back together and met in the same building at Mt. Tabor until
the
final demise of the church sometime after the 1920’s. This is very similar to what
happened at Station Camp, except it continues to survive to this day as a Christian
Church. All that is left of Mt. Tabor church house are some foundation stones seen
in
the Mt. Tabor cemetery on Hwy 1571 five miles from Ravenna.

Additional Comments:
This material was first presented by Tony Belcher in a church membership directory
in 2008.

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