Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 6th ed., 1887, Shelby Co. REV. J. A. FRENCH was born March 11, 1849, in Powhatan County, Va., and was reared in Richmond, the same State. His father, John W. French, was a native also of Powhatan County, and his mother was before marriage Miss Judith F. Blanton of Cumberland County, Va., both being old and prominent families of Virginia. Mr. French was educated at Richmond College, Virginia., and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the latter then being at Greenville, S. C., but now at Louisville, Ky. At Richmond College he received the "Woods Declamation Medal" the "Debater's Medal of the Philologian society" and was elected valedictorian of the same society, besides being promoted in various departments of study. After graduating in theology, Mr. French pursued some special studies at the University of Virginia, and while at the university supplied the Baptist Church at Gordonsville, Va., as minister, and also a church in Fluvanna County. After taking a special course at the University of Virginia, he still remained pastor at Gordonsville for a period of five and a half years, and having resigned at Beaver Dam Church, Fluvanna County, where he had also been a supply, he took into his work Orange Baptist Church, where he served four years. During his residence there, May 25, 1880, he married Miss Fannie Madison, daughter of Dr. James A. Madison, who is a great-nephew of President Madison. In 1882, he moved to Paris, Ky., and became the pastor of the Baptist Church at that place until 1885, being a member of the Kentucky Baptist Sunday-school board, at Lexington, Ky. In the same year, in July, he moved to Shelbyville, Ky., and took charge of the work as minister there, the church at that place being one of the strongest in the State. In the same year he was elected a member of the State Executive Board, which has charge of the missionary work of the Baptist denomination in the State. Mr. French is a gentleman of high order of intelligence, and has rare capacity for doing good work in his chosen field of labor. He is also profoundly interested in moral reforms and education movements, and is a fast friend of the rising youth of the land. French Blanton Madison = Louisville-Jefferson-KY Paris-Bourbon-KY Powhatan-VA Cumberland-VA Fluvanna-VA SC http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/shelby/french.ja.txt