{genealogy} Durham/Derham ancestry part 2 - Charles Henry Derham

Charles Henry Derham

Heather’s 2nd great grandfather

When Charles Henry Derham was born in September 1845 in England, his father, Henry, was 29 and his mother, Martha, was 31. He married Mary Ann Burbridge on December 19, 1867, in Genesee, Michigan. They had eight children in 18 years, and seven of those children survived to adulthood. He died in 1925 at the age of 80, and was buried in Corunna, Michigan.

The earliest record I have for Charles Henry Derham, is a baptism record dated 19 Oct 1845, from Parish of Street, County of Somerset, England.

This came from records from the Church of England, Somerset Parish Records. It is possible the image is a transcript, and I don’t know when the transcript was created.

The family immigrated to the United States sometime between 1847 and 1850. Though I don’t have immigration records, he self-reports this information in the 1900 census, and we have his father’s biography that gives more clues. The 1900 census is also where we learn that his birth month is September, so we can guess that his birth was September 1845.

It looks like the family possibly arrives too late for the 1850 census, so the first time we see Charles Henry Derham in the U.S. is in the 1860 census.

He lives with his parents and 4 other brothers and sisters, and he is 15 years old. They live in Venice, Shiawassee County, Michigan.

On 19 Dec 1867, Charles marries Mary Ann Burbridge in Genesee County, Michigan. He is 22 years old. She is 19. He reports that his residence is now Corunna, Michigan, and that he is a farmer.

I have not been able to find Charles in the 1870 census. If I did, I would expect to see him and Mary Ann, and their first child Joseph who was born in 1869. It is Joseph who died young, as we do not see him in the 1880 census. We know Mary Ann had one child who died because she will report this fact later in the 1900 census.

In 1880, the family with 4 children is living in Clayton, Michigan, which was Mary Ann’s home town. Her father, Joseph Burbridge, is living with them as well. Charles is still a farmer.

Family portrait, ca. 1895.

  

The next time we see the family is in the 1900 census. We saw this in son Earl’s biography, but it’s reprinted here for discussion.

This census is how we know when Charles immigrated, when his birth month is, and how many children have died.

I wish it would tell us when in the past 20 years did they move to Corunna. But I don’t know.

He is living on a mortgaged farm, still working as a farmer.

In 1903 he gives a talk at a farmer’s symposium, about sugar beets. In fact, there is much discussion in 1903 about his sugar beet farm.

As we saw in son Earl’s biography, by the 1910 census, the family is still apparently at the same address.

Family portrait, ca. 1910:

On a 1915 Corunna land map, we can see “Chas. Derham” in Box 20, owning land along the Shiawassee River. Or maybe it’s still mortgaged. But it is in his name on this map.

Later in 1915, his wife Mary dies of cancer.

In the 1920 census he confirms that he owns his farm free and clear. He is 74 years old. Now it’s just him and his son William at home. The address is called “Farm 681”, Lowland Ave., Corunna.

In May 1922, Charles is hit by a car, and his leg is broken. The car was a county vehicle being driven by the sheriff. The following year, Charles sued both the sheriff and the county for $10,000. I was not able to find the results of the suit.

Charles died some time in 1925. I could not find an obituary or his death certificate, so I only have his death date from his headstone. He is buried in Pinetree Cemetery, Corunna.