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.

Where There's a "Will" - William Lake Forman (1829-1919)

Weccacoe Fire Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 In the 19th century, the engine house was the center of social life for working-class men in the area. Membership in a fire company granted men social status, authority, and legitimacy within their own neighborhoods and ethnic groups. There were seven fire companies in Southwark; the brigades were volunteer, and their members drawn from and aligned with competing ethnic and political groups. The apparatus used to fight fires was often purchased with their own funds.
  The following is our first glimpse of William Lake Forman’s involvement in the volunteer fire company in his neighborhood:

8 December 1863 – (Philadelphia Inquirer) WECCACOE FIRE COMPANY - A SPECIAL meeting will be held in the Hall of the Company this (Tuesday) evening, at 7 1/2 o'clock.

WM. L. FORMAN, Assistant Secretary [Typo:WM. J. FORMAN] 

From The Philadelphia Inquirer

On Monday, October 16, 1865, the Philadelphia Fire Department held a grand parade through the streets of Philadelphia. Consisting of fire companies from Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Albany, Newark, Pittsburgh, and several other cities, thousands of firemen paraded with their steam fire engines, hose carriages, ambulances, and bands down an estimated ten-mile route crowded with spectators. According to a New York Times article on October 17, 1865, the parade lasted from 10am to 6pm and "not a scene of disorder occurred on the route."  

Artist's rendition of Grand Parade

From the Illustrated New Age, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Tues, Oct 17, 1865: 

The Firemen's Parade. A Procession Over Ten Miles in Length. Twenty Thousand Fireman in Line.

[Each individual division is mentioned and described] Eleventh Division Marshal - H. J. McIntyre Aids - H. Allman, Wm. H. Woodward WECCACOE ENGINE, No. 19 Marshal - Joseph R. Lyndall Assistants - Robert G. Pidgeon, Wm. B Lambden, Wm. L. Foreman, Benj. Watkins, Thos. Broom, Jr., David S. Bennett, Chas. P. Lyons, John H. Roach, Chas. Griffenburg, Aaron P. Hackett, Joseph Brown. Three hundred men, newly and tastefully equipped in black pants and coats, and red shirts and New York hats; they marched six abreast, followed by their two hose carriages, each being drawn by two horses. Their steamer, which is an Amoskeag, was drawn by six horses, beautifully caparisoned for the occasion. Decorations of every imaginable nature adorned the engine.

Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine

In advance of another planned event, we find this in The Evening Telegraph, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 22 Aug 1867, Mr. W. L. Forman, of the Weccacoe Engine Company, offered a resolution forbidding any burlesque apparatus being drawn in the line of procession. He said such things have had their day . . . The resolution was unanimously adopted.

burlesque: a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor

In July 1868 the new officers of the Fire Company are listed including Secretary, Wm L. Forman. The Weccacoe Fire Company served from 1800 until 1871 when Philadelphia founded its own paid fire department. By the way, the firehouse got its name from the Lenni Lanape Indians from Delaware, who called the area home. They dubbed it Weccacoe, or Wicaco, which translates to “pleasant place.”

Annie Elizabeth Baragwanath and Her Pocket Watch

Her initials are on the back of her pocket watch: AEB for Annie Elizabeth Baragwanath, my grandmother.

She was born in 1890 and died in 1968. She married Edgar C. Forman in 1922. 

I know nothing about this watch. I do know that ladies' watches were usually pendant style so this one probably hung from a chain. Wristwatches didn't appear until after WWI. So I wonder, was this a gift or did she buy it for herself with her salary as a typist? If it was a gift, was it for a special birthday, perhaps a 16th, or 18th, or 21st? It appears to have been well-used so she did wear it. Did she wear it to work? Or to church? Or to run her errands? By the time she married she may have stopped using it.

Somehow it made its way to me. I wish I knew its history. It no longer keeps time. But 100 or more years ago, a young woman treasured this watch and now I treasure it and wonder about that young woman's life.

September Birthdays

Happy birthday to all you with September birthdays, and to those who celebrate anniversaries this month!

Some of our ancestors count September as a special month as well.

Heading from the Washington Times (Washington DC)

One of my favorite ancestor stories is that of the marriage of Edwin Stanton Ross and Katherine Fisher on 1 September 1903 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They got a unique start on their life together, and their story made it into at least 20 newspapers across the country that I could find. You can read their story here:

Going to the Chapel

From The Philadelphia Inquirer

My 2nd great-grandfather and grandmother, William Lake Forman and Amanda Orilla McAllister were married 4 September 1853 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I wrote about locating them in the census records.

William Lake Forman & Amanda Orilla McAllister

Kate Baragwanath married Garrett Floyd on 7 September 1887 in New Jersey. Their announcement appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Kate's husband ran into a spell of bad luck in the 1890s. Click below to read about his troubles, and to see a photo of them together.

Trouble Times Two - Garrett Floyd, husband of Kate Baragwanath

Another of my 2nd great-grandparents, John Ross and Ann Elizabeth Spiece were also married in September, on the 8th in 1858. We are lucky to have this copy of their marriage certificate.

Same Name - A Cautionary Tale

This story shows what happens when you assume too much. And by 'you' I mean 'me'!!  [click above] My great-uncle William Henry Canham, known as Alec, married Constance Marion Winifred Myhill (Connie) on the last day of September 1933, in Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England.

And one final anniversary shout-out to my 22nd great-grandparents who tied the knot in September 1213 without leaving us with the actual date. Raoul de Lusignan and Alice d'Eu were both supposedly born in England and died in France. I have not researched this family line so this is about all we know, but they sound like they were really important, don't they?

Trouble Times Two - Garrett Floyd, husband of Catharine Baragwanath

Garrett Floyd was married to Catharine Hichens Baragwanath (Aunt Kate) in 1887. The following is the account of his harrowing experience in a huge windstorm that swept through the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey areas. From the Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday morning 28 Dec 1895.

News of New Jersey THE STORM'S HAVOC ACROSS THE RIVER Heavy damage to the Pennslvania Railroad shops at Pavonia WIND TOSSED A WATCHMAN Roofs Ripped Off Rows of Houses in Camden and Stockton [Paragraph 4] A Watchman Hurt The watchmen's station at the State street crossing of the Pennsylvania Railroad was carried a distance of 100 feet. Garrett Floyd, the watchman, was injured about the head by the building falling on him. As the cabin overturned a red-hot stove fell on the injured man. Charles White, of Matawan, was carried with the building, and had it not been for his presence Floyd would have met a fearful death as White lifted the stove from him as he lay in an unconscious condition.

Catharine Baragwanath-Aunt Kate-(1855-1934) married Garrett Floyd (1835-1902) in 1887. They never had children together, though Garrett had been married previously and had children by his first wife, Sarah. Aunt Kate’s husband worked as a gatekeeper on the Pennsylvania Railroad in Stockton (Camden, New Jersey.) I shared a story above about a terrible storm that swept up his watchman’s cabin, knocking him out, and landing a red-hot stove on top of his unconscious body. Fortunately another watchman was in the cabin at the time and lifted off the stove, saving Garrett’s life. Apparently this occupation was rife with danger because just a year later, in 1896, tragedy struck again! According to both the Philadelphia Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer newspapers, some “hoodlums” were interfering with the railroad gate, and when Garrett spoke to them, one of the “toughs” dealt him a severe blow to the face, rendering him unconscious. Though he was in considerable pain for a few weeks, he eventually began to heal. Two months later though, the joint in his jaw began to swell and grow stiff. Before long, his jaw had locked closed. He had been taking milk through a tube, made possible by a few missing teeth from the original encounter, but was declining since he couldn’t receive enough nourishment. Though treated at several hospitals in Philadelphia and Camden, all that could be ascertained was that his jaw had actually been broken by the blow to the face. Finally, a Camden physician was willing to perform an operation to free up his jaw. That, sadly is all we know!! Two newspapers were happy to report on this oddity, but neither bothered to report on the outcome. He did live until 1902 so I think we can assume the operation was at least partially a success.

Same Name - A Cautionary Tale

Joseph Canham (1857-1939) lived in Swanton Morley, Norfolk, England, married Jane Mangan in 1884 and proceeded to have 5 lovely daughters between 1886 and 1896. And then there was one son, Alec.

Canham Family @1914 - Mable, Ethel, Louie, Joe, Addie. Front - Dessie, Jane, Alec

My mother called him Uncle Alec and understood him to have been adopted. She had no other information about him. I couldn’t find him in any birth, marriage or death records in the area which was odd. In 2013 I came across a tree on Ancestry that included Alec. So I contacted the owner of the tree who provided more details. Sue Freeman’s grandfather was Edwin Canham, son of Absalom who was a brother to Joseph Canham (my great-grandfather.) She told me about the book, “Our Knickers Were Interesting” written by Daisy Raynor about life in Swanton Morley at the turn of the century. She claimed the book suggested Alec was actually the son of one of Joseph and Jane’s daughters. Sue said her grandmother was rather ‘tight-lipped’ about it but that the family hinted that the assumption was correct. The assumption further was that “Beattie” was the mother. Beattie was Beatrice Louise, who my mother knew as Aunt Louie. She was the oldest of the five girls. Sue also knew that Alec’s actual name was William Henry. No one knows how “Alec” came to be used. In the 1911 Census, there is a “Henry” age 5 living with Joseph and Jane Canham in Swanton Morley, their “nephew.” This surely must be Alec.

1911 Census

Using the name Henry I searched the England Select Births and Christenings on Ancestry. A Henry Canham was baptized 14 May 1905 in Harrow-Green, Essex, England (near London – where several Canham family members were living.) His mother: Beatrice Canham. No father is listed. I thought this was proof that Beatrice Louise was truly the mother of this boy. I sent for the birth certificate. While I waited weeks for it to arrive, I mourned for this young woman and her little boy. What a struggle to have to pretend your son was your brother, and watch him being mothered by another. My heart was really saddened by this tale. I wrote up their story and posted it various places.

Index found at Ancestry.com

Then the birth certificate arrived. William Henry Canham was the son of Alice Beatrice Canham!! NOT Beatrice Louise Canham! Alice was Joseph’s youngest sister, so when I found Henry in the 1911 census listed as ‘nephew’ to Joseph and Jane – that was correct. Now I had to scurry to change all the information I had uploaded as truth, since it was absolutely false!!

Now this doesn’t change the fact that a young woman, only 19 years old found herself in a ‘predicament’ and deserved the same anguish I felt when I thought it was her niece. I mourn for her loss in many ways. We can’t know what happened to her, nor how she managed after the birth of her son, and giving him to her brother to raise. She did marry 11 years later, but so far I can’t find any mention of other children, which is all the more a sadness. But from all this leaping about thinking I’d made a ‘find’ I learned a valuable lesson: Don’t rush to conclusions!

Sister Project - Favorite Shoes

Have you ever had a favorite pair of shoes? Describe them.

20 years ago answers come first, followed by 2019 answers.

Linda: One of my favorite shows on HGTV is Mission Impossible. Each episode shows someone’s office or playroom or bedroom totally out of control from clutter. Every time they show a bedroom redo I always shake my head in amazement mostly because of how many shoes so many women own – and won’t give up!

I can’t relate.

The shoe stack in my closet is seven feet tall and it’s filled with … books! I just don’t get into shoes.

I could be embarrassed to admit that I have a pair of black pumps that I wore as recently as last summer that are over 20 years old. They must be favorites. The only reason I don’t wear them to church much anymore is because I still wear another old pair of black suede Mary Janes that are flat and more comfortable. I’m at the stage where comfort trumps fashion. And this is why I like teaching the Sunbeams in Primary. Because I am on the floor half the time, I can justify having to wear thee simple out-of-fashion (and season) shoes every Sunday. So I hope I teach this class for a long time because I’d hate to lose my excuse to wear my favorite OLD shoes.

2019: Linda: In 8th grade I was thrilled to have a pair of the shoes that all the other girls were wearing because I started 7th grade in Hush Puppies! I remember favorite white plastic sandals as a little girl. I loved the era of wearing huaraches. For years I wore clog-like shoes that Julie thought were awful. I have never cared too much for shoes. I don’t have dozens of them like so many people do. I have been wearing the same church shoes for years and years. At this age it is all about comfort.

Kathi: I was a senior in high school. Sometime in the spring I went to LA with Mom and Dad who were going for a meeting. I, of course, stayed with Ann Jeffs, my best friend since kindergarten. She still didn’t drive, but I had recently learned how to drive a stick shift so we got to take her mom’s VW Bug and tootle around LA! But that’s another story(involving snooty parking valets in Beverly Hills, but as I said – another story!) Of course we went shopping, and I saw the most amazing pair of shoes. Pink suede with a cork (yes cork!) sole. For some reason, I didn’t buy them. But after I got home, I kicked myself! So I wrote Ann, sent her money, she bought them and shipped them to me. LOVED those shoes! I wish I had a picture. I wonder whatever happened to them…

I had another favorite pair of pink shoes in the 80’s. Peek-a-boo toe with a bow, sling back, cute heels. Made of a canvas-like fabric, but a beautiful soft shade of pink. I wore them to John’s uncle’s funeral and ruined them walking in the soft, wet dirt. I never could get the stains out. I was so sad. Loved those shoes too!

2019: Without question it was a pair of pink suede shoes with cork soles and heels I got in 1972. I probably told the same story the last time I answered this! I adored those shoes and I have no idea when I got rid of them. I remember wearing those awful black and white saddle shoes in kindergarten and I hated them with a passion. I managed to talk Mom out of making me wear them ever again. Then they came back into fashion years later – but I didn’t buy any. Too scarred.

Claire: My favorite shoes were ones I had in grade school, maybe around 4^th or 5^th grade. They were black leather, with laces that criss-crossed across the top of the foot, with pointed toes and tassels on the ends of the laces. I loved those shoes and every year for 2 years at least, I bought another pair when it came time for new shoes for a new school year. I think one year I bought white ones, not black ones. I just loved the style.

2019: In 5th and 6th grade I had a pair of shoes, (new ones each year) that were black with a leather tassel at the end of the tie. I loved these shoes and bought the same ones the next year ( think I chose a different color) when we went school clothes shopping. 

Annette: I’m not really into shoes but I had a favorite pair of leather sandals that I wore so much, the soles wore out and I started tipping sideways! Had to throw them out and I’ve never had a favorite since. I’m hoping I can find them again!

2019: Currently love my Polka dot red wedges with an ankle strap and bow. So cute!