ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE
19th-Century Emigrants from Devon & Dorset, England to Jefferson Co., New York
 

Last updated 25 August 2006
 
     Welcome!  Like it's name suggests, the goal of this website is to document those individuals and families who crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Devon & Dorset, England, during the 19th-centuring and settled in Jefferson County, New York.  Not only were there several such emigrants, but they intermarried both in England and in New York and this site will attempt to make those relationships plain.
        You can email submissions or comments to hounsfield@hotmail.com.  Please only submit data on people who actually lived in Devon or Dorset, not those whose were only there to obtain passage to America.  Include names, dates, place of origins, known ancestors, and known living cousins worldwide.

 

Related resources:

The Dorset Migration Index — this is the website of the West Dorset Research Centre, in Bridport, West Dorset, England. For several years, its members have made a study of the people who left that region in the early 1800's and travelled to other parts of the globe, including New Zealand, Australia, and North America. If you have information on these early emigrants, then please consider contributing details to their Dorset Migration Index via the form available on the website.

English Settlers of Western Jefferson County, New York — a graphical file depicting emigrant families and their intermarriages and relationships, both in England and in Jefferson County, provided by Mark Wentling.

Surname Index

Note: Emigrants names are boldface

 
Eveleigh

Bernard Eveleigh married 4 September 1780 at Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset, Susannah Bartlett.
Children:
  1. Matthew Eveleigh, born 2 November 1783 at Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset; married 13 July 1803 at Whitchurch, Frances "Fanny" Roberts.  Matthew was a dairyman of some means for those times, but dying ere the children had reached maturity, and their mother marrying again, they were somewhat left upon their own resources.  Parents of:
    1. Bernard Eveleigh was born January 17, 1813, in Dorsetshire, England, and was baptised by Rev. William Buckland, in the parish of Whitchurch Canonicorum.  At the age of 21, he sailed for America, landing at Sackets Harbor, town of Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York with only two sovereigns in his pocket. He immediately apprenticed himself to Hanson Rann for three years to learn the carpenters' trade. This business he pursued for years. In 1840 he married Miss Lydia Champion and to them one child was born, Mrs. A. M. Marsh, of Hounsfield. In 1861 owing to ill health, his trade was given up, when he went into the hotel business, but only remaining there four years, whereupon he resumed his old business, adding to it lumber trading with Canada. Through this ship building was started, which he carried to quite an extent, building boats of various dimensions. Other things were added during the succeeding years, among which were farming, hardware, meat market, coal yard, and filling contracts with Madison Barracks for numerous things. In 1882 he married Mrs. Amos Membery, of Adolphustown, Lenox Co., Ontario, Canada, his first wife having died in 1880. Though having lost much at different times by fire and shipwreck, he still retains a hotel, store, dwelling house, 1,000 acres of land, and one boat. Aside from farm help he employs seven men and four girls. [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]
  2. William Eveleigh; married Elizabeth Grinter, by whom he had four children:
    1. Susan Eveleigh
    2. Robert Eveleigh
    3. Thomas Eveleigh
    4. John G. Eveleigh, located in Sackets Harbor in 1874. He was three times married: his first wife was Martha Boyd, his second one was Elizabeth A. Brass, and his third was Ida Boulton, daughter of Charles Boulton, with whom he was living in 1890. His second wife bore him two children, Ernest J. and Percy W. [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]
  3. S. Jane Eveleigh; married George H. Russell, born at St. Mary’s Church, Devonshire, England.

 
Harris
John Harris was born in England, where he died at the age of 60 years. His wife was Jane Faudry/Fawdrey, who died at the age of 55 years. They had eight children, of whom was:
  1. George Harris; immigrated to this country and located in Hounsfield in 1833 where he died, aged 72 years. He married Charity Lee, of England, and they had one son:
    1. James Harris; married Annie Valitta Washburn, daughter of Dyer and Annie (Bass) Washburn, of Hounsfield, where they resided on road 46. Their children are Brayton, Byron, John, Wallace, Dyer, Adelbert and Alice Washburn.  [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 
Lane
Thomas Lane, born about 1768 in Dorset, England, died 11 April 1861 at age 93 in the town of Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York, where he had been a farmer.  He married in or before 1801 in England Anna "Nanny" Stamp, born about 1774 in Dorset, England, died 25 November 1857 in the town of Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York.  Thomas and family left England from Dorset and emigrated to Quebec before moving on to Sackets Harbor on 28 May 1834.  Among their ten children were:
  1. Thomas Lane, born 1801 in Dorset, England, died 1887 in New York, and his wife Charlotte Williams, whom he married in 1825, died in 1876.  She was perhaps a relative of Henry M. Williams. They emigrated in 1832 from England, and he was naturalized 3 September 1844 at age 44.  Parents of:
    1. William Lane, born 25 September 1828 in England; married in 1858 Sarah Ann Stoodley, his first cousin.  They resided in Jefferson Co., New York.
  2. Charles Lane, who came to this town from England in 1835. Charles married Frances Hallyard, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and they had four children, viz.: Anna, Albert, Charles E., and Henry J. He has resided in this town 52 years, and is now 75 years of age. His wife died in April, 1878.
  3. Jane Lane, born about 1806 in England; married Robert Jeffrey and settled in Sackets Harbor, Jefferson Co., New York.  Robert may have died in England, for he does not appear in American records.  Parents of:
    1. Matilda Jeffrey; married John H. Reader.
    2. Manuel Jeffrey
  4. Ann Lane; married William Stokes.
  5. Elizabeth Lane, born about 1809 in Devonshire, England, died 1885 in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York; married probably in Devonshire, England, William Stoodley. 

 
Membery
Amos Membery married Sarah in 1825 at Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset, England, and subsequently removed to Sackets Harbor in the early days of this town, and later removed to Canada, where he died. He had eight children:
  1. George Membery was born in England, and in 1831 immigrated to America and located on a farm in the town of Adams, finally removed to Hounsfield, where he died in 1852, aged 49 years. He married Martha Orchard, christened 4 June 1799 at Chard Street Chapel-Independent, Axminster, Devon, England, and they had one son:
    1. George O. Membery was born in Adams, where he lived many yeas, when he located in Hounsfield town on a farm which he occupied in the 1890s. He married Melia I. Babbit, daughter of Daniel G. and Almira (Ralph) Babbit, of Pickney, N. Y. and they had two children, George and Carrie M. [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 
Orchard
John Orchard was born in Devonshire, England, where he died, aged about 80 years. His wife, Sarah, bore him 16 children, among whom was:
  1. Abraham Orchard, who died in Devonshire at the advanced age of 86 years. He married Prudence Pering, of Devonshire, and their children were:
    1. Mary
    2. Martha Orchard, christened 4 June 1799 at Chard Street Chapel-Independent, Axminster, Devon, England; married George Membery.
    3. Ruth
    4. Benjamin Orchard removed to Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York, in 1832 on a farm on road 47 corner 59, where he resided as late as 1890 when he was age 82 and his wife was age 65. He married Armenia Barnes, daughter of Enoch and Amor (Hazen) Barnes, of Hounsfield, and their children were Matilda, Sarah, Elsie J., Richard, Benjamin, Julia A., Martha A., Effie E., Darius, Ada R., and Ida M. Orchard.  Julia married Myron Holden, born in Hounsfield, son of Timothy, and their children are Flora M., Aurilla A., and Benjamin M. Holden.  [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 
Powell
Joseph Powell and Sarah Rockett farmers of Dorsetshire, were perhaps relatives of Harriet Powell, whose daughter Sarah (Bowering) Stokes of Wootton Fitzpaine, Dorset, emigrated to Hounsfield around 1854.  Parents of:
  1. Henry Powell, born 1833, in Dorsetshire, England; he immigrated to Jefferson County, New York, in 1857, and located in Henderson, where he worked upon a farm until 1858, when he removed to the town of Ellisburgh.  Three years later he returned to England and married Joanna P. Rockett, daughter of James Rockett and Asenath Copp, of Dorestshire. Upon his return to Ellisburgh he purchased the Wheeler farm, on road 51, which he was operating as late as 1890. 

    2. [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 
Reader
George Reader was born near Bridport (sic), Dorsetshire, England, whence he immigrated to this country and located at Sackets Harbor, Jefferson Co., New York, in 1851, where he died in 1871, aged 70 years. He married Mary Huxford, of Uplyme, Devon, England, who survived him. Their children were:
  1. John and George (twins) Reader, who were born in Lyme-Regis, Eng., in 1832.
  2. John H. Reader, who came from England to Sackets Harbor in 1852; married Matilda Jeffrey, of Sackets Harbor, and they had two children, Laura and Henry H. In 1862, John enlised in Co. I, 10th N. Y. H.A., was honorably discharged at the close of the Civil War, and received a pension.  He served as town clerk of Hounsfield four years. http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 
Russell
George H. Russell was born at St. Mary’s Church, Devonshire, England, where he now resides. He married S. Jane Eveleigh.  Their children were:
  1. Arthur
  2. John
  3. Jane
  4. George H. Russell, Jr., came to the village of Sackets Harbor, Jefferson Co., New York, in 1869, where he married Emma C. Baker, daughter of Robert Baker and Elizabeth Eveleigh, by whom he had two children, Arthur W., and Clinton J. Russell. [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 
Stokes
William Stokes and Catherine Norman, married 14 February 1797 at Whitchurch Canonicorum, Dorset, England, had at least two sons who immigrated to Jefferson Co., New York in the 19th century:
  1. William Stokes, born about 1801 in Dorset, England, died 1871 in Adams, Jefferson Co., New York; married Anna Lane.  They settled in Hounsfield, Jefferson County, New York, sometime after the birth of son John in 1845 and 1850, when they were enumerated in the U.S. federal census.  Thus, they arrived at least 15 years earlier than his brother Robert Stokes.  Parents of:
    1. William Stokes, born 26 November 1829, baptized 18 December 1829 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England.
    2. Robert J. Stokes, baptized 8 January 1832 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England, died in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York, before 9 November 1867 when his will was proved.  He married Jane A. Metcalf, daughter of Henry Metcalf and Sarah Ashby of Hounsfield.  They had no children.  She married second Giles W. Tremain.
    3. Elizabeth Stokes, baptized 24 September 1834 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England.
    4. Ann S. Stokes, baptized 7 July 1839 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England.
    5. George Stokes, born 13 September 1842, baptized 16 October 1842 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England.
    6. John Stokes, baptized 2 March 1845 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England.
  2. Robert Stokes, baptized 29 January 1804 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England, died 1863; married in England, Sarah Bowering, born about 1816 in Wootton Fitzpaine, Dorset, England, died 1860, daughter of William Bowring and Harriet Powell, who was perhaps a relative of Henry Powell who emigrated to Henderson in 1857.  Robert and Sarah stayed in Harcombe, Uplyme, Axminster, Devon, for about 16 years before emigrating in 1854 or 1855 to the town of Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York, bringing all of their children with them. 
    1. Eliza Stokes, born about 1838 in Hawkchurch, Dorset, England; married 1870 Clay Holden, one of ten children born to Aaron Holden and Orvilla Root.
    2. Robert H. Stokes, born 27 February 1840 in Uplyme, Devonshire, England, died 29 July 1891 in Jefferson Co., New York; married 2 September 1862, Harriet Elizabeth McMain, born 11 September 1844.
    3. Harriot Stokes, born about 1842 in Uplyme, Devonshire, England.
    4. William E. Stokes, born 1844 in Uplyme, Devonshire, England; married Mary McKeag, born 1844 in Scotland, died 1912.  They are buried in Sulpher Springs Cemetery, Hounsfield.
    5. Simeon Stokes, born about 1846 in Uplyme, Devonshire, England; married Anna, born about 1851.
    6. John L. Stokes, born 12 August 1851 in Uplyme, Devonshire, England, died 1931 in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York; married 1 December 1875 Lydia Kennedy, of the neighboring town of Henderson.
      1. Ada Mae Stokes, born 8 October 1876 in the town of Hounsfield, died 1972; married 20 December 1905 William W. Washburn.
    7. Albert Stokes, born about 1853 in England
    8. Edward Stokes, born in England, and death unknown.
    9. Isaac Stokes, a farmer
    10. George Stokes, born about 1854 in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York.
    11. Henry G. Stokes, born 25 September 1856 in Jefferson Co., New York; married 25 December 1879 in Jefferson Co., Nellie Hovey, daughter of Joseph Hovey and Minerva McQuain/McWayne

 
Stoodley
William Stoodley, born about 1 November 1803, baptized 25 November 1803 at Hawkchurch, Dorset, England, died 25 November 1882 at age 79 yrs. 25 days, in the town of Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York. Sometime between about 1828 and 1839, William married Elizabeth Lane, born about February 1809 in Dorset, England, died 14 July 1884, age 76 yrs. 6 months, in Hounsfield.  "William Stodley" of Hounsfield, Jefferson Co., New York, declared his intention for naturalization on 8 September 1840, the same day that his father-in-law, Thomas Lane, was naturalized in the same town.  Parents of:
  1. Sarah Ann Stoodley, born 1837; married 1858 William Lane, born 25 September 1828 in England.
  2. Esther Stoodley, born about 1841, died August 1920, age 79 yrs 7 mos. 24 days; married Silas Robert Washburn. Parents of:
    1. William W. Washburn, was born 26 October 1867, in the town of Hounsfield on the family farm. On 20 December 1905, he was married to Ada Mae Stokes.

 
Williams
Henry M. Williams, son of Moses Williams and Amy Bawdwich/Bowditch?, was born in Dorsetshire, in 1846, and when about eight years of age came with his parents to America. In 1868 he married Ella M. Fox, daughter of Jones Fox and Mary Elsey, who bore him a daughter, Jennie Adel, and died in 1874. For his second wife he married Lucretia Powers, daughter of Harvey Powers and Sarah Spencer, in 1874, who bore him two daughters, Helen M. and Inez F., and died in 1886.  For his third wife he married Mary M. Powers, a sister of his second wife, December 29, 1886. In 1868 Mr. Williams  purchased the E. T. Boomer farm, on road 44, one mile from Belleville, where he resided as late as 1890.  [http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/childhou.htm]

 

Online at: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/county/jefferson/hounsfield/greatdivide.html
or at hounsfieldhistory.net under "Families"

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