by Burgess, Elizabeth.

See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 44 -- Elijah Hanson.

Thomas Hobson was born in Jefferson County, Ohio on July 7th 1812 and died at Bartlett, Ohio on June 8th 1899.

His wives were, Unity Johnson, who was born April 11, 1811. They were married on November 28th, 1839 and she died March 13th, 1856. Mary Stanley was his second wife. She was born April 9th, 1823. They were married September 30th, 1857. She died on November 28th, 1879. His third and last wife was Eliza Worthington who was born February 6th, 1831. They were married on July 27th, 1882 and she died about the year 1905.

The children of Thomas and Unity Johnson Hobson were:

Benjamin J.
Born 7-18-1841
and died 12-17-1907

Mary J. Conrow
Born 3-13-1843
and died 7-18-1921

Sarah A. Masters
Born 10-15-1844
and died 8-28-1909

Dorothy Stratton / Ashton
Born 5-14-1847
and died 3-31-1934

Dr. John A.
Born 7-2-1849
and died 2-21-1913

Belinda Binns
Born 8-9-1851
and died 7-23-1915

Thomas Hobson, whose parents came from Virginia, made his home in Jefferson County, Ohio until his oldest son Benjamin was a lad of nine or ten years old. For some time after coming to Washington County, the family lived on what was later known as the Thomas Bowman farm. In about the year 1873 a carpenter was secured to build a new house within a few rods of the Plymouth Meeting House. The site chosen was a very desirable one, furnishing a fine view of a wide scope of country side and the nearby view of the Meeting House, with the beautiful grove of forest trees on the slope leading to it.

The house is a well built frame of two story height, consisting of four rooms downstairs and three upstairs. The windows are quite large of the four pane style. There seems to have been nothing especially unusual, except that between the kitchen and dining room were built folding doors. The purpose of these was to provide space to set the long table for the dinners, which the Hobsons provided for Friends at Quarterly Meeting time.

This custom must have clung as a pleasant memory for many Friends. In that day of slower travel, Quarterly Meetings were important events for which considerable preparation was made. They furnished not only spiritual enlightenment but supplied social needs.

Near the house is a well from which water was, and still is, drawn with a windlass. For the storage of fruit and vegetables, a sawdust house was made a short distance from the kitchen door. As to the house and farm work, they made soap, raised sheep, spun and wove cloth. Suits were cut and made at home. The sickle, scythe and grain cradle were used.

Alden, Thomas Hobson's grandson, remembers his father Benjamin, telling about the first threshing machine he ever saw. It was while Benjamin was still a small boy living in Jefferson County. No doubt his astonishment at such a machine encouraged the owner to elastic speech hoping to arouse even greater curiosity. Benjamin was told that the machine sheared sheep and in order to see the wool, he was taken to see the straw coming from the machine.

This house was the home of Thomas Hobson the remainder of his life, but shortly after his death the place was sold. However, in 1906 Alden Hobson bought the property. Perhaps it will not be out of place here to give a brief description of the house which had previously been his home. It was near a quarter of a mile away and had been the home of Benjamin Hobson since about 1862.

The house had been built by McCagey Emmons. An old carding mill sixteen feet square had been moved some distance. To it had been added a log structure of equal size. Here the water supply came from a spring at the spring house. This home also was noted for it hospitality.

When Alden moved his family to the Thomas Hobson house, it became the home of the second, third and fourth generation of its founder -- for Benjamin was included in the family. At the present time in this home with Alden is living his daughter, Edith Hobson Burt with her husband and two children, Betty and Harold Jr. Thus again this home is housing three generation -- the third, fourth and fifth.

The Plymouth Community was favored when it was chosen as the home of the Hobson family because of the good influence that has been spread by its members. At least two were placed in positions of unusual responsibility.

Dorothy Stratton Ashton was matron of the Boarding School near Barnesville, Ohio for some time. Because of her understanding and interest in young people, she was a valued counselor as long as health permitted her to share with others the wisdom of her ripe years of experience.

Dr. John Hobson became associated with Flushing Hospital in 1875 and gave many years to relieving the ailments to which the human body is heir.

In this home which Thomas Hobson established, both he and his son Benjamin, passed on to that "House not made with hands" and were laid to rest in the Friends Cemetery nearby.

For many years there has been no Plymouth Meeting House but the Hobson home still stands. Although this house is not especially pretentious in appearance, it is attractive and very home like for it has experienced that "Heap O' livin'" that makes a house a home.

Source: Written by: Elizabeth Burgess. Many fact given by Alden Hobson and Edith Hobson Burr.

See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 46 -- Benjamin Hoyle.

For the table of contents and first entry in this series, please see: Little Home Histories, Part 01 -- Table of Contents and Introduction.

This entry is adapted from Little Home Histories in Our Early Homes, Belmont County, Ohio, which was published in 1942. Its publication was coordinated by Robert D. and Beulah Patten McDonald. This entry has been reedited for inclusion in the Pierian Press Fulltext eBooks database, and is included on the Stratton House Inn Website by special permission. This entry is licensed for use ONLY on this Website. It may be used for educational purposes and personal pleasure under fair-use provisions via this Website. Please note that the Stratton House Inn iteration of this entry does NOT include the subject headings assigned each chapter for use in the Fulltext eBooks database.

DATABASE: Fulltext eBooks: Copyright (c) 2002 The Pierian Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
ENTRY NUMBER: EBK30013745

	Top			Link to this page