USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Woodstock > The valley of the Kedron; the story of the South parish, Woodstock, Vermont > Part 15
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was the Marshal of the day and in command of all these troops. ... The Military moved down the street to Farmer Blake's place to meet the General and his travelling companions. When they arrived at Blake's it began to rain, not a thunder shower, but a continuous downpour. Word came that the General would not arrive for two hours be- cause of the storm. The Military returned well soaked and went into the houses to dry themselves. About ten o'clock the Cannon on the hill above Mr. Blake's announced that the General was near and the Companies again marched that way and escorted him and his suite into town and formed a hollow square of three sides in front of the brick dining room of the Eagle Hotel where a staging had been erected, on which the General stood and listened to the addresses made and then made his reply. He could be seen by all the people. There was a stone post at the corner of the hotel which had a flat top and I stood on that. When the speaking was about to begin the Marshal said, "Let there be profound silence." After the speaking was over the Revolutionary Soldiers, many being present, shook hands with their old Comrade. The General and his suite took dinner at Barker's Hotel and passed on."
The few items about Lafayette's visit to Woodstock must be preserved. Here is another one by one of the South Parish boys. It is quoted from a letter written by John Parker in April 1877. He was then living in Washington, D. C. "Among my earliest recollections is of the visit of Lafayette to Woodstock. I was only about six years old at the time. His noble form and general appearance are as fresh in my memory as incidents of the past ten years; the clean streets, the evergreen arch over Elm Street, the
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stand or bower prepared for his reception at the Eagle Hotel I remember well." He also recalls that David Watson, the famous printer, was then living in a house where the Methodist Church stands. Mr. Parker was connected with the Bureau of Statistics at Washington.
In 1805 Andrew Smith then living in the South Parish and a Deacon of the Congregational Church there, was formally ordained to the Ministry. A delegation from the North Parish went out and assisted in this service. Andrew died in 1813. In 1802 a joint committee from the two Parishes tried to get a minister but failed. The S. P. Con- gregational Church was still standing in 1836 for the town meeting met there then but by 1839 it was no more.
The old day books of the Stores have been a constant source of information and interest. The earliest one is dated June 1792 and they continue up to 1798. There is one for 1811. These are all books of the Ransom store. I have had access to one of Noah Woods books beginning in 1813 and covering ten years. He did not have a store but had a busy workshop. He was Noah, Senior. Later there was a grandson bearing the same name. Jason Kendall's day book beginning in 1828 and covering eight years tells of his many activities. His center of operations was his farm and home. Gaius Perkins interests centered in his tannery and the shoe business. One of his books beginning in 1820 and continuing till 1829 reveal the tremendous business he was doing.
It was the rarest thing that anybody paid cash. Of course there was but little money in circulation. One paid for the articles bought, by produce from the farm or by work. Many of the charges are for rum, brandy, wine. Daughters,
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sons, wives make these purchases for the men of the families. The stuff was sold by the glass to be swallowed at once or in larger quantities to be taken home. Some of them must have eaten tobacco for the amounts sold are large. Snuff was bought with great frequency. The deacons and the preachers needed stimulants and they bought them often. Winslow Phelps has these items charged one day, 3 pints rum, 1/2 pint wine, 1/2 pint brandy, 1/4 lb. loaf sugar and some of raisons. Deacon Ransom gets a quart of rum. Joshua Bailey buys two gallons of rum. On the day they made these purchases there are seventeen entries. Ten of the men bought quantities of liquor. The Rev. Elijah Norton buys salt, rum and brandy, a few days before he bought rum, and the process is repeated again and again. Ensign Elisha Lord on one day buys 3 quarts of rum, then 1 quart more, also ginger, allspice and pepper. He was going to prepare a mess to burn up his internal arrange- ments. Elijah Harlow buys a large cheese, a comb and rum. And so the record goes on day by day and year by year. It is a relief to turn from narcotics to warming pans which in 1793 are being sold to many people. Poplin and crape gowns are being bought by some of the daughters and men buy horn combs. Most of the people made their own shoes in the 1790's so leather and shoe binding are pur- chased. It is well to remember that these early settlers on the land had learned some trades back in Massachusetts or Connecticut from whence most of them came. They were shipwrights, blacksmiths, wheelwrights, shoemakers, masons. One man had been making ship anchors. They were trained and hardened men and knew the use of tools and how to fell trees and build cabins. Presently the flax
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is growing and sheep are being raised, also grains and the products of the land are exchanged at the Ransom Store for salt and other items which they cannot produce. The store takes every article brought to it. Barter and trading follow, and the Ransoms send their wagons regularly to Boston with the surplus and bring back the many things which are needed.
There was no Bank, but the Store was a clearing house not only for the people of Woodstock but for all the sur- rounding towns. Customers came even from far away Rochester over roads little better than trails. The Ran- soms accepted notes for payment instead of cash. They took notes by which one man has been paid by another. Apparently they never refused a note any more than they would refuse flax seed, ashes or meat, but the fact remains that often they had difficulty in making collections and many legal troubles ensued. The early papers are full of notices demanding payment for bills long overdue and it is little wonder that so many of the stores failed, even this famous Ransom Store did eventually.
In 1793 the people are buying glass for windows and sashes are being made. Logwood, copperas, alum, indigo are now on sale and the dying of yarns is taking place. Looms are making cloth, crude fulling mills start for the finishing of cloth. The daily life of both men and women is one of hard work.
I copy a few items from the books and use the spelling found in them :- Andrew Smith a deacon of the Congre- gational Church and finally a full fledged preacher is get- ting ready for his job. He is buying brimstone and tobacco and rum, much rum. His wife buys "Sundries." Andrew
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pays his lengthy bill with wheat, labor, ashes and hires out his horse for a journey to Boston and five bushels of Wheat, his credit for that deal was one pound and five shillings. Jacob Holt balances his account by giving his note. George Lake cleans up his account with a fat hog and three bushels of flax seed and he made nails for the Ransoms. Stephen Bailey was credited for a "large Kittle returned." Isaac Cobb pays $5.00 cash. It is entered on the book as one pound and ten shillings. Brewer and Myreck carry freight to and from Boston for the store. Capt. William Perkins pays $9.00 cash, this is a real event. Elijah Field chops wood and hauls it and so pays his bill. Amasa Ransom hauls Pearl ash to Boston. He works in the Shop and gives his note and so settles his account. His tomb stone is in the Kendall graveyard and his first name is spelt Amisa which is incorrect. John Moor is paid for a "Journey of his Cart wheels to Boston last summer," twelve shillings. Kendall Emerson carried freight to Bos- ton for the store. He did this several times and carried heavy loads each way. John Cottle gets credit by lathing, plastering and topping a chimney. He also laid the lath for the store. This means the store on the hill. He white- washed it. Even with all of this work, he is still in debt over one pound, and then settled with a note-and so his account is balanced. Simeon Dunham hewed two plates and a beam for the Ransom barn and his son works on the timbers two days. Then Simeon gives his note and his debt is wiped out. Deacon Phinehas Thomas pastured sheep, somebody else did the same for oxen and received credit on their bills. Some things which are bought in 1795 are Darning needles, Tea Pott, nails, tea, cupberd
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lock, bandana handkerchief, also a black silk one and many made of Cambric, silk twist, much of it, felt hatt, sugar box, spelling book "Set Heneras annotations," two pair women's underleathers. Six pewter plates, 1581 Feet Clear pine boards, dyes of many kinds. Dr. Drew buys eight brass handles and Elijah Harlow buys brass handles and brass pins. Silvester Edson gets a looking glass. Mitchel Pope buys tea, Brimstone, cake of chocolate and a lawn handkerchief. Cakes of chocolate and squares of ginger bread are now in the store and bought often. Loaf sugar has also arrived. Other purchases were Rubstones, Cloth for shoes, shoe binding, one pair of compasses, cod fish, iron shovels, hand saws, files, worsted mits, large sickle, cotten wool, a large chamber pot, an ordinary one. They are selling calico, china silk, moreen, holland cambric, ribbon, melonet, Shawls made of silk, corduroy tow-cloth, Shallone, lawn, woosted gowns, Red cloaks, Buckles, large Hatts.
In 1795 men began to get a shave at the store. The common price was 13 cents, but one man paid 20 cents and another only 10. Articles being sold, were spelling books, raisins, mackerel, shoebinding, skeins of silk, milk pans. John Ransom sells Sall Perry 230 feet of Bords. She is called Sall in many records and her last name begins with a small p. As usual the store looks after this transac- tion and Deacon Thomas sells 130 feet of Bords. Lemons are on sale, a little coffee, more tea, buttons large and small, Psalm Books and bed ropes. Rebecca Hammond buys one quire of paper, that was a huge amount for two or three sheets were the usual purchases. The Ham- mond girls taught school early and they were writing
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poetry. Paper was a necessity for them. Combs are bought now and then. Dea. Thomas' wife buys 12 small plates, 2 wine glasses, 5 large plates. Daniel Ralph buys 6 large plates, 4 bowls, moreen and silk and he will pay in three months. Eleazer Parker hires the wagon for Carting Hay. Hinges and locks are being sold, also shears, nippers, flints, pen knives, 1 dozen needles, small earthen platter, small earthen plates, small iron kittle. Lieut. Wm. Ellis gets the cash on two notes from Deacon Cottle and one on Thomas Page. The Ransoms are paid for the "servis of Bool" by several persons. People buy chalk, cakes of sope, 2 Skains of thread, Porringers, 1/2 paper pins, 1 Thimble, 1 large cream pot, cowbell, yarn stockings. A pound of tea costs 3/4. The Rev. John Ransom indulges in that large amount, also one large flowered tumbler, tea canis- ter, a set of flowered tea cups, 6 large plates and a set of cream colored tea cups. Sylvanus Cottle's daughter buys cups and a platter. Elder Ransom's wife buys a "Silk Bun- nit" for eight shillings. Daniel Ralph's daughter buys a milk pan, a pudan pan, 2 earthen platters, 1 flowered baker, 1 earthen mug, 1 large earthen bool. James Slay- ton gets a set tea spoons, 1 Brass Ring, 1 pr. netting needles. Biel Farnsworth by his mother, who was at this time Mrs. Elijah Norton, for Biel's father Oliver had passed away some years before and she had taken on the Rev. Elijah Norton, buys 12 Green Plates, 8 Large plates, 6 small ones, 1 set tea cups, 1 sugar box, 1 creamer, 1 shawl, 1 Sett Tea Spoons, 1 Tea Pott and son Biel is charged £1 8/6. That was quite a purchase for 1795. Gloves, Webster Spelling book, 1 Large Tea Kettle is an- other purchase. In December of this year Nathaniel Wal-
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den bought one half dozen Knives and forks. This is the earliest mention of these articles. He also bought plates and tea spoons. The store lent Capt. Wm. Ellis $13.00. In 1796, Jonathan Kingsley gets his daughter a string of beads. Almanacs are on sale and are being bought. Samuel Slayton buys a looking glass, Stephen Bailey buys 3 large spoons and a large shawl. Elder Elias Smith gets a Large Felt hatt. David Mack returns a Looking Glass. Was that too frivolous for David? Pepper and allspice, are being bought during these years, Jonathan Kingsley gets a look- ing glass for 3/9. There is an interesting item in 1796 "Jabez Hammond by Daugher for Melonet, wire, 1 sken silk 5/ by Rhoda for Nabby to pay, to come out of her money." That Hammond tribe were independent and in- dividual. Wm. McClay's daughter gets a Light China gown £1 18/6. The old Scotchman was most generous with his daughters. Wm. Wyllys buys four large flour bar- rels. Various people are selling butter at the store, some cheese and a few honey. The Widow Powers is credited for one goos. Sylvanus Cottle buys more forks and knives. Geo. Lake gets a candlestick. Spelling books and dishes are bought and several necessariums.
Roger. Williams' name is often on the books. His clerk, his friend, his sister-in-law, his wife all do business for him. Nabby Cottle and Polly Hammond are buying for each other quite often. So the years go by with barter and trade. People come from Rochester to buy and sell at the Ransom Store. They come from Hartland, Bridge- water and Reading. The Ransoms carry everybody's load, accept everybody's notes, pay anyone's bills by Verbal or- der, shift produce from one person to another. Occa-
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sionally the books say "by over charge," "if not set down before," "paid last summer." They were remarkable men and a few evidences of their taste still exist. The charming old store building on the hill. The beautiful doorways in the white house. The stairway in their brick house now the Kedron Tavern.
Please read this list of first names that fond parents at- tached to their innocent offspring who settled in the South Parish. They certainly reveal a rather intimate acquaint- ance with Biblical history. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Israel, Judah, Benjamin, Dan, Reuben, Eph- raim, Seth, Joshua, Caleb, Gideon, Simeon, Moses, Aaron, David, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Eleazer, Phineas, Amasa, Jonathan, Josiah, Lemuel, Peletiah, Jabez, Daniel, Ezekial, Nehemiah, Ezra, Hezekiah, Ebenezer, Samuel, Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Jonas, Abijah, Abiah, John, James, Peter, Andrew, Philip, Nathaniel, Thomas, Stephen, Silas, Titus, Appollos. Anselm and Clement will do for the Church Fathers and Calvin appears for the Reformation. Some folks had read another sort of history and here are Ves- pasian, Plutarch, Archippus, and Crispus. Some of the women had these first names: Relief, Submit, Patience, Desire, Delight, Diadama, Abigail, Aurora, Sarah, Eliza- beth, Ruth, Polly, Azuba, Eunice, Betsey, Annis, Deborah, Lydia, Phebe, Huldah, Ann, Pluma.
Harold Rugg of the Dartmouth Library sent me the following item: "Isaac Bickerstaff, Astronomer. Town and Country Almanack for the Year of our Lord 1796. Norwich (Connecticut) Printed and sold by John Trum- bull, per gross, dozen or single, contains an item on FECUNDITY. Mr. Jonathan Kingsley of Woodstock
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(Vermont) now in the 77th year of his age, was born in the year 1718, at Windham (Connecticut)-and at the age of 26 years was married to a young woman, by whom he had 9 children & who died the 18th of July 1793, and, on the 26th of June, 1794, he was again married to a young woman of the age of 25 years, who, on the 10th of April 1795, was delivered of a beautiful daughter. The youngest child whom he had by his first wife, was a grand mother, before he was married to his present one. The number of his children, grand children, and great grand children, are 100." There is no language adequate to ex- press our feelings, about this old Solomon.
It is quite interesting to find a son of these Puritans, cutting loose from their staid ways and becoming what might now be called a Radical. Benjamin Kendall was born in 1799, a time to be a nice Conservative. Newspaper work attracted him. He became the Editor of "The Henry Clay" a protest paper. Of course it did not long survive. Then he undertook to publish a paper in the interests of the farmers and mechanics. About this time a working- men's party was organized in the state and elsewhere which declared for Universal Education, abolition of im- prisonment for debt, direct election of all officers, no legis- lation about religion, abolition of licensed monopolies, the reform or complete abolition of the Military system. Then he and Dr. Tom Powers edited "The Hornet," an- other protesting sheet from the political stand point. He and Dr. Tom were not satisfied with the current religious conceptions of their times and so they started a religious journal which most of the community felt was an infidel affair simply because it did not follow the lines laid down
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by the Orthodox. Kendall had been in Richmond, Va. working on a paper before all of these Woodstock episodes occurred. He returned to Richmond to study law, but moved to Indiana where he died. John Harding of South Woodstock in 1830 began to edit "The Domestic Medical and Dietetical Monitor or Journal of Health." It soon died, the name was too much for it, at any rate, suspen- sion soon took place.
MEN OF THE REVOLUTION
The following South Parish men were in the Revolu- tion. The list may not be complete. Jonathan Kingsley Jr., Deacon Phinehas Thomas, Noah Crooker, Sylvanus Raymond, John Call, John Darling, Arunah Fullerton, Nathaniel Wood, Stephen Smith, Billy Brown, Seth Ster- ling, Lemuel Parker, Asabel Doubleday, Samuel Slayton, Lemuel Murdock, Benjamin Mack, Richard Ransom, Abraham Kendall, Samuel Myreck, Joseph Wood, Eleazer Parker, Abiah Rice, Ebenezer Bridge, Ephraim Brewster. He was in the French and Indian War and marched to Royalton when that was attacked. John Call served throughout the war and knew Washington. Sylvanus Ray- mond and Noah Crooker were drummers. Benjamin Mack was imprisoned. Nathaniel Wood was at the battle of Bennington. John Darling was at White Plains. Asabel Doubleday was at Saratoga when Burgoyne surrendered. Thomas and Myreck were both officers. Neither of their graves has a service marker. Seth Sterlin helped to build the forts at New London, Conn., and to mount the guns. Elijah Harlow's father died in the Service. Wm. McClay
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and Jonathan Farnsworth each had a short period of service.
We have visited the old graveyards of the South Parish: -The Smith, Ransom, Randall, Methodist, Ralph, Ful- lerton and Morgan. Each has an interesting location. The tomb-stone cutters had individuality but they seldom put their names on the stones so they belong largely to oblivion. In the Ralph yard there are several large white marble slabs, each has cut near the top quite an impressive urn, done in low relief, each one has on its top a flaming torch. A huge old gray stone is in this yard. The ground has a carpet of periwinkle. Here are buried Ralphs, Slay- tons, Holts, Persons, Willards, Benjamins, Jaquiths, He- menways, some of the Kendalls, Abraham Kendall and Ebenezer Bridge were both in the Revolution. Dr. Stephen Drew, his wife Elizabeth and some of his children are buried in this yard, also Dr. Willard Bowman, two faithful Physicians of the South Village, Silas Burdoo, a colored man, who served in the War between the States and lived in the Ralph-Walker family, rests here. The tomb-stone man of this yard had his own ideas how to express the fact that a woman had been married twice. Usually they are called Consorts and Relicts, which always sounds like some sort of gadget or appendage, but in this yard, Mrs. Desire Bugbee, former wife of Joshua Slayton, is the way it is done and this dignified form is on several stones for the widows always remarried in those days.
The Ransom yard of course has many a Ransom. Once there was an iron fence about their lot but it has utterly disappeared. Not only are the Ransoms here but Ken- dalls, Burks, Logans, Slaytons, Farnsworths, Fallons, some
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of the Lord family, Conants, Stows, Averys, Holts, Dr. Isaiah Buckman and his wife Ruth lie here. Dr. Buckman was one of the faithful Doctors of this region. Other old time names are Field, Washburn, Bryant, Cottle, Pearsons, Page, Thomas. Henry French, a brother of Mrs. Larned Kendall is buried in this yard. All his life he followed the sea and when an old man, living with his sister, he rolled when he walked as though he was still on board of his ship. An anchor is cut on his stone and the words "Home is the Sailor, Home from the Sea." Here is an inscription which is quite different. "In Memory of Mrs. Lucy, wife of George Betterly and daughter of Mr. Hezekiah Hod- skins who left a terestial for a celestial habitation April 23, 1793 Aged 24 years and 9 mos." A gorgeous Death head adorns this stone. This poem, no, it cannot be called that, rather a sentiment is cut on her stone, it reads: -"A duteous child a virtuous consort gone, a tender mother's left friends and flown and should you walk in her terestial way the path will lead you to eternal day." Deacon Thomas was in the Revolution. Horace Mecorney and his wife Caroline are buried in the Ransom yard. He left the town of Woodstock $500 to care for this yard. Dr. Fred Kendall in recent years has raised another $500, but this money only pays two percent and it is not ade- quate for the things which need to be done. The first graves on this hill were at the west end of this yard, a piece of land now owned by the Kendalls. William Ellis and some others were buried here. No one knows how many nor the names of all of them. Two or three stones were moved, among them the Ellis one, and they stand within the present boundaries of the yard. Mrs. Edna
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Lovejoy, later the wife of Wm. Green rests in this yard. She was the woman of independent mind who joined the group of Independents at the Chapel when the Society was organized.
The land for the Methodist graveyard was given chiefly by Elisha Lord and Elijah Harlow. Elijah and Elisha, what meaningful names. Here are buried members of families bearing the names, Niles, Field, Waldron, Rich- ardson, Hammond, Crooker, Lake, Lord, Mack, Harlow, Parker, Rood, Ransom, Darling, Lovell, Christie, Sterling, Bailey. The oldest stone is for Dorothy, wife of David Bailey who died in 1797. Eleazer Parker was in the Revo- lution. William Wood, his son Noah, his son Otis, his son Noah are buried here. Their Revolutionary Ancestor, Nathaniel, lies in an unmarked grave on the John Darling farm on Long hill.
The Randall yard is filled with Randalls, Woods, Kings- leys, Murdocks, Bishops, Thomases, Slocums, Vaughans, Billy Brown, Philip Bordeau a colored man, long a faith- ful servitor of the Randalls, lies in this yard. He died at the age of 84. He was a brother of Silas who is buried in the Ralph yard, though the name is spelt differently. Joseph Wood was in the Revolution.
In the Smith yard high above the noise and turmoil of the road through the Kedron Valley are the Brewsters, Sterlings, Smiths, Houghtons, Sandersons, Peltons, Carys, Dunhams, Seth Sterling was in the Revolution. Piled in one corner of this yard are several stones. They are the ancient gray slate stones. The following initials are cut on them S. D .; H. P. D .; P. D .; L. D. This one also has Rand W cut at one side and then the word Rain. The last
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one had E. D. Ebenezer Dike was a very early settler in this section. So were the Dunhams. Do these stones be- long to the Dikes or the Dunhams? At any rate they should be properly set.
In the Fullerton yard are the names, Fullerton, Ken- dall, Page, Blossom, Herrick, Hackett, Crooker, Royce, Myrick, Cady, Smith. Samuel Myrick was in the Revolu- tion. This yard is a beautiful sequestered place. One crosses a grassy field to reach it. A gate in a stone wall is the entrance. Superb trees are on two sides. One looks through a vista of pines and white birch which are very tall and stately, and all is peace and beauty.
The Morgan yard is located on the farm now owned by Mrs. A. B. Greene. The place is sadly neglected. The crashing of limbs from a huge tree has broken one stone and knocked over another one. Others have fallen. Here are Jonathan Farnsworth, his brother Stephen, Stephen's wife and some of his children. Jabez Hammond and his wife Priscilla, the parents of brilliant children. He died in 1807 and she in 1816 and daughter Nabby in 1824. "Frances Consort of Jonathan Brewer died 1828 aged 84 years." "Sacred to the memory of Abigail Consort of Salmon Hoisington who died A. D. 1803 aged 49 years." Her stone tells us that "Virtue lives beyond the Grave." The message on Jonathan Farnsworth's stone is, "The sweet remembrance of the Just, shall flourish when they sleep in Dust." And this amazing statement is on one stone "A Wit's a feather and Chief's a rod, An Honest man is the noblest work of God." There are buried in this yard Wm. McClay and his wife who was Polly Farnsworth, their daughter Eunice and her husband John Fisher Jr.,
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