Spencer Houghton Cone

Background

Spencer Houghton Cone was born on April 30, 1785 in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. He was a descendant of Daniel Cone who settled in Haddam, Connecticut, in 1662, and son of Conant and Alice (Houghton) Cone.

Education

As a boy Cone displayed a liking for poetry and could recite long passages from Shakespeare, Milton, and Dryden. He entered Princeton University at the age of twelve, but two years later, because of his father’s illness, left his studies.

Career

At sixteen Cone became an assistant to Dr. James Abercrombie at his academy in Princeton and occupied that post for four or five years. He also studied law but his elocutionary ability finally led him to go upon the stage, and he made his debut at the Chestnut Street Theatre as Achmet in the tragedy of Mahomet. During the next seven years, he played regularly in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Alexandria, where he enjoyed considerable popularity.

In 1812 he turned to journalism, first entering the office of the Baltimore American as treasurer and bookkeeper, and later joining with his brother-in-law, John Norvell, in conducting the Baltimore Whig. He also served under arms, being with Pinckney’s rifles in the battle of Bladensburg, and acting captain of the company by whose fire General Ross was killed in the advance upon Baltimore. Later his friends secured him a position in the Treasury Department, Washington.

A lively interest in religion had taken possession of him in 1814, when he had been converted to the Baptist faith, and immersed in the Patapsco River through a hole cut in the ice. He began to preach in a small Baptist church at the Navy Yard, and soon attracted such attention that in 1815 he was licensed and made chaplain of Congress. In 1816 he became pastor of the Baptist Church in Alexandria, where in spite of calls to much larger places he remained seven years. From 1823 to 1841 he was associated with the Oliver Street Church, New York, first as co-pastor and later as pastor, and from 1841 till his death, was pastor of the First Baptist Church of that city.

From 1832 to 1841 he was president of the Baptist General Convention, a representative body which shaped the denominational activities at home and abroad. He was prominent among those who in 1836 protested against the action of the American Bible Society in refusing a grant for the publication of the Bengali New Testament, which translated baptizo according to Baptist usage, from which action resulted the American and Foreign Bible Society of which he was a founder, and the head from 1837 to 1850, when he became president of the American Bible Union.

In 1824 he brought out an edition of William Jones’s The History of the Christian Church. He published The Backslider (1827); and was joint author with William H. Wyckoff of The Bible Translated (1850); The Bible, Its Excellence, and The New Testament. . According to the Commonly Received Version with Several Hundred Emendations (1850).

Achievements

• Spencer Houghton Cone became popular and effective as a preacher in the Baptist Church and took a leading part in the administrative work of his denomination. He was instrumental in the foundation of the Foreign Bible Society.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The commonly received version of the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ : with several hundered emendations

    (This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)

  • A summary of the faith and practice with the articles of the covenant, of the First Baptist church,

    (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)

Religion

Cone was a member of the Baptist Church.

Politics

Cone was a vigorous supporter of President Madison’s administration and the War of 1812.

Membership

Cone was a member of the Foreign Bible Society.

Connections

On May 10, 1813 Cone married Sally, daughter of Robert and Mary Price Morrell of Philadelphia.

Father:

Conant Cone

Mother:

Alice (Houghton) Cone

Spouse:

Sally Morrell

References

• The Funeral Sermon on the Death of Rev. Spencer Houghton Cone, D.D., Late Pastor of the First Baptist Church, New York
• Some Account of the Life of Spencer Houghton Cone: A Baptist Preacher in America
• A Pastor in New York: The Life and Times of Spencer Houghton Cone