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Thursday, March 28, 2024 - 09:17 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

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Members of Joseph Evan Davis 907, Children of the Confederacy, toured the Thornwell Home for Children and Presbyterian College following the Division Board Meeting in Clinton on Jan. 9, 2016.  At the Board Meeting, hosted by the Clinton Museum, the children were able to see the CofC Silver Collection, including one piece inscribed in honor of their Chapter Director, Pam Durham, so honored for her patriotic activities.  Allison Bolt, President of Joseph Evan Davis 907, is the Patriotic Activities Chair for the CofC General (National Organization), and was pleased to see the silver awarded honoring the Patriotic Services recipients.  The children were delighted to spend time with Museum Director Elaine Thorpe.

Joseph Evan Davis CofC Chapter 1st VP Matt Myers (who also serves as President of the SC Division CofC) had never been to Thornwell, and was honored to be at the place that served as the home for his great-grandfather for over 12 years.

Matthew’s interest in family history has led him to the discovery of ancestors who served in the Confederate military and in the American Revolution.  His great-grandfather William Elmo Gilliam, Jr., was the grandson of Confederate soldier Jasper N. Gilliam.  Young William was orphaned at a young age, and sent to live along with his brother at the Thornwell Home. He remained there until he joined the military during World War II. Young William’s mother, Cenie King, was also the grandchild of Confederate veterans, John Dolphus King & John Caswell Knox.  Matthew was joined by his Chapter President, Allison Bolt, who is Patriotic Activities Chairman for the General CofC organization.

Thornwell Home for Children began as a dream in the heart of a young Presbyterian minister in Clinton, SC. Following the devastation of the War Between the States, William Plumer Jacobs, of First Presbyterian Church in Clinton, wanted to build an orphanage.

Thornwell’s founder, Dr. William Plumer Jacobs’ dream was energized when 10-year-old Willie Anderson of a nearby community gave Reverend Jacobs fifty cents and said, “This is to help build your orphanage.”

Dr. Jacobs’ named the orphanage after a mentoring theological professor, Dr. James H. Thornwell, and Thornwell opened its doors on October 1, 1875, to 10 orphaned children. Dr. Jacobs’ belief “that God so willed and would, therefore, support the endeavor,” carried him and his beloved orphanage through the post-war years up until his death in 1917.

Dr. James Henley Thornwell was born in SC in 1812.  Thornwell graduated from South Carolina College (now the University of South Carolina) at nineteen, studied briefly at Harvard, then entered the Presbyterian ministry starting at the Waxhaw Presbyterian Church. He became prominent in the Old School Presbyterian denomination in the south, preaching and writing on theological and social issues. He taught at South Carolina College, eventually served as its president, and went on to teach at Columbia Theological Seminary.

When the War Between the States began, Dr. Thornwell supported the Confederacy. He founded the Southern Presbyterian Review, edited the Southern Quarterly Review, and had a prominent role in establishing the Presbyterian Church in the Confederacy. Thornwell preached the first sermon and wrote the first address for the new denomination.

At Thornwell Home in Clinton, The Home of Peace was the residence of Dr. William Plumer Jacobs, the visionary who heard the call of God to begin a home for children orphaned by the War Between the States.  In his home, Dr. Jacobs and his wife, Mary, welcomed the first children to find a refuge at Thornwell.  Matt and Alison were able to visit the Home for Peace, which had provided a refuge for Matt’s great-grandfather during the Great Depression in the late 1920s!

Dr. Jacobs documented the progress and struggles of the fledgling orphanage in his diary.  Many find his recorded words inspirational for their demonstrations of his reliance upon the Lord for provisions for his children.  Further, Dr. Jacobs’ diary catalogs the answers that God provided – those answers were often exactly what Dr. Jacobs needed and came at just the right time.

After leaving Thornwell, the children went to see Presbyterian College, and were led on a short tour by SC Division 3rd VP/Winnie Davis 442 chapter member Dr. Julia Barnes, who is a 1972 graduate of PC.  The children saw sculptures and buildings named for notables such as Dr. Jacobs of Thornwell!  The group had a discussion of the options available for scholarships for future planning purposes and were given contact information for Mrs. Darlene Williams, 2nd VP of the SC Division UDC, who is responsible for the scholarships for the SC Division UDC.

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