History of Bracken County Kentucky United States of America

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John Gregg Fee, abolitionist, was born in Bracken county, Ky., Sept. 9, 1816; son of John and Sarah (Gregg) Fee and grandson of John Fee. He entered college at Augusta, Ky., studied two years at Oxford, Ohio, and was graduated at Augusta college in 1840. He attended Lane theological seminary, 1842-43, and was ordained by the synod of Kentucky at Versailles, in 1844. While at Lane he became convinced of the evil of slavery, and his first church, in Lewis county, passed resolutions denouncing slavery as sinful and refusing fellowship with slaveholders. On account of this action Mr. Fee was censured by the synod for "disturbing the peace of Zion." and was disowned and disinherited by his father. In 1845 he withdrew from the Presbyterian church "on account of its persistent connection with slaveholding," and engaged in preaching in Kentucky and organizing "churches of Christ" under the direction of the American missionary association, 1845-79. In 1853 he accepted an invitation from Cassius M. Clay to preach in Madison county and he settled on a tract of ten acres, presented by Mr. Clay. There, in 1855, he with others founded an anti-slavery school, which afterward became Berea college. Through his entire ministry before the war Mr. Fee was exposed to mobs. He was president of the trustees of Berea college, 1855-92. He died in Berea, Ky., Jan. 11, 1901.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Bracken County Kentucky

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