EV. RICE HAGGARD was born about 1765-1770, and lived in Norfolk county, Virginia. He moved to the State of Kentucky about the year 1812, and died about the year 1819, or a few years before Rev. James O'Kelly died.

      He married the widow of William Wiles. She was the daughter of William Grimes and only legal representative in 1809. William Grimes was an officer in the Revolutionary war and became entitled to 4,000 acres of military bounty lands which were valued at $5,000.00. These lands descended to his daughter Nancy Grimes, for which "a warrant No. 3990 was issued from the Land Office of the said Sate of Virginia on the 2nd day of December, in the year 1785, to the said Nancy Haggard, then Nancy Grimes, as legal representative of the said William Grimes, deceased, for three years' services . . . . as Captain in the Continental line . . . ." She joined her husband William Wiles in the execution of a deed bearing date September 3, 1792, at which time she had not arrived at the age of twenty-one, and hence was born about 1772.

      Rev. Rice Haggard entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1789. While he labored among the Methodists, he proved his gifts and was admitted into full connection in 1790, and stationed in Bedford county, Virginia; in 1791 he was stationed in Cumberland county; and in 1792 in Mecklenburg county. He is recorded as withdrawn with O'Kelly, Allen, and Robertson, in 1793. He was in the Methodist first regular General Conference" in Baltimore, which began on the first day of November, 1792. Some of those who were arrayed on the same side with him and O'Kelly in the [34] discussion of the appeal, were Freeborn Garrettson, Ivey Harris, Hope Hull, Stephen Davis, William McKendree. When the vote on the resolution, which was lost, had been taken, O'Kelly with others withdrew from the Conference. O'Kelly was asked on what terms he would return; he said, "Let an injured man have an appeal," to which the reply was, "That cannot be granted." Revs. Rice Haggard and John Robertson with others left the place, O'Kelly leading.

      About two weeks after the General Conference had adjourned, Asbury says, "Sunday [November] 25, came to Manchester and preached in the afternoon, and felt life amongst the people and preachers who were met for the District Conference." "W. McKendree and R. H. [Rice Haggard] sent me their resignations in writing." While McKendree returned to the Methodists, Haggard stood firm and faithful to the cause he had espoused.

      On the 4th of August, 1794, at Lebanon church in Surry county, Virginia, Rev. Rice Haggard, after the committee had labored some time in vain, arose and moved that the Bible be the rule and guide for the Church, which motion was unanimously accepted, and at his suggestion the Conference decided to discard all names except the one which would fully express their relation to Christ, the Head of the Church,--Christians--"although 'Christian Church' is the name." Though they may not all have been present at this General Meeting, the following co-laborers also took an active part with James O'Kelly and Rice Haggard: Micajah Debruler, William Glendenning, Adam Cloud, William Dameron, Joseph Hartley, Joshua Worley, and others.

      In 1801, he traveled the "Mountain Circuit" in Virginia with Rev. William Dameron. This territory was not unknown to him, he having been stationed in parts of it before his withdrawal from the Methodists.

      He was the author of several productions on the [35] doctrine of the Church, one of which in particular published in 1804, it is said, created quite an excitement among friends and foes. This was on the subject of the "Union of all the followers of Christ in one Church." In this the name proposed was "Christians." The name as well as his other measures of union were such as had already been adopted, and such as continue to be the platform of the Christian Church at the present time.

      In 1807, Rev. Thomas Reeves with Rev. Joseph Thomas visited Elder Rice Haggard, who then resided about twelve miles from Norfolk out toward the Great Bridge. It was in December about Christmas time. Rev. Joseph Thomas says, "He was a man of a sound, deep, penetrating mind, capable of looking over and excusing youthful imperfections, and of judging their probable abilities. . . . . Though it is was supposed by some he was an austere, lordly disposed man, yet I found him possessed of every necessary qualification to make him a great, a good man, a Christian." Again, in 1809, Rice Haggard was visited by the young preacher Joseph Thomas. For the following year, he made an engagement with Rev. Joseph Thomas to travel in the western country, but owing to the sickness of the latter the engagement was broken. They had arranged to meet at the home of one of the brothers of Joseph Thomas on New river in Virginia. The time appointed for the meeting was the first day of June, 1810. It is more than probable that this visit was planned to return the visit of Elder Reuben Dooly, who had visited Elder Haggard during this year at his home in Norfolk county, or to visit his brother David Haggard and to make a prospecting tour with reference to his moving to Kentucky. Rev. Dooly, born in Virginia in 1773, now lived in Kentucky, and it is said of him: "Indeed, he was like Paul, he knew nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified."

      About 1812, Rev. Rice Haggard moved with his family [36] to the State of Kentucky, and settled in Cumberland county where he resided in 1815. He disposed of the remainder of his property in Virginia by deed acknowledged May 14,1816. At this time he must have been about fifty years old. He continued to preach, and died while on a circuit in Ohio.

      It is to be inferred that after his withdrawal from the Methodists, he was none the less active and persevering in the cause of the Christian Church as was evidenced by his writings. His name will be long remembered by those who wear the name "Christian" only.

[LCM 34-37]