Tag Archives: baptists history

A Name of Honour
John Dillahunty, descended from a noble French family.  His grandfather, David de la Hunte, was expelled from France, and fled to Holland and then later made his way to Ireland.  John’s father, Daniel Dillahunty, came to America in 1715 and settled in Kent County, Maryland.  It was there that John Dillahunty was born and later married Hannah Neal, a Quakeress.  John and Hanna later settled in New Bern North Carolina.
John and Hanna were soundly converted under the preaching of the Separate Baptists Shubal Stearns, Daniel Marshall, and others preaching the gospel in 1755. Adopting Baptist principles, and growing in maturity, John was granted a license to preach.  John preached frequently but like most Baptist preachers of the time engaged in the activities of the Revolutionary War.  After the war in 1794 he led six families to relocate in Middle Tennessee west of Nashville, where they established the Richland Creek Baptist Church.   John Dillahunty continued to serve the pastorate of the Richland Creek Baptist Church until his death in Nashville on February 4, 1816.
Dr. Dale R. Hart, adapted from:  This Day in Baptist History  III (David L. Cummins), pp. 71,72.