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Subject: [NJ] Extracts from Diary of Samuel MICKLE (1746~1830)
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 13:29:59 EST


~ Extracts from the Diary of Samuel MICKLE ~

Samuel MICKLE, b: 7th month, 1st day, 1746, OS ~ d: 3rd month 31st day 1830.
Son of Samuel and Letticia MICKLE. His wife was the daughter of Robert
FRIEND and Hannah PRICE. She was b: 2nd month, 13th day, 1748, OS ~ d: 10th
month, 13th day, 1809. Samuel of Woodbury, commenced to keep a diary
beginning 28th NOV 1792 and these are minor extracts from his diaries. He
kept an open house and nearly every day he mentioned the names of those at
his home. Many young persons, principally relatives, lived with him while
they attended the schools of Woodbury, New Jersey.

1792
December 3rd ~ At funeral of one of Jos. HEWS' sons, a lad of about 16.

December 6th ~ Cousin Job WHITALL here a little while in morning
.
December 8th ~ Hope ALLEN and my dear wife returned from Philadelphia with
account of Samuel EMLEN and Sarah HARRISON on religious visit to Families in
Dublin, Ireland.

December 15th ~ Mary CARSON, widow, about 2 miles from Woodbury, died last
night.

December 18th ~ Amos and Sarah COOPER here on way to Mary CARSON. He with
John TATUM, Jr. left by her late husband William CARSON, deceased as
guardians to his children.

December 22nd ~ Uncle David COOPER and cousin Sarah COOPER, Isaac COLLINS and
wife and John COLLINS and wife Charity here.

December 26th ~ Small pox spreads about our neighborhood. Daniel GREGORY and
his daughter died of it last week, taken in ye natural way.

December 27th ~ Daniel SMITH and wife, Leze, late PRICE, here on their way to
"Death of ye Fox" Inn. He has sold it to Jeffry CLARK.

December 31st ~ What a noise about ye neighborhood with firing guns as if
rejoicing that another year is gone. One year nearer the grave and uncertain
of seeing the end of another.


1793
January 8th ~ Made some preparations to visit Philadelphia tomorrow morning
having forgot ye report of a "Balloon" intended to be raised there tomorrow
a.m. by ______ BLANCHARD until my wife being reminded of it at our neighbor
Aaron THOMPSON's came home and told me this evening, also that all Woodbury
almost was going to see it.

January 9th ~ Great ado with looking for and at the Balloon which came I
suppose within one mile from and eastward of us at Woodbury, and perhaps ½
mile in height. This, an instance of the body also as well as the mind being
in ye air. "Balloon" is ye subject in almost every quarter.

January 16th ~ Andrew HUNTER's black man, William, died last night of Quinsy
[tonsillitis].

January 17th ~ Three burials today viz: John BARNES, and Andrew HUNTER's
black man, William, in Presbyterian Burial Ground. Benjamin HOOTEN's child
in our graveyard.

April 16th ~ At funeral of Andrew HUNTER's wife; much useless parade at
funeral.

April 27th ~ This being the day advertised for those to meet at Courthouse
who are friendly to abolition of slavery. None but Jos. CLEMENT, Franklin
DAVENPORT, Jacob WOOD, Thomas CARPENTER, Joseph SLOAN, Joshua HOWELL, Job
KINSEY and myself met.

April 29th ~ Jas. COOPER said he heard in Philadelphia last 7th day 27th
that ye British vessel bound from Philadelphia to Great Britain was made
prize by ye French in Delaware Bay, and that our friends, Elizabeth DRINKER,
George DILWYN and wife, were with their baggage set on shore by ye French.

This day proposed to Andrew HUNTER and Doctor George W. CAMPBELL that ye
inhabitants of Woodbury supply themselves with Fire buckets, etc., and set a
subscription on foot which they approved of.

April 30th ~ Mentions legacy left by Cousin Hannah MORRIS deceased of
Philadelphia.

May 26th ~ Moses WATSON informs that Anthony ALLEN offered him $11 per month
to work for him at carpenter trade.

May 30th ~ Doctor Thomas HENDRY's wife's Aunt Henrietta FRENCH on visit ye
p.m. to see my wife.

June 4th ~ Copying off Constitution of New Jersey Abolition Society into
Treasurer's account book for ye County. [He was the Treasurer of Abolition
Society for Gloucester County.]

June 18 ~ Elizabeth HINCHMAN, widow of John, came in a.m. and staid till
evening; says she was born 1722/3, therefore about 70 years of age.

June 20th ~ Richard HOWELL spent part of p.m. (N. B. Lately appointed
Governor of ye State.) In evening came Elias BOUDINOT, Doctor Van Ler and
son Bernard, and Jos. LOW on business. Also Doctor COLLINS.

June 21st ~ Deborah RUFF, wife of Daniel RUFF [late Deborah PRATT]; Rebecca
FOLWELL with her two children & Boy; Adam and William FOLWELL's sister, Anne,
on visit. Also in evening came William FOLWELL.

June 27th ~ Amy HUNTER and her sister Ruth VOORHIES on visit to my wife.

>From time to time he describes yellow fever epidemics, making candles,
bottling cider, currant wine, cutting hay, wood, planting potatoes, weather,
ill health, court, Friends' Meetings, great entertainers, trips in chair to
Philadelphia and return, tending store, horseback rides, religious
sentiments, dreams, garden work, fevers, pump, etc.

August 22nd ~ My beloved wife not so well, off and on of bed and couch by
turns. Exceedingly sickly in town and country with ye influenze also ye
putrid or yellow fever is said to be in Philadelphia of which so many die,
said to have been introduced there by means of a cargo of damaged coffee
lately landed there.

August 30th ~ The infection in Philadelphia employs greatest part of
conversation in ye neighborhood. A corpse on its way from Philadelphia to
Woodstown was stopped in Woodbury, detained and buried last night in ye
Presbyterian Burial Ground. The bringing of it gave much umbrage to ye
people of ye place.

September 1st ~ Jonathan WOOD and wife brought by water from Philadelphia
this p.m. and interred in WOOD's Burial Ground.

September 19th ~ Anthony SHARP buried ye morning in Philadelphia.

September 28th ~ William WILSON wrote me at bottom of his bill: Beloved
Friend S. M., There are so many stores shut up that I know not how to procure
ye other articles mentioned in thy order.

October 2nd ~ Accounts from Philadelphia continue very alarming and among ye
many deaths mentioned is that of my late master Jonathan SHOEMAKER.

October 6th ~ Eli BROWNSON deceased and buried of putrid fever, being ye
first in Woodbury.

October 13th ~ In p.m. went to John BLACKWOOD's ~ I walked about the place
where ye old dwelling house used to stand where my grandfather John MICKLE
and uncle Jno. MICKLE and cousin John MICKLE used to reside. Viewed trees
which I knew when young and thrifty like myself. Could scarcely find the
spot where ye old house had stood and this poor tottering body of mine here
yet.

At this time the terrors of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia and
vicinity are fully described, together with notices of many deaths of his
acquaintances in Woodbury and Philadelphia and as late as November 30th he
records that the pestilence still continues in Philadelphia in a few
instances.


1798
January 12th ~ Samuel mentions visit of Elias HICKS.

January 21st ~ Joshua HOPPER, Jr., Innkeeper at Woodbury, died. Age about 23
years.

January 27th ~ Aunt Hannah LADD, deceased.

February 22nd ~ Visited Sarah WHITALL at Red Bank, the house of mourning
indeed, between 11th of 9th and 18th of 10th month last inclusive hath
deceased her husband Job WHITALL; her husband's mother, Ann; and children
Job, Sarah and Aaron WHITALL; and girl Sarah BURROUGHS.

Also, other scenes of distress have been at that place. Witness their fine
apple orchard cut down and ground dug up in great trenches and works thrown
up in erecting a Fort there; their dwelling house walls battered in holes
while the family were endeavoring to live quietly therein; fruits of a battle
between ye American and Hessian Soldiers in 1777 when after it I saw men
lying naked on ye ground except in part covered with a little straw and some
of them with their limbs off and having died of their wounds.

March 3rd ~ Visited Depthford Free School.

May 13th ~ Mary, widow of Solomon LIPPINCOTT [and daughter of Abraham
CHATTIN, a deceased Englishman] dined with us. Very cheerful, about 76 years
of age, entertained my dear wife and me with accounts of old times or days of
her youth and respecting of those inhabitants, buildings, etc. of this part
of ye county.

June 18th ~ Light horsemen exercising in sham fight along Woodbury street.

August 9th ~ Yellow fever in Philadelphia.

August 22nd ~ Yellow fever at Oldman's Creek, Port Elizabeth, Thompson's
Point and Haddonfield.

September 12th ~ Doctor John OTTO recovering and about again.

September 18th ~ Isaac SAUNDERS died of yellow fever in 24th year of his age,
at Woodbury.

Doctor George W. CAMPBELL and Sarah KAIGHN died September 2, 1798.

September 30th ~ Biddle REEVES recovered from yellow fever.

October ~ Deaths mentioned: Hannah INSKEEP; Martin MOODY; Samuel TOWNSEND;
Josiah HOPKINS; Abraham GIBBON; Robert KIRKBRIDE; William JACKSON; James
EMLEN; Hannah, wife of Jacob LINDLEY; Mary SHARPLESS; Rebecca COOPER.

October 9th ~ Mentions Deborah STEWARD.

Continued..............












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