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Record #12020
Name :
: Henry FELDWICK (1862 - 1876)


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 4 Dec 1862

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 25 Aug 1876   Notes : Drowned
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Berkshire, Windsor
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Chippawa
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: 15 Jun 1874
Country
: Canada

Ship
: Sarmatian

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Maria Rye
NotesHenry Feldwick was born on 4th December 1862. He was one of five children born to George and Jane Feldwick and like his sisters, was placed in the care of the Windsor Union Guardians upon the death of his mother in 1868.

In April 1874 Windsor Union Guardians drew up a list of thirteen children who had indicated their ?willingness? to go to Canada as emigrants and on May 23, 1874, the local court approved Henry and the following twelve of his workhouse friends, to emigrate to Canada with the Maria Rye party.

On May 19, 1874, the Windsor Guardians ordered that a cheque be drawn for ?109 being ?Miss Rye for thirteen children at ?8 each, railway fares three children above twelve years full price from London to Liverpool at 12/6 and ten children under twelve half price 6/3, total ?109?. The children left the Workhouse on 3 June 1874 to catch the train to Liverpool and on 4 June embarked aboard SS Sarmatian bound for Quebec.

A brief report of these events appeared in the Windsor and Eton Express of June 6, 1874:
?Juvenile Emigration - Miss Rye, whose name is so well known in connection with the promotion of juvenile emigration to Canada, left Liverpool on Thursday in the Allan mail steamer SARMATIAN, Captain Aird, Commander, for Quebec. Miss Rye takes out with her 150 boys and girls, some of whom have been draughted from the Home at Peckham, while others have been obtained from nine different unions throughout the country, including about a dozen boys and girls from the Windsor Union.?

In 1874, Henry Feldwick, 11, arrived at Quebec, Canada, in a group of 148 Maria Rye children en route to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.

After leaving the ship at Quebec Henry boarded a train along with the rest of the party. The girls were destined for Maria Rye?s ?Our Western Home? at Niagara-on-the-Lake and the boys of the Windsor Union continuing on to nearby Chatham. It is believed that the individual placements with regard to the boys had already been pre-arranged.

An Inspector's Report was commissioned in 1875 with the comment on Henry FELBRUCK stating:
Drummondville Centre - Mrs. Pew, Inspector, 13 (age), Windsor Workhouse 1874, CE, goes to Church & Sunday School, with Richard Walsh, Chippewa, usual terms, here 1 year. In a first rate place and a good boy, this is the boy whose feet were frozen at Chatham.

It seems that Henry had first been placed with a family named Fisher at Chatham but was badly treated and this may have been something to do with the mention of his frozen feet in the above report.

In February 1876 the Windsor Workhouse received a report from Miss Rye that stated: Report from Miss Rye to Windsor Union 1876 - Henry Feldwick. Age 11 (when he left England). Wages. Mr. John Fisher, Chatham, Ontario - boy removed, Fishers behaving very badly. Fisher had up before Court and made to pay $100. (note - this could be $1; difficult to read) (2) Mr Richard Walls, Chippawa. Doing well.

The 1881 census for the village of Chippawa showed a large farm owned by Richard Walsh in Willoughby Township. Richard Walsh was described as a native of Ireland, aged 72, and he lived with his wife aged 61, also a native of Ireland. With them were Mary Huston, aged 20, born in England and Henry Hooper, aged 13, also born in England. It seems likely these latter two were also brought from one of the English Workhouses and placed with the Walsh family. Note: Mary Ann Holt who came in 1870 also lived with Richard Walsh - 1871 census she was Mary Ellen Walsh.

Sadly Henry Feldwick?s young and difficult life came to a tragic end in 1876 as the Thorold Post, reported on 1 September 1876:

?CHIPPAWA- On Tuesday evening a boy who was living with Mr. Walsh, a farmer of the above place, by the name of Henry Feldick (sic), about 12 years of age, was leading a bull to water when the animal attaked (sic) him. The boy in trying to defend himself with a stick was driven backwards into the water and was drowned, the bull following him and poking his nose under the water after him after he had disappeared. A boy by the name of John Hogan, was near and tried to drive off the bull with stones, and finaly (sic) succeeded in attracting the attention of the animal to himself.?

A further newspaper accounting came from The Mount Forest Confederate, 5 September 1876:
?On the evening of the 30th ult., a boy named Henry Feldwick, about twelve years of age, one of Miss Rye?s importations, who was living with Mr. Walsh, farmer of Chippawa, was leading a bull to water when the animal attacked him. The boy endeavoured to defend himself with a stick, but was driven backwards into the river and drowned. The bull followed him into the river. The occurrence was witnessed by another boy, John Hogan, who endeavoured to drive the animal away with stones and at the last only succeeded in attracting the bull?s attention to himself when he jumped into the water, both to save himself and try and save Feldwick. He was unsuccessful in the latter attempt, though he saved himself. The body has not been found and has probably been carried over the falls.?

It is presumed the reference to ?the falls? is in fact Niagara Falls. There seems to be some slight variation to the reported date of death, but he died on 25th August 1876, age 13. The body was later recovered.

Henry Feldwick
1862- 1876
(no stone)
Holy Trinity Church
7820 Portage Road
Chippawa, Niagara Falls

Henry's sister, Sophia Jane Feldwick was the fourth of George and Jane Feldwick's five children. Records from Windsor Union indicate that in April 1874, Sophia, then age 10, was placed in Miss J. Gordon's Industrial Training School, Lyncombe, Bath. Letters indicate that Sophia was still at Bath in October 1876. In Sept 1882, at age eighteen, Sophia came to Ontario on the Parisian (not with Maria Rye). Sophia had an illegitimate son William, born 4 Feb 1884 in Toronto. Son William died at five months of age on 21 July 1884 in Toronto. I have not been unable to trace where Sophia went beyond that time.

Henry's sister Elizabeth Sophia Hester Feldwick, was placed in a home for the deaf and dumb, also in Bath, where she died of bronchitis aged twelve in 1872. 
ContributorsCreated : 2010-06-24 10:23:59 / From original database

Last Updated : 2010-06-24 19:37:10 /

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IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
12020 FELDWICK, Henry1862ENG, BRK, Windsor Jun 1874 : Sarmatian CAN Maria Rye