Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/261

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MANNING


MANNING


r~ J^..y{C,yUa^cUtY



York city, from October to December, 1887. He received the degree of LL.D. from Columbia in 1887. He was twice married, first, Oct. 11, 1853, to Mary Little, of Albany, and secondly, Nov. 19, 1884, to Mary Marguerita Fryer of Albany. He died in Albany, N.Y., Dec. 24, 1887.

MANNING, Jacob Merrill, clergyman, was born in Greenwood, N.Y., Dec. 31, 1824 ; son of Jacob and Anna (Fuller) Manning. His father, a native of New Hampshire, was one of the five pioneers who settled in the wilderness of Steuben

county, N.Y. Jacob worked on the farm and attended Frank- lin academy, Pratts- burg, N.Y., 1842-46, V supporting himself by teaching district schools. He was graduated with high honors from Amherst college in 1850 ; was graduated from An- dover Theological seminary in 1854, and was pastor of the Mystic Congre- gational church, Med- ford, Mass., 1854-57. He was installed as- sociate pastor of the Old South church, Boston, March 11, 1857, and served as such, 1857-72. When the American flag was unfurled from its steeple. May 1, 1861, he made an eloquent patriotic address. He was appointed chaplain of the 43d Massachusetts volunteers and em- barked for North Carolina, Nov. 5, 1862. The exposure incident to the nine months' service undermined his health and in June, 1863, he was seized with malarial fever and on July 5, 1863, returned to Boston. He resumed his duties at the Old South church, Dec. 13, 1663, and con- tinued as associate until the autumn of 1872, when Dr. Blagden resigned and he became sole pastor. The fire of November, 1872, damaged the church so seriously that Dr. Manning was in favor of abandoning the old site and erecting a new church on Copley square, where they already had a chapel unfinished. This action evoked much criticism on the ground of historic association, but in April, 1873, the society authorized the erection of the new Old South church and Dr. Manning dedicated the new building, Dec. 15, 1875. He preached a patriotic sermon, May 30, 1875, at the beginning of the Centennial celebra- tion of that year, and besides his duties to the society assumed those of a member of the Boston school board for many years ; an overseer of Harvard college, 1860-66 ; a trustee of the state library, 1865-82; and lecturer at Andover Theolog-


ical seminary, 1866-72. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Amherst in 1867. He is the author of : Half Moths and the 3/o</t (1872); Helps to a Life of Prayer (1874); Not of Man, hut of Ood (1883); Sermons and Addresses (1889) ; and numerous sermons and addresses published in pamphlet and contributions to 77ie Bibliotheca Saera. A memorial address by the Rev. William M. Taylor, Sunday, Feb. 28, 1833, together with the funeral services, Friday, Dec. 1, 1882, was printed (1883). His health failing, he resigned his active pastoral duties and accepted those of pastor emeritus, naming March 11, 1882, the twenty -fifth anniversary of his installation, as the time. On the first Sumlay in March, 1882. he took part in the services of the church for the last time and he died while on a visit to his brother-in-law, the Rev. W. H, Fenn, Portland, Maine, Nov. 29, 1882.

MANNING, James, educator, was born in Piscataway, N.J., Oct. 22, 1738 ; son of James and Grace (Fitz-Raudolph) Manning, and grand- son of James and Christiana (Lang) Manning and of Joseph and Rebecca (Drake) Fitz-Randolph. His great-grandfath- er, Jeffrey Manning, was one of the ear- liest settlers in Pis- cataway township. James attended the Hopewell academy, 1756-58, and was graduated with sec- ond honors from the College of New Jer- sey, A.B., 1762, A.M., 1765. He was mar- ried March 29, 1763, to Margaret, daugh- ter of John Stites, for several years mayor

of Elizabethtown, N.J. He was ordained as an evangelist, April 19, 1763, and travelled through the colonies. In July, 1763. while at Newport, R.I., he suggested the establishment of a college to be conducted by the Baptists, and in accord- ance with the suggestion of Col. John Gardner, the deputy governor, he drew a sketch of the plan and a rough charter was laid before the next genei-al assembly, Aug. 1, 1763, but it was not until February, 1764, that it finally passed the assembly after a warm * debate, and largely through the personal influence of Mr. Manning. He was called to Warren, R.I., where he organ- ized a church of fifty-eight members, of which he was pastor, 1764-70, and opened a Latin school which was later removed to Providence, R.I., and became the University Grammar school. The first meeting of the corporation for founding