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Wednesday, September 28, 2016

My Most Affectionate Love to my Dear Mother and Father, Kimber Letter 17


Dear Family and Friends,

Today I’m taking a different approach in my presentation of Kimber Letter 17. I’m delighted that the Kimber ladies received schooling and could write.  BUT in many instances, they used phonetic spelling, ‘hit and miss’ capitalization with little punctuation making their letters challenging to read.

I worry my 4th Great Grandmother and Aunts’ voices won’t be heard, and that would be a shame. So I prepared a video reading Jane Eliza Seely’s letter to you. Just click below on the You Tube video following my letter highlights. I’ve also included a transcript should you prefer that.

Sincerely,
Barb


Jane Eliza Seely writes her parents from Troy, Bradford County, Pennsylvania May 25, 1856.

It’s so apparent she misses her parents back home in Minisink, New York when reading Kimber Letter 17. Jane was the youngest child of Keziah (Bennett) and Benjamin Kimber. She married Moses Seely in 1848, and they recently moved to Troy, Pennsylvania.

Sarah Bethia, a sister, also resided in Troy with her husband, William Mackney. According to Jane’s news, Sarah and William moved into a house they built. Jane and Moses hoped to build a house in the fall.

Catherine, another Kimber sister, and husband John Welda might visit in the summer. Abigail must have been skilled with a needle and thread as Jane wished her sister would sew for her.

Happenings of the Seely children, Sarah Alice, Willy Emit and Isabel, are mentioned.  

Erastus Elston, the widower of Julia Ann Kimber, has married again. When Julia died in 1855, she was the mother of five young children. Jane hopes the new wife will be a good mother to her sister’s children.



Transcripts provided by the late Edna Raymond, Town of Minisink Historian



  



Friday, September 23, 2016

Keziah Writes the Family in Troy, PA, Kimber Letter 16



Yikes! Great Grandmother Keziah (Bennett) Kimber vividly describes her injured finger. I hope she doesn’t make you queasy.

About four months earlier, she injured her hand and hadn’t recovered the use of her forefinger. Keziah tried to cure it herself but eventually had to call for the Doctor. The Doctor said he couldn’t do anything to help. Great Gran was getting out her little knife for surgery. It’s a good thing Aunt Hannah heard about this and came right away. She mixed up a healing recipe that was just the remedy Grandmother Keziah needed.

Some family news was discussed. Keziah’s granddaughter, Emily Decker, was going to work for Erastus Elston caring for his home and children. Erastus was the widower of Julie Ann Kimber who’s appeared many times in earlier letters. Emily’s parents, Phebe (Kimber) and John Decker were moving to a new home.

Keziah welcomed two grandbabies in January. Charity, my 3rd Great Grandmother, gave birth to a baby boy, George Emmet Clark, Jan. 25, 1856. Charity’s husband, Bill Clark, got a mention in today’s letter too. Jane (Kimber) and Moses Seely’s daughter, Sarah Alice, was born January 16th in Pennsylvania.

Keziah and Benjamin Kimber were living in Vernon, Sussex Co., New Jersey when she wrote the family. Great Grandfather Benjamin made up his mind he wasn’t staying there. Grandfather must have been working for his son-in-law, Caleb Jones, in Vernon.


Helpful Hint: Try reading Keziah’s letter out loud. Much of her spelling is phonetic. Sorry, no punctuation.

Letter 16

February 17, 1856 Vernon ton ship

Dear Children

i once more will take a pen in mi cripled hand
to try to right, a few lines to you lo let you
know how i am now     i am well except mi hand and
that is a gitting better but i have lost the use
of my fore finger that it is stiff and strait
i cant bend it and thear is a running hole in it
yet whear the bones is begining to crumble and
com out in pussee    but o you dont know what i
have suffered with it   no toung cant tell    it
will be 4 month the 24 of this month sence it
begun to swell    it begun to swell in the midle
joint of mi fore finger    Moses was hear on
Sunday and a Monday i chearnes and don my work
and a tuesday i washed and lade my close on the
gras and a wednesday morning it rained so i
thought i would peal some sweet apples and
punken and stue them and make sum pies and
before i could git them pealled my finger heart
me so that i could not bend it and the next weak
it made me sick and it turned all black and Abbe
was to erastes and i did not no what to due    and
a Satterday phebe decker came hear and she staid
with me 4 days and can everything she could due
but my hand grue worse and worse and i sent for
abbe and she came home    theay polested it with
everything we could think of but nothen dident
due no good so i sent for the doctor and he sade
he could not due anney thing for it then it was
ternned black on the back that i could cut it
with mi little nife    then aunt hanner   ______
heard of it and she came rite down    fetch a
root she colled it morteforcation root and she
pounded it and mixt it with swet milk and put
that on it    that was the furst thing that dun
it anney good a tall   than it began to gaether
and brake    thear has bin 14 hools in it   sum of
them on the back of mi hand and in side the
cords roted of and come out of mi finger and in
side of my hand thear is 2 small hools in it now
that runs some   Sarah i thank you for your
pills    i thought thay don me good    the other i
did not git to wash it with but i feal to thank
you for the direction you sent me    i hope you
will excuse mi poor riting for i hef to rite
with my thum and little finger    i dont now as
you can rad it a toll but i thought i wood try
it    for i could not git anny rote    i have tried
abbe and john and benjamin to rite a leter for
me but i could not git anney rote so i thought i
wood try it mi self but it hearts my hand so to
rite    you must al take this letter for each one
Sarah and Jane and mary and willum and moses and
my little bell    abbe is up to erastus elstons
now    i must inform you that Charity has got
another boy    it is about 3 weaks old now and
emeley decker is to work for erastus now and
john and phebe is a going to liv in doctor
new_ hous and tak the doctor cows and gives a
hundred weat of butter to a cow and bill clark
hes hiered the tarakin stan in denten    erastes
was down a friday and abbe went home with him
and is a comming home to day    Sarah i heard you
was gitting real smart and i feal to rejoyed to
hear it    o Jane i understand you have got a
nother deauter and you must name it for your
sister abbe    weare all well at present and
hoping that these fue lines will find you all
enjoying the sam blessing    o how i due want to
see you aII    o gurls i for got to sent them
dride currence to you by moses when he was out
hear only long enof for me to git dinner and eat
then he was rite of    i hed about 4 quarts of
cerrents and 10 of elder berres dride for you
and i could not help it    o mary i was so much
disapinted in not seeing you last foll    i hant
felt contented sence but mary if we never meat a
gane in the flesh i hop we shel meat whear
parting wil be no more.   so fare the well my
child for this time    o gerls you must rite as
soon as you can to me to let me now how you oll
are and if you rite you must rite so i can git
in in 2 week or other wise you nedent rit un
till you hear from me a gane and if you rite
pleas derect your letter to unionvill for the
cornner post offes is gon down    your father
wont sta hear no longer    he told caleb to rent
it out    he has don so    thear oll well
lucinda was hear a friday    we was ol thear a
wensday and took dinner with them    benjamin was
hear a thrusday nite    jahn taler from black
de_____ is a comming to hear to liv    so no more
at present but, remane your effectenite mother un
till death pearts us    so fare the well my
children dear for this time to one and oll of my
children a farewell kiss due for this time i
must bid you ol good by for this tim

a farewell kiss

Keziah Kimber



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. I treasure them and am grateful to the late Edna Raymond for giving me transcriptions.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

It’s Good to See you, Grandma Mollie


After writing about 2nd Great Grandmother Mollie Brown in March of last year, I closed my post saying “P. S. Dear Family and Friends, I would love to see a photo of Mollie. Please share photos and stories!”

I got my wish early one September morning thanks to Kelly Zuber. Kelly shared this picture of Great Grandmother Mollie and Grandfather John Will White in her Zuber family tree online at Ancestry.com.

Mary Agnes Brown and John William White, Augusta Co.. VA

Great Grandma Mollie and Grandfather lived to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary November 14, 1932.

Here’s a repeat of my March 2015 blog post.

The Brown’s Welcomed a July Baby, 1854, Augusta Co., VA

James Alexander Brown and Mary A. Zimmerman (aka Carpenter) welcomed a summer baby July 27, 1854. Mary Agnes Brown was born in Augusta County, Virginia at Lyndhurst (south of Waynesboro).

2nd Great Grandmother Mary Agnes, known as Mollie, grew up in the South River District in a home that had belonged to her Zimmerman Grandfather. During the Civil War Mollie’s father died Sept. 27, 1864, when she was just ten years old. I don’t believe her father served with the Union or Confederate Army. After the father had died, Mollie’s mother and two younger brothers remained on the Zimmerman place.

Mollie married John William White near Waynesboro, Virginia Nov. 14, 1872. By June 25, 1880, Mollie and John William were living in the Middle River District along with three children—Clara Louise, James William, and Arthur Stuart White. My Great Grandmother, Ella Virginia, was their fourth child born Oct. 10, 1881, followed by Olive Leora, Bernard Brown and Ernest Boyd White.

The White family was back in the South River District by 1900. Clara Louise had married Adolphus Marion Brown by this date. James William married Sally Wilkes Dec. 21, 1898 in Bedford County.  Although Arthur Stuart hadn’t yet married, he wasn’t living with his parents. Only the younger children remained at home.

Ella Virginia married James Clyde Clemmer June 7, 1905. Jan. 2, 1908 Arthur Stuart married Nettie Florence Sheltman in Buena Vista City, Virginia. Bernard Brown married a lady named Grace Alexander in 1911. Olive Leora was the next child to wed marrying Walter W. Sandy January 8, 1914. Ernest Boyd didn’t marry until after his parents’ death. His first wife was Mable Mahler. When Mable passed, he married her sister, Margaret.

In their later years, John William and Mollie White made their home in Staunton. Mollie died Nov. 24, 1932. The Staunton News-Leader published her obituary Saturday morning, November 26, 1932.

Transcript of obituary:

   Mrs. Mary Agnes White died early Thursday morning at her home on Straith street, after an illness of one day.
   She was born July 27, 1854, near Lyndhurst, a daughter of James and Mary Carpenter Brown, and spent practically all of her life in Augusta county.  Five years ago she moved to Staunton.
   Mrs. White is survived by her husband, J. W. White; four sons, J. W., Jr., Princeton, W. Va.; A. S., Whitehorn, Va.; B. B. and E. D., Staunton; two daughters, Mrs. Clara L. Brown, Princeton, W. Va.; Mrs. Ella V. Clemmer, Middletown, N.Y.; a brother, I. S. Brown, Abilene Tex.; forty-one grandchildren, and twenty-four great grandchildren.
   When a girl she joined Bethlehem Lutheran church, near Stuarts Draft.
   The funeral will be held from the home of Hamrick & Co. at eleven o 'clock this morning, conducted by the Rev. Dr. C.M. Teufel, of Christ Lutheran church.
   Burial will be in Bethlehem cemetery.


You might like these posts. Just click on the title below.


 


Thursday, September 8, 2016

“Court doth adjudge order and decree…”



Augusta County, Virginia Chancery Cause 015-1819-003:
Augustine Argenbright & wife, etc. vs. Peter Hanger, etc.

Plaintiffs
     Augustine Argenbright, executor and husband of Barbara Hanger, daughter
     George Baylor, Bernhard Lowman and Molly Hanger,
          executors and executrix of Frederick Hanger Jr., deceased son
     George Hanger, son
     Martin Hanger, son
     Jacob Friedly and wife Hannah Hanger, daughter

Defendants
     Peter Hanger, son
     Charles Hanger, son
     Charles Shaver, perhaps counsel
     John Hanger, son
     John Wise and wife Catherine Hanger, daughter
     Peter Eagle and wife Ann Eliza Hanger, daughter
     George Eagle and wife Mary Eliza, daughter
     Warner Peters and wife Eve (Hanger) Joseph, daughter
     Betsy (Hanger) Thomas, daughter

Chancery cause 1819-003 began with 5th Great Grandfather Frederick Hanger and the distribution of his estate. Grandfather planned well for his family and wanted to leave his children cash legacies. That is except for sons Peter and Charles who inherited their father’s lands. These two sons were to pay their sibling’s legacies per a prearranged schedule stated in Great Grandfather’s will. Peter bought Charles’ land leaving him with the obligation to his brothers and sisters.

4th Great Granduncle Peter couldn’t or wouldn’t pay; thus the Chancery Court Cause. The suit dragged on for six years. You can read my earlier posts by clicking on the links at the end of this post.

Finally, in December 1818 the Staunton District Superior Chancery Court ruled Peter Hanger needed to fulfill his father’s wishes and pay the legacies. The District Marshall was instructed to sell his lands at public auction if necessary to raise cash.

Uncle Peter didn’t attend the December court session. His counsel represented him and “prayed for an appeal” in the Court of Appeals since the final decree was “adverse to his interests”. The Judge granted permission to take the suit to the Appeals Court.

Remember Peter wasn’t present when the final decree was pronounced. When filing an appeal, a security bond needed to be readied by the next court date of February 1, 1819. Uncle Peter didn’t know this and missed the deadline.

After realizing his error, Peter Hanger appeared before Judge John Brown of the Staunton Superior Court of Chancery explaining his ignorance of the bond requirement May 19, 1819. He filed a petition asking the Judge for more time hoping to get an appeal. The Judge allowed an extension, but it did Uncle no good. Although Peter made partial payments to several of his siblings, too much remained to be paid and Uncle’s lands would be auctioned off to cover the debt.

George Eskridge, Marshall of the Staunton Chancery Court, sold the Hanger land Sept. 20, 1819, to the highest bidders--Adam Grove and William Kerr. They paid $2,100 for the land. Interestingly, Peter Hanger’s wife, Susanna, was the daughter of Windle Grove and sister of Adam Grove. Susanna’s sister married a Kerr. It sounds as though Susanna’s family came to their rescue.

Martin Hanger's Receipt Augusta Co. VA Chancery Cause 1819-0003

Martin Hanger’s Receipt for $229.29 dated Sept. 25, 1819
Image 52, Augusta County, Virginia Chancery Cause 015-1819-003: Augustine Argenbright & wife, etc. vs. Peter Hanger, etc.

By 1830 Peter, Susanna and their children left Augusta County, Virginia heading to Ross County, Ohio where Charles Hanger was living. After visiting his brother, he moved his family to Harrison, Champaign County, Ohio.

Earlier Posts


To view the 1819-003 Chancery Cause ‘Augustine Argenbright & wife, etc.
vs. Peter Hanger, etc.’ on the Library of Virginia website click here