Rev. J. Howard Hobbs, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Jamaica, was born April 2, 1858, at Lenox, in the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, where his father, Dr. S. L. Hobbs, was then missionary to the Indians. From the earliest identification of the family with the history of America they have been noted for unswerving loyalty to the government and a fervent, patriotic spirit. During the wars of the Revolution and 1812 they furnished brave men who fought valiantly in defense of American freedom and assisted in gaining independence from the yoke of British tyranny. In the Civil War, too, they took an active part in securing the maintenance of the Union. Mary, a sister of Dr. Hobbs, married T. C. Leavitt, and three of their sons enlisted in the Union Army, Dr. Lyman Leavitt being an army surgeon, Horace serving in the cavalry, while Payson, who was in the hospital service, lost his life during the conflict. When the Hobbs family first settled on American soil is not definitely known, but it is an established fact that they were among the first settlers of New Hampshire.

The life of Dr. S. L. Hobbs was one of sacrifice to principle and of devotion to the cause of religion. He was born in Candia, N. H., April 24, 1813, and received his literary education in Dartmouth College. In 1852 he graduated from the Berkshire Medical College of Pittsfield, Mass., and the same year went to the Indian Territory as a medical missionary. His sympathies had from boyhood been aroused on behalf of the rapidly vanishing race that once ruled this land. Feeling a deep longing to alleviate their sufferings and improve their condition, he offered himself for the work of a medical missionary, in which he was very successful.

The outbreak of the Civil War, however, caused a complete revolution of affairs. The Northern sentiments of Dr. Hobbs were generally known, and when the conflict burst upon the country, he was given twenty-four hours in which to leave the Indian Territory. He was the leader of a band of about thirty missionaries and teachers, who were among the last to leave the territory; they encountered many hardships, but, in spite of perils, reached the North in safety. Dr. Hobbs then offered his services to the Union, but as he had been permitted to leave the Indian Territory on parole, he could not be accepted as a soldier. He continued in his chosen work until his death, which occurred September 1, 1883, when he fell a victim to yellow fever.

The mother of our subject was born August 22, 1828, and bore the maiden name of Mary Cornelia Sears. Her birthplace was the old Sears homestead at Lenox, Berkshire County, Mass., that had been in the family for more than one hundred and fifty years. On that same place occurred the birth of her father, Chauncey Sears, a soldier in the War of 1812. The family traces its lineage back to the fourteenth century in the famous county of Kent, England. At that time the name was spelled Sayers. One of the prominent representatives of the family was John Sayers, who died in 1509, and a memorial brass now stands in his honor in St. Peter’s Church. His grandson, Richard Sayers, espoused the cause of the Protestants in the reign of Henry VIII, and was obliged to flee from his native land, taking refuge in Amsterdam. His only son, John B. Sayers, died in Holland, and a son of the latter married Maria L. Van Egmont, of the family of Count Philip Lamoral Van Egmont. With his wife he returned to England, where he died in 1629.

Next in line of descent was Richard Sears, who was born in 1590 and emigrated to America in 1630 on the last trip made by the historic "Mayflower". In 1643 he removed with his family to the site of the present village of East Dennis, Mass., where he died in 1676, leaving three sons, Knyvet, Paul and Silas. Daniel, son of the first named, settled in Boston and one of his descendants is now the wealthiest man in that city. Isaac Sears, son of Paul, was known as "King" Sears, from the fact that he seized the British stamps in the port of New York.

Silas Sears was born about 1639 and died in 1697. His son, who was his namesake, married Sarah Crosby, daughter of Rev. Thomas Crosby of Eastham, Mass. The next in lineal descent was James, who lived at Windham, Conn., and whose son, David, was born at Yarmouth, Mass., August 25, 1731, in early life went to Lenox and settled on what is now known as the Sears homestead. The property is now owned by Chauncey Sears, a great-grandson of the original purchaser, and a brother of our subject’s mother. Both Chauncey Sears and his brother, Horatio, have represented their district in the state legislature. Another brother, Henry C., is a prominent business man in Boston. Our subject’s mother died of yellow fever in the Indian Territory, just two weeks before her husband’s death from the same disease.

The advantages enjoyed by the subject of this notice in his boyhood years were few and meager. Living on the frontier, after the close of the Civil War, surrounded by all the demoralizing influences of such a life, the fact that he was not injured by his environments proves that he possessed from youth sturdy and rugged moral qualities. His pursuits were those common to the country. For a time he was a cowboy, and it is said he could throw a lariat with the most expert and could also handle his Winchester with skill. In 1876, while on the range, he determined to devote his life and energies to the elevation of his fellowmen, and with this object in view he set about securing an education. After a short course in the State University at Fayetteville, Ark., he entered a preparatory school at Amherst, Mass., and in 1878 became a student in Amherst College, from which he graduated with honors in 1882. He at once entered the theological school at Hartford, Conn., and the following summer he accepted a special commission to preach among the Indians. Returning to the Indian Territory, he spent a few months in the Christian work, buried his parents after their sudden demise from yellow fever, and settled up their affairs, after which he resumed his theological studies.

Shortly before his graduation in 1885, Mr. Hobbs was called to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church at Greenwich, Conn., and became its first pastor; during his service there of four and one-half years, he secured the erection of a new stone edifice. Resigning that charge, he accepted the more important pastorate of the Presbyterian Church in Jamaica, where he has been since 1889. He is greatly admired for his scholastic attainments and has shown himself to be a profound thinker and close Bible student. The value of his thoughts is enhanced by the ease and grace of his delivery. To an unusual degree he possesses that marvelous gift of word painting, a quality that enables him to adapt his sermons not only to the scholarly and learned, but also to the undeveloped mind of a child. When especially impressed with the importance of his theme, he rises to lofty heights of oratory and holds his audiences spellbound by his eloquence. As he is now in the prime of life and manly vigor, it may be predicted that the coming years will undoubtedly bring him added honors and successes in his profession.

In 1886 Rev. Mr. Hobbs was united in marriage with Miss Clara M., daughter of the late Rev. H. H. Macfarland and sister of Dr. R. L. Macfarland. They are the parents of two children, Harold Wade and Helen Louise.

Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York"
(Copyright 1896 by Chapman Publishing Company)

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