A History of Kentucky Baptists From 1769 to 1885, Including More Than 
800 Biographical Sketches, J. H. Spencer, Manuscript Revised and 
Corrected by Mrs. Burilla B. Spencer, In Two Volumes.  Printed For the 
Author.  1886.  Republished By Church History Research & Archives 1976 
Lafayette, Tennessee. Vol. 2, pp 136-138 [Taylor County]

VELORIOUS EDWIN KIRTLEY, son of Elijah L. Kirtley, and a descendant of an 
old Welsh family which has produced many Baptist preachers, not less 
than seven of whom have lived in Kentucky, was born in what is now 
Taylor county, Ky., April 9, 1818.  His father having lost his property, 
he was brought up to hard labor on a farm, and with only a few weeks' 
schooling.  In May, 1837, he united with Pittmans Creek church, being 
baptized by John Harding.  After he was converted, his desire for 
education was greatly increased.  Accordingly he applied himself to 
study by firelight, at night, while he labored hard by day.  This 
patience he kept up till he arrived at his 21st year.  After this we 
went to school and taught school alternately, until February, 1839, when 
he entered Georgetown College.  Here he worked his way through an 
attendance of fifteen months.  Having been licensed to preach, at 
Pittsman Creek, in Jan. 1839, he was ordained at Frankfort, Dec. 25, 
1841, by Wm. Vaughan, J. M. Frost and George C. Sedwick.  He immediately 
took charge of Big Spring church, in Woodford county.  He was also 
pastor of Providence church, in Anderson county, and preached once a 
month to each of the churches at Hillsboro and Salvisa.  In 1844, he 
took charge of the churches at Bardstown, Mill Creek and New Salem, all 
in Nelson County.  He served these churches, till 1848, when he accepted 
a call to the church at Owensboro, to which he ministered two years.  In 
1851, he accepted an agency for the Kentucky and Foreign Bible Society.  
In this position he labored four years.  In March, 1854, he took the 
pastoral charge of the church at Danville, and served it four years, 
building it up from 33 to 125 members, of whom he baptized 80.  On 
leaving Danville, he took an agency for Indian Missions, which he 
prosecuted only a few months, when failing health forced him to desist 
from traveling.  He then improved a small farm near Springfield, and 
remained on it during the War, preaching meanwhile, to the churches at 
Hillsboro, Bethlehem and Haysville, in Washington county, and Lebanon, 
in Marion. In 1865, he took charge of the church at Bardstown, and at 
the same time became Principal of the Baptist Female College, at that 
place.  After occupying these positions three years he moved to Lebanon, 
where he took charge of the church, and built up a female high school, 
of which he continued Principal, five years. In 1874, he took the 
pastoral care of the church at Stanford, in Lincoln county, and Hardins 
Creek, in Washington.  In 1876, he accepted an agency for Domestic and 
Indian missions, and filled the position six years, closing in 1882.
	Mr. Kirtley is an eminently practical man, in the prosecution of 
his religious enterprises, whether in the pastoral office, at the head 
of a denominational school, or prosecuting a financial agency.  He 
possesses remarkable physical strength and powers of endurance; and few 
preachers in Kentucky have performed so much hard labor as he, and 
equally few, perhaps, have labored to better advantage.  He has been 
engaged in almost evry enterprise of the Baptist denomination in 
Kentucky, and has been blessed with good success in them all.  In the 
pastoral office, he thinks he has baptized over 1,000 converts.  He has 
raised money to aid in building several church houses, as those at 
Portland, Crab Orchard and Bethlehem, and to repair those at Bardstown, 
Mill Creek, Lebanaon, Haysville and Owensboro.  He raised $8,000 to 
establish Danville Female Academy, the same amount for Bardstown Female 
College, and $10,000 to establish Lebanon Female College.  He supposes 
he has collected for missionary and other benevolent enterprises over 
$150,000.  At the age of 65, he is hale and strong, and appears as 
zealous in the Master's cuase as in the days of his youth.

Kirtley Harding Vaughan Frost Sedwick
=
Frankfort-Franklin-KY Woodford-KY Anderson-KY Bardstown-Nelson-KY 
Owensboro-Daviess-KY Washington-KY Marion-KY Lincoln-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/taylor/kirtley.ve.txt