USA > New York > Yates County > History of Yates County, N.Y. : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 7
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The name of Jemima Wilkinson is known in almost every house- hold in the county, and the story of her life has been published many times and told by parent to child through all the generations of people from the coming of her society and self to this locality to the present. Nothing untold can now be said of her, yet any work of the historian that purports to treat of this region of the State would indeed be in- complete without at least a passing allusion to The Friend and her faith- ful people. Jemima Wilkinson was born in the town of Cumberland, Providence County, R. I., in 1758, and was the daughter of Jeremiah and Amy (Whipple) Wilkinson. Of their twelve children Jemima was the eighth and the only one of them that attained any special celebrity or prominence. The young life of this child was not unlike that of others of her condition and situation, nor is it understood that she pos- sessed peculiar traits that marked her in contrast with others of her time. She lived at a time when it was not an uncommon thing for numbers of people to separate themselves from established churches or sects and set up a new standard of religious discipline or worship ; and while it is known that Jemima was brought under the influence of one of these departures it is not believed that she was led by it. However during her young womanhood she underwent a remarkable and most
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HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY.
singular change. In the summer of 1776, then being eighteen years old, she fell sick and of her disease none of the medical men of the time were able to comprehend, except that it was diagnosed as one of the ailments of the nervous system and not of the physical, for she ap- peared to suffer no pain. At last she wasted in bodily strength and friends despaired of her life ; but during her illness Jemima constantly told them of her strange visions, beautiful in her eyes, which to those around her were evidences of an approaching end and the hallucinations of a bewildered brain. Gradually she became more weak in strength as her illness continued, when finally, in October, she appeared to fall into a trance state and appeared almost lifeless for a space of about thirty- six hours. To the great surprise of her family she suddenly aroused herself, called for her garments, dressed, and walked among the assem- bled members of the household, though frail and wasted with her long prostration. From this time forth she disclaimed being Jemima Wilkin- son, but asserted that the former individuality had passed away and that she was another being, a minister of the Almighty sent to preach his gospel and to minister to the spiritual necessities of mankind. She took to herself the name of the Universal Friend, or the Public Universal Friend, and would recognize no other names even to the end of her life, although to her followers she was commonly known as " The Friend."
The first public appearance of Jemima in her new character was made on the Sunday next following her rising from the bed of sickness, and on the day alluded to she attended worship and after the services were ended repaired to a grove of trees, where she delivered a discourse of some length. In the course of her remarks she displayed a surprising familiarity with scripture passages and astonished her hearers with the peculiar force of her delivery. From this time forward she preached frequently, and her audiences were comprised of persons of full mental power ; not a band of religious discontents nor a party looking for a Moses to lead them out of a darkness, but rather men of worth, stand- ing, influence, and wealth, who with their families were impressed with the truth of the teachings of Jemima Wilkinson, although she at that time was scarcely more than a girl, being but about eighteen years of age. The Friend traveled about from place to place, visiting and preaching in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and in
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THE FRIEND'S SETTLEMENT.
many localities houses of worship were erected by her converted follow- ers. During the summer of 1782 she went to Pennsylvania, to the neighborhood of Philadelphia, accompanied by a small party of her ad- herents, and there she received a friendly welcome from the Quaker ele- ment of the region. She preached and labored among them for some time, with the result that many new converts were gathered around her standard. Between this field and that of her former labors her minis- trations were divided until the year 1790, when she made the pilgrimage to the new Jerusalem in what afterward became the town of Torrey in the county of Yates. To establish a community home in some new region of the land was the cherished desire of The Friend, and it was for this purpose that Ezekiel Sherman was authorized to visit the Genesee country in 1786, reference to which was made in a preceding portion of this chapter.
Notwithstanding the unfavorable character of the report of Ezekiel Sherman the new society determined upon a still further investigation, and if possible to plant their colony in this section of the country. To this end Thomas Hathaway, Richard Smith, and Abraham Dayton were constituted a committee to represent the society and in 1787 set out upon their journey. They first explored some portions of Pennsyl- vania, particularly in the Wyoming Valley, but at last struck upon the trail made by General Sullivan's army of some years before, and this led them to and along the shores of Seneca Lake. After visiting Kan- andesaga, now Geneva, they came down the west side of the lake to Kashong, now in Benton, Yates County, and at the latter place fell in with two Frenchmen who were trading among the Indians, and who were respectively named De Bartzch and Poudre. By the traders the committee was informed that the region about them was unsurpassed for purposes of settlement and cultivation ; and in this opinion the worthy commissioners appear to have agreed, for they decided to make a favorable report of the locality, but to leave the exact situation of the colony to the discretion of whoever of the society should first come to make a home.
The first settlement by members of the society was made during the latter part of the summer of 1788, and the pioneers to whom belonged the honor of that event were Abel Botsford, Peleg Briggs, John Briggs,
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HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY.
Isaac Nichols, George Sisson, Ezekiel Sherman, Stephen Card, and others to the number of twenty-five persons. The descendants of a number of these heads of families are still residents of the county, re- siding in various towns. This party of pioneers proceeded along up Seneca Lake until their attention was attracted by the noise of falling waters. This indicated to them a desirable site for a mill and to the spot their steps were directed. This was in August, 1788, and the exact point of location was on the outlet of Keuka Lake not far distant from the place where it discharges into Seneca Lake, at the location which has ever since been known as City Hill. Not only was the first permanent white settlement effected at that time, but the sturdy pio- neers of the party at once cleared the land and sowed about twelve acres of wheat, the first event of its kind in the State west of Seneca Lake.
During the year 1789 the little colony on the lake received large accessions in numbers, and even their faithful and devoted leader her- self attempted the overland journey to the new country in the same ยท year, but an unfortunate accident that nearly proved fatal in its results changed her determination, and she returned again to her home near Philadelphia. However The Friend sent her trusted companion and earnest co-worker, Sarah Richards, to the settlement at new Jerusalem to investigate its condition and its people and report to the leader on her return. But it appears that Sarah was not pleased at all she saw among the colonists, upon which she upbraided them in an earnest lecture. After a brief sojourn Sarah returned to The Friend and did not visit the settlement again until 1791.
The year 1789 was marked with many trials and hardships for the pioneers of the new country. Mills they had not, neither provisions, and many were threatened with starvation. To grind their corn a stump was hollowed out, and with a stone or mallet the corn was pounded sufficiently to call coarse meal; but the supply of this commodity was exceedingly scarce and many families were compelled to subsist on nettles and milk and the meat of such animals as the forest afforded. But after the first year the fertile soil of the locality returned an abun- dant harvest, and from that time forward no family suffered for the necessaries of life ; for luxuries they sought not, for such was not the
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THE FRIEND'S SETTLEMENT.
character of the followers of the Universal Friend. The distinguished patron and founder of the society became a dweller among its members during the year 1790, she having left Worcester, Pa., in March and completing the journey in about two weeks. In the same year, and after The Friend's arrival, the society erected a log meeting-house and also a house of abode for its leader. The former stood on the road leading from Norris Landing to the mill, near what has been more lately called the James M. Clark residence ; The Friend's house stood on what is yet called the Townsend farm, and although much worn by the storms of a century is still standing, itself a monument to its singu- lar and almost incomprehensible founder. The dwelling of The Friend was built by Elijah Malin and the means for its erection were furnished mainly by Anna Wagener, both of which persons were devout believers in the teachings of The Friend.
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So far as this narrative has progressed there has nowhere been made mention of any fact tending to show by what means the Society of Friends became possessed of the land upon which their first settlement was made. In a general way it was known to the society that the re- gion was a part of the Massachusetts pre-emption territory subject to the right of jurisdiction reserved to the State of New York; and although a latent fact it was nevertheless true that certain of the follow- ers and adherents of The Friend were members of the somewhat noted lessee company, and through that channel and the influence of these members in the company the settlement was permitted and effected without the formality of negotiations and purchase. It was assumed,
too, that the entire settlement was on the pre-emption tract, although in fact when the line had become determined it was found to be on both sides of the same. This discovery together with the subsequent run- ning of the new pre-emption line led to certain complications, but which were afterward satisfactorily adjusted. But the reader will inquire how was it that Ezekiel Sherman made such an unfavorable report regard- ing the hostile attitude of the Indians, and yet within a year or two afterward so large a settlement was permitted by them to be made without any interruption on their part ? In this connection it may be said that at this time the Six Nations had concluded their sale to Phelps and Gorham, but they still lingered about their favorite camps hunting
11
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HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY.
and fishing, as if reluctant to yield up possession they had so long and so peaceably held. Moreover they were at almost open enmity with all white settlers and retired before the onward march of civilization with feelings of hatred for their late conquerers. Occasionally there would be an outbreak, but the savages made no demonstration against the Friends settlement, although it was the first in the region west of Seneca Lake. In truth it appears that the Senecas stood in wondrous awe of the strange people inhabiting the new Jerusalem. The Public Universal Friend not only held her own community of people in a com- mon bond of religious strength and union, but as well did her influence extend over the savage and warlike Senecas, and by them she was looked upon as something more than and totally unlike the average woman. She preached to them on various occasions, and her words being interpreted fell as seed sown upon good ground, for they showed to her and her followers invariable respect and refrained from any unfriendly demonstrations against the infant settlement. Not only that, but occasions are not wanting on which the Indians furnished The Friend with bountiful supplies of game and other necessaries and con- forts of life. On the other hand The Friend and her people always treated the Indians in a most friendly manner, offering them no affront and denying them no unreasonable request. They therefore became friends. In 1791, when the Senecas were on their way to the treaty grounds at Newtown (Elmira), a body of them to the number of about 500 camped at Norris Landing. Among them were Cornplanter, Red Jacket, Good Peter, Rev. Mr. Kirkland, Horatio Jones, Jasper Parish, the latter being interpreters. On this occasion The Friend preached to the Indians and was received by them with much favor. On a still later occasion, in 1794, at Canandaigua, at the final treaty The Friend also addressed the Indians, using this text for the subject of her remarks : " Have we not all one Father ? Hath not one God created us all ?" For this and other similar appearances she was called by the Iroquois Squaw Shin-ne-waw-na-gis-taw.ge, meaning "A great woman Preacher."
In 1788 the so-called " old pre-emption line " was surveyed and run, but the Friends had not more than an indefinite idea of its exact loca- tion. They of course desired to possess the land in fee simple, for which purpose they addressed an application to George Clinton, governor
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6
MEASURES TAKEN TO POSSESS THE LAND.
of New York, believing themselves to be on the State lands, requesting that they be allowed to make purchase. The governor directed them to attend the land sale at Albany, which was done with the result of a purchase of a tract embracing 14,040 acres, the certificate of title being given to James Parker, William Potter, and Thomas Hathaway and their associates as tenants in common, they representing and acting for the society. The certificate of sale was dated October 10, 1792, but the con- sideration has been variously expressed by standard writers. Turner in his history of the land titles in general, and the Phelps and Gorham pur- chase in particular, says the purchase price was "a little less than 2s. per acre," while Cleveland states that no consideration was expressed, "ex- cept the requirement that there shall within seven years be one family located on each 640 acres." The latter statement would appear to be the more reasonable, for had the State granted or sold the tract for actual and substantial consideration money restitution would necessarily have been required by the grantees when it was discovered that the pre- emption line rightly run brought a considerable portion of their lands on the pre-emption tract. This proved the case. The new line was run in 1791 and passed through the Friends settlement more than a mile eastward of the old line, showing that their location was in part on the Phelps and Gorham tract proper. But at this time Phelps and Gorham had passed their title to Robert Morris, and by the latter it was sold to the London Association, the agent of the latter being Charles Will- iamson. This unfortunate condition of affairs left those of the society no resource other than to seek a confirmation of their title from the agent of the association. The number of settlers on the gore, as it was called, in the Friends settlement was twenty-three and they addressed themselves to Mr. Williamson as follows :
"JERUSALEM, 13th of the Ist Month, 1794.
" Friend Williamson : We take this opportunity to let thee know our wishes, who are now on thy land at the Friends Settlement, in Jerusalem, in the county of Ontario, and in the State of New York. We, the subscribers, wish to take deeds from friend Williamson for the land our improvements is on, rather than any other person. Our desire is that thee would not dispose of the land to any other person but to us who are on the land.
" Benajah Botsford, Eleazer Ingraham, Solomon Ingraham, Richard Smith, Abel Botsford, Enoch Malin, William Davis, John Briggs, Elnathan Botsford, Daniel In-
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HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY.
graham, Richard Mathews, Elnathan Botsford, jr., Asahel Stone, Samuel Doolittle, John Davis, Benedict Robinson, Philo Ingraham, Samuel Parsons, Jonathan Davis, Elijah Malin, Thomas Hathaway, Mercy Aldrich, Elisha Ingraham."
Charles Williamson, the representative of the London Association, to whom the above petition was addressed, showed to the petitioners the greatest consideration, treated them not only with fairness but with great liberality, and confirmed to them in the name of his principals the title to their lands agreeable to their request.
From the time of the organization of the Society of Friends in 1776 down to the closing years of the eighteenth century there appears to have been no serious interference with its prosperity and progress. Its numbers were comprised of persons and families who had heard the early teachings of its remarkable leader and were brought to this lo- cality from the States of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Many of them were strangers to one another before coming to the new Jerusalem, but when arrived there became united by the fraternal bonds of love, and faith, and hope, and all were devotees of their leader, The Friend, originally Jemima Wilkinson. Their lands and estates were held in common, and while each family lived upon that set apart to it the whole belonged to the society, according to the cus- tom that prevailed in the body. In the society James Parker was per- haps the most influential and wealthy member, whose tract embraced a thousand acres and on which in parcels dwelt and labored himself, his son, and his sons-in-law. But during the latter part of the century referred to above Mr. Parker became for some unknown reason dissat- i fied with the workings of the society, or with the strict and rigorous demands of The Friend herself, and withdrew himself from its member- ship and any and all allegiance to it. The rupture was sudden, but none the less effectual, and there proved to be a permanent alienation of affec- tion between him and The Friend. Almost at the same time William Pot- ter, another leading member of the society, withdrew himself from his former connection in the body, and from that time dated the decline of power and influence, not only of The Friend, but as well the society of which she was founder and leader-its acknowledged head. Then fol- lowed a long litigation growing out of the question of title to parts of The Friend's tract, in which suit William Potter was plaintiff and George
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VICISSITUDES OF THE SOCIETY.
Sisson defendant, with determination in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendant, and therefore adverse to The Friend's interest. The opinion of the court pointed out a means by which The Friend's cause might find relief in equity, but in resorting to proceedings fell into the hands of an unscrupulous lawyer, who cheated his clients of a large re- taining fee. Directly the losses in defending and prosecuting the sev- eral suits fell upon individuals of the society, but indirectly they came upon the society at large and had much to do with The Friend's ulti- mate change of residence from the Seneca Lake region to the more remote and less desirable final abode in Jerusalem, a town so named in recognition of her presence within its border.
But even before changing her dwelling place from the original site The Friend had in mind the thought of departing from the community and making her home in some remote locality, away from the dissentients who were the cause of so great trouble. To this end Abraham Dayton, a faithful servator of The Friend, was sent to Canada to negotiate with Governor Simcoe for a grant of a tract of land upon which she and her still devoted adherents could abide in peace. Friend Dayton succeeded in securing a grant of the township of Beauford, Canada West, but when the society were making preparations to emigrate to the region the governor annulled the charter on the ground that the same was made under the mistaken impression that the members of the society were Quakers, for whom he had great respect, but on learning the pre- cise nature or character of the society deemed it expedient to revoke the grant already made. However he renewed the same to Mr. Day- ton, who moved his family and property to the township and lived there during the remainder of his life.
On September 2, 1790, Thomas Hathaway and Benedict Robinson became the owners of township number seven in the second range by purchase from Phelps and Gorham. In extent the purchase embraced thirty-six square miles and the consideration paid therefor was $4,320. Both Hathaway and Robinson were members of the society, and it is believed the purchase was made with the advice and sanction of The Friend and upon its territory she designed at some time to establish her permanent home. At all events such was the intention of Benedict Rob- inson at least, as might readily be inferred from a letter addressed by
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HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY.
him to Sarah Richards, the nearest companion and faithful counselor of The Friend. In January, 1792, Robinson conveyed to Sarah Richards on behalf of The Friend and in trust for her four whole lots and halves of two others, containing 1,400 acres of land, Thomas Hathaway having previously sold his interest in these lots to Robinson. By conveyances subsequently executed The Friend became possessed of a large tract of land in this township, amounting in the aggregate to 4,480 acres. On this tract in 1791 The Friend, accompanied by Sarah Richards, made the selection of a site for her permanent home, visiting the land in person. The work of improving and clearing the land, cutting roads, and erect- ing such houses and buildings as were necessary was at once com- menced and prosecuted under the immediate supervision of Sarah Richards, but it was not until the spring of 1794 that The Friend and the members of her household moved to the place. The locality of her domicile was called " Brook Kedron," a name applied by Thomas Hath- away. However the trusted Sarah Richards did not live to witness the completion of her task, she dying during the latter part of 1793. By her will she bequeathed her trust to Rachel Malin, and by the same means devised her property and estate to the same person. To her daughter, Eliza Richards, she gave only a small property in Connecti- cut and entrusted her future to the generous care of The Friend. Eliza, however, proved recreant to The Friend's teachings ; she escaped one night from The Friend's house and was married to Enoch Malin.
This couple, Enoch and Eliza Malin, afterward became the cause of much trouble to The Friend and involved her and her estate in a long and bitter litigation, It will be remembered that The Friend in making purchases of land seldom entered in person into the negotiations, and never took title to herself in her own name, but rather the conveyances were executed to her prime minister, Sarah Richards, in trust for The Friend either expressed or implied. By the extensive purchases of land in JerusalemSarah became possessed of the fee, while the equitable title was in The Friend ; but Enoch and Eliza were not so disposed to regard it, for Eliza, as the child and natural heir of Sarah, contended that a part at least of The Friend's estate, so called, was wholly the property of her mother, and acting on this assumption conveyed away portions of it to sundry persons. Finally, in 1811, Rachel Malin, the
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THE FRIEND'S HOUSES.
successor to Sarah Richards, brought suit in equity against Enoch and Eliza Malin, and others claiming to hold title under them. The case was not finally determined until 1828, and resulted in a final decree sustain- ing the trust relation in Sarah Richards and by her passed to Rachel Malin, thus upholding both the legal and equitable titles in The Friend. But before this litigation was ended both the original parties, Enoch and Eliza Malin and The Friend herself, were dead and buried. The death of The Friend occurred on July 1, 1819.
The first house of The Friend in Jerusalem, that commenced under the direction of the ever faithful Sarah Richards, was first occupied by The Friend in 1794. It was built in three sections, two of them being wholly of logs and a single story in height, while the third was of logs covered with clapboards, a building of presentable appearance and two stories high. One of the log sections was used as a meeting-house by the society and was otherwise utilized as a school-room. The first teacher appears to have been Sarah Richards, followed by Ruth Prichard and John Briggs. This substantial structure was the abiding place of The Friend and her family until the year 1814. Before that year, however, Thomas Clark commenced the erection of a more desirable house de- signed for the use of the distinguished leader of the society. His work was begun in 1809, but not before 1814 was it sufficiently complete to receive its tenant. The building was two and one half stories high, having large rooms with high ceilings, and was exceedingly well ven- tilated and lighted. For its time this was one of the most pretentious dwellings of the region and was the home of The Friend from 1814 to 1819, in the latter of which years she died. But notwithstanding the demise of The Friend the home was occupied by her successors as long as the society continued in existence and after its extinction was put to such use as was required by its subsequent owners; and it still stands, showing somewhat the marks of time and the wearing of the elements. For the locality, even to the present generation of people, there has been ever shown a feeling of respect, for the final house of The Friend is the only substantial monument ever erected to her mem- ory. Indeed for a time it covered her remains, her body having been deposited in a strong vault built in the cellar and securely walled in. After some years it was removed to a more suitable place of burial and
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