Nantucket Friends in 1799 and 1809

Abstract

NANTUCKET FRIENDS IN 1799 AND 1809139 The reason why there should have been nothing stronger than "Syder" in their outfit may possibly be explained by the simpler life to which William Hunt must have been accustomed in comparison with the English Friends. Yearly Meeting Stock To Charles West Dr. 1771For Sundry Stores for Wm Hunt & Comp". 5 mo. Ist. To 3 Sheep @ 20/ ................... £3. o. o To 3 Hogs .......................... 3.19. 8 To One Barrel Syder & Casks .......... 1. 7. 6 To 8 Salpêtre Gams i03lbs @ 7^ ....... 3. 4. 4% To One Bundle Hay 2c.3.i4 & packing. . 1. 1.10 To Cash paid Porterage ................ ?. o£12.14. 4 NANTUCKET FRIENDS IN 1799 AND 1809. [The two following brief papers give descriptions of the Friends on the Island of Nantucket as seen by two Ministers who made religious visits to the island at an interval of ten years. Extracts from the manuscript unpublished letters and Journal of Dr. Rowland Greene, of Rhode Island (1770-1859), have already been given in The Bulletin (vol. 2, pp. 119,121). There was probably little change in numbers or conditions during the interval of the visits. The larger numbers reported as attending the meetings of Richard Mott were probably due to his being the greater stranger, Rowland Greene being well-known to many on the island , and to the fact that Richard Mott must have been by far the abler speaker.—Editor.] The following letter is valuable as showing the activity of Friends on the island of Nantucket at the close of the Eighteenth Century. Richard Mott, of New York, was born in 1767, married Abigail Field in 1787, and in the same year, at the age of twenty, made his first public appearance in the ministry. He was "recommended " in 1794, and lived until 1856, dying in his ninetieth year. In 1799, at the age of thirty-two, he was released by his Monthly Meeting of Purchase, N. Y., to visit in the limits of I4O BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY Rhode Island [New England] Yearly Meeting. He was joined by his life-long friend, William Rotch, of New Bedford, Mass., and they accompanied Rebecca Jones and two other women Friends to Nantucket Quarterly Meeting in the summer of that year. This letter to his wife is the earliest that has been preserved of a correspondence covering a period of fifty-one of their sixty-four years of married life. Amelia Mott Gummere. Nantucket in 1799. Richard Mott. Nantucket, 7th. Month 6th. 1799. My most Endear'd Abby : One Month now expires since the Trying separation from thee and the dear Babes; a separation almost too trying for my nature.—I wrote thee from [New] Bedford 6 Month 29th., giving a particular account thus far. The afternoon of that day, attended a Meeting appointed for us at Fairhaven, a little town opposite [New] Bedford. This meeting was concluded to be held in a new, unfurnished dwelling house. We accordingly sat down, but there being likely to be a want of room to accommodate the people, the Presbyterian Minister, a goodly looking young man, Respectfully invited us to withdraw to their meeting house, and there being an entire freedom on our part so to dp, we comply'd, retir'd to it and sat "down. A pretty large company attended, which behav'd solid and well. The Gospel of Peace was declar'd unto them, with which they seem'd well satisfied, and some of them very solid. The Minister was much so, telling Wm. Rotch after meeting that he would be at any time glad for Friends to have meetings with them, and that he thought that he should study his sermons no more. 7th. day, Reach'd Nantucket after a good passage of 9 hours; attended meeting at the Northern District in the Morning , and at the South Meeting house, afternoon. 2nd. day, Select Quarterly Meeting; 3rd. day, Quarterly Meeting, 4th. day, weekday meeting, North District; 5th. day, that for the Southern, and in the afternoon a meeting appointed for us, Compos'd principally of young people, a very large number of this Class gave us their company, some Friends say, 1500. This NANTUCKET...