George GARNHAM [10300]

  General Notes:

Notes for GEORGE GARNHAM:
Extract from Sim's 3 Volume History of Elgin County Ontario Canada:-
"George Garnham went to England and married [Mary] Ann Fenn. In 1856 he decided to return to Canada [they did not marry in England but in Straffordville, Elgin County, Canada 12 April 1860], and so
accompanied by Mr and Mrs Stephen Marshall and their two children William and Rosa [both born in Henley, Suffolk, England, their third child Catherine was born in Bayham, Elgin County 1 February 1859];
Mr and Mrs William Fenn and one son Harry; Edwin Fenn; James Marshall [brother of Stephen and children of Robert Marshall of Swilland, Suffolk and Maria Flack Garnham of Ipswich Suffolk]. The wives of George Garnham and Stephen Marshall were sisters [Mary Ann Fenn, Catherine Fenn - Edwin Fenn was their brother]. Once in Canada they sailed to Port Burwell, where they were met by Robert Garnham Sr. [born in England in 1791]. He conveyed them in a wagon over the plank road to Straffordville. The mill at Guysboro was operated by Robert jr., Sheriff K and Henry W. [brothers born in England probably all 3 in Elmsett, Suffolk along with brother John. Robert was baptised in St Peter Elmsett 20 February 1820]. In 1859 Robert Garnham [Senior] became justice of the peace and treasurer of Bayham Township. The union of George and [Mary] Ann Garnham produced four [4] sons and four [4] daughters; Amy, Harriet and Mary, who lie in the Guysboro Cemetery; Charles R, the eldest son; William, who settled in Wanstead; George [S.] of Dunboyne; Sheriff of Calgary, Alberta; and Mrs N Fuller of Guysboro. The one that is unlisted [Bessie] died as a child.
On January 1912, death called Edwin A., and his sister Louise followed the next day. [George's siblings and children of Robert Garnham Senior]. Edwin A Garnham was treasurer of Bayham Township for many years.
Edwin built a structure called "corn cake castle." After his death it was moved to Port Stanley and placed on the beach, where it was used as a booth to display antiques. It eventually fell into disuse and was dismantled.
Charles R Garnham, son of George Garnham and father of Croft Garnham, lived to the age of ninety-two years. He was for twenty years treasurer of Staffordville school section and secretary-treasurer of the Bayham
Central Agricultural Society."

Note to Colin Fenn 9.2.10
I am also intrigued as to how George Garnham met Mary Ann Fenn. I imagine it must have been as children
in Henley, birthplace of Mary Ann? We know George's brothers Robert, Sheriff, John and Henry were born
in England and that their father Robert Garnham 1791 married Mabel Keable in Elmsett which is where
Robert Junior was born (picked up on IGI). My bet is that Robert Senior was born in Henley and that the
other sons were possibly born there or in Elmsett. A link to my grandmother Nellie Garnham would be nice
but I have failed to get back beyond her grandfather William Garnham of 1808 who was probably also born in Henley. Next step is to try and find Robert Garnham senior in the Henley parish records and to also look at
Elmsett.

Reply 10.2.10
Interesting question you pose - How did they meet?
The next question, is why did half of the family emigrate, and not just one?
My own observations of ex-pats tend to reveal two motives for the unhappiness of uprooting from the comfort of home and family - dreaming or desperation - and sometimes a bit of both.
Remember that the British economy was in poor shape in 1858, after bank failures and the bursting of the stock market railway bubble.

Also remember the note from Edward Fenn [41] who saw this document
HA41/52/26/24-29 at the Ipswich SRO:
A Deed of Transfer of part or whole of his fathers lands from Simon and others, executors, was executed 29
July 1853 , in respect of a Mortgage to Miss Elizabeth Hayward secured against such lands dated 20 July
1853.
Notice dated 25 Nov 1858, demand of immediate repayment of Mortgage of L200; a note to the notice by Robert Hayward reads "This party to me appears very poor, the houses he said must be sold, the money he cannot raise. The paper was served about 7 o'clock in the evening after he came home from work"
In 2008, L200 from 1858 was worth L15,371.24 using the retail price index. L135,857.44 using average earnings.
Simon somehow muddled through - in later years we see he maintained a farm at Hemingstone, probably as a tenant. But the younger members of his family had no prospects. They probably didn't feel qualified or suitable material to become employees in industry.

George Garnham had lots to gain - I presume the eligible stock suitable for farmers' wives was thin in Ontario.
So it would be interesting to know who suggested emigration first - Edwin was probably the most desperate as he had no prospects but it seems he didn't marry until the mid 1860s after emigration?
Mary Ann went over on a promise to George Garnham.
Catherine was already married with two children - they had the most to lose and had taken the biggest risk.
I'm not entirely sure that the Sim's account is accurate in describing everyone arriving at the same time, as the places of birth don't entirely tally. There is still work needed on this story. . . . .

Had Stephen Marshall already decided to emigrate?
Was Mary Ann one of the "fishing fleet" of hopeful young women who went out to find eligible husbands?
Was young Edwin supposed to be a chaperone to ensure his sister got married?
So, my interpretation of the story from the little I know so far. . . . .
Simon Fenn falls on hard time at the time of one of the worst recessions of the Victorian era; his crops don't pay, his savings collapse, yet he still has his daughters to support, while his sons have gone into poorly paid
manual work. His farm is repossessed in 1858.
Meanwhile George Garnham has come to England, hoping to find a suitable wife for an up-and-coming farmer.
He meets Mary Ann Fenn, of a good family who has fallen on hard times.
The rest of the story needs finishing - to do so we'd need to know who had the biggest motive. . . . . did Mary Ann go off prospecting, did Stephen Marshall decide to follow George Garnham's example, or did Edwin dream
of better times?

George married Mary Ann FENN [4608] [MRIN: 3438], daughter of Simon FENN [4534] and Sarah BROOKE [4875], on 12 Apr 1860 in Straffordville Elgin Ontario CAN. (Mary Ann FENN [4608] was born about 1836 in Suffolk, baptised on 24 Feb 1839 in Henley SFK, died on 11 Mar 1917 in Bayham Elgin East Ontario CAN and was buried in Guysboro Cemetery Bayham Elgin East.)