John Janney
Past Times
Social Life
Social Life inside the Quaker community was centered around the family and Quaker meeting house. What was entertainment to others in Loudoun County may have been forbidden by the Quaker community, such as horse racing and games of chance.
Huskings and Raisings
Husking was a community event that involve men and male slaves. A pile of corn 6' high and 12' wide was made for each man and the winner was the one who finished first. John mentions that a bottle of whiskey was passed around freely during the contest. Barn raising were another community activity. After the husking or raising, a large dinner of roast turkey, roast beef and a variety of pies was served.
Turkey Shots
Area farmers who wanted to get rid of wild turkeys held shooting matches on Saturday. The man would put up 12 cents per shot and the winner kept the turkey and the owner made between one and two dollars.
Quilting
Young women from the neighborhood gathered at a friends or family houses for a quilting party. The day was spent assembling a quilt made of cut pieces of cloth. The bottom of the quilt was cotton cloth and the middle of the quilt was filled with raw cotton.
Children's Games
John lists over a dozen games played by children. Some of these games are still played today or have evolved into modern games.
Town ball (forerunner to baseball)
Football (similar to soccer)
Marbles
Pitching Cents (game of chance frowned upon by the Quaker community)
Corner ball (similar to dodge ball)
Kites
Jump rope
Antony Over: A ball was thrown over a house. If it was caught on the other side, that person would run to the other side and try to hit a person with the ball.
Fox and Hounds: One person would run out into the woods and yell. Children would go out into the woods to catch the fox (child). The goal was to get back to base without being caught.
