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February 4, 1998
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| Our Harvey
Family History
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February 4, 1998
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The Harvey Surname
Our Roots In Devon
William Harvey (I) & Mary
Richard Harvey (I) & Eliza Blackler
William Harvey (II) & Mary Molloy
Richard Harvey (II) & Barbara Squires
Robert Harvey & Caroline O'Toole
According to E.R. Seary's "Family Names of
the Island of Newfoundland", "Harvey" is both a personal name and a
surname of England, Scotland, Ireland and the Channel Islands. It
originated from the French "Herve" and Old-Breton "Aeruiu" or "Herviu",
meaning "battle worthy", and was introduced by the Bretons
at the Norman
Conquest. In some instances, the name "Harvey" is derived from Old
German "Herewig", meaning "army-war", or from Irish "O hAirmheadhaigh". Go
figure!
Today, the surname "Harvey" is widespread, a result of the enormous spread
of the former British
Empire.
Many Harvey families in North America, including our own, trace their
roots to Devon (or
Devonshire), a large county of England, and part of a region once referred
to as "the West Country". This is particularly true in Newfoundland,
due to the large amount trade between the new world and Devon in the
18th and 19th centuries.
Virtually all the Harvey's of St.John's that
I have found in newspaper records from the 1800's, if a place of
origin was given, were from Devon. But because of the wishes of fish
merchants and admirals to maintain control over the resources of
Newfoundland, prior to the 1800's very few people were permitted to
permanently settle in Newfoundland, especially in St.John's. In fact,
on several occasions, harsh measures were enacted to "uproot" common
people who had built homes here! For this reason, many of the families
currently living in the province have ancestors that emigrated as
late as the early-mid 1800's. Our Harvey family is one of them.
The earliest record I have found so far of a Harvey from our family can be
traced to Torbryan, a small
inland Devonshire community near Totnes and Newton Abbot. Torbryan has a
rather nice church dating to the 17th century, from which parish records
were obtained containing the records of our direct Harvey line. The
Blackler family several Harvey's married into originated in Ipplepen,
which is only 1km from Torbryan. It would appear that families and friends
from adjacent communities often emigrated to nearby places in the New
World - in the case of the Harveys and Blacklers, to the same road!
William, Mary, and their
children are the only Harvey's mentioned in the Torbryan parish records
from the 15th century up to 1838. I found baptism records for (perhaps)
all of their children, but no marriage record. For this reason, it appears
William and Mary were born and married elsewhere before moving to
Torbryan. Given that family legend has it that Richard was the oldest
child, and that I haven't yet found any evidence of other children, it
seems unlikely (though not impossible) that there were any children born
before Richard.
The Torbryan census of 1851 states that William was from Woodlands and
that Mary was from Broadhemptson - both small towns to the west of
Torbryan. Odds favour they were married in Broadhempston, as it was
traditional for weddings to be held in the bride's home town. However, it
seems William and Mary remained in Torbryan when most of their children left
for the new world. I have not yet had access to records which indicate
when they died.
In the baptismal records of his children, William's occupation is
listed variously as "carpenter", "labourer", and later, "publican", which
according to Webster's, means either a tax collector or (more likely) "the
licensee of a public house" - perhaps he ran an inn or tavern?
I have no additional information on Mary - I only know she was born
around 1786, and lived (and may have been born) in Broadhempston before
moving to Torbryan.
William and Mary had the following children, all of whom were baptised
in Torbryan...
Richard his brother James) were
presumably the first of our Harvey family to emigrate to Newfoundland. I
can only say that Richard emigrated prior to December, 1839, as this was
when he married Eliza Blackler in the Anglican Cathedral of
St.John the Baptist, St.John's, Newfoundland. All their children but the
last, John Richard, were baptised there.
Eliza's parents were from (and married in) Ipplepen, but Eliza may
have been born here, as the date of her parents' emigration is unknown.
Alternatively, Richard and Eliza may have known each other back in Devon
and emigrated together, as Torbryan and Ipplepen are neighbouring
communities.
Richard & Eliza settled in Southside, St.John's -
a small community on the side of the harbour opposite St.John's proper,
and nestled against the Southside Hills, but technically a part of
St.John's. It is believed that Eliza's parents already owned considerable
property in Southside at this time, and that much of the land inherited by
future generations of the Harvey family were originally owned by the
Blacklers. It is likely that by the time he emigrated, Richard already had
friends from Devon living in the Southside area, and you can see that many
families living side by side in St.John's lived side by side back in
England as well.
Like his father, Richard Harvey was a builder, in-so-far as it is a
matter of family lore and public record that he won the contract for the
building of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin (Southside, St.John's), which
was consecrated in 1859. As a gesture of appreciation, Richard and
Eliza's last and newborn child, John
Richard Harvey, had the honour of being the first child baptised at
St. Mary the Virgin. John Richard's baptism was, in fact, delayed until the
completion of the church, so this could be accomplished. According to the
minutes of the church-building committee, Richard won the contract to
build the church of St. Mary the Virgin, despite giving the highest of
three bids. I suspect that this was in no small part due to the fact that
both he AND his father-(or brother?)-in-law, William Blackler, were on the
building committee!
Richard's occupation was given as "carpenter" on the birth record of
his first son, William (II), but I have no records as yet of any other
buildings he was responsible for the construction of, despite rumours that
his purpose in coming to Newfoundland was to build churches. Richard died
in 1860, shortly after the completion of the church, at age 48. He was
survived by his wife and at least five children under the age of 20.
Richard & Eliza had many children, but most either moved from
Newfoundland or died young...
William Blackler Harvey,
who inherited his mother's maiden name, was born March 14, 1841, and
baptized at the Anglican Cathedral. He was the eldest son of Richard &
Eliza.
William married Mary Molloy, a Catholic from St. Mary's-Trepassey, at the
Roman Catholic Basilica on December 21, 1865. Moreover, William was
baptized Catholic on that day, and registered as a "convert"!
Interestingly, all of William & Mary's children were baptized at St. Mary
the Virgin, so I guess William's baptism as an adult was merely a
compromise - perhaps required in order for a Protestant to marry a
Catholic in the Catholic church. No doubt the young couple were admonished
to raise their children as Catholics - but of course that never happened!
Their children, as recorded in the baptism register of the church of St. Mary
the Virgin, were..
As far as I can tell, William and Mary always lived on Southside,
although Pearl Benson informed me that William was involved in "marine
oils" - that is, he ran a whaling operation in Trepassey, which may have
belonged to his wife's family originally. Apparently this made William's
family fairly wealthy, although rumour has it that whatever remained of
the family fortune was largely lost in the bank crash of 1929.
Incidentally, I have not yet found evidence of William's whaling
operation. On most of his children's baptism records, he is listed as
either a labourer or a fisherman.
William Blackler Harvey's grandfather (mother's father), William Blackler Jr., owned a stone
or brick house on Southside, which William and his mother both inherited
in the will. William also acquired land further up on the Southside Hills,
perhaps from his brother, John Richard
Harvey, on which he built a large house. The house could only be
reached by climbing the "hundred-steps" (apparently there were a few more
than 100), and was thereafter referred to the house "up over the hundred
steps". It was this house which some of William's children, including my
great-grandfather, inherited and divided into
separate households. It was also the house my grandfather grew up in.
Richard inherited the west-most household of the "100 steps house" on
Southside. At age 22, on October 10, 1889, he married Barbara Squires.
The ceremony was held at St. Mary the Virgin,
the church his grandfather
built. The Witnesses were Richard Carberry and Elizabeth Squires. I
assume Elizabeth was one of Barbara's sisters. Richard & Barbara had the
following children....
Apparently, as a younger man, Richard was a cooper (barrel maker), as were
many other Harvey's of Southside. He also worked as a "ship's oiler", and
was listed as an "engineer" on his son Robert's baptism record. It was not
uncommon in those days for people to work as "jack-of-all-trades", and
presumably my great-grandfather was no exception. Later in life, it is
said that he was a "mate on a sea-going vessel", perhaps a merchant
marine. Towards his retirement, he worked the "Donkey Engine" (steam
winch) at Lower Bowring's Co.
Everyone who remembers "Mr. Dicky", as Richard was often called to
distinguish him from the OTHER Harvey's of Southside, describes him as tall &
thin, a feature I must have inherited from him. He also had a full head of
white hair, which I will probably NOT be so lucky to inherit. He is also
described as an easy-going man, who spoke little, and enjoyed chewing
tobacco. Most of my uncles remember their grandfather from their visits to
his house on Southside, up over the "100 steps", and how he usually used
to give them a little money on their way home again.
Barbara, Richard's first wife, died in 1914. The 1921 census lists him as
a labourer and a widower, living at #84 Southside Road. He didn't remarry
until 1922, when most of his children were grown up. His second wife was
Martha Crane, herself a widow. Richard & Martha were married May 31, 1922,
by A.B.S. Stirling, at the church of St. Mary the Virgin. The witnesses
were Walter & Susan Harvey.
I believe Richard died on March 1, 1951, according to an entry in the Harvey Family Bible. This is supported
by an account by Rita McVickar, granddaughter of Richard, who says her
father and their family moved to New York in 1951, shortly after the
death of her grandfather.
As a young man, Robert (or Bob, as most knew him) worked at a variety of
jobs, one of which involved rowing mail to the other side of St.John's
Harbour, before the Long Bridge was built from St.John's to Southside. He
also worked for a variety of private companies, including Bowring Bro.s
(where his father worked), Harvey Brenton, and The Newfoundland Butter
Company from 1927 on. Interestingly, the Newfoundland Butter Company never
made a stick of butter - they actually produced margarine! More
interestingly, family legend has it that Bob got the job at least in part
because of his exceptional rowing skills, and the company wanted him to be
on their team in the annual St. John's Regatta!
Bob married Caroline Mary O'Toole
on February 10th, 1934, at St. Mary the Virgin. The ceremony was
performed by Rev. Canon A.B.S. Stirling, and the witnesses were Mr.
Frederick Tucker and Mrs. Mary Tucker. Click here to see an official transcript of
the marriage record. Note that in the Harvey Family Bible, the year appears
to read "1933", but looks to have been altered. My grandmother (a
Catholic) was publicly excommunicated on the steps of Littledale church
for having marrying a Protestant! According to my grandmother, she met
Bob while babysitting for his older brother Jim, who lived next door to the O'Tooles
on Southside road. Apparently, my grandmother had something of a crush on
Jim at the time! My grandfather still lived further east, in Southside
proper, with his father at the "100 steps house".
After they were married, Bob and Caroline (or "Carrie", as most knew her)
had the following children...
Anyone who knew my grandfather will attest to his love of skating and rowing, for which he won many medals. He rowed in the St. John's and
Harbour Grace Regattas as a "stroke" for over 10 years. Early in his
marriage, he rode an "Indian" brand motorcycle, and he also loved boxing
and swimming - must have cut a fine figure as a young man! Apparently, he
also loved cats and enjoyed keeping chickens, both on Southside Road and
even (for a little while) on Stamp's Lane. According to uncle Dave, my
grandfather named all the cats "Moll Troll". No one knows why! He loved
checkers, C.L.B. parades, and occasionally dressed up as Santa Claus for
children. He was also a great lover of music, and I remember how much he
loved to play the accordion, mandolin, guitar, harmonica, and even tin
whistles and "Jew's Harps" and the spoons! In fact, my uncle Dave recalls
how his father used to stop on walks through MacPherson's Woods and cut
branches from the poplar trees to make whistles for the boys.
There are numerous other tales of his life that I've collected over the
years, but space simply doesn't allow me to tell them here and now.
However, I am more than happy to swap stories with any readers who have
memories of my grandfather. I spent several years living with my
grandparents on Stamp's lane, and I remember my grandfather well. He
loved to take me out rowing on the pond by his cabin, and delighted me by
making his muscles (which he'd earned years ago rowing in the St.John's
regatta) dance. This entire family tree project is, at least in part, a
dedication to my grandfather. He died, rather unexpectedly and suddenly,
on September 18, 1980, from a heart attack. At his request, his burial
plot in the Forest Road Cemetery (St.John's) is aligned with the starting
line for the annual Regatta on Quidi Vidi Lake.
The Harvey Surname
Our Roots In Devon
THIS MAP IS CLICKABLE!
Richard E. Harvey is known to have come from
Torbryan, from both his newspaper death record and as a matter of family
legend. Therefore, when I went searching for Richard's baptism records,
Torbryan seemed the logical place to start. Little did I know the
difficulties that awaited me!
William Harvey (I) & Mary
Richard, Jane (or Mary Ann), William & James are all believed to have moved to
Newfoundland as adults (from Pearl Benson). Pearl Benson suggested that Edward moved
to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 1851 census of Torbryan indicates that a daughter
Margaret (age 25) and a son Henry (age 22) were living at home with their parents,
William and Mary Harvey, at that time. This suggests that the child baptized
"Elizabeth" may have gone by the name "Margaret" as an adult, as the age and birth
dates seem to match. According to the census, Margaret married a Henry Lee. Henry &
Elizabeth (or Margaret) Harvey were not part of the family lore, presumably because
they did not emmigrate to Newfoundland.
Richard E. Harvey (I) & Eliza Blackler
Richard E. Harvey was baptised July
12, 1812 in Devonshire, England, presumable the eldest son of William &
Mary. His exact birth date remains unknown at present. It appears from
various accounts, that Richard grew up in the community of Torbryan, and
may have lived there until he emmigrated to Newfoundland.
Interestingly, this is not the story that was passed to me by
Pearl Benson, who may have got it from Ray Leamon. According to Pearl,
Daniel and several friends were reported drowned at the Battery, but by
one account the boys DISAPPEARED while hopping on the rocks in the narrows
at the mouth of the harbour. This would not have been suspicious if a
Russian boat, leaving the harbour at the time, hadn't stopped near the
boys for several minutes, obscuring their parents view. When the boat
moved away, all the boys were gone, and no trace of them was ever found! I
have yet to find any further evidence of this particular story.
William (II) Blackler Harvey & Mary Molloy
Richard (II) Harvey & Barbara Squires
Richard Taylor Harvey was born
Oct.28, 1867, and baptized Dec.1 by Edward Botwood at St. Mary the Virgin
Church, Southside. It would appear that he inherited his middle
name from his great-grandmother's maiden name, as did his aunt Elizabeth.
Minnie Warren was named after Richard's second cousin, who was a well
known fixture of the Southside at the time.
Robert Harvey & Caroline O'Toole
Robert Richard Harvey, my mother's
father, was on born July 15th, 1904, and baptised on September 4th by
Charles Carpenter, at St. Mary the Virgin, Southside (St.John's).
On his baptism record, his father Richard's occupation is listed as
"engineer".
Bob (Jr.) was born while my grandparents were living in a house on Scott
street, in 1934. Maurice, Dave, John & David were born while the couple
lived in a house on Hamilton Avenue, across from the Grace Hospital, over
"Robert's Store". This would have been between 1935 and 1939. Apparently
it wasn't a very nice area, and they moved back to Southside road around
1940, living at #651, owned by Patty Baird. The house was at the bottom of
Ford's Hill, across from the coal company. Derek, Peter, Elizabeth and
Doug were born during this time. Then 1946, Bob & Caroline bought a house at
83 Stamp's Lane for $3600, and that became the family home for the rest of
my grandfather's life. The house was brand new, and the mortgage was $35
per month! Margaret (my mother) and Richard were born while they lived
there.
To be continued....
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