Apr
14
April 14, 1755
Posted by Champ Thornton at 8:35 amFiled Under biography, fun stuff
Today is a special day in my family. It’s not only the birthday of one of my sisters, it’s also the birthday of my great-, great-, great-, great-, great-grandfather. His name was Dozier Thornton.
Dozier was born April 14, 1755 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. From what we can tell, he served in the North Carolina Militia during the Revolutionary War (perhaps serving under Colonel Benjamin Cleveland). He later settled in northeast Georgia and planted several churches, including Van’s Creek Baptist Church in 1785. In addition to extended missionary trips into the wilderness of Kentucky, Dozier served as pastor at Van’s Creek for 47 years. A brief biography relates . . .
The same day he came in sight of a fine dwelling, discoverable through a beautiful avenue, shaded with trees in either side. A strong impression came upon his mind to go up to the house and pray for its inhabitants. Without hesitation, he turned up the avenue. The lady came to the door, to whom he promptly stated his errand. She kindly invited him to alight and come in, and though neither she nor any of the family made any pretensions to religion, the strange preacher was treated with great respect. The husband being absent, the lady, two sons and two daughters, . . . listened to the good man’s exhortation, his song, and bowed with him in prayer, while he fervently plead with God on their behalf. This done, he bade them farewell and departed, expecting to see them no more this side of the eternal world.
Several months afterwards, two strange young men came into Elbert county, inquiring for Rev. Dozier Thornton, who proved to be the sons of the family above referred to, and who, with their mother and sisters, had, by his visit, all been awakened to a sense of their lost condition as sinners, had been hopefully converted, and had now traveled all the way from North Carolina to seek baptism at the hands of him whose prayer had been answered in their salvation. They were accordingly baptized and returned homewards rejoicing.
Dozier died in September 1843 in Franklin County, Georgia.
Dozier Thornton was my great great great grandfather. My grandfather, Walter W. Thornton wrote a book, A Glimpse Of The Thorntons Through The Centuries. In his book he spoke of Dozier Thornton. I have a copy of this picture of Dozier and my grandfather said it is a photograph of a painting that hung in the home of James Thornton Nickoll. Marjorie Lehman