History of The Robinson Family

HISTORY OF THE ROBINSON FAMILY
Elizabeth Julia Lawes Robinson
November 23, 1931
Digitized by Savannah Robinson

yellowyeayea@gmail.com
History of the Robinson Family
My children have often asked me to write the incidents in my own life as far as I can
remember, so now today I will begin to gratify their wishes as far as possible.
I was born in the town of Gosport or God’s Port, on the 13th of December, 1858. My
parents, Esther and John William Lawes, were Godly people, members of the Congregational
Church of that town. (I should have said that Gosport is across the harbor of Portsmouth,
Hampshire, a great shipping port.) The only thing I can remember is that my Grandmother, on my
mother’s side, was very fond of baked apples. I used to sit beside her and eat them with her. I was
only a little tot when she died, but I can remember the long black box and the shining handles
with which I played. My father’s parents died when he was quite a lad, so Grandmother Lucas
was the only grandparent I ever saw, though I do not remember what she looked like.
My sister, Harriet Amelia, was born in Gosport. After her birth we moved to a place
called Sheerness in Kent. I believe my father’s employer sent him there where he had opened
another business. I remember the little house, but have forgotten the name of the street. Sheerness
was another seaport town – divided into three sections, Blue Town, Mile Town and Marine
Town; the latter was more a residential section. I do not know how long we lived in the little
house, but here my sister Annie Maria was born. I remember we were very happy little children,
but one day I transgressed very badly when mother bought something and I told her I would tell
papa about it. She replied, “Do so, my dear,” but when the time came I had forgotten all about it.
When mother said, “Lilly has something to tell you, my dear,” I hung my head in shame, but I
was made to tell. When papa said, “Well that was all right, my dear,” I don’t think I repeated the
offense.
My mother has told many amusing things of the tricks of my sister Harriet, or Hally as
she was called. I will tell some of them. One day mother had been making jam. After it was done
she stood the preserving pan on the hearth, when Hally undertook to investigate and got her head
in the pot from which it was hard to extricate it. Another time the bread was set to rise and she
stood on her head in the dough. She was jealous of her baby sister so went into the garden one
day and filled her pinafore with stones, brought them in and was throwing them at the baby when
mother caught her just in time. Another time she took the baby’s bonnet and was found filling it
in a mud puddle. I could fill pages with her mischief if I so desired.
My mother herself was full of mischief. One day she missed the peddler’s dog, which
always came with him. Upon inquiring where the animal was, the man replied, “Poor thing, I
believe he has the whooping cough.” Mother had heard of a wonderful remedy which she didn’t
believe in, but she thought she would have a joke. She told the man of the remedy, which was as
follows: to cut some part of hair out of the pole of the child who had the cough, spread it on a
piece of bread and butter and give it to the animal as a sure cure. The man went away delighted,
the next time he came he brought the news that the dog was cured. These are some of the things
my mother told me.
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CHAPTER II
My next recollection is of living in a much larger home in the only business section in
Marine Town, a three story and basement with a store front. This had an English basement,
kitchen, first floor, store and living room; second floor, a large parlor the entire width of the
house, behind which was my mother’s bedroom, and small hall; third floor, another large room
used for the nursery and sleeping quarters and another bedroom as on the floor below. We
children and the “Maid Servants,” as they were then called, slept in the nursery, the other room
was occupied by one or the other of my father’s poor relatives, some of whom were always with
us. There was a large cellar under the whole house which made a splendid playground for us in
wet weather. Across the street, opposite, was a large flower and vegetable garden; on the other
side a terrace of houses, the blocks of which ran out onto the beach. Each end of the terrace
(Neptune) by name, opened onto an esplanade, running for miles along the beach. We crossed the
road from our house, ran up a little slope to the esplanade and down the other side onto the beach,
which was our playground. Mother could see us ant any time from the parlor window, for we
were not allowed to wander away unless accompanied by our nurse.
By this time my father had gone into business for himself, opening a shoe business which
was combined with a Tailor and Naval Contractor’s business; the latter he carried on until the day
of his death. Soon after opening business, scarlet fever entered our home. My cousin, who had
come to visit us from London, fell sick with it a day or two after her arrival. We three girls were
taken with it and also mother’s little maid. During that time no one entered the store and no one
would come to render my poor mother any assistance at all. My mother told me I was so ill they
despaired of my life, but after a time I rallied and was able to run around again, though I was not
very strong for a long while.
The first school I remember attending was a private school kept by Miss Butler, a friend
of mother’s. I remember the schoolroom was a large room with rows of hard benches arranged in
front of the teacher’s desk, upon which the older and larger girls sat, and on smaller benches,
arranged at the end of the larger ones, the smaller ones sat. From nine to twelve and from two to
four we occupied these seats, with no recess. If we were unruly or talked during the lesson hours,
we were kept in after school or banished to the hall. When there, the mother of the governess
sometimes took us into the kitchen and fed us with bread and jam. I think sometimes we were
naughty on purpose.
One day my sister Hally was banished to the hall. Very soon the whole school began to
laugh. We were questioned, but would not tell why. My sister had taken off her shoes and
stockings and was poking her toes under the door, which, of course, caused the laughter.
While we were attending this school, my sister Annie, who was then only a little girl, got
a box of my father’s lozenges that he was taking for his cough and ate almost the entire contents.
I found her hiding under the bed. My mother was engaged in the store at the time I told her what
had happened. She, thinking there were only a few lozenges in the box, wasn’t very troubled. She
told me to wash her hands and face and take her on to school, which I did. After mother had
finished with her customer, she began to think about Annie and became so uneasy that she came
up to the school and found Annie had become very sleepy; so much so that the governess had
taken her into the kitchen and left her to sleep on the floor with her head on a pillow. They went
to investigate and found her very ill. Mother hastened home with her, and called the doctor who
worked over her continuously to prevent her from sleeping, as there was very powerful poison in
the lozenges and she had taken so many. At ten o’clock the doctor gave her up. My mother,
thinking that rubbing her little body might help, began to do so. Very soon she began to show
some sign of life and began to get better. Though she was ill for a long time, she finally
recovered.
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Soon after that my little brother, the only one then, the pet of the home and
neighborhood, a beautiful boy with light flaxen hair and jet black eyes, was taken ill and died of
pneumonia. His name was John William but he was always called Willie. This was my first grief
for I loved my little brother dearly. The first night, after we were supposed to have gone to bed, I
could not sleep, so crept down into the basement kitchen. Here my mother found me sitting
before the fire feeling forlorn and forsaken, and grieving all by myself. Mother was heartbroken.
Just about this time another little brother came to gladden the house, Frederick Ernest, by name.
This helped to soften the grief that had just before come into our home.
CHAPTER III
Our governess, Miss Butler, was soon to be married, so the school was closed and we
were sent to the school of another friend of my mother’s, a Scotch lady, Mrs. Wallis, by name. It
was a more advanced school than the previous one. Mrs. Wallis was a lady of moods; some days
she was very sweet; other days she was horrid, for she had a rather bad temper which she
sometimes expended on her pupils. This school was located on Neptune Terrace, before
mentioned, just across from our home, so we did not have quite as far to go to school. Our school
days were fairly happy ones here, but several times I got into disgrace with my governess. I might
mention one or two of my misdemeanors.
My father had given me a round wooden ruler to use in school. We had a little lame girl
with us named Nellie Wheeler. She was more or less a pet with us. One day Mrs. Wallis lost her
temper and struck Nellie with my ruler. In some way we expressed our indignation and were all
kept in after school hours as punishment. On another occasion she struck my sister Annie. Of
course when I went home I told mother about it. She was angry and told me if it ever occurred
again to say to Mrs. Wallis if any of her children needed punishing she would do it herself; she
did not allow anyone to strike her children. It was not long after when the thing happened again. I
was nothing loath, of course, and perhaps a little triumphant to deliver my message. She was very
angry, kept me in and said she would call upon mother to see if I had told the truth. Being late
home, mother asked why I had been kept in. I explained and told her Mrs. Wallis was coming to
see her and of course she did. I was called into her presence and made to repeat the message I had
delivered. Mother said, “That is just the message I sent, and I hope you will not strike any of my
children again.”
Before going to this school we had been taking music lessons from a Mr. Tyler. We had
not progressed very rapidly under his teaching. Mrs. Wallis had a sister who taught music, so we
were transferred to her. She taught us while we remained in that school. I do not quite remember
why this school closed, but I think it was occasioned by a death in the family and removal from
Sheerness. After this we were sent to a larger, better graded, but still a private school. I might say
here that at that time there were no public schools with the exception of the Parish School run by
the Church of England. These schools were for the poorer class of children; there was no free
education then. We were next sent to a school kept by Mrs. Haydon and her husband. Mr.
Haydon taught the boys in the upper story of the house and Mrs. Haydon the girls on the floor
below. This school was divided into three grades, the highest grade being taught by Mrs. Haydon
and each of the others by pupil teachers, Miss Beachly and Miss Herriker. Mrs. Haydon was
rather strict and very particular about our behavior. Here we had evening classes for French and
drawing. This was not included in the price of English tuition. Each of the other accomplishments
and music we had to pay extra for. I do not rightly remember how much father paid for these
different things, but I know that a good part of the payment was taken out in goods in exchange
for our education. We were quite happy in this school. Of course we played many pranks, some
of them not permissible. One thing in particular; there was one little girl in the school who would
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not join in our pranks if she felt it to be wrong. Her name was Alice Wickham. Of course we
thought her prudish, but still we honored her for her bravery. When tempted to do something
wrong, her example has often influenced me to do right. After a time the school was broken up
through Mr. Hayden’s drinking habits, and Mr. & Mrs. Hayden moved from the town.
The lady who had been teaching us music now opened a school to which we were sent.
She was a fine Christian lady, by name, Miss Raynor. We all loved her and if we did anything to
make her sorry, we were very much ashamed because she felt so sorry about it. Her sister
Charlotte assisted her. I was one of the oldest scholars. I did not attend this school very long, for
reasons which I shall tell in another chapter. This ended my school days. I was then about fifteen
years of age.
CHAPTER IV
I must now speak of my father, whom I dearly loved. My mother told me that when he
became a Christian, he gave up smoking, and burned in a bonfire all the books he didn’t think a
Christian should read. He lived Christ in his home, in his business life and wherever he went, and
did all he could in his Master’s service. He started a Mission School (or Ragged School, as they
were then called) in one of the lowest parts of Blue Town, gathering in the poor and neglected
boys and girls. The school was undenominational, so he sent to different churches for teachers to
help in the work. They did not support him very well. I used to go with him when I was about
fourteen, and sometimes we were the only ones there. My father would gather the boys about him
and I the girls. I had been taught the Bible stories by my mother, so in this way I was able to
interest the children, when only a child myself. The boys were often unruly and sometimes a fight
ensued among them, but they all loved my father and if one of them attempted to hurt him it
wasn’t well for that one.
My mother had opened a similar school in Mile Town which she conducted and carried
on. She had more help than my father had, but the boys were just as hard and unruly. My mother
was a great worker among the poor. Many of these boys, as they grew up into life, became
Christians and often wrote letters to father and mother thanking them for what they had taught
them and done for them.
In my father’s business relations he carried out the same Christian principles, always paid
a fair wage to his work people and never failed to get workers when he needed them. He was a
Naval Contractor and fitted out many of the big vessels of the English Navy with clothes for the
men. The other tradesmen competing would offer a lower wage than father and were angry with
him because he would not do the same, but father’s rule was good clothes at a fair price and fair
wages for his men. Father fitted out the first vessels sent from England to discover the North
Pole. They were named Alert and Discovery. At this time we were living in Portsmouth. After the
return of the vessels father received a certificate from the Government for the good work he had
done. He fitted out the Great Eastern Steamship that laid the first Atlantic Cable. He obtained the
contract for the Boy’s Naval School in Greenwich. While he had this contract my sisters and I
earned our first money by hemming towels for the school. We were allowed to do sewing in
school, so we took the towels there, many of the girls helping us. Father paid us just the same as
he would have paid his work people, according to how many we did. Then one day he took me to
London with him where I was to select a work box for each of us. That was a proud day for me. I
still have my work box and am now nearly 70 years old.
Father was very particular about the books we read and the places to which we went.
Usually on a holiday he took us out into the country with some of our friends, away from
everything he thought was not fit for us to hear or see. On holidays my parents usually hired a
large carryall (or a large open van) and we were allowed to invite our friends, as many as the van
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would hold besides ourselves, my parents going with us for a day’s outing into the country. We
took provisions with us and stopped at some farm house or other, where they would make tea and
let us have milk, etc. and the use of a room or lawn, where we picnicked. On these occasions my
father would often wander off alone, but we could always trace him by the religious tracts he
strewed along the wayside. His Bible always went with him. I have one in my possession not that
he took from his pocket and gave me the day I left my childhood home for one of my own.
CHAPTER V
When I was about fifteen I was obliged to leave school on account of my father’s failing
in business. He had lost quite a little money by ships going to sea in his debt, so of course he
could not meet his expenses. Prior to this he had kept about a hundred or more people working
for him. Mother worked very hard in the business, cutting out garments, sorting them out, giving
them out to the people to make, and entering their names in the ledger and what work they had
received. Saturday night was always pay night. On Saturday morning it was always my duty to go
to the bank and draw money to pay the people. I had to go over a rather lonely place, across two
moats spanned by bridges connecting Blue Town to Mile Town. At each end of these bridges
were great iron gates which were kept rolled back. Their object was to close the bridges from
invaders if necessary. I was always very fearful of those gates when I was taking the money home
from the bank because I thought someone might know where I had been and hide behind those
gates and take the money from me, so I always ran very speedily until I had passed them and
always reached home safely. I used to help in paying the work people, entering in the ledger the
items as mother paid them. This was generally when father had a busy contract on with very little
time to get it through. Of course, if his goods were not ready at the appointed time the ship would
sail without them and he would lose his money; hence the bankruptcy. On account of this we had
to leave school. My mother had kept two maids, but now had to do without any, so we girls had
to help do the work of the house.
Soon after this the shipping business moved to the Portsmouth Harbor, father thinking a
better opportunity opened for him, so we left our childhood home and friends for a new home in
Portsmouth, much to our sorrow.
I have not yet said anything about our religious life, so I will do so now. I do not
remember when I first went to Sunday School, but I know we must have begun quite young. We
used to attend the Congregational Church and Sunday School. It was one of, if not the richest
church in Sheerness, but it soon became to be known as “The Temple of Fashion,” so much so
that my parents vegan to feel that it was not quite the place for us, so we left the Church and
Sunday School when I was about eleven or twelve years old. We had an aunt living with us then,
my mother’s sister, Aunt Julia, who was a Baptist and attended a small Baptist interest which had
not been long started. We had often gone to the services with her and loved her Pastor, Mr.
Hadley, so we were enrolled in the Sunday School then, and attended the Church Services. Here
we had good Christian teaching. In those days we had Sunday School in the morning before
service and then again in the afternoon. It soon became my duty to care for the little tots, tell them
some Bible story and keep them quiet during the Church service. In the afternoon I was in the
Bible Class, taught by a fine Scotchman, Ramsay, by name. He became very fond of me and I of
him. He and his wife often came home to tea with us on Sunday. Up to this time I had made no
confession of faith in Jesus Christ. I had always loved Him, but had never definitely accepted
Him as my own personal Saviour, though I had been under conviction for some time. We had in
connection with this Church a little mission Station at a place called the “Half Way House.” It
was the duty of one or other of the officers to officiate there according to their turns. One
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beautiful spring Sunday morning, Mr. Ramsay asked me to accompany him thither, and with the
consent of my parents, I went.
CHAPTER VI
I shall never forget that Sunday morning. The sun was shining brightly, the birds singing
sweetly, the little lambs skipping about the meadows, and all the world seemed to be filled with
joy. As we walked and talked my teacher put the definite question to mea bout my decision for
Christ and, as I answered him, I had the full assurance of sins forgiven and a great joy filled my
heart, and I was so glad and happy to know that Jesus was mine. I gave myself wholly and
entirely to Him for time and for eternity. In the afternoon Mr. Ramsay came home to tea with us
and my parents were told the good news. Soon after this I was baptized with my mother, and we
both united with the Church. My mother had been a Christian from her girlhood, but had only
then been convinced that baptism was right, so we were baptized together.
Mr. Hadley, our Pastor and friend, whom we loved very much, could not always
remember the names of we three girls, so he more often called us No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3. We
were always delighted when he came to the house. We sometimes hid his hat away so as to make
him stay longer. He had a dear old mother of whom he was very tender and we all loved her. He
was not married at this time.
Soon after I united with the Church, we left Sheerness and took up our abode at Queen
Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire. I have forgotten the number. This made quite a change in our
loves, and things were hard for us until father’s business was reestablished. I was then in my
fifteenth year. We united with the Kent Street Baptist Church and were soon engaged in Sunday
School work there. Our Sundays were spent in School and Church – Morning Sunday School
from 9:30 to 10:30; Church Service 10:45 until 12:00 o’clock; Sunday School again 2:30 until
4:00 o’clock; then a tract district, where we went from house to house leaving a tract at each
home, exchanging them the next Sunday and leaving others, two of us visiting about 100 houses;
then home to tea, spending the time between that and the evening in singing hymns and repeating
the verses of Scripture alphabetically. Mother, father and I had classes in the Ragged (Mission)
School, which closed at 8 o’clock, when we went over to Church for the prayer-meeting at the
close of the evening service. We were happy and never felt we had done too much.
We soon made friends and began to feel at home again. Rev. Wm. Page was our Pastor. I
did not like his preaching at first because he read his sermons and we hadn’t been used to that.
They seemed half-hearted to us, but we liked him as a man. About this time Moody and Sankey
paid their first visit to England and quite a number from our Church went to London to hear them.
After our Pastor heard them he was a different man in every way. No more read sermons, but he
preached from his heart, held revival services in the Church and Noonday Meetings in a hall. It
was my privilege to be one of a number of young people to form a choir for their special
meetings. No one but Christians were allowed to sing in this choir. Quite a number were
converted as a result of these meetings.
Once a year it was customary to hold an anniversary tea in celebration of the founding of
the Church. The young people, (a few of them) got together to decorate the schoolrooms for the
occasion. Here I met a young man by the name of Mr. Robinson who was a great help to us. Here
an acquaintance was begun which was to end in a life long friendship. At the time of the
meetings, to which I have referred, he was converted. He went home that night and gave himself
to Jesus Christ and then acknowledged Him in baptism. Soon after this he believed he had a call
to the Ministry and gave up his employment on the newspaper and went to College for three
years. The friendship began at the Sunday School decorations, resulted in our engagement to each
other.
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CHAPTER VII
Now I must say something more about my dear father, who was not in very robust health.
He was a great sufferer from asthma which was very trying to him and afflicted him so that it was
very hard for him to keep awake, especially when he was sitting quiet. I have even seen him go to
sleep while standing in Church during the singing, and drop his book. It used to distress him so
because he felt he annoyed everyone sitting near us. Finally he decided it did him no good to go
to Church, so he used to go into the poor districts around the Church and read and pray with the
poor and sick. He said he could accomplish more good in that way. In the evening mother, father
and I taught classes in the Sunday Ragged (or Mission) School. Father was always happy in
working with the poor. Sometimes he held open air meetings in the slums, we young people
going with him to sing. A rather amusing incident occurred in connection with this work, as
follows. When the weather began to get too cold for open air services, father and Mr. Robinson
began to look for a room suitable for holding services in this district. They found a room which
they thought would do and went to examine it, but they were so beset by fleas that they had to
abandon it. They came over to the Church prayer meeting and brought some of the fleas with
them and were up a great part of the night hunting them. I think the project of the Mission hall
was abandoned.
Mr. Robinson had by this time begun to pay attention to me and came to see my father.
He was wise, for in order to ingratiate himself he gave father an order for a suit of clothes. This
gave my father an opportunity to visit the Robinson home and find out what kind of people they
were. Father’s report to mother was satisfactory and, after questioning me on the subject, they
consented to our engagement in the spring of 1875. Among our friends in Church were a young
couple, Will Spencer and Lilie Norris, by name. We were very chummy and had many pleasant
times together, in the Church affairs and in our parents’ home. In the fall of the year, Will
Spencer entered Gratten Guinness College to study for the ministry, and Sutcliffe Robinson went
to Regents Park College, London, for the same purpose, leaving two disconsolate maidens to
comfort one another. Sutcliff, (or Tutt) as his people called him, was in College only a short time
when he was taken very ill with typhus fever and his life was despaired of. Those were very
anxious and trying days for us and, when he was able to be brought home, my father, who met
them at the depot, told my mother that he thought he had come home to die, but the Lord was
good and heard our prayers and raised him up again. It was not until after Easter, the following
year, that he was able to take up his studies again.
When we moved to our new home at Portsmouth, as we kept no help in the home, the
work was divided between my sisters and me. Mother was usually occupied in the business with
father. My duties were to care for my three little brothers, get them off to school, mend all the
stockings for the family, attend to the bedrooms and help generally. My sister Harriet, (or Hallie)
so she was usually called, did the cooking and kitchen work. Annie, my youngest sister, did the
lighter things when home from school. In order to secure a little money, I started a kindergarten
school which I held in our dining room; but, as I had no real equipment, I did not keep it up for
long. When father had a contract to fill for some ship we made the white cap covers for the
sailors’ caps. This was a help to him and gave us girls a little pocket money. Father had quite a
hard struggle to maintain his business. Very often, for lack of money, I had to go and borrow
money for him so that he could pay his work people. Often the men on the ships would go away
owing him money, which embarrassed him greatly; or, if he fell behind in executing his contract
because of the carelessness of his work people, he would have to wait for the ships to return, and
often didn’t get his money at all.
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I tried to do all I could to cheer and help my parents. I could sing quite nicely and went
about my work singing such hymns as, “The Lord Will Provide” and many others that reminded
them of their Christian faith and our Heavenly Father’s care of them in which they had a firm
belief. I remember especially one Saturday night when father had paid his work people and he
hadn’t a cent with which to buy our Sunday dinner. He kept the shop open an hour later hoping
someone would come in and buy something, but no one came until, just as he was putting up the
last shutter, a man came in and bought a pair of suspenders. Mother sent out and bought enough
beef and kidney to make a beef steak pudding and so our need was provided for. Their faith had
been tried, but the Lord had not failed to honor it. There have been many such instances in my
own married life, which I will mention later
CHAPTER VII
By this time my fiancé’s term at College had nearly expired. While there he had met a young man
from the Island of Jamaica, West Indies, the son of a Missionary, who used his influence with Mr.
Robinson to persuade him to go to the Mission Field, so he made application to the London
Missionary Society to be sent to Jamaica. He wanted to go on the same steamer with Edward
Jesse Jewett. In order to do this he would have had to leave College a month or two before he
completed his term. Dr. Angus, the President of the College, was rather opposed to this and to his
going to the Mission Field. One day the quiet of our home was disturbed by a telegram which
said, “I have been accepted by the Missionary Society. Am on my way to engage births on such
and such a steamer.” My father immediately telegraphed, “Do nothing until you hear from me.”
My mother was very much upset for I was not expecting to be married so soon and had made no
preparation for such an important event. Of course we had known of my lover’s intention and I
had received my parents’ consent to go to Jamaica at the proper time. He was always very
impulsive and did not stop to consider how much had to be arranged and done. As far as I can
remember, this was the beginning of the year, 1878. When he took time to think it all out he saw
the impossibility of such hasty proceedings. I passed my nineteenth birthday December 13, 1977.
My parents thought I was too young to marry, but, as my husband to be was going so far away,
they thought it best for us to go together, so the date was set for the wedding to be in March.
A busy time ensued in making my outfit, for it was not so easy to buy ready made
clothing then as now and mother was anxious that I should have a good supply and things suitable
for the warm climate to which we were going. While a tinge of sadness at the thought of the
separation to come. In those days they did not prepare the missionaries as now, so we did not
know how new and strange everything would be for us. I suppose there was a good deal of
romance concerning it, for the things in my mind were very different from the things I found
there. My minister’s wife tried very hard to persuade me not to go. She did not like Mr. Robinson
and tried to use her influence with my parents and myself against him. She was told if I did not go
with him my parents would never consent to my going out along and getting married over there.
That silenced her.
My wedding day was set for March 20, 1878 for we were to sail on the next outgoing
steamer for Jamaica, West Indies. My parents gave me a very nice wedding. I am sure it was far
better that they were able to afford. It was customary in England at that time for all weddings to
be performed before twelve o’clock in the day, with the exception of the Royal Family or other
dignitaries, so at eleven o’clock on Wednesday morning, March 20th, the ceremony took place.
My wedding dress was of very light grey, almost white, a princess robe with a long train
with little tabs all around finished off with a button to match. My bonnet, (which were then
worn), was white rice straw trimmed with white plush velvet and lilies of the valley; my veil over
it, all white tulle; my bouquet, lilies of the valley and some little bell like flowers, the name of
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which I have forgotten. The bridesmaids were my two sisters and my husband’s sister, Alice
Robinson. My dear father gave me away. My brothers, three, the eldest about eleven years old,
were very pleased with their lavender ties and white gloves. They were allowed to go to the
Church, riding with the coachmen, of which there were three. My mother did not go to the
Church, but was busy superintending the wedding breakfast which was to take place upon our
return from Church.
We were married by our Pastor, the Rev. William Ganders, in the Kent Street Baptist
Church, Portsmouth, England. The wedding guests were my own family, Mr. & Mrs. Robinson,
my husband’s father and mother, his sister Alice, Mr. & Mrs. Genders, Miss Annie Boyce, our
organist, Mr. Alfred Owen and Mr. Jabez Warn, Superintendents of the Sunday School. We all
greatly enjoyed the repast, most of which had been cooked by my sister Hallie and mother.
The morning of the day, my father came into my room and presented me with a lovely
little gold watch, the first I had ever owned. I was too overcome to say anything. My sister Hally
said, “Well you don’t seem very pleased to get it,” but father understood.
About three o’clock we left on our honeymoon, going to Winchester, where my Aunt
Amelia, Uncle and Cousin resided, and where we stayed for a week. My husband had a preaching
engagement down in Wales the following Sunday, so I remained with my relatives while he went.
He returned on Monday. There were many things to be done in a short time for we were
scheduled to sail on the 17th of April. During that interval we had to go to London for the
ordination services, make a call on our former Pastor, the Rev. William Page, attend the wedding
of our friends, Lilly Norris and Rev. William C. Spencer, whom I have preciously mentioned, and
return to my old home and make final preparations. The teachers and officers of the Sunday
School and Ragged School (otherwise, Mission School) invited us to a farewell tea give in our
honor, and presented us with a silver plated tea and coffee service. It was very kind of them, but
very upsetting to us. This was a sad farewell.
I shall never forget our last night in the old dear home. Even now as I write of it my eyes
are filled with tears. In the afternoon of that day, we had taken tea and bidden farewell to my
husband’s family and to the dear old bedridden grandmother whom I loved. She had fallen over
the door mat and had broken her hip. She lived about a year after. At an early hour we returned to
my home and had supper, the late English meal. Then came family worship. My father read the
Bible with faltering voice and we all knelt in prayer and in a few minutes nothing but sobs were
heard, but the dear Heavenly Father understood and gave the blessing my earthly father craved
for his child.
The next morning at an early hour we left home for Southampton, my mother and father
accompanying us. Before starting I bade good-bye to my sisters Hally and Annie and my three
little brothers, Will, Ernest, and Herbert, the latter too young to understand that I was going away
from that home forever. When we arrived at Southampton we went to the home of my friends,
Mr. and Mrs. Bothwell. He had known me from a little girl and I had often sat on his knee. Mrs.
Bothwell had been my Sunday School teacher before her marriage. They went with us aboard the
Steamer Tasmania, one of the Royal Mail packet boats. The Missionary Society had provided the
first cabin in the ship for us. They were sending us out at their expense, but had given us to
understand that if we ever wanted to leave the Island of Jamaica, we should have to do so at our
expense. Missionaries were not trained and taken care of in those days as they are now. All too
soon the cry of “All Aboard” came and the last farewells. Before leaving, my father placed in my
hand his own Bible that went everywhere with him. (I still treasure it.) The gong sounded and the
tender pulled away from the ship. Last farewells were waved through blinding tears and we had
gone from home and loved ones. Mother told me some years after that father said to her, “That is
the last I shall see of that child,” and it was, as he passed away five years afterward.
10
CHAPTER IX
I cannot tell you what our feelings were when we drifted out to sea, leaving home and
loved ones and our native land; perhaps never to see them again. We watched as long as we could
see them and then retired to our cabin to compose ourselves and get used to our surroundings. We
prepared for supper and found our place in the dining salon. We were placed at the table with the
Purser of the ship, a judge, and a Military Colonel and his wife, people quite different to those
with whom we were accustomed to meet and not very congenial, but we had to make the best of
it. During the night, we ran into a great storm, while crossing the English Channel, which lasted
for three days, and of course nearly everyone was seasick. The storm was very severe, everything
rolling about the cabins. One had a difficulty to keep in his bunk. One night one of the great
chandeliers filled with glass crashed down in the dining salon. This was very terrifying, but we
knew that many prayers were going up for us in the homeland and felt sure our Heavenly Father
would bring us safely through to our journey’s end. We were both very seasick and felt very
forlorn. Only those who have suffered with this malady can know how very forlorn that was.
In a cabin across from ours were a lady and gentleman and a younger lady who were not
troubled with the malady so much. One morning our cabin door flew open with the rolling of the
ship and they saw how distressed we were and came to our aid. They said the best thing for us to
do was to get on deck as soon as we could. (The storm had abated, but the sea was still rough.) I
was too ill to attempt it, but the gentleman piloted my husband up on deck where he remained for
a while, but was soon glad to get back to his birth. The next day our friend insisted on taking me,
but the sight of the waves rolling by the vessel was too much and I had to retire in a hurry. I
forgot to mention the name of these people. It was Mr. and Mrs. Bowery. He was the chief
chemist of the Island of Jamaica, just returning from a visit to the home land. The young lady in
their company was a Miss Wharton, who was going out to marry a Methodist Minister by the
name of Mount. Our friendship began in this way and continued while we were in Jamaica.
The first Sunday on shipboard we were all feeling pretty blue and homesick, not having
fully recovered from our seasickness. We were all in out little private salon, sitting around a table,
upon which our heads were resting, when suddenly we heard sounds of music. As we listened the
strains of that old familiar hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation” came to us. Soon we were all
humming the tune. We found the music was played by the ship’s doctor who had a harmonium in
his cabin. The next Sunday we were all there with him singing hymns. To this day, whenever that
hymn is sung, my thoughts fly back to the cabin on the ship on the mighty ocean and the comfort
it brought us.
After the stormy part of our voyage, we came into the trade wind area and enjoyed the
beautiful little flying fish, many of which in their flight dropped upon the deck. They can only fly
until their wings are dry; then they drop. We had flying fish for breakfast which were very
enjoyable. Our little party kept together and were very congenial. There were quite a few military
people on board going to their different stations. There were a Judge Ernst and his son, a Colonel
and his wife, and another officer, whose names I have forgotten. The Colonel was very attentive
to a young married woman, whose husband’s time was taken up with card playing, etc. They
were the most noticed couple on board and caused a lot of fun among the passengers.
Our first stopping place was at Barbados. As soon as the ship anchored it was surrounded
by many boats manned by the natives, eager to take people ashore. Their gleaming white teeth
and shining eyes and broad grins as they called the name of their boast and asked for our
patronage was most interesting. As we stood watching them one of the boatmen kept on calling to
my husband, “Don’t forget the Lilly, Sir”. You will know why this was amusing to us, as this was
the name by which my parents called me. Although we did not go ashore, we found plenty to
amuse us in the antics of the natives who kept requesting, “Chuck us down a copper, Sir.” When
11
done, they would dive down after the “copper” and bring it to the surface. They would dive down
under the ship and come up on the other side. It was all very strange to us.
Our next stopping place was the Island of St. Thomas and, as I remember, a very pretty
place. I don’t remember anything of interest that transpired there. Next we stopped at Jackmel
where it took nearly all day to coal the vessel. There was no anchorage here, so we rode on a
ground swell all the time we were there. It was very unpleasant and brought to me a slight return
of seasickness. I was reclining on a steamer chair on deck when Colonel Hackett’s wife stepped
up to me and, in her haughty way, said, “What is the matter with you? I hope the ship isn’t going
into quarantine when we are so near our journey’s end.” I replied, “Don’t be alarmed, Madam, it
is only a slight return of seasickness caused by the ground swell.” Satisfied, she went her selfish
way.
On Sunday morning, May 6, 1878, we arrived at Jamaica and here our pleasant party
broke up and we went our different ways after a very pleasant voyage.
Our first sight of Jamaica was a coal wharf swarming with natives coaling a vessel; both
men and women were employed in this work. Our thoughts were soon turned to other things as
we watched the meeting of friends and wondered who would meet us. Presently a nice looking,
white haired gentleman, stepped up and introduced himself as Mr. East, the President of Calaber
College. After exchanging greetings, he left us while he went to see to the passing of our goods
through the customs. Then we were soon on our way to Calaber College, where we were
graciously received by Mrs. East. Here we were to stay until the following day. Now we are in
the beautiful Island of Jamaica where we have much to learn for everything is very strange to us.
CHAPTER X
We found our host and hostess very pleasant people. After resting a while we went to our
first Church service in Jamaica. Such a sea of black faces I’ve never seen. They were very
attentive to the service. It was a picturesque sight to see them in their different colored bandanas
and clear print dresses. After the services many of them came to shake hands with the new
Missionary and the Missus. In the afternoon of that day we met, for the first time, the Rev. A. G.
Kirkham, the Pastor of the Mt. Angus Church, and vicinity which was the nearest to the Mission
Station we were to occupy. The Mission premises at Port Maria, (our destination) were not
situated in a very healthy spot, so it was thought advisable to try to rent a place in the hills called
Barriffe Hall. Mr. Kirkham took my husband away with him, leaving me with the Easts. I did not
like him to go very much for I certainly felt very lonely when he had gone. Mrs. East did
everything she could to entertain me, and instructed me in the ways of the people and prepared
me for the difficulties we had to meet. She told me of a Missionary who had recently come to the
Island, but who would not stay because he would not shake hands with the people, and they were
very obnoxious to him. His name was Hollyoak. She said, “I hope you are not going to be like
him.” His name became a byword and the question, “Are you going to Hollyoak?” was often
heard.
When it came to retiring I certainly was lonely. I was placed in a large room surrounded
by comfort and care, but I felt lost, and no matter how scared I became, I had to stay there for I
didn’t know where to find anyone. I did not sleep very well that night for the strangeness of my
surroundings, the incessant singing of the insects and the ceaseless barking of the dogs. It seemed
as though all the dogs in Kingston were abroad that night. My room opened onto a large piazza.
In the morning, as soon as I had made my toilet, I went thither, when the first thing I saw was a
large animal in the tree outside and, as I looked, it seemed to come nearer and nearer all the time,
emitting what appeared to be a flame of fire from his throat. Knowing it couldn’t reach me, I
continued to watch it until it went out of sight. I then tried to finish the letter I had been writing
12
each day for the homeland. I was anxious for it to go by the return mail, for I knew how eagerly
they would all be waiting for news of our safe arrival.
About nine o’clock Mrs. East came and took me down to breakfast. She did her best to make me
feel at home during the morning, telling me of the customs, showing me how to fix the odd
lamps, etc. and preparing me for some of the many things I had to meet. My husband and Mr.
Kirkham did not get back from their quest until about noon. There was a short railroad train from
Kingston to Spanish Town, scheduled to leave at a certain time, but it never started until the cars
were filled, hence their delay in returning. Mr. East went to the customs with my husband to get
our trunks passed and to see to shipping them to our station at Port Maria in St. Mary’s Parish.
Then we had to hire a horse and buggy to take us there with what baggage it was necessary for us
to have until our trunks arrived. When everything was arranged for our start, early the next
morning, we spent a quiet evening with our kind and new found friends, retiring early so as to be
fit for our untried journey on the morrow. The animal to which I have referred was a lizard. The
apparent flame came from his lungs this was only one of the many strange things we were to get
acquainted with.
The next morning at an early hour we bade farewell to our kind friends and proceeded on
our journey in a hired horse and buggy to our final destination. The scenery was very beautiful
and somewhat thrilling, for the road which we traveled was very narrow, the Blue Mountains on
one side and on the other a deep gorge and river bed. The road was so narrow that two buggies
could not pass, so if you met one going in the opposite direction, it had to be lifted over the other
one and the horses led around. Fortunately, we did not have to go through that experience. About
half way on our journey we came to Castleton Gardens, the beautiful Botanical Gardens of
Jamaica, where we visited for a while and enjoyed the beauty of the tropical trees and flowers.
Continuing on our journey, we encountered a tropical thunder storm. The rain poured down the
mountains in torrents, dashing across the road into the river bed many feet below. We had to
shelter close against the rocky side of the mountains and wait until the storm ceased. Then we
traveled on and soon came to the entrance to Annotta Bay. My! What a change in the scenery.
The road was flat and lined on each side by the little mud huts, thatched with the palm leaves,
(such as fans are made of when dried), and where the smell of cod fish was very unpleasant. The
natives live a good deal on such food. Their homes, or huts, were built along a Bayou, which is
always very unhealthy.
On arriving at the Mission House in Annotta Bay, we were met by the Rev. William Teal,
who received us very cordially. We were soon introduced to his wife and family. They were very
interesting and did all they could to make us feel at home. It was terribly hot in the Bay, so after
we had dined and taken a rest, we were taken to a lovely little home in the mountains, their
retreat, where we spent the night. After breakfast the next morning, Mr. Teal took us to Port
Maria, our Mission Station. There were many interesting sights as we journeyed, the natives in
their huts coming out to say, “How’dye” to the good Minister, as we passed along, the little naked
children playing around the place they called home, bobbing to us as we passed along. I think the
distance from Annotta Bay to Port Maria was about 12 or 14 miles. This was traveled in a buggy
or on horseback, the only means of travel then on the Island.
CHAPTER XI
In leaving Annotta Bay, we had to ford a broad river which, in the rainy season, becomes
very dangerous. Unless one knows the fording, it is dangerous at any time. We found there were
no bridges over the rivers in those days. It was rather exciting and we were glad when we reached
the other side. We arrived at the Mission House at Port Maria at about noon, where we found a
number of the people assembled to meet us, the new Minister and Mistress. After greetings were
13
exchanged, we entered the Church and held a short service, after which we entered the Mission
House which was to be our home for a while. A very black and rather dirty looking woman had
prepared a repast for us. We were a little fearful about eating it, but we did, asking no questions
for conscience sake. After dinner our kind friend left us and we were alone with many difficult
problems to meet and solve. I will just add here that Missionaries were not trained for service
then as they are now, so with no one to advise us, we had to do our vest, asking God to guide us.
The Mission House was a long rambling building with two bedrooms, a living room and piazza
stretching the length of the house. Downstairs were spaced where meetings were held, such as
class and Deacons’ meetings, and some outbuildings where cooking was done, and the servants’
quarters. There were no locks to the doors so that, anytime, anyone could enter if so inclined.
Each bedroom was furnished with a large four-poster bedstead, the living room with a few chairs
and table, which, if I remember rightly, was all the furniture there was. The house was full of rats
and it overlooked a swamp in which malaria lurked, so that it was not advisable for us to live
there any longer than we could help. At night the land crabs would come out of their holes and
the Negroes would take lighted torches and hunt them. They were edible and about the size of the
American crab. At certain seasons of the year the crabs migrate to the mountains. No obstruction
stops them, for they climb over the houses and sometimes visited us inside.
We were quite at a loss to know how to provide our food, or where to buy it, when a
colored lady who was a member of the Church and who served in one of the stores, sent a
message telling me what to do. I learned there was a market twice a week on a large piece of
ground opposite the Mission House. Saturday, especially, was the great market day. It was a most
interesting sight to see the people in their many colored bandanas, their clean cotton dresses of
many hues, their bare feet, and immense bowls or bundles, carried on their heads, coming into the
market to sell their wares. The women carried the heavy loads and the men rode their donkeys or
small ponies, as the case might be. Of course they had to come into the house and inspect the new
Mistress and say, “How’dye”, (their term of greeting). They brought little gifts of produce and
fruit. Everything edible was different to that we were accustomed to. The most lovely pineapple I
ever ate was a very large sugar loaf one, so mellow and ripe that when cut, the juice flowed out of
it copiously. It was nothing like those we buy here. You could buy a whole pole of bananas for
sixpence. One of the women asked me if I liked apples. Of course I said, “Yes”, so she said she
would bring me some the next time, which she did, beautiful bright rosy red, but when I cut them
I found they were very white and very unpalatable. Needless to say, I was disappointed. We had
to trust to the cook as to what to buy and doubtless paid for much more than we consumed.
Our first Sunday was a great event. The people came from long distances, eight or ten
miles on foot. They could walk better in their bare feet, so you would see those who could afford
shoes and stockings, sitting along the roadside near the Church, dusting off their feet and donning
their shoes, not like the people of old, who took off their sandals when they entered upon Holy
ground. The Church held a thousand people and it was a sight to see that sea of black faces and to
note their quiet demeanor during the hour of worship. Their singing was excruciating, but they
sang from their hearts. Every once in a while you would see a child stand up for a while and then
sit down again. It seemed queer, but we found they thought it a sin to sleep in Church, so adopted
that method to keep them awake.
We found it was customary for the people to pay their Church dues every Saturday or
Sunday, so after the service my husband and I retired to the house and received their dues in a
small room used for that purpose, he marking the book and I their cards. Very often their dues
were paid in bread kind (or vegetables which means the same) and sometimes a small pig or a
chicken, for which the proper price was allowed. They did not always have money to bring, so
our income was very precarious. We had much to learn and found we had a very hard field to
work in. Of course we were very lonely at times. The first difficulty between my husband and I
occurred when it came to the problem of cutting his hair. I did my best, but as I had no training in
this art, I presume it was rather a barbarous job. Of course he thought so, and it ended in my
14
having a good cry. Just in the midst of this, in walked Rec. Thomas Griffith who lived about
twenty-one miles from us, and had come to welcome us to the Island. After introductions he
remarked that we did not look very happy. We told him why and he said, “Well, never mind that.
I know all about it. I have been through it all.” His visit cheered us considerably and we were a
little wiser when he left us. The Griffiths became some of our warmest friends.
One of the first things for us to do was to procure horses on which to travel to our other
stations and class meetings. We were able to buy one horse, but had to wait for the purchase of
another until we had the money. Our first horse we named Alpha, which became my riding horse.
A short time after our arrival, we were invited to visit a Presbyterian Missionary and his family,
living about five miles from us. He sent a horse and messenger to guide us. This was our first
horseback ride. When we reached Mr. Scott’s abode, we had to climb a steep ascent. I had to lean
forward on my horse to keep from falling off. The descent on our homeward way was just as
perilous to me with our lack of experience. We soon learned to ride, however, as we couldn’t
travel otherwise. We had charge of three stations, the one I have already mentioned, the Church at
Oracabessa and a smaller Church at Mt. Lebanon. These we served alternate Sundays, so our
second Sunday was spent at Oracabessa. We had to borrow a second horse every time we took the
journey. One of the tradesmen, a Jew, very kindly loaned us one of his horses until we could get
another. This was not always convenient for him or pleasant for us. As we rode along we were
greeted by the people who came out of their huts to say, “How’dye” to the Minister and Mistress.
Sometimes they would say “Hi, my good Minister, the Mistress rides better than you.” It was
quite amusing. Very often we saw them examining the children’s heads for “cooties”’ not known
by that name then.
Some months during that year we were invited to return to Annotta Bay to the Annual
Missionary Meeting. As we migrated from station to station, the dress I wanted to wear was at
Oracabessa, so we borrowed the horse from Mr. Levenson and traveled there to get it. This time I
rode the borrowed horse. As we were returning we saw one of the most gorgeous sunsets that I
ever witnessed, with a rainbow in the center. We lingered to watch it but then had to hasten on
our journey. We were galloping along when I fell from my horse, right under him. He put his foot
on my chest, but it seemed to me that his foot was held by an unseen hand, as he stood perfectly
still until his foot was lifted by my husband. I was not badly hurt; only bruised and shaken, for
which we were very thankful. We found the stirrup was too short, hence the trouble. We rode side
saddle in those days. Minister Teal sent his buggy for us and we spent a delightful time and met
with some of the other Missionaries. We returned to our station the next day.
About this time I began to have the malarial fever. It was thought best to seek a better
place to live, so after a while, by the aid of our first friend, Mr. Kirkham, we were able to rent
part of a house called “Airy Hill.” This was an old planter’s home. We occupied the upstairs. It
was much more commodious than the Mission House and pleasantly situated on a hill at
Oracabessa. The servants’ quarters were below and a well-to-do Negro family occupied part of
the floor below too. After settling here we paid a visit to Mount Angus to the home of Mr.
Kirkham. In order to reach him we had to wade rivers and climb mountains on horseback. When
we arrived there we found Mr. Kirkham quite ill with fever and my heart went out to him for he
was all alone; he had not yet married. We did what we could to cheer him, staying a few days
with him. The following Christmas he married Frances Henderson, a daughter of an old
Missionary family. When he brought her home, we visited Mount Angus again to congratulate
and welcome her. They were our nearest neighbors and we became great friends and spent many
happy hours together, very often exchanging visits, we being glad to get up into the mountains
from the hot seaboard.
By this time I was suffering greatly from the malarial fever which I had for three months.
I became very weak and ill. My husband did all he could to relieve my suffering. At times I was
quite delirious. One night I came to and found him weeping, he was so distressed by my
condition. I was as weak as a baby and he had to undress and bathe and dress me. I became so
15
weak with the fever which I had every other day. One Sunday when I was too ill to go to Church,
my husband and Mr. Kirkham exchanged pulpits. During the morning a rain storm in the
mountains “brought down the river,” as the natives say. When my husband came to the river it
was running too swiftly for him to ford, which he was obliged to do in order to reach home. The
members of our congregation were waiting on the other side unable to wade through too. When
my husband appeared they began to gesticulate to him not to cross. He mistook their gestures as
telling him to cross over. The horse was unwilling to get in the water knowing by instinct the
danger, buy my husband forced him and would have been drowned if some of the men hadn’t
rushed in and seized the bridle of the horse and rescued them. When he returned, instead of
coming directly to my room as he was used to doing, he called Mr. Kirkham who was still with
me, and asked him to break the news to me, which he did very carefully, so as not to distress me
too much. Several times we had to brave these dangers.
Chapter XII
When we reached Oracabessa we found the Mission House was very small, so my
husband encouraged the people to enlarge it by putting a long room on one end of the house; this
they did. Before this, the house consisted of two small rooms, one of which we used to sleep in,
the other for my husband’s study, and a large square room which answered for a living room and
a small enclosed porch where we are our meals. By putting on the addition it gave us a more
commodious sleeping room, so that we had a spare room in which to entertain a passing
Missionary. This was very necessary as there were no hotels or any houses to rest in except the
Mission Houses, where a welcome awaited one. When the repairs were finished we moved from
Airy Hill into the Mission House which remained our home while in Jamaica. There was very
little furniture in the home, a few chairs, a settee, two four-post bedsteads, mattresses and pillows,
a table and a few other things with which we had to be content. We soon settled down in our new
home and spent many happy days there with our friends the Kirkhams, and we with them in their
Mount Angus house.
The day-school was held in the church schoolroom. Here I was supposed to teach sewing,
crocheting and sample work. The fancy work was all right, but when it came to cutting out
garments, I was a very poor teacher. The sewing I could manage. I remember making a terrible
mistake one day when one of the children needed a pair of sleeves cut out for the shirt she was
making. I had no patterns and, after thinking over it a little, I cut out a pair of dress sleeves
instead of shirt sleeves. I felt very much ashamed that I didn’t know better. I do not know what
effect this had upon the child’s mother, for I heard nothing of it. Perhaps she thought it was a new
pattern for a shirt sleeve, which it certainly was.
In September, 1879 a dear little daughter came to gladden the house of the Kirkhams and
on the twenty-first of October, a few weeks later, our dear little God-given daughter came to bless
our home and gladden our hearts. We were very proud of her, especially her father, who wanted
to show her to everyone who came to the house. We named her after her two grandmothers so
that there should be no jealousy; Esther for my mother and Amelia for her father’s mother. We
called her Ettie for short, which was my father’s pet name for my mother. I do not think there was
a much more ignorant girl about the care of babies than I was, but doing the best we could, and
seeking God’s guidance, we managed to train her aright. We always accepted our children as an
especial gift from God lent to us to train for Him here below. This was my parent’s first
grandchild. My mother had made all my baby’s clothes in England with the aid of my sisters, and
sent them over to me. They were beautiful, but we did not realize how unfit they were for a baby
in the tropics, so we punished poor baby by dressing her in the long robes of an English baby, but
learned better before my next baby came.
16
Of course we were very anxious to have our baby’s picture taken and sent over to
England, as mother had made her clothes and we wanted her to see the baby in them. Early one
morning we set off to St. Ann’s Bay in an open two seated buggy a distance of twenty-one miles
from Oracabessa. It took us all day to go and we were very weary when we reached the Mission
House at St. Ann’s Bay. We received a warm welcome from Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Griffiths,
where we stayed for the night. The next day it rained all day and it looked as though we were to
be disappointed about the photo, but about 4 o’clock the sun came out. We hurried to the
photographer where there were quite a few people before us, so by the time our turn came, the
baby was so restless that we couldn’t get a very good picture. The next day we returned home,
having journeyed forty-two miles to get a photo taken.
Not very long after this we went to St. Ann’s Bay again as we had been invited to Rev.
William Henderson’s home, where they were holding their Annual Missionary Meetings, not far
from Montego Bay (I have forgotten the name of his station). My husband was to take part in
these meetings. It was too far for us to go all the way in an open buggy, so it was arranged for my
husband to drive to St. Ann’s Bay with the baby and me, leave me there and the following day,
Mr. George Henderson of Brown’s Town was to take me on in his buggy drawn by two horses,
and my husband was to return to Oracabessa for the Sunday services and to come on to Brown’s
Town after the services, but this was not to be. As we journeyed, the wind began to blow and
steadily increased in fury. The clouds grew blacker and blacker, hanging down in heavy black
fringes covering the mountains and almost reaching the road. We were riding in our little open
buggy and were increasingly anxious to reach our destination, which we did, late in the afternoon.
The Mission House at St. Ann’s Bay looked very welcome to us after the long, weary and
anxious journey. Our good friends, the Griffiths were not at home, having gone to one of their
stations. However, they had made every provision for our comfort and entertainment. The Negro
help served us with a good supper and then returned to their quarters. The storm grew fiercer and
fiercer.
We, being very tired, retired early, but not to sleep. We hadn’t been in bed long before
there was a terrible crash and the front door of the Mission House was blown open and the storm
and rain rushed through the house. We hastened to close the door which we managed to do by
piling up the furniture before the door to keep it shut. We returned to our room to get into our
clothes, when another crash came. It was very dark and we had no matches. Being in a strange
house, we did not know where to find any. We knew it was necessary to keep the wind out of the
house. The back door of the house which opened into the dining room had burst open. We had
found a few matches and by striking them, we were able to grope our way about. At the other end
of the dining room was a big pantry. The wind was rushing through furiously. There were two
large dining tables in the room and we managed to close the door by pulling one of the tables
across it. Having closed the jalousies or blinds in the pantry by fastening them with anything we
could find, we pulled the other table across the door of the pantry and barricaded the chairs
between the tables so the doors could not blow open again. Still the storm increased in fury,
thunder, lightning, and torrents of rain, everything outside cracking around us. Our poor horses
who were tied to the trees, were screaming in terror and the rain came into the house everywhere
except one little place where we could take shelter. Then my husband found he had lost the
matches. We searched everywhere and finally had to unbarracade the table so he could get into
the pantry where he found them. He wanted to go out into the storm to see if he could help the
horses, but I would not permit it, telling him he was of more value than they, and if we had to die,
we would die together.
We spent the night with my baby in my arms, sitting on a lounge, the only dry place in
the house, waiting for what might befall us. Such a night as we spent I shall never forget.
Towards morning the storm began to abate. The daylight was an hour later than usual, but when
we looked abroad what a scene of desolation awaited us. Trees were down in all directions, the
Mission House next to us damaged and the barn destroyed, but our Heavenly Father had
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wonderfully taken care of us and our horses too, for while all the trees around them were down,
the two to which they were tied still stood. One horse just had a little scratch on his hip. Mr.
Henderson’s horses were safe too, to our great relief. Mr. Griffiths hurried in from the mountains,
having a hard time to get there and being very anxious about us and their home. When we told
them what we had done, he said humanly speaking, we had saved their house from destruction,
for the natives were too terror stricken to leave their quarters to see to the security of the house.
In the middle of the day I started in Mr. Henderson’s buggy for Brown’s Town, got about
ten miles on our journey, but could get no farther, for the roads were entirely blocked with fallen
trees and debris, so I had to return to St. Anne’s Bay and stay there a few days until the roads
were open. Neither could my husband return to Oracabessa. Of course we were very anxious
about our own Mission House and had to send our Negro boy on foot over the mountains to find
out about it and to bring back the necessary clothing for my husband’s continued journey. It took
him three days to go and come. It was good news to know that though the house had been in great
danger and it seemed that at times the falling trees would crush it to pieces, yet it was
wonderfully preserved for us. At last we reached Brown’s Town where we stayed over the
Sunday and then traveled on to William Henderson’s where the meetings were to be held. I could
not enjoy my visit very much nor go to my friend, Mrs. Kirkhams mothers home, which I very
much wanted to do, as I was sick with malaria all the time I was away and had my baby to care
for too. Mrs. Henderson was very kind and did all she could for me. I think we were there about
three days.
Then we began our long journey home again. The first night we stayed at the Mission
House occupied by the Rev. Ellis Fray, rather a pompous individual. His wife and daughters did
all they could to make us comfortable, but I was so sick, I was glad to retire early. My baby was
very good and not afraid of strangers, so that made it easier for me. The next morning as soon as I
was able, we started home again. I think we stayed at St. Ann’s Bay with the Griffiths the next
night, and then arrived home in time for Sunday services. It was a journey never to be forgotten, I
assure you.
CHAPTER XIII
On March 4, 1881 our dear baby boy came to us, a fat chubby baby. We named him after
his grandfathers, William for my father and Sutcliff for my husband’s father and Von Der Ahe for
his own father, who didn’t want to be left out. Quite a baby, wasn’t it? It was rather a difficult
matter to know just how to feed a baby one was unable to nurse. We had to keep a little Negro
girl to go every day, a distance of three miles, to a white man’s estate for milk, but by the time the
girl returned with the milk, it was scarcely fit for the baby to have, for often she hung the pail on
the fence and played around before returning. No punishment would make her do differently, so
we had to devise some other way. We finally purchased a goat, using its milk for the children.
This is used with pearl barley water for the babe. Poor little fellow, he got quite sick with
dysentery and I thought my babe was going to die. There was no doctor anywhere near, so we had
to apply the remedy his father thought best, trusting in God to show us the right thing to do. He
was a good baby, but, as he grew older, was as full of mischief as he could be. When he was old
enough to creep, he used to go on all fours and quite rapidly.
Our house was situated on a slop running down to the road, across which there was a
green patch and on the father side of it was a cliff. Willie started down the slope and was quite a
way down before his nurse missed him. She ran as fast as she could and caught him just on the
edge of the cliff. Had he fallen he would have been killed. He needed continued watching.
One morning my little daughter thought she would like to buy some sugar on her own
account, so took her little pail when no one was watching her, and started up rather a steep incline
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to the store. Very often the wagons from the sugar estates came down this road, drawn by six or
eight strong oxen, so we were greatly alarmed, for we did not know where she had gone. She had
very light hair, almost white. We saw something up the road which we thought was a white
chicken, but when the nurse overtook it, it was our dear little daughter. She did not buy her sugar.
At the base of the cliff I have before mentioned, was a small stretch of beach. This we
used as our bathing beach; so each morning we climbed down a ladder for our sea bath, which we
all enjoyed. In the after noon the children had a fresh bath in a large wooden bowl, the water
having been heated in the sun.
Once a year the Churches in Jamaica held a great Missionary gathering. It was a great
gala day for them. Several of the Pastors came from different parts of the Island to take part in the
ceremonies. We usually made a great feast for their entertainment, the principal dishes being a
young goat kid, roasted whole, also a young suckling pig prepared in the same way; and the
people certainly knew how to cook them. I was not very well at that time, but managed to go to
Port Maria, our main station, to superintend things and see that all was well. These were
enjoyable times with us for it enabled us to meet with others of our Missionary brethren, which
we were very glad to do. A rather amusing incident occurred at this gathering. We had a young
pig in our possession which we had been keeping for our feast. The day before the meeting I told
our man to catch the pig and prepare it for the feast. There were other pigs around and when the
man caught the pig, of course there was so much squealing that the other pigs ran to cover.
Everything went nicely until Communion Sunday, when we noticed many of our best members
did not come to the table. We noticed there was much whispering among them, but couldn’t
understand it. When we returned to our home on Monday, we were soon enlightened. At the foot
of the Mission Yard dwelt a man whom we will call Mr. L, who had a pig. His pig had
disappeared and so he had sent out the report that the Minister had stolen his pig, hence the non-
appearance at the Communion of the previous Sunday. These people were very conscientious in
this matter and would not take the Lord’s Supper when they had ought against anyone. I sent for
Mr. L and asked him to describe his pig to me. Strange to say, the pigs were both alike. For a
minute I was non-plussed; then I said, “Well, one thing is sure, we didn’t kill both pigs, the other
pig must have been frightened and gone to hide. If my pig returns, I will give it to you; if yours
comes back it will be all right.” A few days after one of the servants came in and said, “Hi me
good Missus, Mr. L’s pig done come back,” so the sky cleared.
Another time we held the great Missionary gathering at Oracabessa. Here I had to
entertain five Missionaries, myself, husband and two children. I only had two double beds, a cot
and a large and small crib, in which the children slept. How could I do it, was the puzzle. After a
good deal of thought, I sent up to the Chapel and had the servants bring down enough benches to
make a bedstead to hold an extra mattress which I had. These I placed beside the bed in the large
room, so making sleeping quarters for four of the men. One of the brethren was colored, so of
course the white gentlemen declined to room with him, but the elder of these said he would sleep
in the same room, but not in the same bed with the colored man. I placed a cot in the room for
him so that took care of all six of them, my husband included. I transferred the children’s cribs
into the study, put the eldest one into the small crib and screwed myself and the baby in the other
one. There was not much sleep for me that night, but the problem was solved with everyone
comfortable but me, as you may judge. It was a delightful time to meet with the Ministerial
brethren of whom we saw so little and for such a short time.
Soon after this my second little son came to us. We named him Frederick Stanley, the
latter name for the great explorer who was then seeking for Livingston. So God had given us
three little treasures to train for Him. It was about this time that there came to Jamaica a Quaker
by the name of Evi Sharpless, preaching the Gospel. He came to us and stayed in our home some
little time. We enjoyed his visit and loved to hear him preach. You know that the Quakers entone,
which is very pleasant. Of course he told us very much about America and painted everything
with a rosy hue. We were both very much run down in health and had been thinking of trying to
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get back to England. We had no money to pay our passage and there was no help for us. My
father had tried to interest some of the ship captains in us, but had failed, so we turned our
thoughts to America, where we only knew one family and they were not in very good
circumstances. We finally made up our minds to leave Jamaica for America as soon as we could
arrange matters.
CHAPTER XIV
Before I proceed any further, I must tell you some of the amusing things that happened.
We had gone to Port Maria for our weekend at the Church. On Saturday the Deacons’ Meeting
was held in the room under the piazza. My baby was a little fractious that morning so I walked up
and down the piazza singing to her, when all at once I stepped on a short loose board and my leg
appeared in the Deacons’ Meeting. I do not know if they thought it was a spook or not, but there
was a wild rush. One of them stayed there and propped up my leg and then the whole Deacons’
Meeting rushed up stairs to pull me out of the hole. Strange to say, I was not hurt, but somewhat
shaken. Nevertheless, I held on to my baby. I have had many a good laugh about it since.
One morning we were awakened by our bed rocking and the dishes rattling and we could
not imagine what caused it, but in the morning we were told there had been an earthquake shock.
We found that some miles away the earth had caved in, so we got on our horses and rode out to
see. It was a great yawning gap with the road many feet below us. How glad we were that it was
only a slight shock. The next Sunday morning at our early prayer meeting, an old colored Deacon
rose to pray. He began, “O Lord though hast shook us with a very great shook” and he was indeed
in earnest, but I am ashamed to say my risible faculties were very hard to control. The Deacon’s
name was Mr. Lamb, though he was not very lamblike. He was a tall scrawny man with
sideboards and a beard which were dusky white; not very picturesque, but good and true. One
Sunday morning during the service a goat appeared in the congregation, and the preacher said,
“Let that animal be driven out.” Mr. Lamb, who was the Sexton, proceeded to obey the Minister’s
command. He went outside and procured the door mat and proceeded to chase the animal; notice
this was a lamb and a goat. The vision was somewhat comical. When the goat left, order was
restored.
The Negroes are very much afraid of snakes, and should one get into their sleeping
quarters, they would not sleep there for some time. One night, not feeling well, I had retired early
and had fallen asleep. After a while I became aware that someone was in my room with a light.
My husband came to me and, kissing me, told me not to be afraid, that there was a snake in my
room. Of course I was soon wide awake. The snake was on the rafter, not very far from the foot
of my bed, and could very well have reached over on to my four-post bedstead. My husband had
called the two girls to come and hold the light while he tried to kill the snake, but everytime he
made a strike at it with the cutlass, they ran away with the light, hence I had to get up and hold it
for him. He did not kill the snake then, but wounded it several times, and it crawled out under the
eaves. The next morning as the servants were going to their quarters, after family prayer, they
came running back screaming. When I asked what the matter was, they said, “Snake, me good
Missus,” “Snake, me good Missus.” My husband went to inspect, and found it to be the same
snake, from the wounds he had inflicted the previous night. Of course he dispatched it in short
order. Very few of the snakes there are poisonous, but they are not very pleasant visitors.
On another occasion, my husband was sleeping in his study, when he was awakened by a
rustling over his head. He got a light and found a large snake hanging from the roof, right over his
bed. If he hadn’t been awakened he would have had a rather unwelcome bedfellow. Very often
the lizards dropped down on one, but they were perfectly harmless, so we did not mind them so
much. The great black flying beetles were a constant terror to me. When there was a likelihood of
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rain, they came in flocks of six or seven. I very much disgraced myself one morning while we
were having family worship. Right in the middle of the Bible reading, one of the beetles got
nearer and nearer to me. I was watching it all the time, when all of a sudden it flew toward me. Of
course I screamed and upset the worship period. My husband was very much annoyed and
scolded me, which resulted in a hysterical time for me.
I think I have mentioned before that we had much traveling to do. We could only keep
three horses and had to work them very hard and often they were very tired. We had to drive
through the rivers and over muddy and difficult girths in the mud. Many a time have we waded
the rivers, so deep that we were obliged to draw our feet up on the horses’ back to keep from
getting wet. Once, while fording a river, our most reliable horse got into the river and refused to
go any farther. The children and I were in the buggy and there was nothing to do but for me to
take off my shoes and stockings and wade through to the other side. The colored boy, who
attended us on horseback, had to carry the children over to me. We sat on the bank until, with
much persuasion and some whipping, the horse decided to move on. I could not blame the poor
animal, for after working so hard, he evidently thought he was going to pasture, so when we
turned away from that road, he showed his resentment. We had many narrow escapes and dangers
in our travels, but the Lord delivered us out of them all.
The weddings were quite picturesque, but somewhat grotesque. They make great
preparations and dress in very pretty bridal costumes. They usually have a great feast, to which
the Minister and Mistress are always invited. On one occasion we attended quite a ceremony at
the Church. The bride was very nicely dressed, all in white. After the ceremony, we rode out to
their home and found a feast spread out in the yard, just outside their negro home. We found the
bride’s father very busy superintending the feast. His costume consisted of a pair of trousers,
almost seatless, adorned with parts of his shirt protruding, rolled up shirt sleeves, and an old straw
hat, without a crown. Evidently his costume did not trouble him.
The wedding cakes are very grand affairs. They are made like layer cakes, begun with a
large one and built up with graduated sizes until they reach the smallest at the top, perhaps sever
or eight layers high. Those who know how to cook, do it well, but like Paul says, “You must not
ask any questions for conscience sake,” but eat what is put before you. Their wedding fees are not
always forth coming and they will get out of paying them if they can, so that the fee was collected
before the wedding. Sometimes they would bring a young suckling pig or some other thing
instead of money. Once when my husband asked for the fee, he was informed they hadn’t any. He
then replied, “Well get it; then I will marry you.” After much discussion among them, they
managed to produce the fee. After my husband had married a couple one day, he said to the
bridegroom, “Why Jesse, you didn’t kiss your wife.” He looked astounded and replied, “You
didn’t tell me to, my good Minister.” There had been some difficulty in getting through the
ceremony, for the couple insisted on repeating everything the Minister said; for instance, “Don’t
say that.” It was repeated. “No, No, Not that.” It was repeated; and so on until they were made to
understand. This was a union between an East Indian Coolie and a Jamaica girl.
CHAPTER XV
Through failing health, through five years of difficulties and many pleasant and happy
days with our Missionary friends, especially the Kirkhams, we decided to resign from our
Churches and come to America, of which we had heard so much. We would much rather have
gone back to England and our loved ones there, but the way did not open up for us and we had
very little money, not enough to pay our passage there. In those days it took three weeks to get
back to England by steamer. We knew only one family in the United States; though not related,
they had been part of the family in the homeland. My parents had been very good to them and
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often kept them from want while in the old country. They had been residing in America for some
time and had started a Medical Missionary Institution in New York, but were living in Brooklyn.
We had written them to see if they would take us in, should we come. While waiting for their
answer we made all the preparations we could for leaving. My husband left the Churches in care
of the Rev. William Henderson, brother of our friend, Mrs. Kirkham, who is still their Pastor as I
write this, November 23, 1931. A man born and brought up on the Island of Jamaica.
We received a reply from our friends and made application to the Captain of a fruit
steamer, plying between Philadelphia and Jamaica, for a passage on his boat. It was not very
usual to carry passengers, but he made room for us and two other women passengers. So, on May
6, 1883, just five years from the day we landed in Jamaica, my husband and I, our three children
Esther, William, and Frederick, and our good Nurse Henry, set sail for America. Just here I would
like to say that Nursie, as the children called her, came to me just before my first baby came. She
could not part with the children, so begged us to take her with us. It seemed unwise at first
because of the extra expense, and not knowing what awaited us in a strange land. Her pleadings
prevailed; so after explaining the situation to her and telling her I could not pay her any wages
until Minister was settled again, we brought her to America.
The voyage was not an altogether pleasant one, for the cabins were just the little ones the
men slept in, but had vacated to accommodate us. It was all right while the weather was fine and
we could be on deck. There was no salon, as in the large steamers, but just a little place where we
ate our meals. The men brought a big tub of water on deck for the children’s bath, each morning.
We bathed them on the open deck when the weather permitted. The sailors were fond of the
children, especially of the baby, but they comforted me by saying that I wouldn’t raise my baby
in America on account of summer complaint. This was rather disturbing, but we tried to forget
such news. We ran into a very heavy fog, which lasted three days and nights, the fog horn
blowing continuously. It was very cold and chilly and we were glad to take shelter in the engine
room to get warm. We were glad when the sun came out, for our clothing wasn’t very suitable for
such weather. I think it took us about two weeks to come from Jamaica. We landed in a strange
land on Sunday morning, in the middle of May 1883.
PART II
CHAPTER I
When the ship landed in Philadelphia, we received a telegram from our friends in
Brooklyn, to whom we were going, to wait on the ship until a Mr. Edie, a friend of theirs came to
meet us, who would conduct us to the train for Jersey City, where he, Dr. George Dowkont,
would meet us. We waited all morning, but no one came, so the Captain undertook to see our
baggage through the customs and he said he would mail our keys to us. So under his directions,
we found our way to the Pennsylvania Terminal and boarded the train for Jersey City. I have an
idea that my husband telegraphed to our friend what time we would arrive in Brooklyn. When we
crossed the ferry, Dr. Dowkont was there to meet us. It was a cold bright day in May and, having
lived in the tropics for five years, we found it very cold as we had very little warm clothing,
which made us rather disconsolate. We had attracted considerable attention, my husband and I
with our three little children and colored nurse, with, consequently, numerous packages, and of
22
course not being dressed like the American people. We felt very strange and out of place. The
streams of people going hither and yon on Sunday was quite a surprise to us and we felt as though
we had landed on a holiday instead of a holy day. We were very much relieved and glad to see
the face of our friend, for we were very tired, strange and lonely, and anxious too.
We had a long ride in the trolley car to some house in Lafayette Avenue, about two
blocks from the park. I have forgotten the number. We met with a warm welcome from Nettie
Dowkont and the children, and were soon enjoying the good meal spread before us and glad to
find a temporary home once more. There were seven of the Dowkonts in the family and we were
six, so it made a very large family. We had very little money and neither had they, and often we
were waiting on Saturday night for George to come home with money enough for supplies. This
needs a little explanation.
Dr. George Dowkont had come to this country with his family in order to take his
diploma, for he could get one here quicker than in England. He had started a Medical Missionary
Institute on 42nd Street, New York. For the maintenance of this he depended upon voluntary
contributions. Sometimes the money came, sometimes it didn’t. This was a new venture. He
believed in running things on faith, but sometimes forgot that, “Faith without works is dead.” He
did, afterwards, establish it on a firmer basis. We shared with them what they had, as my mother
had done with them many times during their life in England. They were then wearing clothes that
my father and mother had sent over here to keep them warm, so we did not feel quite under such
an obligation as we should have otherwise.
My husband was an expert stenographer, so started out to try to locate a job until the way
opened to take up his profession as a Minister of the Gospel again. Typewriters were not used
then, so as he didn’t write a very good longhand, although an expert at shorthand, and through not
being known, although he had splendid credentials, he could not find a position. These were very
trying days, but the Heavenly Father took care of us and supplied our daily needs. George
Dowkont had introduced him to several gentlemen and, by his influence, my husband was able to
obtain a few preaching engagements. Most of the money thus obtained we gave to them, only
keeping enough to buy little things the children needed.
With so many children in the family things did not always go smoothly. The older
children were constantly teasing my little ones, and were often very rude to my colored nurse. I
kept the children in my room as much as possible and was very glad we were so near the park that
I could take them there or send the nurse with them. I think the park was, and still is called
Tompkins Avenue Park. Mrs. Dowkont was very indolent and did not trouble much about
housekeeping, so nurse and I did nearly all the work. If we didn’t, the beds belonging to them
were often left unmade. I had not been used to these things and it was very unpleasant to us.
We lived with them until October and then, as there was to be an addition to the family,
we began to look for other quarters. It was with some difficulty that we succeeded in finding a
place within our means and the objection to children was just as bad then as now. After much
searching we found a vacant floor over an ice cream parlor of DeKalb Avenue, between Bedford
and Franklin Avenues. The top floor had been used by the people who ran the store. The floor
over the store was vacant and they moved down into that floor and we secured the top floor at
$20.00 a month. It consisted of a large front room with alcove, bedroom, a small room off the
front room, a large dining room and kitchen combined, and a small room off the kitchen.
When we left Jamaica, we had a horse that we could not sell at the time of leaving, but
our friend Mr. Henderson, said he would find a purchased and send us the money, which he did.
This helped us to furnish our first home in the United States. It was about ten shillings in English
money. You can imagine how much furniture we could buy with that amount. We visited a
second-hand furniture store where we purchased a stove for $1.00, a bed with slats on it and
mattress, but no springs, a kitchen table, four chairs and high chair for baby Fred and just enough
plates, dishes, pots, pans, etc. to enable us to get along. Someone kindly gave us a large bed and
mattress and a pair of blankets, and the folks we had lived with gave us a cot upon which the
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colored nurse slept. We had no warm bedding and I do not remember where the other bedding
came from. We had no floor coverings. I had a large crumb cloth, which in those days was used
to cover over the carpets to keep the crumbs from spoiling them. This I used without any carpet
under it. Someone must have given it to us, I guess. Out of two packing cases covered with some
kind of goods I had, I made a table. This and the chairs which we carried from the kitchen when
necessary, was our only parlor furniture. We had a home with $10.00 rent due, for we had only
paid a deposit on the rent, and had no money to go any further, very little warm clothing, and no
earthly friend to help us, but there was one who knew our needs and had promised to supply them
and He did. That week my husband received an engagement to preach at some Church on Staten
Island. I think he had to borrow the money to go there. On Saturday morning, just after we had
moved in, a knock came at our door. When I opened it, there stood two men, one of whom was
totally blind. I recognized him as Dr. Parker, to whom I had been previously introduced. After
greeting me and inquiring for my husband, he said he would like to speak to me privately, so,
leaving his companion, I led him into my parlor. After talking for a while (we stood for there was
no chair to sit on), he shook hands leaving something there. He said, “I want you to buy
something for Mr. Robinson with it.” That was his nice way of putting it.
Our friends, the Dowkonts, came to see me that evening and when I told them what had
occurred, they at once suggested that I go out and buy a chair for my husband, which I refused to
do, much to their chagrin, but I knew the balance of the rent had to be paid and other pressing
needs had to be met. Therefore, I felt quite sure that both the donor and receiver would not wish it
otherwise. The sum which the good Lord sent by his messenger was $20.00. When my husband
returned and I told him, he said that I had done the wisest thing.
It was in October we moved into the DeKalb Avenue home. We hadn’t been there very
long when we found the place was infested with bed bugs. They didn’t confine themselves to the
beds either. I even found them in my pantry. We had to stand the legs of the beds in cans of
kerosene oil. The people downstairs had evidently been fumigating and had driven their
unwelcome visitors up to see us. We lived in this place for three months. It was a very cold winter
and at Thanksgiving the snow was piled high on each side of the Brooklyn sidewalks. Of course,
having lived in the tropics for five years, we felt the cold very much. We only had the one
cooking stove to warm our whole floor and our clothing wasn’t any too warm. I was not very well
at the time either. Many a time we did not know where our next meal was to come from, but we
never went hungry. One morning we only had one cent in the house. My husband had to take that
to pay his way then over the Brooklyn Bridge as he went in search for something to do. Not being
successful, he went to the Y.M. and asked for a penny to pay his way back to Brooklyn and he
received a little help from them. How true we found the promise, “My God shall supply all thy
needs.”
During our stay in Brooklyn we attended the Marcy Avenue Church. Here I sent the two
older children to Sunday School, accompanied by their nurse. The children were given little
scripture card verses to learn. Willie being rather shy, did not want to say his verse one day.
When nurse said, “Say, learn of me,” which was his verse, he promptly replied, “Learn of nursie,”
which they could well have done, for though colored, she was a good Christian woman. We were
regular in attendance there, but during the six months no one called on me, a stranger in a strange
land, and only once did anyone speak to me.
One evening while in Church with two of the Dowkont’s children, I noticed they were
very interested in something I had on. Presently one of them whispered, “Auntie, there is a bed
bug running round your collar.” The other child said, “There is another on this side.” You can
imagine how humiliated I felt. So as not to attract more attention, I had to let them run until they
found a hiding place.
My husband was obtaining more preaching engagements, so we were able to get some of
the necessary warm clothing. My parents had sent a box of warm things over from England, but
we did not get them until the middle of winter. They came in very handy and we were very
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thankful for them. Poor nurse felt the cold dreadfully, especially when she put out the wash. She
would cry with the pain in her hand, as we had to dry the wash on the roof. The first time she saw
snow fall, she thought someone was emptying a feather bed and were wasting the feathers, but
she soon came to find differently.
My husband, at this time, had preached at the little Dutch Reformed Church in Oakland,
New Jersey, which resulted in an invitation to occupy the pulpit until the end of the fiscal year.
This seemed to be a good opening, though not a Baptist Church, so we accepted, believing the
Lord had guided us that far.
CHAPTER II
I think it was the second week of January, 1884 that we packed up what few belongings
we had and went to live in Oakland, New Jersey. The snow was deep and when we reached the
station we found Mr. Demarest, one of the Elders of the Church there to meet us with a sleigh.
We were soon snugly tucked in and taken to his home. This was our first sleigh ride. We received
a very warm welcome from Mrs. Demarest who had a nice supper all ready for us. Here we were
to stay until our goods arrived. After we had rested a while a message came from the Parsonage
that some of the ladies of the Church would like the Minister and his wife to come over, so we
were again tucked into the sled and we answered their request. We were met by a number of
people very heartily. They had been doing what they could to make us comfortable. We found the
two large rooms had floor coverings on them which were quite new. The front room was nicely
covered with a bright ingrain carpet lined with straw, which made it very soft and warm. The
other room, which we used as a bedroom, had matting on the floor which was a great comfort
after having had none for so long. They took us out to the woodshed where we found coal and
wood all ready for our use, then down to the cellar where we found vegetables, meat, sausage,
pickles and I do not know what else. Then we were shown the kitchen closet where we found a
store of groceries. We were quite overcome by their generosity, for this was a very new
experience for us, for the Lord had surely put it into the hearts of these people to be so kind to
strangers.
We found them to be very lovely people, most of them old Dutch farmers who never
came to the parsonage without leaving vegetables or meat or whatever they had. The parsonage
was a large house so we only occupied the first floor. The bedroom was large enough for two
beds and room to spare. The children were small so we were very comfortable. A little room over
the kitchen we used for nursie’s quarters. The first thing we had to buy was a large cylinder stove.
By putting this in the parlor and leaving the doors open we kept comfortably warm. As soon as
our goods arrived we took up our abode in the parsonage, and were soon very comfortably settles.
Of course, everything was strange to us, especially the meals that were served.
We had not been long settled in our new home when I received a letter from England
telling me of my dear father’s serious illness. This was only preparatory, for the next day I
received another letter telling me that he had passed away. This was a great grief to me for I loved
my father dearly. I was the only one of the family away from his bedside. How true the words he
spoke to mother when he bade me goodbye on leaving home, “I shall never see that child again.”
Some day we shall meet again where no partings ever come. Of course, I was much troubled as to
what my mother and brothers and sisters would do, for my brothers were not old enough to take
any responsibility. As soon as my father’s creditors knew my father had gone they took means to
get all they could out of the stock. My father had never made a will, so without giving mother a
chance to run the business herself, which she was capable of doing, they foreclosed on her and
she had nothing left but her insurance. This they tried to take from her, but the clause in the
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policy, “For her sole use and benefit” saved it for her. She was able to save her bedding and their
clothes, that was all.
After a while I received a letter saying they were all coming to America. This was
apparently my dying father’s wish. They told us the name of the steamer and when they expected
to arrive, using the insurance money to pay their way, and landing without very much money.
You can imagine how anxiously I awaited their coming, not having seen them for nearly six
years. They were to go to the Dowkont’s home and Mr. Dowkont was to meet them and telegraph
to us as soon as the ship arrived. On the day we expected to hear they had landed, we waited and
waited, but received no news. I had a strong presentiment that they were in Brooklyn. My
husband thought I was unduly anxious, but finally I suggested that we go and find out, and if they
were not there, he could return home and I would remain in Brooklyn. He consented, so taking
baby Fred with us and leaving Ettie and Will with the nurse, we went on our journey. When we
reached the house, by the eager faces at the window, we knew that I was right. When they saw us
there was a grand rush to the door and I was enveloped with arms and kisses. The poor baby was
bewildered and went to the first arms to receive him, which were his grandmother’s. She always
had a soft place in her heart for Fred. They had wondered all day why I hadn’t come, George
Dowkont had sent a telegram as he had promised, but at this writing, it has not yet arrived.
The ship docked earlier than the time scheduled, so George wasn’t there to meet them.
After the trouble with the custom authorities, it being very cold and my mother having been ill all
the voyage over, they decided to find their way to the house, some of them waiting at the ship for
George’s arrival, which was soon after. The family consisted of my mother, my two sisters, three
brothers, an Aunt and a young man, Edwin Knott, who was engaged to my younger sister, Annie.
After we had visited and dined there was a discussion as to how we could take care of
them. It was decided that mother, my eldest sister Hallie, my young brother Herbert and I think
Will, the older of the boys, were to go to Oakland with us and the others were to stay with the
Dowkonts in Brooklyn until they could make their plans. This being settled, we returned home
the next day leaving my Aunt, sister Annie and her fiancé, and brother Ernest behind. Previous to
their coming I had made two large bed ticks which we filled with nice clean straw; and also
pillows. These we put on the floor, where the boys slept; also my husband. The women and
children used the regular beds. They stayed with us until a way was opened for them. A friend of
the Dowkonts, a Mr. Edie, whom I have mentioned before, and whose wife ran a millinery store,
took Ernest to work for him. He became a very good friend to the family. He lived in Philadelphia
and found a place that he could rent for them, enabled them to get furniture they needed, found a
position for my sister Annie in a dry goods store, and helped them in every way he could. It was
hard for my young brother Ernest to have to leave the family so soon and go among strangers as
he had never been away from them before. My sister Annie and Edwin Knott then came to us for
a while.
When mother left us for Philadelphia she coaxed me to let her take my eldest boy Will
with her. I didn’t want to let him go, for he was only about five years old, but as I wasn’t very
well and she hadn’t seen any of her grandchildren before, I consented, but resolved never to do so
again, for after a month or so when I went there on a visit, the child did not know his mother or
father. I shall not soon forget my mother’s amazement at the sumptuous supper served at a
birthday party she was invited to attend. She said to me, “However shall I eat all of it”, and I
replied, “Do your best.” Only those who know how the well-to-do Dutch people provide for such
an occasion will understand this.
Soon after these events, they were comfortably settled in their new home. My brother
Will found a position, my sister Hallie obtained some music pupils, they made some room for
boarders, Annie in the dry goods store and Ernest still working for Mr. and Mrs. Edie, soon
helped them to be able to pay him some of their indebtedness. They found a Church home and
were soon busy working there. Herbert, of Bertie as we called him, went to school.
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Well to go back to our home in Oakland, soon after the folks left us, Ettie and Fred came
down with the measles. They only had a light attack and under their father’s administrations they
were soon well again. I missed my Willie boy very much, for he was always in mischief.
I must tell you of one frightful experience I had soon after we came to Oakland. You will
remember my writing of a large self-feeder stove we had purchased, which we had in our living
room. Someone had given Will a little wooden sled which he was running around the room with,
when all at once it caught under the leg of the stove and the whole thing went over, fire and all. I
remembered the straw under the carpet and knew I had to get that stove up as soon as possible for
the door had come off and some of the live coals had fallen out. My husband had just stepped out
and we were quite a distance from any of the neighbors. I screamed for nurse, who came running,
and told her to get and old coat out of the closet. By putting this over the stove we were able to
raise it on its three legs. I held it while she gathered the live coals from the carpet where they had
begun to burn. I then sent her for help. The two nearest neighbors were out, it being Sunday
afternoon. The next ones were in and came running to my help. I held that stove on three legs all
that time, expecting every minute the coat would burst into flames. It was difficult to keep the
children from me. Nurse had to open the window before she went for help on account of the gas.
When help came, I was ready to collapse, but was very thankful that the house wasn’t destroyed.
We had many pleasant experiences and funny ones too; and many pleasant visits in the
homes of the people. One very stormy night I thought it would be a good opportunity to take a
bath and wash my hair, which I did. I was sitting by the stove in nightly attire drying my hair and
my husband was reading, when we became aware of the sound of sleigh bells. As we listened, we
realized that there was more than one sleigh, and that they were stopping at the parsonage. I
grabbed my belongings and fled to the nurse’s room, just in time to escape a whole company who
came to surprise us. When they came they always brought a good supply of refreshments with
them. We were very happy with these people and were dreading the time, which was soon
passing, when we must leave them. If my husband had consented to sprinkle their babies we
could have stayed on, but this was against our Baptist principles, so we could not grant such a
request. When it got to be near our time for leaving we heard of a vacancy in the pulpit of the
Bloomingdale Baptist Church. My husband applied for the pastorate and soon received a call to
become their Pastor; so again the Lord took care of us and opened the way for us. Here I had a
visit from my Aunt Julia who had been staying with the Dowkonts and she went to Bloomingdale
with us.
CHAPTER III
The Bloomingdale church had no parsonage, but were negotiating for a house, so we had
to hire a house about a mile or so from the Church, with the understanding that as soon as the
parsonage was ready we were to live there, rent free. To this they consented. We found a very
different class of people here to those we had left, and never felt so much at home with them. I
could not do much Church work because of my growing family and I was then expecting my
fourth child. At the installation services Dr. Armitage of New York gave the address. He told the
people not to expect too much of a Minister’s wife unless they were prepared to pay her a salary,
which I though was good advice. In June my little daughter May came to us. During that time my
mother came to stay with me until I was a little stronger. When she left, my Aunt Julia came to
stay with me a while. My neighbors were very kind to me too. When the parsonage was ready we
moved down into the town, next door to the Church. It was a nice roomy old-fashioned country
house where I could come into closer contact with the people. We had many pleasant visits and
social times with them. After we had been in the parsonage a while we were told that we should
have to pay rent. This was entirely opposite to their agreement with us, so, as they insisted on our
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paying rent, my husband said he would not stay with them, for they were not people of their
word; he resigned. I thought it rather a hasty step and that it would have been better to remain
until we found another opening, but he was very easily discouraged and would not stay. We
packed our goods and went to Philadelphia to stay with my mother until the way opened again.
These ups and downs were very trying and it was very hard on the children. We were very
crowded in my mother’s home, which was not always pleasant. Here I had to tell nurse I could
not pay her any wages until we were settled again, but she earned some money by washing for the
lady next door. My husband obtained some preaching engagements through the influence of
friends, going hither and yon each Sunday. We remained in Philadelphia until the way opened for
us to go to the South Amboy Church in New Jersey.
It was in the spring of 1886 when we moved to South Amboy with our four children. The
parsonage, still standing, was very comfortable and just suitable to our needs. When the children,
nurse and I arrived we found a company of women in the parsonage who gave us a very warm
welcome. They had arranged the furniture in the different rooms for me and had even made the
beds and fixed the lambrequins (then in use upon the mantels). I did not quite like the idea of their
unpacking and delving into all my belongings, but I believe it was all done in kindness and not
for curiosity’s sake. It was very nice to be in our own home again and very quiet and restful.
After the large family at my mother’s, it was much better to have the children to ourselves once
more. Two years passed by at South Amboy; here my little Daisy was born, making the third little
daughter and two sons. Our family was large and the salary small.
One especial incident I just relate here to show the kindness of the people and God’s
loving care for us. My mother and family had by this time moved from Philadelphia to New York
City. She had invited us to go to her home for Christmas. We wanted to go, but it was very cold
and I had no overcoat for my little Fred. I took the trouble to my Heavenly Father and told him all
about it, asking him to supply all the needs. One evening we were sitting quietly after the children
were in bed, when a knock came at the front door. When it was opened, friends came streaming
in with numerous bundles; they unwrapped them and put them in the center of the room. There
was material for quilts and I can’t remember what else; but I do know there was a nice warm
overcoat for Fred and a suit for Willie, made by one of the women of the Church from some of
her husband’s clothing. This brought tears to my eyes and I said, “It is an answer to my prayer.”
There were many kindnesses shown to us by these people. We hadn’t much furniture and no
means to buy it. They furnished a bedroom for me before my Daisy came and when we left they
presented the furniture to us.
Many an evening we took the older children to the beach to watch the fishermen draw in
the seine full of bluefish. We never came home without a couple of beautiful fish, fresh from the
sea, given to us by a member of the Church, who was the master fisherman.
A rather amusing incident occurred one Sunday afternoon when the colored nurse took
the children for a walk. As far as I can remember, there was only one colored family in the town
at that time, so the boys thought they could annoy nurse. They would follow her and torment her.
She stood it as long as she could, but this Sunday they went too far. Nurse put the baby down on
the pavement, charging the eldest one to take care of the others, and gave chase to the boys. She
did not let up until she had given one or two of them a good trouncing. When she came home she
told me all about it. I said, “I do not blame you very much, but I am afraid it will cause trouble.” I
did not know what effect it would have on the white people for a negro to thrash a white child
but, strange to say, we didn’t hear any more of it.
While here the great blizzard of 1888 came over night. When we retired the stars were
shining and when we got up in the morning the snow was waist deep. My husband had planned to
go to New York on Monday morning as usual. When I looked out of the window I said to him,
“You cant go to New York today,” but he was very sure he was going. I said, “Well look out of
the window and see”. Then he was convinced that he couldn’t go. Instead, he had to make his
way to the store to secure supplies and oil (for we had no gas then). To enable him to do this he
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put on his baptismal trousers which, of course, were waterproof. Our chickens were buried out of
sight, so a path had to be made to the hen house in the same manner. My brother-in-law, Captain
of one of the Pennsylvania tug boats, whose boat was laid up in the South Amboy docks, tried to
find his way to our hose by lantern light but lost his way and found himself in the Churchyard of
the Episcopalian Church among tombstones. He eventually found his way to us, more or less
exhausted by these strenuous efforts.
While there, we had a very pleasant visit from the Rev. and Mrs. Thomas Griffiths, our
friends from the Island of Jamaica. It was good to renew our friendship and entertain those who
had been so kind to us while we were there. They were on their way to England on account of
Mrs. Griffith’s health. I have never seen them since, but know that some years ago he went home
to be with Jesus. Mrs. Griffith is perhaps still alive.
Time passed very pleasantly with us but, as is always the case, some little troubles arose
and my husband thought a change would be advisable, so he resigned his pastorate at South
Amboy and looked for another opening. My mother and family, having moved to Tottenville,
Staten Island and knowing that the Pastor had resigned, told us of the opening there. Of course
mother was very desirous of having us near to her, so she used her influence to obtain a call to
that pastorate. My husband applied for the vacancy and was called to the pastorate of that Church,
which he accepted. I was very loathe to break up our little home again, for it was not easy to
move so often with such a little family; and the South Amboy people, as a whole, had been very
kind to us. I had misgivings that this was not the thing to do. However, we went to Tottenville to
live. Here we had to live in a rented house, so that it did not make so much difference in our
salary, though we were receiving more than at South Amboy. Our salary there was $6.00 and
parsonage, at Tottenville $8.00 and no parsonage. I have forgotten just what rent we paid out of
this. We had eight people to provide for; the five children, nurse, husband and myself. You can
imagine I could not do much Church work with such a little family.
We hadn’t been long in Tottenville when my good nurse, Mrs. Henry, had a letter from
Jamaica calling her back home as her parents were old and needed her. She told me with many
tears and said, “Mistress, I don’t want to leave you and my children (for they were deeply
attached to her), but I feel that my duty is to my parents first, so I feel I must go.” I could not
persuade her to stay when she put it in that light, so in October of our first year in Tottenville, we
took her to New York and saw her onto the steamer in a comfortable birth, and I am not ashamed
to say that I kissed the face of that black faithful soul when I bade her good-bye, after nine years
of faithful service to my children and me. I never saw her again, though she wrote many times of
her desire to return to us, but I felt the responsibility would be too great, for if she came back I
would probably have to keep her for life, which would entail many difficulties. We corresponded
with her, especially Daisy, who was her baby when she left us, until I received a letter from her
sister telling of her death. I certainly felt as though I had lost my right hand, and tried to carry on
without help until my little Ethel Lillian was born. Then it was necessary for me to have help and
then began the trial of having maids. I had three in four months; the first an elderly woman,
whom I felt might be a comfort when my baby came, but she was dishonest, dirty and lazy. In a
fit of temper she refused to do as she was requested and left the day I came downstairs. The next
one was with me one week. She was dirty and untidy, and she informed me that she must have
time off on Saturday and Sunday for she had to sing in the choir of the Catholic Church. When
she was through with her work she asked if she could go. I said, “Yes, go up and pack your
clothes and don’t come back anymore.” She said, “Don’t I suit you?” I said, “You do not. It
doesn’t suit me to have any girl who wants time off on the days when I need her most.” So she
went to sing in the choir. The third one came, one who had applied before. She was the best of the
three and stayed with me for three months. Just at house-cleaning time she informed me that she
had to leave because her mother wanted her to work on the farm, and nothing could induce her to
stay. You can imagine what a trial it was after having such faithful service for nine years. My
husband and I talked the matter over and I agreed if he would help me we would try to get along
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without help; which we did for many years after. Thus ends my chapter on the trials of servants,
or maids, as we call them now, but this was at a time when I most needed help.
Just before my last maid, Tilly, by name, left me, we received a telegram from New York
telling us that Rev. A.G. Kirkham and Rev. James Brown, a colored minister were in New York
and would like to come down to see us. They were friend from the Island of Jamaica. Of course
we were delighted to know they were in New York and replied, “Come at once.” We told them
how to get to us and we soon had the pleasure of receiving them into our home. We found Mr.
Kirkham quite indignant because, when he applied for rooms in a hotel in New York, they would
not receive his colored brother, so Mr. Kirkham would not stay either. They spent a day or two
with us while awaiting the departure of the boat to Jamaica, West Indies.
Just at this time my daughter Esther was baptized by her father in the Tottenville Church.
Our Sunday School here began at 9:30 and, as you may imagine, it was quite an undertaking to
get the children ready and off to school in time. The four older children went with their father and
when my mother came along she took Daisy to Church with her. Then I would get the baby ready
and get to Church in time for the sermon; so we were all at Church. If you had entered my kitchen
late Saturday night you would have seen a row of five chairs containing the clothing for each
child, and, under the chairs, five pairs of little shoes which the father had cleaned and put buttons
on; all ready for Sunday morning, for we had to be up as bright and early on that morning as any
other, for the father had to spend time in his study before leaving the house. After a while some
unpleasantness arose in the Church. Humorous tales were brought to us which were very
discouraging; things began to go wrong; and we were kept waiting for our salary for nearly three
months. One day Deacon Turner came to call on us and, when he found that the salary hadn’t
been paid, he paid it out of his own pocket, which was a great relief to us. As always, there is
someone to disturb the peace, for if the devil is busy anywhere, it is in the Church; so, being
discouraged, my husband again resigned.
About this time our dear friends the Spencers, to whom I have referred before, came to
visit us. They were on their way to the old country for a visit. This was our first meeting since our
marriage, and it was a delight to get together again. You may be sure we had much to tell one
another of our varied experiences. They were only with us a few days then, but on their way back
they again visited with us before going back to California. We have never met again but still
correspond after fifty-six years of friendship, and we love one another just the same.
After my husband resigned from the Church we moved out to a farm on Beach Road,
feeling it would be better for the children. This place had been left in the hands of caretakers and
it was in a filthy condition, but the owners said they would have it cleaned if we would do the
papering ourselves. This we consented to do, so we took the place. My sister Hallie and I papered
the place right through. It was a gigantic task, and looked very nice when finished and we were
quite proud of our work, but, lo, a disaster came to us. The first time I lit a fire in the great living-
room there was a great popping sound. The ceiling paper loosened and came scuttling down over
our heads. The walls were so dirty that the wet paste loosened the dirt and it all came down
together. I suppose we should have washed the walls and ceiling first, but we were amateurs and
did not know any better. The owners gave us more paper and we had all the work to do over
again. By the time it was done we were completely used up. At this time my husband, being an
expert stenographer and a rapid writer, obtained some homework to do for Rev. Dr. James
Buckley, a Methodist Minister and Editor of the Christian Advocate. He was a very rapid speaker
and could not get anyone to take his lectures satisfactorily. When he asked my husband if he
thought he could do it he said he could. Dr. Buckley said he didn’t believe it, but he would try
him out. He succeeded much to the Doctor’s surprise, who said, “I never had anyone to do it
before.” Dr. Buckley lived in Morristown and in order for my husband to make his appointment
on time, he had to get up at 4:30 A.M. to go to Morristown to take dictation and then return home
and transcribe it into longhand. Typewriters were not known then, so it was a very long weary
day for him. This was the only means of livelihood we had for some time. The boys and I
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attended to the garden from which they were able to sell a few things. We had plenty of fruit, but
that year there was such an abundance that one could not sell it. A large basket of Bartlet pears
would only fetch twenty-five cents.
Dr. Buckley became interested in the family and thought we should have a cow, so he
loaned my husband money to buy one. We were to pay for it as best we could. I learned to milk
and we kept chickens, which all helped to provide for the family.
The children had to go nearly two miles to school, taking their lunch with them. My
daughter Esther was able to help some, as she was between eleven and twelve years old. Here I
was doing all my housework in a farmhouse with eight rooms, getting the children off to school,
milking the cow, making butter, raising chickens, working in the garden, ironing, doing
everything but the washing; making hay with the boy’s help and housing it. I became very weak
and rundown, so much so that I had to take my baby and go away for a few days’ rest, leaving the
children to Esther’s care and a young girl neighbor of ours; my mother, who lived near, giving a
little oversight to them. I soon returned to take up my duties again.
My husband had been supplying different Churches on Sunday, two of which he spent at
the Mariners’ Temple in New York City where the Pastor was sick. Having a flower garden, I
sent the sick one a bouquet of flowers. When my husband returned, he told me he could hardly
get the flowers to their destination. He said when he stepped out of the ferryhouse he was
besieged by children begging for a flower, so the next week-end the children went into the fields
and gathered daisies. These we made into 50 bunches, which their father took into the City and
gave to the children. He said he could have given twice as many away.
After a time a call came to the Wyckoff Baptist Church, Ridgewood, Brooklyn, which
my husband accepted. Had I known what the field was like I should never have consented to
going there. The Church was in a very poor and mostly foreign district. There was no house near
the Church where we could live, so we hired a farmhouse without a farm on the Fresh Pond Road
near the trolley tracks. This was about two miles from the Church, and the nearest way to it was
by walking down the railroad tracks. My heart certainly grew faint when I saw what we were
coming to, but the call had been accepted and we had to go. On a cold March morning, with snow
and slush on the ground, we left Staten Island for Brooklyn. The three younger children had been
sent over to my mother’s at Kriesherville, about two miles, or a little more, perhaps, where they
remained until the following day. We had to be up at 4:30 in the morning to have everything
ready for the moving vans as they had to get an early start in order to get to the other home by
night. There were no auto vans at that time. We took our cows with us, which necessitated having
extra men to drive them. We also took our chickens. After everything was gone my husband and I
went to my mother’s, wither the other children had gone, had lunch there, and took the train for
New York. Those who have travelled by train and elevated and trolley can sense what a weary
journey it was. By the time we reached Ridgewood, where our destination was, I was quite sick,
but we had to tramp through snow and slush to reach the Church, where I was leaving the four
girls in care of a Mrs. Waters, whose rooms were in the back of the Church of which she was
Sexton. Then my husband, the boys and I tramped another mile to the house, which we reached
just as the goods were arriving, about five o’clock.
The people of the Church had promised to have the house cleaned for us which they had
failed to do, but of course it was cold and desolate. The first thing we did after the moving men
had gone was to put up the stoves and light the fires. I was so sick I could hardly keep up, the
boys were hungry and asking for food, the cow had to be milked, which was a difficult job, for
she was frightened and worried from her journey, and, being in a strange place, my gentle Molly
was hard to manage. Just as everything seemed to be going right, the bottom dropped out of the
self-feeding stove and the fire had to be built over again. As soon as the cow was milked and
bedded we shut ourselves into the house, had a supper which we very much needed, put up two
beds in the dining-room where the fire was, shut the cat and dog in the attic room, got to bed and
to sleep. I shall never forget that day as long as I live. I was too sick and exhausted to do very
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much the next day. The whole of our time here was a keen disappointment. We managed to make
the home very comfortable and then had to turn our attention to getting the children located in a
school. My what a disappointment that was. The school was run by an elderly lady, there was
very little discipline, and only the one teacher for all grades. The children had to walk a mile and
a half to school and take their lunch with them. I do not think they progressed very much in their
studies. After a while the old lady was replaced by a male principal, who had a very bad temper.
He would lay the boys over his desk and paddle them; so much that he had to be removed.
The Church condition wasn’t much better for there were cliques in the Church and very
little spirituality, I am sorry to say. Things went on very well for a time until one day my husband
preached a sermon on “Sabbath Breaking” which offended the Senior Deacon of the Church. He
used to come to Church on Sunday morning and then go out and do real estate business the rest of
the day. He thought the sermon was preached against him, so he became a bitter enemy and made
trouble for us in every way that he could.
Sunday was a very busy day for us. Before we stated to Church I had to get breakfast,
milk the cows, get the work done and then put up a basket of lunch to take to Church with us. Our
Sunday School began at 2 o’clock, so there wasn’t time to take the long walk home and back
again in time for Sunday School. It made a long day in the Church. Of course, the children helped
as much as they could, but it was not an easy task to get everything done and get there in time for
the service.
As the days went by our troubles increased. We were living on the other side of the road
beyond the school line. Through the enemy before named, who had considerable influence with
the school board, we were told we could not send our children to that school anymore because we
were beyond the school district. We went to the school board about it, and they said we could
only send the children there if they boarded in the district. This, of course, was impossible. Then
we were told if they took two meals a week there it would be counted as boarding. I then made
arrangements for this with Mrs. Waters, the Sextoness. We paid her so much a month, and I
insisted on a receipt each time I paid her, for which I was very glad, as she afterwards reported
that I did not pay her and the children were so “taffety” they wouldn’t touch the food given them.
This was occasioned by my daughter finding a good fat worm in her cabbage. Then they reported
that we had said what was false, that they didn’t pay board at all. We then had to send the
children to a school that had just been started in the Glenwood district; across barren lots. Here
there were two young women by the names of Chase and Ketchum. It surely was a “chase and
catchum” school. There was no discipline, the older children were too advanced to get any food
from such a school, and the others did not get much of anything. Finally my eldest daughter was
sent to a school in East New York on the outskirts of Brooklyn and the two boys to one nearer the
home. I never expected to have my children in such schools or among such a class of children.
Please bear in mind that the school system was not what it is today. We could truly say, “An
enemy hath done this.”
Things were not much better in the Church life as there was no cooperation – one party
pulling one way and one another. A few amusing things occurred, as well as some trying ones.
One time some of the people undertook to give us a surprise party. They were bringing us a
lemonade set of a pitcher and six glasses. One woman, who always wanted to get the best of the
others, started without waiting for the rest of the party. She had charge of the glasses, but disaster
befell her. In coming up the railroad track she tripped over a signal wire and broke half of the
glasses, much to the chagrin of the others. This same woman once told me she could shake hands
pleasantly with a person and yet hate that one in her heart.
Whenever we held a supper, the material for which was usually donated, some of the
women would appropriate anything they liked for their own use; it was never seen on the supper
table. We held a clam chowder supper in the woods one time and a nice piece of corn beef had
been donated. Two of the women determined to have that beef for themselves. Mrs. Waters took
great pains in hiding that meat away, but Mrs. S. determined to find it, which she did when the
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other one was otherwise engaged. She was very careful to cover up the hiding place just as it had
been left. Mrs. S. won the day and carried the meat home. No one knew what had become of it
but myself.
We decided to hold an English tea, which developed into a regular supper. Some of the
women were of German extraction and they decided to change the plans, unknown to me. I was
detained from getting to the Church early for I had to finish a dress for my little Ethel before I
could take her there. When I reached the Church, about five o’clock, expecting to find things
going on, what was my consternation but to find that no tables were in the place and no effort had
been made to get them, their excuse being, they were waiting for me. The tables had to be sent
for, so I rounded up some boys, sent for the horses and with much hurrying, we succeeded in
getting everything ready by the advertised time, 6:30 P.M. Needless to say, I was very much
upset by the whole affair. A lady came to me and said, “I sent a very nice cake here and wanted
my friend to have a piece, but I don’t see it.” I made inquiries for it, but it was not forthcoming
and no one had seen it. Dinners were also passed out the back entrance to people who never paid
for them. These things were very distressing to us. I spoke to them more than once about it but, of
course, only got myself disliked.
Then a climax came in the Sunday School, which one party ran, which resulted in them
all getting out and leaving just a few of us to carry on. The superintendent, several teachers and
the organist of the Sunday School and Church all went but we determined to carry on. I played
the organ in the Sunday School and a young woman who remained with us played for the Church
services. I drilled the children for entertainment and, with the few we had left to work with us, we
carried on. This, I think, was the most difficult and upsetting Church we ever had. It was almost
unbelievable that people confessing to be followers of Jesus could act in this way. We were very
glad when a call came for us to go elsewhere.
An opportunity came for my husband to become Assistant Pastor to Dr. Dixon who was
then pastor of the Hanson Place Church in Brooklyn. This necessitated our moving into the city.
We were rather sorry to do this for the children had always lived in the country, but considering
the trying circumstances through which we had passed, we thought it best to accept this call. Of
course we had to sell the cows and chickens, which was a great loss to the children for we had
always had plenty of eggs and milk. After much searching, we found a house on Gates Avenue,
not very far from the church and moved into it just after Thanksgiving. We little knew what great
sorrow awaited us.
At the time we went to the Hanson Street Baptist Church, Dr. Dixon was conducting
evangelistic services in a theater in New York City. He found my husband very helpful in looking
after details, seeing to the distribution of hand bills, etc. The men would come to our house on
certain mornings for the bills to distribute. My darling little daughter, a general favorite with
everyone, would go into the parlor and go to the organ and try to play and sing her little hymns to
them. Then she would ask which one they like best. When they told her, she would say, “Well I
like this best.” “It is never too soon for the children to rally around the dear cross of the Lord.”
This she would sing to them.
At Christmastime we had the joy of seeing two boys and daughter May baptized by Dr.
Dixon. This made us very happy. A short while after this Ethel said to me, “The boys haven’t
fighted since they fighted the last time, have they Mamma.: I said, “No dear, they are trying to
please Jesus.” One Sunday afternoon the children went to a revival service after the Sunday
School hour, where the invitation was given for those to rise who wanted to love Jesus. Ethel was
very anxious to do this, but her sister, thinking she was too young, restrained her. Ethel could not
forget it and she told me she did want to do it because she did love Jesus. It distressed her so
much and she spoke of it so many times that I said to her, “Now, Ethel, tell me what you think it
means to be a Christian.” She replied, “To be good.” I said, “What else?” “To do what you and
papa tell me,” she replied. I said, “Isn’t there anything else dearie?” She replied, “And to love
Jesus and try to do what he tells me.”
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On Christmas day we all went to Staten Island to spend the holiday with mother and the
families there. While crossing the ferry Ethel saw a gull flying and she exclaimed, “Oh Mamma,
look at the Angel.” Some days after our return home she said to me, “I don’t want to die, do
you?” I said, “No, dear, I want to stay here and take care of you, but if Mamma dies first she will
go to Heaven and watch for her little Ethel to come.” She said, “Yes, and if I go first I will watch
for you and papa to come too.”
A few short weeks and the dreaded disease, diphtheria, took hold of her and in less than a
week our little darling Ethel Lillian, at the age of 4 years, 11 months, went to be with Him, who
said, “Suffer little children to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” The same
night that Ethel left us my son Fred was taken ill with diphtheria and nearly left us, but God, in
His tender mercy, spared him to us. Just as he was discharged by the doctor my husband was
taken sick. The doctor left me one night and told me that he had done all he could and that there
was only one thing more for him to try which was not often used. I was to administer it every
little while, which I did, anxiously watching the effect. After he had taken a few doses he began
to get relief. When the doctor came the next morning he said the danger was passed. Our home
was certainly overshadowed with trouble, and the loss of our dear baby girl seemed more than we
could bear. I couldn’t bear the sight of children about her age until one day I was passing a
funeral store and saw in the window a pillow or artificial flowers with the words on it, “In God’s
Care” which was His message to me. I then felt that I could leave my darling there. Her loss was
great and our hearts very sore, but we were thankful our others were spared to us.
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History of The Robinson Family

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History of The Robinson Family

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HISTORY OF THE ROBINSON FAMILY

Elizabeth Julia Lawes Robinson

November 23, 1931

Digitized by Savannah Robinson

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