Samuel Doak (1749 - 1829)

Born 1 Aug 1749 in Augusta County, Virginia Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Esther Houston (Montgomery) Doak — married 31 Oct 1775 (to 3 Jul 1807) in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Descendants

Died 12 Dec 1829 at age 80 in Washington, Tennessee, United States

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Samuel Doak is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A032617.

Biography

Samuel Doak is Notable.

1749 Birth and Parents

Rev. Samuel Doak was born 1 August 1749 in Augusta County, Virginia.^[1]

Samuel Doak was born August 1, 1749, in Augusta County, Virginia, to Scotch-Irish immigrants Samuel and Jane (Mitchell) Doak. He grew up on a frontier farm and began his education with Robert Alexander, who later founded the Academy of Liberty Hall (now Washington and Lee University). After attending an academy in Maryland, he entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), from which he graduated two years later in 1775. Doak married Esther Houston Montgomery of Augusta County in October 1775. ^[2]

Samuel Doak (1749-1829/30), pioneer educator and Presbyterian minister, was a son of Samuel Doak and Jane Mitchell who emigrated from northern Ireland to America in 1740; settled briefly in Chester County, PA; moved to Augusta County, Virginia. Deed dated September 24, 1741, indicates they bought land in Beverly Manor Estates within the boundaries of New Providence Church. ^[3]

The first minister that took his abode in Tennessee, was the Rev. Samuel Doak; and as he is identified with the history and progress of sound learning and religion in North Carolina, west of the Blue Ridge, a few particulars concerning his early training and the labors of his maturer years cannot be improper. His parents, Samuel Doak and Jane Mitchell, emigrated very young from the North of Ireland, and took their abode in Chester county, Pennsylvania. At the time of their marriage, they were both members of the church; and soon after that event they emigrated to Virginia, and settled in Augusta county, in the bounds of New Providence congregation. They were both of that party called the Old Side in distinction from that called the New Side, which two then divided the Presbyterian church. Their son, Samuel, was born August, 1749. He remained with his parents, and worked on the farm till he was sixteen years old. At that time he was admitted member of the church in full communion; and soon after commenced a course of classical study with Mr. Robert Alexander, who resided about two miles from his father's house. This grammar-school was soon after removed two or three miles further, to about the place where the Seceder meeting-house, called Old Providence, now stands. The school was taught by a Mr. Edmondson, who afterwards studied medicine. About this time the school came more immediately under the charge of the pastor, the Rev. John Brown, who having served the church of New Providence some forty-four years, removed to Kentucky, and lies buried near Pisgah church. By Mr. Brown the school was removed to Pleasant Hill, within about a mile of his dwelling, and about the same distance north of the village of Fairfield. While here, Mr. Ebenezer Smith, the brother of John B. and Samuel Stanhope Smith, was employed as teacher. A Mr. Archibald succeeded Mr. Smith, and William Graham succeeded Mr. Archibald. At this time the Presbytery of Hanover adopted the school. From near Fairfield it was removed to Timber Ridge; and from thence to near Lexington; and is now Washington College, in Lexington, Virginia. ^[4]

1775 Education

Samuel Doak graduated from Princeton College of New Jersey in 1775.

In Oct., 1773, Samuel Doak entered Princeton College and remained two years. ^[4]

1775 Marriage to Esther

He married Esther Houston Montgomery, daughter of John Montgomery and Esther (Houston) Montgomery, in 1775 in Augusta, Virginia.

Returning to Virginia he was married to Esther Montgomery, sister of the Rev. John Montgomery, whose family belonged to New Providence. ^[4]

Study of Divinity

"Shortly after [his marriage, he] became tutor in Hampden Sydney College in Prince Edward county. Here, for about two years, he pursued the study of divinity under the direction of the Rev. John B. Smith, the President of the College. ^[4]

1778 Ordination

In 1778 Doak settled in Tennessee in Sullivan County and was ordained a Presbyterian minister. Moving to the Holston valley in Tennessee, Doak assumed the Presbytery's charge to serve the congregation of the Fork Church, now known as New Bethel Presbyterian Church. ^[2]

Being licensed by the Hanover Presbytery, after preaching in Virginia for a short time, he removed to the Holston settlement, in what is now Sullivan county, Tennessee. Not finding this a suitable field for the designs of education he had in view, he removed in the course of a year or two to the settlement on Little Limestone, in Washington county, purchased a farm, and on his own land built a small church, and log college, and founded Salem congregation.^[4]

A rigid opposer of innovation in religious tenets; very old school in all his notions and actions; uncompromising in his love of the truth, and his hostility to error or heresy; a John Knox in his character, fearless, firm, nearly dogmatical and intolerant; but no one has been more useful to church or state, except it be Hall or Caldwell in N. C., or Waddell in South Carolina and Georgia. A volume would not exhaust the incidents of his life."^[5]

1780 Revolution

Doak's best-known sermon was probably the one delivered at Sycamore Shoals in 1780 as the “Overmountain Men” assembled on their way to defeat British Colonel Patrick Ferguson and his troops at the battle of Kings Mountain. In 1784 he was a delegate to the convention that formed the short-lived State of Franklin. ^[6]

During the Revolutionary war he was a warm, decided and uniform friend to civil and religious liberty, took part in the defence of his country, was a member of the convention that in 1784-5 gave rise to the insurrectionary state of Franklin; was upon the committee that reported an article of its constitution, making provision for the support of learning; and to the close of life was still its devoted servant, advocate, and patron. ^[5]

Daughters of the American Revolution information:

• DOAK, SAMUEL
• Ancestor #: A032617
• Service: NORTH CAROLINA
• Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE
• Birth: 8-1-1749 AUGUSTA CO VIRGINIA
• Death: 12-12-1830 WASHINGTON CO TENNESSEE
• Service Source: PRUITT, TN LAND ENTRIES: WASHINGTON CO, 1778-1796, P 219
• Service Description: 1) TOOK OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO MAKE LAND ENTRY, WASHINGTON CO, 7 OCT 1779
• RESIDENCE: Created: 2002-03-27 23:23:55.3, Updated: 2004-01-07 14:33:43.0, By: ptaylor 1) County: WASHINGTON CO - State: NORTH CAROLINA
• SPOUSE (1): ESTHER H MONTGOMERY; Created: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, Updated: 2015-11-30 14:02:23.0, By: 1)
• SPOUSE (2): MARGARET HOUSTON MCEWEN; Created: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, Updated: 2002-03-27 23:17:13.16, By: Conversion 2)
• Child daughter: JULIA DOAK, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] ADAM LOWRY
• Child son: JOHN W. DOAK, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] JANE ALEXANDER
• Child son: SAMUEL W. DOAK, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] SARAH HOUSTON MCEWEN
• Child daughter: JANE DOAK, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] DAVID RICE
• child daughter: NANCY DOAK, [Spouse #] Spouse: [1] WILLIAM MITCHELL

1783 Educator

He founded St Martin's Academy (now Washington College) in Limestone TN in 1783. He also founded Tusculum Academy, later known as Tusculum College, in Greenville, Tennessee.

The school that Doak had constructed at his Salem Presbyterian Church during 1780 was later chartered as St. Martin's Academy in 1783. St. Martin's Academy expanded in 1795 as Washington College. ^[2]

Doak served as president of Washington College (1795-1818) before turning it over to his oldest son, John Whitfield Doak ^[2]

1818 Marriage to Margaret

He married in 1818 Margaret Houston McEwen, widow of Alexander McEwen, and sister of Rev. Samuel Houston.

Esther Doak had died in 1807, and in 1818 he moved with his second wife, Margaretta Houston McEwen, to Tusculum Academy (later Tusculum College) ^[2]

He married Margaretta McEwewn. ^[1]

Resignation from Washington College

Having organized a number of churches in the county in which he lived, also Bethel and Timber Ridge in Greene county, about the year 1818 he resigned the Presidency of Washington College in favor of his son, Rev. John M. Doak, M.D., and removed to Bethel. Here he opened an academy to prepare youth for college, and named it Tusculum; and passed the remainder of his days in usefulness and honor. ^[5]

Under his son, Samuel W. Doak, the academy has grown into a flourishing college. Says a gentleman who knew him well--"His praise is in all our churches. ^[5]

1818 Freed Slaves

In 1818 he freed slaves inherited from the family, and became an ardent abolitionist.

After becoming convinced of the iniquity of slavery, he freed his own slaves in 1818. Afterwards, for the rest of his life, Doak advocated immediate abolition. He was referred to as being "the apostle of learning and religion in the West." ^[2]

1829 Death and Burial

He taught at Tusculum with his son Samuel W. Doak until his death on December 12, 1830. He is buried at Salem Church. ^[2]

He died 12` December 1829 in Washinton County, Tennessee and is buried in Salem Cemetery, Limestone, Washington County. ^[1]

• Fact: Burial Salem Cemetery , Limestone, Washington County, Tennessee, USA ^[7]

Children

1. Jane Rowe Rice ^[1]
2. Nancy A Broyles ^[1]
3. Samuel Witherspoon Doak ^[1]
4. John Whitfield Doak ^[1]
5. Julia Montgomery Lowry ^[1]

Sources

• https://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A032617

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7} Find A Grave: Memorial #144657977 Memorial for Rev. John Whitfield Doak (18 Oct 1778–6 Oct 1820),citing Leesburg Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Leesburg, Washington County, Tennessee, USA ; Accessed 17 July 2022.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Wikipedia:Samuel_Doak
3. ↑ Rootsweb. Samuel Doak
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} William Henry Foote. Sketches of North Carolina, Historical and Biographical, Illustrative of the Principles of a Portion of Her Early Settlers New York: Robert Carter, 1846. No copyright in US. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill elecrtronic transcription 2001. pp. 309-310
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Foote, 311
6. ↑ Tennessee Encyclopedia. Samuel Doak
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #10321845Memorial for Samuel Doak.

See also:

• Appleton's Cyclopedia, entry for Samuel Doak.
• Tennessee Encyclopedia, entry for Samuel Doak.
• Book: " Roster and Soldiers, The Tennessee Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution 1960-1970" Vol. 2, citing pg. 141, Samuel Doak Chapter, biography of Samuel Doak.

Acknowledgements

• Entered by Liam Spires, Saturday, January 4, 2014.