Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/230

 McWHORTER

MACY

of a brochure on the typhoid epidemic at Ply- mouth, Pa., translations of Demosthenes' Z)e Cor- ona and Virgil's ^-Eaeid ; a life of Charles Stew- art Parnell entitled The Uncrowned King (1891); and with T. P. O'Connor, M.P., The Great Irish Struggle (1888).

McWHORTER, Alexander, clergyman, was born in Newcastle, Del., July 26, 1734 ; son of Hugh and Jane McWhorter. His parents, whose ancestors were Scotch, emigrated from county Armagh, Ireland, where his father was a linen merchant, and settled in Newcastle county, Del., in 1730. Soon after her husband's death in 1748 his mother removed to North Carolina, where three of her sons resided. In 1751 Alexander returned to Delaware, and attended school at Newark, Del., 1751-54, and at West Nottingham, Pa., 1754-56. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1757, A.M., 1760; studied theology under the Rev. William Tennent of Freehold, N.J., and was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, Aug. 3, 1758. He was married in October, 1758, to Mary, daughter of Robert Cumming of Freehold, N.J., high sheriff of Monmouth county. He was ordained by the presbytery of Cranberry, July 4, 1859, and became pastor of the church in Newark, N.J. He was a missionary in North Carolina, 1764-66 ; and again pastor in Newark, J^^.J., 1766-79. In

1775 he was appointed by congress to visit the western district of North Carolina and persuade the Royalists to join the American cause. In

1776 he visited General Washington in his camp opposite Trenton, to devise measures for the pro- tection of the state, and was present on Dec. 26, 1776, when the American troops crossed the Del- aware and captured the Hessians. He was chap- lain of General Knox's brigade for a few months in 1778, and in October, 1779, dissolved his pas- toral relations with the church at Newark, N.J. He became pastor of the church at Cliarlotte, N.C., and president of Charlotte academy in 1779, and had just settled himself and family when the army of Cornwallis entered the place and forced him to leave. He lost his library and furniture and after spending the winter of 1780-81 in Abington, Pa., was recalled to the church at Newark, N.J., and was acting pastor until his death. He declined the presidency of Washington academy, Md., in 1783. He was active in settling the " Confession of Faith " and forming the constitution of the Presbyterian church of the United States in 1788, and was a member of the board of trustees of the general assembly of that church, 1799-1803. In 1802 he solicited contributions in New England to the building fund of the College of New Jersey, which was destroyed by fire in that year, and he was a trustee of that institution, 1772-1807. He re-

ceived the honorary degree of D.D. from Yale in 1776. He published a Sermon on the Blessednesa of the Liberal (1796); a Century Sermon describ- ing the progress of Newark, N.J.(lbOO), and Ser- mons {2 vols., 1803). He died in Newark, N. J., July 20. 1807.

McWILLIB, Wllliani, governor of Mississippi, was born in Kershaw districts, S.C., Nov. 17. 1795 ; son of Col. Adam McWillie. He was pre- pared for college when the war of 1812 was de- clared, and he joined his father's regiment of state militia as adjutant. After the declaration of peace he matriculated at South Carolina college, and was graduated in 1817. He settled in the practice of law in Camden in 1818, and pur- ' chased a plantation in Missis- sippi in 1835. He was married^ Dec. 13, 1818, to a daughter of Joseph Cunningham, a planter of South Carolina. She died in April, 1827 ; and he married secondly in March, 1831, a daughter of Dr. Edward H. An- derson of Camden, S.C. He was elected president of the Camden bank in 1836, and served in both branches of the state legislature between 1836 and 1840. In 1845 he removed to his plantation in Madison county. Miss., and was a Democratic representative in the 31st congress, 1849-51. In 1850 he was defeated for re-election by John D. Freeman, the Anti-Compromise Democratic can- didate. He was governor of Mississippi, 1858-60. He was in favor of secession and took an active part in the councils of the state. He died in Kirkwood, Madison county, Miss., March 3, 1869.

MACY, Jesse, educator, was born in Knights- town, Ind., June 21, 1842 ; son of William and Phcebe (Hiatt) Macy; grandson of Thaddeus and Catharine (White) Macy, and of George and Sarah (Stanley) Hiatt, and a descendant of Thomas Macy of Nantucket, Mass., who resided in the parish of Chilmark, near Salisbury, England, married Sarah Hopcott, of Chilmark, and came to America about 1635. He was graduated from Iowa college, A.B., 1870, A.M., 1873; served in the U.S. army hospital, 1864-65 ; taught school, 1865-70, and was a tutor at Iowa college, 1870-72. He was married in 1872 to Maude M., daughter of Henry G. Little, a graduate of Oberlin college in the class of 1865. He was principal of the acad- emy of Iowa college, 1872-83 ; acting professor of history and political science in the college and principal of the academy, 1883-85 ; professor of history and political science, 1885-88; and was elected professor of constitutional history and political economy in 1888. He was on leave of absence travelling and studying in Europe, 1887- 88 and 189.5-96. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Brown university in