Oven Fire Destroys Moses and Jane Seely’s Home, Kimber Letter 6

3^rd Great Grandaunt Jane (Kimber) and Granduncle Moses Seely wrote to 3^rd Great Grandaunt Sarah B. (Kimber) and Granduncle William T. Mackney November 8, 1854. Jane and Sarah were sisters—daughters of Benjamin and Keziah (Bennett) Kimber. Sarah and Wm. T. Mackney lived in Troy, Pennsylvania when Jane and Moses sent this letter from Wawayanda, Orange Co., New York.

Letter 6 contains a letter from Jane and another from Moses. Jane tells Sarah and William “tuesday our house caught fire from the oven and all burned down”. She writes that Mrs. Horton got most of her things out “below stairs” and “upstairs we nor they got nothing”. The house must have been home to several families.

Moses wasn’t home when the fire started. The household items Grandaunt Jane saved included a table, bedstead, two beds, 4 pillows, 4 chairs, and a rocking chair. The Seely children, Susan Isabell and Willy Emit, were unharmed.

Neighbors took up a collection and raised $300 for Moses and Jane. Community members provided quilts, comforters, sheets, pillow cases, table cloths, clothes for the children, a dress and a skirt. Jane admits how thankful is that all their lives were spared.

Great Grandaunt shares her concerns about her sister Julia Anna (Kimber) Elston. 3^rd Great Grandaunt Julia’s doctor hopes she’ll survive another year. Another Kimber sister, Great Grandaunt Abigail, was caring for her.

Sister Phebe (Kimber) Decker visited Jane. Jane and Moses’ baby boy Willy Emit had been sick. Three year old Isabel was healthy and well.

In Moses’ letter he shares how he learned about the fire at his house. By the time he arrived home, 200 people were there.

Transcription Letter 6:

November the 8, 1854

Dear Brother and Sister

I set down this evening with calmness of mind to

write a few lines to let you know how we are

getting along in the first place   I would say we

are all well and doing as well as we can   I

think I hear you saying who dont they wright

well I will tell you the reasons why we have not

   Moses came home from your house a friday

evening and a tuesday our house caught fire from

the oven and all burned down   we did ny get

anything out but one table and one bedstead and

two beds and four pillows, four chairs    I got

my rocking chair our and some few other things

Moses was not at home at the time    if he had

been I think we would got more out    Mrs. Horton

got most of her things out below  stairs but

upstairs we nor they got nothing    they all

think it was a good thing that Moses was not

there for he might have got burned or hurt but I

think like the old woman it was all for the best

   our loss was rather hard for us at first but

the neighbors have been very kind to us and have

made it part to us    they say they have got

three hundred dollars made up in money and they

have given us a good many things    I have had

ten quilts give to me and three comforters, ten

sheets, six pare of pillow cases, one dress, one

skirt, two table cloths and besides the children

clothes    I think they have all done what they

could and I feel so thankful to think that our

lives and our health is spared to us but Sarah

we are around yet and keeping house in the

little red house and we live to home there and

keep a pig    I would like to have you all come

and see us    Charles has commenced to build

another house    Charles and Mrs. Horton takes

it very cool    Mary your likeness has gone with

the rest of the things    I feel awful bad about

that for mothers sake    we thought it looked so

much like you but I must drop this subject and

tell you about the rest of the folks    we were

up to see Julia Anna last Sunday    she has been

very low    they did not think that she could

stand it but a short time but she is a little

better now    but I dont believe she will get

well    the doctor says she may live along a year

but she will never be well    she is very poor

Abigail is with her now    mother went and stayed

three days with her    and then Abby is going

back and stay with her until she is better or

worse    Johns family are all well    Phebe has

been here today    Mose and John went to election

and Moses has gone again tonight   I have to

stay alone all the time night and day    O Sarah

and Mary I do want to see you but it will be

only a short time if we all live before we shall

se one another   Sarah we have got a little

clock we can put in our pocket when we come out

there    Willy Emit has got so he can walk all

around by a chair    he has been quite sick with

his teeth and his neck swelled very badly but he

is better now   Isabel is well    she talks

about you most all the time    she says she is

coming to Troy to see Aunt Sarah and Mary

Sunday evening   I have heard from Julia Anna

today and she is getting worse all the time

she is confined to her bed nearly all the time

I should not be surprised to hear of her death

in a weeks time but O sister it will be solem

news to hear that another one of our number is

taken from us    but if the Lord calls her to him

from the family its all right and we must give

her up    it will be a short time at the longest

before we shall have to travel the same journey

but I hope we shall all be prepared to meet her

in that happy place where there will be no more

parting losses or crosses    Sister do not take

it hard for it is nothing but trouble in this

world    I must close my letter for this time.

Dear Brother and Sister

I promist to wright, to you as soon as I got home

but you must excuse me for circumstances alters

cases    I got to port Jervis friday morning

stayed there till kniqht    when I got home I

found my folks well    Satturday mather came to

see us    a Monday i went and took her home    I

enquired all along the road for some feathers

but could not find any so I went down through

Samem and then I whent to Erastus and staid all

night and in the morning started home    i

enquired all along the road for feathers but

heard on none and as i got along by James

Singleton they told me my house was a fire    I

run old bob from there home    I was over 200

folks there    the hous and wood shed all burnt

down    I had not a bit of corn left nor potatoes

   i was to Middletown last night    i found some

feathers 4/6 lb.    if you have not got, them yet

whrite and I will send them down to you    when

i come home it looked hard to see all my things

burnt up    Mr. Whindfield came to me and told me

was a going to get up a paper and gow around    i

told him i rather not and the next morning they

started one    Charles 10    Windield 5    they have

whent all round   they have all give me

something   $300.00    I soppose i have got a

winter job a drawing boards and timber so no

more    but remain your Borther and Sister now

and forever

Moses and Jane E. Seely

to William T. and Sarah B. Mackney

Notes by Seely Descendant Winifred Drake Ridell:

[Willy Emit was b. 10 Feb. 1854  d. 1 Dec. 1854

about a month after the fire.]

[Julia Anna was a sister to Jane and wife of

Erastus Elston, she d. 1 Apr. 1855]

[Phebe was a sister, wife of John N. Decker]

[The Mackneys were then located in Troy, Pa.]

SOURCE: Edna Raymond, a past Town of Minisink historian, gave me typed transcripts of the letters exchanged between the Kimber sisters and their parents. This letter is 6 of 31.

It was many years ago when I visited Edna and learned of the letters. Edna has since passed away. I believe Edna told me a couple from Illinois visited the Minisink Town Hall and brought the original Kimber letters. The Kimber descendant allowed Edna to photocopy the letters in his/her presence. Edna worked quickly. In those days copy machines were slow and the quality left much to be desired. Edna spent many hours studying and transcribing the letters as the ‘old time’ handwriting was especially difficult to read.

To read earlier Kimber Letters click on the label 'Kimber Letters' at the bottom of this post.