Tuesday 20 October 2009

A post-script to the Edgar Fitz-Henry story


Here's a photo which Wendy sent me.
The family group shows Wendy's great grandmother Louisa Fitzhenry (nee Coward) and five of her seven children in about 1900.
Standing from left to right:
Louisa Fitzhenry (Wendy's grandmother born 1878),
Edgar Fitzhenry (the youngest child born 1883)
Fanny Fitzhenry ( born 1869, married Frederick William Borrell)
Frederick Fitzhenry (born 1871, married Agnes Henderson)
Ada Fitzhenry.(born 1880)
Not present in the photo are Ernest Edward Fitzhenry, the eldest child born 1867 and Albert Fitzhenry born 1877

And a letter from Edgar Fitzhenry to his family which mentions the Fitz-Henry family which Rodrigo Palacios Fitz-Henry is descended from:
My dear Ada .....I have not written since writing to Fred, as I have been very occupied with the purchase of Senor Figueroa's shares and have had to borrow to make up the amount. Everything is practically settled and I am shipping gold and copper minerals, the first 50 tons goes out this month. This has been hand sorted from the waste piles or dumps thrown away by the ancient miners, the mineral assays 1oz gold per ton, 8ozs silver and 10% copper per ton.Two or three shipments will clear off all the debts and I will then be free to sell or reform the Company without consulting any one. When this is done and we have an honest engineer and manager to look after things Isabel and I have agreed to first visit her family in Peru and then go on to Panama and N.Z.........

I wonder if any of you can remember anything about the youngest of Dad's brothers, Michael, whether Dad ever mentioned where he had settled, because the FitzHenry Family in Valparaiso have a strong resemblance to us. Their father was named Michael and the eldest son who died a few months ago, was also called Michael after the Father. He was manager of the Bank of Chile and the rest of the family are well connected here professionally. When you write to Ern, Albert and Louie please ask them about the above and send them our best wishes for 1934.The year in which, I hope once again, will see us all united if possible.......


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