→ William H Blencowe (22 Feb 1834, Gawcott, Buckinghamshire) → New York, New York. Arrived: 1867 in advance of family.
→Susannah ‘Susan’ Blencowe (nee Messer) (16 Jul 1836, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England) → Mrs Blencowe age 32 – with children William 7, Thomas 6, Emma 5, Joanna 4, Alfred 3 & Mary J 1 – departed Liverpool, England arrived New York 28 Oct 1868 on Ship “Nebraska”
Gawcott and Hook Norton
The sons of Thomas Blencow the Mason were destined to learn his fathers trade, as was the custom in 19th C rural villages. There really wasn’t any other good options, work in the village, consisted mainly of day labouring in the fields. Thomas had four sons he taught his skills to William, 1834; Thomas, 1835; John, 1838; and Jesse, 1848
So in this regard William was very lucky to have trade he was trained in, however the role of the village Mason was changing rapidly as he grew up. His father Thomas notoriously carved his own headstone a common enough job as the village Mason was a ‘jack of trades’ when it came to working the local stone, which was the essentially before the railways, the only material available. But, change was happening, the advent of the railways meant stone and materials not considered before could be brought to Gawcott, Welsh slate for roofs, the ready- made brick a new building material that was to take over in house building. Williams younger brothers Thomas and John and latter Jesse made in total 5 Masons in the family and so work for them inevitably meant travelling outside Gawcott.
I’m speculating this is how William came to travel to Hook Norton and eventually met Susannah Messer. Note: the 22 miles between these locations meant it was a good days walk away. Susan has she was called was a daughter of an Agricultural Labourer, and while name Messer appears foreign its derivation is from Norman- English times meaning “harvester’. Susan was a servant in a house in Hook Norton and a romance began.
Soon a baby was its way and so William and Susan got married in Gawcott, in the first quarter of 1857. The couple settled in Gawcott and by 1861 Census have sadly lost their first daughter, but had two more children. Susan was working as a Lacemaker. This a cottage Industry, common in the Bucks villages, the woman working outside for the good daylight required for the delicate work they did.
Knowledge of Chenago County, New York .
Right from the time they were young boys William ,Thomas and John would have heard how uncle John Blencowe had emigrated before and how successive Blencowe’s had gone to New York state from Gawcott and prospered. Even more recently another Uncle Henry Blencowe had gone there and taken all of his family, a cousin Henry who they probably had played with in Gawcott was now retelling his own success story in letters back home.
The lack of good income and five masons in the same family, meant inevitably something had to change, and emigration was part of the family tradition. It was no surprise then that younger brother Thomas also a Mason decided to emigrate in 1857, however perhaps news of the impending war in the USA persuaded him to try Australia. This was further away and unknown but also Australia was paying passages and so off went a brother that William was never to see again..
Those that went before
Time passed in Gawcott, the US Civil War came and went and letters sent home reflected a peace had settled again in Chenagao County. While William’s uncle John and his emigration in 1830s was known it was more recent emigration that would have stuck in William’s mind, a cousin Henry and his parents had gone to New York in 1852 at age 25 and now in the 1860s doing well, a Blacksmith he owned his own house in Preston, Chenago County.
By 1866 William and Susan had 5 children and one of the way and probably at this juncture decided to follow family members to New York. After all William had a skill bricklaying that was in heavy demand.
The Voyage
We don’t have the details of Williams journey in advance of his family but it’s likely sometime after January 1867 (reasoning- their child Mary Jane was born August 1867 in Gawcott). We do know that Susan and children arrived in Castle Gardens New York on 28 October 1868 so its was probably a year before William had a job and earned enough to send tickets to Susan. Note in 1900 US census both William and Susan give 1867 as the year they emigrated. In the 1910 Census 1868 is the year.
Internet Archive Reel 303
Norwich, New York
In 1870 William and his family is establish as a bricklayer in Norwich, Chenago County . Younger brother Jesse is nearby with his family in the same town and he is also a bricklayer. A Cousin Jesse who had come with William’s Uncle Henry in 18 years prior, was a farmer just 10 miles away in Guilford. However as this story unfolds it will be cousin who has moved to Wisconsin William A who will the most influence over the two brothers.
Norwich was booming at the time the brothers arrived and there was plenty of skilled brickwork available. In the 1830s, local blacksmith David Maydole had revolutionized the design of hammers by successfully securing the hammerhead to the handle using an “adze-eye.” The Maydole Hammer Factory operated in Norwich in Chenango County from 1845 to 1961. Its possible William or both of the brothers were used in extending this building with it use of special heat treated bricks in the forges etc.
In 1871 brother Jesse was persuaded by Cousin William A Blencoe in Wisconsin to go there. Jesse was younger and had more energy perhaps for another long trek to find family success and made the moved, which turned out to be a very good move for him.
A curious set of circumstances now arose for William and Susan in September of 1871, a 10th child a son was born, Eppenton Nelson Blencoe. However, the couple choose to adopt out this son to a family called Barnes, and indeed the NY State census of 1875 confirms his surname is still Blencoe and that he is adopted.
Again in June of 1873, an 11th child Walter Blencoe, suffers a similar fate. Its believed he went to Walter and Clara Button of Norwich , but it this case seem to have had the surname change right away.
Quite why 10 and 11 were adopted out, is unknown, but it could have been Susan just couldn’t cope (they were now farming). William and Susan must have also have been thinking of a move to Wisconsin. Was it just a case of too much after all they had 9 children to look after. However this appears not to be the case because as soon as they got to Wisconsin in about 1874 a 12th child Nellie Blencoe was on her way.
Wisconsin
So no surprise, that in 1880 Census, William and his family are living at Alma, Jackson, Wisconsin and he is Farmer likely at this stage renting land. But by 1900 he owns a farm freehold and has three sons working with him on the farm.
Timeline
| Event | Date/Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | William H Blencow | |
| Birth Place | Gawcott, Buckinghamshire | |
| Birth Date | 22 Feb 1834 | |
| Occupation | 1851, Gawcott, Buckinghamshire | William Blencowe 27 Mason Susan Blencowe 24 William Blencowe 2 Thomas H Blencowe 5/12 |
| Census UK 1851 (30 Mar) | 30 Mar 1851, Gawcott, Buckinghamshire | Thomas Blencowe 40 Mason Frances Blencowe 43 Phebe Blencowe 19 Lacemaker William Blencowe17 Mason Thomas Blencowe 15 Mason John Blencowe 13 Frances Blencowe 11 Clementina Blencowe 6 Jesse Blencowe 3 Johanna Blencowe 1 |
| Marriage | prob 1857, | |
| Birth of Daughter Evangeline | 1857, | |
| Birth of Son William | 14 Dec 1858, | |
| Death of Daughter Evangeline | 1860, Gawcott | |
| Birth of Son Thomas Henry | 30 Oct 1860, | |
| Census UK 1861 (7 Apr) | 7 Apr 1861, Gawcott, Buckinghamshire | William Blencowe 27 Bricklayer Susan Blencowe 24 Lacemaker William Blencowe 2 Thomas H Blencowe 5/12 |
| Birth of Daughter Emma Maria | 31 Jul 1862, | |
| Birth of Daughter Joanna | 25 Oct 1863, | |
| Birth of Son Alfred | 1 Jul 1865, | |
| Birth of Daughter Mary Jane | 1867, | |
| Emigrated a Blencowe variant | 1869, New York, New York | Emigrated to U.S.A. in 1869 arrived in New York, ship unknown. Name spelt W H Blencowe. In 1870 was in Norwich Co. NY stayed there 6 years then to Wisconsin. Died 1.9.1938 Black River Falls. |
| Birth of Son George | 5 Jan 1869, | |
| Census US 1870 | 14 Aug 1870, Norwich, Chenago County, New York | William Blencowe 36 Susen Blencowe 34 William Blencowe 12 Thomas Blencowe 10 Emma Blencowe 7 Janna Blencowe 6 Alfred Blencowe 5 Mary Jane Blencowe 3 3 George Blencowe Fanny Blencowe 1/12 |
| Birth of Son Nelson Eppenton | 6 Sep 1871, Norwich, Chenago County, New York | Adopted by William and Eliza Barnes |
| Birth of Son Walter | 17 Jun 1873, Norwich, Chenago County, New York | Adopted by probably by Walter and Clara Button Norwich Chenago Cty |
| Birth of Daughter Nellie Ellen | 26 Sep 1875, Alma, Jackson, Wisconsin | |
| Birth of Daughter Francis Fanny Elizabeth | 10 Apr 1876, Alma, Jackson, Wisconsin | |
| Census US 1880 (1 Jun) | 1 Jun 1880, Alma, Jackson, Wisconsin | William Blencoe 45 Farmer Susan Blencoe 43 William Blencoe 21 Farmer Thomas A. Blencoe 19 Emma Blencoe 17 Joanna Blencoe 16 Alfred Blencoe 15 Mary Jane Blencoe 13 George Blencoe 11 Fannie Blencoe 9 Ellen Blencoe 4 |
| Census US 1900 (15 apr) | 15 Apr 1900, Alma, Jackson, Wisconsin | William Blencoe 66 Farmer Susan Blencoe 63 has had 12 children 11 still alive William Blencoe Jr 41 Farm Labourer Alfred Blencoe 34 Farm Labourer George Blencoe 31 Farm Labourer Nellie Blencoe 24 |
| Census US 1910 (15 Apr) | 15 Apr 1910, Alma, Jackson, Wisconsin | William Blenco 51 General Farmer George Blenco 41 Poultry Farmer William Blenco 76 Susan Blenco 73 |
| Death | 6 Jun 1910, Alma Center, Jackson, Wisconsin, USA |
Descendants
- Evangeline Blencowe b. 1857 d. 1860 died as an infant in Gawcott
- William Blencowe b. 14 Dec 1858 d. 1 Sep 1938 A Farmer in Alama Center with his brother George did not marry
- Thomas Henry Blencowe b. 30 Oct 1860 d. 15 May 1930 A mason and Plasterer who married in Wisconsin and moved to Portland Oregon. He and Flora Electra Hartson had one son.
- Emma Maria Blencowe b. 31 Jul 1862 d. 27 Feb 1955 married Hartley Dudley Dodge and Civil War veteran from Maine. He was 21 years older that Emma, They married 1886 in Jackson County Hartley died in 1906 in Jackson Wisconsin and Emma outlive him by 49 years she died in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. They had one son Harold Lawrence Dodge who was a hotel manager in Minneasota.
- Joanna Blencow b. 25 Oct 1863 d. 16 May 1948 married Chancey Blaksley Arnold in Pine Ridge Wisconsin in 1880 they had one son
- Alfred Blencoe b. 1 Jul 1865 d. 8 May 1945 He married twice and had 8 children , his second marriage to Margaret Ann Gee produced 7 of the children. He was a Farmer and owned his property in Alma Center.
- Mary Jane Blencowe b. 1867 d. 25 Mar 1957 lived a long life, was married twice and had only one son. She died in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, and had lived there with her sister Emma who she survived by 2 years.
- George Austin Blencoe b. 5 Jan 1869 d. 6 Nov 1949 married Carrie Smith in 1916 in Alma Center. They had four sons. George owned his own land and farmed with his brother William in Alma Center.
- Francis Fanny Elizabeth Blencoe b. 10 Apr 1876 d. 14 Jul 1937 Married twice and had two sons by her second marriage to Charles Henry Smith.
- Heppenton Nelson Blencoe b. 6 Sep 1871 Was one of two children the other being Walter that William and Susan put up for adoption. Daphne Austin notes Heppenton Nelson Blencoe Reported to have been left for adoption with a family Barnes in Ny before the family moved on to Wisconsin. May have become a doctor or Lawyer. In 1910 resident in Newport RI
- Walter Blencoe b. 17 Jun 1873 like his brother was left for adoption with a family called Button in New York before the family left for Wisconsin.
- Nellie Ellen Blencoe b. 26 Sep 1875 d. 23 May 1967 married a Dr Frank Garmin an Optometrist, they lived in Neillsville, Clark, Wisconsin and had no children
Death Obituary
Sources
- Daphne Austins Blencowe Database
- Ancestry and Family Search
- Jackson County Banner and the Alma Center Herald historic News Papers
- Wisconsin Historical Society
- The Lakeside Monthly, October, 1872 and later issues
Gallery
