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For those early Shillington pioneers in Canada, life was difficult, with the settlements being buried deep in the forest and far from any larger towns. The home, itself, was usually a crude cabin of thick logs, earthen floors and stone fireplaces. Land clearing was a laborious process of dragging out the huge stumps by oxen and later by a stump puller. The hoe was used to plant potatoes, which, among the stumps, was usually the first food crop to surrive. A wooden drag covered the handsewn grain which was harvested with a "cradle" and collected into stocks by the woman, after which, the grain was threshed with a flail on the barn floor.
The settlers made most of their clothes, shoes,furniture and cooking utensils. Their main foods were, mable sugar, syrup, honey, berries, wheat, oats, turnips and potatoes. Plus such wild fowl and animals as they were able to shoot, trap or raise for themselves. Barnraisings were popular and often a rough part of community life. There were also the cornhuskings and apple bees and, above all, the hoe-downs, where the songs and music of back home days were sung with gusto. Religion played an important role, and Methodism in particular, because of the itinerant backwoods preachers who struggled through the wilderness as well as the elements. (written by Howard Shillington) A special THANKS to Phyllis Hebert and John Shillington and my favorite cousin, Mary Ellen for their contribution to this page. The information that they supplied is greatly appreciated. If anyone has any comments on the information on this page I would be interested to know. or if you have any information on the Shillington Family it would be equally appreciated.
I have more information to add as soon as I make sure, to the best of my ability, that it is accurate. .
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