Fresh Start - Baragwanath Family

Our Baragwanath family took root in the United States when Benjamin Baragwanath Sr. and his family became part of the great "Cornish Diaspora." Diaspora refers to the dispersion of a people from their original homeland.

Mining has a rich tradition in Cornwall, dating back more than 2,000 years.

Tin Mining has been a major industry in the county since before the birth of Christ, with Cornish traders exporting to Europe and the Roman Empire, while the brass work in King Solomon's Temple is said to have been wrought from Cornish tin. https://www.exeter.ac.uk/csm125/cornish-mining-tradition.html

As with many, if not most, of the men of St. Ives, Cornwall, England, our Baragwanath men were tin or copper miners. Benjamin Sr. and his son, Benjamin Jr. were engine drivers. Ben Sr. is listed as a miner in the 1851 England Census but by the 1861 census he is listed as a 'working engineer, Tin Mine.' Engines were needed in many of the Cornish mines to keep the water out of the lower levels. The engine workers had the advantage over the miners since their work was at or above ground level.

East Pool Mine preserved engine, near Pool, Cornwall

Cornish emigration took place largely due to the lack of mining work in the late 19th century. It is estimated that 250,000 Cornish migrated abroad between 1861 and 1901. Most went to the United States, Australia and New Zealand, with some also in South America, South Africa and other places.

For some reason, Ben Sr. took his family first to Ireland. I haven't found any documentation about how long they lived there, but daughter Jane arrived in the United States at Philadelphia on 10 Apr 1885, aboard the Indiana via Liverpool, England. There is no indication that her father or brother traveled with her, which would be logical. One way or the other, she was either the first, or one of the first of the family to arrive in the United States.

Ben Jr. arrived in the United States on 28 May1886 on the steamship Indiana out of Liverpool. He was 19 and his occupation was "Fitter." With him he carried a letter of recommendation, dated 14 May 1886, from the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway written by the engineer of the Locomotive and Carriage department, stating that Benjamin was an engine fitting and turning apprentice. It would appear that both father and son used their engineering skills in the railroad industry after leaving Cornwall. When Ben Sr. died, his obituary invited relatives, friends, and employees of the Philadelphia Rail Road round house. (A roundhouse was used for servicing locomotives.)

All of Ben Sr's living children moved to Ireland and then the United States. Daughter, Kate, came over with her mother 29 May 1887 on the Scandinavian out of Glasgow. Ben Jr. had returned to retrieve them.

Ben Baragwanath Jr. shortly after arrival in USA (1862-1958)

Moving to America was a fresh start for the Baragwanath family. It couldn't have been easy but surely there were opportunities open to them here that didn't exist in tiny St. Ives, Cornwall, England.