Stafford - George Washington
Source: Portrait & Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke
& Fountain Counties, Indiana p 479
Rev. George Washington STAFFORD is a name that for many years has occupied a
prominent position in the Methodist Church of the state of Indiana and better
still, has been enshrined in the hearts of both the high and low, to whom Mr.
Stafford has ministered with zeal and Christian affection. The honored subject
of this sketch was born Sept 24, 1815 in Mechanicsburg, Bland Co VA his father,
Thomas Stafford, having owned the land and laid out that town. The birth of the
latter took place at Enniskillen, Ireland although he was of English ancestry.
The father of Thomas was John Stafford and he settled in VA in 1775 where
Thomas became a large landholder and business man. The latter married Miss Ruth
Neal of Monroe Co VA and in 1832 he came to Indiana and settled at Attica,
Fountain County, Indiana. Here he became an extensive farmer and lived until
his death, Sept 17, 1847. His wife survived him until April 1862. The family of
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Stafford consisted of 7 sons and 3 daughters and all lived
to maturity. Our subject, the 4th child is one of the children living. One
sister, Elizabeth died May 24, 1893 and Mary Ann lives in Fountain County, wife
of William Sharp in Attica. His one brother, Oscar F is engaged in the real
estate business in Chicago. The eldest brother of our subject was a large land
owner in Monticello, Indiana and died there 1856. Of the other members of the
family Lewis B. and William N. settled near Attica. All of the family of the
former are dead, but the son and daughter of the latter still reside there.
Granville died in Warren Co 1849 and Hugh A. died at home in his 22nd year in
1848. A young sister, Cynthia M, died in girlhood 1847. And so passed the
relatives of our subject to the other shore. Mr. Stafford was reared at home
until nearly 21 and began teaching school at age 18. He went to VA and shortly
after became interested in serious matters and connected himself with the ministry.
After a time spent in teaching in his native state he returned to Indiana in
1837 and in 1840 was ordained at Indianapolis, but was given a charge at
Newtown, Fountain County, Indiana and remained one year and then sent one year
to Frankfort, Clinton Co, before ordination. After this solemn event Mr.
Stafford was stationed at Richmond, Ind for two years and from 1852 to 53 was
placed at Crawfordsville. From 1840 5o 49 he filled appointments on a circuit.
One mission field at this time was Rensselaer. Mr. Stafford filled the posts of
his church at Frankfort two years at Valparaiso for two years, at Greencastle
for the same length of time and at Rockville two years. At the opening of the
war in 1861, he bought his present farm on the outskirts of Crawfordsville and
has since served on circuit work with his home at this place, ministering to
his old circuit at Newtown in 1861. In 186e Mr. Stafford enlisted as chaplain
in the 40th Indiana Infantry, organized at LaFayette and he remained one year.
He saw service in Georgia and was with his regiment in the battles of
Chickamauga and Mission Ridge. He followed Sherman to Atlanta, where after
encouraging many and performing over hundreds the last sad office, Mr. Stafford
was himself stricken with illness was taken to the hospital and then resigned
and came home. Mind and body had sickened at terrible sights he had been forced
to contemplate but as soon as health was restored he returned to ministerial
work. In 1866 Mr. Stafford was placed on the superanuated list (a beautiful
feature of that denomination) and has since then passed his days quietly upon
the farm. Here he has 340 acres, mainly adjoining the city on the east. In his
ministerial work, Mr. Stafford has had much encouragement and is a Methodist
preacher of the old school, believing in revivals for the quickening of the
Spirit. In his fervent zeal he has been able to count form 2-300 converts at
each place where he has ministered and grand total of 3500 souls have
experienced religion under his efforts.
From 7-800 couples have been joined in holy matrimony through his
ministrations. In his political opinions, Mr. Stafford has always been one upon
which he has had strong opinions. The marriage of Mr. Stafford took place March
24, 1842 to Miss Rachel R. Stitt, the daughter of Hon. James Stitt who was
Circuit Court Judge 21 years and who died in 1844. The family of Rev. Mr.
Stafford is as follows; James T, a minister located at Monon, Ind; John M, a
minster of Crawfordsville; William, a farmer and stock raiser east of
Crawfordsville; Sarah A, deceased; George Washington, a graduate of Wabash
college and professor in the public schools of Seattle, Washington; Eddie a, a
graduate of both Wabash & Rush Medical College at Tacoma, Washington;
Robert and Oscar who died in infancy and Mary R and Elizabeth at home. They,
with their most excellent mother, surround the declining years of the husband
and father with affectionate care. No more successful nor respected life among
the pioneer ministers of his church can be found than that of the gentlemen of
whom we have briefly written.
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Source: Montgomery Co., Indiana Atlas (Chicago: Beers, 1878) p 55
STAFFORD, Rev. GW; PO Crawfordsville; Minister ME Church; Sec 33; native of
Giles Co Va; settled in co. 1841.
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Source: H. W. Beckwith (Chicago: HH Hill) History of Montgomery County, 1881
REV. GEORGE W. STAFFORD, Crawfordsville, was born September 24, 1815, in
Giles County, Virginia. His father, Thomas Stafford, was born in Dublin,
Ireland, whither his parents had gone from England for the transaction of
business in the fine linen trade. When Thomas was three years old (1790) his
parents came to America and settled in Giles County, Virginia. Here Thomas was
raised on a farm, and in manhood became quite a stock dealer. In 1812 he fought
in the battle of Norfolk. Later he emigrated to Fountain County, Indiana
(1832), near Attica, where he died September 16, 1847. He had been an active
member in the Methodist Church, and was chorister for many years. His wife,
Ruth Neel, daughter of John B. Neel, Esq., of Monroe County, Virginia, a member
of the same Church from girlhood, died April 24, 1854, at the age of sixty-four
years. Both had lived good lives, and died peaceful deaths. Mrs. Stafford's
father, John Neel, was quartermaster-sergeant, and a hero in the battle of
Bunker Hill. George W., the subject of this sketch, became inured to the toils
of the farm, and in early manhood attended Wabash College. Mr. Stafford being
desirous of entering the ministry, and there being no theological seminaries in
those days within his convenience, he studied at home, assisted by ministers of
the Church, chief of whom was Rev. James Dixon. In the fall of 1836 he was
licensed by the Methodist Episcopal conference to preach in Stafford's
meetinghouse, Virginia. In 1840 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Soule, at
Indianapolis, and elder by Bishop Morris, at Centreville, in 1842. He continued
in the itinerary till 1878, when he withdrew from the active ministry. During
his life-work he has been stationed at the city of Richmond, Frankfort,
Valparaiso, Greencastle, Rockville, and in 1861 be permanently located at
Crawfordsville, where he purchased a farm near the suburbs of the city. Since
that time, while engaging in the ministry at different points, he has also
supervised his farm of 300 acres. During the war he served somewhat more than a
year as chaplain in the 40th Ind. Vols.; was at the engagements at Chickamauga,
Mission Ridge, and with Sherman to Atlanta, where, on account of sickness, he
resigned. During his ministry he has been one of the most successful workers in
the Methodist Church, having received 3,500 persons into membership, 400 of
whom he received at his first charge on the Newtown circuit, Fountain County,
and ten of whom are now in the ministry, some in foreign lands and some at
home. He has also been an earnest worker in the temperance cause, and signed
the first temperance pledge in America, and every one presented him since. He
is also a member of the fraternities of Masons and Odd-Fellows. Financially,
also, Mr. Stafford has made a success of life. Having received from his
father's estate, after having fairly started in life, but $1,000 by
perseverance and economy has accumulated a competency for his old age, and
legacy to his children, of $25,000 or $30,000. He was married March 24, 1842,
to Miss Rachel R. Stitt, daughter of Judge Stitt, who sat upon the
Crawfordsville bench for twenty-one years. Her parents were from Virginia. She
was born December 25, 1822. Their family have numbered eleven children: Charles
W. (deceased); James F. and John M., ministers in the Methodist Church; Sarah
A. (deceased); William A., farmer; George W., attorney at the Crawfordsville
bar; Lewis and Oscar (both deceased); Eddie A., student at Wabash College; and
Mary and Lizzie at home.