Henry Brinsmead

Birth in England

Henry Brinsmead was born in St. Giles in the Wood, Devon, England, on November 24th, 1839. Henry was one of five children born to Thomas Brinsmead and Emily Cock of St. Giles. He had a older sister, Rachel, born in 1834, which is significant in that her two sons moved to London, Ontario after her husband died and later she too emigrated. Henry had a sister Harriet who apparently died in infancy, a younger sister Fanny who moved to Exeter and married John Stockham, and a younger brother Thomas James who became a pharmacist and moved first to France and then to Melbourne, Australia.

First Marriage

Henry worked a sawmill in St. Giles in the Wood. In April 1866, Henry married Mary Penhorwood, in St. Giles in the Wood, in Devon. The couple had a daughter, Beatrix Elizabeth Penhorwood Brinsmead who was born in March, 1867. One year later, a daughter, Mary Emily P.H. Brinsmead was born, in June. However, mother Mary died, apparently in childbirth, on June 7th, 1868.

He hired a widow, Ann Mitchell, to help him raise his two young daughters. His sister Rachel lost her husband at around the same time.  She had returned to St. Giles, and by 1871, was living with their parents, Thomas and Emily, plus Rachel's three children, Alfred (age 10), Emily (age 8) and Hadley (age 7).

Move to Canada

Henry Brinsmead was a cousin of Hugh Brinsmead and his sister Mary Tanton who had moved to London Ontario about 20 years before. In 1873, Henry also moved to London, Ontario. The 1877-78 directory shows Henry Brinsmead, Gentleman, boarding at the City Arms Hotel.

 Henry remarried. His wife's name was Ellen Howe. Her parents owned the Howe Hotel in London. She is shown on the 1901 census as born in Ireland on October 13, 1841. She came to Canada in 1878. The same census shows Henry's birth date as Nov 24, 1839 although his tombstone reads 1837. Ellen died in London on Feb 2nd, 1902.

The London Alphabetical Directory for 1901 shows Henry's occupation as Pattern Maker for the Stevens Mfg. Co. His address is listed as 372 Ontario Street, London, Ontario. Mrs. Brinsmead's death certificate, one year later, lists an address of 755 Hill Street and her husband's occupation as Merchant.

Hugh's youngest daughter Elizabeth (Lizzie Orme) lived with Henry and his wife Ellen for a time, ending by 1902.

Henry is buried in the Holy Angles Roman Catholic Cemetery in St. Thomas, Ontario, in Yarmouth Township, Elgin County. The cemetery record reads as follows:

Red Granite stone on pink granite base. Cross between boughs.

Danial B. CAUGHLIN 1862-1933 Mary B. CAUGHLIN 1870-1939 Henry BRINSMEAD 1837-1920 Rest in Peace.

Mary was Henry's younger daughter.