Wayne County Biographies



Part of the Indiana Biographies Project



Rev. Allen Jay

One of the most prominent ministers of the Society of Friends is Rev. Allen Jay, who is known throughout the entry country among the people of his denomination. He was born in Miami county, Ohio, on the 11th of October, 1831, and is a son of Isaac and Rhoda (Cooper) Jay. The family is of English origin, and its members have long been orthodox Quakers. The father was a native of Miami county, born February 19, 1811, on the old homestead which had been settled by his father at a very early period in the history of the Buckeye state. There he was reared, and when he was married he took his bride to the old home place. He carried on agricultural pursuits for may years. For thirty-five years he was connected with the ministry of the Friends’ church and traveled extensively over the country, preaching the doctrines in which he so firmly believed. He also engaged in teaching for a few years after his marriage, and possessed a good education for that day. In his evangelistic work he visited all sections of the United States and won the love and confidence of the Friends throughout the country. He was a member of the representative meeting, clerk of the quarterly meeting and filled many other offices. In 1850 he sold his property in Ohio, and removed with his entire family to Indiana, locating at Marion, Grant county, where he died in 1880. He had four sons and one daughter, Allen of this review being the eldest. Milton, a prominent physician of Chicago, was for some time dean of the Bennett Eclectic Medical College of that city, - in fact was one of its organizers. He resigned his position, however, in 1890 and afterward served as director of the Cook county hospital. He is one of the most able physicians of Chicago, especially skilled in surgery, and is now leading surgeon of the Rock Island Railroad Company. Walter D. died on a farm near Marion, Grant county, Indiana, when thirty-seven years of age. Abijah formerly followed farming, but sold out and is now a general business man of Marion, Indiana. Mary E. is the wife of Asa Baldwin, and a minister of the Friends meeting, of Marion, Indiana.

Rev Allen Jay spent his boyhood days under the parental roof and attended school through the winter seasons, while in the summer months he assisted in the cultivation of the fields. After the removal of the family to Marion, this state, in 1850, he entered Friends’ boarding school (now Earlham college) at Richmond, where he spent some time, then was a student in the Farmer’s Institute, at Lafayette, Indiana, for one year. He next became a student in Antioch College, where he remained until the spring of 1854, when he turned his attention to farming. He located on a tract of landon the Wea plains, near Lafayette, and there carried on agricultural pursuits until 1867. In 1864 he became a minister in the Friends’ meeting, and through the three successive years both farmed and preached. In the autumn of 1867 he was appointed superintendent of a work projected by the “Baltimore Association of Friends,” under the presidency of Francis Y. Kin. The war had left Friends, in common with other people, destitute in North Carolina and Tennessee, and Mr. Jay was appointed to ascertain their needs and improve their condition. Making his home at High Point, North Carolina, he traveled extensively over those two states, alleviating the temporal sufferings of the Friends, building up churches, establishing schools, preaching and teaching, among the people of those districts. He established thirty-one schools, with an enrollment of three thousand students, and told the gospel message to the people in many districts. He had the oversight of the work embraced within nine churches in Tennessee, and twenty-two in North Carolina, and during most of the time his work necessitated his driving from place to place, so that this period was not without its hardships, yet he regards it as the greatest work of his life.

After eight years of such service Mr. Jay turned his work over to the yearly meeting of North Carolina. In 1875 he went to Europe, visiting the churches in England, Scotland, Ireland and Norway. In 1877 he went to Providence, Rhode Island, where he served as treasurer and minister of the Friends’ boarding school, which had an enrollment of two hundred and fifty boys and girls. There he remained for four years, after which he came to Earlham College, in 1881, acting as superintendent and treasurer, while his wife filled the position of matron. For six years he labored in that institution, during which time he raised a large amount of money for the school and for the erection of two substantial and commodious college buildings – Lindley and Parry Halls. In 1887 he removed to his new home near the college, raising money in all parts of this country and in England and Ireland for the institution. He has for six years been superintendent of the evangelistic and pastoral work of the Indiana yearly meeting, retiring from that position in 1895. He has visited all the yearly meetings of the Friends Society in the world and is well know throughout this country in connection with his church work.

Mr. Jay was united in marriage to Miss Martha Ann Sleeper, who was a native of Ohio, but when two years old was taken by her parents to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, where she was married in 1854. Five children have been born to them: Rhoda died at the age of six years. Charles died at the age of fifteen months. William died in West Richmond, in 1897. He was graduated at the Providence boarding school, studied medicine under the direction of his uncle, Dr. Milton Jay, of Chicago, and was graduated in the Bennett Medial College of that city in 1882. He practiced for six years in Richmond and then removed to New Sharon, Iowa, where he successfully practiced until 1896, when, on account of failing health, he retired. He died in 1897, at the age of thirty-seven years. Edwin is a farmer, living near Richmond, Indiana. Isaac is with his father in Richmond.

Rev. Allen Jay is now serving as preacher of the East Main Street Friends meeting, a position he has occupied for the past eleven years, the society having no regular preacher. Thus almost his entire life has been devoted to the work of instructing men in the higher things of life, and his labors have been followed by excellent results; but who can measure the influence for good? Not until the heavenly record is read will it be known how great is the work that he has accomplished. His own career, in perfect harmony with his teachings, has won him the love and respect of all, and he well deserves mention in the history of his adopted county.

Since writing the foregoing sketch, Mr. Jay’s wife has passed away. The following obituary notice we quote from the American Friend:
Martha Ann Jay, a daughter of Buddell and Elizabeth H. Sleeper, was born tenth month, 22d, 1833, in Clark county, Ohio, and died at her home, opposite Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, fourth month, 27th, 1899, aged sixty-five years, six months and five days. Her parents moved to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, when she was two years old. She was married to Allen Jay on ninth month, 20th, 1854, and they settled on a farm near the old home, where their five children were born, and the two eldest died, the third on dying fifteen months ago in the same room she died in. In 1868 she, with her husband, moved to Bush Hill (now Archdale), North Carolina. After nine years they moved to Friends’ Boarding School, Providence, Rhode Island. After spending four years there, in 1881 they went to Earlham College, where she served as matron for six years, and then retired to the home where she died. Martha A. Jay was of a retiring disposition, never seeking popularity. Converted at the age of seventeen, she endeavored to carry Christianity in all her life work. She was much interested In humane work amount the children, the birds and all dumb animals; for several years had a band of mercy in her own home and one in the Orphan Home near by. She was appointed an elder at an early age, and held that position in the four different yearly meetings to which she belonged. She was a great strength to her husband, who was, as a minister, often called to labor away from home; she never murmured at the separation, but encouraged him to faithfulness when the Master called. She bore a long illness with Christian resignation; the closing hours were peaceful; the last audible words were: “Blessed! Blessed! Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord!”

Source:
Biographical and Genealogical History of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin Counties, Indiana, Volume 1, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1899