George Holcomb

by Alex Brooks

Sunday, August 26, 1832: This morning I took my single wagon and carried Mr. Chapman and Mr. Newton home and fetched my wife and children home and said Chapman went to I. Newton’s last night and found my wife and children there. He returned and stayed to let me know where they were. Today I got a load of hay into the barn and this afternoon I took the single wagon and carried my wife and brother Wm’s oldest daughter to meeting at the meeting house near the pool. Elder Leland preached at the request of Martin Van Buren.

George finished haying by the end of the week and began the cider season at the beginning of September. He cleaned out his cider mill and began peddling cider, beginning with the Williams College commencement in Williamstown on September 5.

Saturday, September 8: This afternoon I took the single wagon and carried my wife and three oldest children to Capt. Abner Bull’s Tavern to see a caravan of animals, a lion in with the rest. I paid half a dollar.  On the way home I stopped to Squ Nathan Howard’s. He took my affadavit what I had heard my Uncle Levi Pease say John Fikey was in the Continental Soldier and I had said Howard draw two teeth.

Sunday: I am unwell with a cold.

Sunday, September 15: This afternoon I went to the Presbyterian meeting, Mr. Hudson preached, he is from Canaan. On this day a funeral was at Elder Jones meeting house. A young man by the name of Brockway was found dead in the well. No one knew the cause of his death. It is a guess whether he meant to kill himself or not.

For the next month George   made many sales trips to training in North Adams, Pittsfield, Berlin, Schodack and Brainerd, selling apples and cider.

Monday, October 15: Today my hired girl Fanna Roberts time was done with me. She worked twenty three weeks and I am to pay her twenty two dol and 75 cts. I made her a present of a set of silver tea spoons and I paid her two dollars and seventy five cts and I stand indebted to her twenty dollars.

Thursday, October 25: I wired my shoat’s noses and put them into my orchard. Old Mr Simpson helped me wiring my pigs, and I paid him in cider.

Sunday, October 28: This afternoon I went to Mr. Newel’s meeting at the Select school house near Doc E. Graves, and I handed Samuel Holcomb two dollars on the subscription of Mr. Newel’s preaching for us this year.

Monday, July 30: Today we mowed on my Rodgers farm.  John Dean helped towards his month work for house rent. This day I learned that E. Pierce had driven eighteen of my sheep into the highway. Said sheep got out of my lot over his unlawfully brush fence. I sent word to him to look up my sheep or he would have trouble.

Wednesday, August 1: We hayed, said Chapman and Dean worked towards their rents. This morning said Pierce came and told me he had found some sheep but would not tell me they were the same ones that he turned out his lot. He accused me of crowding up on him and denied of my sheep getting over his line fence. I told him he was a liar in a vulgar abrupt way after he accused me falsely. I went and drove my sheep home from his yard, all but two he did not find.  I took my hired men and marked 29 of my sheep smooth crop off the right ear, a slit in the upper side the same.

Wednesday, August 8: Tonight I turned out our cows to come home. I found out two were missing. I ranged the fields quite late before I found them which was in my own pasture. Said Chapman helped.

Monday, August 13: We hayed. Said John Dean works towards his rent. Tonight Mother Holcomb went with brother Wm on a visit.  On this day Mr. Ebenezer Merrit died of a kick of a horse by the fills broken and wagons running on to the horse.

Wednesday: This afternoon I took a grist of rye and carried to H. Platt’s mill and left. Brother Wm went with me and we went to Squ Nathan Howard’s post office. Brother Wm had business to see about writing on to Washington to get the Hoosic mail to carry. Brother Wm set a shoe for me and mended three of my trace chains while I walked up to Caleb Jolls’ and I was told that they had two stray sheep. Quite rainy and a thunder shower this evening.

Thursday, August 16: Mr. Caleb Jolls sent word that he had got those two stray sheep down to his house and I took the single wagon and went and got them, which makes up my stray sheep that E. Pierce had turned into the highway.

Saturday August 25, 1832: We hayed. Mr. Amos Chapman helped with a hand, I Newton towards his rent and Joseph Simpson helped towards his rent. Tonight my wife and two of my children stayed to I. Newton’s. They went after two of my cows that did not come home with the rest.

Tuesday July 10, 1832: This afternoon the neighbors came in and helped raise up said barn. E. Pierce and J. Glass and hands, J. Russel and hands, Zach Chapman and hands, and F. Buten. We pried up said barn and said Carr leveled in the sleepers.

Wednesday: Today quite rainy. We under-pinned the cross sills to the barn and we made a stone boat and helped said Carr lay the barn floor. Tonight I reckoned with said Carr his demand was two dol and 59 cts and I paid him one dol in cash and one dol and 59 cts remain unpaid and Carr went home tonight.

Thursday: Amos Chapman took the wagon and carried the school mistress Mercy Carpenter and my children to school. On this day Mr. Ephraim Pierce came to my house to have me go and divide the line fence above R. Danford’s. I told him that he and I had divided it some years since. He would not believe it.  I told him I had it on record but he went home. I went and searched my books and found it recorded in June in the year 1828. I took my book and went to said Pierce and showed it to him in writing where the divisions is in our line fence.

Friday: Said Chapman and I nailed the boards on to the barn, the ones that we took off when we new silled it and today we underpinned said barn and some showery today.

Saturday: We drew stone and underpinned the barn. Said Chapman laid chief of said stone.

Friday, July 20: We did some nailing boards on the barn and dried hay and drew in and hoed some corn. Simpson worked 3/4 of a day and Dean all day towards house rents. This morning as our school Miss Mercy Carpenter, the daughter of Solomon Carpenter, was passing I requested her to stop a moment. I wanted her to answer me the question if Pearl Dean told her he would speak the letter she bid him if she would kiss him. Said Mercy answered me without stopping or turning her head in a short disdainful manner “he did” and passed on. I did not say anything more but immediately went on and passed her as I went by her I says if you think I am beneath your notice my children shall not go to school…I passed on and called to my children to return home and they obeyed me. I returned and met said Mercy but not a word from either of us.

Sunday, June 10, 1832: Sister Newton fails, I helped lift her off and on bed.

Monday: This morning I rode over after Doctor E. Graves.  He came to Mother, she was distressed at the stomach and puking and I did shoe my sled and put up a leach.

Tuesday: I went and helped sister Newton on to her bed. I returned home and got my loading ready for market.

(Wednesday George was in Troy selling his load of goods and buying supplies, returning about midnight)

Thursday: On this morning Sister Newton died about 4 o’clock, after 15 years sickness and lame and blind and at last with the dropsy.  I had the widow Wylie’s wagon and rode to Lebanon near Gilbert’s tavern to notify Mrs. Harrison of the death of sister Jerusha Newton.

Friday: This forenoon I attended a court betwixt Anthony Kerr plaintiff and Henry Hull, defendant, but I got released on account of the death of my sister, and this afternoon we tended the funeral at the Saturday meeting house, Elder Jones preached.

Saturday: This forenoon I tended the same want(?) betwixt said Kerr and Hull as is before mentioned, but my witness was not called for and I returned home.

July 4, 1832: I rode to the north part of the town up to the Arvin Wood Farm to see Joshua Carr, he was to work there.  I engaged him to come next Monday and pry up and sill my barn.

Thursday: We cut and drew timber and large prys to fix the barn, and we ground our scythes and began to mow round the barns, and took down the stalls on the barn floor.

Saturday: We hayed on said Rodgers Farm and tonight I took the double wagon and went to Lebanon. I got trusted to Tanner’s Store for one pound hyson tea, three gallons of N York rum and two gal molasses.

Monday: Today Mr. Joshua Carr came to new sill part of my barn.  We hewed and framed a cross sill and took up the thrashing floor and some boards off the side.

Tuesday: Today we cut and drew another stick and hewed it and spliced the south sill to the barn, and Amos Chapman went with the wagon and horses to the Shakers and got their jack to raise our barn, and he called on the way to Tanner’s Store and got me eight pounds nails.

Wednesday, May 30, 1832: Today some rainy. I drove my cows to and from pasture and I got my two young horses home from my Rodgers Farm from Bishop’s pasture where they had jumped in and one got kicked by one of his horses. I doctored said colt hurt on one fore leg.

Thursday: I worked on the highway with my horse team and plow. I had three days credited me and Samuel worked out his day.

Friday, June 1: I worked on said highway with my same team and tools and Samuel.

Saturday: Today we washed our sheep up to Elijah Goodrich’s spout and tub. John Dean washed my twenty at one and a half cent a head and I paid him in corn. This afternoon I went up to brother Wm to assist him about selling his farm, but the man that talked of buying said farm, his name is Wm Hand, he comes and could not agree on terms of payment, and went away before I got there. Brother Wm took a wagon and we went to Howard’s post office and got our newspapers.  I called to Squ Nathan Howard’s and agreed not to continue the suit against R. Danford on account of not taking him in behalf of the people.  Said Howard did not charge me nothing, but I paid the constable 37 cts and paid said justice 12 cts for the letters he sent to Troy to know the points of the law.

Sunday: Today I went to Hancock meeting house to meeting with my covered wagon and carried my family and others. A stranger preached, he was an old ragged man begging for money to clothe himself, his name I did not learn.

Wednesday, June 6: Today my court with R. Danford, but the Justice did not appear to call said court, and for that reason he could not demand any charges. This afternoon I went and bargained with James Glass for a sow at seven dollars and to take her on Saturday. I paid five dollars in cash tonight and said Glass warrented her to have pigs in 20 days.

Thursday: this afternoon I went in persuit to buy a bull. Mr. John Dean went with me. We went or walked and went by the way of C. Moffitt’s store and I paid six cts for two drinks of rum and then went on by the way of Whitman’s Lane and round to Eldridge Green’s and paid him ten dollars in cash for a two year old bull, and we called in to cousin Orsemas Holcomb’s and took tea, and we got home with said bull about ten this evening.

Wednesday May 16, 1832: We planted corn and furrowed. Today old Joseph Simpson moved into my house and is to have it till April next, and agrees to give a month’s work in haying. If he failed in doing a good day’s work as any man that works for me, he agrees to make up the difficiency and this evening I walked to one of the poor masters, Jonathan Carpenter and reported him and wife, and I call to Squ Nathan Howard’s and took a summons against Rowland Danford in case of trespassing for filling up the spring of water near my tenant house in the highway.

Thursday: This forenoon I carried Mr. Amos Chapman ten bushels of potatoes at 25 cts and I credit him the same for shoemaking, and said Chapman took part of my clock and carried it to Hancock to Delanoe’s and had a wire put in. I paid six cts for Delanoe’s doing it.

Wednesday, May 23: This afternoon Mr. Amos Chapman draws wood with my team from my lot, which pays him for cleaning my clock the other day.

Thursday: I took my single wagon wheels to brother Wm and had the old tire taken off and my horses shoes part new set.  I carried Squ Nathan Howard one bushel pink eye potatoes for his giving me a fowl, a cock that the breed is lately imported, and to have Samuel Holcomb answer my name in a suit against R. Danford as is before mentioned. A snow storm. Today I paid two dol to S. Holcomb for priest tax.

Friday I took my single wagon wheels and carried to Wm Gay to be new rimmed, price agreed three dollars, and I fetched home his empty barrel to fill him a barrel cider towards the work.

Saturday: I carried my wife to Hancock and got her bonnet that was whitened and lined to a milliners, I paid one dol and 32 cts cash. We sold five pounds ten ounces butter at 14 cts per pound for cash to Geo Babcock.  We returned by way of Mr. Sweet’s to see if his wife had money to lend.  She said that she had and I must call to her father, Thomas G. Carpenters for the money. Today Samuel Holcomb answers to my suit against R. Danford.

Tuesday: This afternoon I went to Thomas G. Carpenter’s and borrowed sixty dollars of his daughter Cornelia Sweet, payable in one year on interest. I paid brother Wm up for a cow I bought this spring 22 dols. I called to Squ Nathan Howard’s to know how my suit was managed against Danford.

Tuesday, April 17: I took my double wagon and my wife with me, we took our second daughter Angeline and started for Doc Abil Kitterage’s. We went through Lanesborough and Dalton to Windsor to cousin Samuel Minor and stayed.

Wednesday: Today we went from cousin Minor’s to Doc Abil Kitterage’s in Hinsdale. He told us he could not determine what caused the pain in my child’s leg and its swelling.  It might be a rheumatic complaint or the bone may be defective. He gave us medicine to cleanse her blood and told us to blister if it swelled and was painful. I paid said Doc Kitterage half a dollar for council and medicine and then we came on home.

Saturday, May 5: I took my wagon and horses and got part of a load slabs to E. Goodrich’s mill to make a bridge over a mud where we turn our cows to pasture on Rodgers Farm.

Sunday: Today I attended the Universalist meeting at the select school house near Doc. Elijah Graves. After meeting I rode to the west part of this town and fetched our hired girl that makes our cheese as is before agreed at one dol per week for five months, and I agree to make her a present of a set of silver tea spoons not to cost over five dollars.

Tuesday: I drew rails one load on to my Rodgers farm to fence each side the bridge to keep the cows from driving others off into the mud.

Wednesday: We pulled up 38 apple tree. Mr. Dean helped and I gave him one bushel potatoes for helping and two bushel for setting out said trees.  This afternoon I drew Dean’s potatoes and six bushels of mine for Dean to plant on shares, and I carried my young trees over and Dean went to setting them out.

Thursday: I made garden, sowed onions, beets, and parsnips, planted some potatoes and corn in my garden.

Saturday: I made stall to go up for cows that kicks. I made it in one corner of the milk yard.

Sunday: this afternoon I went to Mr. John Russels to Conference meeting, but did not stay on account of a wicked man taking a part in said meeting.

Thursday, March 22, 1832:  Today our school master came to board with us. His name is Hiram Mattison.

Saturday I chopped wood to the door and on this evening I took the double wagon and went after my wife to the widow Booge’s, she was there on a visit.

Thursday, March 29: I walked to Pittsfield to try to market my calves. Today Amos Chapman moves into my Rodgers house for one year. He has hired the north half and garden and gives a month work in haying to begin the first Monday in July. Today Asa Sheldon moves out of my house.

Saturday, March 31: This evening I walked up to Spencer Carr’s to give him notice that the widow of Joseph Rodgers had noticed me that she had petitioned to the Surrogate for her right dower on the farm I bought of him.

Sunday, April 1: Today I walked to meeting to the select school house near Doc Elijah Graves.  After meeting I walked up to Squ Nathan Howard’s and took supper. I went there to see if my title on the Rodgers farm warrent and defend me. He told me my title was good.

Monday: I drew out manure. Today Lana Ostrander returned from the Shakers and a Shaker came with her by the name of David Tarre and told me he had liberty from her Father to take her, and while the Shakers was yet here, the girl’s Father came in haste and forbid the Shakers carrying his girl away. The Shaker took said Ostrander in private and wished him not to expose him for he had told me a falsehood concerning the liberty to take the girl. The girl is yet left with us.

Tuesday: Today Samuel and I rode to town meeting with brother Wm. The same Hackson town officers is elected as last year, good luck to our side. Paid 12 cts for brandy, town meeting to John Babcock’s Jnr.

Wedneday: I took my horses and went to brother Wm and got his double wagon. I stayed a good part of the day and towards night I walked to Lebanon to see if Lias Dike would buy my calves. I got no direct answer. This evening my wife and I went to the widow Betsy Wylie’s and bargained for her daughter Elizah to work for us this season at 62 cts per week.

Thursday: Today brother Sylvester moved in with Rowland Danford.

Monday, Feb. 27, 1832: Today I sledded wood from my swamp. I fetched Aseneth Newton home with me to help us wash, for my wife is unwell.

Tuesday: I sledded wood from said swamp and today Aseneth Newton washed for us and I paid her in corn and I carried her home.

Saturday: Today I took the cutter and my wife and I went to the north part of Hancock after Lana Ostrander. We met her on the road coming to our house. We took her and returned to Gardner Smith’s and she went in and got her clothes and then she came on home with us.

Friday: This morning I rode to Randall Brown’s to see Miranda Roberts to inquire about her sister coming to make our cheese this season.

Saturday I went to Randal Brown’s and Miranda Roberts rode with me. I went to see her sister Fanny about bargaining with her to make our cheese. I did not bargain certain. Poor sleighing, I went in a wooden jumper.

Sunday I went over to my Rodgers farm to see to my cows.

Monday: Today I walked out to the west part of town and bargained with Fanna Roberts to come and make cheese and do other work at one dol per week, and I told her I would make her a present of a set of silver tea spoons to cost nearly five dols. She agreed to work five months. Today rainy and streams quite high.

Monday, February 21, 1832: Today snowy. I shelled corn and this afternoon I took the cutter and carried one and a half bushels of old corn to Lapum and Hull’s store and had it credit to my account at 62 cts per bushel. From there I rode to the north part of Hancock and I called to Mr. Benj. Bailey’s, and he rode with me to Gardner Smith’s. I went there to see Lydia Green for I had heard that she was about to disappoint me the bargain she had made with me to make cheese for us this season. I told said Lydia I came to know if I could depend on her to work for me according to contract on the 4th of January. She told me she was not and all the excuse was that I had not let her know what time I wanted her to begin to work this spring.

Tuesday: I took the cutter and carried a grist to H. Platt’s mill for Asa Sheldon, and while it was grinding I rode out to see Fanny Roberts and partly engaged her to make our cheese this season. She agreed to come next week and give us an answer whether she comes.

Friday: On this evening I took my horses and sledded and went over to my Rodgers farm and drew a cow into the barn. The cow had got mired and could not get up. I borrowed Simeon Wylie’s stone boat to draw the cow on, and then I went after Amos Chapman and he took the calf away. He charges me one dollar.

Saturday: Today I took the cutter and carried some meal over to my Rodgers farm to feed the cow we got out of the mire last night, and then I rode up to Justice Goodriches to see if I could hire the girl they talk of dismissing by the name of Lana Ostrander. I did not get the girl, but she agreed to call and see me when she got dismissed from said Goodriches.

Sunday: I rode over and carried some oats to my cow that got in the mire.