KIMBER LETTER 11: POTATOES, PEAS AND A PLUM TREE

The Kimber Letters are writings exchanged between the Kimber sisters and their mother, Keziah (Bennett) Kimber. The letters found their way to the sister’s descendants. They’ve been saved and shared among us for over 150 years. I treasure them and am grateful to the late Edna Raymond for giving me transcriptions.

“It is with much pleasure that I set down this afternoon to wright you a letter” begins Jane Eliza Kimber’s letter to her mother, father and sister Abigail back home in Orange County, New York. Keziah and Benjamin Kimber must have found comfort in her words. During the last nine months Jane Eliza and her husband, Moses Seely, endured difficult times. In November of 1854 their home burned to the ground, and they lost nearly all their belongings (see Letter 6). Hardship turned to heartbreak the following month when Jane and Moses’ baby boy Willie Emit passed (Letter 9).

Moses and Jane Eliza left Orange County and moved to Troy, Bradford Co., Pennsylvania around spring 1855. I’m certain Jane Eliza’s sister, Sarah Bethia, and husband William Mackney were happy to have the Seely family join them in Troy.

As I read Jane’s letter, I heard enthusiasm in her words describing her peas and beans, Isabel’s schooling, the wheat fields and even the price of potatoes, butter and milk. She’s hoping her brother-in-law, Erastus Elston, will visit and bring one of the Kimber’s with him. Sister Phebe Decker owes her a letter.

Jane Eliza has news she didn’t tell but I’ll share. She was expecting a baby. Six months after this letter was written, a baby girl, Sarah Alice Seely, joined the family in January 1856.

Transcription Letter 11

July 25th.  1855

Dear Parents and Sister

It is with much pleasure that I set down this

afternoon to wright you a letter    you think    no

doubt   that   I have forgotten you but I have not

and now I would say to you that we are all well

and doing as well as we can    we received your

letter the 17 and was glad to hear from you    it

done  like seeing you and talking to you Mother

you wanted us to write if we wanted you to dry

us some currents    we should like to have some

if they are not all gone when this reaches you

as we have not any here    we havent any fruits

here but one plumb tree    our garden looks very

good what there is of it    it is very small so

we do not have much of a variety    we have had

no potatoes but soon will    we have had peas and

beans    Mr. Dobbins sowed a lot of peas a little

way from the house and they told us to go and

get what we wanted and I tell you that we have

almost fatten on them    Mother Isabel goes to

school now    she likes to go and learns very

fast    she reads in her AB  abs she says that

she is going to write grandma a letter some day

   she has good health and grown very fast    we

have had a sight of rain here and are still

haveing    they have commenced to get there

harvest around here but O Mother if you could se

the wheat fields around here it would do your

eyes good to look at them    there is a lot of

forty acers in it all wheat   I think it will make

some man sweat to get that   it looks as if

might be lowed than it is flour is selling at

eleven dollars a barrel here and young potatoes

at one dollar a bushel    we have to pay eighteen

pence a pound for butter    three cents a quart

for milk    that dont seem like going to our    own

milk pan and butter tray    I tell you I think if

we can get a farm we shall go on one another

year    we shall build our house and rent it out

   we can make as much at that as any thing for

rents is so high here in Troy    O if I could

come home once in a while it would do me so much

good    Mother you said in the leter that you

sent to me that Erastus talks of coming out here

after haying

tell him to come and if he does come some one of

you must come with him for I do want to see you

so bad    now tell him if he comes to write what

time he will come    I dont know whether I shall

come out this fal or not    I will if I can

Mother you must tell me if Mr. P. comes to our

house yet   if he does it is time they put a

match to it and struck it of and come and see us

  I dont know as I have got much more to wright

at this time    I would like to know what has

becom of Phebe    I writ them a letter two or

three months ago but I have not heard from them

since    I am a going to write her a nother and

se if she will answer it    O Mother if I could

se you I could talk a week night and day    but I

must close for this time    give my respect to

all that ask after me and my love to Father

Mother and Sister and ever remain your

affectionate Daughter and Sister until Death

so no more

Wright soon

Good by

Jane Eliza Seely

Still life with peas and plums

Painted by Mateusz Tokarski circa 1795

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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

Great Grandmother Catherine Sells Grandpa’s Whiskey Stills

4^th Great Grandmother Catherine (Thomas) Snyder became a widow Oct. 16, 1822 when her husband Martin Snyder died in Augusta County, Virginia.

Martin mapped out Catherine’s financial future in his will. See my post, I, Martin Snyder, of the County of Augusta and State of Virginia Make my Last Will and Testament for details. Grandfather’s executor, Joseph Brown, presented an inventory and accounts in Augusta County Court 1825, 1827 and 1836.

The 1836 accounting proved interesting and yes, that’s how I know Grandmother sold the whiskey stills Grandfather left her. You can see from the image below, she sold the stills along with ‘sundry tools and farming utensils’ for $104.78 on April 29, 1829.

I first noticed the stills in Martin Snyder’s inventory and wrote an earlier blog post Found Great Grandfather’s Whiskey Stash in the Estate Inventory. The Snyder’s kept the stills running after Martin’s death and Grandmother Catherine made some cash for herself selling whiskey.

Executor Joseph Brown noted the estate received a legacy owed 4^th Great Grandfather Martin from his father’s estate. 5^th Great Grandfather Michael Snyder died before Martin, but Great Grandfather Michael stipulated Martin’s $200 legacy would be honored only after the death of Michael Snyder’s wife. She must have died around April 1829. Great Grandfather Martin only expected $200, but the family received more--$515.02.

Grandfather wanted his 740 acre plantation sold 4 years after he died. His plan was that his 7 sons would get their legacies from the sale proceeds. This isn’t what happened.

Let me give you a little background. Martin purchased the land from Rev. William Wilson and his wife Elizabeth May 23, 1814 for 1,750 Pounds (Deed Book 39, pages 119-122).  The 740 acre tract didn’t sell for $7,000 as Grandfather hoped in his will. Two of his sons bought portions of their father’s land. Michael Snyder purchased 320 acres for $1,900 and brother John Snyder claimed 245 acres at a selling price of $1,470 Oct. 24, 1833.  A third grantee, Jacob Showalter, acquired 175 acres for $1,050 the same day (Deed Book 55, pages 265-268). Years later Martin and Catherine’s daughter, Sarah Snyder, married Jacob Showalter’s son Nimrod. The sales brought $4,447.40 to the Martin Snyder estate.

Joseph Brown attended to notes and bills as needed. During the years Great Grandmother Catherine received money for her support.

By August 23, 1836, the obligations on the land were met, and it was time for Martin’s sons to receive their legacies; John, Michael, David, Jacob, Martin, Joseph and Adam Snyder each got $615.34 ½ cents.

Partial Image from Accounting of Martin Snyder’s Estate

Augusta Co., VA Will Book 21, page 157

Family History Center, Microfilm #30323, Item 2