STACY GARDINER POTTS.

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Cultivating a taste for speaking and composition, he soon contributed articles for the press in prose and verse. Choosing the law as his profession, he was licensed as an attorney in 1827, and as a counselor in 1830.

He served in the State Legislature in 1828 and 1829; for ten years held the office of Clerk of the Court of Chancery, in 1852 was nominated by Governor Fort, and confirmed by the Senate, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court, taking as his circuit the counties of Gloucester, Camden, Burlington and Ocean.

Mr. Potts thus records his religious experience and exercises. "I do not remember when I had no serious thoughts. As my mind opened to comprehend the goodness of God in his Providence, his power as exhibited in nature, and his love in redemption, my heart was often filled with love and my eyes with tears. My circle of friends numbered some ardently pious students of theology, as I grew up, but I was resolutely opposed to the Calvinistic scheme. In the year 1817 Scott's Force of Truth' was put in my hands. I read it carefully, and became convinced that I was wrong, and that no other scheme can be reconciled with a full, intelligent conception of the infinite perfections and. attributes of God. This removed every difficulty in the way of my uniting with the Church, except a timidity which hung about. me, and which still kept me from a public profession, until the approaching responsibilities of the married life fixed my purpose." He was received to the communion of the Church in 1822, and was ordained a ruling elder in 1836. In the matter of worldly substance his resolution was "to practice a rational economy in my own expenditures and a liberal profusion in the cause of my Master who has given me all I have." He was engaged in the Sunday School as teacher or superintendent thirty-six years.

Two of his brothers, William S. and Theophilus G. were ministers of the Gospel. "Reminiscences" concerning William S., who became pastor at St. Louis, Mo., Mr. Potts furnished for Sprague's "Annals." The paper closes as follows:

"As a specimen of his system in labor, I may mention that he kept, from the commencement of his ministry, a sort of historical record of all persons who joined his church, and it was printed,

re-printed every four years, and distributed through the church. In this the brief history of every member was kept before his eye, and continued down year after year, and kept too before all his people. He considered a person who once joined his church, thenceforth a member of his family-to be visited, written to, watched over, and followed with the solicitude of parental affection while he lived. Hence he knew intimately every one of his members, and seldom failed to keep his eye upon them wherever they might wander.

"It was his constant object to find work for every one of his people, and he kept them, as far as possible, at work. His maxim was, to grow in grace, you must do your duty.' He was a man of practical ideas, and but little of a theorist. His test of Christian character was not so much how do you feel,' as 'how do you perform your duty.' If you want me to tell you whether or no you love the Saviour, tell me first how you serve and obey him.

THOMAS PRENCE.

GOVERNOR OF PLYMOUTH COLONY, 1634, 1638, 1657-1673.*

THOMAS PRENCE, a native of Gloucestershire, England, was born in the year 1600; died March 29, 1673.

Having in hand " a respectable patrimony," he came to America in 1621, in the ship Fortune, arriving at New Plymouth in the month of November. In the course of time he established his residence at Duxbury.

He became Governor of the Colony in 1634, was again elected in 1638, again in 1657 as successor of Governor Bradford. From this date he received an annual election for sixteen years.

Although the law required the Governor to reside at Plymouth, he held his residence at Duxbury by special arrangement, until 1665. In October of that year, for greater convenience, he was requested to move to Plymouth. He accordingly took possession of the home provided by the Government, and his salary was established at fifty pounds per annum.

Controversy arose between the sect known as Quakers, and the Civil Authority as sustained by Governor Prence.

The General Court passed a law with this preamble: "Whereas sundry persons, both Quakers and others, wander up and down in this Jurisdiction, and follow no lawful calling, to earn their bread, and also do use all endeavors to subvert the civil state, and pull down all churches and ordinances of God, to thrust us out of the ways of God, notwithstanding all former laws provided for the contrary." And Mr. Humphrey Norton, representing the Quakers, addressed words to Governor Prence after this style: "Thomas Prence, thou who hast bent thy heart to work wickedness, and with thy tongue hast set forth deceit; thou *"Governors of New Plymouth,” by J. B. Moore; Mather's “ 'Magnalia."

imaginest mischief upon thy bed and hatchest thy hatred in thy secret chamber; the strength of darkness is over thee; and a malicious mouth hast thou opened against God and his anointed, and with thy tongue and lips hast thou uttered perverse things. . . .'

Governor Prence rendered efficient service to the cause of education, in his efforts to establish in the Colony a system of schools sustained at the public expense.

The character of Mr. Prence has been set forth in the following language:

...

"He served God in the office of Governor sixteen years or near thereunto. . . . He was a worthy gentleman, very pious, and very able for his office, and faithful in the discharge thereof, studious of peace, a well-wisher to all that feared God, and a terror to the wicked."

And Cotton Mather testifies :

"Among the many excellent qualities which adorned him as Governor of the Colony, there was much notice taken of that integrity, wherewith indeed he was most exemplarily qualified; whence it was that as he ever would refuse anything that looked like a bribe, so if any person having a case to be heard at Court,` had sent a present unto his family in his absence, he would presently send back the value thereof in money unto the person."

Mr. Prence was married in 1624 to Patience, daughter of William Brewster, by whom he had two children, a son and a daughter. He married for his second wife in 1635, Mary, daughter of William Collier, formerly a London merchant. They had seven children, all daughters.

DAVID RAMSAY.

REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS, 1785.*

JAMES RAMSAY, father of David, emigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania at an early age. "By the cultivation of his farm, with his own hands, he provided the means of support and education for a numerous family. He was an intelligent and pious man and early instilled the principles of religion into the minds of his children."

David Ramsay, youngest son of the preceding, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., April 2, 1749; died in Charleston, S. C., May 8, 1815.

At the age of twelve, he applied for entrance to Princeton College and was found qualified for the Junior class. In consequence of his extreme youth, the faculty advised him to enter as a Sophomore. He passed through college with high reputation and took the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1765, when sixteen years of age. He occupied two years as private tutor in a family in Maryland; studied medicine in Philadelphia, practiced his profession a year in Maryland, and then removed to Charleston, S. C. He bore with him this testimonial from Dr. Benjamin Rush:

"Dr. Ramsay studied physic regularly with Dr. Bond, attended the hospital and public lectures of medicine, and afterwards was graduated Bachelor of Physic. It is saying but little of him to tell you, that he is far superior to any person we ever graduated at our college. I never saw so much strength of memory and imagination united to so fine a judgment. His manners are polished, his conversation lively, and his behavior without offence. Biographical Sketch, prefixed to Ramsay's "Life of Washington "; Thacher's "Medical Biography"; "Princeton Graduates," by Alexander.