Diary of Jethro Bachelder - pages 1 to 5  
Pages 1 to 5
Life of Jethro Bachelder
1840 - 1933
Jethro Bachelder and grandchildren

Written in 1930 by Jethro at the age of 90

 The following account of the life of Jethro Bachelder was originally transcribed by Violet Bachelder, wife of Jethro's grandson Jethro William Bachelder, with the help of daughter Judy Denham.  Material that is bracketed and in italics has been added to clarify family relationships mentioned in the diary.  Jethro did not follow a chronological pattern and often came back to an earlier date as he remembered more details.
 
   1767- Grandfather Daniel Bachelder was born in Lowden, New Hampshire January, 1767.
Died January 13, 1852.
Twelve children were born,- Sias, 1796; Jonathon, 1776; Dorothy, Hanna; Anna; Judith; Polly, Jethro, 1784; Abigail, Samual Locke, Nathaniel, 1792; Daniel, February 1798.


1798 - Father Daniel Bachelder, born February 18, 1798, Lowden, N.H.
 

1. Married Phebee Hyde, 1823, Franklin, Vermont.
 

Children - 
Phebee, 1824, died young;
Harriet, 1826;
Harlow, 1828;
Judith Ann, 1832;
Luther ??
 

2. Married Electa Killan, March 31, 1832, died June 50,1845.

Children -
Daniel, August 24, 1833, died July, 1851.
Sias, January 8 1835. Married Lucetta Peters, La Platte, Nebraska, 1866.
Marietta, December 24, 1836. Married Gavin Gilmour in Montreal .
Their children- Electa, Granville, Gavin, Susan, Marietta, Arthur.
Jethro, born July 27 , 1840. Married Sarah Jane Cousens of Ottawa, Capital of Canada,
March 16, 1867

Their children- 
Annie Maud; Walter Sias; Marietta Matilda;
William Cousens; Arthur Lloyd; Elizabeth Wilhelmina; George Whitfield; Electa Caroline.
 

5. Married Caroline Reynolds, 1853. No children.


Daniel Bachelder had little schooling. Being dissatisfied, left home in Stanstead with an older brother, Sias. Started for Montreal on foot. Did not reach there. Built a tannery at Rougemont, P.Q. among English American settlers. That business did not pay. Bought two farms side by side, one for his brother Sias, in 1822 at Sheriff's sale for $400.00 each. Built small house to live in, then married. Their two sons live on the farms now (1930). These farms covered with heavy timber meant plenty of work for these brave pioneers. Patriotic for a part to the United Empire Loyalists who preferred the Government of England to that of the United States. First in loyalty to the crown.. In 1837 taking military duty in the French Rebellion, gaining the honorable title of Lieutenant Colone1 of that district.
 

Took a leading part in establishing an Episcopal church, was complete in 1845. (The previous year he moved 36x36 barn 40 feet so my mother could see the church building. ) Carpenters were Isaac Tewney, Thomas Sloggett of Granby, Onus Crawfield of Abbotsford. Glazer was Walter Drake of Abbotsford. Took part in a separate Protestant school. Also worked to start a mail route from Montreal to Sherbrooke. First Postmaster of Rougemont, Justice of the peace. Progressive farmer. Lived an honorable life. Died a much regretted friend, 20th May 1882.

Nine children were born. 

Phebee Hyde from Vermont - first wife, five children,- 
Phebee, died young. 
Harriet married Daniel Austin. He supplied the troops in Chambley and Montreal with beef. 

Harlow Hyde married Margaret Reid. Had five children. 

Luther P. married Helen Sloggett. No children. In 1853 he had contracted to build a church in Brottleboro, Vermont. Died there in September of typhoid Fever.

Judith Ann married James Code of Rougemont. Three daughters born. She died in 1878

Daniel Bachelder married (2nd time) Electa Killan in 1832. Four children were born. - 

Daniel K. attended private school under Judge Day. Went swimming in April 1851, had quick consumption and died July. 

Sias, born January 8, 1835, married Lucetta Peters in Nebraska, Dec 25, 1866. Had seven children. Died in 1903. 

Marietta born Dec. 22, 1836 Married Gaven Gilmore in Montreal in 1856. An augers and bitts manufacturer. Very successful. Started poor, died wealthy. Word was as good as his bond. Six children were born. Electa married the Rev. Bilton, died 1909. No issue. Gavin drowned in his 8th year; Granville married Miss Alice______. Three children were born. Gavin died young, Alice, Gavin and Susan. Married Rev. W.F. Fyles in Manitoba. Arthur narried in Magog. Ruth in business in Montreal. 

Jethro Bachelder. Born July 27, 1840. Married Sarah Jane Cousens of Ottawa, Canada on 16th of March, 1867. A beautiful Christian, very charitable. Played the organ in the church many years. God blessed me most when she married me. Eight children were born. 

Jethro Sarah and family

Annie Maud  (b.1868)- married F.C. Alcorn in Winnipeg, now a coffee and tea merchant. No issue.

Walter Cousens, born 1870. Died in. his fifth year of scarlet fever. 

Marietta Matilda (b.1872)Lila, Marietta, and Electa Bachelder

William Cousens (b.1874)  died at 14 years of age of pneumonia.

Arthur Lloyd,  born 1875, married Miss Myrtle Standish of Rougemont. Now living in Manitoba.. Three sons born. A farmer, does all his own work with gasoline engines. (1930)

Elizabeth Wilhelmina, (Lila) (b.1877?)

George Whitfield Bachelder

George Whitfield, born 1880, Married Margaret Gauley of Goderich, Ontario. Ten children born. An engineer on C.N.R. at La Tuque, P.Q. Children-Frederick, Doris, Walter, Carol, Jethro, Lewis, Robert, Edward, Joan. Marietta died in infancy.

Electa in France 1919Electa Caroline- Nurse, served overseas in World War 1, 1910-1919. On return resided in Los Angeles, California

.



1840  Jethro Bachelder, farmer's son, born 27th July, 1840, at Rougemont, Province of Quebec, Canada.
1843 In. January, 1843, my father had built a sleigh painted black. He drove my mother and I to Mr. Enoch Dickey's, one mile. Stayed there one hour. Arrived home, my mother stood by a table with outside winter clothes on. She was tall and dark. I never saw her again until in her coffin in the month of June 1845. She was the first to be buried in the new Episcopal church just completed.
1844 In 1844, the church. was to be built. Made of three inch planks for the sides, nailed together. The planks were supplied by James and George Hope of Devanhan (??). Carpenters employed were Isaac Timing, Thomas Sloggett, Mr. Drake of Abbotsford glazed the windows. Father worked all the time and boarded all of the men the whole time as well as the Rev. Thomas Johnson.. The belfry was topped by a blue clover leaf and covered later with tin as was the belfry.
1847 A mellow. toned bell was presented by the Bishop of Montreal.
1846 Uncle Sias two daughters were married. Ann to Richard Standish, and Mary to Robert Standish of Rougemont.
1847 Attended school common.- Learned to milk
1848 - A potato famine in Ireland drove many Irish emigrants to Canada which country put them to road making, from Montreal to Sherbrooke, 90 miles. It was out of reason. The drinking, smoking and quarrelling that went on for three years.
1849 I was old enough to drive a horse and cart to draw gravel on the road and helped my brother to break stone for the McAdam the road in dry places. Three inch - 8 feet long planks were placed on the clay lands.
1849  Jonathon Bachelder (uncle) from Stanstead - the first two horse tread threshing machine. He and my brother Harlow thrashed grain for the farmers all winter. Sold it to Cromwell Phelps for $300.00. Took a mortgage on his farm at 12% interest. The mortgage was outlawed in thirty years and he lost it. Jonathon went to California and never returned.
1849  -Separate Protestant schools were established.
1850 Sister Harriet married Daniel Austin. A drover from Stanstead / He supplied troops in Montreal and Chambley.
1851  Father Chineque, a Roman Catholic priest of Montreal said .priests ought to marry. He married a nun. The head of the church drove him out of the church. He took many Canadian families with him to Kankabee, 80 miles south of Chicago. They tried to unfrock him there, but did not succeed. After his death they called his daughter illegitimate, but failed. Cost the church $20,000.00 by law as a fine.
1851  Jacob and Nathaniel moved into Rougemont. 
1851 Two young ladies came from Ireland. Miss Eliza Pratt and Mary Ann Parr. Went to New York. Miss Pratt married Senator Elkins of Virginia.
 

My brother Daniel, seventeen years of age, attended private school under Judge Day at Broome Lake. In April the boy played baseball, then went swimming. He caught cold and died in July..
 

I went to live with my sister Harriet to rock the cradle. Daniel was born on a farm near Georgeville, Stanstead. Miss Lizzie Payne came to visit us. Eleven years of age. She was dressed in black. Her father had just died in Newark, New Jersey. Brother Luther took me to see the first railway train in St. Hyacinth, Canada.

Brother Luther married Helen Sloggett of Granby. Established Protestant separate schools - Daniel Webster, one of the greatest orators and lawyers in the United States. He was a cousin.

Sister Marietta taught school in Abbotsford.
 

1853  Brother Harlow married Rebecca Reid of Durham.
1855 Father married Miss Caroline Reynolds of Frelightsburg.

In October Luther died in Brattlebor, Vermont. He had a contract to build a church there. Father brought the body home for burial. Died of typhoid fever.
 

I853 Marietta taught school in Magog. Boarded at Harlow Bachelders.
1854 Came home in April.- A few days before Sias (brother) had left Montreal for California. I expected to go with him.. But he never reached there. On his way he stopped to see Uncle Daniel Bachelder at Greencastle. Judge Bachelder, a cousin, proposed loading a two - horse wagon with goods to sell to the Indians on the road to 0maha He drank so much liquor on the way that he laid in the wagon rnuch of the time. When Sias reached Omaha he had only fifty cents in his pocket.
1854 Worked and earned Four hundred dollars and the Wild Cat Bank failed and he lost it. He told me that he cried. All people in that vicinity lost as well. Had to accept anything for pay, an ox or horse, a piece of land until he became tied up there.
1854 Marietta met Mr. Gilmore in Montreal. The Grand Trunk Railway celebrated the taking of Sebastopol in the Turkish war. They had fireworks. Father, Mother and I went there to see it. I had not seen any before. While there, we met Mr. Gilmore for the first time. Letter postage was fifteen cents.
1854 Mr. Enoch Dickey moved to Danville, near Sherbrooke.
1854 Father employed Truman Saunders. to repair the house. A fire started by Jean Diore to burn brush had set fire to vast forest and burned for many days. Destroyed valuable timber from the Marieville road to the corner near St. Cesaire. The wood boxes has destroyed the lumber from us. Our money was L.-D.-P. English currency.
1855 Marietta (sister) married Mr. Gilmour, Manufacturing augers and bitts.

Brother Sias house burned in La Platte, Nebraska. 

Mr. Cousens moved from Chambley, Quebec to Bytown, Ontario. Sarah was born in Chambley, 1848.
 

1858 Mr. Gilmore, in company with William Cooley, opened a bitt and Auger manufacturing plant.. Power from Lachine Canal. Son Granville still manufacturing in 1930. The only factory of that kind existed all that time. Four inch augers made there for booms.
1860 Reciprocity between Canada and the United States was abolished.

Internal war in the United States. Abraham Lincoln as President freed the slaves.
 

1860 Judith Ann, my sister, drove to Glover, Vermont accompanied by Emily Chadsey and Miss Colerr, our school teacher. Our visit lasted two weeks.
1861 Jane Standish, Mary's daughter, drove into Stanstead to visit my father's people. Jim and Andrew Young from Stanstead asked me to go to Montreal with them. I did.
1862 Miss Eliza Bollery taught school for two years. We became very close friends. Her father was English. Her mother French, from St. Hyacinth. Taught music.
1863 Went with James Code (brother in law) to assist his brother to move to Waterloo. He was a carriage maker.
1864  Judith Ann and I in January, drove to Stanstead to see our father's relatives. A six week trip. We visited Uncle David Bachelder. Husband of Aunt Amanda, my mother's sister, Four children- - Mary, Betty, Preston, and Annette. She was ten years of age. Black eyes and red cheeks. I did not see her again until 1924.- I was told in Magog that she had enquired for me and aid that she lived in the Narragarette Hotel in Providence. We have corresponded ever since. Her last letter said she was coming to California in the winter of 1930. She had married a jeweller and he died leaving her wealthy. She resides in Florida in winter. Now Mrs. A.M. Clark.
1864 In April I left home to see my brother Sias in Nebraska. He owned then one-half interest in a steam saw and grist mill. Bachelder and Hogeboon. Also a cable flat boat ferry across the Platte River, in company with Lee Kimball. A one hundred and sixty acre farm at the foot of the Bluffs and another sixty acres on the Missouri river directly east.
 

Sias knew that the miners at Pike's Peak, Colorado needed supplies of every description. In August he fitted two freight wagons and loaded them with goods that the merchants wished to be taken to Denver, Colorado. We loaded six ton at $200.00 delivered in Denver. With four oxteams on each wagon, we started on the 29th August. Delivered the goods the -tenth of October and returned at once.
 

Dennis Downing was working for father on the farm.. I had Miss Ballery's photograph in my pocket, but lost it in the second year. While looking for the oxen one morning it slipped through a hole in my pocket.

In winter I ran the engine to grind wheat.
 




 
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