Comment

Comment by William F Rushby on 11th mo. 8, 2015 at 7:34pm

I got Joseph Hoag's wife's name wrong; it was Huldah Hoag.  (There was also another Huldah Hoag.)  She and Joseph had ten children, of whom seven became recognized Friends ministers.  Joseph and Huldah and some of their children and other relatives are buried at the Friends cemetery, on Cemetery Road, off of Rotax Road, between North Ferrisburg and Monkton Ridge VT.

Comment by Carl D. Williams on 11th mo. 8, 2015 at 7:04pm

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing that. And, when I came back from worship this afternoon, I was reading:

https://vermonthistory.org/journal/misc/EarlyQuakerMeetings.pdf

Comment by William F Rushby on 11th mo. 8, 2015 at 6:49pm

I think that it was called the "Creek Meeting" during the 19th Century.  There are references to it, and to Ferrisburg Quarterly Meeting, in the *Friend* and (I believe) some old ministers' journals.  Orthodox Friends in Vermont back then were often quite fervent, and their meetings in Joseph and Hannah Hoags' day were unprogrammed but very lively!

Sometime in the past, probably around the turn of the 20th Century, the congregation was so large at quarterly meeting that one of the windows was removed and a door was placed across the space.  The preachers would stand on the door, so they could preach both to those inside the meetinghouse and those standing outside!

Comment by Carl D. Williams on 11th mo. 8, 2015 at 6:32pm

William-Indeed.  South Starksboro is now part of New England Yearly Meeting, Northwest Quarter and Friends meet all year long.  And you are right, the benches have been rearranged and there is waiting worship.  There are still signs, though of it being a programmed meeting not all that long ago.  Thanks for sharing your experience there! I worship there today and stronglyfelt the presence of Friends now, and Friends back through the ages-all seeking God's guidance, wisdom and grace.

Comment by William F Rushby on 11th mo. 8, 2015 at 6:24pm

Carl:  I was active in the South Starksboro Friends Meeting back when it was part of New York Yearly Meeting, although I was never a member there.  We met during the summer, and had mostly programmed meetings.

It has now been transformed into a liberal meeting; even the interior of the meetinghouse has been rearranged.  The "old line" Friends who once met there are probably now no longer living.