The Southern Presbyterian Review
Digitization Project: Author Biography
James Beverlin Ramsey (20 May 1814 - 13 July 1871) Biographical Sketch [excerpted from, The Men of Lafayette, pp. 9-10]— “Born in Cecil Co., Maryland, May 20, 1814; Valedictorian at Lafayette, Class of 1836 (graduated 21 September 1836); entered Princeton Theological Seminary in 1836, and remained four years. The eminent linguist, Dr. J. Addison Alexander, said that when Dr. Ramsey left the Seminary he was qualified to teach any class in the institution; ordained and installed pastor of the Presbyterian church at West Farms, New York, 1841; in 1846 he became missionary to the Choctaw Indians, and took charge of the Spencer Academy, remaining over three years; then was preaching and teaching until ’54, when he was installed pastor of New Monmouth church, Va.; from 1858 to 1870 he was pastor of First Presbyterian church, Lynchburg, Virginia, where he died July 23, 1871; author of Questions on Bible Doctrine, Richmond, VA., 1867, pp. 210, and The Spiritual Kingdom, Richmond, Va., 1873, pp. 518, an elaborate posthumous work, which contains his full memoir.”
	Photo source: Bratton, Our Goodly Heritage, facing page 38.

Sources—
Bratton, Mary Elizabeth Kinnier, Our Goodly Heritage: A History of First Presbyterian Church of Lynchburg, VA, 1815-1940  (Lynchburg, VA: J.P. Bell Company, 1940?),  pp. 37-57.
Coffin, Selden J., Record of the Men of Lafayette (Easton, PA: Skinner & Finch, Printers, 1869), pp. 9-10.
Nevin, Alfred, The Encyclopedia of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Encyclopedia Company, 1884), pp. 737-738.
Scott, E.C., Ministerial Directory of the Presbyterian Church, U.S. (Austin, TX: Von Boeckmann-Jones Co., 1942), pg. 593.

Archival Collection--
Papers, George Junkin Ramsey; James B Ramsey; Sabra S Tracy Ramsey, 1802-1918 (bulk 1832-1918), 4,078 items.
Abstract: Correspondence, account books, class notes, printed matter, and other items, relating to Ramsey's student days at Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia, his teaching and administrative career at various southern colleges, and other matters. Includes papers of Ramsey's father, James Beverlin Ramsey, concerning the Presbyterian Church in Virginia, especially Lynchburg, and his activities with the Choctaw Indians in Arkansas; and papers of his mother, Sabra S. Tracy Ramsey, dealing with her work at Lynchburg Female Academy, her marriage to James Ramsey, and education in Virginia after the Civil War. Collection is housed at the Duke University Library.

Bibliography--
Articles in the Southern Presbyterian Review--
"The Deaconship," 12.1 (April 1859) 1-24.
"The History of the Spiritual Kingdom," 19.4 (October 1868) 465-502.

Other published works--

1855
The elders that rule well : a sermon preached at Lexington, Va. April 4, 1855 at the opening of Lexington Presbytery and published at its request (Lexington [Va.]: Smith & Fuller, 1855), 17pp.; 22cm. Copies located at 8 libraries (KY; NC; NY; OH; VA, 3; WI).
	Reprinted, (Lynchburg [Va.] Printed by Johnson & Treakle, 1857), 26pp.; 22cm., with copies located at the Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia; Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; The Library of Virginia; and the University of Virginia.
1858
The deaconship : an essay, prepared by appointment of the Synod of Virginia, read before that body at their meeting at Charlottesville, on the 3rd of November, 1858, and published at their request (Richmond, Va. : Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1858), 42pp.; 15cm. One copy located at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1861
God's way in the sanctuary remembered; a sermon preached Dec. 23d, 1860, before the congregations of the 1st and 2d Presbyterian Churches of Lynchburg, assembled together, in commemoration of the first meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, on December 20th, 1560 [Lynchburg [Va.] J.C. Johnson, Printer, 1861), 20pp.; 23cm. Copies located at the Boston Athenaeum; Duke University Library; The Library of Virginia; and the Virginia Historical Society Library.
1863
True eminence founded on holiness. A discourse occasioned by the death of Lieut. Gen. T.J. Jackson, preached in the First Presbyterian Church of Lynchburg, May 24th, 1863 (Lynchburg, Virginian "Water-power Presses" Print., 1863), 21pp.; 23cm.
	Online at http://docsouth.unc.edu/ramsey/menu.html
1861-1865?
How shall I live? (Richmond, Presbyterian Committee of Publication, between 1861-1865), 16pp.; 18cm. Copies located at the University of Virginia; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lafayette College; and The Library of Virginia.
	Reprinted, [Petersburg, Va. : Evangelical Tract Society, 1863), 12pp.; 18cm., with copies of this edition located at the Boston Athenaeum and at the Duke University Library.
	Online at http://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/ramsey/ramsey.html
1867
Follow the saints : a memorial of Samuel McCorkle, a ruling elder for thirty-four years of the First Prsbyterian [sic] Church of Lynchburg, Va., who died August 6th, 1866. An obituary notice and the sermon addressed to the church in improvement of his death (Lynchburg : Virginian Book and Job Office Print., 1867), 27pp.; 23cm. Copies located at the Lynchburg Public Library; Union Presbyterian School of Christian Education; and the University of Virginia.
1869
Questions on Bible doctrine for the closet, the family, and Bible classes (Richmond : Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1869), 210pp.; 15cm.
Works issued posthumously--
1873
The spiritual kingdom: an exposition of the first eleven chapters of the book of the Revelation (Richmond, Va., Presbyterian committee of publication, 1873), 23, xxxv, 23-518pp.; 23cm.
	Reprinted as The book of Revelation : an exposition of the first eleven chapters (Edinburgh; Carlisle, Pa. : Banner of Truth Trust, 1873, 1977, 1995), 518pp.; 22cm.
1879
Ramsey, James B. and Robert Lewis Dabney, Questions on Old Testament history (Lynchburg, Va. : Bell, Browne & Co., 1879), 114pp.; 15cm.