History: Family: CONARD, Benjamin, Diary of: Chester/Lancaster Co, PA > Hillsboro, OH

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Maggie.
  Magggie@aol.com

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Benjamin Conard descended from Thones Kunders(1), Madtis Cunrads(2),
Cornelius Cunrads(3), Everard Conard (4), and Cornelius Conard (5).

When Benjamin married his third wife, Elizabeth Hussey, they decided to
each keep a journal for a year or so. He prefaced his with an account of
his ancestors and early life.  I feel as if I know him, and what life
was like in early Chester County.  Here are a couple of paragraphs:

"My paternal ancestors emigrated from Germany about the time that
William Penn commenced the settlement of Pennsylvania. They settled at
Germantown, near Philadelphia. Eventually some of the name removed to
Bucks Co., Pa. There my grandfather Everard Conard was born, and he
resided there at the time of the War of the Revolution. He was reputed
a staunch Whig in principle, though he took no active part in the
struggle for independence. He married early in life Margaret Cadwalader,
said to have been English, or a descendant of English parents [she was
Welsh, the daughter of John Cadwallader-MM]. The following are the names
of their children, my uncles and aunts, all of whom married and raised
families except Margaret' viz., Isaac, Cornelius, Abraham, Sarah, Mary,
Everard, Margaret, and Jesse. My grandfather was a wagon maker, but
after his children were well grown, he abandoned that business and
removed to New London Township, Chester Co., Pa, where he purchased some
300 acres of wornout land and commenced the farming business which he
followed until near his death, which was in the 84th year of age.

"My father, Cornelius Conard, was born the ninth day of the second
month, in 1764. At a suitable age he was put apprentice to a tailor, on
account of his lameness from an accident which he received when a small
boy. It was during his apprenticeship that his father moved to Chester
County. After learning his trade, he also followed his father, and
worked at his trade there, until he was married to my mother, Susanna
Chalfant. His father then settled him on fifty acres of the tract he
had originally purchased. On this my father resided until his two oldest
children, Lydia and William, were born. Then, at the solicitation of his
father and others of his friends, he sold his little farm and invested
the proceeds in a store in partnership with his cousin, John Conard. The
store was in Tradiferen [sic] Township, Chester Co., Pa, near the Valley
Forge, a place famous in history as the place where General Washington
encamped with his army. At this place he continued in the business of
storekeeping and tailoring for ten years, at the end of which time he
found himself minus his original funds and with a large family around
him. Then, in 1807 or 1808, he rented a large farm in the neighborhood,
for which he paid $600 a year rent. On this, by untiring industry and
rigid economy for ten or eleven years, he found himself worth a few
hundred dollars. Again he suffered himself to be influenced by the
advice of others, and in the year 1818, purchased a farm in New London,
of 72 acres, so poor that it would not raise enough to keep his family,
though he was obliged to go in debt $1,300 to purchase it.

"I should have stated before this that in the sixth month preceding the
removal of my father with his family back to New London, death deprived
him of an affectionate wife, and his children of a kind and indulgent
mother. I was then not quite seven years old, and this was the first of
many heavy losses that I have been made to feel from the death of those
near and dear to me.

"On that New London farm my father managed to get along some way, and to
improve the land. One thing I do know, the luxuries of life were unknown
to us. Even the necessities at times were not too abundant, particularly
during the first few years, after improving the land with lime, he
managed to live quite comfortably. Some four or five years before his
death, after the marriages of his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, his
housekeepers, he gave up farming, rented the farm to me, and made his
home with me. He closed a life of energy and industry, in the latter
part of the 10th month, in 1836.  He lived respected by all who knew
him. That he was without failings, it would be useless for me to assert,
but upon the whole, few men could have lived under the same
circumstances, and left a better name behind him. He possessed a well
cultivated mind, was well versed in ancient and modern history, and was
remarkably well versed in the scriptures for one of his station.

"After these few facts concerning my forefathers, I will not try to give
a short sketch of my own life up to the present time, not that I expect
to be very interesting to many, but yet there may be some who, in years
to come will take a sufficient interest in it to give it a perusal at
least.

"I was born on the 14th day of the ninth month, A.D. 1810, on the farm
previously mentioned, in Chester County, Pa., near Valley Forge. I was
the youngest. Eight now survive; Lydia, William C., Esther C., Mary,
Joseph, and Amy. Two others died in the time my father and mother were
residing at the store. Here, in a venerable old stone mansion, on the
banks of the beautiful Valley Forge Creek, I lived, with all the
pleasures of a careless, frolicking boy, now playing in the green
meadows on the banks of the creek, then paddling in its rippling waters,
trying to catch 'red fins,' or sliding over its glassy surface on a sled
drawn by my older brothers or sisters. It was probably owing to my
playing so much along the beautiful stream that I acquired a liking for
water that never left me. I have sometimes thought that no child ever
enjoyed himself more than I did in my early youth, but my youthful
happiness was destined to meet with a severe shock, for my kind and
indulgent mother died in June 1817, when I was not yet seven years old,
being too young to feel in its proper sense the loss I had sustained,
but in after years I was made fully sensible of it.

"I was sent to school some, before my father moved with the family to
New London, as I remember very well going to what was called the camp
school here, and passing what we called the 'old fort' which I have
since come to suppose from the recollection of its appearance, to have
been entrenchment's thrown up by General Washington for the defence of
the samp.

"After the move to New London the next spring, each one of the family
was obliged to do all in his power towards getting along. Those who were
not old enough to get an education when conditions had been more
favorable, were obliged to put up with a very limited one, but I was
from my earliest remembrance, very fond of reading, and there was quite
a large library at New London crossroads, from which I used to hire
books at one cent a day, and well do I remember having to sit up half
the night to read books that I got that way, for fear my funds would run
out before I got them read through. As soon as I could raise the money,
I became a regular stock holder in the library, and could read more at
my leisure.

"I was allowed by my father to go to my Uncle Isaac Conard's one winter,
to go to school, though much against the will of the rest of the family.
The time I spent there, I often think of, as the only bright spot in my
boyhood life. The loving kindness of Uncle Isaac and the motherly
attentions of Aunt Mary endeared them to me so strongly that I well
remember that when the time came for me to start home after being there
for four months, the tears flowed freely at the idea of again going to
that home where there were none of the loving smiles from a mother.

"In the spring of 1831, my two sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, were
married, leaving none at home with father but my sister Lydia and
myself. We lived in that way one year, but before that year had fully
rolled around, a change had come over my future prospects; I had for the
first time been made sensible that I was beloved, that I was necessary
to the happiness of one very dear to me; for the first time in my life
I had been made to feel that I was of some account in the world. The
person upon whom I had thus centered my every hope of earthly happiness,
was Mary Ann Moore, an orphan about a year under my own age. We were
married in March 1832, and at the earnest solicitation of my father, I
reluctantly rented his farm, as he did not wish to farm, or even keep
house any longer. We started the world--as it is termed--full of bright
hopes; though poor, we had good health and had been raised to industry.
All passed on brightly for the first year; 'Then like the lark I
sprightly hailed the morn!'

"At the end of that year our union was blessed with a daughter, but she
died, in spite of our love, at the age of five months. Very shortly
after that the symptoms of consumption began to show themselves in my
beloved Mary Ann, and in February, the things of Earth were closed to
her forever.

"I hired a housekeeper, and continued my operations on the farm in that
way, for two years, when I again yielded to the balmy influence of
woman's love, and was married to Eliza Roberts, daughter of George and
Alice Roberts, and a distant relative of my deceased companion. My
father died in the fall of that year, 1836, leaving his farm to me,
subject to the payment of certain legacies as had been agreed between
us, on condition that I should stay with him his lifetime.

"It was not long until I began to think that that farm was not the place
for me to live on longer. Neither did I like the neighborhood, though I
had been raised there. In the Spring of 1839, I sold the farm and bought
another 100 acres in 'Little Britain' township, Lancaster County, Pa.
I was obliged to go about $2,300 in debt, but the quality of the land
was much better than what I left. With the heavy debt and a rising
family I was not able to do much more than make a good living for my
family, and improve the land. During the eleven years that I was there,
I put on the land about seven thousand bushels of lime, which was
reckoned to be worth about 20 cents per bushel, or about $1,400 worth.
The stone for making this lime we had to haul ten miles. The weather
was never considered too cold to start out in the morning and face
the northwest wind for a load of limestone. The wood too was to cut and
haul to the kiln, all of which made a great deal of work. Besides, I
did considerable wagoning for other people. The produce of the farm was
all to draw to market, usually to Wilmington, Delaware, a distance of 35
miles. So I was not able to make many improvements to the buildings,
though they were old. True, I dug a well at the barn, and failing to
get sufficient supply permanently, I put in a hydraulic ram at the
spring, forcing the water up both to the house and barn."

"At the time we moved to Lancaster county, we had two children, Almira
and Cornelius, and three were buried in Eastland graveyard, since.

"Previous to our move, my brother Joseph had moved near us, and in
partnership with Charles Good, his brother-in-law, bought a farm of 166
acres, and continued to work it jointly for seven years after I lived
there.  Then he sold his interest in the farm and moved to Highland
County, Ohio, where he resided until his death. I have thought there
were hardly ever two brothers that were more attached to each other
than we were. We spent a great deal of our time together, often making
it suit to make long trips with our wagons together, and even when we
were hauling limestone, we mostly made it suit to be together. In all
our intercourse and numerous business connections, I have no
recollection of anything like a quarrel, or even hard words passing
between us. In 1845, he and I came to the conclusion that we had so far
confined our lives solely to work, but now would take a trip to Ohio for
pleasure and to see our sister. We made our intentions known to our
brother William, who resided near the place of my birth in Chester
county. We started about the middle of the tenth month, were met by
William, in Lancaster county, and we all three went on together. We saw
many things to interest and amuse us; we took the cars to Harrisburgh,
then we went on board a canal packet boat, traveling about four miles an
hour. At Haladaysburgh we took 'portage railroad' over the mountains to
Johnstown. There were five inclined planes up and five down on this
railroad, with a stationary engine set up; raising up and down at the
head of each plane. We then went by canal boat to Pittsburgh, then by
steamboat down the Ohio river to Portsmouth. From there a hack took us
to Chillicothe [Ohio]. A market wagon took us to Greenfield, and from
there we walked to Robert Edwards, having been eight days on the road.
We were so much pleased with the appearance of the country that brother
Joseph had concluded the purchase of 200 acres before the next spring,
and moved out to it. I had advertised my farm for sale, and the next
year, in August, 1846, returned with Wm. Cook, and brought back a drove
of 189 cattle--sold them in Pa., made $400.

"During the latter part of my stay in Lancaster county, I became
concerned, with some of my friends and relatives to start a Lycaeum, or
Literary Society, which met every two weeks on first day afternoons.
This society existed about eight years, doing a good deal to improve the
minds and morals of the neighborhood. This society became strong enough
to build a hall in which to hold its meetings.

"The longer I stayed there the more I became convinced that I was not
able to make the improvements that i would soon be compelled to make in
the buildings, loaded as I was with debt. I therefore determined to sell
as soon as possible, and in the Fall of 1849 I succeeded in selling for
$4,500, the same that I had given for it eleven years before. I had
previously sold a wood lot off of it for $210, which was all the advance
I got to pay for my improvements. I immediately started for Ohio; here
I purchased this place for $24 per acre -- 151-3/4 acres. It was then
without any buildings, except a log cabin and an old log stable. We
moved on to it in April, 1850, bringing with us six children. We went
to live in the cabin, which was something new for us, but we all
appeared to be very happy.

"I commenced the first summer to make preparations for building a house.
Before harvest we cut and hauled logs to the mill, and after harvest we
made the bricks. I employed a man to mould and burn them at 75 cents a
thousand. The following summer we put the house up, had the roof on
before harvest, and moved into it a week before Christmas. We felt we
had gained a long desired object. Eliza had long desired to have a house
suited to her mind, and now I felt the greatest satisfaction in
providing it.

"During the time that the house was building, I performed the heaviest
labor, carrying all of the bricks myself, even to the tops of the
chimneys, though there were a great part of the time four bricklayers.
One great object of my life was now gained, to have a good house for my
wife and family. The next was to have a good barn. Accordingly, in 1852,
I got nearly all the sawing done and the lumber hauled home in the
summer.  I quarried the stone myself, in Hixson's quarry, and had some of 
it hauled home that fall. I considered that the hardest job of work about
the building. This fall I had a hand hired, for two months.

"The next summer, 1853, we put up the barn in time to put our harvest in
it.  My boys and myself did all of the work of the farm and waited on
the workmen, except for some nine or ten days when I hired a man to tend
the measons. The whole cost of the barn besides our own labor, boarding,
and the lumber cut on the place, was $696.10; for the house, $998.02.

"We now seemed to be fixed as we desired, with a house and barn suited
to our needs, ourselves and the children all in the enjoyment of good
health; in fact it seemed as if Eliza's health, which for the better
part of her life had been rather delicate, seemed the best. But alas,
in the latter part of November, she took a disease of the kidneys, which
was afterwards worse, and a disease of the heart kept her quite unwell
until her death the following April. She passed from works to rewards
four days after giving birth to a dead child. Whose is the pen that
can made others sensible of even a tithe of the grief that is felt at
parting with the companion of one's bosom?

"In November, following this sore affliction, my daughter Almire
married, leaving me with no one but Alice for housekeeper, and she,
being young and not very stout, I was obliged to break up housekeeping
soon after harvest in 1855. Four of the children went with Almira,
Alice, William, Elwood, and Mary. George went to live with Martha
Hussey, to go to school until Spring. Cornelius and myself boarded at
Amos Hiatt's and lodged at home.

"This way of doing with my dear children scattered about was anything
but agreeable. I soon became convinced that there was no way but to look
round for some one on whom I could bestow my affections, and who in
return would grant me hers, and be a kind and affectionate mother to my
children. Finally I found such a one in the person of Elisabeth Johnson,
and we were married on the 23rd of October, 1855. The same day we
started on a pleasure trip to Peru, Indiana, where her sister lived. We
went by way of Cincinnati, Madison, and Indianapolis, returning through
Richmond and Hamilton. We also saw two of Elisabeth's nephews who were
attending college at Oxford [Ohio]. On our return E. moved home with me
and entered upon her new duties."

Benjamin and Elisabeth Hussey (she had previously married Isaac Newton
Johnson) were both Quakers. At some time, Benjamin opened a "Queensware"
store in Hillsboro. He died in 1902 in Hillsboro, and is buried there.
Elisabeth lived until 1913, died at the home of her daughter Emma in
Peoria IL, and is buried in Hillsboro beside her husband.



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