yesterday's tennessee

Notes of Ministerial Life from 1851 to 1884
Paris, Texas - March 1900

by R. G. Rainey

I was born in the state of North Carolina, Rowan County, in the year 1820, June 28. My parents were born and raised in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. My mother's maiden name was Mary Morgan. My father died when I was an infant and at the age of five years my mother came to west Tennessee and located in Madison County, where I grew up to manhood.

My educational advantages were limited, but I made the best use of them that I could, having to labor on the form for a support.

I was first married to Miss Terry Butler, November 28, 1843. She died March 14, 1856, and left five children. On January 1, 1857, I married Miss Mary Y Walsh, near Prudy, Tennessee. Six children were the fruit of this last marriage. Only six out of the whole family are living at this writing.

I was converted at Cool Springs Church on Bear Creek Circuit, Memphis Conference, September 1,1844, and joined the Methodist Church, South, September 8, 1844. I was licensed to exhort in the year 1845. In the year 1848 I was licensed to preach, and in December, 1851 I was admitted into the Memphis Conference at Paducah, Kentucky and appointed to the Charleston Circuit in the State of Mississippi. I was returned to this work at the close of 1854. I was appointed the Oxford Circuit were I labored for two years. In the year 1856, Prudy circuit; 1857, Corinth Circuit; 1858, Pinson Circuit; 1859, Montezuma Circuit; 1860, Rock Spring  Circuit; in the year 1861, Charleston Circuit in Mississippi.

At this point the Civil War broke out and I had no regular work for three years. Altho I had regular appointments, it was impossible to fill them. I was arrested twice during the war by Federal sold ires while endeavoring to keep my work on the circuit.

When the war closed I went regularly on with my ministerial labors until the year 1877, at the close of which I took a transfer to the North Texas Conference. I labored in the Memphis Conference from 1852 to 1877 inclusive.

In 1878-1880 I labored on the Paris Circuit, 1881& 1882 on the Woodland Circuit, 1883 as supernumerary, in 1884 Rosalie Circuit. At the close of the conference year I was granted a supernumerary relation, which I yet sustain. I was thirty-two years in the regular work and compelled to retire by reasons of age and disability.

My residence is Paris, Texas
My full name is Robert Granderson Rainey.
(Sgd) R. G. Rainey

from the research of Roger Strain

This was completed in March before he died 24 Apr 1900.