by Alex Brooks
In the last episode, George journeyed to western New York State to get a certificate from his relations in order to settle his father’s will. Now he tries to file the certificate with the County Clerk in Troy, and the Clerk will not accept it.
Wednesday, June 9, 1824: I called into the County Clerk’s office, but they would not receive my deed, that I had been to the westward to Lebanon after because the commissioner there did not make his certificate right. The County Clerk penciled underneath of the said certificate and directed where to interline, and directed me to send the above deed back to Madison County to said Stebbins and have him interline and correct his mistake.
Thursday: This morning I paid my lodging and for my milk last night, which was nine cents. I came on to the next tavern and had a bowl of milk and paid three cents. I then came on home and got home about twelve o’clock.
Mr. Orin Squires came here and took tea with us and he agreed to take a deed that I agreed to leave to New Lebanon meetinghouse to Mr. Pierce’s tavern and carry it home with him to Hamilton, Madison County and go up to Lebanon to the Commissioner Stebbins and get him to interline the certificate and correct it where he made a mistake on the deed that Peter Wylie and his wife Lucretia and Miriam Campbell, they three signed to brother Wm and myself. Said Squires agreed to send the said deed back to us in Stephentown by some careful hand that was coming or by the mail as we would enclose in a wrapper with the deed the directions for him to return it to us.
Monday, June 14: On this day brother Wm rode up to Squ Sylvester Howard’s and paid him one dol and 25 cts for putting his certificate on the two deeds this spring past, and he likewise examined the certificate that our County Clerk could not receive from the commissioner Stebbins from the west, and readily found the mistake. He pointed it out more plain on a piece of paper to Stebbins and Wm enclosed with the deed for said Squires to forward it to said Stebbins, and Wm rode to Lebanon to Pierce’s tavern and left it for said Squires to carry on to the westward when he returned home, as is before mentioned.
Sunday: Today I took the covered wagon and carried my wife and children and sister Eleanor to the Shakers to meeting. Today is the first that they went into their new meetinghouse. It was quite a rainy day, but there was a large concourse of spectators. As we returned home, we called to Dr. Right’s and he drew a tooth for sister Eleanor, and I paid him one shilling.
Monday, June 21: This morning I was taken in my right knee with the rheumatism. It was very painful and lame. I put my feet in hot water and then drafts on them. It soon eased the pain.
Tuesday, June 22: Today I am quite unwell after taking phthisic and towards night I rode to Lebanon to the pool. I called in to bakcr Bull’s and paid two cents for four crackers for my little Charlotte, for she was unwell and took phthisic.
Friday, June 25: Mr Jared Harrison came and made Mother a pair of Morocco shoes and she paid him six pounds of pork for his work, and he made my Charlottc a pair of calf skin shoes, and my wife paid him four pounds of pork for his work.