Ralph PETTY

                   Historical information included in notes.



Reverand Petty was a Baptist minister from 1805 until his death, holding many positions with different churches.died near Hiseville, KYFrom Barbara McGee, "Petty Family of Bourbon County, Kentucky," April 4, 2000, brbmcgee@networld.comRalph Petty (Rev.)His son Ralph Petty is probably the best known of the family resided in Bourbon County from the time his parents moved there in 1787 until after his conversion to religion and baptized by Rev. Andrew McClure in Barren Co., Kentucky. He lived in Bourbon Co. and married Isabella McClure about 1794. Her family at the time were in Clark Co., Ky. He first was a circuit minister traveling under Andrew McClure's tutelage. After Isabella died he married Beddy, and then Elizabeth Perigo.As a minister, he not only preached the good news of the gospel, but sustained himself and his family as a farmer. Isabella made their clothes as all of the settlers did. There are many stories written about Ralph and his adventures as a minister. He was reputed to be strong in character, and a good solid person. His son, Henry Petty, paid tribute to him on page 59 in the Blue Springs Church of the United Baptist, Barren County, Kentucky. "Whereas on the 20th day of July 1851 it pleased our Heavenly Father to call from time our one beloved Brother Ralph Petty who was a pastor of this Church from the fall of 1823 up to the December Meeting 1844 he served the Church very acceptably & did as much for the cause of Religion as any Minister of the Baptist Denomination in this Region of Country. He was a Baptist preacher Forty Years, died at home in Barren County, Ky . With an abiding hope that he would meet God in Heaven with all the Ransomed of the Lord he joind this Church in. Test: H Petty, ClerkIn 1802 he, Ralph Petty and his wife Isabella moved along with her sisters, Alice Glover, wife of Job, Mary Yeakey, wife of Henry, and Sarah Kinkaide, wife of Hopson, to Barren Co., Ky."He settled on Fallen Timber Creek in Barren Co., Kentucky. Here he united with the Glovers Creek church, and the following year was ordained to be a deacons. He was licensed to exercise a public gift, February 3, 1804, and ordained to the full work of the ministry, 3 Mar 1805. He was called to the Pastoral car of Glovers Creek, Mt Pisgah, Dripping Spring, and Skaggs Creek churches, all in Barren County. He later gave up the care of Skaggs Creek church and accepted that of Blue Spring, to the neighborhood to which he move in 1823." Mr. Petty possessed medium preaching gifts, and was a mild, conservative man. He was of easy, pleasant address, and was a great lover of peace. He was a good pastor, and much beloved by his people. Besides his long and faithful pastoral labors, he did much preaching among the poor and destitute, and, in the early part of his ministry, aided much in building up the Redeemer's cause. His co-laborers in the eastern part of the Green River Association were: Stockton, Nuckols , Elkin, Lougan and others."."Mr. Petty became corpulent in his old age, but continued to preach til he was attacked by a flux of which he died, 26 Jul 1851. He was speechless several days before his death." One of Mr.. Petty's chief excellencies as a preacher, was his great simplicity, by which he made the most illiterate understand him. Andrew Nuckols said to him on one occasion: 'Bro. Petty, how is it that the people like your preaching so much, and think so little of mine, when we both preach the same doctrine?' 'Because,' replied Mr.. Petty, 'I cut mine up so they can eat it, while you give them yours whole.' " (J. H. Spencer: A History of Kentucky Baptist, Vol 1, pp. 426-427.)( Cyrus Edward Stories, page 182) " Still another was Rev. Ralph Petty. The land changed hands several times before it passed into the hands of a well-known old preacher who was known far and wide in his old age as 'Old Father Petty.' When young he and his then newly-married wife settled on Skeggs Creek, where they were among the earliest settlers." Father Petty was physically large and powerful and his wife (Isabella McClure Petty) fairly matched him, and 
both were blessed with indomitable resolution and good health. They went to work with a determination to obtain a competence, and in eight or nine years were free from debt, and surrounded by all of the comforts of life for which they had started out and which they maintained to the end. He had hides tanned and made his own and his wife, Isabella McClure Petty's shoes for winter, and in summer both went barefooted. Lumber was to be obtained only by the "whipsaw" route and was therefore very hard to obtain. He used to tell of how their first child was in infancy, rocked in a sugar trough which was used as a cradle. (note: that would have been Albert.) Nearly all clothing was made at home from home-raised materials. The education of both was limited to a fairly good acquaintance with reading and writing and a little knowledge of arithmetic. They had only a few books except the Bible of which both were diligent students, and both were members of the Baptist Church. Brother Petty was rather gifted in expression, and when quite young became a leader in prayer meetings and at funerals, and was later ordained to preach . Some time before the year 1810 he was sent as a delegate from his church to the Association held at Old Blue Spring Church and, at the risk of being tedious. I will tell of his trip as often related by him, and as near as possible his own words:' As this was to be my first trip as a preacher beyond the bounds of my own neighborhood, my wife, Isabella McClure Petty, was much interested in my appearance, and had made elaborate preparations as to my outfit. Everything was made at home except a large silk cravat purchased in Glasgow and a early fine wool hat made by a hatter in that village. My underwear was of linen and cotton and my wife, Isabella, had contrived a good suit of blue mixed jeans and two pairs of woolen socks-all rather heavy, and I had a fine hors, saddle, and saddlebags. I had been plowing barefooted all spring and summer in newly-cleared land filled with sharp sprouts, roots, and briars; which, owing to the hardness of my feet, I had not felt when received. It was in the month of August and the weather was unusually dry and extremely hot, but the nigh before starting for the Association I had soaked my feet well in warm water and they seemed to be in excellent condition. I was ready to start by about daybreak the following morning, with all of my finery adjusted, including my heavy yarn socks, and my wife seemed to be proud of my appearance and said so. The morning was a little cooler than usual, with a wind from the northeast, and I felt quite well, but before I reached my destination it was quite hot and I began to feel the weight of my heavy clothing, as I had worn little except a tow linen shirt and pantaloons and a straw hat during the spring and summer, and during the balance of the day I suffered considerably from the heat. I was entertained by a wealthy family living several miles away, where a style was maintained far beyond anything I had before seen, and I was afraid to take off my coat before bedtime. I suffered much but saw no chance for relief. By morning I felt a little better, but the day was hotter than ever with no air stirring and by night I was burning all over and breaking out with heat. The second night was as the first, with no relief in sight, and during the following day my sufferings were terrible, but I was afraid to complain much, as all of the other ministerial delegated stuck to their coats (not so heavy as mine) like heroes. I had no hope except to get away. My feet felt as if in fire and my whole body was in bad shape, and I had determined to plead illness. (it would not have been a false plea) and start home late in the afternoon, but unfortunately I had, by some of my butcher-knife observations, attracted the attention of the leaders, and it was arranged that I should that night go with a few of them to take part in the consideration of some controversial matters to be settled the next day. On trying to remove my socks they stuck to my feet and I had to give it 
up as a bad job. I did not sleep, but cooled off a little during the night. The following day was one of unrelieved agony. I found myself in a dreadful condition. On trying to remove my socks they stuck to my feet and I had to give it up as a bad job. I did not sleep, but cooled off a little during the night. The following day was one of unrelieved agony. With all of my great strength and hardiness it was all I could do to get through the day without betraying my condition.About four o'clock in the afternoon the meeting closed and soon as possible I started home. I did not want any company, and as soon as possible I dismounted and took off my coat and shoes-the latter with great difficulty and pain. My socks were foul and saturated and stuck to my feet, which were so swollen that 'all the King's horses and all the King's men' could not have put the shoes on again.I tied my shoes to my saddle and rode on my coat and vest for a mile or so until I reached the Old Concord Branch. I went down the branch-in the woods-a short distance and took off my clothes and sat down with my feet in the running water, and in about an hour I succeeded in removing my socks by cutting them to pieces. Every break or puncture in the skin had developed into a festering and foul sore, and my whole body was nearly raw and very painful.By sunset I had bathed my body and soaked my feet until I began to have hopes of again seeing happy days, so I remounted my horse-barefooted and with as little clothing as the law allowed.I reached home about eleven at night. My wife Isabella was sitting up and expecting me and seemed much surprised at my changed appearance." Ralph Petty born 20 Dec 1767, died 26 July 1851. He is buried at the Old Petty Graveyard on Blue Springs Creek, near Heitesville, Barren Co., Kentucky