Jabez Ham

Elder Jabez Ham (1796-1842) = Farmer. Primitive Baptist minister. Born on August 3 to Rhoda and Stephen Ham, Sr. of Madison Co, KY.

Jabe married Hannah S. Todd (b.1798), daughter of Hannah and Peter Todd [1756, PA.- c.1841, Ky.) a former Revolutionary War Soldier , on January 13, 1814. They emigrated to Missouri in 1817 and altogether had 14 children. A dark chapter came into their lives when Indians massacred all passengers, including two of their boys, on a wagon train going west but one, Joel Campbell Ham (1818-1887). He escaped by crawling into a haystack and the Indians overlooked him. He returned to Missouri.

Elder Jabez Ham organized a church on Loutre Creek in Montgomery County, Missouri called New Providence *. In a letter, written by a Callaway County woman to her sister in Kentucky about a wedding she attended officiated by him, she described him thus: "He had on a long buckskin overcoat that looked so funny! Mr. Ham was a spelling and reading the ceremony from the book." He was said to be quite a character. Another story involves a State senator, one Mr. Harper who left Montgomery County to get a load of corn in Callaway County. Harper wore his usual home-spun clothes and on his way back home, he went by a house where Jabe was preaching. Harper stopped by to hear it and during the services, Jabe asked the congregation to kneel in prayer, which all did except Harper, who leaned his head upon his hand. Then Jabe prayed that the Lord would bless "that Virginia man, who had on store clothes, and was afraid or too proud to get down on his knees."

He passed away in Callaway County, Missouri on December 12, 1842 and is buried in the New Providence church cemetery.

* Historical Note: According to my unpublished research into pioneer Missouri churches 1541-1910, Joseph Baker (d.1811) came from Kentucky to Montgomery County in 1809 and  organized a Baptist church in 1810 on Loutre Creek, called "The Church on Loutre." In September of that year, the congregation called Joseph Baker as their pastor, electing William Savage clerk and set apart Samuel Brown as deacon. Baker's church and Ham's church may have been some distance apart on the creek, or perhaps, for some reason, the congregation drifted apart and Jabez Ham reorganized the church body. More study is needed.

More to Read:

1. The Ham Family Kith and Kin. By Rev. Ervin Charles Tipton. San Rafael, CA. 1977.

2. Madison County, Kentucky Marriage Records, Vol. 1, p. 113.

3. Pioneer Families of Missouri. By Byron and Rose, History of Pettis Co, p. 972. 
4. A History of the Pioneer Families of Missouri: With Numerous Sketches … By William Smith Bryan. (Side note: the author is related to Daniel Boone's wife Rebecca). 

5. Revolutionary War Records for Peter Todd, #S31430, Rowan County, NC under Capt. Robert Moore
6. The Ghost Towns of Central Missouri: Callaway & Osage Counties. by Kelly Warman-Stallings. Ketch's Printing, Jefferson City, MO, 1998. Vol.2.

7. J.K. Martin's Ham Page

8. Ham Country
9. Primitive Baptist Church Library in Carthage, IL
10. Access Genealogy
11. Charles Harper, 2nd District (1842) Missouri State Senators
12. Findagrave #28718049

Descendants:
"History of Elk Fork Township: Joel C. Ham."  The History of Pettis County, Missouri, p. 972

Activity: Pray for the descendants of those he ministered to.