The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-12-16
DUMMERSTON WOMAN
QUICKLY COURTED
How Widow Of More Than Century
Ago Accepted the Proposal OF
a Guilford Man Looking
for Someone Else.

4 paper written by Mrs. I. b. Shlppee
and read at the last Catamount iiiii re-
union in Shclburne, Mass, gives graphic
picture of sturdy old-time character VINO
once lived in Guilford. Extracts IRON
the paper follow: M
Paul Davenport was born Aug. y,
l766, at Mount Holly, VI While young
he emigrated to Guilford, Vt, and mar
ried n Miss Gould of that town. she
later died leaving one daughter, VINO
married Jesse Dunton. We do not know
ot what date he and his friend, Nathan
/ Rarncs came TO Catamount HILL but we
i find him living here rs we suppose WIN
his second wife, who was Miss Alice Farms
worth. with one child, born Feb. y, l'SS,
when he was p years and six months old
7 think the first farm he bought was south,
COST from here. He disposed OF IT ana
bouobt this land where we now are;
Nathan Barnes had settled here, but faui
believing that public highway would De
established here bought it of Barnes ana
maid 80 pounds 10 shillings for the same,
nr a little over $3.50, and Mr. barnes
settled on the mountain west OF us known
as Mt. Pocumtuck, but during MI;
Rarnes' ownership it was known as Barnes
Knob and later il was called Edison
Knob as il was owned by Howard Edison
paul Davenport was known by ms
no;ohbors as a very honest, generous, pu'
a very eccentric man His latch string
always hung out and the hungry, telt AT
jl;hertv to enter his house, go into his put
terry and help themselves to any loo,
they found there, so that ne KEEP. oiI ~
house to ALL He often talked or pIeaun
ed !" as they called it, to himself ne Wa wa
liable to talk or "preach upon any SUI
, iect that came into his mind, anu WIZ Wiz
he commenced speaking he dld not anu"
ANYTHING to interrupt his sermoiie..e u ho
I'll he had finished it. Sometimes nc
t would enter neighbours house during d
5 discourse; he would not recognize or OF
sneak to a person until he hmshea i hs
talls II il was at meal time when ne
!. won't wont to a neighbor S, and they were eat
| ;n on at the table, he would walk up to the
. table and help himself to whatever ne
V wished without asking. Often when i, az !. u
$ neighbours he would say, Guess II ne ),
! down on the floor and rest me ht'lei
. and suiting the action to the woros'
q ,,n remove his boots and use them as a
. n;llow for his head and would lie down
With With his feet near the fireplace, fernaps
5 .ha reonle there smiled at such actlons,
i h tmt ! think they did not understand that
!. Paul was suffering with terrible pam III
'''1 He p''G cherished great dislike towards
- oInrr, Ministers, who probably
It L tnd themselves above the common peo,,
n ,,la as thew were better educated anu
e Pi., or r dressed furnished him many oppor-
II t,,n;ties for a short sermon or mohoioeuo
: 7 think he read the Bible and expressed
u areat sympathy for any one VINO was Up,
'e s.srossod or scandalized by a nelghpoi
=, tpaI;np the part of the weak and innocent
of IFS dn nSnoIlv wore a red wooden cap az
II home or abroad, both in summer ano
o winter. ,:or IN w;tcbcraft
i. In those DAVIS it was believed that witches
X 40 sod. most of the trouble that peopl'
ID es 1,s Almost any illness or I'LL happen
n ;ng To the family, friends or flock was, llles
Sc h III ov caused by witches. 1t was De
! i;onod at that time that steel wouid keel
t, Itch n;tcbes at bav and he slept at mght WIZ
r W. oxe beneath his head, And ne prop,
r. an ali, fu,lv believed that the Gullford wiCcl
=. ANY au threw witch bride over Nathan
RarneS' head, cHdlSSu 1870 -, III,
:, and rode him down Green. river ONO t th'
a. a. a Meadows iO and jumped him across tn IN.
Of Connecticut river. This idea was emu, de
ID ID Famed by some of Nathan Barnes ue
ne s sal believe, and probably 1t wa
n Paul who went and found Barnes d. rns'
he t;m ,, and an helped him home | sup I :
as when Barnes left home for uui ,rnad h
Ii , waen well and strong when he returned n n
lre w was lame and ever afterwards llmpeu, = :
OF Nc NC story runs. l have no RECORD 10 ' i
h hs rne when S Pauls second wife died ana q;
ms nnt know the date of his marriage 70 II,
be be thrd belpmate, but think it must nus nav
il h tro as late as 1920 or 1924 " co ours
b bse children were well grown by thaI tlln a
,st h,,t Paul was growing old and was Il
,e Jo,bt suffering with pain IN MS oaeh n,,
If. 'o He learned Of widow Bennett Oh - D Wn,
til merston, Vt. As he was native :; o. n ar
he rnont and had lived in Guilford, his nun
as naturally turned that way: he 1. wen II h
%, a amasa Shippee and asked the loan OF Q. u
rs, h horse and Sleigh to drive to Dummers'0