USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Spencer > Historical sketches relating to Spencer, Mass., Volume II > Part 5
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Exalted Character of Olive Hatch, the Shaker.
It is said by those who knew her intimately: "Olive Hatch was a most exalted and refined person. No one could long remain in her presence without feeling a desire to live on the same plane of intellectual, moral and spiritual life that she did. In her spirit she never grew old, but was a mnost delightful companion for all, especially the young, who always wanted her to go with them wherever they went. She never was known to speak a cross
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or an unkind word. She seemed more like what we suppose an angel to be than a person of flesh and blood."
The intervening time between 1815 and 1821 was occupied by Mrs. Hatch, beside her household duties, in getting ready and waiting to go to Shirley whenever the opportunity should come.
She was happily married, and would not leave her husband without his full consent, nor leave him with small children to care for. He did not entertain the same religious views as his wife, although perfectly willing to allow her the utmost liberty of choice. He was also unwilling to have the children educated as Shakers, and so Mrs. Hatch waited. After some years all diffi- culties disappeared. Mr. and Mrs. Hatch agreed to separate ami- cably, each entertaining feelings of the deepest respect for the other. The children, John and Mary, were to be brought up by Cheney Hatch, an older son, then residing in Leicester and after- wards president of Leicester bank. Mr. Hatch was to go to New York, seek a new wife and engage in business, which he did.
Olive Hatch then became free to unite with the people of her choice. After filling every position of trust or honor in the
Death of Olive Hatch Sr.
society to which she was eligible, and living a life of great useful- ness, she died in peace, March 10, 1856, aged eighty-four.
"So fades a summer cloud away, So sinks the gale when storms are o'er; So gently shuts the eye of day, So dies a wave along the shore "
She was a remarkably beautiful woman, rather tall, and well proportioned, and of commanding appearance. She became blind many years before her death. She had some money in her own right, which was intrusted to the care of her son Cheney, the ac- crued interest on which he brought to her in his semi-annual visits to Shirley.
Lydia Baxter, whose name was coupled with that of Olive Hatch on the church record already quoted, was a daughter of Isaac Jenks, proprietor of Jenks' tavern. She was born January 16, 1771, four years before her father came to Spencer, and married Ezekiel Baxter, December 5, 1790. They lived at what is now known as the Bemis Valley farm, the house having been erected by Mr. Baxter, who at that time was one of the most noted builders in Worcester county. James Draper, in his his- tory of Spencer, calls him a "scientific carpenter." Olive Hatch Sr., prior to her removal to Shirley, lived in a large two-story red house located about twenty rods north of the present residence of Joseph Butler at the foot of Pleasant street, and near the large elm trees now standing. It was here that Dr. Benjamin Drury
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formerly lived, in his day one of the most influential men in the town. It was also at this place that Daniel Moulton met a woman who was able to instruct him in the Scriptures. Olive Hatch was then the nearest neighbor of Lydia Baxter. They were of about the same age, and it is fair to assume, from what we know regarding Olive Hatch, that Lydia Baxter became inter- ested in the Shaker doctrine through her instrumentality. Mrs. Baxter was with the Shakers intermittently for many years, and as late as 1836, but finally returned to Spencer and died here January 29, 1842, aged seventy-two. While she was away her husband kept house in the upstairs tenement, but she returned every spring and fall for house cleaning and other domestic duties. Ezekiel Baxter died July 6, 1836, aged seventy-two, from creeping paralysis. The building of his house had brought about financial embarrassment and he died a poor man. From a letter written from Shirley the following extract is taken: "Mrs. Baxter never joined the community, although she stayed some time, but there is no record of her coming or going. She was a very eccentric person, and had a religion peculiar to herself." Doubtless this was the reason why she could not be accepted as a member.
Daniel Moulton was a clothier by trade; dyed, sheared and pressed cloth, which in those days was woven by hand; purchased in 1793 the Joshua Draper farm, where John Ludden now lives, and lived there until his removal to North Brookfield, about 1830, where he died, but was buried in Spencer.
Wm. Sumner was an exemplary Christian gentleman, a far- mer living in the second house west from the residence of his grandson, Chas. E. Sumner, on lower Main street. Died in 1839.
Olive Hatch Jr. joined the community at the age of thirteen and on the same date as her mother. Some years later, her ser- vices being needed at the Harvard society, seven miles distant, she united with them, where she now lives. She had been at Harvard only a short time when it was reported in Spencer that
Startling Story.
she had been forcibly taken from Shirley, and chained to a garret floor in the Harvard settlement. This startling story was duly credited, and Lucius Loring of Oakham, and Isaac Warner Prouty of Spencer, brother of Harriet A., their blood hot with indignation, set out by team for Harvard, each inde- pendently and without the knowledge of the other, to the rescue of this young woman of their acquaintance, even at the peril of their lives. They reached their destination in due time only to find the story unfounded, and the subject of their solicitude en- joying her liberty and happy in all her surroundings. It must be
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borne in mind that at that time communication between towns long distances apart and not on regular routes of travel was often exceedingly slow; postal accommodations were very poor. No telephone, telegraph, electric or steam car service, and quick and correct information generally obtainable only by special messen- ger. Since those days Olive Hatch Jr. has filled every position of trust and honor in the Harvard society. She is said by those who know her to be in a liigh degree a worthy daughter and rep- resentative of her mother, whose mantle she has inherited. She is the last one from Spencer now remaining in the Shaker fold, and it is quite probable that as she recalls the past she can ex- claim with Thomas Moore:
"When I remember all the friends so linked together, I've seen around me fall like leaves in wintry weather, I feel like one who treads alone some banquet hall deserted, Whose lights are fled, whose garlands dead, And all but me departed."
She has two cousins now living in Spencer, Joshua Bemis and Chloe (Bemis) Livermore. She attended school in the old original schoolhouse of the powder mill district, purchased many years since by Abner Smith and used by him as a storehouse. After Olive Hatchi Sr. removed to Shirley, her children, John, aged five, and Mary, aged three, went, as had been agreed, to live with their brother Cheney, then twenty-six years of age. After some nine months trial of this plan, Cheney reached the conclusion that his mother not only was the natural guardian of the children, but much better qualified than he to care for them, and that they should be placed in her charge. This arrangement was effected. Elias Hatch, the father, then living in New York, hearing of this concluded he would take the children to his new home, and made arrangements to come for them. He suddenly died, however, on the very day he had planned to begin the jour- ney. So the children remained with their mother, and united with the Shakers Oct. 26, 1822. John became a carpenter and was highly regarded in the community; but as he grew to man- hood, coming to believe in the married life, he left the society in July, 1843, and a year later married Martha Davis, a young Shakeress.
They went to Reading to live where a son and daughter were born. After this Mr. Hatch traveled in the west, but later returned and settled at Vineland, N. J., where he lived until his death in 1877, aged sixty-one.
Mary married Joseph Mather. They settled in Michigan, and had one son. She died in 1878, aged sixty.
Asaph Prouty, wife and four children, were the next persons
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to go to Shirley. They became members November 12, 1827. Asaph was the son of Nathan Prouty, a brother of the late Har- vey Prouty, and cousin to Nathan H. and C. Porter Prouty, now living in Spencer, and was born March 5, 1793. September 5,
Asaph Prouty and Family Wend Their Way to Shirley.
1817, when twenty-four years of age, he married Lucy Cutter, daughter of Jedediah Cutter, who owned then what is known as the Lewis Hill place. The house standing at that time was built by Captain Benjamin Johnson in 1747. At the first town meet- ing in Spencer in 1753 Captain Johnson was chosen moderator, town clerk, treasurer, selectman and assessor. The old house was torn down some years ago and replaced by a new one. Two children were the result of this marriage-Abigail, born August 19, 1818, and George, born August 7, 1820. Lucy Prouty died February 20, 1823, aged twenty-six. She was buried in the old cemetery, and the following inscription is on the headstone :
"No more can death my soul surprise ; My steady faith on God relies, And all is peace of mind I see no more in things below To tempt my stay; with joy I go And leave them all behind "
Asaph next married Martha Goodnow, June 26, 1823. Three children were born to them-Lorenzo D., March 22, 1824; Nathan C., June 11, 1826; and Lucy C., in 1828. In 1818, the year after his first marriage, Asaph purchased of Cheney Potter, a physician then living in Spencer, the now abandoned farm this side the one at present owned by Julius F. Allen, on the town farm road, and here he lived until he left town in 1827. In 1829 he sold the farm and a detached wood lot to Spencer Prouty for a thousand dollars. He was both a farmer and boot maker, and the last year or two he lived here, a manufacturer, also, of woven wire goods. He used three hand looms for weaving. To oper- ate these at that time was considered woman's work, while the men made from the finished product seives and otlier utensils for domestic use. At this time he took into partnership with him a man whose name is not now known, but whose part was to do the selling, while Mr. Prouty was to attend to the details of manufac- turing. Mr. Prouty fulfilled his part of the contract and so pre- sumably did the partner; but in addition the latter went away with Mr. Prouty's horse, wagon, and a large load of manufac- tured goods comprising a season's work, never came back and
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never again was heard from. This discouraged Mr. Prouty. He had already borrowed four hundred dollars from Oliver Morse, a money lender of that day, and it seems probable that his partner got away with pretty much all this money value as represented in the goods, in addition to the labor value of the season's work.
Asaph Prouty a Devout Christian.
Mr. Prouty was a devout member of the Congregational church and a deeply religious man. He carried a Bible with him wherever he went, and read it when traveling, if convenient to do
LORENZO D. PROUTY.
so. He often visited Chloe Loring and Becca Prouty for the pur- pose of talking over religious questions. In the summer of 1827 he visited friends in the northern part of Worcester county, and on his way home drove through Shirley. Here he became ac- quainted with the Shakers, held a long conversation with, Olive Hatch, and decided then that as for him and his house they would cast in their lot with that people.
This action he took at once, as soon as he could get his affairs in shape to do so, and then with his family, livestock, farming utensils and household goods started on his overland journey. His daughter says, "He took everything but the farm," and said of himself that he journeyed like Abraham, look- ing not backwards. On January 30, 1828, at a meeting held by
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the Congregational church, it was voted to " send a letter of ad- monition to Brother Asaph Prouty, who appears inclined to join the Shakers, and has moved his family near them for that pur- pose." Also voted that " the pastor of the church," Rev. Levi Packard "and the deacons be the committee to write the ad- monition letter." It appears from the dates that the church was not accurately posted in regard to Mr. Prouty's movements, for
Asaph Prouty Excommunicated from the Congre- gational Church.
he had united with the Shakers two months before a vote was taken to admonish him of his extreme danger. Later they ascer- tained the correct facts, and passed "a vote of excommunication upon Asaph Prouty, who has gone to the Shakers." The ex- tract from the church record which says Mr. Prouty had moved near the Shakers for the purpose of joining them, will be better understood when it is known that the Shakers had at that time what they called a garden house on their farm of 2,500 acres, some distance away from their community dwellings, and that it was into this house that Mr. Prouty moved. It must also be borne in mind that Lucy C. was not then born, and it probably was deemed a more prudent course to permit in a general way the family life to run along uninterruptedly until after that event had taken place, which was in the spring following. Asaph Prouty continued thirty-four years with the people of his choice, a useful and respected member, and died May 4, 1861, aged sixty- eight. Soon after he left Spencer the venerable Anna Pope said, "Whether Asaph Prouty is right or not in all his religious views I am unable to say, but I am certain of one thing, and that is that he believes he is right, and is a very sincere and honest man." His wife Martha did not have much enthusiasm for Shaker life, but for the sake of her children and husband sensi- bly concluded to make the best of circumstances she could not control, and acquiesced in the arrangement. She lived a quiet, peaceful life in the community for four years, and died March 16, 1831.
George Prouty, eldest son of Asaph, lived a Shaker until he became of age. He then went to Leominster and afterwards married and settled in Fitchburg. He was esteemed very highly by the Shakers, and had he remained, doubtless would have become a leading man in the society. At Shirley he learned the trade of a shoemaker and was an excellent workman. When he went away he continued in that line of business as a custom boot and shoemaker and cobbler and followed it until his death, Nov. 9, 1888, aged sixty-eight. Abigail Prouty, the oldest daughter of Asaph, was a lifelong Shakeress and in love with the doctrines.
5
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She was a very useful person and a tireless worker. She died Oct. 18, 1895, aged seventy-seven.
Lorenzo D. Prouty had by nature very unusual endowments of mind, but was unable to study, and hence did not accomplish. a work which otherwise perhaps might have made him famous. He was a skillful mechanic, a poet, and a musician of rare ability. When a boy of seven his head was injured by being run over by a loaded wagon. At fourteen his head was again injured by a heavy weight falling from a great beam in the barn; at twenty-
NATHAN C. PROUTY.
one a pair of horses ran away with him, his head striking a post, and the concussion tearing his scalp nearly off. This injury required trepanning. So for the rest of his life he was handi- capped by these accidents, and obliged to occupy a position much inferior to that which by nature he was so well fitted to adorn.
W. D. Howells, the Famous Author, on Shakerism.
W. D. Howells, the famous author, in 1875 spent six weeks at the Shirley community and became a close friend of Mr. Prouty. After this he wrote "The Three Villages" and "The Undiscov- ered Country," stories which introduced much of Shaker life. He says: "They are people chiefly known to the outside world by their apple sauce, by their garden seeds, punctual in coming up when planted; by their brooms, so well made that they sweep
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THE SPENCER SHAKERS
clean long after the ordinary new broom has retired upon its rep- utation; by the quaintness of their dress and by the fame of their religious dances. It is this latter custom which gives them their name."
Concerning their belief Mr. Howells also says: "They claim that their system is based on the fact that each man has in him- self a higher and a lower life, and that Shakerism is a manifesta- tion of the higher life to the exclusion of the lower. They say with Paul that those who marry do well,-but those who 11ot marry, do better. One of the cardinal points of their doctrine is the possibility of communing with the spirits of departed friends." This is well brought out in the following acrostic, written by a a friend of Lorenzo D. Prouty in 1876:
L-and of light and endless glory O-how oft I dream of thee ! R-adiant there the host of spirits E-ver calling up to me. N-ow come forth, put on thy armor, Z-ealous be to win the prize,
O-from earthiness arise ! D-raw me upward, guardian angels,
P-oint to me thy standard pure; R-ising I would be established O-n the rock which is secure; U-pward rising, onward moving T-oward that part of heaven above Y-on fair clime of ceaseless love. L-eave, O soul, all vain enjoyment, .
O-nward press, increase in worth,
"R-ule thyself," must be our motto E-re we rise to higher birth. N-oble conquerers, valiant heroes,
Z-ealous workers for the right,
O-n us shed thy power and light, D-rawn by sacred bonds of friendship P-ure relationship to hold, R-aised from earth by angel influence, O-what blessings do unfold ! U-nto us flow joys transcendent, T-ruth her pinions bright expand, Y-onder shines the blissful land. S-ource from whence doth flow all goodness, H-eed our longing soul's desire ! I-nto life and action bring us ! R-aise our standard-raise it higher ! L-et us grasp the passing moments, E-'er aspiring for the goal, Y-ielding not to earth's control.
The spiritual, musical and poetic nature of Lorenzo D. Prouty was largely developed, and this, combined with an ardent and imaginative temperament, made his presence in a Shaker religious meeting, when stimulated by the activity of all those forces, a
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power never to be forgotten. He loved to sing the acrostic and many other pieces to inspirational music of his own composition, always fine but never twice alike. He seemed to lose himself in these periods of ecstacy, and when the religious dances were in order executed them to the amazement of his brethren, singing all the while in tones of sweetest melody. He was a very sweet- tempered man as his portrait indicates. He died in peace Jan. 1, 1891, aged sixty-six.
"The winds breathe low, the withering leaf Scarce whispers from the tree, So, gently flows the parting breath When good men cease to be."
Nathan C. Prouty a Man of Unusual Ability.
Nathan C. Prouty, in his mind, was organized on a wholly different plan from his brother Lorenzo, except in imagination. When only seven his five-year-old sister asked him what the moon was. "Why," said he, "that is God's eye." She asked, "Where is the other one?" "Well," he replied, "God's nose is so big we can't see but one eye at a time." As a boy he was full of mischief. Nothing was found out of place or order, or spirited away but what it was said, "That is some of Nathan Prouty's doings." Nothing, however, that he did was bad, and all was prompted by a spirit of fun. This trait was ever present through- out his life. He was sick for a time a few years before his death and confined to his bed. The physician was asked by a towns- man if Nathan was sick. "I don't know," he replied, "he is so full of his fun I can't tell whether he is sick or well." He is said to have been an expert agricultural chemist, and often deliv- ered addresses at country fairs. In one instance the trustees voted to pay him twice the price charged for his services, "on account of the exceeding value of his address." He could have been an able preacher if we may judge by one discourse of his delivered extemporaneously in the Baptist church at Shirley. Some one who had been engaged for pulpit supply, failing to appear one Sabbath, Mr. Prouty was asked if he could not act as substitute. Said he thought he could. Taking out his watch and placing it on the desk in front of him, it is reported that he preached on the subject of time, one of the inost remarkable ser- mons the audience ever listened to. Fifty years ago Zerah Col- burn's Mental Arithmetic was the standard in this country, and his skill in mental calculation furnishes one of the most interest- ing instances extant of pre-natal influence. His mother was a weaver on a hand loom, and for several months before his birth had unusually difficult patterns to weave composed of threads of many colors. As she was unable to figure, she was
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compelled to, and did, solve mentally though with great exertion the problem of the right number of threads of each color needed to make the exact design required. It is generally and reasona- bly supposed that because of this extreme mental effort Colburn became the greatest known prodigy in the mental manipulation of figures up to that time. We have, however, in Nathan C. Prouty and his mother a nearly parallel case. She was a weaver of wire cloth on a hand loom, and the opportunity was present and constantly required for mental calculation. As a probable result Nathan when but a small boy could immediately solve dif- ficult problems in mental arithmetic. A little older he could tell at once the number of minutes a person had lived on knowing the time of their birth. He became well versed in astronomy, and delighted in making calculations in regard to the revolutions of the heavenly bodies.
His Peaceful Death.
The following extract is taken from a copy of a local paper published after his death:
"Nathan Converse Prouty, an old resident of this town, and who has been identified with the Shirley society of Shakers all his life died suddenly of heart failure Sunday morning, Nov. 22, 1896, aged seventy. Several times, within a few days previous to his death he had complained of feeling numb and cold, espec- . ially his hands, but had kept about his work as usual. With two men he had been pulling turnips all Saturday morning, and in the afternoon went to Ayer. Returning home about five o'clock he ate supper and seemed as well as usual. Not appearing the next morning at the customary time his room was visited, and he was seen through a window apparently asleep. Not answering the second call entrance to his room was gained and it was found his spirit had passed away. A lamp was burning near one of the windows and a fire had been lighted in the stove, showing that he had gotten up in the early morning and gone back to bed. Death probably came to him very quietly, for to all appearances he had suffered but little pain and looked like one asleep.
'How blest the righteous when he dies, When sinks a weary soul to rest; How mildly beam the closing eyes, How gently heaves the expiring breast.
Life's labor done, as sinks the clay, Light from its load the spirit flies, While heaven and earth combine to say, How blest the righteous when lie dies.
"At one time he had charge of the north family, so-called, and was also head farmer of the south family, and held other places of trust and responsibility among the Shakers. He was
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known as the old mathematician, being able to add and perform large sums in arithmetic in his head with almost lightning rapid- ity. In many respects he was rather eccentric, but all who knew him unite in saying he was an honest and very kind-hearted man, and one who will be greatly missed. His funeral was held Tuesday morning, November 24, there being many present from the Harvard society of Shakers, also relatives, neighbors and friends. The services were conducted according to the Shaker customs, and the remains buried in the old Shaker cemetery."
Testimony of Lucy C. Prouty as to the Good Quali- ties of the Shakers.
Lucy C. Prouty left the Shakers when about twenty-five years of age, and four years later married Frederick Matthews, now deceased. They settled in West Brookfield where she now lives. She says of the Shakers: "I can say nothing but good of them, for I know nothing against them. While everyone has imperfections, each Shaker carefully studied how to overcome every trait in character or disposition that was contrary to the highest standard of right. If one did wrong there was generally a hearty repentance, and likewise as hearty a forgiveness. We lived in families as brothers and sisters, and our daily life was exceedingly pleasant and happy."
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