VB-321 Reel 47 Wvlt Church Family - DABuckingham page 13

---

1845
12 Jan CF attended workship at Meeting House and "forthe firsttime since the gift was given,
we exercise in the square shuffle after the manner of antideluvians, with a little
alteration. "
19 Jan Anna Bene'dict, aged 76 7 one of the first born,died. "She bore ber sickness with
great fortitude and presence of mind."
21 Jan The Town Supt. of Schools, Jacob W. Miller, came to inspect the teachers and examine
the state and condition of the school. "He appeared to be a friendly man^and.a: man of
learning and ability, well qualified to perform his duties as a town superintendent of
common schools. "
"He examined Oliver Prentiss, Willoughby Green, Angeline Annas, Paulina Bates and
myself (DAB) and we were all counted worthy to receive certificates. "
26 Jan Eunice Robbins died at WF. L^>fyia^>
1 8 Feb Sawed first logs in new mill. Does as well or better than expected .
21 Feb Snow has nearly all melted; sawmill running day and night.
25 Feb * Ffeeglft and JesseU^^went to see "themanner and form of building the railroad house,
thinking to get some knowledge or information that would be useful in calculating
the frame of our meeting house, now under contemplation of building. "
26 Feb Elders and deacons from all the families meet to give their opinions and settle on the
size and structure of a new meeting house, and also its location.
"We are visited today by the young Believers from the West, the Bates family - Newman's
and Ingham's etc, etc."
4 Mar DAB went to SF and brought 2 boys to live at CF - Barnet Hummell, nearly 17, who
went into the meeting room to live, and Abram Hummell, 15 years, who went to brick
shop to live with Willoughby Green.
14 Mar "We learn from report and the public press that there is considerable going on in the
Legislature concerning our people and Society. False rumour begins to spread, law
suits pending, lawyers standing with open doors\Uling to lend their hand to either party;
some very friendly to the Society -talk much ckout the base and false charges brought
against us in the Senate by one Clark 7 a member from Washington County. He declares
hissentiments in the Senate chamber or room In bitterepithets towards the Society of
Shakers. He c a l l s them prostitutes,
base characters, deluded fanaticks, etc. etc.--
presents a billto prevent the binding of minor children to the Society, etc. etc. The
billbeing discountenanced as unjust by Senators Sherman, Backus and others, was
laid upon the table. "
15 Mar "Thisafternoon a man came here with a letter from Judge McKown & Blanchard, the
Surrogate, wishing that some of our people would call at their office on State Street,
Albany. The subject of the letter was concerning the false accusations etc. of one
Clark, a member of the Senate. "
17 Mar David Miller, Frederick S. Wicker and Chauncey Copley went to see Judge McKown
& Surrogate Blanchard. "The people are very much awake in Albany, discrediting the
charges and reports brought against the Society, wishing to have them confuted & con-
tradicted by us. Others again are ready to cry out, "Delusion! delusion! Shakers!
Shakers! Fanaticks! " and the like, bixkswe by wa^ of contempt and derision. "
18 Mar David, Fred and Chauncey went in again on the same business. Elder Brother Freegift
and Elder Bro. Joseph Hodgson went in also "toexamine a Memorial drawn up by
McKown and Blanchard in behalf of our Society, denying inthe most positive terms the
base charges and crimes alleged against us, showing that they have no foundation in
truth. The Memorial will be ready for the press tomorrow. "