Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-04-07

Charles Burgoyne, almost, if not the
last, connecting link with the earliest
pioneer days in Coventry is discovered.
She was born in Coventry on June S,
1923, and at the time of her death was
living in ,her Seth year. Her maiden
name was Emma Knight, she belong
ing to one of the pioneer families who
came to Coventry upon it's first being
settled. Her father was Timothy w.
Knight, one of the earliest settlers
here. He cleared little space in the
then virgin forest to make for him
and his a home on the farm situated
next beyond Winslow Guilds, now oc-
cupied by A A. Webster. 1t was in
that place that Emma Knight, after
wards Mrs. w. G. Dow, was born,
These were pioneer days indeed, for
Coventry was then for the most part
an unbroken forest but in its settle
ment Timothy Knight soon became one
of It's leading citizens. Among the II
names which appear as charter mem
bers in the organization of the Congre-
gational church in Coventry, in 1910,
is the name of Mehitable Knight, the
wife of Timothy Knight and mother
of the subject of this sketch. Six
years later or in 1916 the name of
III1lOGuy AuISuC was duu0u. MIS-.
Dow, at the time of her death, came
within few months of being the old
est person living in this town, and she
certainly was the oldest resident to
have been born and raised here. She
united with the Congregational church
of Coventry on January 9, 1912, or just
81 years ago last January. She was
| then at the time of her departure by
| all odds the oldest person living who
| had been connected with that church.
| She and her husband, late in life, took
their letters to the Congregational
| church in Newport, where for a short
! time they made their home. She was
married to the late WIG. Dow 81 years
ago. They made their home on the
place now owned by Charles Bur-
goyne. There they spent many years
and appropriately as it seems, there
she spent her last days. We can speak
with literal truth of their making
their home there, for this particular
section of the town was even then, in
| 1912. mostly a wilderness, and their
first house was hewn out of rough
logs. 1t was indeed a happy day for
the young wife and mother when, a
| few years later, they moved from the
| log hut into the modest little frame
house which is now the home of the
Burgoynes. To bless this humble
home as the years sped came Is chill
dren. It was indeed an old-fashioned
home as the number of children would
indicate, for we do not see such fam
lilies now. And the old-fashioned spin
ming wheel made many revolutions in
that home for the thrifty housewife
spun and wove the cloth and made the
| clothes for all her children. 1t is not
necessary to go farther into the de-
tails of her life. but this much has
seemed interesting because of it's con-
nection with pioneeer days and condi-
tions. She was good woman and has
contributed her portion to the world s
need in those she has left behind; her
descendants now living. namely. 1O
children, 20 grandchildren, II great
grandchildren. Her last days, when
stricken with disease from which
she could not recover, were particular
ly happy days for her in the realiza.
ton of the divine presence and on one
of them her 10 children all visited he1
on the same day, though different