Concord Universalist Church, or as it was known, "The First Universalist Church of Bourbon County," was organized originally some forty years ago. The church building was begun in 1845, and completed and dedicated May 30 1847. The original members were Jesse Kennedy, Polly Kennedy, V. G. Wheat, W. A. Bacon, William L. Bacon, E. M. Kennedy, William Shaw and John Brown. The church prospered until the commencement of the war, when it was almost wholly broken up. About the year 1867, the building was sold under a degree of the court, bringing about $1,200. The purchaser designed turning it into a store or blacksmith's-shop, but it was burned shortly after its sale. It was situated about three miles from Paris, near C. M. Clay's, and was a frame building of substantial construction.
William Perrin's
"History of Bourbon, Scott, H O. L. Baskin & Co, Chicago, 1882
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Jesse Kennedy (1787-1863)
DIED
On Friday night, April 3rd, at nine o'clock, at Concord, his late residence, on the Winchester Pike, Mr. Jesse Kennedy, in the 76th year of his age, one of the most honored and respected citizens of Bourbon County. Mr. Kennedy at the time of his death was probably the oldest native-born citizen who resided in the county.
A son of an early pioneer, he was born the 11th of August 1787, on Kennedy's Creek in Bourbon County, on the same farm and within a hundred yards of the place where he closed his mortal career--having resided there all the days of his life. The farm was settled in 1785 by his father, Thomas Kennedy, who redeemed it from a wilderness, and transmitted his name to the stream which ripples through it, after he had lived several years in the fort at Boonesboro, had assisted Capt. Strode in building Strode's Station, and had with Michael Stoner cleared and planted "Stoner's Field," noted in the early annals of Kentucky. About the same time, came Capt. Duncan and Michel Couchman, and soon after the Clays--all of whom, though long since passed away, have left honored names and generations still living in the neighborhood who will keenly sympathize with the relations and friends of him whose recent death many deplore because of his excellence as a man and his usefulness as a citizen, before age and afflication had laid an embargo on his powers. In early life--like most others of that period--he enjoyed but few facilities for education or mental improvement. Possessed however of a superior natural mind, by close application and a strict fidelity to truth and honor he rose to a position of prominence in the estimation of his fellowmen. In 1812, he was a commander of a brigade of pack horses in the service of the country in the war with Great Britian. No officer of his rank gave more attention to the duties of the position, or rendered greater satisfaction. In 1813, he was appointed a constable of Bourbon County, which office he filled with success and acceptability of nearly six years--when, as stated by himself in a private memoir, he resigned "because times were getting hard in a pecuniary point of view, and consequently required a degree of rigor in the collection of debts that was in divers instances revolting to my feelings." As early as 1819, and for a number of years thereafter, he was an occasional contributor to the columns of the Western Citizen upon the leading political topics of the day. His articles were all characterized by a vigor of thought and lucidness of expression which rendered them attractive to the readers!
For many years, he was a justice of the peace for the county--under the old Constitution--the duties of which he discharged with a fidelity and intelligence that conferred honor and dignity upon the office. In 1829, he was elected one of the representatives of Bourbon County in the Legislature of Kentucky, along with Hubbard Taylor, Esq. and Maj. G. W. Williams. At that time the sessions were annual, and Bourbon had three representatives. In 1831, he was again elected--and again in 1832 and 1841, after which he declined all solicitation to fill public office. During this period of his active life, perhaps no citizen of Bourbon County commanded more fully the confidence of its people, or held that confidence in more sacred trust. As a member of the legislature, he served in its councils during the brightest period of Kentucky history. Menifee, Marshall, Speed Smith, Hardin, Crittenden, the Sickliffes, Moreheads, and other distinguished names gave tone and dignity to its deliberations; while the shafts of wit, the magic of oratory, and the profundity of logic were so sublinely illustrated as to give to Kentucky statesmanship imperishable renown. It was the epoch of pride and glory in our Commonwealth; and a seat in its councils then was an honor which the degeneracies of time cannot efface. Mr. Kennedy was no orator and rarely, if ever, entered the lists of public debate; yet in the midst of this charmed circle of powerful men, wielding only his remarkable common sense, repudiating all hypocracy and adhering always to truth--following the impulses of honor, and convictions of duty--he was enabled to exercise an influence little inferior to any member of those justly celebrated assemblies. At a later period of life, he embraced the doctrine of the "Universal Salvation of Christ" for all men. His confident trust was in the goodness, the mercy, and infinite love of God to purify the earth from sin, "to wipe away the tears from all eyes," and to cause "every knee to bow, and every tongue to confess him Lord to the glory of God the Father." With unshaken firmness he believed in the eventual holiness and happiness of all the human race, as revealed to the world in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this happy conviction disrobed death of its terrors, and made smooth his pathway to the tomb. Long an invalid and often an acute sufferer from disease, he bore his afflictions with patient and Christian resignation, many times expressing his willingness and even earnest desire to be released from his sufferings and go to his eternal rest, "Tis done!
Calmly and peacefully, "after life's fitful fever is over he sleeps well." A kind neighbor, an affectionate father, a steadfast friend, a good citizen, a patriot, a Christian --and above all the noblest work of God, "an honest man," rests in his grave. A numerous family of children mourn his loss and revere his memory. Not far hence, and they too will be "snatched from this dreary abode, and all laid to rest in the arms of their God."
Eli M. Kennedy was the son of Eli Kennedy and the cousin once removed of Jesse. Jesse married E. M.'s mother.
who became Polly Kennedy.
a tip of the hat to
http://www.shawhan.com
where i got the above information and the above Public Domain material.
(parts of Mr. Kennedy's diary is not PD)
http://www.rootsweb.com/~kybourb2/cemeteries/kennedy_cem.htm
has a picture of Jesse Kennedy's grave - mentioning that he was a founder and first member of the Concord Church.
the implication being the church was still going in 1863 ---
V. G. Wright, MD (July 26, 1810-September 29, 1867) burried in Paris Ky.
wheat of course, not Wright!
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