One we know little about, Joseph Youngs, joined in 1850 when he
was 14 years old. Nothing is recorded about him until he died in
1862, aged 26, when the journal records "he was not compos mentis
but was considered rather a fool; he acknowledged himself to be a
fool and, I understand that he said the difference between him
and his father was that he was a fool and knew it, but his father
was a fool and did not know it."

However, some cases would seem to be what we would today call
senility or even Alzheimer's. Elizabeth Barker, who came to the
Shakers in 1847 with a small daughter when she was only a
teenager, in 1884 is recorded at the South Family "as in a poor
state of mind" and the elders built a place to confine her "in
case she should get raving." Three months later she was "so
fractious we were obliged to confine her. It is the first time.
We spent the day making things comfortable for her at the girls'
house." Two days later an outside doctor came to see her and
"pronounced her incurable. Her disease is softening of the
brain." She died the next week at the age of 52. (Incidentally
she came to the Shakers with an infant daughter to escape "a
wicked husband", according to the Ministry Journal--the only
entrant so designated.)

James Chapman joined in October 1866 when he was already 83 years
old. In May 1872, the journal says he "has become insane."
Two weeks later he "is now starving himself to death" and a week
later he died.

Edward Powers joined in 1829 when he was 29 years old. In May
1860 the Lebanon Ministry pleaded with him to continue taking
care of the boys at the West Family and he agreed and again in
1861, as they "think it the best the family can do under the
circumstances." However in October 1861, someone else was put in
charge of the boys and he was appointed one of the family
deacons. His name is also included in work on a wall or on
business trips until 1871, when he is now 71 and when the journal
notes he "has shown streaks of insanity for some time." In
September it is noted that he has "prepared to kill himself by
dropping down the hoisting way in the brick shop. He has talked
of drowning himself several times and been to the pond several
times and once to hang." In May 1872 he is moved out of the room
where he had slept because "he is so troublesome that it will not
do for him to sleep with anybody in his present state." Two
weeks later he wandered off and the police did not find him for
three days. "He is quite insane." Now the brethren begin making
a place in the Tinkers Shop to shut him up "as he is getting very
troublesome."^We made a coop for him but he gave us the slip the