Life was hard and toilsome in the early years of Ohio statehood for those souls who left warm eastern firesides and crossed the Alleghenies into the new western land. In the first years of their settling, long hours of work and the necessities of bare existence left little time for correspondence with fam- ily and friends. The letters that have been preserved show the writers to be unusually literate for the time and place, and they take on added significance in view of their scarcity. An unusual correspondent during this period was the Quaker lady, Anna Briggs Bentley. Her voluminous collection of let- ters with family and friends in Sandy Springs, Maryland, gives a rare pic- ture from a woman's viewpoint of pioneer life of a family newly arrived on their homestead and of their struggle to make the virgin land bloom. Anna Briggs, daughter of Hannah Brooke and Isaac Briggs, was born in Sandy Springs, Montgomery County, Maryland in 1796. Her father was a prominent engineer and a member of the Sandy Springs Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends) . He travelled extensively as engineer and surveyor with particular interest in canals and western land. Except for a short sojourn in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1813-15, members of the family remained on the estate, "Sharon," which continued in the family's possession until its sale in 1910. Anna grew up with five sisters and two brothers, Isaac, Jr. and William Henry. Theirs was a tightly knit family circle drawn closer by their Quaker faith and the continual absence of their father. Anna was especially close to her sister Sarah, who in 1830 married James Pleasants Stabler, postmaster of Sandy Springs. Sarah and her husband moved into the great house at "Sharon" in 1837, and the sister remained there until her death in 1886. NOTES ON PAGE 71 |
ANNA BRIGGS BENTLEY
39
In August 1812, Anna was married to
Joseph E. Bentley of Sandy Springs,
and in the course of the next decade
bore him six children named, Gran-
ville S., Franklin H., Maria, Thomas M.,
Hannah B., and Deborah R. While
the youngest was yet nursing, the father
moved his family to Ohio. Early in
the year 1826 they set out by wagon and
foot to cross the mountains, resting
nightly with Quaker families along the
way. Mr. Bentley finally settled his
family near New Lisbon (now Lisbon), in
Columbiana County, calling his
homestead "Green Hill." Here
Anna continued the correspondence which
she had begun on the trail with her
mother and sister Sarah. Her letters are
a charming mixture of family news,
discourses on life in Ohio, and on the
Society of Friends. Soon after their
arrival, the Bentley's church membership
was transferred to the Sandy Spring
Monthly Meeting, Columbiana County,
and in 1828 to the New Garden Monthly
Meeting in the same area, indi-
cating their intention to remain in
their adopted state. Anna's social life
revolved around Meeting, as her family's
did at home in Maryland.
The following is one of Anna's early
letters, written in the homey style of
a busy pioneer housewife, telling of her
experiences on the frontier of a
young and vigorous nation.1
The Cabin 8th Mo 17th 1826 [August
17]
5th day night2 [Thursday]
My dear friends
This I expect will be forwarded by a
private conveyance and save you the
postage for if I get time I could
make it as lengthy a letter as [the last] one
I wrote to you. This has been a most laborious week to me
washing, bak-
ing, scouring, cooking & I have
been constantly on my feet. I feel very
tired now and look forward to
tomorrow as a treat for I have a great pile of
patching to do that I can sit down to--and I have 4 and 1/2
loaves baked
and pies enough. I have had many calls from neighbors since
1st day
[Sunday] Susan Holland and her sister that I had not seen before, Cath-
erine, a fine interesting girl just
recovered from a Salination for the liver
complaint, A. Miller (of Maurice),
Levi's daughter Mary and neice Pru-
dence, and I dont know how many men 3
took supper last night It is
customary here for neighbors to go
out and help at what they call a logroll-
ing, that is rolling in long heaps
with levers the largest size logs and then
piling on the brush and firing
it All their pay is to go home and take
supper with them
3rd day the 22nd [of August]
Well I get on slowly with my letter
but you can have no idea of the
constant variety of engagements I
have and I now know how to make al-
lowances for the poor black people
who can not keep awake when they sit
down of an evening. But I sometimes shead tears of thanksgiving
when I
find how much I am made capable
of doing cheerfully. My beloved
mother, thy prayers have been
heard--the hearts of strangers have indeed
seemed to be turned toward us in a
manner wonderful to me, not in empty
professions but in real substantial
acts of kindness I will give some in-
stances my cow in jumping a low fence tore open one of her teats the
40 OHIO HISTORY
whole length we could not milk her at
night In the morning I went
over to friend Millers (1/4 of a
mile) for a little tallow to grease it and to
know what to do. Friend Miller was
very busy but she immediately left all
and came through the dew to milk her,
which she accomplished in spite of
her kicking, by making a kind of pew
in a fence corner One of the girls
came and milked her in the
evening Friend Miller says let them know
whenever I have more work to do than
I can easily get through with and
some of them will come and help They supply me with beans, potatoes,
cucumbers in abundance, also apples,
and peaches, and roasting ears. This
is the way she talks [:] "now do send over for any vegetable an any
thing
thee stands in need off thee must not
be any ways backward with us more
than thy own people I know
just how it is with you, new beginners have
all to buy till they can make for
themselves and I want thee to feel welcome
and always at home here I want our intercourse to ripen into a
friendship,
not of a day but permanent. Come,
that is thy hen and chickens I will have
them a rooster caught and sent over
and I have a tub of soap for thee when
I can get it over." She was
looking at the wool thee gave me mother, she
said, "I have just got some wool
dyed black thee shall have half a lb of it
and I will bring it over and pick
thine and mix it for thee and we will spin
it for thee."
Well this morning Sally Miller came
over . . . she said to help me wash,
for "I know thee stands in need
of help and I will be very willing to come
and help thee every week but I wont
take pay." The tears gushed from my
eyes as I thanked the kind hearted
girl (she is 16 years old). Last 1st day
morning they sent a . . . invitation for Joseph3 and
me, Maria,4 and David
Henry5 to go over and
spend the afternoon We found a good
deal of
company (they intentions as much as
Brookgrove6) among them was two
fine girls from Mero Garden,7
5 miles from here, Margaret and Hannah Griz-
zle and Eliza Golbraith There was 18 in all There is a sort of feeling
that dont suit my awkward diffidence
to find myself an object of general at-
tention wherever I go and I feel more
at ease with a few in a family circle
than in a crowd. In our own
neighborhood where our insignificance was
known we were treated with no more
regard than we merited by some (this
is no reflection I cherish with grateful rememberance
numberless acts of
kindness I know beyond my merits) but
here they as yet all seem to be look-
ing up to us. May it be a strong inducement to us to
establish our char-
acters so as to keep the respect and
affection of these dear kind people.
As our excellent friend Levi Miller
was sitting with us one evening lately,
I was as I often before have done
noticing some thing in the sound of his
voice so like fathers8 My eye happened to rest on his profile
on the wall,
it was instantly rivitted there for
it is as exactly like our fathers I
called
to Joseph just telling him to
look he and all the children were
struck
with the likeness in an instant,
before I mentioned it.
4th day night [August 23]
It is very late but I must take time
to tell you I received early this morn-
ing a dear interesting letter from my
precious sister Me9 with a few lines
ANNA BRIGGS BENTLEY
41
from mother and bro[ther] Isaac.10 Oh if you could only know the joy
your letters give me you would never
let trifling engagements prevent your
writing frequent and long letters --
1st day 27th [August 27]
6th day was our monthly meeting I attended for the first time and was
surprised to find it considerably
larger than yours It was much crowded
about 30 babies attended [and]
there were more monstrous fat women than
I ever saw at once One couple passed meeting11 and
another handed in
their intentions (which they do one
month and the next appear and say
"friends I continue my
intentions of marriage with . . .") The clerk was a
neat young woman very much like
Hannah Carlisle and the assistant clerk
is a lively looking woman with
exactly such as face as Hannah Wilsons, a
fine delicate complexion, she has
been married 4 years and has no children
Dear old Sarah Holland walked part
way home with me I told her I had
received a letter from home and
mentioned some of the particulars of poor
cousin J Kersey12 She
seemed much affected for she had known him.
The rumour had reached us some weeks
since but it seemed beyond belief.
He that could so well point out to
others the danger of giving way to tempta-
tion
Oh can he ever attain to the excellence he has fallen from.
In the afternoon Susan Holland came
in "Anna," she said, "my
sister
Catherine takes me to task for using
too much freedom with thee as to make
no change in my dress when I come
over but I tell her she has not found
thee out yet as well as I have When she has been as much with thee she
will discover that thee is one that
would not value a person less for being
dressed in homespun." She is perfectly neat always--soon after her
mother
came in "well I can not be
satisfied if thee has no objection I
want the[e]
to read thy letter to me and the
parts relating to J Kersey ["] I did so
the tears rolled down her cheeks as
she exclaimed "Alas! poor human na-
ture" and when I read what dear
sister M and mother said of my neighbors
she again strove to conceal the tears
but they would come and she stretched
out her hand and took mine in hers. I
wish you could see her and know
what sort of woman she is, her
manners are perfectly dignified but so kind
and affectionate and yet no
professions on any thing that would create a
doubt of sincerity.
Joseph went down to the clearing
(i.e. our land) today and found some
person had stolen our hive which was
nearly full of honey botheration to
them. We cannot raise13 till
next week and Ah then the work to cook
for these pie eating people S Holland and Hannah Miller will help and I
shall bake in friend Holland's
oven It is not near so far as from
Sharon to
Hebran.14 --How I have
feasted on plum's for 2 or 3 weeks past so large and
delicious They grow in the greatest abundance about 50 yds from the
house larger trees almost breaking down with them -- And wild cherries
are here used for pies they grow larger here than with you and
resemble
black heart cherries in taste. I make
a great many pies and puddings and
try some experiments with them I mostly bake 18 or 20 a week I stir
peaches not dried or apples and make
a custard and mix with them season-
42 OHIO HISTORY |
ing it nicely and make puff paste and bake them in I do all my baking in a dutch oven and spider.15 They have [come] tonight in to scour tin ware with bulrushes and soap brighter than with sand We have heard there was a house raised a mile from here day before yesterday A man got his head between the logs When it was extracted he was bled and he soon conversed with those arround telling them he was not seriously injured they need not have sent for the Dr When the physician examined his head he instantly pronounced it fractured and no hope of saving him. He died yesterday--ours will be such a heavy raising that I dread accidents -- I believe my account of the children might as well be stuck in here as I am so bothered I can hardly think of anything I am at this moment and have been all the time I have been writing this side, singing "bye O baby" as loud as I can bawl and D16 wont go to sleep. She is a sweet good babe it has been some time since she could get up in the floor and stand alone but she does not walk yet She has for a long time tried to talk and can pro- nounce a great many words calls "pady," "mida, Hanna, mamma -- where ist, tie dane, go back, dont, and SINKS," and a great many others no less enter- taining if I had patience to enumerate them. She does not look as fat and clumsy as when I left you but quite enough so Maria's teasing has had an effect on her temper and she is a little [?]tious sometimes She had 4 teeth and our little indian looking Hannah is as fat and hearty as need be She will not wear a bonnet and her neck is like a mulatta She dont talk any plainer but talks a great deal about you She brought me a little tin bucket |
ANNA BRIGGS BENTLEY 43 |
of water from the spring today and said "now mamma wont de write unky witty an aunt Maye17 ans tell em I want girl bring de bucket a water" When she was dressed this morning she went to her father and said "warna pease bring de waggon now and take me see gamammy little wile" Last week she was leaning on my wash tub she saw me raise up to ease my back and looked concerned and said "me wit me wad big enup to help de wats" Thomas's18 hearing is quite restored He dwells upon "my dear uncle Richard and Aunt Mary" says sometimes "Mother it seems as if I loved them Most better than thee I wish they had of let me stay ask them when thee writes if they will take [me] home with them when they come to see us" Tell Milly he talks a great deal of her What shall I say for Maria she is very useful and I would be glad to say she strove to conquor her temper, was always respectful to me, and did not tease her brothers and sisters but she gives me a great deal of trouble by teasing them and dis- puting with them and they follow her example with each other. I hope I shall have a better account next letter F and G19 are mostly good boys They work very hard and enjoy the hours of rest Granville grows rapidly They talk to you every day and of W Henry20 They often wonder if he loved them as much as they did him. I wish you would tell me if you really think Uncle Sammy21 will come and how soon Jos does not get time to write or he would write again Did uncle L22 receive his letter giving a description of the land & the distance to each meeting is the same -- 1 mile and an 1/2 -- As I am so anxious for our certificates Sandy Spring is the name of our monthly meeting here23 |
44 OHIO HISTORY Brother Isaac, I wont know what to think of thee It would indeed be a heavy disappointment to us if thee should not pay us a visit this fall but if all judge thou art acting for the best I must acquiesce but . . . all your letters say something about it and always add something in the letters AH if Elizabeth could be yet here I would be glad and we would be so happy it would be such a comfort to me. Dear sister Mary was there any thing more than a jokeing in thy talking of paying us a visit sometime it would be almost too much for me to bear. I have not seen one black person since I came to this place. [David] Henry has been invariably steady and always about home On the first days he goes no where but among [F]riends. He has not heard from his friends since he came except too trace a message. I wish my love to be given to cousins C P & L B Thomas and MEG24 and tell all that you know love me that I love them more than when I was with them Dear, dear friends so many of whom my eyes will behold no more in this life My pre- cious aunt Polly Oh that I could have paid her a visit How often has she been a friend in need to me -- Give my love to cousin D. Stabler,25 to Dear uncles Sammy and Roger Brooke and their families . . . I wish I was of consequence enough for uncle Roger to notice me by a mention on a letter or a postcript in yours. I also wish my love to be given to Flora Powel, Polly Pumphry, Dorcas, and Billy.26 Oh all of your dear faces come so plain before me that [I] closed my eyes and kept them before my mental view, forgetting that it is past midnight and a toilsome day approaching, try- ing to forget the mountains, the long long road, but I must not cherish use- less regrets. Why does not Sister S27 let me hear more of the Poetry she did promise too. In your distribution of love dont forget M How and tell aunt Ginny28 Jos has worn no other coat (except first days) than the one she gave him since he left you I must have room for Maria to add a little I love you all too much for pen to express Your own affectionate Anna Bentley Hannah Briggs Sandy Spring Montgomery County Maryland |
|
POEM: Found in a letter from Sarah B. Briggs to her father Isaac Briggs, September 22, 1821. Sweet is the thought; thou soon will share Our humble home and simple fare, Released from many an anxious care And ardent toil; |
ANNA BRIGGS BENTLEY 45 Cheer hearts which suffered much of fear, In thy exile. Who oft, in spite of hope, have sighed, And thought what evil might betide, And then upon the distance wide There was between; How death so dreaded -- undesigned, Might intervene. Sad would have felt our hearts to hear, Our kindest friend, our father dear, Had gone -- and that the latest tear, Which dimmed his eye, A Stranger wiped -- a strangers ear Heard his last sigh. While we unconscious, far away, Inspires with joy and feeling gay, When thinking of the happy day Of thy return Knew not we'd soon, to grief a pray In anguish mourn! But soon distressing fears will cease, We'll feel our comforts; joys increase, Our griefs by sharing will grow less -- We'll live in love -- If righteous; we will die in peace And live above. Thus, when thy exiles at an end, When we do welcome home our friend, Each former fear and grief will tend To teach us still, In every trial we must bend To heaven's will. |
|
THE EDITOR: Bayly Ellen Marks is manuscripts curator at the Maryland His- torical Society. |
Life was hard and toilsome in the early years of Ohio statehood for those souls who left warm eastern firesides and crossed the Alleghenies into the new western land. In the first years of their settling, long hours of work and the necessities of bare existence left little time for correspondence with fam- ily and friends. The letters that have been preserved show the writers to be unusually literate for the time and place, and they take on added significance in view of their scarcity. An unusual correspondent during this period was the Quaker lady, Anna Briggs Bentley. Her voluminous collection of let- ters with family and friends in Sandy Springs, Maryland, gives a rare pic- ture from a woman's viewpoint of pioneer life of a family newly arrived on their homestead and of their struggle to make the virgin land bloom. Anna Briggs, daughter of Hannah Brooke and Isaac Briggs, was born in Sandy Springs, Montgomery County, Maryland in 1796. Her father was a prominent engineer and a member of the Sandy Springs Monthly Meeting (Society of Friends) . He travelled extensively as engineer and surveyor with particular interest in canals and western land. Except for a short sojourn in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1813-15, members of the family remained on the estate, "Sharon," which continued in the family's possession until its sale in 1910. Anna grew up with five sisters and two brothers, Isaac, Jr. and William Henry. Theirs was a tightly knit family circle drawn closer by their Quaker faith and the continual absence of their father. Anna was especially close to her sister Sarah, who in 1830 married James Pleasants Stabler, postmaster of Sandy Springs. Sarah and her husband moved into the great house at "Sharon" in 1837, and the sister remained there until her death in 1886. NOTES ON PAGE 71 |