John Henry

Other Events:

• FindAGrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215559374
• Eby ID Number: 00092-5283.1
• Occupation: 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Fireman
• Occupation: 1881, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Store Keeper
• Occupation: 1891, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer
• Residence: 1891, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Methodist
• Occupation: 1901, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; Farmer

Notes:

"Notes of Interest for Descendants of John Henry and Elizabeth Rife. The town of Hespeler was incorporated into the City of Cambridge in 1973 along with Galt, Preston and some nearby villages. One of the requirements of this amalgamation was the elimination of any duplication in Street names. There was a Henry Street in Galt, Preston and Hespeler. Henry Street Hespeler was named in honour of John Henry. The Galt Street, being by far the longest, was to retain its name, while the Preston and Hespeler Street were to be renamed. I (Robert L. Henry, Halifax) did not agree with this decision and decided to take action. I prepared a court brief and presented it to the judge at the hearing in Kitchener, Ontario. I knew that it was an uphill fight to retain the name "Henry" only on the street, so my conclusion in the brief was a request to rename the street "Henry Villa Drive." "Henry Villa" was the name of John Henry's home. This was authorized by the Court, so now Henry Street in the Hespeler portion of Cambridge is now known as "Henry Villa Drive." The following is a small street map of the old farm area in Hespeler in which streets of interest to the family are shown. Milton Avenue is named after my uncle George Milton. Austin Avenue is named after my uncle James Austin. Emerson Street is named after my father Thomas Emerson. (I don't know why they didn't get a street named for uncle Bert, Aunt Mildred or Aunt Bella when they were at it)."

Henry (1802-1845) was a younger brother of Reverend Thomas. He was married around 1825 and it is believed his wife was an Ellis from the Oshawa area. James and his wife moved to the Guelph area about 1830 (Guelph was founded in 1827) and raised a family of nine children. The next set of notes concerns the family of James Henry (1802-1845). Except for his son John (1840-1903) very little is known. The names below were taken from county records of Guelph and Waterloo and others were names of my father's first cousins. John Henry (1840-1903). John lived all his life in the vicinity of Hespeler (except for a brief stay in California). He married Elizabeth Rife (1842-1926) from Berlin (Kitchener), Ontario. They raised a family of two daughters and four sons. Henry Re-Unions. The plans for having an annual Henry Re-Union were drawn up in Hespeler during the funeral of Elizabeth (Rife) Henry on August 13, 1926. The first Re-Union was held at Arthur in 1927 and the second was held at Oshawa in 1928."

next set of notes concerns the family of John (1840-1903) and Elizabeth (Rife) (1842-1926). John was a businessman in Hespeler, Ontario. He married Elizabeth Rife on 6 January, 1864 in Berlin (Kitchener) Ontario. In 1866, he built a two storey stone building on the main street of Hespeler which contained two stores on the lower level and his own living quarters on the second storey. He operated a bakery in one store and rented the other. In 1875, he erected another stone building alongside and opened a grocery store. In approximately 1880, he purchased a large farm on which was a huge stone barn, farmhouse and house for the hired help. This was the original farm of Jacob Hespeler for which the town was named. He moved the family to the farm house which was known in the town as the Henry Villa. In 1898, the two buildings on the main street were torn down and the large Henry Block was erected in their place. It was completed in 1901 and still stands today (1974) as an imposing structure on the town's main street. The Henry farm was sold to John Forbes and the buildings torn down for his residence (one square stone tower of the barn remains today). Part of the farm land was used for town development - the remainder stayed as farmland. Today, Alex Forbes (son of George) has a wild bird sanctuary on the farmland."

email from Michael Ellis inkellis@cogeco.ca 2007

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Died In Hespeler, on Monday, February 16th, 1903, at 8.15 o'clock a.m., John Henry, Aged 63 years, 7 months and 22 days. Funeral Will take place from his late residence, Avenue St., Hespeler, where services will be held on Wednesday, February 18th, 1903, at 2.30 o'clock p.m., thence to the Hespeler Cemetery for interment. Friends and acquaintances will please accept this intimation. Hespeler, February 16th, 1903.

Funeral Card

John married Elizabeth Rife 6 Jan 1864, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Elizabeth (daughter of Samuel Rife and Mary Hilborn) was born 8 May 1842, Waterloo Twp., Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died 13 Aug 1926, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; was buried , New Hope Cemetery, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet]

1. Mila Henry was born 1864, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
2. Allen Mills Henry was born 1865, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
3. Isabella Henry was born 16 Apr 1867, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
4. Thomas Emerson Henry was born 30 Jul 1869, , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
5. George Milton Henry was born 21 Jul 1871, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
6. James Henry was born 1873, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
7. Albert Bertrum Henry was born 1876, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.
8. Bertie Henry was born 1877, , Ontario, Canada; died Yes, date unknown.

Other Events:

• Eby ID Number: Waterloo-10610

Notes:

"In the first part of February, I was moved to visit my brothers who lived near Guelph. I started accordingly, accompanied by my wife. The snow was deep, and we had an uncommonly hard journey. When within about three miles of the place we met my brother William. Being very tired we were overjoyed at the meeting, but soon, alas, our joy was turned to sorrow, for he informed us that my brother James was dead. He had died the day before of inflammation of the lungs, and we had arrived in time to attend the funeral, which was to take place at two o'clock the next day. We had expected to meet him well and happy, and enjoy a pleasant visit with him. We arrived at his house and found him cold in death, with his wife and nine children weeping around him. It was an affecting time. The next day about eighty sleighs filled with people met at the house, and followed his remains to the Manse burying ground."

Memoir of Rev Thomas Henry

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The Petition of James Henery, now of the Township of Whitby, farmer Honorably sheweth...that your petitioner is a native of Kilshandra, County Cavan in Ireland, that he has resided in the province eight years , that having the means to cultivate a new farm, he is desirous to become a settler. York, 6th Oct 1819 (and contains the signature of James).

Land Petitions, Upper Canada 1819-20 (film C-2048 from the National Archives in Ottawa, Canada): #233,


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Henry of Puslinch died intestate early February 1845, leaving a widow Agnes who applied for letters of administration on 12 May 1845, supported by David Henry, son of deceased, who renounced his own claim to administrator. On 8 Mar 1845, the estate inventory was valued at 264 Pounds, 10s by James Phin and William Henry, both of Waterloo.

Wellington Early Estate File (MS 638 R 22):