Thomas H. Elder

Thomas Elder, the third child of William Elder by his second wife, was born January 4, 1748, and was married in 1771 to Elizabeth Spalding, a sister of Basil Spalding, of Charles County. Shortly after that event he removed to and occupied a farm in Harbaugh's Valley, where he lived for twenty-eight years, and where his family of eleven children were born. The names of these children were: Anne or Nancy, was born July 1, 1772, and died unmarried in 1844; Basil Spalding Elder, who was born October 22, 1773 and died October 13, 1869, in Baltimore City, was married November 18, 1801, to Elizabeth Snowden, who died January 29, 1860; Catharine, who was born March 7, 1776, was the second wife of Joseph Gardiner, of Nelson County, Ky., three of whose daughters by his first marriage became Sisters of Charity of the Nazareth Community, and of these the late Mother Francis Gardiner was for many years Superior of the sisterhood; William Pius, was born May 4, 1778, and died in Baltimore, August 22, 1799; Clementina, who was born June 16, 1780, and died July 21, 1782, was married to Richard Clarke; Ignatius, was born July 21, 1782, and married Monica Green; Theresa, was born March 1, 1785, and died unmarried, December 19, 1816; Thomas Richard, who was born June 14, 1789, and died July 11, 1835, was married to Caroline Clements; Christiana, who was born October 30, 1791, became the wife of John B. Wright; Mary Elizabeth, born May 15, 1794, married John Tarboe; and Maria M., who was born April 11, 1796, was the wife of John Howard [see Note below - Donna]. In 1799, Thomas Elder broke up his establishment in Harbaugh's Valley and removed to Kentucky, accompanied by all his children, except Basil Spalding.

Basil Spalding, the second child of Thomas and Elizabeth (Spalding) Elder, was married to Elizabeth Snowden. To them were born thirteen children, three of whom died in infancy. Of the other ten, Eleanora became a sister of Charity. Another daughter, Mrs. Jenkins, died in Havana in 1846, and another Mrs. Baldwin, in Baltimore in 1772. Of the sons, Frances W. settled in Baltimore; Basil T., in St. Louis, Mo.; James C., in Baton Rouge, La., Joseph E., in Denver, Col.; Thomas S., of New Orleans, La.; William Henry, became Bishop of Cincinnati, O.; and Charles D. of New Orleans.

James Elder, the first Catholic of his name to emigrate to Kentucky, was born in Emmitsburg district, Frederick County, in 1760, and was the son of Guy Elder and grandson of William Elder, the American progenitor. He married Ann Richards and immediately went to Kentucky, where he settled on Hardin's Creek. His brother William, joined him a few months later. James Elder died August 15, 1845, and Ann, his wife, January 8, 1857.

http://www.familytrail.com/elder/WilliamElderEmmitsburgMd/williamel...

The Elders

lived in a settlement on Cox’s Creek north of Bardstown, known

as Gardiner’s Station or Turkey Town until it was incorporated

as Fairfi eld in 1820. It was one of an “intricate network of faith

communities, several fi rst gathered and sustained by pious laity.”

Besides achieving safety in numbers, the Catholics hoped to warrant

the assignment to Kentucky of one or two priests who would

provide at least some of the “consolations of religion” for themselves

and their children.

http://www.kentuckypress.com/081312395xexcerpt.pdf

The merits and demerits of men are rarely recognized to their full extent while they are yet living. Good and evil dispositions and habits are not only transmissible, but they are ordinarily transmitted to one's children. Hence it is that the stream of human being that has its source from a pure fountain is very generally found to be pure throughout its reaches. We have already seen what manner of man was the father of Thomas Elder. Equally admirable was the character of the son, and equally upright in the sight of God and men was his walk in life.

Of the very many former Catholic citizens of Maryland who emigrated to Kentucky at an early day in the history of the State, there was not one who left to his posterity the record of brighter virtues practiced in life than did Thomas Elder, of Cox's Creek settlement. Writing to the compiler of this history, an aged priest of the diocese of Louisville thus refers to him: "Of course you have heard good things of Thomas Elder." Regarding others of the same settlement, he speaks in detail of their good qualities, and of the special characteristics which entitle them to commendation and christian remembrance. Of this patriarch only he has nothing to say beyond his words quoted. He was evidently unable to conceive that any Catholic born and raised in the county of his residence should be less familiar than he was himself with whatever was distinguishing in a character so elevated as was that of Thomas Elder.

The subject of this sketch was born at the Elder homestead, near Emmittsburg, Maryland, on the 4th day of January, 1748. His childhood and youth were passed with his parents, by whom he was trained in love of knowledge, especially of the knowledge which is necessary in the service of God. In the year 1771, he took to wife Elizabeth Spalding, a sister of Basil Spalding, Esq., of Charles county, and shortly after that event he moved to and occupied a farm in Harbough's Valley, Frederick county, where he lived for twenty-eight years, and where his family of eleven children had their birth.*

It was most likely in the year 1799, that Thomas Elder broke up his establishment in Harbough's Valley and removed to Kentucky. He was, doubtless, moved to this step by his solicitude for his children's temporal interests. His own worldly circumstances had hitherto barely enabled him to live in comfort, and he was naturally anxious regarding the future of his large family of sons and daughters. He had already friends in Kentucky, and it is to be presumed that these had written to him glowing accounts of the wholesomeness of the climate, the fertility of the soil, the cheapness of the lands, and of the reasonable assurance he would have, should he conclude to follow them to the West, that he would be enabled thereby to give to his children at least a start in life. They told him something else, without the knowledge of which, it is fair to say, he would have remained a fixture in Maryland for the remainder of his life. He learned from them that they were provided with a pastor of souls, whose visits to the settlement were not less frequent than once in the month. With the exception of his oldest son, Basil S., who was already engaged in business in Baltimore, Thomas Elder was accompanied to Kentucky by his entire family. He was also accompanied by Mrs. Spalding, a widowed sister-in-law, and her two infant daughters. In due course of time, and without disaster by the way, the travelers reached Gardiner's Station, on Cox's creek, where they were warmly welcomed by their former neighbors of Maryland, and where the father of the family set up his tabernacle for life.

The traditions of the times, still preserved in the congregation of St. Michael's, Fairfield, are filled with references of Thomas Elder. They represent him as a man whose every appearance was suggestive of the idea of sanctity. In his face there were no hard lines to index the workings of a passionate nature; no expression that was not attractive of love and confidence. He was an austere man, but his austerities were practiced in the privacy of his own house. With those who knew him best he was most remarkable for his mildness and amiability, and for his habits of practical goodness. It was his delight to take Httle children by the hand and to lead them in the ways of holiness. So conspicuously upright was the whole tenor of his life, that he was held in almost as much esteem by non-Catholics as he was by his own co-religionists. Sixty years ago there were few Catholics in Kentucky who had not "heard good things of Thomas Elder; " and to this day his name is blessed by thousands because of his transmitted virtues — virtues derived from the parent fount by the children, and by them transmitted to their offspring to the present generation. To make this idea clear, it is but necessary to point to the lives of two of his children, and to that of his adopted daughter, the late Reverend Mother Catherine Spalding, of the Nazareth community of Sisters of Charity.

Ripe for heaven, and leaving behind him the record of a life that was as remarkable for its social amenities as it was for its near approach to the perfection of Christianity, Thomas Elder passed to his reward in the eighty-eighth year of his age, December 27th, 1832."

"– The names of these, in the order of their birth, were : I. Annie or Nancy, born July i, 1772; lived single, and died in Bardstovvn, Kentucky, March 25, 1842, 2. Basil Spalding, born October 29, 1773; married Elizabeth Snowden, November 18, 1801 ; died in Baltimore, October 13, 1869. (The death of his wife occurred February 20, i860.) 3. Catharine, born March 7, 1776; was the second wife 01 Joseph Gardiner, Esq., of Nelson county, Kentucky. She died at the home of her son-in-law, Thomas Merimee, March 7, 1866, at the exact age of 90 years. 4. William Pius, born May 4, 1778; died in Baltimore, August 22, 1799. 5. Clementina, born June 16, 1780; married Richard Clark; died in Nelson county, Kentucky, on the 21st of August, 1851. 6. Ignatius, born July 21, 1782; married Monica Greenwell ; date of death unknown. 7. Theresa, born March i, 1785; died unmarried, in Nelson county, Kentucky, December 19, 1816. 8. Thomas Richard, born June 14, 1789; married Caroline Clements; died July 11, 1835. 9. Christiana, born October 30, 1791 ; married John B. Wight ; date of death unknown. 10. Mary Elizabeth, born May 15, 1794; married John Jarboe ; date of death unknown. II, Maria M., born April 29, 1791 ; married John Horrell ; date of death unknown."

Ben. J. Webb, The Centenary of Catholicity in Kentucky. (Charles A. Rogers, 1884; Reprinted by McDowell Publications)