Journals of Rev. Henry Olcott Sheldon (1817-1845)

The below is a work in progress, a transcription of the journals of Henry Olcott Sheldon (1817-1845).

1820 (missing)

1821 – January

Date Entry
 Mon. Jan. 15  Snow has fallen
Tue. Jan. 16  Saw mill.  Good sledding.
Wed. Jan. 17  Father started for Genoa, N.Y.  Very snowy in A.M. 17th.
Thu. Jan. 18  Pleasant & cold.
Fri. Jan. 19  Cold – good sledding – 8 in.
Sat. Jan. 20   do – Snowy – Sawlogs – 18.
Sun. Jan. 21  Cold but pleasant.  Snow gives in sun.
Mon. Jan. 22  L. B. 200 ft. boards – paid 50 cts. – Snow thaws considerably.
Tue. Jan. 23  Stable — cold, some snow in morn, in even brooms.
Wed. Jan. 24  Very cold but pleasant — Write.
Thu. Jan. 25  Last night extremely cold – pleasant – Sawmill buck.
Fri. Jan. 26  Windy from S. Sandy – flour – Dr. Christopher – 48 in.
Sat. Jan. 27  Thawy – Letters I. M. Skinner & D. Ogden
Sun. Jan. 28  Very thawy.
Mon. Jan. 29  Rainy – thaw very fast — hay.
Tue. Jan. 30  Very warm – snow all gone.
Wed. Jan. 31  Rainy in P. M. – Creeks high.

1821 – February

Date Entry
 Thu. Feb. 1  Pleasant – at fence No. 2 & road
Fri. Feb. 2  Froze some last night.  Mr. Sullivan preached at East s.h. – Fence 2 & 4
Sat. Feb. 3  Snow a little & thawy.
Sun. Feb. 4  No meeting at s.  s.h.  Cloudy – warm.
Mon. Feb. 5  Very warm & pleasant – sowed wheat.
Tue. Feb. 6  Froze hard last n.  Pleasant.
Wed. Feb. 7  Cold.
Thu. Feb. 8  Pleasant – warm.
Fri. Feb. 9  Rainy in A.M. – pleasant in P.M.
Sat. Feb. 10  Cloudy – frosty night – mill.
Sun. Feb. 11  Rainy.
Mon. Feb. 12  Very cloudy – pleasant – drying.
Tue. Feb. 13  Rainy last night – high wind.
Wed. Feb. 14  Rainy & windy.
Thu. Feb. 15  Pleasant – froze last night.
Fri. Feb. 16  Rainy some – Fence.     road No. 1
Sat. Feb. 17  Snow last night – 1/2 in. – very muddy – 5 cwt.  hay from West.
Sun. Feb. 18  Thawy – signs of snow – Ox sick.
Mon. Feb. 19  Father returned from Genoa – At fence – No. 1 & Lawrence’s
Tue. Feb. 20  2 O’clock our babe was taken with convulsive fits which lasted at intervals all day.
Wed. Feb. 21  Babe no better – no operation of physic or potent injection.
Thu. Feb. 22  Babe no better – failing fast.
Fri. Feb. 23  Lorenzo had very hard fits last night & in A.M. – in whole 81 fits – 4 O’clock – Snow some last night medicine operated,
Sat. Feb. 24  Babe had a restless night – medicine operated well – frequent fits – at a quarter after f in the P.M. he had the 100th fit after which he had no more – at a quarter before 7 his eyes became fixed & at half past 8 resigned his life into the hands of his creator.
Sun. Feb. 25  Funeral of Lorenzo – A numerous assembly.
Mon. Feb. 26  Windy S. thawy – froze hard last n.
Tue. Feb. 27  Pleasant – cloudy – N.W.
Wed. Feb. 28  Rainy most of day.

1821 March to November (still need to transcribe)

1821 – December

Date Entry
 Sat. Dec. 1  Chinked house & chimney – warm.
Sun. Dec. 2  Rainy during night.
Mon. Dec. 3  Cool  Went Indian Village & Dr. Christopher.
Tue. Dec. 4  Pleasant – At chimney.
Wed. Dec. 5  Began school.  Cold.
Thu. Dec. 6  Cold – Husking.
Fri. Dec. 7  Pleasant – cool . . . Reamer.
Sat. Dec 8   ….. for P. L.  1/2 day with team.  2 in. snow.
Sun. Dec. 9  Pleasant, cool.
Mon. Dec. 10  Cool – snow some.  Drew corn.
Tue. Dec. 11  Snow 2 1/2 inches.
Wed. Dec. 12  …… dressed flax 7 I.L.
Thu. Dec. 13  Snow all day – …. Drew log & Terry
Fri. Dec. 14  4 in. Drew logs Nelson’s mill.
Sat. Dec. 15  Good sledding – 2 logs to UN…..
Sun. Dec. 16  Pleasant.  Mr. Sullivan preached.
Mon. Dec. 17  Thaw some.
Tue. Dec. 18  Snow last night – good sledding.
Wed. Dec. 19  Cold.
Thu. Dec. 20  No school at house – pleasant.
Fri. Dec. 21        do.   at house.
Sat. Dec. 22  Went Eden to see my Father who is very sick & but small hopes of his recovery.
Sun. Dec. 23  Raw east wind.
Mon. Dec. 24  Very cold indeed.
Tue. Dec. 25  …………….. Christmas.
Wed. Dec. 26  Pleasant cold.
Thu. Dec. 27       do.    thaw some in sun.
Fri. Dec. 28  Went Eden.  My Father died at 4 A.M. aged 45 years.  9 mo. & 22 days of a Nervous fever.  He died perfectly resigned without a struggle or a sigh.
Sat. Dec. 29  Pleasant.
Sun. Dec. 30  Funeral – Mr. McIntyre preached from the words chosen before by the deceased, “Prepare to meet they God”.  Amos 4 – 12
Mon. Dec. 31  Warm & thawy.

1822 – (still need to transcribe)

1823 – Jan to Aug (still need to transcribe)

1823 – September

Date Entry
 Sat. Sep. 6  Fine rain which was much needed.
Sun. Sep. 7  Catherine taken sick with dysentery.
Thu. Sep. 11  Very sick
Sat. Sep. 13  Catherine died.  Aged 16 months
Mon. Sep. 14  Mo. Southard sick here.
Fri. Sep. 19  Put blister on stomach.  M. Leavenworth preached from Luke 10, 42.

1823 – November & December

Date Entry
 November 12, 1823  8 days sick
December 25  1 absent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By |2022-02-07T02:08:23-05:00February 6, 2022|Comments Off on Journals of Rev. Henry Olcott Sheldon (1817-1845)

About the Author:

Dale has been studying genealogy heavily for over 30 years, since the age of 10. Although he does not seek professional clients, he has helped a family regain property lost during the Holocaust, and has assisted to obtain historical preservation status for a building in San Francisco. He is a co-admin of the ftDNA Sheldon DNA Project. He lived most of his life in California but has recently moved to upstate New York. He works in the travel industry.
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