Penney, Joseph

Penney, Joseph D.D., a Presbyterian divine, was born in Ireland in 1790. He graduated at the university in Dublin, emigrated to the United States, and in April, 1822, was settled as pastor over the First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, N.Y.; in 1832 he removed to Northampton, Mass., and subsequently became president of Hamilton College, N.Y. But he soon again exchanged the rostrum for the pulpit, and became pastor of the Church at Nyack, N.Y. In 1839 he removed to Grand Rapids, Mich., and afterwards preached at Pontiac, Mich. He died March 20, 1860. Dr. Penney's life was laborious and useful; he was greatly beloved wherever he was located. He was the author of a work on Education, and published a number of fugitive theological articles in periodicals. See Wilson, Presb. Hist. Almanac, 1861, p. 105; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, v, vol. i, . v. (J. L. S.)