The Life of CHRISTOPHER THOMAS BAILEY
EDITOR BIBLICAL RECORDER 1875-1895
MAGNOLIA HILL SECTION, LOT F-45
FOR SCHOOL TOUR BIO: SCROLL DOWN Christopher Thomas Bailey was born at James City County, near Williamsburg, Virginia, October 24, 1835, one of ten children born to William Moody and Alice Clarke Bailey. Christopher attended schools in and around Williamsburg, including Williamsburg Academy before entering William and Mary College to study law under Professor Minor. Christopher had every intention of following his schooling into a career of law. However, at the age of 17, he made a commitment to religion and he was frequently called upon by his father to attend the black Baptist church in Williamsburg to make the meeting of the blacks lawful and to prevent interruptions by the town constable, and, as the pastor of the church could not read, it became Christopher’s responsibility to read the scriptures to the congregation for the illiterate pastor. In 1855 his father died and Christopher took on the responsibility of ministering to the black congregation. With his mother encouraging him to give up law and pursue a religious calling, Christopher began to develop a strong desire to enter the ministry. In 1856 he enrolled in Richmond College in Richmond, Virginia, and studied the Baptist religion under Doctor Robert Ryland until the summer of 1859. Christopher failed to graduate when he refused to take the final Latin examination after having a disagreement with the instructor, Doctor Dabney. In spite of not graduating, Christopher accepted a calling to Moore’s Swamp Baptist Church, a poor church in Surrey County, Virginia, the most destitute county in Virginia at the time. His salary was $75 a year. Christopher was ordained in the ministry of the Baptist church in 1858 and began to serve his poor and scattered congregation. In 1861, when the Civil War began, Christopher enlisted with the Sixteenth Virginia Infantry, spending most of his service time in that unit. During the final months of the war in 1865 he was assigned to the Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. On November 21, 1865, Christopher Thomas Bailey married Annie Sarah Bailey, daughter of the Reverend Josiah Clanton Bailey of Greenville County, Virginia. Christopher and Annie were not related but shared the same last name. In December of 1865, the newly wed couple moved to Gates County, North Carolina where Mr. Bailey became the assistant principal of Reynoldson Academy. While at Reynoldson he accepted a calling to be the pastor of the Baptist church in Edenton, North Carolina, a position he held for four years. In 1871, he began a five year stay as pastor of the Baptist church in Warrenton, North Carolina. In 1875, he was advised by his friends to purchase the Biblical Recorder, the written word of the Baptists of North Carolina since 1835. On July 1, 1875, Bailey bought the Raleigh publication paper from A.F. Redd, which at the time of purchase, had less than 2,000 subscribers state-wide and began work as its editor. Over the next few years the Biblical Recorder became the best established paper in North Carolina with subscriptions topping 6,000. In 1888, Wake Forest College conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon Christopher Thomas Bailey, but the Reverend never accepted or declined the appointment, he simply never used or acknowledged it. Reverend and Mrs. Bailey had five children: Sallie who married Wesley Norwood Jones; Christopher Thomas, Jr.; Josiah William, who would become a U.S. Senator from North Carolina; Edmund Lamar; and Bayard Yates who died in infancy. Christopher and Josiah followed in their fathers footsteps, each becoming editor of the Biblical Recorder during their lifetime. On March 6, 1892, Mr. Bailey was stricken with a partial paralysis while preaching at the Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. He suffered declining health that left him unable to return to his office after November 1, 1894. Christopher Thomas Bailey died in Wake County, June 5, 1895.
SCHOOL TOUR BIO:
Christopher Thomas Bailey was born at James City County, near Williamsburg, Virginia, October 24, 1835, one of ten children born to William Moody and Alice Clarke Bailey. Christopher attended schools in and around Williamsburg, including Williamsburg Academy before entering William and Mary College to study law. Christopher had every intention of following his schooling into a career of law. However, at the age of 17, he made a commitment to religion and he was frequently called upon by his father to attend the black Baptist church in Williamsburg to make the meeting of the black congregation lawful and to prevent interruptions by the town constable. It also became Christopher’s responsibility to read the scriptures to the congregation for the illiterate pastor. In 1855 his father died and Christopher took on the responsibility of ministering to the black congregation.
With his mother encouraging him to give up law and pursue a religious calling, Christopher began to develop a strong desire to enter the ministry. In 1856 he enrolled in Richmond College in Richmond, Virginia, and studied the Baptist religion under Doctor Robert Ryland until the summer of 1859. Christopher failed to graduate when he refused to take the final Latin examination after having a disagreement with the instructor, Doctor Dabney. In spite of not graduating, Christopher accepted a calling to Moore’s Swamp Baptist Church, a poor church in Surrey County, Virginia, the most destitute county in Virginia at the time. His salary was $75 a year. Christopher was ordained in the ministry of the Baptist church in 1858 and began to serve his poor and scattered congregation. In 1861, when the Civil War began, Christopher enlisted with the Sixteenth Virginia Infantry, spending most of his service time in that unit. During the final months of the war in 1865 he was assigned to the Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry.
On November 21, 1865, Christopher Thomas Bailey married Annie Sarah Bailey, daughter of the Reverend Josiah Clanton Bailey of Greenville County, Virginia. Christopher and Annie were not related but shared the same last name. In December of 1865, the newlywed couple moved to Gates County, North Carolina where Mr. Bailey became the assistant principal of Reynoldson Academy. While at Reynoldson he accepted a calling to be the pastor of the Baptist church in Edenton, North Carolina, a position he held for four years.
In 1871, he began a five year stay as pastor of the Baptist church in Warrenton, North Carolina. In 1875, he was advised by his friends to purchase the Biblical Recorder, the written word of the Baptists of North Carolina since 1835. On July 1, 1875, Bailey bought the Raleigh publication paper from A.F. Redd, which at the time of purchase, had less than 2,000 subscribers state-wide and began work as its editor. Over the next few years the Biblical Recorder became the best established paper in North Carolina, with subscriptions topping 6,000. Reverend and Mrs. Bailey had five children: Sallie who married Wesley Norwood Jones; Christopher Thomas, Jr.; Josiah William, who would become a U.S. Senator from North Carolina; Edmund Lamar; and Bayard Yates who died in infancy. Christopher and Josiah followed in their father’s footsteps, each becoming editor of the Biblical Recorder during their lifetime.
On March 6, 1892, Mr. Bailey was stricken with a partial paralysis while preaching at the Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. He suffered declining health that left him unable to return to his office after November 1, 1894. Christopher Thomas Bailey died in Wake County, June 5, 1895.
FOR SCHOOL TOUR BIO: SCROLL DOWN Christopher Thomas Bailey was born at James City County, near Williamsburg, Virginia, October 24, 1835, one of ten children born to William Moody and Alice Clarke Bailey. Christopher attended schools in and around Williamsburg, including Williamsburg Academy before entering William and Mary College to study law under Professor Minor. Christopher had every intention of following his schooling into a career of law. However, at the age of 17, he made a commitment to religion and he was frequently called upon by his father to attend the black Baptist church in Williamsburg to make the meeting of the blacks lawful and to prevent interruptions by the town constable, and, as the pastor of the church could not read, it became Christopher’s responsibility to read the scriptures to the congregation for the illiterate pastor. In 1855 his father died and Christopher took on the responsibility of ministering to the black congregation. With his mother encouraging him to give up law and pursue a religious calling, Christopher began to develop a strong desire to enter the ministry. In 1856 he enrolled in Richmond College in Richmond, Virginia, and studied the Baptist religion under Doctor Robert Ryland until the summer of 1859. Christopher failed to graduate when he refused to take the final Latin examination after having a disagreement with the instructor, Doctor Dabney. In spite of not graduating, Christopher accepted a calling to Moore’s Swamp Baptist Church, a poor church in Surrey County, Virginia, the most destitute county in Virginia at the time. His salary was $75 a year. Christopher was ordained in the ministry of the Baptist church in 1858 and began to serve his poor and scattered congregation. In 1861, when the Civil War began, Christopher enlisted with the Sixteenth Virginia Infantry, spending most of his service time in that unit. During the final months of the war in 1865 he was assigned to the Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. On November 21, 1865, Christopher Thomas Bailey married Annie Sarah Bailey, daughter of the Reverend Josiah Clanton Bailey of Greenville County, Virginia. Christopher and Annie were not related but shared the same last name. In December of 1865, the newly wed couple moved to Gates County, North Carolina where Mr. Bailey became the assistant principal of Reynoldson Academy. While at Reynoldson he accepted a calling to be the pastor of the Baptist church in Edenton, North Carolina, a position he held for four years. In 1871, he began a five year stay as pastor of the Baptist church in Warrenton, North Carolina. In 1875, he was advised by his friends to purchase the Biblical Recorder, the written word of the Baptists of North Carolina since 1835. On July 1, 1875, Bailey bought the Raleigh publication paper from A.F. Redd, which at the time of purchase, had less than 2,000 subscribers state-wide and began work as its editor. Over the next few years the Biblical Recorder became the best established paper in North Carolina with subscriptions topping 6,000. In 1888, Wake Forest College conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon Christopher Thomas Bailey, but the Reverend never accepted or declined the appointment, he simply never used or acknowledged it. Reverend and Mrs. Bailey had five children: Sallie who married Wesley Norwood Jones; Christopher Thomas, Jr.; Josiah William, who would become a U.S. Senator from North Carolina; Edmund Lamar; and Bayard Yates who died in infancy. Christopher and Josiah followed in their fathers footsteps, each becoming editor of the Biblical Recorder during their lifetime. On March 6, 1892, Mr. Bailey was stricken with a partial paralysis while preaching at the Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. He suffered declining health that left him unable to return to his office after November 1, 1894. Christopher Thomas Bailey died in Wake County, June 5, 1895.
SCHOOL TOUR BIO:
Christopher Thomas Bailey was born at James City County, near Williamsburg, Virginia, October 24, 1835, one of ten children born to William Moody and Alice Clarke Bailey. Christopher attended schools in and around Williamsburg, including Williamsburg Academy before entering William and Mary College to study law. Christopher had every intention of following his schooling into a career of law. However, at the age of 17, he made a commitment to religion and he was frequently called upon by his father to attend the black Baptist church in Williamsburg to make the meeting of the black congregation lawful and to prevent interruptions by the town constable. It also became Christopher’s responsibility to read the scriptures to the congregation for the illiterate pastor. In 1855 his father died and Christopher took on the responsibility of ministering to the black congregation.
With his mother encouraging him to give up law and pursue a religious calling, Christopher began to develop a strong desire to enter the ministry. In 1856 he enrolled in Richmond College in Richmond, Virginia, and studied the Baptist religion under Doctor Robert Ryland until the summer of 1859. Christopher failed to graduate when he refused to take the final Latin examination after having a disagreement with the instructor, Doctor Dabney. In spite of not graduating, Christopher accepted a calling to Moore’s Swamp Baptist Church, a poor church in Surrey County, Virginia, the most destitute county in Virginia at the time. His salary was $75 a year. Christopher was ordained in the ministry of the Baptist church in 1858 and began to serve his poor and scattered congregation. In 1861, when the Civil War began, Christopher enlisted with the Sixteenth Virginia Infantry, spending most of his service time in that unit. During the final months of the war in 1865 he was assigned to the Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry.
On November 21, 1865, Christopher Thomas Bailey married Annie Sarah Bailey, daughter of the Reverend Josiah Clanton Bailey of Greenville County, Virginia. Christopher and Annie were not related but shared the same last name. In December of 1865, the newlywed couple moved to Gates County, North Carolina where Mr. Bailey became the assistant principal of Reynoldson Academy. While at Reynoldson he accepted a calling to be the pastor of the Baptist church in Edenton, North Carolina, a position he held for four years.
In 1871, he began a five year stay as pastor of the Baptist church in Warrenton, North Carolina. In 1875, he was advised by his friends to purchase the Biblical Recorder, the written word of the Baptists of North Carolina since 1835. On July 1, 1875, Bailey bought the Raleigh publication paper from A.F. Redd, which at the time of purchase, had less than 2,000 subscribers state-wide and began work as its editor. Over the next few years the Biblical Recorder became the best established paper in North Carolina, with subscriptions topping 6,000. Reverend and Mrs. Bailey had five children: Sallie who married Wesley Norwood Jones; Christopher Thomas, Jr.; Josiah William, who would become a U.S. Senator from North Carolina; Edmund Lamar; and Bayard Yates who died in infancy. Christopher and Josiah followed in their father’s footsteps, each becoming editor of the Biblical Recorder during their lifetime.
On March 6, 1892, Mr. Bailey was stricken with a partial paralysis while preaching at the Fayetteville Street Baptist Church. He suffered declining health that left him unable to return to his office after November 1, 1894. Christopher Thomas Bailey died in Wake County, June 5, 1895.