SIBLING SATURDAY, How We Are Getting Along on this Wide World

Jane Kimber and her husband Moses Seely wrote to her sister Sarah Kimber and spouse William Mackney in Owego, Tioga Co., NY in today’s letter. Although Jane addresses her letter to her ‘dear brother and sister’ Jane’s writings were meant solely for Sarah.

‘The Sisters’

Published by Currier & Ives c. 1845

Courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection

Jane is catching Sarah up with the Orange County, NY family news. Their parents (Keziah and Benjamin Kimber) were well. Another Kimber sister, Abigail, would spend 2 weeks with Caleb. I’m certain this must have been Caleb Jones, the husband of their sister Susan. Susan passed in 1847 leaving Caleb with 4 children. I bet they needed Abigail to care for the Jones children.

You’ll hear about a Sabbath school celebration, the weather, little Isabel who’s quick on her feet, Phebe’s sparking, and Jane’s supper that night.

Then Jane got around to the news about sister Charity (Kimber) Clark—my 3^rd Great Grandmother. Kimber sister Julie Ann and husband Erastus Elston visited with Grandmother. It wasn’t good news. Charity was upset because her folks hadn’t been to see her. She told Julie Ann she “felt sometimes as if she could not live and then to think she had no friends to come and see her”. That was only the beginning of her trouble which started with my 3^rd Great Grandfather William P. Clark and their oldest child, James. Jane writes “William and James has been cutting up grate dido   they took them up once they settled it and paid ten dollars a peace”. I don’t know what cutting up grate dido means. I hope it was merely a moment of bad judgement. It cost the family $20. Grandmother had her hands full with eleven children and lonesome when William and James got themselves in some kind of fix.

Jane closes her letter wishing to see Sarah.

Transcription Letter 3:

August the 21 (no year, prob. 1852) 2 o clock

Dear Brother and Sister

I now take the pleasure of writing a few lines

to you to let you know how we are getting  along

on  this  wide  world    we are all very well at

present and I hope that these  few lines will

find  you all the same    I received your letter

the 17th and I was glad to get it   I tell you for

it done almost like talking with you   l want to

see you O how bad   O I have got a string as

long as from here to Owego to tell you the whole

but l will have to wait until I see you   Father

and Mother is well as can be expected   Abigail

has gone  to Calebs to stay two weeks   I have

not seen her since I got the letter but I will

keep it until I do   she was some better the

last time I saw her than she was when you went

away    she is going to Newburg while she in gone

   Caleb is going with her   We have been over

there and to Erastus Elstons since you left here

   we had a very good visit at both places  I

have been to Orange to meeting on Saturday and

on Sunday it was our communion season  I

enjoyed myself well   Mrs. Geimsley wanted us to

go home with them and stay all night   she asked

about you and said she wanted to see you and Mr.

Grimley said that he knew me by you for I looked

so much like you    we have had very warm wether

here not only warm but hot for one week   but we

have had almost a week of rainy wether since

that  they are going to have a sabbath school

celebration the 3 day or September in the woods

by old johnney howells near the school house

there  is six schools going to meet there and

they are  going to have the brass band from Port

   I think it will be worth seeing and l think

that I shall be around about that time    they

talk of holding a meeting on for a week    well

Sarah I hold my own yet    Only I have had the

Erysipelas in  my hands    it made me feel not

very good for a day or two but they are better

now   Isabel is well   she talks most everything

and runs till it hard to get on track of her

ofter   phebe is well   she is a spining now

they spark as much as ever and sometimes a

little more for he has to stay downstairs with

her every night   I think that looks rather

green but I think keep cool   they think they

are some pumkins   I should say rather small

ones   now Sarah I will tell you what is the

reason   I have not writin you before   I did not

know where to direct it till I could  send home

to know   now I will keep it   O shaw   why cant

I run over and see you once in a while   if I

lived as near you as you do to me I would come

and see you every now and then   I was glad to

hear that you was so much better than you were

here  and that you had got to be a walker   I

wish you and William would take a walk out  here

some day   now Sis   I must eat a peach and then

I must go and see about the grub for it is most

five o clock   I will tell you what I am goinq

to get   I am going to have short cake and

cucumbers and some berries  some peaches  and

some apples and tea   well Sarah it is tuesday

afternoon and I have got my baking done and have

just taken my pen in hand to resume my letter

again   I have not seen Chartey yet, but  Erastus

and  Juliann has been there and they said that

she was grieving herself most to death about her

folks not coming to see her   she said that she

felt sometimes as if she could not live and then

to think that she had no friends to come and see

her   she almost felt crazy   but O Sarah, you

dont know the trouble that she has now   William

and James has been cutting up grate dido   they

took them [up or pu] once but settled it and paid

ten dollars a peace   I wont wright any more

about it   now for Moses is a going to wright

William all about it and put inside of his   it

wiil be the particulars I suppose   Sarah I

told Abigail what you told me to tell her about

the papers that you took and she said it was

just like you   Mary was here a Sunday a little

while   she was well and she said that I must

tell you that she sent all of her love to you

but a little that she saved for some one else

I will tell you more about it the next letter I

wright   I dont know that I have got much more

to tell you   I cant think what to wright but if

I could see you I could talk   I tell you you

must not make fun of my wrighting for it is

awful but you know its me   O Sarah I wish you

could be here a few days and then back again

you must wright to me as often as you can and I

will do the same   William Moses wants you to

wright as soon as that trial comes of   it is a

getting late and I must close my letter for this

time but I remain your Sister untill Death. So

good bye Brother and Sister till we meet

wright to me as soon as you can

Moses and Jane E. Seely to William T. and Sarah

B. Mackney

[The Mackneys were in Owego at this time.]

[Susan Isabel was born 10 July 1851 in Orange

Co.]

NOTE: Edna Raymond, a past Town of Minisink historian, gave me typed transcripts of the letters exchanged between the Kimber sisters and their parents. This is letter 3 of 31.

Let me tell you what I can recall about the provenance of the Kimber letters. 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 and spelling was especially difficult to read.

I can’t say how the Illinois couple came by the letters. The Mackney’s and Congleton’s moved to Illinois so it’s possible the Illinois couple were from either branch of the family tree. Winfred Drake Riddall added comments to the letters. She was a Moses Seely and Jane Kimber descendant from Buffalo, New York.

GREEN ACRES FRIDAY Alvie Bennett’s Farm, Wawayanda, Orange Co., NY

   “Mr. Bennett was one of the best known farmers in that part of the county, and his uprightness of character and probity had gained for him a host of friends during his long life. He was born in the town of Wawayanda, on the same farm on which he made his home for so many years, and during all that time was looked upon as one of the best types of the solid Orange county farmer.”

    

     [Source Middletown Times Press, Middletown, New York, Friday, August 22, 1890 edition]

That’s just what 3^rd Great Grandfather Alvah Bennett’s obituary said. A solid Orange County farmer; what’s that mean? The 1855, 1865 and 1875 New York State Agricultural Statistics gave me a few answers.

During these years Alvie farmed between 90 and 120 acres. His farm included pasture land where the livestock grazed. Hay grew in his meadow grassland. Grandfather planted winter wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, corn, potatoes and beans. Apple orchards were on the property too. The farm was home to Grandfather’s family and horses, cattle, swine, sheep and chickens.

According to the 1855 Agricultural Statistics dated June 3rd[1] Alvie worked 100 improved acres. He kept 44 acres pasture land the previous year and produced 35 tons of hay from his meadows (28 acres).

He sowed 4 acres winter wheat, devoted 4 acres to oats, 6 acres to rye, 4 acres for buckwheat, 5 acres of corn and 1 acre of potatoes.

Currier & Ives Print

The Husking

His livestock included 2 horses, 3 young pigs, and 4 sheep. The role of the cattle varied. Two working cows did their share of farm chores. There was a 1 year old and 3 older than 1 year. Sixteen milking cows supplied 6,400 gallons for market. Two cattle were killed for beef.

I don’t know whether Alvie or John J. Dolson, the census marshall, determined the cash value of the Bennett farm at $4,800. Livestock was worth $750. The farm tools and implements were valued at $200.

The June 21, 1865 Agricultural Statistics[2] resembled the 1855 census but with a couple differences. Alvie farmed 90 improved acres instead of 100 acres. Fewer acres were dedicated to the pasture and meadow lands. More winter wheat and oats were planted--less rye, buckwheat and corn. The cash value of the farm remained the same but the livestock value increased to $1,100.

The 1865 census inventoried apple orchards on the property. Alvie owned 12 apple trees that year. This census noted he had chickens.

Grandfather grew older and wiser as his farm prospered. By June 8, 1875[3] the cash value of his farm reached $10,000—more than double earlier census years. His increased livestock raised their worth to $2,000. His crops remained the same.

The orchard harvest produced 75 bushels thanks to Grandfather’s 50 apple trees. He also made 2 barrels of apple cider.

The dairy cattle produced 11,000 gallons of milk to be sold at market. The chickens’ earned Alvie $1,500 for eggs.

Resolute, steadfast, fruitful, yes; Alvah Bennett, the best type of solid Orange County farmer!

If you want to know more about Alvah Bennett, look for the Labels tag at the bottom of this post; then click on ‘Alvah Bennett’. This will find 3 earlier posts about Grandfather.

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[1] 1855 New York State Census, Orange Co., Town of Wawayanda, Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures, pgs. 48-52

[2] 1865 New York State Census, Orange Co., Town of Wawayanda, Agricultural Statistics, pgs. 9-12

[3] 1875 New York State Census, Orange Co., Town of Wawayanda, Agricultural Statistics, pgs. 55-58

TREASURE CHEST THURSDAY After 50 Year Marriage Alvah and Ester Bennett Parted by Death

Alvah and Ester Bennett celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Feb. 15, 1884. Just 3 ½ months later, May 30, 1884, Ester (Penny) Bennett died. I don’t know who supplied the information in her death certificate but I’m glad they knew the particulars.

Mrs. Esther Bennett’s death certificate

Issued by the State of New York

Her age was 70 years, 4 months and 9 days. She was born in Mt. Hope, Orange Co., New York to David Penny and Fanny Smith. Ester’s mother was also an Orange County girl born in Goshen, New York.

I was a little surprised to see her place of death in the Town of Wallkill near Middletown. Alvah and Ester were long time Town of Wawayanda residents. Perhaps one of her children nursed her during her last illness.

Dr. Smiley attended Ester from April 12 to May 29, 1884 and saw her for the last time May 29^th. She passed the following morning at 8 o’clock. Grandmother had been sick with a remitting fever and suffered from general debility. Her burial took place a few days later on June 1^st in Pine Hill Cemetery. (See TOMBSTONE TUESDAY Alvah Bennet and Ester Penny, Wawayanda, Orange Co., NY by clicking here.)

Five years later, Alvah became very ill. The personal column of the Friday, Nov. 15, 1889 Middletown Daily Press, Middletown, New York published news about Grandfather:

   “Mr. Alva Bennett, of the town of Wawayanda, who had a stroke of paralysis a few days ago, remains about the same.”

The Saturday, Nov. 16, 1889 edition printed:

   “Mr. Alva Bennett remains in the same condition, and is thought cannot survive many days.”

As you can see from his death certificate Grandfather survived many more months dying August 21, 1890.

Alvah Bennett’s Death Certificate

Issued by the State of New York

While his death was recorded in the city of Middletown, Alvah most likely died in Wawayanda at his home. His father and mother were Abraham Bennett and Lydia Schultz. Alvah’s mother was also born in Wawayanda (when Lydia was born Wawayanda was part of the Minisink township).

Ester’s doctor, Dr. Smiley, took care of Alvah from August 5 to August 21,1890 too. The doctor confirmed his death was caused by apoplexy (stroke) and died 1 o’clock in the afternoon on the 21^st. Alvah rests beside Ester at Pine Hill Cemetery.