Benjamin Hunt Diary – 1811
Jan. 3rd 1811: William Huey Brought Polly Frances here. Yesterday morning I found a horse, saddle & Bridle in my lot: this day the owner came for him.
Jan. 4th 1811: early this morning it began to snow: snowing all day.
6th: a beautiful fine warm day for this time of Year: snow going very fast.
Sth: still warm and foggy: very muddy roads.
9th: This day I was informed bv Elizabeth Carter thai Rachel Baily, wife of Abr’m Baily of West Bradford Hung herself on the 4th Instant with her handkerchief hitch’d on a nail in the Kitchen: this night rain. John M’Goodwin wife here.
10th: verv disagreeable, dull cloudy we.uher. Nelly & Polly Francis went home with John M’Goodin and his wife.
11th Jan. 1811: Clear morning and something Colder: Noon cloudy and colder.
13th: this day snow. Nelly and Polly Francis return’d from M’Goodins.
15th: This day Nelly. & Polly Francis went into town.
17th: John Huey’s Daughter buried
18th, Wrote a letter to T. Francis in Virginia: likewise one to Lisbon for Nathan.
19th: Sleet this morning.
20th : Hazy. Very warm for ye season
21st: Cloudv morning, like for rain. Went to J Jones for Money: he says he will have somt today or tomorrow: Likewise John Fling: he says in two weeks he will have some he expects.
22nd: Warm, some times Cloudy, sometimes sunshine. morning.
23rd Jen. 1811: Odd freezing weather.
24th: More moderate. Polly Francis goes to John M’Guggans.
30th : Snow.
3rd Feb.: a little snow.
4th: Cloudy, Drizly.
6th: Snow this day & all night.
7th: Prettv deep snow.
11th: A beautiful fine day but very bad roads.
12th: A very stormy snowing blowing dav. sent two letters to Polly Francis at John M’Guggin’s by Jesse Kersey, in the afternoon rain.
16th: Snow.
19th: a considerable quantity of Snow on the ground and very cold.
21st: I hear that Phebe Taylor, Daughter of Titus Tavlor, was Maried to Benjamin Worth on the 19th Instant. Poliy Frances returned from M’Goodin’s
22nd: Stormy. Snowing and blowing. Sam’l Newel Brn’t his wife home.
23rd Feb.. 1811. I hear John Huey buried his son Nathan, a little child, a few days ago. this is the third they have buried this winter. this day Nelly starts to go up then .
24th: Second day of the week: this night some thief stole my ax. my wood saw they stole a few weeks ago. I have found it in a saw wheters shop in Philad.
26th: Polly Frances and my self went into town and to the Museum, wet day, muddy roads.
1st March: Nelly returned from West Chester.
4th Went into Town with Nelly and Polly Francis, stayed a while then Nelly returned home and Polly & myself want to the play.
5th. Got an new ax, cost two Dollars. Brooks Facet.
March 6th 1811. Snow.
7th. Fine sunshiny day. Edward Miller movess into Philad. from West Chester.
15th. I go with Polly Francis into town to Samuel Baker’s, she stays all night, in the evening Wm. Huey came here with two horses to take Polly to his house, he goes into town.
16th. they came out of town and after dinner they start for Wm. Huey’s.
18th this day rain in the afternoon preceeded by strong southerly winds for several days. Fine warm weather since the beginning of March.
24th. This day colder after rain and thunder yesterday.
25th. George Entriken of Crumcreek pretty badly hurt in the road not far from my house.
27th. I hear that Lydia Worth, wife of George Worth, died a few days ago.
29th. John Warner (of Blockley) Mother-in-law died at his house near Schuylkill Bridge.
March 30 1811. this day sold my cart and geers to Wm. McNutt of Upper Darby for $3.70 cents
Apr 6th. I hear that my old neighbor Thomas Taylor died a few days ago. Likewise Thomas Newlin, Esq. of Concord township, Delaware County, died a few days ago.
4th, 5th &6th of April, was in Philad. helping Emmor Moore and David Wilson Buy Goods.
11th: a very wet day.
12th: in Philad. again with E. Moore.
13th: went home with E. Moore in the Westtown school stage to help them mark their goods.
Hih, busy helping them.
15th, walked home in consequence of trio stage being full.
23rd April 1811. Gideon Williamson House Burnt: himself not at home.
24th. Charles Robinson’s wife died
1st May. I hear Amos Carter is dead. C. Robinson’s wife buried, an uncommon dry time: the roads very dusty.
2nd: Rain.
3rd- Rain,
6th: Sham fight began at the upper ferry, ended in Hamilton Village: in the afternoon rain.
8th: Rain in the afternoon.
9th: Andrew Hunter, wife & three Children being out of a house came to my house for a few days till they can find a house,
llth, Got a house at Squire Jones’s.
13th: Very showery.
17th: Cool for the season.
I8th: this morning frost.
23rd. Very dry weather and dusty roads, this day was on a Jury of partition to divide tract of land in Blockley Township, Philad. County. Francis Johnson, Sheriff.
25th May 1811. Caleb Bradley Died in Philadelphia, very dry dusty roads.
31st. James leaves Warners and him and I go on board the sloop Simpson at Schuylkill Bridge and bound to Morris River, I forgot to mention that some villian entered my house yesterday while my wife walked out into the garden and stole my watch. Supposed to be two black men.
4th June: Nathan Return’d from Lisbon having been gone five months & four days.
8th. James and myself got home from Morris River.
11th Nathan & James starts to West Chester in the stage.
14th: Boys returned from W. Chester.
15th: Got mv watch in Philad. of one
A B. Cohen, No. 371 North 2nd Street, A dealer in old clothes, where it had been left by two black men who wanted money on it but he questioned them so close they fled and left it.
21st June 1811: This day 1 im inform’d some man jump’d off Schuylkill Permanent bridge and drowned.
22nd, about ID O’Clock the above mentioned man was taken out of the water near the Bridge.
23rd: Started in the Sloop Sampson from Schuylkill Bridge bound to Morris River.
28th: George Weidner killed with the Waggon. Elizabeth Holsten died.
2nd July: Got home in the sloop Sampson.
10th, was in Philadelphia with Nathan and James at the launch of the Ship Phoenix, Captain Wm. M’Kibbon.
16th: Nathan Signed Shipping articles on board the Ship Lancaster, Capn Thomas Robinson, bound to Canton, 16 Dollars per Month.
18th July 1811: Nathan goes on board and the ship hauls off from the wharf. Wm. comes home with the Cart. James and myself got a boat and goes on board the Ship. James stays all night.
22nd: Billy starts to his Uncle Wm Huey’s in Concord.
25th. this day I hear that Patrick Gregory was found dead on the 21st in one of Jacob Righter’s fields near West Chester where it is supposed he had lain too weeks. another man was mowedup in James Bone’s Barn and not found till the smell became offensive.
27th: Nellv starts for her fathers in Sam’l Entrikin’s Cart, this afternoon recv’d Nathan’s Cape letter.
2nd August 1811: Pally and his Mother returns home, she very bad with a pain In her right arm, perhaps rheumatism.
3rd. wrote two letters to Virginia.
11th: Wm. Galloway’s Child badly burnt by its cloaths takeing fire while its mother was gone to market.
17th: Galloway’s Child died. James Hunt starts to John Rankins.
19th: this morning a little before day one of Win. Quire’s Hay stacks took fire, had hard work to put it out but by wetting it & drawing it away we extinguished it.
20th August 1811: Mr. Brasier takes two rooms in my house.
24th: this day I hear that John Fling was buried on Wednesday last and John Kinnard a few days before.
28th: James Goes to Collins’s to try the painting business.
1st Sept. James leavs Collins, don’t like the trade.
2nd: Goes to J. Shaw to try the Hatting trade.
3rd: Rachel Curie goes to the artificial flower Factory.
5th: Catharine Hunt, daughter of Ed, aged about 16 years, Maried to Wm. Hilton, aged .about 19, Aprentice to A. Rasch.
Sept. 2sth 1811: About this time Jacob Hains died at his house near West Chester.
Oct. 6th: very warm weather for this time of Year.
12th: Still warm Mary Darlington brought het son to live with us at 75 cents per week 1 hesir that my old Neighbour John Hughes of Waggon Town, Chester County, died some weeksago.
24th: Went into Philadelphia, Bought 5 Tons Plaster for Wm Huey @ $11
27th: this morning pretty smart white frost, the first of any consequence this fall.
12th Nov: fine weather for the season: pull’d a watermeloon in the Garden: in the afternoon went to the cattle show at Bush Hill.
13th, Went into town with John M’Goodin’s Boys.
19th Nov 1811, Was in town: Got apair coarse shoes of Edward Miller: price 2 dolls.
23rd: This day some Rascal Stole my Watch.
24th: This day I started in the sloop Sampson for Morris’s River.
4th Dec, Got home again.
13th: This night snow for the first this
win tor.
14th: snow continued till morning: before noon cleared away.
19th: about this time very cold: Schuylkill froze over.
23rd: Moderate and thawing;: in the night blow up very cold and. snow’d.
24th: High wind and cloudy: very cold,
27th: not quite so cold: ground not quite cover’d with snow. Boys James and William in Town.