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  JEMIMA WILKINSON.
  THIS eccentric founder of a religious sect, and her followers, having been the Pioneers of the entire Genesee country, preceding even the Indian treaties for acquiring land titles; and having con�stituted in early days a prominent feature in all this region; some account of them, it may well be supposed, will be looked for in a work of this character.
  Jemima Wilkinson, or, as she was called by her followers, "The Friend," or "The Universal Friend," was a daughter of Jeremiah Wilkinson of Cumberland, Rhode Island. She was one of a family of twelve children. The father was a respectable ordinary New England farmer. When Jemima was in her 20th year, the entire family, except her, had a severe attack of fever; and after their recovery, she was attacked, and her sickness was severe and pro�tracted, at times her life being despaired of. In the extremity of her illness, her friends had assembled around, her bed side to witness her death, when, as she affirmed, it was suddenly revealed to her that she must "raise her dead body." She arose from her bed, and kneeling by its side, made a fervent prayer, called for her clothing, and announced that her carnal existence had ended; henceforward she was but divine and spiritual; invested with the gift of prophecy. (This is briefly, her own account of her sudden transformation, as related to an in�rmant of the author, who knew her well, before and after her advent to this region )
  She soon commenced travelling and exhorting, and with a considerable degree of success; followers multiplied, some of them good New England farmers. They soon furnished all her wants, and would accompany her sometimes to the number of twenty, on her missions. She travelled through New England, Eastern New York, and spent several years in the neighborhood of Philadelphia and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, accompanied by most of her follow�ers; and she had proselytes wherever she went. Her authority over them was absolute. Upon one occasion, at New Milford. in Connecticut, she proclaimed a fast for thirty days on bread and water. Most of them strictly obeyed; some of them becoming almost what Calvin Edson was in later years. After remaining in New England and Pennsylvania about twenty years, she came to Western New York; she was then near forty years of age. The author has a copy of the "New Haven Gazette and Connecticut Magazine," of date, March 1787, that has a letter in it from a Philadelphia correspondent, written at the time "The Friend," and her followers were in Philadelphia, on their way to this region. Her personal appearance is thus described -" She is about the middle size of woman, not genteel in her person, rather awkward in her carriage; her complexion good, her eyes remarkably black and brilliant, her hair black and waving with beautiful ringlets upon her neck and shoulders; her features are regular, and the whole of her face thought by many to be perfectly beautiful. As she is not to be supposed of either sex, so this neutrality is manifest in her personal appearance: -She wears no cap, letting her hair hang down as has been described. She wears her neckcloth like a man; her chemise is buttoned around the neck and wrists. Her outside garment is a robe, under which it is said she wears an expensive dress, the fash�ion of which is made to correspond neither with that of a man nor woman. Her understanding is not deficient, except touching her religious fanatacism. She is very illiterate, yet her memory is very great; artful in discovering many circumstances which fall out among her disciples. On all occasions she requires the most extra-ordinary attentions that can be bestowed upon her; One or more of her disciples usually attend upon her, and perform the most menial service. her pronunciation is after the peculiar dialect of the most illiterate of the country people of New England. Her preaching has very little complexion, and is very lengthy, at times cold and Languid, but occasionally lively, zealous and animated."
  Enlarging upon the account she first gave of her rising from a bed of sickness - dead in the flesh - she assumed that them was once such a person as Jemima Wilkinson, but that "she died and went to heaven; after which the Divine Spirit re-animated that same body, and it arose from the dead; now this divine inhabitant is Christ Jesus our Lord, the friend to all mankind, and gives his name to the body to which he is united, and therefore, body and spirit conjointly, is the "Universal Friend." She assumed to have two "witnesses," corresponding in all respects to those prophecied in Rev. Chap. xi, from 3d to 13th verse. These were James Par�ker and Sarah Richards.
  But the reader will be principally interested in the advent of this singular personage and her followers to the Genesee country - Previous to 1786, they were living in detached localities. In that year, they met in Connecticut, and resolved upon finding some "fer�tile unsettled region, far from towns and cities, where the �Univer�sal Friend" and her followers, might live undisturbed in peace and plenty, in the enjoyment of their peculiar religion. They delega�ted three of their number, Abraham Dayton, Richard Smith and Thomas Hathaway to look for such a location. They went to Philadelphia and traversed on horseback the interior of Pennsylva�nia. Passing through the valley of Wyoming, they came across a backwoodsman by the name of Spalding, who furnished them with a glimpse of the region around Seneca Lake, and gave them direc�tions how to find it. Following his directions, they went up the river, and falling upon the track of Sullivan's army, reached the foot of Seneca Lake, and from thence proceeded to Cashong creek, where they found two French traders, (De Bartzch and Poudry) who told them that they had travelled through Canada, and through the Western territory, and had seen no where so fine a country as the one they were in. A few days exploration, satisfied the land look�ers, and they returned by the route they came, to inform the Friend of the result of their travels. In June 1787, twenty five of the Friends, among whom were
  Note.� At a time when the Friend and her followers, were likely to loose their first location upon the banks of the Seneca Lake, and were having some difficulty with their neighbors, Abraham Dayton was deputied to go to Canada, and negotiate with Gov. Simcoe, for a grant of land for a new location. Gov. Simcoe acceded, and made a grant in the present township of Burford, C. W. Preparations were made to emi�grate, when the Governor annulled his grant He gave as an excuse that he had sup�posed them to be Quakers, of whom he had acquired a good opinion in England; but learning that they were a new sect, he did not wish to encourage their emigration. He however made the grant to Col. Dayton individually, upon such terms,�settlement duties etc.�as he was than in the habit of making land grants. Col. Dayton settled upon the land, died in early years, and was succeeded by his son-in-law, Benjamin Mallory. The aged widow of Col. Dayton, who became the wife of Col. Joel Stone, the founder of the village of Gananoque, below Kingston, died but a few years since..
  Abel Botsford, Peleg and John Briggs, and Isaac Nichols, with their families, met at Schenectady, and embarked on board of batteaux for the promised land. At Geneva they found but a solitary log house, and that not finished, "inhabited by one Jennings." They went up the east side of the Lake to "Apple Town," where they remained several days searching for a mill site. The noise of the falling water, of the outlet of Crooked Lake, attracted them to the west shore of Seneca Lake. Passing up the outlet they came to the Falls, and exploring the neighborhood, fixed upon it as their location. They began their settlement in Yates County, about one mile south of the present village of Dresden. It was August when they arrived. They prepared ground and sowed a field of wheat in common, and the next season, 1789, several small fields of wheat were sown. 'This corrects the very common impression, that the first Wheat was harvested at Canandaigua, and Victor, in the fall of 1790. The wheat sown by the Friends must have been harvested in 1789.
  The first land purchase was made of the State, upon the "Gore," previous to the running of the new pre-emption line. It was a tract of 14,000 acres, situated in the east part of the present town of Milo, and south east part of Starkey. William Potter and Thomas Hathaway were delegated to make the purchase. They applied to Governor George Clinton for a grant of land, which was refused of course, but he assured them that if they would attend the public sale in Albany, they would be able to obtain land at a satisfactory price. They attended the sale and bought the tract above named for a little less then 2s per acre. Benedict Robinson and Thomas Hathaway, soon after bought of Phelps and Gorham the town of Jerusalem for 1st 3rd per acre. it was a rule at that early period, with Messrs. Phelps & Gorham, in selling a picked township, to require the purchaser to draw for another township at the same price. Robinson and Hathaway after purchasing Jerusalem, drew what in NOW the town of Genesco. The Friend objected to her people "trading and buying property at a distance." and fearing her displeasure, they prevailed upon Mr. Phelps to release them from the bargain, which he was quite willing to do, as he had ascertained the value of the township.
  The first grist mill in Western New York, was built by three of the society; - Richard Smith, James Parker and Abraham Dayton. The site was the one now occupied by the "Empire Mills," two and a half miles from Penn Yan. It was built in the summer and fall of 1789 and flour was made in it in that year. Here also was opened the first public house by David Waggener. A son of his, Abraham Waggener of Penn Yan, now 76 years of age, well re�members seeing the French Duke, Liancourt, at his father's inn. The inn" says the Duke in his Travels which contained but two rooms, we found already full; some person who intended to buy land near the Great "us, and Capt. Williamson's agent who was to sell it to them, had taken possession before our arrival. After an American supper consisting of coffee and boiled ham, we all lay down to rest in the same room. There was only two beds for ten persons; inconsequence, these two beds were occupied by four of us, and the others lay down in their clothes upon the straw."
  The first framed house in the Genesee country, was built by Enoch and Elijah Maim, as a residence for "The Friend." The house is still standing, and is occupied by Charles J. Townsend. It is a mile north of Dresden, and a half a mile east of S. B. Buckleys. The first school in the Genesee country, was opened by Rachel Malin in a log room attached to this house. In 1789, a log meeting house was built in which "The Friend" preached, and met with her fol�lowers. This house stood a few rods south of the residence of S. B. Buckley. But this is anticipating pioneer events that belong in another connection.
 
  Major Benajah Mallory, well known in all this region during the war of 1812, is yet living, in Lockport, Niagara County. He is spoken of in a preceding note as having married the daughter of Abraham Dayton. This family connection, (or then anticipated one,) brought him to the Friend's settlement at an early period after it was founded. He was the first merchant there; and in tact, opened the first store in the Genesee Country, other than those connected with the Indian trade. From him the author has obtained many remin�iscences, some of which are applicable to the subject in hand. He gives the names of principal heads of families who were followers of" The Friend," and located in the settlement during the earliest years: - Abraham Dayton, William Potter, (father of Arnold Pot�ter) Asahel Stone, John Supplee, Richttrd Smith, David Waggener, James Parker, Samuel Lawrence, Benj. Brown, Elnathan and Jon�athan Botsford, Jessee Brown, Jessee Holmes, Joshua Brown, Barnabus Brown, Nathaniel Ingraham, Eleazor Ingraham, David Culver, David Fish, Beloved Luther, John Gibbs, Jacob Waggener, Wm. Sanford, John Barnes, Elijah Brown, Silas Hunt, Castle Dean, Jonathan Dean, Benedict Robinson. Thomas Hathaway. Besides these there were unmarried men, and men and women who had been separated in adhering to the Friend. The followers were mostly respectable men of small property; some of them bad enough to be called rich in those days. Those who had considerable property gave her a part, or were at least liberal in supplying her wants. Man and wife were not separated; but they were forbidden to multiply. A few transgressed, but obtained absolution by confessing and promising not to disobey again. It was generally a well regulated community, its members mostly lived in harmony, were temperate and industrious. They had two days of rest in the week, Saturday and Sunday. At their meetings the Friend would gener�ally speak, take a text preach and exhort and give liberty to others to speak. The Friend appeared much devoted to the interests of her followers, and especially attentive to them in sickness. Major Mallory insists that the old story of her promising to "walk on the water" is wholly false. When Col. Pickering held his treaty with the Indians at Newtown Point, nearly five hundred Senecas encamped at Friends' Landing on Seneca Lake. They were accompanied by Red Jacket, Cornplanter, and Good Peter, (the Indian preacher,) the Rev. Mr. Kirkland, Horatio Jones and Jasper Parrish. Good Peter wanted an interview with the" Universal Friend." She ap�pointed a meeting-with the Indians and preached to them, Good Peter followed her, and the Friend wanted his discourse interpre�ted. Good Peter objected, saying: -" if she is Christ, she knows what I said." This was the meeting upon the bank of Seneca Lake, that gave rise to the report alluded to.
  The Friend did not join her colony until the spring of 1789. She then came with a reinforcement, a somewhat formidable retinue.* * William Hencher, the Pioneer at the mouth of the Genesee River, then lived at Newtown Point, and helped her on with his teams through the woods, to Catherines�town. His surviving son who accompanied the expedition, well remembers "The Friend� her singular dress, and singularity as it seemed to him, of a woman controlling and directing men in all things appertaining to the journey. It seemed to him a "one woman power," if the form of expression may be changed with the sex; yet he gratefully remembers her kindness and hospitality, when his father's family came through the wilderness, and stopped at her residence, on their way to the Genesee River.
  Benedict Robinson, the mot considerable property holder among her followers, gave her 1000 acres of land, upon which she resided.
  The author has several letters of Mr. Robinson, written to Messrs. Wadsworth, Williamson, and others, and he is often alluded to in early reminiscences. The Duke, Liancourt visited him in 1795, and says of him; -" This Benedict Robinson is a mild, sensible and well behaved man, resides on an estate of 500 acres, 150 of which are im�proved." "Last year he sold a thousand pounds of cheese at a shilling a pound." "He does not plough his land, but contents himself with breaking it up with a bar�row. Although he says that Mr. Robinson had been a "zealous disciple of the." The Friend," he inferred from his conversation that his confidence in her devine mission was somewhat weakened. The Duke might have added a circumstance that had somewhat interfered with the relations of the Friend and one of her most prominent disciples. He had infracted one of her rules, by marrying. He was in this way, the first transgressor among the followers. Susannah Brown had been his housekeeper. Thomas Hathaway having business with Benedict early one morning, went to his house where he found Mr. Williamson, who told him that Benedict being unwell was yet in bed. Mr. Williamson leading the way, they both went up stairs and found Bene�dict in bed with his housekeeper. Susannah; "Good Lord! Benedict, what does this mean " was the ejaculation and interrogation of Thomas, accompanied by an uplifting of his hands, in token of astonishment and horror, at what he called "shameful, sin�ful, and disgraceful" Mr. Williamson replied :�"Why, Benedict got tired of sleeping alone, and crept in bed with Susannah." Thomas hastened to inform The Friend who was displeased, but avoided an open rupture, with one whose position and influence made him too valuable to admit of excommunication. The harsh features of the affair were soon softened, by Mr. Williamson, who announced that he was then on his way from Canandaigua, where he had taken out his commission as a Judge of Ontario county, and had 1egally married Benedict and Susannah before they had ventured to place themselves in the position in which Thomas had found them. The eccentric marriage proved a happy one to the parties, whatever it may have been with the offended Jemima. The living descendants in the first degree, of the offending Benedict and Susan�nah. are: - Dr. Daniel Robinson of Farmington Ont. county; Mrs. Dr. Hatmaker of Milo, Yates county; James C. Robinson, P. M., Penn Yan; and Phoebe, a maiden daughter, who resides at the old homestead.
  Her business would seem to have been conducted by her female witness, Sarah Richards, who did not arrive at the settlement until June, 1789. Some correspondence of hers, and memorandums, have been preserved: - "Jerusalem, 1st of 6th mo., 1791. "I arrived with Rachel Malin, Elijah Maim, E3febitable Smith, Maria, and most of the Friend's family, and the goods which the Friend sent Elijah to assist in bringing on. We all arrived on the west side of Seneca Lake, and reached the Friend's house, which The Universal Friend had got built for our reception; and with great joy, met The Friend once more in time, and all in walking health, and as well as usual. "SARAH RICHARDS."
  "In the year '91, settled with Elijah Malin, being in trust for The Universal Friend. At this time, reckoned and settled with him for building The Friend's house, and passed receipts the 24th of the sixth month, 1791. SARAH RICHARDS."
  "Reckoned and settled with Richard Hathaway for goods which the carpenters took up at his store for building The Friend's house in Jerusalem. Settled, I say, this 3rd of the 7th month, 1791. SARAH RICHARDS."
  "About the 26th of the 7th month, 1791, I and Rachel Malin were taken sick about the time of wheat harvest, and remained sick, and were not able to go out of the house until the ground was covered with snow; but entirely confined to our chamber, which finished up the year 1791. SARAH RICHARDS."
  Sarah Richards died in '04 or '5, and was succeeded in all her relations to The Friend, by Rachel Malin. The father of The Friend never became her convert, but her brother, Stephen, and sisters, Mercy, Betsey and Deborah, followed her in her advent to this region. The meetings of this singular sect, were conducted very much after the manner of the legitimate Society of Friends. The con�gregation would sit in silence until someone would rise and speak: While The Friend lived, she would generally lead in the public speaking, and after her, Rachel Maim. In addition to this, and the usual observance of a period of silence, with each family, upon sit�ting down to their meals, "sittings" in each family, upon Sunday evenings, was common. The family would observe perfect silence for an hour or more, and then rise and shake hands. "I remem�ber," says Mr. Buckley, "when I was a boy, many such sittings' at my grand-father's, and I always rejoiced when they commenced shaking hands to end the tiresome stillness."
  It has already been observed, that the French Duke, Liancourt, visited The Friend's settlement in 1795. He became much inter�ested in the new sect, made the acquaintance of The Friend, was a guest, with his travelling companions, at her house, and attended her meetings. For one so generally liberal and candid, he writes of all he saw there in a vein of censure, in some respects unde�served. She and her followers, were then at variance with their neighbors, and the Duke too readily listened to gossip that implica�ted the private character of this founder of a sect, and added them to his (justifiable, perhaps,) denunciations of religious imposture. Her real character was a mixed one: - Her first incentives were the imaginings of a mind highly susceptible of religious enthusiasm, and strongly tinctured with the supernatural and spiritual, which, in our own day, has found advocates, and has been systematized in�to a creed. The physical energies prostrated by disease, the dreamy mind went out, and, following its inclinations, wandered in celestial spheres, and in a "rapt vision," created an image, some�thing to be or to personate. Disease abating, consciousness return�ing, this image had made an impress upon the mind not to be readily effaced. She became an enthusiast; after events, made her an im-postor. All founders of sects, upon new revelations, have not had even so much in the way of induction to mitigate their frauds. A sect that has arisen in our own day, now counting its tens of thou�sands, the founders of a State, have nothing to show as their bash, but a bald and clumsy cheat; a designed and pre-meditated fraud. It had no even distempered religious enthusiasm; no sick man or sick woman's fancy to create a primitive semblance of sincerity or integrity of purpose. The trance or dream of Jemima Wilkinson, honestly enough promulgated at first, while the image of its creation absorbed all her thoughts and threw around her a spell that reason could not dissipate, attracted the attention of the superstitious and credulous, and, perhaps, the designing. The motives of worldly ambition, power, distinction; the desire to rule, came upon her when the paroxism of disease in body and mind had subsided, and made her what history must say she was, an impostor and false pretender.
  And yet there were many evidences that motives of benevolence, a kindly spirit, a wish to promote the temporal wellfare of her fol�lowers, was mixed up with her impositions. Her character was a compound. If she was conscious herself of imposition, as we must appose she was, her perseverence was most extraordinary. Never through her long career did she for one moment yield the preten�sions she made upon rising from her sick bed and going out upon her mission. With gravity and dignity of demeanor, she would confront cavillers and disbelievers, and parry their assaults upon her motives and pretensions; almost awing them to a surren�der of their doubts and disbelief. Always self-possessed, no evidence could ever be obtained of any misgivings with her, touching her spiritual claims. Upon one occasion James Wadsworth called to see her. At the close of the interview, she said:-� Thou art a lawyer; thou hast plead for others; hast thou ever plead for thyself to the Lord ?" Mr. Wadsworth made a courteous reply, when re�questing all present to kneel with her, she prayed fervently, after which she rose, shook hands with Mr. Wadsworth, and retired to her apartment.
  The reader must make some allowances for the strong prejudices of the French Duke; who upon the whole, made but poor returns for the hospitalities he acknowledges. He says -" She is con�stantly engaged in personating the part she has assumed; she des�canted in a sanctimonious, mystic tone, on death, and on the happiness of having been an instrument to others, in the way of their salvation. She gave us a rhapsody of prophecies to read, ascribed to Dr. Love, who was beheaded in Cromwell's time. Her hypocrisy may be traced in all her discourses, actions and conduct, and even in the very manner in which she manages her countenance"
  The Friend's community, at first flourishing and successful, began to decline in early years. The seclusion and separation from the world, contemplated by its founders was not realized. They had selected too fine a region to make a monopoly of it. The tide of emigration reached them, and before they had got fairly under way, they were surrounded with neighbors who had little faith in The Friend, or sympathy with her followers. The relations of neighborhood, town and county soon clashed, militia musters came, and the followers refused the service; fines were imposed and their property sold. The Friend was a long time harrassed with indictments for blasphemy, but never convicted. While she could keep most of her older followers in the harness, the younger ones reminded of the restraints imposed upon them, by contrasting their privi�leges with their disbelieving neighbors, would unharness themselves; one after another following the early example of Benedict Robinson. Two of that early class of methodist circuit preachers,(Revs. James Smith and John Broadhead) that were so indefatiguable in threading the wood's roads of this western forest, as were their Jesuit predecessors a century before them, found the retreat, and getting a foothold, in a log school house, gradually drew many of the young people to their meetings. Many of the sons and daughters of the followers abjured the faith. Jemima Wilkinson died in 1819, or departed, went away, as the implicit believers in her divine character would have it. Rachel Malin, her successor in spiritual as well as worldly affairs, died about three years since. She kept up the meetings until a few years previous to her death. James Brown, and George Clark, who married heirs of Rachel Malin, own the property that she inherited from The Friend. The peculiar sect may be said to be extinct; not more than three or four are living who even hold lightly to the original faith. Even the immediate successors of Jemima and Rachel, the inheritors of the property, and those who should be conservators of their memories, if not of their faith, are forgetful of their teachings. The old homestead, the very sanctuary of the Universal Friend, once with all things appertaining to it, so chast�ened by her rigid discipline; is even desecrated. During this present winter the sounds of music and dancing have come from within its once consecrated and venerated walls. ___
  ___________________________________________________________________________________________ THE WILL OF JEMIMA WILKINSON. � The Last Will and Testament of the person called The Universal Friend, of Jerusa�lem, in the county of Ontario, and State of New York - who in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six, was called Jemima Wilkinson, and ever since that time the Universal Friend, a new name which the mouth of the Lord bath named. Considering the uncertainty of this mortal life, and being of sound mind and memory, blessed be the Lord of Sabaoth, and Father of Mercies, there�for -I do make and publish this my last Will and Testament I.�My will is that my just debts be paid by my Executors hereafter named. II. - I give, bequeath and devise, unto Rachel Malin and Margaret Malin, now of said Jerusalem, all my earthly property, both real and personal - that is to say, an my land lying in Jerusalem and Benton, or elsewhere in the county of Ontario, together with all the buildings thereon, to them, the said Rachel and Margaret and their has and assigns forever, to be equally and amicably shared between them, the amid Rachel and Margaret And I do give and bequeath to the said Rachel and Margaret Maim, all my wearing apparel, all my household furniture, and all my horses, cattle, sheep and swine, of every kind and description; and also all my carriages, wagons and carts of every kind, together with all my farming tools and utensils and all my moveable property, of every nature and description whatever. "111.�My will is that all the present members of my family, and each of them, be employed, if they please, and if employed, supported during natural life, by the said Rachel and Margaret, and when any of them become unable to help themselves, they are according to such inability, kindly to be taken care of by the said Rachel and Mar�garet And my will also is, that all poor persona belonging to the Society of Universal Friends, shall receive from the said Rachel and Margaret, such assistance and support during their natural life as they need - and in case any or either of my family, or elsewhere in the society, shall turn away, such shall forfeit the provisions herein made for them. "IV. - I hereby ordain and appoint the above Rachel Malin and Margaret Maim, Executors of this my last will and testment. "In witness where of I, the person once called Jamima Wilkinson, but in and ever mince the year 1777, known ma, and called, The Universal Friend, hereunto set my name and seal, the 25th day of second month, in the year of the Lord, eighteen hundred and eighteen. THE PUBLIC UNIVERSAL FRIEND. (L. S.) In presence of, Be it remembered, That in order to remove all doubts of the due execution of the foregoing Will and Testament, being the person who before the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven, was known and called by tha name of Jemima Wilkinson, but since that time as the Universal Friend, do make public and declare, the within instrument, as my last Will and Testament, as witness my hand and seal, this 17th day of the seventh mouth, (July,) in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. Her mark or cross. JEMIMA X WILKINSON. Or UNIVERSAL FRIEND."
 
 
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