The past month has been hectic with work and the cricket season, but now at least work has lightened up a bit...
The wonderful Brian Bouchard who is a local historian covering the Ashtead, Surrey area has given me another lead with Norman Edward Fitz-Henry, last seen working in Portland Oregon and dying in Tahoma, Washington in 1901. (Brian has also been an invaluable source of leads for other aspects of the Ashtead Fitz-Henrys)
The entry that I found in the Portland Commercial Directory for 1897 read:
"Norman E FitzHenry (Portland Ptg Co) 204 Stark, bds 29 4th N."
Brian wrote:
I suggest the abbreviated word is "Portaging" and Norman was involve in the portage round Celilo falls on the Columbia River - see Oregon Steam Navigation Co history.
Which may explain why Norman was up in Washington when he died.
Why not subscribe to this blog and get the updates sent to your inbox? Or send us an email about your Fitz(-)henry family links.
In April last year, I did a posting on the Winchester/Ashtead families of William Fitz-Henry and concluded that there were a few of William's children that I had not managed to trace once they had reached adulthood.
One of these was Norman Edward Fitz-Henry, born to William's first wife Barbara Morrison in Winchester in June 1865.
Neither he or his parents were found in the 1871 census, but I believe that this was because William was stationed with the regiment in the East Indies at the time (personal communication from Brian Bouchard). However the older children (Henrietta and William George) were being schooled in Winchester.
In the 1881 census, Norman himself was at school at the Churchill House School in Merton Surrey, near to Ashtead where his father and new wife Martha Eagles were living. And until recently, that was where we had lost Norman. Lesley had previously looked for him in Australia and New Zealand - she found a Norman, but not the one in question.
This was until we found William's will of 1885 in which he left "to my son Norman Edward presently residing in Texas Three hundred pounds."
(If you want to see the transcription of the rest of the will it is here on the FitzhenryDNA website)
In 1884 Norman had sailed from Liverpool to New Orleans on the British Paddle Steamer "Texan" of Liverpool. He travelled in steerage with no other members of his family.
In 1897 he was living in Portland Oregon - here is the extract from the Portland City Directory:
"Norman E FitzHenry (Portland Ptg Co) 204 Stark, bds 29 4th N."
If some-one would decipher the abbreviations for me I would be most grateful!
And on March 5th 1901 Norman died in the "FP Hospital" Tacoma of a brain abscess. He was noted to be 34 years old, single but no occupation was given. His burial was organised by Hook undertakers in Tacoma. The FP or Fannie Paddock Hospital later became the Tacoma General Hospital and there's more about its history here
Norman seems to have evaded both the 1890 and 1900 US censi, so any more details about that part of his life would be very gratefully received.
Why not subscribe to this blog and get the updates sent to your inbox? Or send us an email about your Fitz(-)henry family links.
