John Ellison Vassar (1813–1878) was an American

lay preacher Lay preacher is a preacher or a religious proclaimer who is not a formally ordained cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presidi ...

and

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Early life

John Ellison Vassar was born January 13, 1813 and named for his maternal uncle. He was the son of Thomas Vassar of Norfolk, England. Originally named "Vasseur", the family was descended from

French Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss politica ...

who arrived in England in the mid-eighteenth century. Thomas's family were Baptists, and he and his younger brother James (father of noted brewer and philanthropist

Matthew Vassar Matthew Vassar (April 29, 1792 – June 23, 1868) was an English-born American brewer, merchant and philanthropist. He founded Vassar College, a women’s college, in 1861. He was a cousin of John Ellison Vassar. The city of Vassar, Michigan, ...

) emigrated to the United States in 1796. They settled near the village of

Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsi ...

and took up farming on the Wappingers Creek near Manchester Bridge. Thomas married Joanna Ellison of Flatbush on Long Island.Vassar, Thomas Edwin. ''Uncle John Vassar'', American Tract Society, 1879
/ref> Thomas returned to Norfolk briefly to obtain implements and seeds. Upon his return, he and his brother planted the first crop of

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later organ ...

. They then began to brew ale, which they sold to supplement their income. Their product was so popular that they sold the farm and James moved to Poughkeepsie to start a brewery, while Thomas established a

brickyard A brickyard or brickfield is a place or yard where bricks are made, fired, and stored, or sometimes sold or otherwise distributed from. Brick makers work in a brick yard. A brick yard may be constructed near natural sources of clay or on o ...

on the Dutchess Turnpike. John Ellison Vassar began working in the brickyard at the age of twelve. When Vassar was twenty years old he sustained a severe injury when his foot slipped through a log bridge over a creek near his house. This left him with a limp.

Missionary

John Ellison Vassar married Mary Lee and moved to Poughkeepsie. While working at his cousin's brewery, he began attending revival meetings at the nearby Baptist church."Civil War", Vassar Encyclopedia
/ref> He left the brewery and devoted his time and money to missionary work. In 1850 he became an agent and colporteur of the

American Tract Society The American Tract Society (ATS) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825, in New York City for the purpose of publishing and disseminating tracts of Christian literature. ATS traces its lineage back thro ...

, and traveled as its representative throughout Illinois and other parts west. Thereafter he worked in New York and New England."Vassar, John Ellison", ''Appleton's Encyclopaedia of American Biography'', Vol. 6, (James Grant Wilson, John Fiske, eds.), D. Appleton and Company, 1889
/ref> During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

he was at the front with the

Union Armies Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

. In early 1863 Vassar was in Alexandria, Virginia. Just before the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

he was captured by General J. E. B. Stuart's cavalry who were quick to release him in order to avoid his importunate prayers and preaching.

Evangelist

After the war, his missionary work for the Tract Society took him to Virginia, the Carolinas, and Florida. He was popularly known as "Uncle John". Known for his zeal and powerful preaching, John Ellison Vassar was one of America's most widely known evangelists.

References

: {{DEFAULTSORT:Vassar, John Ellison American Protestant missionaries Protestant missionaries in the United States People from Poughkeepsie, New York Union Army chaplains 1813 births 1878 deaths 19th-century American clergy