Beach Camp’s Diary —

Part I: March Through December, 1831

The notebook is purchased March 21, 1831, for 25 cents. Selected excerpts are included below, beginning with the first entry.

March 29, I now propose to sketch in this book the remarkable events that come to my knowledge, both as it regards myself and others of the human family, doing which will serve to strengthen memory and call forth reflections upon the author and works of nature…

March 30, Rain showered upon us in abundance. Contrived a machine for rubbing combs. Read Bishop Seabury’s discourse on the faith of Abraham, “Lord, grant me a portion of that faithfulness.”

March 31, Worked in the shop. Hiram returned from Southington. Swapped gray and got bay mare.

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April 1, Good Friday, Fast day otherwise called Good Friday. Went to church. Mr Bradley preached from Luke 19, Chapter 30.

April 2, Worked at ditch. Vended wife’s land at Mile Hill for $16 per acre, bid off by Dan Peck.

April 3, Rain and sunshine by the blessing of Providence causes vegetation to come forth from the tomb in which dreary winter had confined it. Observe peas planted 12 March are coming up.

April 7, Spring comes. Stoned ditch with Cyrus, Dibble and Hiram.

April 8, Warm April showers. Farmers commence the cultivation of the earth. May it please the Lord to bless our labors for our good here and hereafter.

April 9, Snow showers. High wind prostrates rail fence. Rubbed 16 dozen of combs.

April 11, Wife and I rubbed combs. This month thus far has not been as pleasant as March.

April 12, Stained combs. Think I shant finish them this week. Borrowed Polly Ann’s brass kettle.

April 13, Finished rubbing and commenced polishing. Girls stained combs.

April 14, Warm and pleasant. Colored combs.

April 15, Disappointed about waterworks in consequence of some misunderstanding. Rode a stubborn colt, which brought to mind my coltish days.

April 16, Very stormy. Had a warm bath for coloring combs, which caused violent perspiration.

April 18, Warm day. Finished coloring and polishing combs. Beers Fairchild bent 21 dozen this afternoon. It is remarked by many that pasture is as forward as it is many times at the first of May.

April 19, Closed my work at finishing combs for this lot.

April 20, Went to Norwalk with Father’s horse and Samuel’s Wagon. Went on boat, the “Steamboat Citizen” at about 12 o’clock. Entered New York at about half past 6 o’clock.

April 21, Went about [New York City] to find a market for my combs. Not finding one to my satisfaction, left them at a commission store.

April 22, Purchased 500 horns of P. Gedney for 13 dollars per hundred. Two pirates hung on Gibbet Islands. Two persons drowned by the upsetting of a boat.

April 23, Returned home by the same route that I went.

April 26, Went to Bridgeport and got a load of horns; had Clement Fairchild’s Horse…Paid 60 cents for the use.

April 27, Six months this day since I was joined to Catharine in wedlock by Rev Daniel Burhans — Time the which that transports us on the journey of life is propheted by fleeting wings.

April 30, Called upon by Peter W. Fairchild to go after a doctor to attend his wife being in travail — delivered of a daughter, pretty comfortable.

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May 1, Attended church. Abel Nichols read service…performed it much better than last Sabbath.

May 2, Training day and no very easy day’s work to stride about the street with a musket on the shoulder, or stand lounging around which is harder than to be on the march.

May 3, Moving Day. Pretty good luck but one tea saucer cracked, it proved a hard day’s work to wife, so much so that the fatigue caused sleep to become almost an entire stranger.

May 5, Not much business accomplished by the young people this day. Had a small frolic after a roasted egg with the girls and boys, no one was the better for the egg mashed in my hand.

May 6, Worked in the shop. In the forenoon, went to Bethel. Tried to find a cow. Not easy to be found.

May 7, Methinks I have not accomplished much this day nor even this week, as appears by reviewing this diary…

May 9, Cold. Snow showers. Had my fingers ache with the cold as hard as in wintertime. Think there must be a heavy frost. Peach, apple and cherry trees in blossom.

May 10, More moderate. Had a day of cobbling old shoes. Father’s old sow got 11 pigs.

May 11 and 12, Warm and pleasant. Lost 4 pigs. Wife went to town, got calico for a frock at 25 cents per yard.

May 14, Nothing special to note the last day of the week and close of the day. Who will insure another week or another day? Lord, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

May 15, Attended church. Destitute of a clergy man as yet. Service read by Amariah Beers, sermon by Alfred Blackman.

May 16, Had the appearance of rain. Very little fell, however. Sawed up 160 horns. Borrowed one gallon of oil of Beers Fairchild.

May 17, Planted 12 hills of cucumbers. A soft refreshing shower of rain to enliven nature.

May 18, Hiram and myself pressed 209 pieces. Disagreeable work for me on account of steam rising from oil and coal producing the headache. Women engaged in quilting for Sarah Ann.

May 19, Marked and squared pieces for 30 dozen combs. Made a mop stick. Fixed a scraper at the end door where there never was one before to my knowledge.

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June 1 and 2, A continuance of very warm weather. Most people complain of it being too hot for comfort. Mankind… too apt to complain of the dealings of Providence. Ungrateful creatures! Who hourly receive the blessings and bounty of Providence to murmur and repine because he has not ordered some things according to their wish.

June 20, Abner Judson and Henry Tucker came over to hang my waterwheel.

June 21, Phil Fairchild Jr, and Isaac Scudder’s wife sink into the bosom of our common parent the earth.

June 25, [Brother] Dibble raised his barn — had very good luck.

June 27, Carted three loads of gravel from sand hill. Eight months this day since I became a husband.

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July 18, Hauled out my book from the draw[er] where it has lain dormant for about three weeks during which time harvest has been gathered into barns. Some hay got up, much more to get. Samuel Fairchild sick with a bilious complaint. Bennett Fairchild’s wife sick with fever…Yesterday morning Josiah Fairchild taken with a fit of numb palsy.

July 22, Silas Fairchild died of the cholera-morbus. It is worthy of remark that it lacked but one week of being a year since his brother Bradley was drowned. Both left a family and in expectation of an addition.

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August 1, Sowed turnips.

August 2, Made a butter stick. Dog days weather-wise, showery with thunder.

August 6, Had a poor mowing, better in the afternoon. Went to Mother Foote’s with wife. Bought 18 lb. of wheat flour for 50 cents.

August 7, Wife received kick from the cow on her hip. No serious damage done, however. George caught a woodchuck, which was contrary to my wish.

August 19, Wife fell into Pond Brook while after grapes with Adah and Mary Ann. Got out without receiving any other injury than wetting her clothes.

August 25, Some people are sowing their winter grain. Others making cider and others doing neither.

August 28, The funeral of Josiah Fairchild was attended by a large [gathering] of people. His remains were deposited in the ground by six grandchildren, three of whom are married and have families of children. A.E.[aged] 77. Three children, 25 grandchildren, and 18 great grandchildren, all living.

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October 27, The first anniversary of our marriage celebrated by me in shop and by wife at home making applesauce.

November 1, Beaded combs. Beers Fairchild rubbed side combs on my machine. A tin peddler put up here for the night.

November 11, Had a visit from Mother Foot[e] and Charles Stilson and wife. Stilson is sorely afflicted with the Rheumatism, He considers as he should that it is all for the best, otherwise it would not have been thus.

November 12, Put up 4 bushels of corn and 8 bushels of buckwheat to carry to mill.

“Must not lie abed late tomorrow morning because it is Sunday morning,” says wife. Rubbed 20 dozen of combs. Wife finished making a black muslin frock.

November 13, Did not lie abed late, but our time deceived by being too slow so that we were late to Church.

November 19, It was daylight as we supposed when we got up and wife says we are getting back into the old [bad habit?] we must try for the future to get up a little earlier. But on examining the time-piece it was a little past 4 o’clock.

November 24, Thanksgiving Day, Got Philo Gilberts wagon and wife and myself went in to Church where a discourse was delivered by Mr [Rev] Stratton from Psalm 124:4 “The Lord hath done great things for them.”

November 26, Stained combs.

November 30, Colored combs.

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December 1, Bended combs.

December 2, Same. Assisted in butchering two fat creatures.

December 3, Finished bending combs.

December 12, Town meeting convened this day for the purpose of making town office. Adjourned one week. Mrs Stratten very ill. Carried a present of some mutton from Mother.

December 15, Helped Brother Trowbridge butcher his hogs. Weighed them and got of him a fat tub.

December 19, Assisted Cyrus and Hiram in shoeing an ox-sled in the fore-noon and went to town meeting in the afternoon, which was an adjourned meeting, taxes laid. Town tax, 3 cents; highway tax, 2 cents; state tax 1 cent.

December 20, Hiram, George, and myself sledded wood for Cyrus. George observed that the chicken pie that he ate for dinner was hard to digest. Hiram upset a load of wood in Cyrus’s sawmill lot.

December 22, Wife taken with a severe cold — pains and aches throughout system. Tried to sweat her but without effect.

December 23, Still worse, having a very tight hard cough. Succeeded this evening in making her rest.

December 24, Cut wood at the door. Wife continues ill though somewhat relieved from the pain she had been afflicted with. Afternoon went on the business of my appointment, which was that of collecting candles for the illumination of the Church on the Eve of Christmas. Collected 2½ dozen or thereabouts.

December 25, Sunday, also Christmas Day, Mr Stratten discoursed to us the congregation on the propriety of celebrating Christmas and the way and manner it should be celebrated.

December 26, Wife remained ill. Fearful about the result.

December 27, Carried Maria to Sandy Hook and Mother Foot[e] home. Called on Dr Judson to come out to see my wife.

December 28, Father taken ill. He eat[s] little or no breakfast this morning, which is an uncommon thing for him this winter. Wife’s health rather on the mend.

December 30, Great demand for wood thus far this winter even among those that have aplenty of it for to support their fires.

December 31, 1831, The last day of the week, the last day of the month, and the last day of the year.

––––Next Week: Beach Camp’s Diary Part II –– January through November, 1832.