A few years ago we drove to Coldwater, Michigan in search of
my husband’s Cutter line, specifically the family of Stephen Starr Cutter.
Our search brought us into the Buggie family as Stephen
Starr Cutter’s daughter Mary Estabrook
Cutter married John H. Buggie on
28 October 1880.
Mary E. Cutter and John H. Buggie had two children:
Frederick Starr Buggie (b: Nov. 1881) and Mariette Buggie (b: 20 Dec 1883; d: 5
Oct 1909).
Frederick Starr
Buggie married Mary Margaret
Campbell and they had one daughter, who they named Mariet (b: 1911) most
probably named for Frederick’s sister, Mariette who died in 1909. It is this Mariet that my hubby
recently researched and found some very fun information.
According to a May 11, 1967 article in the Rome (NY) Daily Sentinel, Mariet Margaret Buggie Moffat was
appointed the first woman to ring the Ipswick (Massachusetts) Curfew Bell in 333 years because no man wanted the job. Apparently it was interfering with
television time.
She volunteered
to ring the bells, located at the Methodist Church two miles from her home, 21
times every night of the year at 9:00 p.m. in rain, snow, heat, in sickness and
in health (kind of like being married!)
Being an organized woman, Mariet formed an association of
bell ringers, consisting of people who lived near the church that could ring
the bells when she couldn’t make it.
The practice began in 1634 when the Puritans wanted to alert
the community that it was time to put out the lights and go to bed, as there
was always much work to be done the next day.
And for this dedicated service, Mariet was paid $250 a
year. Thank you, Mariet, for
carrying on the tradition.
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