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EZRA DAWSON 1840 - 1911
AND HIS DESCENDANTS
Ezra
Ezra was born or baptised
on the 4th July, 1854 at Derwent. He was the youngest child of Grace and
Matthew.
Ezra worked on the farm at Bridge End and in 1888 there seemed to be some
problems regarding the rent of the property
which was owned by the Duke of Devonshire. Ezra and his brother Matthew had
offered £70 pa but the amount
requested through an agent was £85 pa. The Dawsons decided they could not
afford this and therefore auctioned
all their cattle, horses and other effects and left the farm in March 1888.
On the 24th April, 1888 Ezra married Mary Elizabeth Priestley ( known as
Polly ), who was fourteen years his junior,
at Ashopton, Derbyshire. They decided to follow Ezra's brother Alfred and
emigrate to the USA.
Parish Record entry of the marriage of Ezra
and Mary Elizabeth
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Along with Ezra's cousin John Waterhouse and
family, they set sail from Liverpool at 4.30pm on the 5 May 1888 aboard the
SS Servia of the Cunard Lines. After a very rough crossing, they arrived in
New York at 8.30am on the 14 May 1888.
SS Servia
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After staying overnight at the White Star
Hotel - in his journal Ezra says " there were bugs in quantity there "
- they took the train to the West Coast. On arrival in Oregon they stayed
with Alfred and his family on Clatsop Plains.
Initially Ezra was disappointed with the look of the place and lost interest
in dairy work. However he soon regained
his enthusiasm and staked a claim for 160 acres of land from the US
Government.
In Spring 1889 Ezra and Polly moved to their own place at Skipanon.
Ezra, helped by his brother Alfred and sons, built his own house on the land
he acquired at Skipanon but by 1892 he
had left and bought a house in Warrenton. In 1899 they moved to Skamokawa,
WA.
 Ezra |
 Mary ( Polly ) |
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Polly never seemed to settle in America, she
was never well and missed her homeland. Her longing to return became
so bad that she made a visit back to England in October 1901 and spent a lot
of time visiting her relatives and friends.
She arrived back in the USA on 5 March 1902.
Ezra and Polly were both keen readers, they kept up with community affairs
and wrote lots of letters to friends and relatives
back home in England. They were very close to their neighbours in Skamokawa,
both through work and socially.
Ezra and Polly ensured that Sundays were observed within their household
with the children going to Sunday School and
only the necessary chores done. They appeared to be a happy family.
Ezra and Polly had five children:
George Frederich born 1889
William Ewart born 1892
Mary Ethel Sophia born 1894
Florence Loeila born 1896
Emily Rae born 1905
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Ezra died at 5.45am on the 27th April, 1911 and was buried on the
29th April, 1911. Both at Skamokawa. Polly died at Skamokawa on the 12th
January, 1949.
Location of Ezra and Mary's Grave
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