Two short stories on Thomas A. Stubbs
Thomas And Mary were married in England in 1828. They came to America in May 4th 1832 on the ship George Clinton.
"History of Methodism : Erie Conference, Vol. I, Page 293" by Rev. Samuel Gregg:
Rev. Thomas Stubbs, second preacher on the Chardon Circuit, was born, educated, converted to God, and licensed to preach in England. On coming to this country he moved west to Ohio, where he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and being recommended to the Pittsburgh Conference, was admitted on trial in 1832, and into full connection and ordained a deacon in 1834, and an elder by the Erie Conference in 1836. Mr. Stubbs was a middling sized man, well proportioned, very gentlemanly and agreeable, and possessed a fine imagination, with a warm, glowing heart, which enabled him to move the feelings of an audience sometimes to tears and at others to joy, and generally leaving them both interested and profited.
In 1848 he was stationed at the First M.E. church, located on the corner of St. Clair and Wood streets. During his two years' ministry, the church was greatly prospered. There, as everywhere, large revivals prevailed.
From 1854 to 1857 he had charge of the Erie street church, which has since removed to another part of the city, and the Mission located on East St. Clair.
In 1866, on account of his wife's health, he located in Cleveland, West Side, where he resided the remainder of his life. During this time he served East Cleveland, Ashtabula and the Bethel.
For a few years he was not in charge, yet he was vigorous in body and mind, preaching in various pulpits to the delight of the people. He was catholic in spirit, and beloved by all denominations. He was a man of rare mental gifts--of a poetical temperament--of noble thought--a great lover of nature
and his fellow men. In his prime no man in his conference surpassed him in eloquence. He was a most ardent lover of his adopted country, and his voice rung out for the slave when it took nerve and courage, and when the applause often came in rotten eggs and stones. The war for the Union waked his
eloquence and enthusiasm, and in the darkest hours his inspiring voice gave hope to the people.
He had great power over men in attaching them to him personally. Friends once, friends always. Beloved by all who knew him; a man of remarkable purity of character and life, traits that shone in his benevolent and winning face, and exemplified in his walk and conversation. Of more than ordinary ability, clear and vigorous in mind, original as a thinker, fluent, graceful and powerful as a speaker, his discourses abounded in beautiful figures and bright, poetic fancies. Coupled with a brilliant
mind was a big heart, that found expression in charity and kindness, which will endear him to thousands all over his extensive field of labor. When eighty, he was able to walk ten miles. When eighty-one, he
preached a sermon in his son's pulpit that, for enthusiasm and buoyancy, would have done credit to a young man--that for noble thought and elevation of sentiment would have honored a man in his prime.
The grasp of his mind ceased only as he ceased to breathe.
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Thomas Stubbs was born in Kendal England, in 1801. He was employed as a local preacher until he came to America in May, 1832. Landing in New York at the time conference was in session he presented his credentials to the bishop. He was accepted and appointed as junior preacher on a circuit on Long Island. When he found he was appointed as a single man, he went to the bishop and explained that he had a family. It was too late to remedy the case. The bishop asked, "What was your plan in coming to this country?" Thomas' reply was "I had heard of the great State of Ohio, and thought i would make my way there. The bishop said "All right, Our conference meets in July and i will give you a letter to the presiding bishop."
The family made their way over the Erie Canal to Buffalo and by steamer to Cleveland. When on the canal a man from Ohio seemed to take a great interest in the little group of strangers. They struck up an acquaintance. Found they were all Methodists. The preacher told his story, and the gentleman, .Mr. Redfield, from Ohio. said: "Come to my house and live till conference." On reaching Cleveland the family was left on the beach at the mouth of the Cuyahoga. They made a hollow square of their goods, and slept all night to the music of the waves. The next day they were on their way to Akron by canal. Reaching their destination they found Mr. Redfield with teams to take them and their goods to Atwater. It was soon noised that a preacher had come and he was kept busy by the presiding elder till the session of the Pittsburg Conference, in July 1832, when he began his active ministry. It was in the days of six-week and four-week circuits, and saddle-bags-and Indian trails, and swimming rivers -log houses and barns for churches. All of the Western Reserve was familiar with his form. and listened to his eloquence. Lawrence and Mercer Counties delighted in his ministrations. In 1836 the Erie Conference was formed and he was one of the charter members. In 1846 he was appointed to Erie. Then followed Cleveland, Ravenna, Cuyahoga Falls, Cleveland, Painesville, Akron, Meadville, Chagrin Falls, Titusville, Warren, Pa. Then on account of his wife's health he remained supernumerary till his decease in 1884, though he served Newburg, East Cleveland, Ashtabula and the Bethel. From -1870 to 1884 he preached frequently in all the churches of all denominations in the City of Cleveland.
On his 81st birthday he preached in his son's pulpit at Forestville, New York, a sermon full of animation, vigor, thought and eloquence. He was full of buoyancy, sunshine, animation, poetical in fancy, by John Bain called "Old Man Eloquent." He was a revivalist. He never served a charge where he did not have a revival, some of them notable. Some of the most magnificent scenes ever witnessed were altar scenes at Painesville, Akron and Meadville. At Akron one Sunday evening he startled his congregation by saying: "Brethren, we are going to have a revival and you will have to knock out this end of the church and build larger." One of the good members came to him and said: "How dare you say such a thing? We haven't had a revival in years." But the revival came and laid the foundation of the modern church.
The revival in Meadville has, perhaps, never been surpassed in the history of that church. It had a mighty grip on students and townspeople. Thomas Stubbs had all the graces of a true orator. His personnel was, impressive, his voice was music, chaste and elegant in diction; rich in imagination, a prose poet, brainy as an egg is full of meat, bold in his utterances, loving liberty as his soul and sublime at times in his flights of eloquence.
This information found in the History of the Erie Conference, volume 1
[Transcribed by Mary Lewis/Gr Gr Granddaughter]
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