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Walter Humphry
1788-1869 |
Often I find myself researching so many facets of the
family tree at once that I feel manic. I can't focus on one thing, one
story, one person, one branch long enough to make a difference. Other
times, I find myself so laser focused on an individual or family group
that it consumes me. It's all I can think about. I want to know every
last detail about his or her life.
This week, that person is Walter Humphry, my fifth great grandfather.
Walter
was born in Cornwall, England, in 1788 and came to the U.S. in 1849
with his wife, Ann (Truscott) Humphry, and his children. My fourth great
grandmother, Frances (Humphry) Foxwell, was 16 at the time. The Humphry
family settled in Illyria Township, Fayette County, Iowa, where many of
the deepest roots of my family tree are planted. They are both buried
in the Illyria Church cemetery and I have been to their gave, touched
the headstone, and paid my respects.
Walter died in 1869, but Ann lived on to 1888, reaching the venerable age of 94. Her obituary from a local newspaper is below:
The West Union Gazette March 30, 1888, p. 8
DIED.
HUMPHREY. -
Near Volga, Clayton county, Ia., March 18, 1888, Ann Truscott, wife of
Walter Humphrey, Sr., deceased, was born in Falmouth county, Cornwall,
England, April 5, 1793, consequently was nearly 95 years of age.
Deceased emigrated from England with her husband and six children in
1850, settling in Racine county, Wisconsin, removing from there to
Fayette county in October, 1852, and has since lived in this and Clayton
counties. Five children, twenty-four grand-children and thirteen
great-grand-children are the living descendants of the deceased. She
lived long beyond the time allotted to human beings, and none seemed to
realize it more than she. Often had she expressed herself as ready and
willing to die, only waiting the time of her Lord.
“Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep,
From which none ever wake to weep.”
I
have spent a lot of time researching my immigrant ancestors on my
German lines, but for some reason I had not looked into my English
immigrants to find out exactly when they arrived. Fortunately many of
them were very specific in their record keeping and in family histories,
obituaries, and other documents tracked details down to ship names. For
the Humphry clan, they came on the Java, which arrived in New York
Harbor Nov. 28, 1849.
But what about life before that
trip? What was happening in the home country? When did they decide to
leave Cornwall? Some of these things may never have concrete answers (a
fact I am slowly and reluctantly growing to accept), but some things I
can discover. Thanks to the power of the Internet and online archives I
can get a glimpse at life in the "old country" and perhaps glean a
little understanding.
Recently I joined a UK Newspaper
Archives website. It was something like $15/month, which I found more
than reasonable considering it has issues of the
Royal Cornwall Gazette
dating back to 1800. I did a cursory search for the Humphry name and
found many variations spanning decades, so I narrowed my focus to 1849 -
the year they left for America. It was a long shot and I wasn't sure
what I'd find if anything, but I feel like I hit the jackpot.
Published in the
Gazette in
September 1849 is an auction list for the Parish of Mawnan. One Mr.
Walter Humphry, a farmer, was selling his entire stock in preparation to
leave the country. The listing details every worldly good the Humphry
family owned, from livestock to household goods. I couldn't think of a
better way to learn about their life before America other than visiting
their farm myself.
The Royal Cornwall Gazette Sept. 14, 1849, p. 4
BOSKENSOE AND CARLIDNACK ESTATES,
PARISH OF MAWNAN,
Sheep, Bullocks, Horses, Pigs, Corn with its Straw,
Husbandry Implements, Household Furniture, &c., for Sale.
MR. CORNFIELD begs to notify that he has received
instructions from Mr. Walter Humphry to SELL BY AUCTION, at BOSKENSOE and
CARLIDNACK ESTATES, in the parish of Mawnan, on MONDAY the 17th of September
instant, at Twelve o’clock at Noon, the whole of his superior Live and Dead
FARM STOCK, HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, &c.
LIVE STOCK COMPRISES
2 Working Oxen (6 years old),
2 Two-years old Steers,
7 One-year ditto,
4 Dairy Cows well seasoned in Calf,
4 Heifers ditto,
4 Yearlings.
17 Fat Ewes,
13 Fat Lambs,
7 Excellent Labour Horses,
1 Two-years old Colt,
1 One-year ditto,
9 Pigs.
Dead Stock. – About 3 Acres of prime Barley with its Straw,
well saved, and in arish Mows; about 1 acre of Sweet Turnips; about 2,000
fagots of Furze (stacked); Winnowing Machine, Wain and Wheels, Market Cart and
Wheels, Ox Butts and Wheels, Double and Single Ploughs, Harrows, Rollers and
Frames, Scufflers, Idiots, Ladders, set of Fore and Shaft Harnesses, Whips and
Traces, Barn-boards, Sieves, Pikes, Sacks, with a great variety of Agricultural
Implements.
Household Furniture. – Bedsteads, Chests of Drawers,
Washstands, Swing Glasses, Mahogany and Deal Tables, Mahogany and other Chairs,
Carpets and Carpeting, Fenders and Fire Irons, Boilers, Saucepans, Crocks and
Kettles, with numerous domestic requisites, together with an excellent
Apparatus, &c., &c.
An early attendance is particularly requested.
The Auctioneer invites the attention of Farmers, Breeders,
and others, to the above valuable Live Stock, which are well worthy of
attention; the Proprietor being about to leave the country, the whole will be
sold unreservedly.
May be viewed the morning of the day of Sale; and further
information obtained on application to the
AUCTIONEER, Penryn;
Dated September 5, 1849.
Next,
to find the actual date of departure from England. On the index to the
New York passenger list it says they are from Ireland by way of
Liverpool, so I'm thinking they sailed from England to Ireland and then
to New York. There is an advertisement for the Java in the
Gazette in
October 1849 listing its departure as October 6. Now, I have to verify
that the Oct. 6, 1849, trip was the one that eventually found its way to
New York on Nov. 28.
