Ambrose HENKEL

Life Sketches of Lutheran Ministers, North Carolina and TennesseeSynods 1773-1965, Pages 86 to 91 HENKEL, AMBROSE, third son of the Rev. Paul and Elizabeth (Negeley)Henkel, born July 11, 1786, near Solomon's Church, eight miles N. W.Of New Market, Va. Married Catharine Hoke, Lincoln Co. One child, NoahIsaiah. Second marriage to Mary Kite, Page Co., Va. Children: MaryCatharine, Arianna Elizabeth, Eleanora Caroline, Paul Philip. Thirdmarriage to Veronica Hoyle (Heyle), Lincoln Co., apparently sister ofhis brother David's wife Catharine. Children: Gerhart Ambrose,Hieronymus, Licensed 1823 and ordained 1824 by Tenn. Synod. Churchesserved, all in Va.: Trinity (Koiners), 1823-25; Emmanuel, New Market,1825-38; St. Mary's near Mt. Jackson, 1825-55; Raders, Timberville,1829-37; and Zion, near Edinburg, 1854-. Learned printer's trade atHagerstown, Md., having walked there from home in Va., 1802;established first Lutheran printing shop in America at New Market,Va., 1806. Published a German language paper, "The Virginia and NewMarket Popular Instructor and Weekly News," 1807-09. Edited a NewMarket newspaper for 72 years, and was referred to as "perhaps theoldest practical printer in Virginia." Sold printing shop to olderbrother Solomon, a physician, who thus became a publisher also. TheHenkel Press was long an outstanding force in the development of theLutheran Church in worship, confessional strength, education, andpractices throughout the South. Literary contrtibutions: Prepared andpublished "Church Hymn Book" (1838); was chm. of comm. of Tenn. Synodto prepare "Book of Forms" (liturgy and orders), published in 1843;aided in translating into English Lutheran symnbols, and publishing"The Christian Book of Concord" (1851); translated into English andpublished serially Vol. I Luther's "Church Postil" (Epistles),1857-58. Of him it was written: "He was a scholar, theologian,translator, editor, and printer, as well as a preacher . . . . as awriter and translator he was noted for his precision and accuracy ofstyle; he was a profound thinker, an earnest student, and a forciblespeaker." Secretary Tenn. Synod, 1829, 31, 33; president, 1853. DiedJan. 6, 1870, at New Market, Va., in 84th year; buried at Emmanuelchurch in New Market. Obituary of Rev. Ambrose Henkel pp 185-86 Fiftieth Session of the Synod, St. Peter's Church, LexingtonCounty, South Carolina, November 5, 1870 Rev. Ambrose Henkel, the fourth son of Rev. Paul and Elizabeth Henkel,was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, near Solomon's Church, 8miles northwest of New Market, on the 11th day of July, 1786, and wasinitiated into the church through the Holy Sacrament of Baptism, inhis infancy, and, at a more mature age, entered into full communionwith the Evangelical Lutheran Church, through the ancient and solemnrite of Confirmation. In 1802 he started, on foot, to Hagerstown, to learn the printingbusiness. After working with Mr. Gruber, of Almanac reputation, and atReading and in Baltimore, for three or four years, he purchased thebed and irons of a Ramage press and some old type, and, in 1806established the first printing office in New Market, Virginia. Withthese old type, and cuts made by himself, he published a pictorialGerman spelling-book of his own arrangement. In 1807, he commenced thepublication of a weekly German paper, called the Virginia and NewMarket Popular Instructor and Weekly News, which continued for twoyears-and suspended for want of advertising patronage. The office was,however, continued as a Book and job office by him, until he sold tohis brother Solomon, about 1817. He entered the ministry in the year 1823, and preached his firstsermon; in German, in Mt. Calvary (Hawksbill) Church, Page County,Virginia, on the 23d day of November, 1823, from I Corinthians 101-12, and continued actively, faithfully, and successfully in theministry till 1860. He preached his last sermon in Bethlehem Church,Augusta County, Virginia, in the year 1868. He was engaged in theoffice of the ministry 47 years. His labors in all the departments ofhis ministerial office, were extensive. He preached 3,995 sermons, ofwhich 402 were funeral discourses; he baptized 1,625 persons, of whom90 were adults; he confirmed 1,952 persons in the Church, and unitedin the holy estate of matrimony 400 men and women. In 1838, under order of the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod, heprepared and published the Church Hymn-Book, which has now passed intoits 4th edition. In 1833 he was appointed, by the same body, chairman of a committee toprepare a Liturgy or Book of Forms and submit it to the Synod; whichwas done, and it was approved and published in 1843. He also aided in the preparation of a purely literal translation ofthe Augsburg Confession, the Apology, the Smalcald Articles, theAppendix and the Articles of Visitation, which appeared in print inthe Christian Book of Concord, in the year 1851. In the years 1857-8, he prepared a similar translation of the firstvolume of Luther's Church Postil on the Epistles, as extant inPlochman's edition, which work, after having been carefully comparedwith the original German, revised, transcribed, and prepared for thepress, was issued in serial numbers. He was, perhaps, the oldestpractical printer and editor in the State-having edited a newspaper inNew Market 62 years before his death. As a writer and translator, he was noted for the precision andaccuracy of his style, rather than ornament. He was a profoundthinker, an earnest student, and a forcible speaker. He was married three times. His first wife was Miss Catharine Hoke,daughter of Frederick Hoke, Esq., of Lincoln County, North Carolina,his second one was Miss Mary Kite, daughter of Mr. Martin Kite, ofPage County, Virginia, and his third one was Miss Veronica F. Heyle(Hoyle), daughter of Peter Heyle, Esq., of Lincoln County, NorthCarolina. He departed this life on the 6th day of January, 1870, at 1 o'clock,A. M.; aged 83 years, 5 months, and 26 days. He left 6 children, anumber of grand-children and great-grand-children. His funeral services were rendered by Rev. Jacob Killian, in thepresence of an unusually large concourse of people, in EmmanuelChurch, New Market, Va., near which his body awaits the resurrection. Biography from the North Carolina Synod of the Evangeical LutheranChurch in America HENKEL, AMBROSE Date/Place of Birth: July 11, 1786 near Solomon Church, eight milesNorthwest of New Market, Va. Parents: Third son of the Reverend PaulHenkel and Elizabeth (Negeley) Henkel. First Spouse: Catharine (Hoke) Henkel in Lincoln County, N.C. Child of First Marriage: Noah Isaiah. Second Spouse: Mary (Kite) Henkel of Page County, Va. Children of Second Marriage: Mary Catharine, Arianna Elizabeth,Eleanora Caroline, Paul Philip. Third Spouse: Veronica Hoyle (Heyle) Henkel in Lincoln County,apparently sister of his brother David's wife, Catharine. Children of Third Marriage: Gerhart Ambrose, Hieronymus. License/Ordination: Licensed 1823 and ordained 1824 by TennesseeSynod. Calls: All in Virginia: Trinity (Koiner's), 182325; Mt.Calvary, Page County, 182337; Emmanuel, New Market, 182538; St. Mary,near Mt. Jackson, 182555; St. Paul's, Jerome, 182736; Rader,Timberville, 182937; and Zion, near Edinburg, 1854; St. Jacob,Edinburg, 185557. Other: Learned printer's trade at Hagerstown, Md., having walked therefrom home in Virginia, 1802; established first Lutheran printing shopin America at New Market, Va., 1806. Published a German languagepaper, The Virginia and New Market Popular Instructor and Weekly News,1807-09. Edited a New Market newspaper for 62 years, and was referredto as "perhaps the oldest practical printer in Virginia." Soldprinting shop to older brother, Solomon, a physician, who thus becamea publisher also. The Henkel Press was long an outstanding force inthe development of the Lutheran Church in worship, confessionalstrength, education, and practices throughout the South. Literarycontributions: Prepared and published Church Hymn Book, 1838; wasChair of Committee of Tennessee Synod to prepare Book of Forms(liturgy and orders), published in 1843; aided in translating intoEnglish, Lutheran symbols, and publishing The Christian Book ofConcord, 1851; translated into English and published serially, Vol. 1,Luther's Church Postil (Epistles), 185758; Secretary, Tennessee Synod,1829, 1831, 1833; President, 1853. Date of Death/Burial Location: January 6, 1870 at New Market, Va.;Emmanuel Church in New Market, Va.

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