If we knew more the life of the Philippian jailer, we may find that the life of Samuel Cartledge ran parallel to it.
Samuel Cartledge was a young constable when he arrested Daniel Marshal.
Samuel was born in 1750 nearly Rockingham, North Carolina, the son of a Quaker/Anglican family. When he was 27, and living in Georgia, he arrested the Separate Baptist Preacher from North Carolina, Daniel Marshal, who was starting a Baptist church just outside of Augusta. As Daniel’s wife shared the testimony of her husband with the young man , Samuel came under Holy Spirit conviction, and later the Lord saved him. Several months after that the former prisoner immersed his former jailer, and Samuel Cartledge became a member of the Kiokee Baptist Church. Then years later, Daniel’s son, Abraham Marshal, lead the church in Cartledge’s ordination.
After serving in Georgia for a while Samuel Cartledge moved to South Carolina where he pastored two congregations for more than fifty years, serving in three others as well. Very few rural churches in that part of the country counted on the ministry of a preacher more than once a month, except when they participated in “extended meetings” – which sometimes included nightly meetings for two weeks or longer. During one of these meetings at the Callahan’s Mill church, Cartledge’s first church, revival fires were ignited which burned for three years, from 1827 to 1830. By this time Pastor Cartledge was in his 80s and yet the Lord blessed and the church grew by 200%.
When he was 93 years old, Pastor Cartledge was riding to a preaching point when he was thrown from his horse and died. A few days later, on this day in 1843, a memorial service was held honoring his memory.