The Lumley Family of Withernwick and USA
The oldest Lumley that we know of in Withernwick, was John Lumley. He was actually born in Welton, in 1811 and probably ended up in Withernwick via
a hiring fair in Beverley or Hull. There he met Ann Simpson (b 1823) and local village girl. They married in St Alban's church in 1847.
Times were most likely very tough for farm labourers back then and America must have seemed lke a land of opportunity.
So in 1860 John headed to America, and ended up living in McHenry County, Illinois (not too far from Chicago).
Ann and most of the children followed in 1866.
Ann died in 1883 at the relatively young age of 60. John died in 1899 at the ripe old age of 89. Below is John's obituary and his and Ann's gravestone.
One of their children William, who was born in Withernwick in 1853, who would have moved to America in 1866 then aged 13.
William married an American, Ada Rich in McHenry County. Later they travelled deeper into America and by 1910 they were in Ponca City, Oklahoma.
This would have been a like bit of the Wild West at this time, the bottom two photos show William and Ada in Ponca City c 1910 and a
contemporary photo of Ponca City.
William died in 1917 aged 64; wonder if he remembered his childhood in Withernwick?
Click here to read more about the Lumley's.
