| bio | Blinn, Henry Clay (1824-1905), of Canterbury, NH, was born in Providence, RI, the last of seven children. Upon his
insistance he joined the Shakers at the age of 14 and signed the covenant in 1846. James Johnson, the associate
elder in charge of the mill and the woodburning machinery, was his guardian, and through his solicitations Henry Blinn
was placed in the Church F. Besides his several trades already listed in the caption, he was also a bee-keeper,
stonecutter, tailor, cabinetmaker, and caretaker and teacher of children (1842-1852). In 1852 he was first placed in
the order of the Elders and then in the Ministry, but in 1859 he was appointed 1 st elder in the Church F., and stayed
in that position until 1880. He was known for his prolific writing (recording, e.g. the history of New Hampshire Shaker
Societies; a biography of Mother Ann; carding mill activities; Shaker clothing of Sisters and Brothers; plush cushions
and the like); for his elaborate and colorful Shaker village plan drawings of Canterbury, NH (1848), and Watervliet,
NY, which he displayed in his Canterbury Museum; and for
compiling collections of Shaker hymns and anthems. His pamphlet, "Advent of the Christ in Man and Woman, .
appeared in 1896.
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