Although Margaret Hamilton was not born in the Hamilton House in Clifton, she spent most of her life living on the homestead. She and her sisters, Bridget and Susan, inherited the house from their parents and enjoyed a long life on the farm. Margaret kept a day journal that left us with a first-hand look into her life in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Part of these diary entries detail birthday presents given to her over the years.

Margaret Hamilton

June 2, 1847 - December 15, 1918

1883: Margaret’s father, Henry Hamilton, gifted her a brindle heifer cow from a herd of cattle that he had purchased from the Mill family. Her mother, Margaret (after whom Margaret was named) gave her $500.

1888: Bridget and Susan presented her with an upholstered chair.

1897: Her two sisters surprised her with a parlor lamp.

1899: Mr. Trebilcock (relationship unknown) celebrated her birthday with a 5-week-old puppy named Roe.

How do these compare to any of the gifts you have received?