A night's experience during the building of the first aboideau was long remembered by the family at Prospect.The following is the only reference made to it in the journal: "June 7th, 1804--The sluice went adrift; was up to Nappan." On the 9th: "Got back as far as Cumberland;wind favorable in coming back."
The sluice referred to is a large wooden box or waterway, which is placed near the centre of the aboideau and as near as possible in the bed of the river.The great height of the tides, and the rapid current that runs up and down the stream twice in twenty-four hours, make it a most difficult operation to get one of these sluices bedded.The sluice would be about fifty feet long, fifteen feet wide, and five or six feet deep.
The men were hard at work after the sluice had been got into its place, trying to make it secure with the weight of mud, but the tide coming too quick for them lifted it out of its bed.Four of the Trueman boys sprang on the sluice as it floated down the river, in the hope of saving it in some way.It proved, however, to be a most unmanageable craft, and they could do little to stay their course down the river, and in spite of every effort were carried out into the Basin.Night came on and their only chance of safety was, if possible, to stick to the plank box in the hope that the currents might carry them to some point where they could get safely to shore.Next day their unwieldy craft grounded near Nappan, and they at once landed and were hospitably entertained at a farm-house near by.After getting supplies and sending word to Prospect of their safety, they again boarded their strange vessel and succeeded that day in getting back to the mouth of the river, and finally back to their starting point.
Mrs.Trueman never wholly recovered from the nervous shock of that night.There was little hope in the minds of any that the men would ever get safely to land.
Thirty years had passed since the family had left England.The letter given below shows how warm an interest the friends there still had in them:
"DEAR COUSIN,--We received yours dated Jan.15, but not till late in September, 1804, and we are glad to hear that you and your family are all in good health and enjoying prosperity in your affairs of life.We had heard by your last letter of the death of your mother.My kind husband died something more than six years since.Your Aunt Sarah Bently died some time before my husband.Your Aunt Mary Flintoft is yet alive and enjoys as good health as can be expected, her age considered.
Your Aunt Ann Trueman is yet alive and well as can be expected.Your Cousin Harmon married and is doing very well.He lives at Kelshaw, in the west of Yorkshire, and has a large family and keeps a public house.
Alice is married and lives at Woodhouse Croft and has only one son.Ann and Sarah both live at Hornby and enjoy good health.I and my eight children live yet at the old habitation, namely at Helmhouse, and enjoy a sufficiency of the necessaries of life.Jane Chapman and Ann are both alive and enjoy as good health as most people at almost 80 years of age, and desire their kind love to you and your wife.James Hewgill and wife do the same.They never had any children.The last summer's crop of corn was poorly laden, so that wheat is now from ten to fifteen shillings per bushel, and is like to be more, as war being carried on makes taxes very high; but still, thanks to a kind Providence, industrious people may yet live above want.And soon shall all worldly calamities be over, and then if we are prepared for death we shall know woes and calamities no more.Pray write again when opportunity serves.
"I remain your very loving cousin, "ELINOR TRUEMAN.
"Helmhouse, Billsdale.
"March 7th, 1805."
The first marriage in the family at Prospect was in July, 1805.The entry in the journal is: "Thomas and Mary were married by Rev.Mr.
Perkins." Mr.Perkins was a minister of the Episcopal Church.
In 1806 I find this entry: "Mr.Bamford preached in the Stone Church, and Mr.Perkins administered the sacrament." This must have been before the Methodist minister was allowed to administer the sacrament.
Mr.Trueman was evidently mistaken in the name of Thomas's wife.He calls her Mary.Her name was Policene Gore; but as she was always called Polly, the mistake no doubt occurred in that way.
From a letter received from Rev.Wm.Black at this time, the following extract is taken:
"I give you joy on the marriage of your son Thomas, and as I hear John is on the point of being married, too, I also wish you the same blessing on him.It would afford me much joy to hear that all your children were made acquainted with the saving benefits of religion.For parents to see their children well settled in this world and seeking the world to come must, I apprehend, be an unspeakable satisfaction.
