Following is the set of footnotes associated with research of the transcription of the August 1856 diary entries by Lorette Shepard & John Hamilton. These footnotes are also interspersed and embedded within the transcription.
- Mother Hamilton ♢ Lucinda 59, had her first child at the age of twenty, a son, James L. who died in 1819. Her second child, Mary I. was born in 1818 and died in 1854. William, born in 1821 was her oldest living child. Next came Nelson L. who died in 1841 at the age of nineteen. Harriet born in 1823 was married to David Knowlton, and next daughter Adeline was married to William Stewart. Next came Helen, John, Lizzie, Benjamin Frank, and James. Lucinda had her last child, Francis, when she was forty-six, Francis died in 1847 at the age of four. All of the Hamiltons were buried in Maple Lawn Cemetery in Bethany Center.
- Mr. Jesse Brainards ♢ Jesse was the nineteen-year-old son of Levi Brainard and Mary Morse.
- machine ♢ Threshing Machines were use to separate the grain (ie wheat) from the straw.
- called at night ♢ Sumner Lawrence 26 was married to John Hamilton’s old neighbor on Francis Road, Abby Lamkin. They were with Alonzo Frisbe and Egesta Smith, daughter of Captain Elisha Smith.
- Dr. Baker ♢ He, along with many Genesee County men, was a FreeMason a 32d degree Mason.
- Mr. Hiram Showerman ♢ Hiram was a son of John Showerman Jr. and his first wife Catherine Niver. Hiram’s wife was Phebe Johnson 27, a daughter of William Johnson and Harriet Favill of Frances Road. They lived in Wisconsin, where their son Byron Euclid was born, and died five months later.
- Abby ♢ Abby 43, was one of eleven children born to John Moore and Clarissa Sparks who lived across from Lorette’s parents. When her husband Andrew Sparks died in 1844, they had a son Wells Sparks age 3. By In 1850 she was married to Harry Coe (1802-1885) of Pavilion.
- Ellen Lyman ♢ Ellen Lyman, single age 20, lived with her parents Samuel Lyman and Charlotte Williamson on Ellicott St Rd.
- Lorinda ♢ Lorinda, 24, was living in Iowa with her new husband, James Bride.
- Malvina Sweetland ♢ Daughters of Rev. Seneca Mason Short by two marriages: Malvina 26 a daughter of Mary who died at the age of 24 and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in 1835 in Livonia, Livingston County and wife of John W Sweetland, and sister Laura 13 was a daughter of Seneca's second wife, Maria Newton.
- Josiah Putnams ♢ Josiah 55 lived near his father Peter Putnam’s house on Putnam Settlement. He was married twice, first to Olivia Lord who died in 1835 and was buried in Putnam Cemetery. They had five children who all died young except for Philinda 31 who lived with her father. Josiah’s second wife was Lydia Wilson Shaw, 40 a daughter of Daniel Shaw and Catherine Wilson (who was married to Lorette’s grandfather John Shepard Sr, who died in February 1856.
- aunt Julia ♢ Julia Powers was born in 1822, the last child Asahel Powers who died in 1823, and Elizabeth Powell Powers Showerman. She was born in Barre, Genesee County (later to become part of Orleans County). In 1825 her mother Elizabeth, 36, married John P. Showerman Jr. In 1830 the two combined families of eleven, lived in Alexander. In 1835 the family lived in Freedom Cattaraugus county and remained there until 1850 when they lived in Barre once again. That is where Julia married widower Levi Brainard in 1848.
- uncle Nelson Hawleys ♢ Nelson 45 was married to John Shepard’s sister, Sally. They were renters and lived at the south end of Putnam Rd near Walter Cole.
- old Mrs. Thompson ♢ Lorette’s aunts and cousins were probably with Matilda Rugg Thompson, the wife of Asa Thompson, both around 80. She appears to be the oldest Thompson in Genesee County at the time. In 1850 the couple lived in Bethany with their youngest of eight children, Lydia and her husband, Anson Munger, and their two children, Luin L. born in 1845, and Esther A. born in 1850.
- meeting ♢ William Miller predicted the 2nd coming of Christ would occur on or around October 22, 1844, based on his interpretation of Biblical dates. On the night before, believers from miles around gathered on Pinnacle Hill, the highest point in Rochester in preparation for the Coming. The Millerites were disillusioned by sunrise, and most abandoned their leader, but many stayed loyal to Miller and by 1860 they began to formalize the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The Millerites published a paper, “The Present Truth” which may have been a topic at the meeting.
- George Kendall ♢ George Kendall, 22, was the oldest son of Reuben Kendall (1804-1874) and Alice Holden (1800-1866).
- the Center ♢ Bethany Center is located around the intersection of Bethany Center Rd and Route 20 in the Town of Bethany, Genesee County, NY
- Mr. Rogers ♢ There were several Rogers families living near Bethany Center including, William Ely Rogers (1809-1899) and Elisha Rogers (1789-1876) both born in Lyme, CT.
- Eunice & Sarah ♢ Eunice Lyons lived with Sarah Showerman and her parents, Peter and Roxanny Showerman, on Townline Road, Bethany.
- Jennett Shepard ♢ Lorette’s cousin, Jannette 15, was a daughter of Asahel Shepard and Jane Newcomb.
- Mary Hurty ♢ Mary 23 was a daughter of John Hurty and Elizabeth Bartels, born in Lowville, Lewis County, NY. She married John Latridge.
- got a boy ♢ Mortimer was the last child of Morris and Maria Putnam who moved to Burton, Genesee County, Michigan in 1855. His sibling were, Melvina, Morris, Lorette, Romaine, and Charles M.
- Sally ♢ Sally (Sarah Ann) Quance, 42, wife of Warren Putnam was with the wives of her brothers - Lucy, 29, was married to James M. Quance, and Elizabeth, 27, was married to Israel Quance.
- Checkered Tavern ♢ The Checkered Tavern was painted like a checkerboard. It was located at the corner of Batavia Stafford Townline Rd and Ellicott St Rd. It is the same building designated as Bartholf’s Tavern on the 1854 Map of Genesee County.
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