Sat 1 - [at Goodrich's] Cleaning chambers. Just at night Lib and I went up to see May . Got there just in time to see her breathe her last. A few minutes before 9 o'clock her troubles were ended. Rebecca, Lewis, Lib and Chub watched with her.
Sun 2 - [at home] Came home from Mr. Goodrich at 6 o'clock. Oh, how sleepy. Miles and Nellie came up after Lib but she did not go on account of the funeral.
May was probably Mary Goodrich born at Brunswick 10 January
1843. Her parents were Sylvester and Eliza Ann (Stiles) Goodrich.
Sylvester would be the Mr. Goodrich mentioned above. Sylvester
Goodrich was quite a character. After the railroad made the stage
coach which carried mail to Brunswick unprofitable, he carried mail
to and from Cleveland for some sixteen years, finally retiring at age
80.
The Goodrich's also had a son, George who married Rebecca M. Collyer. The Rebecca who watched with Jane during May's illness was undoubtedly this Rebecca. She was born about 1837 in England and was a good friend of Jane's.
Mon 3 - [at home] Aunt Milly, Mary and Miles came up here in the morning. Mary took the stage for ... In the afternoon we all went to the funeral.
Jane mentions that Mary took the stage. A stage route was established soon after 1820 from Cleveland to Columbus. It was extended in 1842 and stretched from Buffalo, NY to Columbus, Ohio. The route passed right in front of the Daniel Tillotson farm on what is today Route 42. The stage was drawn by four horses and tradition has it that the driver entered Brunswick at top speed with a flourish and crack of the whip. The arrival of the stage was eagerly awaited and its arrival at the post office was the highlight of the day. Jane makes a number of references to the stage line and its use by family members
Tues 4 - [at home] Commenced Ma a bugle collar. In the afternoon went up to Mr. Brown's to see Tim. Bella was there. Came home in the rain. Lewis and ... are here.
Wed 5 - [at home] Washed in the forenoon. In the afternoon Becca [Goodrich] and I went down to Mr. Thompson's to call on our new neighbors. Like them very much.
Thurs 6 - [at home] Baked and ironed this afternoon. Hattie has been here. I am so lonely tonight. Wish Lib would come home.
Fri 7 - [at home] Washing windows. Ma has been to Mr. Bryan's for a visit. I have been up to see Tim. She is home sick. Will not stay long.
Sat 8- [at home] Moping, baking. Mother and Leonard have been down to Uncle Warner's. Father has gone to the Lodge.
Sun 9 - [at home] Tim and I have wrote to Lib. Went down to 4 o'clock meeting. Tim and Dry came home with me.
Here we see that Tim is still working at the Browns. There is
the usual round of visiting of friends.
Jane's mother was Mary C. Thomas.
At this time Jane does not seem to be using the nickname "Put" for her brother, Leonard.
Mon 10 - [at home] Washing, churning. Went over to see Jennie. She came back with me to stay a few days. Rained like fun.
Tues 11 - [at home] Jennie and I have stayed at home all day. She has made a sunbonnet and I have made Leonard a pair of pants.
Wed 12 - [at home] Jennie and I have been down to Uncle Warner's. Did not enjoy the visit very much. Got home at 5 o'clock.
Thurs 13 - [at home] Sewing. Wrote a letter to ... Went up to see Tim just at night. Ma has made soap today. [Sarah ?]... Bennett was here to spend the evening.
Fri 14 - [at home] Doing housework. Frank Wilmot has been here. Just at night Dudley, Cornelia, and children came - brought Lib home.
Sat 15 - [at home] Baking, moping, and Dudley's folks went home right after dinner. Lib and I went over to hear Lottie play on the Dulcimer. Louisa stayed with me.
Sun 16 - [at home] Father and Mother went to church. Tim, Lib and Chub staid at home. Went up to 4 o'clock meeting. House full. Saw Mr. D. Lidler? Tidler?Tilden?
Lib must have been staying with them and they brought her back to Brunswick.
When Father and Mother went to church, it was the Methodist Church at Brunswick Center. (See Going to Church in Brunswick)
Mon 17 - [at home] Cleaning Ma's bedroom. Baked bread. Jus... Orinda has gone today to Mr. Barber's. Pa has been up to Center to mail his first letter to Will.
Tues 18 - [at home] Doing housework. Ma and Leonard have been to Royalton. Lewis has been here all day.
Orinda must be Tim who has gone to work at the Barber's.
Will was Jane's brother, William Thomas Tillotson. Will was born at Brunswick on 28 May 1826. On 26 September 1855 he had married Mary Elizabeth Wool, known as Betsey, in Elsie, Michigan. They had moved to Elsie, Michigan and in 1858 had one child, Marvin Luzurne who would only live to the age of three, dying in 1859. (See Tillotson Genealogy person ?)
A post office had been established at Brunswick in 1820 with Dr. Seth Blood as the first postmaster and the first post office being in his home.
Wed 19 - [at Morton's] Washing in the forenoon. In the afternoon came down to John Morton's. Have been papering. Almost tired to death.
Thurs 20 - [at Morton's] Putting down carpets, washing ceiling and in the evening I went to a dance at Mr. Stephenson's. Just got home. 2 o'clock.
Fri 21 - [at Morton's] Washing windows, making curtains, waiting on company. Deliver me from working out. No more. Good night.
Sat 22 - [at home] Cleaning pantry and sewing some. Mr. Morton came and brought Lib and Chub home. Found Walter sick. I am so sleepy.
John Morton was probably John Wesley Morton, son of Erastus
and Prudence (Butler) Morton who was born in Massachusetts 3
September 1817 and came to Brunswick about 1833. He married Harriet
A. Hall, daughter of Elijah Hall, who had been born in 1824. John
Morton delighted in machinery and would rather build a house or ban
than farm. However, he was still a fairly good farmer. Since I can
find no record of a son named John, I must conclude that in this case
Mr. Morton and John Morton are the same person.
Jane's comment, "Deliver me from working out" is significant, I believe. She appears to be referring to the practice already noted of young men and women spending time at the homes of neighbors to help with the work. In this instance Jane has done a lot of heavy work, much of it associated with spring cleaning. However, working out did not preclude entertainment as her attendance at the dance at Stephenson's shows. In spite of the heavy workload, Jane still stayed out on a Thursday evening until 2am.
Sun 23 - [at home] Attended the funeral of John Root. Found Miles here when I got home. It is now 9 o'clock. Miles has just gone.
Mon 24 - [at ?] ... to John. Ma making Ela a dress. Lib is here to stay with me.
Tues 25 - [at ?] Sewing all day. Lib is here to work. J. D. Stow called a short time. Had a good visit with him.
The Root family was one of the old families of Brunswick.
J. D. Stow was Jonathan D. Stow, a son of Daniel B. Stow discussed earlier. J.D. was a contemporary of Jane's and was born in Brunswick in 1832. He was a batchelor at this time and later, in 1860, he married Georgia N. Root.
For several days both Jane and Lib are "working out" at the same home.
Wed 26 - [at home] Leonard came after Lib and Chub before breakfast to come home to visit with the Nelson cousins. Had 16 to get dinner for.
The Nelson cousins were the families of the children of Jane's
Aunt Polly Tillotson who married John Prichard in 1823 when she was
19. Polly was born in Massachusetts in 1804 and was about 11 years
old when the family moved to Ohio in 1815. Polly apparently either
converted to or was at least sympathetic with the Mormon religion.
Her sister, Elizabeth, had converted early to the religion and she
and her husband had endured the Mormon persecutions and by 1858 were
living in Utah. Polly's oldest daughter, Sarah Ann, who was 32 in
1858 also converted and married a man who later was a Priest of the
[Mormon] Church. Jane never mentions Sarah. She does mention the
other four children born to Polly during her marriage to John
Prichard. John was the son of Benjamin and Ann(Vaughn) Prichard and
was born at Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1798. He died at
Nelson, Ohio in 1838 when Jane was just four years old. Jane knew
better Polly's second husband, Thomas Dutcher, whom Polly married in
1847. They had one daughter who Jane mentions. Thomas Dutcher died in
Nelson in 1850.
Thurs 27 - [at home] Came down to Uncle [Lucius] Warner's with George [Prichard] and wife [Emily]. Called and took Carrie [Tillotson] from school.
Harriet Upton in her History of the Western Reserve comments
on John and Polly Prichard saying, "here [in Nelson] in a log house
on the road now known as the Garrettsville Road they lived a long and
useful life. ... On this same spot still [1910] lives her son, George
Pritchard, and his wife, Emily, and this old home has been one of
cheer, love and hospitality from its founding." (379-80)
There are a number of references which clearly refer to this family in Jane's diary. She apparently had a very close relationship to George and Emily.
Carrie was the 17 year old daughter of Jane's Uncle Zadock Tillotson of Brunswick.
Fri 28 - [at home] Arrived safe to Uncle [Lucius] Warner's at 2 o'clock. Stayed there until after tea. Then Miles [Tillotson] and Chub went up to see Nellie [Butts]. I suppose they enjoyed the visit. It was a long one, that visit.
Sat 29 - [no entry]
Sun 30 - [at home] Mr. Butts, Nellie [Butts] and Chub have been up town to meeting all day. Came back to Uncle [Lucius] Warner's and took tea. Miles [Tillotson] and ... came and brought me home. George and Emily [Prichard] are here.
Mon 31 - [at Morton's] George and Emily [Prichard] started for Cleveland at half past 8 o'clock. Lib and I washed for Mother. At noon Leonard came and brought us down to John Morton's.
Miles and Nellie were probably courting at this time. Jane's
comment that they enjoyed a long visit is an indication. She is
obviously seeing their interest in each other. They got married in
1860 and must have moved away not long after. Miles is mentioned some
22 times in the 1858 diary and Nellie is mentioned often but he is
only mentioned twice in 1861 and she is not mentioned at all. Their
three children were born in Ohio between 1862 and 1867. In the 1860s
they moved to Ovid, Michigan where Miles, in addition to farming,
established a business manufacturing blinds, doors and shashes. On 10
January 1870 he was caught and wound over a shaft in his factory. He
died five days later.
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Last revision: 30 December 1997
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