Levi Vincent Bowerman

Levi Vincent Bowerman

1877 - 1884

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Prince Edward County Archives

Levi Vincent Bowerman (1832-1910)
married Mary M Haight (1836-1905) and lived in Hallowell Township, Prince Edward County. His diary is held at the Prince Edward County Archives and has the accession number A2001.016.072 100a.

Transcribed by Lydia Wytenbroek, history student at Trinity Western University, Langley, British Columbia and posted here with her permission. Pam Noxon, archivist at the PEC Archives, also grants permission for this posting.
Thanks to Dr. Robynne Rogers Healey, Associate Professor at Trinity Western University, for her role in this effort.

Copyright: © Lydia Wytenbroek and Randy Saylor, 2008

Vincent Bowerman's Diary A2001.016.072 100a
[cover]

Vincent Bowerman’s
Diary 1877 – 1884

Including a note on
my birth p42
M. [Y?] Williams

[pg 1]
Vincent Bowerman’s [milored?]
Diary is one of the most
important family
documents.
p 5. Aunt Paty Hubbs,
(née Margaret Southard)
was Nancy Southard
Bowerman’s sister, Vincent’s
sister in law
p 17 Feb. 18, 1828 Nelson
Sills here au auguing [sic] to
work our farm
p 18. 3 mo 14, 1778 Nelson
Sills moved up here
19. George Lear died 3 mo 20, 1878
23- 1 mo. 25. went to
Levi’s (Bloomfield) – staid [sic] until
23rd – 4 mo ‘79
p 30 – Thomas Bowerman
Jr. died 4 mo. 1, 1881 – 10 ½ yrs
buried 3rd p. 31 – moved into new
home 4 mo. 5, 1881
p 37 – Mother’s wedding
9 mo. 13, 1882
p 39 – Meeting trouble
p 42. – My birth

[pg 2]
6 mo 24 my legg [sic] Rather sore
I have but little hopes of
it ever getting much
Better



Levi Bowerman
Bloomfield

[pg 3]
Vincent Bowerman
Born 5 mo 21 1791
Married 1813 moved on
my new farm 1814 about
Christmas

[pg 4]
[duplicate of page 3]

[pg 5a]
[blank]

[pg 5b]
V Bowerman Book
Book C

Sarah Terwilligar
wife of John Terwilligar
of Bloomfield
died 2 mo 23 1877
Wife of James
Foster daughter of
Vincent Ferguson
died 2 mo 23 1877
Peter McFaul died
2 mo 26 77 from the effects
of a paraletick [sic] Stroke
Buried at Hillier the
meeting held in Friends house mtn at Bloomfield

[pg 6a]
2
3 mo 4 “77
first day went to meeting
after meeting went to Stephen
Whites had a very Satis
factory visit
I Went up to Leavens & Nan
Cy [sic] Bowerman wife of D B from
Illinoise [sic] Came there
Wife of Auther [sic?]
Branscomb and daughter
inlaw [sic] of John Branscomb
died 3 mo 8 1877 and was buried
10 the 10 Levi & Mary
went to Napanee had a
Snow storm to ride in
17 thometer [sic] 2 below zero
6 oclock [sic] AM

[pg 6b]
3
3d mo 17 Wm Allen had
a meeting in our meeting
haus [sic] Commencing 7 oclock [sic]
in the evening
Gilbert Miller the Metho
dis [sic] preacher died in Picton
4 mo 6 1877 Ruth the wife
of Benjamin Brislol died
4 mo 7 1877
John Levils Barn was
burned 4 mo 11 1877
burned up 13 cows 2 horses
and every thing[sic] else that
was in it the work of an
Incendeiry [sic]
David Cunningham
died 4 mo 18 1877 buried
the 20th

[pg 7a]
4
1877
4 mo 26 the Boys gatherd [sic] 77
the Sap buckets and put
them in the Sap house
4 mo 30 Levi began making
Cheese gat but 700 of milk
the first day W H Ruttan
went over to Gilberts Factory
the Same day
[?] Burlingham
died 3 mo 12 1850
Phebe his widow died 4 5 mo 1877
buried the 6 by the side
of her husband in the
Stinson burying ground
5 mo 17 Went to Wellington
to attend the monthly meeting
Stoped [sic] at John Dortands
& took diner [sic] Self and Levi

[pg 7b]
5
Mary Carrie & Thomas had
a very good visit several
of his family at home that
day
5 mo 25 James Carter
Came home to day [sic] he
has been to see his sick
Father found him dead
and buried
5 mo 31 Made Aunt Paty
a visit found her Some
better than she had been
[H Merland?] Hubbs died
7 mo 28 1869
Sufferd [sic] long time &
very much his complaint
being dropsy his legs
both Bursted [sic] and ran

[pg 8a]
6
watter [sic] for a long time before
he died.
6 mo 1 quarterly meeting
our company the first night
were John Mulett
Duncan Wood
W Henry Mullett & wife
Fredrick Sweetman & wife
and four children
John Hudson
Sarah Phelps
Robert & Elizabeth Cadman
2 night
Lavina Merrel
Justice Robinson & and his
daughter Melissa
3 night Robert & Elizabeth
W H Mullett & wife

[pg 8b]
7
Phillip & Wm Ward
John Mullett & Wm Allen
Duncan Wood
Reuban Burchard
John Hudson Jr
Byron Robinson
Alford Mullett & wife
George Wantman
Anna Barton
Liza Ward
Barton Ward
Sarah Phelps
Biship Hannah died
6 mo 18 1877 after about
a weeks Illness buried 19
6 mo 19 Reuben Garratt &
wife here to night [sic]

[pg 9a]
8
Sarah B Saterithwait a friend
from England attend our mo
meeting
Elithabeth daughter of Dr Willy
Dorland died 6 mo 20 1877
buried 22
6 mo 24 Gideon Clark of
Halderman and his sister
Sarah Jane was at our place
and Staid [sic] all night
Sarah B Satterthwaite had
an appointed meeting 4 oclock [sic]
this afternoon in our mtng
house
7 mo 1 had the first mess
of young potatoes the 9th 1877
had them plenty so that
we used no more old ones

[pg 9b]
9
John Jones died 3 mo 29
1867
Reuben Cunningham
of Meaford died 7 mo 10 1877
Levi Began to mow
7 mo 11 1877 on the Bloofied [sic]
place
7 mo 25 Thomas & Lydia
Stinson & the wido [sic] phbe
Bowerman from [Mich?]
again here on a visit
Phebe Nexen with them
7 mo 27 Peter McFauls Wid
ow died was buried the 29
at Wellington 1877
8 mo 8 to day [sic] they buried James
Coopers [sic] wife of Sidney 1877
to day [sic] I eat the first green

[pg 10a]
10
apples from the august
apple tree John Mullett and
Mary went to Andrew Haig
hts for a visit John came
back Mary Staid [sic] there
8 mo 18 John Mullett
left home this afternoon
Deborah and Rachel Sills
came here this evening for
a visit
Seaborn Dorlan died in
Wellington 8 mo 27 1877
Was bured [sic] the 29
Noah McLain & Joseph
Radclif Left here 8 mo 27
8 mo 31 Finished getting
in the harvest 15 loads
of oats 7 loads wheat

[pg 10b]
11
7 loads of peas
9 mo 13 We went to Wm
Garratts to a feast made
to cellebrate [sic] his marriage
and his Sister Phebe they
were both married on the
Same day 9 mo 13 1818
9 mo 16 1877
Benjamin Mullett Elizabeth
Cadman Rachel Sills here
to night [sic] Started for home
the wind blew So hard
they could not get across
the Ferry and they came
back to try a gain [sic] in the
morning Rachel Cle
ndenan and her daugh
tor [sic] Mary Waring here +

[pg 11a]
12
8 mo 24 Self & wife went to
E Leavens met a Social company
of ten persons met in comem
oration of the [predence?] of
Phebe Bowerman Widow of
Brother Stephan Bowerman from
the far West Sister to Wm Gart
t for a visit
Gideon H Bowerman
died 9 mo 15 1877
6 oclock [sic] AM buried the 17
in the old Burying ground
nigh his own residence
9 mo 20 Shut up our
fatting [sic] hogs Levi & Ma
ry went to Huntingdon
the Same time

[pg 11b]
13
Tabithy wife of Gilbert
Jones of Murray was bu
ried 10 mo 9 1877
William Harris of Wellington
was buried 10 mo 10 1877
the first Snow fell 11 mo 5
began to snow about 5 oclock [sic]
at night
John Lombard moved in
to our house 11 mo 16 1877
Willet Hubs died 11 mo 6 1877
Peter Allen of Picton
died 11 mo 18 1877 after
a few hours Illness
11 mo 21 Nelson Sills here
12 mo 4 finished cutting
apples to dry no Snow on
the ground yet

[pg 12a]
14 1877
Joseph Haight died
12 mo 5 1877 was buried
the Seventh [wnd, wend or wind?]
12 mo 28 1877 We have had
scarcely any cold weather
weather ther [sic] is no Ice
in the Bay or in any of the
harbour the Steam Boats
are Running the Same as
Summers there was a few
cold days in the [fore part?]
of the month The milk
ponds froze over so that
the Boys sketed [sic] on them
but it only lasted a few
day there is no Frost in the
ground the people are ploughing

[pg 12b]
1878 15
12 mo 30 the weather something [sic]
colder than it was no snow
1 mo 4 1878 had a visit from
our neighbour E Leavens
and Joseph Berge from
Whitby Walter Roges of Illino
as [sic] first Snow Storm fell
7 or 8 inches of Snow it came
from the South East
1 mo 6 the thermometer
6 below zero at 6 oclock [sic] AM
4 above the same evening
Charles Boekus died in
Picton 1 mo 11 1878
Sarah Jane wife of John
Waring died 2 mo 13 1878

[pg 13a]
16 1878
1 month 21 no Snow the frost
coming out of the ground
and getting to be very mudy [sic] the
thermometer [sic] up to 40
Samuel Baker of Hunting
don died 1 mo 25 1878
buried 28
Levi and Mary went to Pic
ton to market came home by
the way of G Lears found hi
m not much better quite fee
ble 2 mo 4 our company
to attend the quarterly meeting
1 night Arthur Mullett
and Son Phillip Ward
& his cous in [sic] Elizabeth Ngt
2 night David Dunham

[pg 13b]
17
3d night Phillip Ward
Phillip Brewer Edward
Hudson Edwin Mullett
Elizabeth Night Sarah
Phelps Sarah Eliza phelps
Arthur Mullett
Rueben Haight
2d mo 18 Nelson Sills
here to day [sic] arrainging [sic]
matters to work our farm
Abraham Fry died 2 mo
23 1878 was Buried the
26 aged [mearly or nearly?] 91
Dormand Cronk Son
of William and Hannah
Cronk died 2 mo 28 78
aged 16

[pg 14a]
18 1878
3 mo 5 Elizabeth White
Debor ah and Self went to
See E [lipkatet?] found him
predy [sic] smart had a very
nice visit with him and
the family
Jacob Peterson died 3 mo 8
buried the 10 aged 89 years
7 months & 14 days
Consider & Ryerson Sills came
here 3 mo 8 to begin to wrk
the Farm
3 mo 11 Rather colder thermoter [sic]
34 for the past ten days the
thermometer has Ranged from
45 to 50 no snow to be seen
Nelson Sils moved up here
the 14 of 3 mo 1878

[pg 14b]
19
George Sear was
taken Sick last Christmas
day Supposed he had taken
heavy cold was quite sick
for several days then got
some better but gained
very litte [sic] kept along so until
3 mo 19 near 12 oclock [sic] had
an Eliptick [sic] fit died about
9 o clock [sic] the next morning
the 20th buried 22 ‘78
3 mo 23 got a telegraph
from mariposa that my
daughter inlaw [sic]Mary Bo
werman lays very ill no
hopes of her recovery
[Hiilery?] wife of Benjamin
Simpson died 4 mo 4 “78

[pg 15a]
20
buried [7?] in the cemetry [sic]
at Picton
4 mo 30 1878 the plum trees
are in full Blow a remarke
ble [sic] Early Spring the people
nearly done Sowing the
Spring grain the trees are
[leeving? or bewing [sic]?] out very fast
4 mo 28 the last accou
nt we had from Marip-
osa May Bowerman was
getting better
George Sear Born 9 mo 14 1810
Sarah Lear Born 6 mo 16 1842
N Sills began to mow 7 mo 8 78
Finished haying the 20
Began to cut barley 7 mo 19

[pg 15b]
21
Thomas Waring died
7 mo 20 1878 after a few heart
illness he eat a hearty supper
and died at 3 oclock [sic] the next
morning buried 21 in Frends [sic]
burying ground at Bloomfield
the funeral attended by a very
large concourse of people
many more than could get in
the house
for about 3 week [sic] We have had
very dry hot weather on the
morning of the 21 had a
very fine shower
8 mo 28 fell on the watter [sic]
Box hurt my side very
bad N. Sills finished the
harvest the Same day

[pg 16a]
22
Carrie Starts tomorrow
to Pickering to School never went
She did not go She Back
out
9 mo 8 Wm Cadman wife
and daughter here went to
See the Sand Banks
the wife of John H Leavet
died 11 mo 2 was buried at
Picton the 4 1878
Aunt Poly Dorland dau
ghter of Thomas Dorland
of adolphus Town was
buried 11 mo 8 “78
11 mo 6 first snow fell
enough to cover the ground
Amos Hubbs died
12 mo 1 Buried the 4

[pg 16b]
23
in the Picton Seminary
had their meeting in Picton
Philip Brewer buried Same day
Sarah Bedford in Bellville
died & Buried Same day
Deborah Boori of Pickering
Buried 12 mo 1 1878
12 mo 11 Rained all day
the [sic]10 at night began to [snow?]
Snowed all night the
fall about eight inches
of snow
My Self Debora & Lydia
We Shut up the house
and went to Levis [sic] on the
25 of 7 mo Staid [sic] there until
23 of 4 mo 79

[pg 17a]
24 5 mo 3 79
Jonathan Striker died
3 mo 14 buried 18 79
Wm Sauthard he that lived
on the Rige Road died
5 mo 1 uried 4 1879
in the buring [sic] ground on
his own farm

of Joseph Terwilegars wife
died 5 mo 11 1879
N Sills finished planting
corn 5 mo 23 24 began
Roling [sic] the grain
7 mo 10 Levi began to
mow Nelson about
the Same time

[pg 17b]
25
Finished getting
in the hay 7 mo 19-79
Began to cut Barly [sic]
Lucy Morden died 7 mo 29
buried 31 “79
Daniel Leavens died
8 mo 29 buried 31 1879
aged 90 years & 4 months
_ _ _
11 mo 2 1879
First snow fell 11 mo 2
11 mo 7 the snow has none
of it gone off yet it is 6 inches
deep now &-haning [sic] on the
Bushes yet this a very clear
Sun Shiney [sic] day
11 mo 8 began to use
the coal Stove [ornot?] to
burn coal

[pg 18a]
26
Patty the widow of
Cornelius Bowerman
died 11 month 29 buried
the 2d of 12 mo 1879
11 mo 9 Began to use coal
for our fire dont [sic] like it
dont [sic] like it as well as wood
Abigail the wido [sic] of John
Jones She died 12 mo 13 1879
She has been living at Levi
Varneys her soninlawes [sic] in
Bloomfield interd [sic] the 12 mo 15
Amy wife of John Short
died 12 mo 15 1879
Daniel Dorland of Mury
died 6 mo 19 1880
Gilbert Haight of Graftan
died 6 mo 19 1880

[pg 18b]
27
wife of Abraham [Saler?]
died 3 mo 20 1880
it should be Elizah hoag
Joseph Hoag of Mariposa
died 4 mo 9 buried 11 1880
Jacob Bowerman of
of [sic] Wisnonson
died about the first of 5 mo 1880
5 mo 20 1880 the apple trees
just begining [sic] to be in full
Blow the people generally
done Sowing
Samuel Harris
Buried 6 mo 3d 1880
Hannah the wido [sic] of John
Southard Buried 6 mo 20 1880.

[pg 19a]
28
John Davis died in
Bloomfield 6 mo 8 1880
I hurt my leg getting into
the carriage at the meeting
house after attending one of the
new [lites?] nigh meeting
the 2 day of 7 mo 1880

Joseph Baker died in
Picton 7 mo 21 1880

John Levitt began to
gather apples 8 mo 23 80
Ellen Fox here
9 mo 5 “80 a very beauti
ful day Deborah Lydia
and Self here alone to day [sic]
Leavetts folk all away

[pg 19b]
10 mo 24 the Snow fell
4 inches very damp load
ed on the trees so as to
Brake some of them down

11 mo 6 & 7 the storm be
gan about one oclock [sic] in
the morning the wind
from the South west it
blew a real gale with
Rain most of the time

Eliphalet Leavens died
11 mo 1 1880
Thomas Bowerman died
of [? ?] died 9 mo 15 1880
aged 78

[pg 20a]
30
3d mo 9 Returned from Bloomfield
to our old home for the
last time
Coanrod Branscomb
died 3d mo 5 buried 7 1881
3 mo 23 1881
began to move to
Bloomfield
Thomas Bowerman
my grand Son [sic] and
Son of Levi Bowerman
died 4 mo 1 1881
Buried the 3 aged
10 ½ years
he died at 8 oclock [sic] in
the evening

[pg 20b]
31
We moved into our new
house 4 mo 5 1881
4 mo 30 1881 a beautiful
Sun Shiny day Levi
busy sewing Barly [sic]
Mary Bowerman of
Mariposa died 5 mo 2
1881
5 mo 2 I was going up Stairs
and fell & hurt my Shoulder
very bad
Dr Nash died 5 mo 14 1881
5 mo 5 1881 Our quarterly
meeting came of the 4 & 5 [th?]
prety [sic] good meeting take it
altogether
We had considerable company

[pg 21a]
32
quite a number running
in and out But didnot [sic]
stay long
7 mo 6 thermomtr [sic]
stoped at 90 at 2 oclock
PM
Elizabeth Comstock from
Michagain [sic] here attended the
11 oclock [sic] meeting at Wellington
also the 4 oclock [sic] meeting at
Bloomfield took logings [sic] with
us 7 mo 10 1881 I forgot
to say she gave a lector [sic]
on the freed people in
the evening
James B Vincent died
12 mo 17 1881

[pg 21b]
33
on page 396 [g veben?]
Friends Review [?] be
found a History of the
Rise and [pregness?] of
the Scriptures
Cornelius Nexen died
8 mo 28 Buried the 30 1881
__
The first Wno fel [sic]
11 [?] november 12 1881
12 mo 9 1881 this year
our cheese factory
only neated [sic] us
175 dollars

[Delile?] Drumon daughter
of Wm & Matilda Bramscomb
died 12 mo 18 1881

[pg 22a]
34
Reuben R Burlingham
Died 11 mo 22 1881
Richard Southard died
1 mo 20 1882 buried 22

1 mo 24 1882 on this
day of [his?] [birth?] 32
years ago I and my
present wife was
joined in marriage
6 mo 9 1882
And here we are yet
Phebe Widow of Reuben
Burlingham died 1 mo 29 1882
aged 91
Hannah widow of Joseph
Baker died 1 mo 30 1882

[pg 22b]
35
Jane wife of Fanington
[Beelah?] died 2 mo 9 1882
Buried 11 in Friends buring [sic]
Buring [sic] ground
Cory Bull died
2d mo 18 1882
his was an instanaius [sic]
death
Cory Bull died
2 mo 18 1882 his was
an instant tanious [sic]
death
Our sister Mary Bowerman
from youn [sic] street has been
here on a visit left here
for her own home 6 mo 19 82

[pg 23a]
36
6 mo 9 a very beau
tiful Sun Shiney [sic] day
7 mo 13 82 Mara Richar
dson her son Richard
daughter Catharine
came to our place 4 day
Richard went to Picton
next day to monthly meeting
next day they and also our
folks went on the Sand banks
[lured or hired?] the stage to come here
and take them
John G & Catherine Largent
Fritchley, Derbyshire Eng.
Rowland H Hazard
Fallsington, Buk Co. [Penna?]

[pg 23b]
37
Sally Garratt widow
of [Towsen] Garratt died
8 mo 30 1882
the first ness green corn
9 mo 13 1882 the Indian
corn all ripe and mostly
cut
Caroline E Bowerman and
Edwin Williams wer [sic]
married at the Brides Fathers
9 mo 11 1882
11 mo 19 the mill pond
frozen over Suffient to
to [sic] Bear a man

[pg 24a]
Persis E Hallock
Poplar Ridge
Cayuga Co N.Y.

Susan C Gorham
Sherwood
Cayuga Co. N.Y.

10th Mo 24th 1882
Rebecca Cooper died 11 mo 16 1828 [sic. Should be 1882?]
Buried the 18
__
on first day the 24 12 mo 1882
When our folks went to
the meeting house they fou
nd it locked and gurded [sic]
by three men on the
inside they locked [sic] on the
inside they locked on the
inside and left the key

[pg 24b]
39
in the key hole so we
could not an other [sic] one
in the out side [sic] so that
every [window??] of access
was cut off while a man
watching the door on
the inside a cople [sic] of our
friends unscrwd [sic] the
hinges and took the door
off and went in took
their seats the [watchr?]
in side [sic] kept walking
and talking prety [sic] mu
ch all the time the m
eeting lasted
On fourth day 27 when
they went to the
meeting the house

[pg 25a]
40
[was?] locked and [Barded?]
Irons [cover?] the hinges
So that the door could
not be taken off Some of
our friends got Something
under the lower Sash
of the windown and pri
de [sic] it up so that they [could?]
[?] get their hands
off it the out siders [sic]
pulling it up and the
insiders pulling down
and they soon pulled it
to peces [sic] while they were
this someone went to
the litle [sic] door of the wood
house and opned [sic] one
of them and went in

[pg 25b]
41
1 mo 27 1883
Stephen Hubs took
Foxs Journal home
with him to read [?]
2 mo 3 a very stormy
day for the [Ranters?] to
jold their quarterly meeting

3 mo 29th 1883 this day the
judge put us in possesion [sic]
of the old meeting house again
__
John White died the 1 of 9 month
at Bloomfield Aged 87 years.
9 mo 28 83
Charles Finemore
moved into Levis
house by the factory

[pg 26a]
42
Elly Kingston
died 2 mo 14 1883

Carry was confined
6 mo 21 1883 with a
litle [sic] Boy not very small
Levi [away?] to Yearly
meeting will not be home
until sometime next
week
Lydia Stinson died
7 mo 24 1883 Early in
the morning
Buried in the afternoon
of the next day
Deborah Edith Bowerman
Died 7mo 25th 1872
__

[pg 26b]
43
Ernest C. Hazard
born on the 18th day
of August 1870.

Edith May born on
the 23rd day of the September
1871.

Willet Edward born on
the 3rd day of January
1873.

[Charles? looks like Crarles?] Augustus born
on the 28th day of July
1881.

George Edgar born 21st
day of May 1883.

[pg 27a]
44
Elen Bowerman
Died 11mo 25th 1883
Buried the 27th
__
The decision of our
Law Suit has com [sic]
to us By telegraf [sic]
[? to] received us
the 10 day of [first?] mo
1884 the the [sic] [Plantif?]
came to appeal which
will take up some
time
the mercury stood at
32 this morning 1 mo 25
3 below zero

[pg 27b]
45
The Bloomfield tannery
was burned between
mid night [sic] and day light [sic]
on the 19 of 3 mo 1884.
I believe tho [sic] [?] there
is some Insurance on it
__
My sore hell get bad
about the 10 of may
1884
Mary Waring here
from Whitby
here on a visit

[pg 28a]
46
Jacob Shorts Died
9mo 17th 1884 Aged 97
__
John Richards Died
9mo 19th 1884 Aged 95
__
John Wright Died
9mo 19th 1884
__
John Riches Widdow [sic] died
12th of 10mo 1884 Aged 66,
__

[pg 28b]
47
[blank]
[pg 29a]
48
Phebe Bowerman
Batle [sic] Creek [Calhown?] Co
Michagan [sic]
in came Charles Vale
Mary L Bowerman
Pine Orchard
Ontario

Milton Bowerman
Spring field
Green Co
Missouri

[pg 29b]
[dark]