Sarah Stacey & Henry Francis
Sarah Stacey and Henry Francis are another set of my 3rd great grandparents, the parents of Charlotte Regina Francis, my 2nd great grandmother. Like Ann Brimacombe and James Woodley, the parents of William Woodley who married Charlotte Francis, they were born in England, but in Devon County rather than Cornwall. On the map you can see the relationship between Devon and Cornwall Counties, right next to each other.
As an aside, did you know that you have 16 sets of 3rd great grandparents? Whew! That’s a lot of ancestors to keep track of.
Sarah Stacey was baptized in March 1806 at Pancrasweek in Devon County (see map below), probably at St. Pancras Church shown here.
Henry Francis was born in March 1790. His siblings, parents and many ancestors were all born and lived in Bradworthy, Devon; so it is likely that Henry was born there as well.
Sarah and Henry were married on June 4, 1824 in Pancrasweek, and were blessed with 8 children, the youngest of whom was Charlotte Regina Francis.
The map of Devon County above shows the location of Kilkhampton and Pancrasweek with Bradworthy on the top right, all of them not far from where the Woodley family was living at the same time.
We know that Henry was a miller at Aldercombe from at least 1827 to 1883 because his occupation was listed on the birth records for the four children born there during those years. The family lived in Aldercombe Cottages (see map) which is located near Kilkhampton. A stream named Abbery Water runs through that area which made it an ideal location for the mill.
Like the Woodley’s, the Francis family left England for Canada in 1835 and we next find them in Port Hope where a son, Richard, was born in 1837. Then a daughter, Elizabeth Anne was born in 1838 in Darlington Township, and Charlotte Regina in 1842 in Brooklin.
This is where they ultimately settled, on property just south of Brooklin, outlined in red on this 1860 map.
Henry contented himself with farming since he would have been about 70 at this time. The 1861 agricultural census reported that he owned 100 acres worth $8000 and had $300 worth of machinery and Implements.
However, three of their sons followed in their father’s footsteps and were millers. Henry purchased another piece of land near his homestead in 1863 where the family established Kent Mills, run by their fifth child, Peter. This photo of the mill and home on the new property was taken about 1915.
From a 1977 newspaper article, I discovered that the mill made oatmeal which was in high demand. For example, Peter took some of their products to the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, and won a medal and a diploma. The mill produced about 100 bushels a day of their prize-winning oatmeal to supply local markets, but they also shipped to Montreal and Glasgow.
The mill was demolished in 1957, but the site was declared a Heritage Site where this plaque is erected.
You can visit this site in Whitby if you are driving by. Unfortunately, Hwy 401 now goes right through the property where the mill and house once stood. On the map you can see the red arrow on the spot where the Heritage Site plaque can be found. You have to park by the arena to the north and walk along a trail to see where the mill was located.
The two areas outlined in red on the map are the original Francis properties. Sarah and Henry’s property was where the Brooklin Town Centre is now, and Peter’s house was south of 401 where the second red arrow is located.
Henry Francis died in 1866 and is buried in Groveside Cemetery in Whitby. Sarah Stacey survived for another 17 years, and in 1881 the census records show that she was living with her children, James, Henry Jr. and Elizabeth. She died in 1883 of dropsy, which is known today as edema and is often associated with heart failure. She is buried beside her husband.
The first three sons of Sarah and Henry – James, Henry Jr. and Peter – continued the family tradition as millers. James died in 1899, Henry in 1916 and Peter in 1910. James and Henry are also buried in Groveside Cemetery.
My grandmother, Charlotte Regina, who was Sarah and Henry’s youngest child, had moved away from Whitby after her marriage. You can read her story here.
