Memories of the Coes 7: Pastors and Church Division

Pastors

Among our pastors whom I remember, - names at least, - was Mr. Plumley. Rev. Philip Houseknect had a very large family. I think nearly or all grown up when he preached for us. I believe he lived in Batavia after he retired, and died a very old man, and that there are many of his descendants in the country around. The last pastor we had was Rev. J.A. Brown, whose wife was a great friend of sister Mary. They had one child Ernest, about my age. They were good singers. They used to testify how wild they had been, dancing, card playing, all worldly amusements, and how wonderfully they had been converted. They had a covered carriage, - (top buggy,) among the first I had ever seen. The family used to visit at our house nearly every week. I would see the buggy going along the road when I was at school. 

Church Division

Before I can remember, there was a split in the the Methodist Church in the vicinity, and a good many became Free Methodists. Among those who went were Aunt Libbie (Elizabeth) Ann and Uncle Miller Walkley, Mr. and Mrs. Rosman Walkley, and Olive (Eve) and uncle Cyrus Sperry. The Free Methodists dressed with exceeding plainness, no ornaments or jewlrey, hair smooth, no "worldly" amusements. They were given to much shouting in their meetings. Rose Carleton's father was a dour Free Methodist. it was told that someone gave Rose a plain little gold pin. Her father took it out doors and threw it as far as he could. The early  Methodists at the time I first remember, also dressed plainly, - hair plain, and eschewed worldly amusements. There were also some who expressed their enthusiasm by shouting. There were still camp meetings when I was a little girl. All I can definetly remember were at Silver Lake. 

Aunt Libbie and uncle Miller were frequent visitors at our home. Her health was poor. Once when I was a small girl he said "When I look at these children I sometimes wish I had never met Ann!" Sister Mary went for him. In modern parlance, "gave what was coming to him." They had three daughters, Clara, Mrs John Logan, a little younger than I, Ella who married _____ and died quite young, and Mary who married Peter Carmichael, has perhaps six children, and lives in Caledonia (1936). 

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Patty's Notes on this entry

Like the previous entries, the two sections of this post are separate entries in the original manuscript. 

Mr Plumley - Albert Plumley (1818-1888) was a Methodist preacher. His twin brother Alvin was a Baptist preacher. In 1870, Albert was living in Pavillion, Genesee County with his occupation listed as M.E. Clergyman. 

Rev Philip Houseknect - Philip Houseknect (1830-1917). From the 1870s-1890s, he lived in Alabama, Gensee County. By 1910, he was living in Batavia, Genesee County. He and his wife had at least 6 children. He was a Methodist Clergyman.

Rev J.A. Brown - Probably Julius Field Brown (1836-1913). He was a Methodist Episcopal minister who lived in Alleghany County in 1880 and Genesee County in 1900. He was married to Cordelia Haskins (1836-1922).

Sister Mary - Mary Isadore Coe (1851-1924), daughter of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. She married George W. Sperry in 1879. 

Ernest - Ernest Warren Brown (1860 - ), son of Rev. Julius F Brown and Cordelia Haskins. He married Eleanor Parkhurst in 1884. They were living in Livonia, Livingston County, NY in 1900 with their daughter Elnora. According to his father's obituary, in 1913 he lived in Ritzville, Washington.  In 1920, he was living in Stafford with his wife Mabelle and his widowed mother. 

Free Methodists - In 1860, the Free Methodist Church was founded in Pekin, New York by expelled members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, who argued the ME Church had strayed from its Biblical and Wesleyan roots. Free Methodists supported free pews (ME Churches charged for pews which limited access for the poor), free worship (less structure and ritual in services), free men and women (anti-slavery) and freedom to live holy lives according to the Bible. I haven't been able to figure out when the split between Free Methodists and Methodist Episcopals reached Genesee County. 

Aunt Libbie (Elizabeth) Ann - Elizabeth Ann Prentice (1835-1916), daughter of Southwick Prentice and Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) Smith, sister of Deborah Prentice. She married Miller Mills Walkley in 1858. 

Uncle Miller Walkley - Miller Mills Walkley (1836-1913), son of Richard Walkley and Juliette Mills. He married Elizabeth Ann Prentice in 1858. 

Mr and Mrs Rosman Walkley - Rosaman L. Walkley (1838-1930), son of Richard Walkley and Juliette Mills. He married Maryetta Peck (1843-1922). Their son Frank Lincoln Walkley (1867-1961) married Carrie Evelyn Coe (1864-1948) in 1894. Carrie is a daughter of Albert Coe and Deborah Prentice. 

Olive Coe (1823-1901)
Photo courtesy of Marion Sperry Howe

Marion's blog with Coe photos is at https://mlsperry.blogspot.com/2020/07/coe-family-this-post-presents-pictures.html

Cyrus Sperry (1810-1895)

Marion's blog with Coe photos is at https://mlsperry.blogspot.com/2020/07/coe-family-this-post-presents-pictures.html

Olive (Eve) and Uncle Cyrus Sperry - Olive Coe (1823-1901), daughter of Ezra Coe and Elizabeth Ann Sornberger, sister of Albert Coe. She married Cyrus Sperry (1810-1895) in 1843. Cyrus was the son of Philo Sperry and Polly Wooster. 

Rose Carleton - probably Rosamond Hellen Carlton (1859-1923), daughter of Charles Levi Carlton and Sarah Foskit. She first married in 1888 Leonard Heddon, and then in 1901 married Willard Chapman. She lived in Le Roy, Genesee County her entire life. 

Silver Lake - In 1857, the NY State Legislature chartered the Genesee Conference (Methodist Episcopal) Camp Grounds. In 1872, the Camp moved to the shores of Silver Lake in Wyoming County. The Camp meetings were intended to train and teach church members and groups so they could bring Methodist teachings back to their communities. 

Clara - Clara M Walkley (1864-1964), daughter of Miller Mills Walkley and Elizabeth Ann Prentice. She married John Logan in 1886.

John Logan - John Logan (1846-1919), son of James Logan and Ann Lowery. He married Clara Walkley in 1886. 

Ella - Ella D Walkley (1867-1917), daughter of Miller Mills Walkley and Elizabeth Ann Prentice. She married Jesse E Burton (1870-1920) in 1900. Jesse Burton was the son of Leonard Burton and Sarah Fishell. 

Mary - Mary B Walkley (1870-1967), daughter of Miller Mills Walkley and Elizabeth Ann Prentice. She married Peter Carmichael in 1894. 

Peter Carmichael - Peter Carmichael (1874-1947). son of James Carmichael and Jean Isabel McIntyre. He married Mary B Walkley in 1894. 

Six children - The six Carmichael children are Olive Elizabeth (1895-1988) married Howard Hendershott, Edith Mary (1897 - 1982) married Nicholas Murante, Miller Jame (1902-1967) married Mary Servis, Ruth Onalee (1904-1981) married Vernon Willis Wall and then Sylvester Diskin, Glen McIntyre (1906-1997) married Blanche Hines, and Jay Reed (1909-1984) married Jean Laura Hoag. 

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