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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 hand-sewn 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.
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. Email me at shillington2 at yahoo.com
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