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Note: (Mary Queal Byer) Stephen Seaward went when but a lad with his parents from Massachusetts to Decatur, Otsego County, NY, where he grew to manhood on the farm owned by his father. Before his marriage he bought a farm in Decatur, on one corner of which he built a small mill, where he carded wool, making it into rolls ready for spinning. The farmers' wives and daughters in the neighborhood spun the yarn, and it was woven into cloth. Home spun and home cut garments were in vogue in those days and "linsey woolsey", a mixture of flax and wool, was used for dresses in winter. The family linen was made of flax raised on the farm, and each girl had her "stent"; that is, she must spin so much flax on a "little wheel" each day. The value of a girl's services was often rated by the number of knots of flax or wool that she could spin in a given length of time. Stephen Seaward's older daughters assisted in the carding mill during the busy season, when they could be spared from houshold duties. In the spring of 1812, Stephen sold the piece of land upon which the mill stood, to Thomas French, by whom the mill was enlarged, and dyeing, fulling, and dressing of cloth were added the the establishment. The sum paid for this piece of land was fifty dollars. Stephen Seaward lived on the direct road to Albany, and as there were no railroads in those days and travel was completely by team or on horse-back, taverns were to be found every few miles along the main road, one of which was kept by him and was well patronized by the traveling public. Operating his mill until 1812, looking after his farm and his public house, were his occupations during the years he lived in Decatur. The following incident has been handed down by the descendants of Stephen Seaward, who was at one time the owner of a valuable iron gray horse of which he was very proud. One night it was stolen from his stable, and while he made diligent search throughout that part of the country, no trace of the missing animal could be found. A year or so afterwards, a neighbor who had been to Albany, told him of having seen in a stable in that city a horse which he believed to be the one he had lost. Stephen immediately went to that city, where he explaind the situation to the man who had the horse in his possession, to which explanation the an replied, " If you can prove your statement, the horse is yours." " I will prove it by the horse himself," returned Stephen Seaward. He stepped into the barn and the horse neighed, as had been his habit upon the approach of his master. He then went up to the horse and patting him said: "Prince, address yourself!" and he immediatley stretched himself upon his hind legs, and then on his forelegs. Then his owner said: "Take my hat," which the horse immediatley did; then he requested him to make a bow, which the horse proceeded to do. "The horse is yours," said the man, and Stepthen returned home, happy to again be the possesser of this much prized animal. In 1828 he moved with his son James and the younger members of his family to what was known as the far west -- Cattaraugus County, New York. There his children who were in the home, married and settled around him. For a number of years before his death, he and his wife occupied a part of the home of his daughter, Sibbel McNall, where he died January 22, 1852, aged eighty years. His wife, who survived him some years, spent her last days at the home of her daughter Delilah Paul. [Arnold.FTW] [Seaward.FTW] (Mary Queal Byer) Stephen Seaward went when but a lad with his parents from Massachusetts to Decatur, Otsego County, NY, where he grew to manhood on the farm owned by his father. Before his marriage he bought a farm in Decatur, on one corner of which he built a small mill, where he carded wool, making it into rolls ready for spinning. The farmers' wives and daughters in the neighborhood spun the yarn, and it was woven into cloth. Home spun and home cut garments were in vogue in those days and "linsey woolsey", a mixture of flax and wool, was used for dresses in winter. The family linen was made of flax raised on the farm, and each girl had her "stent"; that is, she must spin so much flax on a "little wheel" each day. The value of a girl's services was often rated by the number of knots of flax or wool that she could spin in a given length of time. Stephen Seaward's older daughters assisted in the carding mill during the busy season, when they could be spared from houshold duties. In the spring of 1812, Stephen sold the piece of land upon which the mill stood, to Thomas French, by whom the mill was enlarged, and dyeing, fulling, and dressing of cloth were added the the establishment. The sum paid for this piece of land was fifty dollars. Stephen Seaward lived on the direct road to Albany, and as there were no railroads in those days and travel was completely by team or on horse-back, taverns were to be found every few miles along the main road, one of which was kept by him and was well patronized by the traveling public. Operating his mill until 1812, looking after his farm and his public house, were his occupations during the years he lived in Decatur. The following incident has been handed down by the descendants of Stephen Seaward, who was at one time the owner of a valuable iron gray horse of which he was very proud. One night it was stolen from his stable, and while he made diligent search throughout that part of the country, no trace of the missing animal could be found. A year or so afterwards, a neighbor who had been to Albany, told him of having seen in a stable in that city a horse which he believed to be the one he had lost. Stephen immediately went to that city, where he explaind the situation to the man who had the horse in his possession, to which explanation the an replied, " If you can prove your statement, the horse is yours." " I will prove it by the horse himself," returned Stephen Seaward. He stepped into the barn and the horse neighed, as had been his habit upon the approach of his master. He then went up to the horse and patting him said: "Prince, address yourself!" and he immediatley stretched himself upon his hind legs, and then on his forelegs. Then his owner said: "Take my hat," which the horse immediatley did; then he requested him to make a bow, which the horse proceeded to do. "The horse is yours," said the man, and Stepthen returned home, happy to again be the possesser of this much prized animal. In 1828 he moved with his son James and the younger members of his family to what was known as the far west -- Cattaraugus County, New York. There his children who were in the home, married and settled around him. For a number of years before his death, he and his wife occupied a part of the home of his daughter, Sibbel McNall, where he died January 22, 1852, aged eighty years. His wife, who survived him some years, spent her last days at the home of her daughter Delilah Paul.
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