Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-09-14
WEEKS FAMILY REUNION,

The descendants of Holland Weeks,
one of the early settlers of the town of
Salisbury, this county. who made a clear
ingsand built house there in 17SS, have
been accustomed for forty years to have
! occasional reunions. 1t is number of
years since one had been held until
Thursday, August %, lSSS. This CEN
tennial meeting took place on very aus
picious day, earth and sky combining to
make the day memorable. West Corn
wall, at the commodious and substantial
home of Mr. Harrison Bingham, one of
the family, was made the rendezvous for
the gathering clan. The Weeks look
back to John Alden, the first to step foot
on Plymouth rock, as their first Ameri-
can progenitor; the same John Alden
who tried to serve his friend, Capt. Miles
Standish. but was asked by Priscilla,
"Why don't you speak for yourself,
John?" About fifty who claim family
connection with the Weeks were present
Mr.. Henry L. Sheldon of Mddlebury
called the meeting to order and Mr.. Rob-
ert ID. Weeks of Orange, n. j., the au-
thor of the well-arranged and exhaustive
book on the genealogy of the Weeks fam
lily, was unanimously chosen chairman
and Mr.. Henry l.. Sheldon of the Shell
don Art Museum was appointed secre-
iary. The Rev. A. Z. Carpenter of Mid
dlebury read the eighth chapter of Deu-
teronomy a quartette. consisting of Mrs.
G.. D. Miner. Dr. W. II. Sheldon. DR..
Samuel Sheldon and Miss Hortense
Drake, chanted the psalm beginning ut
is good thing to give thanks unto the
Lord" Rev. Mr.. Stebbns of Cornwall
offered prayer. Music by the quartette
followed, and then the secretary read a
paper of much interest to the family.
written by Rev. Geo. A. Weeks of Paris.
Kentucky, who was not able to be pres
ent. The paper recounted in glowing
language the social, religious and busi-
ness traits in the character of Holland
Weeks, the centennial anniversary of
whose coming to Salisbury, Vermont,
from Litchfield, Conn.,, was the special
cause for the gathering. After another
beautiful piece of music by the quartette
the call to dinner was sounded. and un-
der the grateful shade of the trees on the
lawn the reunited family took seats at the
bountifully spread tables. \ thorough
ly good dinner prepared the guests for
after-dinner speeches. Mr.. Henry L.
Sheldon read letters of regret from Gov.
Ormsbee and various absent members of
the family. whose hearts were evidently
with the assembly.
Mr.. Robert ID. Weeks gave many inter-
estng facts and incidents connected with
the work of tracing out genealogies and
compiling his book.
Prof. Samuel sheldon, Phi. D., read a
charming description of visit on a bicv-
Gle TO the Sheldon homestead in old Eng
land. near kenilworth castle, ana not far
from Shakespeare's birthplace at STRAIT
| ford-on-Avon.
Rev. Mr.. Carpenter spoke briefly of the
progress of the century since Holland
Weeks built his log house in Salisbury,
and Rev. Mr.. Stebbins expressed gratifi-
cation at imbibing so much antiquarian
spirit, and pleasure that so marked de-
gree of integrity and honor had peryaded
the representatives of the Weeks family
for so long time, All joined in singing
"Auld Lang Syne,' and then followed
hand-shaking, social converse and eXhi-
bition of relics and pictures of old
time faces and scenes. Members of the
family were present from Cornwall,
Salisbury, Middlebury, Rutland, Claren-
don, Essex and Wllliston; several also
from Massachusetts and New jersey.
a committee consisting of Mr.. II. L.
Sheldon and DR.. W. II. Sheldon of Mid
dlebury. Mr.. John Z. Weeks of Sails
bury, DR.. John Avery of Wallingford
and Mr.. w. II. Bingham of Cornwall
were appointed to arrange for another
reunion in 1893.
Not one left Mr.. Bingham's hospitable
house, where his aged father had so cor
daily received them and where Miss
Anna Bingham and her aunt, Mrs. p. r.
Bingham of Middlebury, had done so
much to contribute to each guests COM
fort, without feeling that such family
gatherings were pleasant and profitable.