A HISTORY OF THE DAVIESS-McLEAN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION IN KENTUCKY, 1844-1943 
by Wendell H. Rone.  Probably published in 1944 by Messenger Job Printing 
Co., Inc., Owensboro, Kentucky.  Used by permission.  p. 253.
Daviess County

     JAMES M. BENNETT :  No record of the birth of the subject of this 
sketch has been obtained.  The earliest information that we have is his 
ordination which took place at Walton's Creek Church, in Ohio County, in 
January, 1843.  From the year 1843 to about 1848 he was a very active 
preacher in the Gasper River Association, serving 2S [sic][2 yrs.as] a 
missionary and also as Messenger from the Walton's Creek Church.  He 
pastored Nelson's Creek Church in Muhlenberg County in 1847; Mt. Carmel 
in the same county from 1846 to 1851;  New Hope in the same county in 
1850-1851. In 1819 he assisted Elders Thomas Downs and Richard Jones to
constitute Mt. Carmel Church in Ohio County.  He became the first pastor 
of this new church and served until 1851.  In 1848 he became pastor of the 
Green Briar Church as Elder Thomas Downs had become too feeble to care for 
the flock.  He remained here until sometime in 1853 when he resigned to take 
the care of the Bethel Church now located at Fairview, in Todd County.  We 
also note that he pastored the Church that ordained him, Walton's Creek, in 
1847 and 1848.  Elder Bennett was a well educated man and an eloquent 
speaker.[sic] and was for some years a leader among the Baptists of Western 
Kentucky.  But his life was beclouded at its noon-day.   He was excluded from 
his church and went to another state and later returned to Central Kentucky.  
Here he was received into the fellowship of a Church but was never recognized 
as before.  He died at an advanced age, probably above 90, in Louisville, 
Kentucky, sometime near the year 1910.

     We learn that he assisted in the constitution of South Carrollton Church 
in 1851, with Elder Kinchen G. Hay.  At the request of the Association he 
preached the Annual Sermon in 1855, in the absence of Elder Joseph P. Ellis.  
His record of life in his latter days is a sad commentary on his early 
successes.

Bennett Downs Ellis Hay Jones
=
Fairview-Todd-KY Louisville-Jefferson-KY Muhlenberg-KY OH

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/daviess/bennett.jm.txt