Rev. Chauncey Darby

This biography was submitted by Lynda & B.J. Ozinga.

Here is a biography of a Baptist Minister, Rev. Chauncey Darby, who had churches in Fairfield, Jefferson Co, Iowa & Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa at one time or another. His nephew, Thomas Darby lived in Jackson Twp, Butler County, Iowa from 1868 until his death in 1900.

BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES:  This volume contains BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES of Leading Citizens of CHENANGO COUNTY, NEW YORK , Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, NY 1898.

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Rev. Chauncey Darby, of the village of Greene, has been engaged in the blessed work of the master since 1839, preaching and ministering a considerable portion of this period to the spiritual needs of his flock in the Baptist church at Greene, this county, where he now lives in retirement. We take great pleasure in presenting the salient points of his life, adding to such an account whatever other facts of interest present themselves to us, which will enlist the attention and consideration of those who chance to read this volume.

Rev. Mr. Darby was born in the town of Homer, now Cortland, Cortland County, N.Y., February 14, 1816, and is a son of Joseph and Asenath (Tyler) Darby, both of whom were born in the State of Connecticut. 

Eleazer Darby, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Connecticut; attaining his manhood, he moved to the State of New York and located in the town of Homer, where he spent his life, actively engaged in the tilling of the soil. He cleared the timber in the forest, cultivated the land thus improved, labored there and remained until the time of his death. Religiously, he was an able worker of the Baptist church. 

Joseph Darby, the father of our subject, was one of the children born to this sturdy and courageous old gentleman and his wife. He was reared in the State of Connecticut, and received a liberal education for those times. After his marriage to Anna Grow, he moved to the town of Homer and became actively engaged in farming, which was his sole occupation throughout his life. His perseverance was remarkable. Amidst a deep forest he planned and developed a fine farm. In politics he was a Whig, and took a prominent part in local affairs, and was elected coroner of Cortland County, the duties of which office were faithfully discharged. Mr. Darby was an Anti-Mason man and was opposed to any secret organization. He was twice united in marriage. To his first wife, Anna Grow, three children were reared, namely; Dilly, Lyman and Thomas. After the death of his first wife, he married Asenath Tyler, who was born in Connecticut, and they reared a large family of children, of whom six lived to maturity. They were as follows: Ann; Joseph; Lucius; Chauncey, the subject of the sketch; Asenath; and Edwin. The father of our subject was an active and consistent member of the Baptist church, and supported the church of that denomination in the village of Cortland. He passed to the world of rest about 1836, at the age of sixty-two years. Mrs. Darby joined her husband about 1852, aged seventy-two years.

Rev. Chauncey Darby received his elementary training in the schools of Homer and at Homer Academy. He then pursued the theological course, and was graduated from the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution. In 1839 he was licensed to preach, and was installed as pastor of the Baptist church at Greene the same year. Later he was called to Binghamton to fill the vacancy in the First Baptist church and remained there five years. Mr. Darby was a very fluent and convincing speaker, and brought home to the hearts of his hearers the blessed truths to be found in the life of Christ, outlining their duty to God forcibly and distinctly. Not alone in the pulpit did his ability show forth in the best light, but also in bringing before each repentant sinner the plan of a personal salvation, free to all who would accept it. He was also interested in home and foreign missionary work, and went to great pains to keep himself and his people well informed as to the needs and the progress in the various fields. Our subject returned to the village of Greene, where the services were held in blacksmith shops and in a grocery store until the church was built, which was in 1843. Now they have a congregation of over 250 members. Mr. Darby has presided in pulpits at McGrawville, Cortland, and several other villages, where he assisted in the building of a house of worship for each congregation. Later he went to Marion, New York, where he remained a short time, when he went to the State of Iowa, where he preached at Fairfield and later at Ottumwa. After spending eleven years preaching in St. Joseph, Missouri, he moved to Philadelphia, whence he retired to his former home, Greene, where he now enjoys a well-earned rest.

In 1839 Mr. Darby was joined in matrimony with Miss Mary A. Short, daughter of Hammond Short of Homer. Their family consists of the following children: Charles H and Edwin T. Charles H. married the widow of Bishop Hawks of St. Joseph, Missouri, who was popular bishop in the Episcopal Church. To Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Darby was born one child, Ada. Edwin T. was joined in marriage with Miss Carrie Thomas of Galesburg, Illinois and they are the happy parents of four children, namely: George B; Frances T; Ethel and Marian. Mr. and Mrs. Darby celebrated the fifty-eighth anniversary of their marriage in 1897. They show in their daily lives the beauty of the teachings of the Gospel. They have, as they deserve, the good will and cordial friendship of the entire community in which they live, and their record through life is one of which their children may well be proud.