A Midwinter Funeral
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, January 23, 1846: This afternoon I took my cutter and rode over to the Presbyterian meeting house to an anti-rent meeting. At the anti-rent meeting I paid James Gardner seventy five cents, which was my half for the Albany anti-rent paper that I commenced taking on the sixth of Dec last in company with James M. Glass for one year. Today Geo P. took a one-horse cutter and carried Mr. May a bag of corn nearly two ½ bushels, which more than pays him for the calf skin I got the first of slaying. Said May was not home and my son left the corn not measured and passed on into Pittsfield village to brother F. J. Wylie’s and stayed tonight.
Saturday: Today I and my son John chopped and drew out saw logs in my swamp, we carried over a bag of oats and corn for Mr. Merrils to feed to my sheep, and at night we fetched home a load of wood. Today Geo P returned from Pittsfield with Charlotte and they fetched Cornelia Wylie with them and today my daughters had company from Lebanon, Miss Hall and Miss Wheeler and two Miss Moreys and two Miss Harrisons. On this evening my children visited to the widow Morey’s with this same company.
Tuesday: On this evening Geo P took the two horse team and sleigh and went to Hiram Newton’s on what is called the James Adams farm and stayed with him to be in readiness to go to Albany with a load of plaster for him.
Wednesday: This evening I rode to Hancock Village to a Universalist meeting with Simeon Wylie. Today Geo P fetched a ton of plaster from Albany and defrayed his own expenses, excepting the gates, for Hiram Newton and said Hiram is to work for us five days for drawing said plaster.
Thursday: My son Geo P and I rode to the anti-rent meeting to the Presbyterian meeting house. The speakers were from Albany and Nassau, it was a crowded house.
Saturday, February 14: Tonight my two sons and Sarah and Cornelia Wylie went to Hancock village to see M— and today I and my wife called to Stephen Van Rensselaer Jolls on account of the deceased Esther Jolls and I paid Mr Jolls eight cents for a pamphlet written by E. Pepper on anti-rent, tonight my daughter Charlotte watches with the corpse to said Jolls and tonight a snow storm and a high wind and snow drifted.
Sunday: Today stormy and bad road. I started to go to the funeral of Esther Jolls, but I met the people coming down to bury her and I went to the grave.
Wednesday: Today I went to Stephen Van Rensselaer Jolls to hear a funeral discourse preached by Elder Sweet on the death of Esther Jolls.