Albert W. Pingrey, the third child of Solomon and Eliza, our generation's great, great grandfather, was born on April 13, 1834 in Andover, Allegany County, New York. At the age of 17 Albert was already a minister and attending Alfred University. On March 12, 1859, Albert married his first cousin, Betsey Samantha Chase in Gilson, Knox County, Illinois. Betsey was the daughter of Morris Chase, who was a brother to Eliza Chase, Albert's mother. Albert was a Methodist Episcopal Minister, circuit rider, and a farmer. Albert and Betsey moved their family back and forth from New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan. A business directory for Andover, New York in the year of 1875, has listed, Albert W. Pingrey as farming 33 acres on Pingrey Hill road and as a minister. On March 24th, 1866, Albert received his "Local Preacher's License" from Hornellsville District, of the East Genesee Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His license was signed by the Presiding Elder for the Hornellsville District, Rev. John N. Brown, who had previously been a chaplain in the army. A local preacher's license meant that he had not received a formal education as a minister, but was recognized as having those attributes of being capable in the field. In the years from 1873 to 1877 Albert is listed as the minister of two Methodist Episcopal Churches (Genesee Conference) in Bradford, Pennsylvania, a distance of about 60 miles from their home in New York. I also found in Allegany County, in the town of Pine Creek, a Methodist Episcopal Church that listed him as one of their ministers, but no date was given. I would assume it was probably right after he received his minister's license. Pine Creek is about 15 miles north and west of Andover. Not a lot of information is available on the circuit riders, as records were not kept by the church as a whole, about their existence, or their work. What little is known usually comes from a history written about a particular church. To give an insight into the financial plight of a circuit rider, in the middle 1800's, his pay for a year was set at $200 per year if he was married, $100 if not. He was allowed travel expenses, and allotted $24 per year for each child in his household under the age of 14, $16 if they were under 7 years old. At this time in history living expenses were much greater than it is today. The average income for a laborer in New York was $2.40 per day, or about five to six hundred dollars a year, an equivalent in today's economy would be $55 per day. In some industries it was $1.00 a day. In Massachusetts it was a lot worse, an income of about 90 cents a day was the norm, with today's equivalent being $20. The average cost of groceries in New York was $1.50 per day, per person, which would equal $34 per day in today‘s world. Cotton fabric cost $12.00 a yard. Today's equal would be $273 per yard. Milk was 14 cents per quart, or in today's market $3.20, ouch! that's $12.80 a gallon. Needless to say, the $200 did not go very far.
Albert was known as a well liked, eloquent orator, a vigorous minister, and a good citizen and father. He stood for moral right, abstinence of alcohol, and love of family. Extensive search has not revealed his burial location. The family bible, in the possession of Albert's great grand daughter does not tell of the location.

The following is a story I read about the Methodist circuit riders of Huron County, Michigan when our great, great grandfather was there.

"Following the example of the early missionary, and with something of the spirit of the heroic age of Methodism, in the pioneer of that Church, in the face of the most obstinate difficulties, penetrated the dense forest, forded rivers, waded swamps, and carried "the bread of life" to the cabins of the very first settlements of the Huron peninsula. As early as 1854 the Methodist minister followed the trail of the lumbermen and laid the foundations of Methodism. The first circuit extended from Lexington to Bay City and included White Rock, Rock Falls (now Harbor Beach), Port Hope, Huron City,Port Austin, Port Crescent, Caseville, and other early settlements along
The shore."

Albert died of liver disease in Huron, Huron County, Michigan on June 22, 1879. Betsey continued living for a short time in Michigan, then moved to Eureka, Illinois where she was closer to her family. In 1900 she lived next door to her brother Charles Chase, in Knoxville, Illinois.
About 1905 their sons, Albert and Charles moved to Chico, California, followed by Harlan in 1907. Betsey probably moved when Albert moved to Chico, as Albert was living with Betsey in Illinois and Charley and family were in Iowa at the time of the move. Betsey remained living with her sons, first with Albert, then with Harlan, until she died in Chico on May 29, 1916. Betsey is buried in the Chico Cemetery, Chico, Butte County, California, near her sons Harrington, and Harlan Pingrey.

By: Jim German, great, great grandson