WATERVLIET CHURCH FAMILY

This was the original settlement that Mother Ann Lee and her
followers made. Their original land was rented from Peter
Stuyvesant, "in district known as Niskayuna, about 8 miles nw of
Albany" and proved to be "chiefly wooden and low swampland, a
desolate wilderness country." (p. 15, Andrews "People Called
Shakers")
Alvin Boettcher who did research on the Shaker settlement,
said "there is no deed for thed leasing of 200 acres by John
Hocknell (as agent for the Shakers) in 1775, but references to
the property in his name appears in subsequent deeds." He
believed that the parcel of 422 acres which bears John
Partington's name (as agent for Shakers) was leased as 436.6
acrers in 1775. The earliest public record of this as Shaker
property is dated 1779.
After a piece of land had been cleared, a crude log cabin
was erected with a room on first floor for sisters and one on
second floor for brethren. William Lee was employed in Albany as
a blacksmith by Jesse Pairchild^; James Whittaker worked as a
weaver.
In the spring, a small farm, was started by James Shepherdr
aided by the two Hocknells, John & Richard, Nancy Lees and Mary
Partington. After all was underway, John Hocknell went back to
England to get his wife, Hannah, and Mary's husband, John Part-
ington . (Andrews)
The immediate problem was the basic necessities - a roof and
food. Little time or chance was available for preaching the gos-
pel to others - much hard labor of cutting trees r draining
swamps, tending crops, erecting buildings for humans, stock and
crops. William and James continued to bring in money by black-
smithing, weaving and shoemaking.
In 1779 a frame house was completed, only to burn down com-
pletely almost immediately. One neighbor, Eleanor Vedder,
joined. And, after their years of hard work, they considered
themselves "comfortable." Mother Ann ordered them to lay up a
surplus of stores because they would have "company enough to
consume it all" before another year came.
In June 1779 a revival movement broke out among New Light
Baptists in New Lebanon, NY with one of the leaders a Joseph
Meacham, a lay preacher from Enfield, Conn. During the summer
meetings were held in the barn of George Darrow, a prosperous
farmer living on the-side of Lebanon Mt. By the fall, the
revival had abated and in March 1780, two disillusioned followers
were headed west when they happened upon the Shakers. They were
impressed and went back and told Meacham. He first sent others
to confirm the power and appeal of the group, then came himself
in May 1780 and became Mother Ann's "first-born son."
Mother Ann, her brother William, Mary Partington, James
Shepherd, andUarnes Whittaker went on a missionary tour in New
England for 2 years and 4 months, May 1781 - Sept. 1783. They
suffered much persecution and physical punishment but made
many converts - the basis for the Shaker societies which later
former there. William died July 21, 1784 and Mother Ann six