History of Fairton, (Cumberland County) New Jersey United States of America

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Biographies:

John Thompson Nixon, jurist, was born in Fairton, N.J., Aug. 31, 1820; son of Jeremiah S. Nixon, who removed with his family to Bridgeton soon after his son's birth. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1841, A.M., 1844, and was a tutor at the college a short time and in the family of Judge Pennybacker at Staunton, Va., where he studied law and was admitted to the bar of Virginia in 1845. He had made arrangements to form a partnership with Judge Isaac S. Pennybacker, but upon the latter's death, Jan. 12, 1847, returned to Bridgeton, N.J., where he practised law with Judge Charles E. Elmer, one of the justices of the state supreme court, recently retired. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1848-49, and speaker of the house in 1850. He was married in 1851 to Mary H., daughter of Lucius Q. C. Elmer , justice of the state supreme court, 1852-59. He was a Republican representative in the 36th and 37th congresses, 1859-63, serving on the committee on commerce, and failing to secure a desired appointment as judge of the U.S. district court from President Lincoln in 1863. President Grant in 1870 appointed him as successor to Judge Richard S. Field, deceased, to whom President Lincoln had given the office in 1863. He was a trustee of the College of New Jersey, 1864-89. In 1875 he was one of the four residuary legatees chosen by John Cleve Green to distribute his estate, exceeding $7,000,000, for charitable and benevolent objects. He was active in the old-school assembly of the Presbyterian church in 1869, held for the purpose of re-uniting its two branches; was a member of the committee of the general assembly to revise the form of government, and the book of discipline; was a delegate to the Pan Presbyterian council at Edinburgh, in 1877, and a director of the Princeton Theological seminary, 1883-89. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by the College of New Jersey in 1877. He is the author of three revised editions of Elmer's Digest of the Laws of New Jersey (1838), known as Nixon's Digest (1858, 1861 and 1868), and of Forms of Proceeding under the Laws of New Jersey, an outgrowth of Elmer's Book of Forms. He died in Stockbridge, Mass., Sept. 28, 1889.

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

Nathaniel Clark Burt, clergyman, was born in Fairton, N. J., April 23, 1825. He was graduated at Princeton in 1846, from the theological seminary in 1849, and was ordained to preach in 1850. He served as pastor of churches at Springfield, Ohio, 1850-55; at Baltimore, Md., 1855-60; and at Cincinnati, Ohio, 1860-66. The years 1866 and 1867 were spent in travelling through Europe, Egypt, and the Holy Land, where he made investigations and observations of much value to Bible students. In 1868 he became president of the Ohio female college, but, after two years' service, his ill-health constrained him to seek a permanent home in southern Europe. He received the degree of S.T.D. from Hanover college, Ind., in 1861. He was a frequent contributor to denominational periodicals, and he was the author of Hours Among the Gospels (1865); The Far East (1867); and The Land and its Story (1869). He died in Rome, Italy, March 4, 1874.

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

Joseph Fithian Garrison, clergyman, was born in Fairton, N.J., Jan. 20, 1823. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey in 1842, and from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania in 1845. In 1855 he was or dained a minister of the P.E. church and was rector of St. Paul's, Camden, N.J., till he was appointed to the chair of liturgies and canon law in the Philadelphia divinity school, which position he held till his death. He received the degree of S.T.D. from the College of New Jersey in 1879. He is the author of: The Formation of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States (1885); and The American Prayer-Book: its Principles and the Law of its Use (1887). He died in Camden, N.J., Jan. 30, 1892.

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