RICE, David, clergyman, born in Hanover county, Virginia, 29 December, 1733; died in Green county, Kentucky, 18 June, 1816. He was graduated at Princeton in 1761, studied theology, was licensed to preach in 1762, and was installed as pastor of the Presbyterian church at Hanover, Virginia, in December, 1763. At the end of five years he resigned on account of dissensions among the church-members, and three years later he took charge of three congregations in the new settlements of Bedford county, Virginia, where he labored with success during the period of the Revolution. When Kentucky was opened to settlement he visited that country in October, 1783, removed thither with his family, and in 1784 organized in Mercer county the first religious congregation in Kentucky, and opened in his house the earliest school. He was the organizer and the chairman of a conference that was held in 1785 for the purpose of instituting a regular organization of the Presbyterian church in the new territory, and the principal founder of Transylvania academy, which developed into Transylvania university. He was a member of the convention that framed a state constitution in 1792. In 1798 he removed to Green county. His wife, Mary, was a daughter of Reverend Samuel Blair. He published an "Essay on Baptism" (Baltimore, 1789) ; a "Lecture on Divine Decrees" (1791) ; "Slavery Inconsistent with Justice and Policy" (1792); "An Epistle to the Citizens of Kentucky Professing Christianity, those that Are or Have Been Denominated Presbyterians" (1805); and "A Second Epistle to the Presbyterians of Kentucky," warning them against the errors of the day (1808)" also " A Kentucky Protest against Slavery" (New York, 1812).--David's grandson, John Holt clergyman, born in New London, Virginia, 28 November, 1777" died in Hampden Sidney, Prince Edward County, Virginia, 3 September, 1831. He was educated at Liberty Hall academy, near Lexington, began the study of medicine in 1799, afterward studied theology, was a tutor in Hampden Sidney college in 1801, was licensed to preach on 12 September, 1803, and on 29 September, 1804, was installed as pastor of a Presbyterian church at Cub Creek, Charlotte County, Virginia On 17 October, 1812, he was installed as pastor of the first separate Presbyterian church in Richmond, the Presbyterians having previously worshipped in a building with the Episcopalians. In July, 1815, he began the publication of the "Christian Monitor," a religious periodical, which he conducted for several years. From 1818 till 1829 he edited a similar publication called the "Virginia Evangelical and Literary Magazine." He was moderator of the general assembly at Philadelphia in 1819. He was called to the presidency of Princeton in 1822, and a few weeks later to the professorship of theology in the Union theological seminary at Hampden Sidney college, which latter post he accepted. He received the degree of D. D. from Princeton in 1819. Dr. Rice was known as a powerful and fervent preacher, not alone in Virginia, but in the northern states, which he often visited, chiefly for the purpose of obtaining an endowment for his seminary. Besides review articles, controversial pamphlets, memoirs of friends, and numerous sermons, his only published work was a small volume entitled "Historical and Philosophical Considerations on Religion" (1832), consisting of letters addressed to James Madison, originally published anonymously in 1830 in the "Southern Religious Telegraph," in which he endeavored to show that the propagation of the Christian religion ought to be fostered by statesmen in the interest of national prosperity. See his" Memoir" by William Maxwell (Philadelphia, 1835).--John Holt's brother, Benjamin Holt, clergyman, born in New London, Virginia, 29 November, 1782 ; died in Hampden Sidney college, 24 February, 1856, was educated under his brother's instruction, taught at New Berne and Raleigh, North Carolina, was licensed to preach while at Raleigh, 28 September, 1810, and was sent as a missionary to the seaboard counties of North Carolina. He removed to Petersburg, Virginia, in 1812, and organized a church in that place, of which he was installed pastor in 1814, and with which he remained for the following seventeen years. He was moderator of the Presbyterian general assembly in 1829, and in 1832 received from Princeton the degree of D.D. He was pastor of the church in Princeton, New Jersey, from 15 August, 1833, till 26 April, 1847, and thenceforth of the Hampden Sidney college church till his death. His wife was a sister of Reverend Dr. Archibald Alexander. See "Discourse on the Death of Dr. Benjamin H. Rice," by the Reverend William E. Schenck (Philadelphia, 1856).