Other Events:

• Physical Description: 5'8", dark hair, hazel eyes, med build
• FamilySearch Id: 5 foot 10, dark brown hair
• FamilySearch Id: KFFK-QHZ
• Occupation: farmer in early life, laborer, Construction worker
• Reference Number: *
• _UID: 361DD35EF91ECF438BF212FECAC4F00FC785
• Census: 1900,1910,1920,1930

Notes:

from Contra Costa Gazette prior 1900
COLLIS male 31 Dec 1896 Brentwood Walter Collis 9 Jan 1897

things to do:
1. when did Russell retire? Bertha?
2. newspapers in Brentwood & Colfax (marriages; Hazel, Gladyce, Russell, births, + news of the area
3.Social Security registration?

Timeline for Ernest Russell Collis

1896 Dec 31, Russell born Brentwood, Contra Costa, CA
1900 US Census: Contra Costa, CA age 3
1906 April 18, lived in Brentwood behind Blacksmith shop during SF earthquake/fire according to his recollection.
1910 moved with parents to Diamond, Whitman, Washington
1910 US Census: Diamond, Whitman, WA age 13
1915 met Bertha Sherman at the Whitman County Fair.
1917 WWI draft registration; Diamond, Whitman, Washington age 21
1920 US Census: Diamond, Whitman, Washington age 22 living with sister, Gladyce & Pete Ping and brother
Winner
1923 Oct 14, marriage certificate: Russell Collis & Bertha Sherman at Colfax, Whitman, Washington
1924 Sep 27, son, Walter, born in Brentwood, California
1926-28 Polk Stockton directory, Russel & Bertha at Horace and Anderson
1926 Aug 10, daughter, Laura born in Yuba City, Yuba, CA
1930 US Census: age 32, Township 9, Contra Costa, California
1930 Nov 20, daughter, Barbara born in Stockton, San Juaquin, CA
1931 lived on Collis Ranch in Brentwood Ca with mother
1933 After ranch was taken over by bank in 1932, moved to Gobel, OR, built cabin there
1934 Move to Thera, WA
1935 Feb 2, son, Stan, born in Thera, WA
1936 Polk Stockton City Directory at 1435 E Park, iron worker-Kyle & Co. (probably carried over from ealier
1937 Apr 18, daughter, Marilyn born in Colfax,
1939 Jul 7, daughter, Darlyne, born in Colfax.
1940 US Census: South Colfax, Whitman, Washington, age 44
1941 May 4, moved with family to Sacramento, Sacramento, CA
1942 WWII draft registration: 2486 41st St, employed- Lyon Darwin Hardware, Oak Park, Sacramento
1943 Sacramento City Directory: Collis, E Russell (Bertha I) driver h2486 41st St.
1970 Death: June 30 Bertha died in Traverse City, Michigan while visiting with newly found brothers and sister.
1976 Death: June 26, Russell died in bed in Sacramento while living with son, Roy. Cause of death:
Arteriosclerotic Heart desease


Ernest Russell Collis’ Story
Brentwood, California
Gladyce, Arthur, Russell, Hazel, Winner
Ernest Russell Collis was born in Brentwood, California on the 31st of December, 1896. He was the second child of six born to Walter Winner and Laura Susan (Grigsby) Collis. The oldest child, Hazel Crystal, was born in 1894; then Ernest Russell. Next were: Gladyce Esther, born 1898; Winner Winwood, born 1900; Arthur, born 1902 (he died in 1907 just 12 days before their last child, Edgar Dawain, was born on the 19th of September of 1907. His father, Walter was a blacksmith and had a shop in Brentwood.

Russell, as we called him, remembered living in a 2 story house behind the blacksmith shop during the great San Francisco earthquake and fire on the morning of April 18, 1906. He was 10 years old. During the earthquake Russell's bed rolled across his upstairs bedroom floor. He jumped out of bed and with the entire family hurried out of the house and into the yard. Water was sloshing over the top of the huge water tank near the house. The ground under foot was rolling and undulating like waves on the ocean. The fire in the city across the bay gave an eerie red glow to the sky. Perhaps thoughts of Armageddon went through their minds. News wasn't instantaneous as it is today. Some time later, Russell went to Market Street with his Uncle Byron Grigsby, to observe firsthand the damage and devastation. They later heard that Walter's sister, Florence Gates, watched the fire and destruction all around her from a doorway in San Francisco. Aunt Florence is said to have rushed into the house to save the oil painting of her mother, Ann Randall Collis, as a child, by cutting it out of the large heavy frame. Florence was living in San Francisco at the time with her husband, Merville Gates. Her father, William Collis, had died 6 years previous and her mother, Anne Collis, was living in Brentwood with 2 of her daughters. Florence had married in 1903 at age 29, and never had any children. Prior to her marriage, Florence was living on her own and was a portrait artist in San Francisco.

Russell’s brother, Winner, wrote the following story about Russell and how Winner broke his arm: “I must have been about 7 or 8 years old. It was during the summer. We lived just a short half block from the old blacksmith shop in Brentwood. Russ, your dad, and I were playing on an old hitching rack which was a 1 ½ or 2 inch pipe run through the branches of three locust or pepper trees. It was about 3 or 4 feet above the ground, but seemed higher to me then. I was standing on the pipe. Russ was up in the tree above me. He said he was coming down and would step on my fingers if I did not get out of the way. I let loose of the tree, turned on the pipe and started walking on the pipe to the adjoining tree. I suppose I was barefooted. Anyway, I slipped and fell to the ground with my right arm under my body and broke so many bones in my elbow, that old Dr. Cool just put it in a towel and tied the towel around my neck so I could be as comfortable as possible with all the broken bones in a mess.” (Later he told me that the doctor told him to carry a bucket of sand around with that arm to straighten it out.) “In 1954 I looked at the bones in a fluoroscope in Portland, Oregon, and saw all the mess of odd shaped bones with one piece of bone floating all by itself in the middle of the elbow. The Doctor said, 'that is the kind of break we like to turn over to our competitor'.”

As the automobile became more affordable and thus more popular, the need for blacksmiths became less necessary. In 1908 Ford Motor Company mass produced more than 10,000 Model T's. About 1907, Russell's father was working for Holt Harvester Company as a salesman and demonstrator of combine harvesters. He was away in Washington State when his 5th child Arthur died and the family had the baby's body lie in the home on the kitchen table, waiting for the father's return before culminating the funeral arrangements. What a sad time for all. It must have been a traumatic time for the family, with father traveling so far away and travel being slower in those days. Did they have a car, or did he travel by train? Train travel was quite expensive at the time.

Uncle Winner sent me a letter with the following information about Russell: “Before we moved to Diamond, Washington, your dad must have been about 12 or 13; he had been somewhere and seen one of the old time roller coasters. So in back of the house at Brentwood, he built one; must have been 30 or 40 feet long, with humps and dips. The high point was possibly 6-7 feet high, with smooth 2 or 3 inch boards as the track, which he greased with soap. We had a good many short rides on it. Don’t know where he got the lumber for all the post and scaffolding, plus braces.”

Berkeley, California

Shortly after the death of Arthur, the family moved to Berkeley so they could be close to Laura's parents, Elmira and Erasmus, (called Dorwin) Grigsby. Walter was still traveling quite frequently with his sales job. Laura's parents lived on Grant Street at that time. Laura, Russell’s mother, played the piano and organ quite well and Grandma Grigsby, wanted the same for her grandchildren. Russell had other ideas though, so when he was supposed to be practicing the piano, Uncle Byron would sneak him out the back door and off they would go to the baseball game in Emeryville. Grandma Grigsby was also concerned about the children's need for spiritual training. She insisted that the children read the Bible and thus Russell developed strong moral ethics and became quite familiar with the scriptures even though in later years he seldom attended church with his family.

Grandpa Grigsby had a little barn along side the house in Berkeley in which he kept a little roan mare, “Kitty”. He would take the kids for a ride in a one horse buggy or surrey with the fringe on top down Shattuck Avenue.
Grandpa & Grandma Grigsby with mare Kitty
Winner also wrote: “I don’t know how old he was when your dad sold candy strings in Oakland. Grandma Grigsby got him the job. But I remember the round candy strung on strings. Before or after that, he had a paper route in Oakland. I got up one morning to help him. I know and remember it was 4 o’clock in the morning; too early for a little kid.

State of Washington

In March 1910 Walter moved his family with 5 growing children to the Colfax area in the southeastern part of the state of Washington. Russell was 13 at the time. Perhaps Walter was drawn to the area while there selling harvesters. The area had vast rolling hills planted in wheat. Walter again took up blacksmithing in a small blacksmith shop near Diamond, Washington. At the time the wheat harvesters were using an eight or twelve mule team, so there was a need for shoeing. There was a big flood that year.

Hazel was the oldest daughter of the family, and married shortly after their arrival in Washington; she was just seventeen at the time and married Fred Kasdorf, whose family had moved to Colfax, Washington about 1890. His parents were born in Germany.

Russell quit school during his eighth grade year. Did the move to a new school in Washington make it too hard for him to adjust? But, then he never did like the containment of the classroom. He would sit on the schoolyard fence, spit tobacco and taunt the kids in school, according to his sister, Gladyce, who was 2 years younger than Russell. He never went back to school after that. Gladyce would occasionally work for May Lamb, helping in the house. May and Roy Lamb were the parents of Bertha Sherman. Bertha was living with her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth, called "Libby", Smith, and step grandfather in Eureka, Montana, at the time, but Bertha would occasionally visit her mother and stepfather in Diamond. (How did she get there? Train? Car? I doubt it. Horse and buggy?)

Russell's youngest brother, Edgar, was 7 years younger than Winner, and 11 years younger than Russell. I have no information of his involvement with the older children. He later married Alma and lived in Salt Lake City, Utah. He had no children

In about 1915, Russell met Bertha Sherman for the first time at a county fair during one of her visits to her mother's house. She was only twelve years old at the time. Russell was a handsome young man of sixteen. There must have been some attraction, as it was a remembered event throughout their lives. Bertha went back to Montana to continue living with her grandmother. Bertha's grandmother suffered from breast cancer, and during Libby's illness, Bertha nursed her and administered morphine shots to her to ease the pain. Libby died when Bertha was sixteen, so she came back to live with her mother in Diamond, Washington.

According to Winner Winwood, "After Dad and Mom (Laura and Walter Collis) moved back to California from Diamond, Washington, Russ and I rented a house in Diamond and batched. Russell was acting as one of the sparring partners to help train Ernest Ping, Uncle of Pete Ping, to fight a local boy who had done some fighting while in the navy. One evening Russell was sparring with Ernest, when Ern hit Russell square on the `button' or nerve center on the chin. Russell got a funny look on his face and simply wilted in a heap on the floor, much to the consternation of everyone. He `came to' very soon, however."

Russ’ sister Gladyce married Pete Ping in November of 1917 in Dayton, Washington. Pete was born in 1896 in Washington. Pete was living with his family in Diamond, Washington. He worked for Roy Lamb at the time. In the 1920 Census, Russell and Winner were living with Pete and Gladyce in Diamond, Washington. Pete and Winner were working for the railroad. Russell was working as a farm laborer.

Since Southeastern Washington is wheat country, most of the jobs were involved with planting and harvesting the wheat. In the early times an eight-mule team was used to pull the harvester and involved lots of hand work. Russell often talked about how many rattlesnakes he would find on his pitchfork as he hoisted hay into the wagons. The men traveled from field to field harvesting each crop as it was ready. It was a cooperative effort. They generally worked in the field from dawn to dusk, eating at a big trailer with benches down both sides, and slept on a bed roll in the wheat fields at night. (With the rattlesnakes?) .

Because Diamond was such a small community, Bertha and Russell were both at many local social events. Both were attending a box social and grange dance where each lady prepared a box lunch for two and each man was to bid on the lunch of his choice (or the lady of his choice.) The young man bidding on Bertha's lunch was someone she didn't want to be with. She asked Russell to bid on her lunch and he did. They began going together from then on. Bertha was about 18 at that time.

In 1917 All young men had to register for the draft during WWI and Russell was no exception. Stan said he was told by Roy that Russell was sent to New York, but he got the flu and by the time he was well, the war was over. The war ended 28 June 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed in France, so he must have been in New York at that time. I could find no record of his service. There were 1,500,000 people who died from influenza in the United States during 1918 and 1919.

After they became engaged, Russell decided to go back to Brentwood for a while. He said, "I probably got mad at her". While in Brentwood, Russell had quite an experience. Winner wrote, "Russell, a friend named Fred Orr, and I decided to join the Merchant Marines in San Francisco. ( They had all just registered with the draft board for WWI. Perhaps that had something to do with their decision.) We had signed up, had one physical and passed, had gone to the base in San Francisco for a final exam and to be sworn in. We were standing around waiting, when a merchant seaman asked if we were joining up. We said, `yes'. Then he said, `Don't do it! You will regret it.' We talked it over and sneaked out of there, ran like crazy, got a street car to the ferry and went into Oakland and caught a train for Brentwood: all the time looking over our shoulders for a couple of MPs to come and take us back. The MPs never showed up." We were much relieved.

During this time, Bertha was attending Catholic school. She sent Russell his diamond ring and told him she was going to become a nun. (And she didn't even like Catholic school.) Fortunately for us this did not happen. Perhaps spurred by his Merchant Marine experience, Russell forgot he was mad at her. He took the ring and went to Washington to find out what was going on. They reconciled and were married October 14, 1923.

After Russell and Bertha were married, they boarded at a farmhouse in Mount Hope, Washington, near Spokane, while Bertha taught at Harp School and Russell helped out on the farm. Since they were married in October after the wheat was harvested, Russell went off to look for work. He stayed in a Hotel and this is one of the few times they spent a night apart during their entire married life. Mostly, Russell worked in the wheat fields, sometimes using an eight-horse team. At one time he was a grain receiver in the warehouse and did general farming work. Bertha quit her teaching job at the end of the year and never taught school again.

(Much of the foregoing was told to me by Russell in January 1976. Some parts were quoted from a letter dated July 13, 1976, to Marilyn Parker from Uncle Winner Winwood Collis. Some of the information also came from Bertha and some from the children of Bertha and Russell.)

Brentwood, California Again

In 1924 Russell and Bertha Collis moved back to the Grigsby/Collis ranch in Brentwood where Walter Collis, had built a small one room house with a little screened porch for them. Laura had inherited property in Brentwood, from her mother Elmira Grigsby, who died in 1923. Russ' sister, Hazel, lived with her husband and three children in another little house on the property. Walter and Laura lived in their house behind the others

Shortly after moving back to Brentwood, Walter Leroy, called Roy by the family, was born in September of 1924, in Mrs. Pemberton's Nursing Home with Dr. Cook attending. The same doctor had delivered Russell. Roy was named after Russell’s father, Walter, and Bertha’s step-father, James Leroy Lamb.

Russell needed work, so they left the ranch in late 1924 and moved to Stockton for a time where Russell worked for a box factory, He also worked as a steam pipe fitter's helper in building the river boats, the Delta King and the Delta Queen. He also worked on the Carquinez bridge. He then went to work for Holt Harvester Company.

When Holt Harvester Company closed down, Russell and Bertha moved to Yuba City with their baby, Roy. There he worked for farmers picking peaches and later for a cement contractor until he became ill and had to have an emergency appendectomy. In August of 1926, Laura was born in a small private hospital in Yuba City, with Dr. Johnson delivering her. The hospital was so small that the doctor carried his patients from the delivery room to their rooms. Times were hard for the average family during this time before the great depression. Russell and Bertha were no exception and had no money and couldn't pay the doctor. Dr. Johnson, who had delivered Laura, said, "Well, I can't just let him die." He was a great big man and carried Russell to the operating table. He performed the surgery with the bill owing.
After the surgery, Russell, Bertha, and the two children returned to the ranch in Brentwood for Russell to recuperate. Russell was not able to work for a while. This compounded the financial situation. They were living on the ranch in Brentwood in 1930 when Russell's father, Walter, died from Carcinoma of the bladder at the hospital in San Francisco. He had been doctoring for some time. Barbara was born in November of that same year. Their old Brentwood doctor had died by that time and so Bertha went to Stockton to have Barbara at Dammeron Hospital. Perhaps Russell was influenced by his cousin, Langley Collis, who was a doctor in Stockton. Stockton was only about 30 miles from Stockton along the Sacramento River. Russell had worked there before and was familiar with the area.

Due to the expense of Dad’s illness and an untimely hailstorm causing the crops to fail, Russell's mother, Laura, mortgaged the property and all the tools and equipment to the Bank of America. Walter was gone and Russell was trying to keep the ranch going. There was no money and the ranch and all the farm equipment were taken over by the Bank of America in 1932, for a debt of $3000. Three years later it sold for $30,000. Russell was angry. He didn't think the bank should be taking the tools and equipment along with the ranch. However, they, to, were listed in the mortgage. Russell took all the household belongings that the bank hadn't taken and which they would not be able to take with them, and put them on the burn pile. This included a large organ that had belonged to his mother. (This was according to Aunt Gladyce. She was frustrated with him.) Russell often reacted to situations with anger rather than thinking things through rationally.

Russell's mother, Laura, went to live with her daughter, Gladyce, and her husband, Pete Ping, on 76th Avenue in Oakland. Pete’s parents also were living with them at the time. It seemed Gladyce and Pete were often to have relatives living with them. They had no children of their own.

They now had three small children and times were still hard. The price of bread was 7 cents a loaf, milk 43 cents a gallon, gas 18 cents a gallon and a stamp cost 3 cents. The cost of a car was $540, a house $6,514 and the average income was $1,431 a year. Two of the top songs were: April in Paris and Willow Weep for Me. Perhaps the Willow was to weep because finding the 7 cents for a loaf of bread was hard.

What to do now?

Russell and Bertha decided it was time to move. They went to Gobel, Oregon. Russell's brother, Winner, was living in Oregon at the time. Roy helped Russell build a log cabin in Gobel, but they were only there a few months, before heading back to Washington. Russell was a mover. Bertha’s stepfather’s mother, Emma Lamb, had died in 1931 and their house was available for rent from the estate.

Back to Washington

Since Bertha's mother still lived in Diamond, Washington and that is where she and Russell had met, they moved back to Washington. Bertha wrote, "By this time the depression was in full swing and Russell worked at any job he could get. Summers he worked in a warehouse receiving the grain harvest. In winter he worked shipping the grain out when a farmer sold his crop. He also helped the farmers butcher. He sometimes would work all day and get in return a couple of hog's heads, feet and a liver for his day's work. Not too much when a dressed carcass could be bought for 5 cents a pound. Anyway, head cheese and pickled pig's feet are pretty good, and I still like liver."

The family lived in a warehouse near the train tracks in Thera. Thera was a little town near Diamond and is no longer there. It was probably just a little railroad stop. There was a small apartment built into a wheat warehouse. Daughter, Laura, remembers the bathroom was at the far end of the warehouse and the children would put on roller skates to go to the bathroom.

Bertha and Russell were involved in community plays while living in Thera. It seems strange to me that they were involved in any social events as the only social involvement they had in Sacramento was mostly visiting with relatives according to my recollection. We would often visit at Gladyce and Pete’s. Sometimes we would visit with Hazel and her family, but the children were older than most of us.

Stanley Richard was born at home on Feb 2 1935 while they lived in the warehouse in Thera. He was the 4th child of Bertha and Russell Collis. When Stan was 14 months old, they moved to a small ranch 3 miles west of Colfax. The ranch was owned by Bertha's stepfather, Roy Lamb, and his sister, Melba. They had inherited the ranch from their mother who died in 1931. Barbara remembers holding hands and touching the electric fence surrounding the pig pen. A shocking experience! Bertha stated, "It was pretty small. Russell clerked in the hardware store in Colfax during the day and worked the ranch in his off hours. We had six cows, some pigs, and grew wheat on the few acres rich enough to support a crop. With the garden, my chickens, milk, cream, and eggs we managed pretty well.

The effects of the depression were evident everywhere. Bertha and Russell were hard workers and took advantage of every opportunity to earn wages and care for their family. Russell would take whatever odd job he could find and Bertha would help in whatever way she could. While living in the home near Colfax, Bertha would prepare meals and feed the road crews working on the highway. The crew would sit at long tables in the yard for their meals.

Bertha and Russell attended many dances where he often called the square dances. The coats would be piled in a corner where the babies and small children were put to sleep on the piles of coats. Roy said he did not like being at the dances, so he would sneak out and find his friends.

Russell was good at "witching" water with a green stick. He could tell how far down to drill and how much water could be found. He located many wells for friends in Washington, Oregon, and Brentwood. He never liked to boast about it and often worried that his predictions would not prove out. It was definitely a gift that he had and he was pretty much "right on".

Marilyn Louise was born April 18, 1937 in Colfax in Mrs. Marbell's Nursing Home, with Mrs. Dimich, a nurse, attending. Marilyn was the 5th child of Bertha and Russell.

Gladyce Darlyne was born on 7 July 1939 in the same Nursing home. She was the 6th child of Bertha and Russell. Bertha said she was a happy baby.

May Lamb, Bertha’s mother loved to fish for catfish in the stream near her house. She would snag whoever she could to go fishing with her. Laura and Roy each remember fishing with her. Laura said the fish tasted like mud. Norman Kuntz, a neighbor boy also was a fishing companion of hers after her grandchildren no longer lived close by. Roy Lamb gave Norman May’s fishing pole after she died. Norman subsequently gave it to Scott, Marilyn's son, when they visited him in Diamond. May also loved her little rock garden in the front of her house and was often found there weeding and caring for the plants. Stan and Barbara remember her often serving cut up oranges with powdered sugar when they were there for breakfast.

In 1941 Melba, Roy Lamb's sister, wanted or needed her money out of the house and so the house that Russell and Bertha were living in was sold. Bertha said, “When the ranch sold, we packed all our belongings in a home made trailer, stashed our kids and the dog in an old 1927 Buick and started back to California." Away they went pulling the trailer behind. Where to go now was the question. Pete Ping, Gladyce's husband, was working at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento. They started back to California on May 29th of 1941. What a tearful time for May to lose her daughter and all of her grandchildren again. Do you suppose her thoughts were that she probably would never see them again, but hoped to go visit? I can’t imagine stuffing that car full of 2 parents and 6 children from ages 16 down to 2 years, along with all the stuff to get by on that long of a trip.

Sacramento, California

Russell's sister, Gladyce, and her husband Pete Ping lived in Sacramento at 4964 13th Avenue. Gladyce's brother Edgar was living there for a time in 1941. Pete worked as an electrical engineer at the Sacramento Air Depot, according to the 1942 Sacramento City directory. Russell and his family stopped by to visit Gladyce and Pete and ended up staying with them. Russell found a job clerking at Lyon Darwin Hardware store in the Oak Park section of Sacramento. While they looked for a house, all eight members of the family moved in with Pete and Gladyce. Their home was a one bedroom house with a little room off the kitchen that served as a dining room, and a small living room. That made 10 people in about 600 square feet. Fortunately it was summer time. What an interesting time that must have been. Some slept in the screened porch and others slept on the floor in the small living room.

Few people would rent to a family with six children and a dog. Finally a house for rent was found at 2486 41st Street in Sacramento. When it came up for sale, Bertha and Russell bought it. The house was on the corner of 41st and Y Streets. It originally sat on a lot in the middle of what is now Y Street, but had been moved when the street was cut through.

The house was a two bedroom 1 bathroom house with a wall bed in the living room and a small screened room in the back southwest corner. Stan and Roy slept in the screened porch area, the girls in the middle bedroom. (Where did Laura and Barbara Sleep? Wall bed?) Mom and Dad slept in the bedroom off the kitchen. The sleeping arrangements would changeoften as the need appeared. When Laura and Charlie were married, They moved into the bedroom off the kitchen and Mom and Dad slept in the middle bedroom and the three younger children slept in the screened porch. Roy was in the army. The 1942 Sacramento City Directory lists E. R. Collis at that address as a clerk with Lyon Darwin Hardware.

Roy tells the story of Dad losing his temper with someone as he was driving truck for the Lyon Darwin. Someone cut him off and said something obscene. Russell stopped the truck, got out, grabbed the tire iron out of the back and went after the guy. Roy stopped him, thankfully. Russ did lack patience at times in his early years. If he became upset with his employer, he would quit his job.

Roy was the first child to leave home as he went into the army in 1943 during World War II. He had not graduated from high school yet, but the draft registration was being invoked, so he decided to enlist. He became part of the 705th Tank Destroyer battalion and was one of those who were cut off and surrounded in the Battle of Bastone. Mom stated, "It was sure good to have a job at that time, for I had to keep my mind on my work. On the days when I was home and the kids were coming home from school, I'd listen for his steps on the porch even though I knew he was far away. When he came home after the war, I thought I'd go mad before he settled down and quit pacing the floor. I guess it's pretty horrible what they have to go through" In 1946 Roy was home and Dad made a bedroom in the basement for him. I remember hearing Roy's radio playing "Intersanctum" or " The Shadow". I remember the sound of the squeaking door that began one of the programs.

Moving days were finally over for the family. Russell had an "itchy foot". He liked change. When he talked about moving again, Mother told him, "If you move again, you will go without me and the children!" She had had enough moving. They lived in the house on 41st Street until they both retired. Perhaps Dad’s “itchy foot” was one reason we went for rides so often on Sunday afternoons. We visited and camped at most of the historic spots in Northern California: Yosemite, Wright's Lake, Lake Tahoe, Big Trees, Caverns, Volcano, The Mystery Spot, The Winchester House, San Francisco, and many more.
They lived in that house for the next 23 years and Russell held a variety of jobs. He worked for a short time at McClellan Air Force base repairing carburetors. He also picked fruit at several of the farms in the area. We would go glean pears after the regular picking and Mom would can them at home. He was a mechanic at the Wonder Bread bakery in Oak Park in 1945. I still remember the smell of the bread cooking as I walked by. He worked for a short time as a janitor at Stanford Junior High School. He was very offended by the language the kids wrote on the walls of the restrooms. He quit that job fairly quickly. By 1949 he was working as a Construction worker.
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In the 1950's Russell remodeled the house, changing the whole configuration of it. He added an upstairs bedroom, extended the back of the house to accommodate a bedroom where the screened porch used to be, and added another bathroom and laundry room on the back. This was a difficult time as money was tight and Dad was working double time; a paying job during the day when weather permitted, and working on the house nights and weekends. He was burning his candle at both ends. There was a time when he was on the roof with an electric skill saw. He missed the board and cut through his thigh. It was a bad cut. He was alone so he had to climb down and get himself to the emergency room at the county hospital on Stockton Boulevard. Fortunately, it was only two blocks away.

After those initial years, Russell worked most of his years in Sacramento for Construction Companies on different houses and buildings. He drove a truck for Robinson's Construction Company during the tearing down of the old Buffalo Brewery and construction of the Sacramento Bee building on the site on Q Street. In the 50's he worked on a $100,000 home near the American River. We were all flabbergasted at that outrageous price for building a home was rare at that time.

The holidays were always special times at the Collis house. Aunt Gladyce and Uncle Pete were always there along with friends, Lois and Carl Carlson. We had barbequed hamburgers on the 4th of July with Mom's special barbeque sauce, watermelon, and lemonade made with real lemons. Dad had built a brick barbeque on the site of the old garage turned into a grape arbor. It was frightening when that old garage caught fire and burned to the ground. On summer nights we would sleep in the back yard as the house was too warm. Beds would be moved into the back yard and covered with tarps to protect them from occasional summer rains.

On Thanksgiving morning Mom would get up about 3:00 A.M. to start the turkey cooking. Aunt Gladyce would also cook a turkey. We always had lemon jello with pineapple, shredded carrots, and chopped celery in it. There was always the special chopped cabbage and shrimp salad, stuffing, cranberry, mashed potatoes and gravy. Mom's homemade mince meat pie from an old English recipe which came from Dad's grandmother, Ann Collis, and pumpkin pie were the traditional desserts. The teenagers always went to the Sacramento/ McClatchy high school football game in the morning, and then come home to hopefully help put the finishing touches on dinner. There was a long table that went from the dining room into the kitchen. Turkey sandwiches with cranberry, mayonnaise, and lettuce, were absolutely necessary in the evening.

Our house was about 3 to 4 blocks from the old California State Fair Grounds on Stockton Boulevard and Broadway. Kids could get in free so we were there quite often. In the evenings we would sometimes go to the fair to watch the horse show as Dad's cousin was driving the Budweiser wagon there. Dad liked the harness races and we would attend those also. Maybe we would get an original orange freeze at Merlino's across the street from the fairgrounds.

A favorite thing to do was to sit on the front porch in the early evening and watch the fireworks high in the night sky. Fairgoers would park on all the streets for many blocks around the fairgrounds. We would put sawhorses in front of the house to save a place to park our car. The state fair was a big part of our lives when it ran during the summer.

Each summer we would go on a week long camping trip. At times we would go to Yosemite, or more often we went to Wright's Lake to stay at Fred Held's camp near the Dark Lake Road. Fred Held was a friend of Uncle Pete. He camped at the lake every summer from the time it opened until it closed in the fall. Uncle Pete, Aunt Gladyce, Lois and Carl and our family would join him for a week. Stan usually brought a friend, Frank Marchi, as Barbara had Dixie, Lois Carlson's daughter. Darlyne and I had each other. Laura and Charlie were married by that time. There was a lot of stuff to take for that many people. Dad was a genius when it came to packing the trunk of the car. He had built a special cabinet for the kitchen stuff and knew just where everything went in the trunk so it would all fit. We would hike up to Twin Lakes or some of the other lakes in the high country.

Darlyne wrote, "I still remember the trips there in the old Ford (I think). Daddy always said, 'She’s a boilin.' I thought camping was fun because Mom did all the work." We always carried a canvas water bag over the hood ornament in case the car boiled. We would stop by the side of the road. Let the car cool for a while and then add water from the water bag to the radiator. Then off we would go again. We could use the water for drinking as long as we didn't use too much. We forded Lyon Creek when we got to the top of the hill and would refill the water bag and all take a drink of the fresh Mountain water from the creek. When we got to Wright's Lake, we hung blankets from tree to tree to give us privacy and to separate our camp from the others. We probably looked like a bunch of “okies”, but we had fun.

Russell liked to listen to the baseball game on the radio. At times we would attend the Sacramento Solons baseball game at the ball field on Broadway. I loved going with Dad and Uncle Pete. It wouldn't be a ball game without a hot dog. His main interests were ball games and reading the newspaper. Dad was a hard worker. He often worked late into the night to keep the car running. No computers in cars in those days.

Since Russell worked in construction, and thus he showered in the evening, he would cook breakfast for the family while mother got ready for work. He loved pancakes and we would often eat pancakes with syrup. When it rained and he didn't work, he would clean house. He liked to have everything clean and orderly. When we would come home from school, the house would be shiny and clean and the floors waxed. He was a hard worker. We loved it when it rained. We weren't really cognizant of the loss of his income, we only thought of him picking us up from school so we didn't have to walk the 12 blocks in the rain. We didn't laugh a lot together, but I remember our childhood as peaceful and wonderful. We had supportive, kind parents and we were the most important things in their lives. He didn’t spank us often, but when he did, we knew we had been spanked.

Russell retired in about 1963, three years before Bertha retired in December 1966. After retirement, they sold their house and bought an Airstream trailer. One of Bertha's greatest wishes was to see New England in the fall. They traveled for a year across the northern states to New England, then down the east coast to Florida. Bertha had heart problems in Florida and they remained there for a time while she convalesced. They then traveled back west across the southern states. They parked their trailer in a small trailer park on Stockton Blvd. near Florin Road in Sacramento. To me it was a small confined and dark place, but I never heard them complain.

After Bertha's death in 1970, Russell continued to live in the trailer with his little long haired Chihuahua, Chi-chi. Life did not hold the interest it had when his life long partner was alive and with him. One day he ran a red light and he couldn't get the idea out of his head that he might have hit someone; a car, a kid on a bicycle or a pedestrian. He gave up driving. He also had a slight stroke and it seemed unwise for him to be alone. He moved in with his oldest son, Roy, on Middleberry Street in Sacramento and he lived there until he died in his sleep of a stroke on the 24th of June in 1976, at the age of 79. He was buried beside Bertha in Eastlawn Southgate on Highway 99 near Florin Road in South Sacramento.

Addendum:
1. Some of Russell's favorite sayings were:

· "Children should be seen and not heard."

"It's just as cheap to run the car on the top half of the tank as on the bottom."

· Regarding wearing lipstick: - "Any old barn looks better painted."

· Regarding accumulating worldly goods: "I've never seen a hearse pulling a trailer!"

· "Life is backwards; when the children are young and you need the money and the big house and
you don't have them. When you no longer need them, you have them."

Whenever he teased me, I would cry, and Dad would say, "Your eyes are too close to your bladder." It made me sad, because I didn't want to cry, but couldn't help it.

2. Interview with Barbara on the phone in 2007.
She remembers going to the Grange dances and the kids would sleep on the pile of coats on the floor. When they lived in the warehouse in Thera, Dad would load the wheat sacks into the boxcars. He would let the kids ride up the conveyer. The Colfax house they lived in was about 3 miles on the left from Colfax, going toward Diamond. They would skate in the living room. The school was in Colfax and the kids would return home from school walking on the railroad track. The school was a dance studio last time Barb visited. She remembers dad talking on the old crank phone when receiving a call that his mother had died. Dad had a white suit which he ruined when he threw up after drinking wine. She also remembers driving down the streets of San Francisco and the chinamen all went running into the buildings with their pigtails flying.

3. Letter from Jim Just
March 26, 2008
Dear Aunt Marilyn,
I've just finished reading your short history of Russell and Bertha Collis. I found it fascinating. Thanks so much for doing this. Memories and lives are so fragile and fleeting, it's important to preserve what we can.
I don't have much to add. I do remember the wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The whole family would always gather at the 41ST Street house for Christmas Eve, and exchange gifts. The really precious things weren't the trinkets, but the warmth of the family and the precious memories of being together.
We kids practically lived at that house during the - what was it, 10 or 14 day run? - of the state fair. Bertha must have been a saint to put up with us, always welcoming and never a complaint.
I remember Russell as very kind and having a wicked sense of humor. I loved working with him and the other men of the family, and learned carpentry and construction skills that still serve me well today.
In my junior year -1 believe, I was suspended for a week for flipping off my gym coach (do kids still have to take P.E. these days)? As "punishment," I was assigned by my folks to work with Russell building a garage in our back yard at the Elvas Avenue house. While shingling the roof, I stepped off the edge, hit the top of a fence on the way down, flipped over, and landed on the back of my head, knocking myself silly. Russell came over, looked down at me over the edge of the roof, and said, "Lazy kid. You're the hardest kid to keep working I've ever seen."
But he gave me the rest of the day off.
Love, Jim Just

4. The Delta King is an authentic 285-foot riverboat. The King and her identical twin, the Delta Queen, were christened on May 20, 1927, and began their daily river voyages between San Francisco and Sacramento in June of that year. At 6:00 p.m. each evening, the grand ladies of the Delta left their docks for the 10 hour trip that included prohibition era drinking, jazz bands, gambling and fine dining. A stateroom was $3.50, but for a dollar and "’your own blanket" the night could be spent on the Cargo Deck.
The King and Queen reigned on the Sacramento River until the late 1930's when an increase in the number of roads, bridges and automobiles made riverboating a less efficient means of transportation. Depression and World War II signaled the end of the sternwheel era and both the King and Queen were drafted into the U. S. Navy to serve on San Francisco Bay as net tenders, floating barracks, troop transports and hospital ships. At the conclusion of the War, the Delta Queen was purchased and taken via the Panama Canal to the Mississippi River where she still serves. The engines of the Delta King were taken for spare parts. The King was shuttled between Canada and California as a derelict with hopes of becoming a floating Ghiradelli Square or Chinese Restaurant dashed at each turn by sinkings and litigations. In 1984, after being sunk for 18 months in San Francisco Bay, the Delta King was towed to Old Sacramento, where it underwent a complete renovation. Five pain-staking years later the Delta King reopened to reign, once again, as the heralded monarch of the Sacramento River.


1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter Collis
Home in 1900: Supervisors District 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 33 Occupation: farmer
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
BirthPlace: California
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Spouses's Name: Laura
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
Walter Collis 33
Laura Collis 33
Hazel Collis 5
Russel Collis 3
Gladys Collis 2

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Russel Collis
Age in 1910: 13
Estimated birth year: abt 1897
Birthplace: California
Relation to Head of House: Son
Father's name: Walter L
Father's Birth Place: California
Mother's name: Lora
Mother's Birth Place: California
Home in 1910: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Walter L Collis 42
Lora Collis 44
Hazel Collis 15
Russel Collis 13
Gladys Collis 11
Wynner Collis 9
Edgar Colli 2

*World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Record
Name: Ernest Russell Collis
City: Diamond
County: Whitman
State: Washington
Birthplace: California;United States of America
Birth Date: 31 Dec 1896 age 21
Roll: 1992258
DraftBoard: 0
Employer: self Nearest Relative: Walter Height med Build:med Color of Eyes brown Hair dark brown:

*1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Russel Collis
Home in 1920: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Age: 22 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1898
BirthPlace: California
Relation to Head of House: Brother-in-law
Father's Birth Place: California
Mother's Birth Place: California
Marital status: Single occupation: farm labor
Race: White
Sex: Male
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 889
Household Members:Name Age
Elmer F Ping 28 railroad labor
Gladys E Ping 21
Russel Collis 22 farm labor
Winnie Collis 19 railroad labor

Marriage Cert in posession of Darlyne Frost; Family Bible.

California Voter Registration, 1926-28 Stockton, 5th Ward, 8th Precinct
line 22 Collis, Ernest R , benchand, Horace Ave. and Anderson Dem
line 23 Collis, Mrs Bertha I, housewife Horace Ave. and Anderson Dem

*1930 United States Federal Census
Name: E Russel Callis
Home in 1930: Township 9, Contra Costa, California
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1898
BirthPlace: California
Relation to Head of House: Head occupation: farmer
Spouses's Name: Bertha I
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
E Russel Callis 32
Bertha I Callis 27
Walter L Callis 5 1/12
Laura M Callis 3 6/12
Allen E Morrison 25 roomer - farm hand

1940 United States Federal Census
Name: E Russell Collis
Age: 44
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1896
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: South Colfax, Whitman, Washington
Farm: Yes
Inferred Residence in 1935: South Colfax, Whitman, Washington
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Sheet Number: 3A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 46
Occupation: Clerk
House Owned or Rented: Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 10
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 7th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 48
Class of Worker: $720 Wage or salary worker in private work
Weeks Worked in 1939: 52
Income: 780
Income Other Sources: Yes
Neighbors: Ted Ackerman
Household Members: Name Age
E Russell Collis 44
Bertha L Collis 37
Walter Leroy 15
Lora Mary 13
Barbara Jean 9
Stanley R Collis 5
Marilyn Collis 2
Gladyce D Collis 8/12

U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 about Ernest Russell Collis
Name: Ernest Russell Collis
Birth Date: 31 Dec 1896
Birth Place: Brentwood
Residence: Sacto, California
Race: White
Roll: WWII_1734613

1939 Sacramento City Directory: Collis or Ping not found
1940 Sacramento City Directory: Ping, Elmer F (Gladyce E) h4964 13th av
Ping, Frank (Mary E) h5018 14th av
1940 Sacramento City Directory: Collis, Edgar, D, gdnr, PG&E co, h4964 13th av
1941 Sacramento City Directory: Ping, Elmer F (Gladyce E) h4964 13th av
Ping, Frank (Mary E) h5018 14th av
Ping, Peter r 4964 13th av
1943 Sacramento City Directory: Ping, Elmer F (Gladyce E) Elec eng SAD h 4964 13th av
Ping, Frank (Mary E) h5018 1/2 14th av
Ping, Gladyc E clk DMV r 4964 13th av
1943 Sacramento City Directory: Collis, E Russell (Bertha I) driver h2486 41st St.

*California Death Index, 1940-1997 Record about ERNEST R COLLIS
Name: COLLIS, ERNEST R
Social Security #: 542034134
Sex: MALE
Birth Date: 31 Dec 1896
Birthplace: CALIFORNIA
Death Date: 26 Jun 1976
Death Place: SACRAMENTO

Died in his bed at his son, Walter LeRoy Collis', home on Middleberry St., Sacramento from a stroke.

*Social Security Death Index Record
Name: Ernest Collis
SSN: 542-03-4134
Last Residence: 95815 Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States of America
Born: 31 Dec 1896 California
Died: Jun 1976
State (Year) SSN issued: Oregon (Before 1951 )

Ernest married Bertha Irene SHERMAN on 14 Oct 1923 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington, United States. Bertha (daughter of Milton Kellum SHERMAN and Addie Mae SLY) was born on 2 Mar 1903 in Kalispell, Flathead, Montana, United States; died on 30 Jun 1970 in Traverse City, Grand Traverse, Michigan, United States; was buried in Eastlawn Southgate, Sacramento, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
Name: Russell Earnest Collis
Spouse: Bertha Irene Sherman
Marriage Date: 14 Oct 1923
Marriage Place: Spokane
Reference Number: easpmca33989

1. Walter Leroy COLLIS was born on 27 Sep 1924 in Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States; died on 21 May 1999 in Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States.
2. Laura May COLLIS was born on 10 Aug 1926 in Yuba City, Sutter, California, United States; died on 23 May 2012 in Roseville, Placer, California, United States.
3. Barbara Jean COLLIS was born on 20 Nov 1930 in Stockton, San Joaquin, California, United States; died on 26 Jun 2009 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States.
4. Stanley Richard COLLIS was born on 2 Feb 1935 in Thera, Whitman, Washington, United States; died on 23 Nov 2016 in Chico, Butte, California, USA; was buried in Cremated.
5. Living
6. Living

Other Events:

• Occupation: Blacksmith, farmer, house builder
• Reference Number: *
• _UID: 142FDE5B63C1224EB7529AE60363D684593A
• Census: 1870, 1880, 1910, 1920

Notes:

Things to do:
1. Look in Brentwood CA newspapers 1880-1910, for articles and wedding, birth, death of Arthur, etc.
2. Look in Colfax WA newspapers 1910-1918 for articles.
3. Look in Winner's letters for info
4. Do I have a will and death cert? for both Laura and Walter?

Timeline:
1868 Walter born Berry Street, San Francisco, CA
1870 Census, Walter age 2, living with parents San Francisco, CA
1880 Census, Walter age 11, living with parents Contra Costa County, CA
1892 Oct listed in California voter registration, age 24, farmer in Briones Valley residence, Brentwood
post office, 5 foot 10 in tall, fair complexion, hazel eyes, dark hair, left leg shorter,
1893 Marriage Certificate -Walter and Laura in Brentwood, Contra Costa, CA
1894 daughter, Hazel, born, Brentwood, CA
1896 June California voter registration, farmer in Brentwood
1896 son, Ernest Russell, born Brentwood, CA
1898 daughter, Gladyce, born, Brentwood, CA
1900 Census, Walter age 33 Contra Costa County, CA; living with wife, Laura, and three children,
Hazel, Russell, & Gladyce,.
1900 Oct; son, Winner, born, Brentwood, CA
1901 & 1902, he is listed as a blacksmith living at 4164 17th Street, San Francisco. He shoed horses for
the San Francisco Streetcars.
1902 Aug; son, Arthur, born, Brentwood, CA
1907 Sep, 5; son, Arthur, died in Brentwood while Walter was on business selling farm equip. in
Washington.
1907 Sep 19; son, Edgar, born Brentwood, CA
1910 Census, Walter, age 42, Diamond, Whitman, Washington; living with wife, Laura, and five
children, Hazel, Russell, Gladyce, Winner, & Edgar
1912 daughter, Hazel married in Whitman County, Washington
1917 daughter, Gladyce married in Dayton, Washington.
1918 Walter, Laura, and son Edgar moved back to Brentwood, CA to farm left him by his mother
1920 Census, Walter, age 51, House Construction; Oak St., Brentwood, Contra Costa County, CA; living
with wife, Laura, and Edgar and 2 boarders in construction.
1923 Walter fell off ladder while picking apples in Wenatchee, WA.
1930 Jan 22, Walter died of bladder cancer in San Francisco.
1930 Census, Laura living in Oakland, Alameda, CA with daughter, Gladyce and husband Pete Ping
1940 Census, Laura living in Sacramento, CA with daughter, Gladyce and husband Pete Ping
1940 Aug 7, Laura died of old age. She had been with her son, Winner in Oregon and Gladyce had gone
to Oregon to bring her home to live with her and her husband Pete Ping. Laura was in a rest home
at the time of her death at age 74.

Walter Winner Collis and Laura Susan Grigsby were married 4 Oct 1893 in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. They met in Brentwood where their parents had adjoining farms. Her wedding veil was adorned with live orange blossoms. They were the parents of 6 children; Hazel, Ernest (known as Russell), Gladyce, Winner, Arthur, and Edgar. Five of the children lived to adulthood. Arthur died as a young child. They lived in Brentwood behind Walter's blacksmith shop later moving to Colfax, Washington, then back again to Brentwood.

Laura was born 2 Jul 1866 in Napa County where her parents had met and married. She was the oldest of 4 children, all of which attended school in Brentwood, California. Her father was a successful farmer there. Her mother was often ill, and many times Laura stayed home from school to care for her mother. She was an accomplished piano and organ player. When her husband died, Laura moved to Oregon to be with her son, Winner, but was soon retrieved by her daughter, Gladyce, who brought her to live her last days in Sacramento. Laura died in 1940 at the age of 74 from heart disease.

Walter Winner Collis was born 14 Sept 1868 at 130 Berry Street, San Francisco, California, Walter was the 8th of 10 children born to William and Ann (Randall) Collis of England. William Collis, is listed in the 1868-1874 San Francisco directory as having a saloon and residence at that address. It is reputed to have been nice real estate at that time. In the 1888 San Francisco directory, Walter was listed as a lamplighter and trimmer for The Cal Electric Light Co. in San Francisco, living at 1517 Vallejo Street. (is this our Walter Collis?) Before the turn of the century he was a grain farmer in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. My father, Russell Collis, said that farming was never his best occupation. In 1902, he is listed as a blacksmith living at 4164 17th Street in San Francisco. He shod horses for the San Francisco Streetcars. In 1906, during the earthquake, he and his family were living behind the blacksmith shop in Brentwood, California. He later worked for the Holt Harvestor Company as a traveling salesman, demonstrating and selling equipment. His family was living in Berkeley during that time. He was sent to Washington State and was there in 1907, when his son, Arthur, choked to death. Aunt Gladyce remembers the body lying in the living room for about one week while they waited for Dad to return for the funeral. Two weeks after Arthur's death, Laura gave birth to her sixth child, Edgar. The family moved to Diamond, Washington and in the 1910 census he is listed again as a blacksmith in his own shop.

The following information was told to me by Russell Collis in January of 1976.
"In 1910 the family (Walter Winner's family) moved to Diamond, Washington. Walter worked in a blacksmith shop there. In 1918, Walter inherited $700 from his mother. He took Laura, Edgar, a cow and the furniture on a freight train back to Brentwood to 40 acres of property left to Laura by her father, Erasmus Grigsby. Walter nearly died of the flu. Gladyce and Hazel had both married in Washington. Russell and Winner both stayed to work."
"In 1923 Walter, Laura and Edgar returned to Washington for Bertha and Russell's wedding and then went on to Wenatchee, Washington, to pick apples. Walter fell off the ladder onto his back. He later developed kidney and bladder problems attributed to the fall. They called it cancer. It was hardening of the bladder. The bladder was like granite inside and they would chip it off in chips. Walter was never really well after that. Doctor Regen and Doctor Reynolds at the University hospital in San Francisco wanted to operate. The cost of $150, Walter felt was too high and the county owed him something after all these years. He went to the County Hospital in Martinez. It didn't help and when he went back to University Hospital, it was too late. He died there in 1930 at age 61.

He left the farm in debt and it was taken over by the bank shortly after his death. Farming was not his best interest." "Walter played the coronet well and he played any kind of brass instrument. He played in the band in Diamond for a while. He also played the mouth organ well. He had a short leg and walked with a limp, but he was a very strong, husky man. He could pick up a one hundred-fifty pound anvil by the horn and hold it straight out at arm's length. He also was an expert swimmer and at one time made a wager he could swim the river from Brentwood to San Francisco Bay. No one took him up on it so he didn't swim it."

MEMORIES OF Walter Winner Collis by Grandson, WALTER LEROY COLLIS
(as told to Marilyn Parker, June 4, 1988)

I remember little of the ranch in Brentwood; just going through the orchard between Grandma Collis' and our little shack, Grandpa sitting in the rocking chair on the porch with tears rolling down his cheeks because he hurt so bad. Yet Grandpa always had time to play with me. Whenever I'd come, he'd hold me on his lap.

I can remember Grandma chasing him around, telling him, "Walter! do this." Boy! He'd move. She was just a little tiny squirt. We used to gather around the piano and sing the old traditional stuff on Christmas Eve. Money was tight so we would go out and cut down a tree whether it was pine or whatever, and decorate it with homemade decorations. I remember stringing popcorn, making chains and paper decorations.

Grandpa Collis was a big man, religious, a blacksmith, 6 feet 1 inch on one foot and 6 feet 2 inches on the other; A big man with big arms. He wouldn't hurt a fly. He fell across a ladder picking fruit and developed cancer of the bladder.


!BIRTH: Berry Street, 10 pm (William Collis family bible in possession of Marilyn Parker)
!MARRIAGE: Marriage Cert. in possession of Laura Mae Just. (I have a copy)

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter W Collis
Age in 1870: 2
Birth Year: abt 1868
Birthplace: California
Home in 1870: San Francisco Ward 9, San Francisco, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: San Francisco
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
Wm Collis 43 (male citizen of US)
Annie E Collis 41
Ada A Collis 16
Wm A Collis 15
Austin W Collis 6
Rachel Collis 4
Walter W Collis 2

*1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter W. Collis
Home in 1880: Township 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1869
Birthplace: California
Relation to head-of-household: Son
Father's name: William
Father's birthplace: Eng
Mother's name: Esther A.
Mother's birthplace: Eng
Occupation: Going To School
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
William Collis 54
Esther A. Collis 51
William A. Collis 24
Austin W. Collis 15
Rachael Collis 12
Walter W. Collis 11
Florence E. Collis 10
Lillian E. Collis 8

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter Collis
Age: 33
Birth Date: Sep 1866
Birthplace: California
Home in 1900: Supervisors District 5, Contra Costa, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
elation to Head of House:
pouse's Name: Laura Collis
Marriage Year: 1893
Years Married: 7
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Occupation: Farmer rented farm
Household Members: Name Age
Walter Collis 33 farmer
Laura Collis 33
Hazel Collis 5
Russel Collis 3
Gladys Collis 2

*1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter L Collis
Age in 1910: 42
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868
BirthPlace: California
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: England
Mother's Birth Place: England
Spouses's Name: Lora
Home in 1910: Diamond, Whitman, Washington
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Blacksmith, own shop (own it free, house)
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Walter L 42
Lora Collis 44
Hazel Collis 15
Russel Collis 13
Gladys Collis 11
Wynner Collis 9
Edgar Collis 2

1920 United States Federal Census
Name: Walter W Callis
Home in 1920: Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, Oak Street
Age: 51 years
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Birthplace: California
Relation to Head of House: Head
Occupation: Construction, House builder, for wages
Spouse's Name: Laura E
Father's Birth Place: England
Mother's Birth Place: England
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Sex: Male
Home owned: Own farm
Able to read: Yes
Able to Write: Yes
Image: 492
Household Members: Name Age
Walter W Callis 51
Laura E Callis 53
Edgar D Callis 12
Samuel S Logan 37 boarder, builder, house builder
Roy C Motter 21 boarder, painter, house builder

1930 United States Federal Census
Name: Laura S Collis
Birth Year: abt 1867
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Home in 1930: Oakland, Alameda, California
Map of Home: View Map
Street address: 76th Ave
Block: 3099
House Number in Cities or Towns: 1446
Dwelling Number: 255
Family Number: 262
Age at First Marriage: 27
Attended School: No
Able to Read and Write: Yes
Father's Birthplace: Missouri
Mother's Birthplace: Missouri
Able to Speak English: Yes
Household Members:
Name Age
Elmer F Ping 32
Gladys E Ping 30
Frank E Ping 57
Mary E Ping 52
Laura S Collis 63

1940 United States Federal Census
Name: Laura Collis
Age: 73
Estimated birth year: abt 1867
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Home in 1940: Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Map of Home in 1940: View Map
Street: 13 Avenue
House Number: 4964
Inferred Residence in 1935: Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Sheet Number: 10A
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 5th grade
Weeks Worked in 1939: 0
Income: 0
Income Other Sources: No
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Elmer Ping 44
Gladyce Ping 41
Laura Collis 73
Edgar Collis 32

!DEATH: died age 62, State file #5389 vol. 10 page 1322, buried:Brentwood Union Cemetary

findagrave.com
Walter W. Collis..
Birth: 1864
Death: 1930
Burial:
Union Cemetery
Brentwood
Contra Costa County
California, USA

From the dawn of the Iron Age through the 19th century, the blacksmith trade grew in demand and became increasingly specialized in the process. America would not even exist were it not for the smithy. Indeed, civilization itself is indebted to the blacksmith for virtually all material innovation up to the advent of the factory floor. The importance of the blacksmith cannot be overstated. But then, something happened: machines.
The smithy trade began to decline in the mid-19th century, as machines began to produce items that were formerly made by the blacksmith. At first it was the simple things: nails, hooks, fence rods. In time, more complex products were machine-crafted, such as hinges and barbed wire. The smithy simply couldn't compete with the economics of machine-crafted implements, a phenomenon that soon gave rise to a virtuous cycle of machine-dominance in the production of most material goods. What the machines didn't take from the smithy was soon eaten by other competitive innovations and historical events:
Ransom E. Olds' re-introduction of the assembly line (circa 1901) to meet demand for the new "horseless carriage" meant the smithy's skill in shaping iron rims for wheelwrights was rendered superfluous to transportation needs.
Soon thereafter, the extensive adoption of large open-geared tractors negatively impacted demand for simply farm tools, horse shoes, and other finely crafted items previously considered agricultural necessities.
The Great Depression killed a last bastion of the blacksmith market niche when architectural ironwork became a symbol of a luxury-laden bygone age. In a matter of less than 100 years after Longfellow's poem was published, the vital trade of smithy was all but dead.

. research Holt Harvester Co during 1910-1930:
History Of Holt Harvester Co
1883 The Stockton Wheel Company was established by Benjamin and Charles Holt.
1886 The first Holt "link belt" combined harvester was sold, replacing unreliable mechanical
geared harvesters.
1890 Benjamin Holt unveiled his version of the steam traction engine with new, patented steering
clutches.
1892 The Stockton Wheel Company was incorporated as The Holt Manufacturing Company.
1904 Benjamin Holt tested a steam powered machine that moved on self-laying tracks instead of
wheels. He named this invention the "Caterpillar".
1931 Marysville Tractor & Equipment Co. was formed by Daniel W. Beatie to cover Marysville,CA
1935 Roseville facility in Placer County was opened.
1939 Holt Bros. was formed by Parker M. Holt and Harry D. Holt to cover Santa Maria, California.

Walter married Laura Susan GRIGSBY on 4 Oct 1893 in Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States. Laura (daughter of Erasmus Dorwin GRIGSBY and Elmira MILLER) was born on 2 Jul 1866 in , Napa, California, United States; died on 7 Aug 1940 in Sacramento, Sacramento, California, United States; was buried in Union Cemetery, Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Collis
• _UID: DD783B4B9C73BE4FB84E64B8055DDF78D288
• Census: 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930

Notes:

NDGW # 69-004

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Laura S Grigsby
Age in 1870: 4
Birth Year: abt 1866
Birthplace: California
Home in 1870: Yount, Napa, California
Race: White
Gender: Female
Post Office: Napa City
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
E D Grigsby 29
Almira Grigsby 21
Laura S Grigsby 4
Warren M Grigsby 3
Infant Grigsby 3/12

1880 United States Federal Census about Laura S. Grigsby
Name: Laura S. Grigsby
Age: 13
Birth Year: abt 1867
Birthplace: California
Home in 1880: Township 5, Contra Costa, California
Race: White
Gender: Female
Relation to Head of House: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Father's Name: Erasmus D. Grigsby
Father's Birthplace: Missouri
Mother's Name: Elmira Grigsby
Mother's Birthplace: Illinois
Neighbors:
Occupation: Going To School
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:
Household Members: Name Age
Erasmus D. Grigsby 39
Elmira Grigsby 30
Laura S. Grigsby 13
Warren M. Grigsby 13
Lillie J. Grigsby 10
Byron L. Grigsby 8
Mary J. Miller 53
Tillie M. Huey 5m
Jack Ellsworth 50
Jim 17
Thomas Murphy 27
Edward Ferguson 33
William O Brien 30

*1930 United States Federal Census Laura S Collis
Name: Laura S Collis
Home in 1930: Oakland, Alameda, California
Age: 63
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
BirthPlace: California
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
Elmer F Ping 32 head
Gladys E Ping 30 wife
Frank E Ping 57 father
Mary E Ping 52 mother
Laura S Collis 63 mother in law

1940 United States Federal Census about Laura Collis
Name: Laura Collis
Age: 73
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: California
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Mother-in-law
Home in 1940: Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Street: 13 Avenue
House Number: 4964
Inferred Residence in 1935: Sacramento, Sacramento, California
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Sheet Number: 10A
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 5th grade
Weeks Worked in 1939: 0
Income: 0
Income Other Sources: No
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Elmer Ping 44 city recreation
Gladyce Ping 41 telephone operator
Laura Collis 73
Edgar Collis 32 service station, gasoline

Laura was an accomplished organist. As a young girl she often stayed home from school to care for her sick mother and thus had much oportunity to practice. It was told to me by aunt Gladyce that dad, Russell, was so angry when the bank took the ranch, that he built a big bonfire and burned most of the furniture, including the organ, and anything else that he couldn't take with him to Washington.
1893 Married at age 27
1930 After losing the ranch, Laura Susie Collis went to Portland, Oregon, to live with her son, Winner Collis. Her daughter Gladyce Ping went to get her mother and brought her back to Sacramento to live with her.
1930 Census, Alameda, Oakland 76th St. Laura living with Gladyce and Pete Ping along with Pete's parents.
1940 Laura died in Sacramento. Gladyce had gone to Oregon to bring her back to Sacramento to live with her and Pete. She had been living with Gladyce and Pete but was in a rest home at the time of her death.She was buried in Brentwood Union Cemetary (I have a copy of her death Certificate).

California death records CALLES LAURA SUSIE 07/02/1866 FARIES GRIGSBY F CALIFORNIA SACRAMENTO 08/07/1940 74 yrs

Notes:

Contra Costa County records vol 4 pg 358

Other Events:

• Occupation: Brewer, Carpenter and Bar Keeper
• Reference Number: *
• _UID: 9AD4983E54D12041B7753B0AE56EB762A723

Notes:

Things to do:
1. look for George Collis, brother to William in 1861 census as a painter? found him in 1891 and probably also 1901.
2. How do I know that in 1859 William arrived in Philadelphia, PA?
3. Newspapers of Hammonton, NJ and graves in Kensington. Did they choose Kensington because of Kensington, ENG
4. Naturalization papers Petition Aug 1858, New York county
5. Find any info on William 1826 to 1841. Ask Bert any newspaper accounts about Father?
6. Info on Chipping Hill, Witham, Essex, England
7. Who did the temple work for William's father, Christopher? and Anne's sealing to parents, 22 Jan 1971 S G
8. Who is Henry W. Chappell, grandson, in 1851 census?
9. Is there a will for Thomas Randall and also Elizabeth Randall?
10. Plot town's lived in: Witham, Brixton, , Hammersmith, Barnes, Richmond, Camberwell, Southwark.
11. Brentwood homestead papers. Did they choose Brentwood because there is a Brentwood near London?
12. Cemetary in Southwark for Randall and Laura Elizabeth Collis
13. Christening of first four children in England
14. Why did he enlist in Union Army
15. Why did they come to California?
16. Is there information on the saloon on Berry Street, SF? land records?

Timeline for William Collis
1826 May, William bn Chipping Hill, Witham, Essex, England
1833 May, William's mother Maria died, Chipping Hill, Witham
1838 Oct, William's father, Christopher Collis, marries Eliza Parker, St Giles, Cripplegate, London
1841 Census: living with father Christopher Collis, step mother, Eliza and several brothers and sisters,
Civil Parish:Lambeth (St. Mary Lambeth Parish), Brixton, Surrey, England, Camberwell Lane So
1846 July, William's father marries Alice Honeysett
1851 Census: William is an Inn keeper living with brother, George, and sister Dorcus in Lambeth, (also a Betsey Ann
Collis, a neice, and Wesley W Chappell who is listed as a grandson, probably to William's father, Christopher.)
Brixton, Surrey,England. (Brixton is a short distance from where Anne Randall lived)
1852 Nov, married Anne Randall, St. Pauls Parish, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England
1853 Nov, daughter, Ada Annie born in Barnes, England
1854 Nov, son, William Arthur born in Barnes, England
1856 Apr, daughter, Laura Elizabeth born in Richmond, England
1857 Jan, Anne's father, Thomas, died.
1857 Aug, daughter, Anna Bertha born in Camberwell, England
1858 April 6 - Laura Elizabeth died at London Rd. Southwark, England (apparently at grandparent's
house just after Anne's father, Thomas, died.)
1858 April 25 - Sailed from port in London, England, to America
1858 June 3 - Arrived New York (It looks like the trip took less than 1 1/2 months.)
1858 Aug, Petition for Naturalization, New York County
1859 May 9, son, Alfred George born in Buffalo, New York
1860 Census in Buffalo, New York, Wm, Ann and 4 children, he is listed as a brewer
1861 May 12, enlisted in Company F 21st regiment of New York Volunteers of Union Army in Elmira,
New York
1861 July-Oct served as a nurse in hospital
1862 June - Feb 1863 was ill in hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with war related disability
1863 Feb 9, discharged due to disability
1864 son, Austin Watson born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1865 Jan, daughter, Anna Bertha, age 7, & Feb, son, Alfred George, age 5, buried in Kennsington, Pennsylvania
1866 daughter, Rachel born in Hammonton, New Jersey
1867 Sep 3 - 1 1/2 story house on 3 1/4 acres for sale in Hammonton, New Jersey for $100. (Philadelphia Exchange)
1868 listed in San Francisco directory at Mission & Precita
1868 Sept listed in San Francisco directory at Berry Street
1868 Sept son, Walter Winner born Berry Street, San Francisco
1870 Census, San Francisco, Wm, Ann and 5 children, He is listed as a Carpenter
1871 daughter, Florence born San Francisco
1872 daughter, Lillian born San Francisco
1871-74 listed in San Francisco directory at Berry Street as a saloon keeper
1876 homesteaded in Brentwood, Contra Costa, California
1880 Census, Tnp 5 Contra Costa County, Wm Ann and 7 children, He is a farmer
1884 homestead recorded'
1896 California great register Contra Costa County, farmer, age 70, 5 feet 6 1/2 inches fair complexion, hazel eyes,
brown hair, born Entgland. naturalized 4 Sept 1870, Dist. San Francisco, registered 5 Aug 1896
1900 William died at age 73 in Brentwood of a brain hemorrage and is buried in the Point of Timber cemetery, now
called the Union Cemetary
1900 Census, Ann, widow, and 2 daughters living in Contra Costa County, CA
1910 Census, Ann and one daughter living in Contra Costa County, CA
1918 Anne Esther died in Brentwood of old age at almost age 90.

William Collis and Anne Esther Randall

William Collis and Anne Esther Randall were married by license on the 18th day of November in 1852 in Saint Paul's church in the Parish of Hammersmith, Middlesex County, England. This is where William's father lived at the time. It is said that Anne's parents did not approve of the marriage. The story passed down is that her father was not pleased and may have disowned her when she married William Collis, who was a brewer. The 1851 Census shows William is an Inn keeper, or publican, of the Royal Veteran at # 8 Zoar Place, living with his brother, George, and sister, Dorcus, in Lambeth, a civil parish and within the ecclesiastic parish of Brixton, in the county of Surrey, England. The Inn in Lambeth was probably no more than a mile from Thomas Randall's butcher shop. Did William Collis meet Anne Randall at the Inn or at her father's butcher shop when he bought pork for the Inn? Perhaps William and Anne met at some local social activity. It is unknown where and when they met.

Anne was born 13 March 1828 at Southwark, (which means south of London Bridge), England. She was the oldest of 8 children of Thomas Randall and Elizabeth Benfield, his wife. In the 1851 census, she is listed as a butcher's assistant. Anne Esther Randall was said to have been a lady in waiting to queen Victoria. The story is told by the family that the queen gave Anne a pair of silk stockings that are still in the family. As far as can be proven, it is just a fun family story. ( The royal archives in England have no record of this and they say that they keep very good records of Ladies in Waiting. Nor do they have any record of her mother, Elizabeth or Ann Benfield as a lady in waiting). There is a photo on glass of Elizabeth Benfield Randall. There is also a photo and an oil painting of Anne Esther as a child. The oil painting is said to have been hanging on the wall of her home during the San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906. Florence saved the painting by cutting it out of the frame and rolling it up. Thus Florence kept it in her home eventually giving it to her brother, William's oldest son, Langley.

Anne's father, Thomas Randall, was a pork butcher at 78 London Road in Southwark, England. He had his own coach and footman and at least one servant. In the 19th century at least 80% of the population was working class. In order to be considered middle class you had to have at least one servant. Anne was christened in Saint George the Martyr Church and a part of the Church of England, which was just down the street from their home and butcher shop. The family very likely attended church with Charles Dickens. There was a debtor's prison, Marshalsea jail, next door to the church. At the time Anne was growing up, Charles Dicken's father was in that debtor's prison. Charles Dicken's would visit his father there. Although he worked outside as a boot black, it is most likely that Charles Dicken's also attended that same church as a child. Even the prisoners were let out to attend church.

Conditions in early 19th century towns were often dreadful as seen through the eyes and stories of Charles Dickens. towns were dirty, unsanitory and overcrowded. Streets were very often unpaved and they were not cleaned. Rubbish was not collected and it was allowed to accumulate in piles in the streets. Since most of it was organic, when it turned black and sticky it was used as fertiliser. Furthermore in the early 19th century poor people often had cesspits, which were not emptied very often. Later in the century many people used earth closets. (A pail with a box containing granulated clay over it. When you pulled a lever clay covered the contents of the pail). In the early 19th century only wealthy people had flushing lavatories and poor families often had to share toilets. On Sunday mornings queues (long lines) formed at the public toilets. In the late 19th century flushing lavatories became common.

Given these horrid conditions it is not surprising that disease was common. Life expectancy in towns was low (significantly lower than in the countryside) and infant mortality was very high. British towns and cities suffered outbreaks of cholera in 1831-32 and again in 1848-49. Fortunately the last outbreak at last spurred people into action.
In the late 19th century most towns dug sewers and created piped water supplies, which made life much healthier.

Within 4 1/2 years of their marriage, William and Anne had 4 children: Ada Anne, William Arthur, Laura Elizabeth, and Anna Bertha; all born in England in varying towns just west of London. Ada Anne born November 12,1853 and William Arthur, born November 24, 1854, both in Barnes, Surry County; an area just south of London with several breweries. Laura Elizabeth born April 6, 1856, in Richmond, and Anna Bertha born 23 August, 1857,in Camberville.

Why did they decide to come to America? Was it adventure that prompted them to emigrate to the United States? Was it lack of funds? Was it the falling out with her father? Whatever the reason, they were preparing to leave England, when their 3rd child, Laura Elizabeth, died suddenly, at 2 years of age, just 8 days before sailing. Ironically, she died at Anne's parent's home on London Road in Southwark. Anne's father, Thomas Randall, had died the previous year. It is believed the baby died from the inoculations received in preparation for the trip. The dye was cast. Their tickets had been purchased, so on the 25 of April in 1858, they left from London, England, and sailed for America on the ship, Cornelius Grinnell, with Capt A. G. Fletcher. They arrived in New York on the 3 of June of that same year. The voyage had taken less than one and a half months. What kind of a hardship was it to sail across the Atlantic Ocean in that small ship with three small children and to leave a little one behind in a new grave? Anne surely was grieving in her heart, but kept busy in body by the needs of her other three children.

The first known place of residence in the U.S. is Buffalo, New York, where their 5th child Alfred George was born May 9, 1859. William and his family were living in Buffalo during the 1860 census and he was listed as a brewer, his occupation in England. It is from Buffalo on the 4th of May, 1861, at age 34, that William enlisted in the 21st Regiment of New York volunteers in the Union Army and served as a private under General Wadsworth in Virginia. His description is given as light complected, hazel eyes, brown hair and 5 feet 6 inched tall. He mustered in May 12, 1861 at Elmira N.Y., and was in the detached service from 1 Aug 1861, serving in the hospital as a nurse, (possibly using his chemistry background as a brewer). In March and April 1862, he was in the Washington Street Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. Then again in June 1862 through February 1863 he was a patient in the Christian Street General Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia was known for its several hospitals for Civil War casualties, but it was not a place of heavy military conflict.

On February 6, 1863, William was discharged from Captain Clinton's Company, for physical disability, (by reason of general disability connected with spinal irritation due to wearing the cartridge belt.) William appears on the Company muster out roll dated 18 May 1863, Buffalo, N.Y. In later years he was unable to work due to rheumatism in the small of his back and hips and collected disability. He lived in Antioch, CA at the time of application for disability.

The family was living in Philadelphia after his discharge and another child, Austin Watson, was born there on January 29, 1864. Philadelphia must not have seemed a happy place to live considering William's hospitalization and the tragedy of the deaths of 2 more of their children. Alfred age 5, and his sister, Anna, age 7, died within 2 weeks of each other in late January and early February of 1865. They were buried in Kensington, Pennsylvania, a northern area of Philadelphia. Perhaps they chose Kensington because it reminded them of the Kensington back home in England. Their 7th child, Rachael, nicknamed Rettie, was born a year later in 1866. She was never quite normal. On the mother's widow's pension application it states that "Rettie was an imbecile from birth." Rettie never married and lived to be 46 years old. She lived with her mother her entire life.

An article appeared in the Philadelphia Exchange on September 3, 1864, offering land owned by William Collis for sale for $100. The place was listed as a small farm, 3 1/4 acres situated on Hammonton Avenue in the village of Hammonton, Atlantic County, N. J. about 1 mile from the station of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad. It was a 6 room, 1 1/2-story frame house; cellar, kitchen and storeroom, conveniently fitted with sink, closet &c; barn, cart shed and lots of berries, fruit and shade trees.

Sometime between February 1866 and September 1868, Anne and William moved with their family to San Francisco. They went by Steamer down the Atlantic coast to the Isthmus of Panama. Then traveled across the Isthmus about 7 miles by train and then by donkey to the west coast. Their son, William Arthur remembers being in awe of the monkeys there. They then boarded a freighter up the Pacific Coast to San Francisco. (See appendix 1. Crossing the Isthmus of Panama.) Their furniture was shipped "around the horn" of South America. They settled in San Francisco. In 1868, William Collis is listed as a saloon keeper in the San Francisco Directory as living on the corner of Mission and Precita Avenue. On September 14, 1868, Walter Winner was born at 130 Berry Street, San Francisco. Florence was born January 8, 1871 and Lillian, their last child was born October 11, 1872. Both were also born at Berry Street, San Francisco. William Collis is listed in the San Francisco Directories of 1871 through 1874 as a saloonkeeper at 130 Berry Street. In the 1871 directory he was also listed as a carpenter.

In 1873, William and his family settled in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. They were familiar with the name Brentwood as there was a Brentwood just north of London in England close to where they had lived. A Patent for 160 acres of Homestead Land was granted to William Collis in Washington, D. C. on 25 Sep 1876 and was not recorded in the Martinez County Recorder's office until 10 Nov 1884. (This land is located on the official map of Contra Costa Co. published in 1908. They lived there until William's death on February 3, 1900. He died of hemorrhage into the brain at the age of 73, and was buried February 5th, at the Point of Timber Cemetary, in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. William was said to have a bit of an ornery streak later in life.

After the death of her husband, Anne maintained a home in Brentwood with her two unmarried daughters, Lillian and Rachel. In 1903 she lived at 566 Walter Street in San Francisco. She had a dowager hump caused by osteoporosis. The last 4 years before her death, she lived with her daughter, Florence Gates, because she needed contant attending. Anne died at age 90, January 2, 1918, of old age. She is buried in the Point of Timber Cemetary in Brentwood, Costa County, California. Her will left the ranch in Brentwood, valued at $1000, to be divided among her 6 surviving children.

William and Anne Collis had 10 children born to them; 4 in England, 3 on the east coast of the United States, and 3 in San Francisco. Three of the 10 children died young. One was disabled for life. Two daughters married later in life and had no children. Only 4 of the 10 children had children. William and Anne had fifteen grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.



William Collis was born, 20 May 1826, at Chipping Hill in Witham, Essex County, England. Chipping Hill means market place. It is in East Essex, 1 mile north of Witham Parish on the River Brain. It was the site of a Roman Camp. William was the 3rd of 6 children of Christopher Annett and Maria (Bridge) Collis. His brothers and sisters were: Jane, Samuel (who died young), George, Maria, Dorcus and Samuel. William and his father were both brewer's. William is listed as a Publican in the 1851 census (Pub comes from Publican). William's mother died when he was 7 years old. 5 years later his father married Eliza Parker and Christopher and Eliza had two children, Joseph and Eliza. Christopher's wife, Eliza, also died as in 1846 he is listed as a widower and marries a widow named Alice Honeysett Leste. As far as is known, they had no children.

In the Lambeth, Surrey, England 1841 Census William Collis, age 15, was living with father, Christopher and Eliza Collis and brothers and sisters: George, Maria, Samuel, Joseph, Dorcus and Eliza. Lambeth is just a bit southwest of Southwark, Surrey, England. Christopher was a brewer. They lived on Camberwell Rd. which may be the same as the current Lambeth Rd. By 1851 William, George, and Dorcus along with a grandson and niece of Christopher, were living apart from the family, but still in Lambeth on what looks like #8 Zoar Place, Royal Veteran; probably an Inn or Saloon owned by Christopher as William, George and Dorcus are listed as sons and daughter. William was a brewer or Publican (which is British for Inn or Saloon). Dorcus is listed as a Publican assistant. George is listed as a painter. There are also 2 servants and a lodger listed there.

William and his father, Christopher, were both brewers. In the 1851 census Christopher is now married to Alice and is living at 177 London Rd, Hounslow, Middlesex County, England. Hounslow is about 10 miles west of London and Southwark. Christopher is a Brewer and has 3 of his children with him; Eliza, Joseph, and Samuel. He is listed as a brewer employing 1 laborer and 2 sons. Where is daughter, Maria? Is Henry Chappell, listed as the grandson, the son of Maria? It appears this may be the case.

According to Langley Collis, William came across the isthmus by rail. He homesteaded Deer Valley, by Mount Diablo, by a Government War Grant. Watt and Will both worked Balfour- Guthrie share crop.

The following information was written by Florence Elizabeth Collis Gates, daughter of Ann Esther Randall and William Collis. "William Collis was born 20 May 1826 at Chipping Hill*, Witham, Essex, England. He was educated in London, England and was an accomplished musician, specializing on the violin. He owned a Stradavarian violin, which he played at concerts. He also played a cornet professionally." "His father was a brewer and wealthy. so he had to study chemistry. Before his marriage, he made music his profession. "He was married to Anne Esther Randall on 18 November 1852, in St. Paul's Parish Chapel, London, England. She was born 13 March 1828. Two years after his marriage, he owned and operated a brewery in Richmond, England. He disposed of this when leaving for America." They left England 25 April 1858 for America." "In 1861 he enlisted in the 21st Reg. N.Y. volunteers at Buffalo, NY. He served under General Wadsworth, at Richmond, Virginia. He was injured and sent to Christian St. Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When he recovered, he was placed in charge of the lab in the hospital. He was discharged Feb 9, 1863. He moved with his wife and family to San Francisco, California, in 1867."

The following information is from a letter dated 1 March 1975 to Marilyn Parker from Alma Collis, daughter of William Arthur Collis, Who was the son of William and Anne Collis. Arthur was born in Barnes, England in 1854. He always said that he was born within the sound of "Big Ben". He was about 13 years old when he moved with his parents to San Francisco. Langley Collis is Alma's brother. "Langley and Marge Collis came to see me last Saturday. We had quite a visit and did some reminding each other about this and that. Langley says Dad and his family came from New Jersey via boat, across Panama, through jungles via donkey. Dad couldn't get over the monkeys. Then they got on another ship and came to San Francisco. Their furniture came around the horn."

The following is taken from a letter dated December 1977 to Marilyn Parker from Marjorie Collis Ward, daughter of William Arthur Collis who was the son of William and Anne Collis. "I do hope you did (go to visit Langley Collis, her brother). You would have seen the portrait of Anne (Collis as a child). Langley had it hanging over the mantel in their living room. It is a charming painting. I loved it as a child and as an adult too. It hung in Aunt Florrie's house in Brentwood when I saw it first to remember. Although the old folks were great for `everything to the oldest son', who was my father William Arthur, I think he always felt Aunt Florrie deserved the portrait. She went into their burning home in San Francisco, the result of the earthquake of 1906, cut it out of its frame, rolled it up and ran back out through flames with it. Aunt Florrie gave it to Langley as `the oldest son of the oldest son'. He and Margaret treasured it. I believe their oldest, Reyburn, has it now."
*Chipping Hill means market place. It is in East Essex, 1 mile north of Witham Parish on the River Brain. It was the site of a Roman Camp.

England births and Christenings 1538-1975
The index is an electronic database of information transcribed from original records.
William Collis
baptism/christening: 16 Jun 1826
Witham, Essex, England
father: Christopher Annett Collis
mother: Maria
indexing project batch# 104624-5
source film # 1702677
ref # item 8 p 107


1841 England Census
Name: William Collis
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Gender: Male
Civil parish: Lambeth
Hundred: Brixton (Eastern Division)
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: Camberwell Lane, South
Registration district: Lambeth
Sub-registration district: Brixton
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Christoper Collis 40
Eliza Collis 35
William Collis 15
George Collis . 10
Maria Collis 10
Samuel Collis 5
Joseph Collis 5
Dorcas Collis 5
Eliza Collis 5
Henry Parker 20 carpentar (probably Eliza, the wife's, brother

The following is our William. The abstraction is incorrect. These should be two separate households with William at the start of the second. He couldn't possibly be the son of Richard and Sarah. Look at the ages of Richard and Sarah.
1851 England Census
Name: William Collis
Age: 24
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1827
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Richard F (No he's not)
Mother's Name: Sarah (No she's not)
Gender: Male
Where born: Witham, Essex, England
Civil parish: Lambeth (Lambeth is just southwest of Southwark, England)
Ecclesiastical parish: Brixton
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: 8 Zoar Place, Royal Veteran
Occupation: brewer now publican (British saloon keeper or inn keeper)
Condition as to marriage: unmarried
Registration district: Lambeth
Sub-registration district: Brixton
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Household schedule number: 18
Household Members: Name Age
William Collis 24 son, brewer now publican
George S Collis 23 son, painter
Delene Collis 19 should be Dorcus, daughter, publican assistant
Belen A Collis 22 Should be Betsy Ann, neice
Henry W Chappell 3 grandson
Thomas Waite 22 servant
Mary Ann Garling 34 servant
Edward Turner 40 lodger

Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912
Name: William Collis
Gender: Male
Occupation: Brewer
Abode: St John's Grove
Parish as it Appears: Richmond
Spouse: Anna Esther Collis
Child: Laura Elizabeth Collis
born 6 Apr 1856
baptized 16 Jul 1856 Richmond, St Mary Magdalene
Reference Number: P7/1/14

New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Name: William Collis
Arrival Date: 3 Jun 1858
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Age: 32
Port of Departure: London, England
Destination: United States of America
Place of Origin: England
Ship Name: Cornelius Grinnell (Note:This was the 2nd Cornelius Grinnell, the first one having wrecked at Squan Beach, NJ in 1853 without loss of life.)
Search Ship Database: Search the Cornelius Grinnell in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York
Line: 14
Microfilm Serial: M237
Microfilm Roll: M237_184
List Number: 439
Port Arrival State: New York
Port Arrival Country: United States

New York Port, Ship Images, 1851-1891
Name: William Collis
Arrival Date: 3 Jun 1858
Age: 32
Port of Departure: London, England
Port of Arrival: New York, United States
Ship Name: Cornelius Grinnell
Ship built: 1850
Shipping line: Swallowtail Line
Ship tonnage: 1,118 tons
Ship description: 3 masts

Soundex index to petitions for naturalization from New York County.
More information below
New York Petitions for Naturalization Record about William Collis
Name: William Collis
Naturalization Date: 23 Aug 1858
Former Nationality: English
Title and Location of Court: Common Pleas Court, New York County
Volume: 206
Record Number: 164
Note! Philadelphia Naturalization Rocords (fische # 6100592

1859, Oct 8 -Collis, William - GR Brit - CP Court - Date of Declaration of intent/and or oath of allegiance.

New York, Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1861-1865
Name: William Collis
Birth Date: 1827
Birth Place: England
Residence Place: Buffalo, New York
Enlistment Date: 8 May 1861
Enlistment Location: Buffalo, Erie, New York
Regiment: 21st Regimetn
Company: F
Rank: Private
Race: White

Civil War, Company Muster Roll:
William Collis- Pvt. Co. F 21st Reg't of NY volunteers
Enlisted by Captain Clinton, 4 day of May 1861, at Buffalo, N Y, to serve for 3 years.
Mustered in 12 May 1861, Elmira, NY
Detached service in hospital as a nurse, July -Oct 1861
Returned to his company, 24 Oct 1861
March/June 1862-sick in Washington Street Hospital, Alexandria, VA
June 1862 Feb 1863-sick in Christian Street US General Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Discharged 9 Feb 1863 as incapable of performing the duties of a soldier
(By reason of general debility connected with spinal irritation).

! BIR-MAR:Collis family bible in possession of Marilyn Parker

William arrived in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1859, (source: 9292 pg. 166, United States Works Projects Administration, Index to records of Aliens' Declaration of Intentions and or oath of allegiance, 1789-1880 in U. S. Circuit Court, U.S. Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, 11 Vols. Compiled by WPA Project #10837. Sponsored by Pennsylvania Historical Commission, 1940, Lancour 188, (Vol. 1: Letter C, PP1-297) Wm. Collis was naturalized 6 Sept 1870, San Francisco, CA, 4th Dist.

*1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Wm Collis
Age in 1860: 33
Birth Year: abt 1827
Birthplace: England
Home in 1860: Buffalo Ward 2, Erie, New York
Gender: Male
Post Office: Buffalo
Value of real estate: $200
Household Members: Name Age
Wm Collis 33 Eng Brewer
Ann E Collis 32 Eng
Ada Collis 6 Eng
William Collis 5 Eng
Bertha Collis 3 Eng
Alfred Collis 1 NY

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: William Collis
Residence Year: 1868
Street address: Mission and Preeita Avenue
Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation: Carpenter, Dwl
Publication Title: San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1868

*1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Wm Collis
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1827
Age in 1870: 43 house carpenter
Birthplace: England
Home in 1870: San Francisco Ward 9, San Francisco, California
Family and neighbors:
Annie E. 41 England
Ada A. 15 Eng
Wm A 16 Eng
Austin W. 6 PA
Rachel 4 NY
Walter W. 2 CA
Race: White
Gender: Male
Value of real estate:
Post Office: San Francisco

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: William Collis
Residence Year: 1871
Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation: Liquor Saloon And Carpenter
Publication Title: San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1871

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: William Collis
Residence Year: 1872
Street address: llaggin and Berrv
Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation: Liquor Saloon
Publication Title: San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1872

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: William Collis
Residence Year: 1873
Street address: 130 Berry
Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation: Liquor Saloon
Publication Title: San Francisco Directory, 1873

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
Name: William Collis
Residence Year: 1874
Residence Place: San Francisco, California, USA
Occupation: Sticker (with B & J S Doe - doors, sashes, & blinds )
Publication Title: San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1874

*1880 United States Federal Census
Name: William Collis
Home in 1880: Township 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 54
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Birthplace: England
Relation to head-of-household: Self
Spouse's name: Esther A.
Father's birthplace: ENG
Mother's birthplace: ENG
Neighbors:
Occupation: Farmer
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
William Collis 54
Esther A. Collis 51
William A. Collis 24 (Ada A. was also listed on this line)
Austin W. Collis 15
Rachael Collis 12
Walter W. Collis 11
Florence E. Collis 10
Lillian E. Collis 8

U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934
Name: William Collis
Gender: Male
Place Filed: California, USA
Relation to Head: Soldier
Spouse: Anne E Collis

Search for Type: Births Surname: Collis County: Surrey England
Birth date Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Dec 1853 COLLIS Ada Annie Richmond S
Jun 1856 Collis Laura Elizabeth
Dec 1857 Collis Anna Bertha
Dec 1854 Collins ? William Arthur Richmond S

Search for Deaths Surname: Collis County: Surrey England
Mar 1839 Collis Female St George Southwark
Mar 1839 COLLIS Female St Geo Southwk
Dec 1839 Collis Female St Geo Sthwk
Dec 1839 Collis Female St George Southwark
Mar 1842 Collis Sarah St George Southwark
lizabeth St George Southwark
Jun 1849 Collis Herbert Richard Charles St George Southwark
Jun 1853 Collis George St Geo Sk

Appendix 1.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Vol. XXXV, 1888
California Inter Pocula by Hubert Howe Bancroft
http://books.google.com/books?id=pu0NAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA155&dq=California+by+the+isthmus+of+Panama#PPA177,M1

The Voyage to California P157-8 (Crossing the Isthmus of Panama)

(The Panama Railroad of seven miles was completed Jan 1858
Seven miles of that great undertaking-great considering the time and the place -the Panama railway was accomplished when, on the first of March, 1852, we dropped anchor off Chagres; and to afford the company due encouragement, those seven miles must be traveled over, and contribution levied for the same, at the rate of nearly one dollar a mile, on every passenger crossing the Isthmus thereafter. So orders were given to weigh anchor, and proceed thence two or three leagues easterly to Colon, or Navy bay, then called Aspinwall, the name and glory of the first admiral being thrust aside for those of a New York money magnate. However, the old name of Colon was a few years after restored. There we disembarked, and rode over the seven miles of completed work, paying for the same quite liberally, when we were permitted to engage boats and ascend the Chagres river which we could as easily and as cheaply have done before as afterward.
Crossing the Isthmus in early times, for an untravelled, provincial people, was a feat altogether individual and unique; a feat very different from a three or four hours' ride in comfortable rail-cars, through ever changing scenery which affords the observer constant delight, as the journey is now made.
Chagres at this time was a town of about seven hundred native inhabitants, dwelling in some fifty windowless, bamboo huts, with thatched, palm-leaf roofs, and having open entrances, and the bare ground for a floor. The town was surrounded by heaps of filthy offal, and greasy, stagnant pools bordered with blue mud. It is situated on a small but exceedingly picturesque and almost land-locked bay, well nigh buried by the foliage that skirts its banks and rolls off in billowy emerald toward the hill beyond. Between the shore and mountains stretch away for miles in every direction broad, open savannahs, cut into farms covered with chaparral, and stocked with cattle. Where the river and ocean meet rises a bold bluff crowned by the castle of San Lorenzo, whose ruined fortress and battlements, gnawed to a skeleton by the teeth of time, gaze mournfully out upon the sea which lashes its waves against its steep foundations, as if determined to uproot in all these inhospitable parts the last vestige of the olden time. Fallen to the bottom of the cliff were parapet and guns; screaming sea-birds occupied the crumbling, moss-covered watch-tower; while within the dismounted cannon, bearing, with royal arms of Spain, the date of 1745, were slowly changing into rust. Remnants of the old paved road which ascends the hill were there, and the drawbridge over the moat--once wide and deep, but now rank with vegetation--leading to the main gateway; likewise the drawbridge to the citadel on the verge of the cliff, whence a charming view of sea and land may be had. At Chagres, passengers were accustomed to stay no longer than sufficed to engage boats and start on their journey. This region is specially noted for the insalubrity of its climate.

COLON
Aspinwall, or Navy bay, where the first blow upon the railway was struck, occupies a small swampy mud-reef called Manzanilla island, fringed with mangrove trees, and originally covered with interlacing vines and thorny shrubs, and inhabited only by reptiles, beasts and poisonous insects.
The rainfall at Aspinwall is very heavy. During the rainy season, which is from May to January, the windows of heaven are opened, and in October and November there is a quick succession of deluges. Glued furniture falls in pieces; leather moulds, and iron oxidizes in twenty-four hours.
Quite a contrast between the old and the new! In making the transit by rail, the day before reaching Aspinwall every one descended into the hold of the steamer, either in person or by proxy, selected his baggage, had it weighed and checked, and paid ten cents a pound for all over fifty pounds if a holder of a steerage ticket, and all over one hundred pounds if a holder of a cabin ticket. Baggage was then transferred to the steamer on the other side without further trouble to the owner. No sooner was the plank out than the slosely penned passengers, with a rush squeezed and stampeded--the American style of disembarking--hastened ashore, scattered themselves among the hotels, shops, and fruit venders, and were soon lost in present gratification of appetite, and in laying in a store of comforts and disease for the future. The pleasure of placing foot on shore after a long voyage, even though it be the soft spongy shore of Aspinwall, is exquisite. To a cramped sea-rolled landsman any spot of earth looks lovely, especially when viewed from the sea. To tread on solid ground, and feel mother earth beneath your feet again, seems like a return from supernatural regions. Thus to land and thus to cross the Isthmus is a pleasant change from the tiresome life on board the steamers. Railway passengers wish the ride was longer, wish they could so ride all the way to San Francisco. Seated by an open window, the face fanned by the motion of the train, and armed with a pitcher or pail of iced water, the ride is indeed charming. But at the time of which I write crossing the Isthmus was a very different affair, as I shall show.

REDUNDANT VEGETATION

Surpassingly beautiful is the foliage along the banks of this Circean stream. Rolling up from either side are mountains of impervious forest, gigantic, Rank, and wild. Every shade of green, somber and bright, mingles with rose-red, purple, white, and yellow, orange, blue, and pink in endless varying kaleidoscope. Solemn palms, thick-leaved mangoes, bold majestic teaks, and bounteous bananas are linked by crimson-blossomed parasites, which, twining, interlacing, creeping, and pendant, mat and unite all brotherhoods in close embrace, and over-reaching the glistening banks meet their image in the glassy waters. Bending acacias dig their sinewy roots into the soft earth to prevent falling, and weave their branches into thick screens; bread-fruit hangs in huge clusters overhead, and plantain pine-apple and orange, mango and lime, papaw alligator-pear and sugar-cane, yield profusely their spontaneous favors. It is no trifling matter to be a tree in the tropics. If erect and strong it is made a plant-patriarch, whether it will or not, and must support a dense mass of orchids, purple convolvuli, and creeping plants of almost every genus and species, which if spread upon the ground would form a thick carpet covering a space five times the area of the tree's shadow at noon-day; and when at last the forest behemoth is smothered to death, and dragged down by these relentless parasites, its sapless trunk is speedily buried in broad leaves and tender vines and bunches of spongy moss, and its tomb decorated with flaming flowers and delicate microscopic blossoms.
Underneath dark vistas of shadowy colonnade are tall grasses and tangled shrubbery through which wild beasts with difficulty force their way. What in our colder climnes are rare exotics, here riot in the open air, bursting with exuberance. Innumerable flowers of every hue gild the landscape; the tiny blossoms of the north spread out in flaming proportions, or assume shapes in which they almost lose their identity, while innumerable species unknown to the northern naturalist abound in rank profusion. Chief among those, and one of the most remarkable that blooms in any clime is the Flor del Espiritu santo, the flower of the holy ghost. Lifting its graceful form from marshy pools and decayed logs to a height sometimes of six or seven feet, it throws out broad lanceolate leaves by pairs from jointed leaf-stalks, while on a leafless flower-stalk springing from the bulb are sometimes ten or fifteen tulip shaped blossoms of alabaster whiteness, and powerful magnolia perfume, enfolding within their tiny cups the prone image of a dove, formed in such consummate grace and symmetry as no art could approach. And with this emblem of innocence and celestrial purity rising from a sensual paradise; with its gentle head bent meekly forward, its exquisitely shaped pinions hanging listlessly by its sides, its tiny bill, tipped with delicate carmine, almost resting on its snow white breast, in form and feature the very incarnation of ethereal innocence--shall we blame the early priests for pointing the pooor natives to this flower, and telling them God is here:

ANIMATED NATURE

Palm trees of various descriptions line the banks, and gorgeous water lilies dip their fragrant heads as the boat passes over them. Every shower of rain is like the sprinkling of perfume on the vegetation. Birds of richly painted plumage and shrill song illuminate the forest; the dark, scarlet-breasted toucan, which tosses its food from its long serrated beak into the air and catches it in its throat, and in drinking, as the padres say, makes the signh of the cross, whence they call it Dios te de, (May God give thee); screaming parrots, parroquets and flamingoes with their harsh discordant voices, and black and yellow turpiales, wild turkeys, peacocks, and herons, and multitudes of others, gorgeously feathered and sweet of song, glitter amidst the shadowy green. Chattering monkeys leap from tree to tree and swing upon the pendent vines; mammoth blue butterflies, brilliant as the rainbow, dance in the sun and rise to match the azure of heaven on wings a hand broad; and bumming birds, beautiful as the butterflies, buzz and poise and dart from flower to flower. Myriads of insects with burnished coats of mail sparkle in the air and people the plants, while all through the day the shrill whistle of the chicharra--a kind of green grasshopper--is heard, which beginning in a low gurgle, rises into a clear blast like the whistle of a steam engine, and which may be distinguished a mile distant.

Pg 177
Down from the mountains and out of the tropical wilderness we approach the borders of the broad Pacific. Fromm a series of plains dotted with patches of black thorn and cactus, and groves of citron, orange, and mango, we strike into the paved road, cross the old stone bridge, and are soon among the plantations and suburban residences of Panama. Goats and herds of cattle now mingle with bands of pack mules, mounted stragglers, and pedestrians; water-carriers ply their trade with increased activity as the day draws to a close; houses, two and three stories in height, of wood and adobe, supplant the remoter reed huts, and following the current of gold-seekers we leave behind the shops outside the walls, cross the moat, and passing under the arched and towered gateway of Puerta de Tierra, with its old stone cross and bell, we enter Panama
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Vol. XXXV, 1888

William married Anne Esther RANDALL on 18 Nov 1852 in Saint Pauls Church, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England. Anne (daughter of Thomas RANDALL and Elizabeth Benfield) was born on 13 Mar 1828 in 77 London Rd, Southwark, Surrey, England; was christened on 15 Jun 1828 in St. George the Martyr, Southwark, Surrey, England; died on 3 Jan 1918 in Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States; was buried in Union Cemetary, Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Collis
• _UID: 2FCFE0BF19CAEE4B9563558B9287E802948E

Notes:

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 about Ann Esther Randall
Name: Ann Esther Randall
Record Type: Baptism
Date: 15 Jun 1828
Father's Name: Thomas Randall, butcher, London Rd.
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Randall
Parish: St George the Martyr
Borough: Southwark
County: Middlesex

In February 1832 an outbreak of cholera broke out downstream in Rotherhithe, then part of Surre, quickly spreading pstream to Southwark and Lambeth in the same county, 13 Metropolitan police officers died of the disease along with the general public. written by Bernard Brown.

NDGW # 69-005
Anne's death certificate states her mother's maiden name as "Ann Beufield" could be Benfield.
!CHRISTENING: LDS Extracted records- Batch # C022442 sheet 5665, call # 307693
!BIRTH: Family Bible in possession of Marilyn Parker.
!DEATH: State File #437 vol. 2 pg. 2084
!CENSUS: 1900 California, Contra Costa County, film # 1240085, book # 280, Sheet # 6, she was living, a widow, as head of household with Lillian E., age 27, and Rachel, age 34, who were both single. The census stated she owned the home free. The value of her home in Brentwood upon Anne's death, 3 Jan 1918, was &1000.

Sealed to Parents 22 Jan 1971 S G

Anne Esther Randall was said to have been a lady in waiting to queen Victoria before Anne was married. ( The royal archives in England have no record of this and they say that they keep very good records of Ladies in Waiting. Nor do they have any record of her mother, Elizabeth or Ann Benfield as a lady in waiting.). The story is told by the family that the queen gave Anne a pair of silk stockings that are still in the family. As far as can be proven, it is just a fun family story.

Anne Esther'Randall's family had their own coach and footman. Her father was a pork butcher on London Road in Southwark, England. Anne was christened at the church of England, Saint George the Martyr, just down the street. There was a debtor's prison next door to the church. At the time Anne was growing up, Charles Dicken's father was in that debtor's prison. Charles Dicken's would visit his father there. It is most likely that Charles Dicken's also attended that same church as a child. I don't know where she met her future husband, but the story passed down is that her father was not pleased that she married William Collis, who was a brewer. They married in 1852. Within 4 1/2 years they had 4 children: Ada, William, Laura, and Anna. Was it adventure that prompted them to immigrate to the United States? Whatever the reason, they were preparing to leave England, when their 3rd child, Laura Elizabeth, died suddenly, at 2 years of age, just 8 days before sailing. It is believed she died from the inoculations received in preparation for the trip. On 25 April 1858 they left from London, England, sailed for America on the ship Cornelius Grinnell with Capt A. G. Fletcher, and arrived in New York 3 June 1858. What a hardship to leave a little one behind. Another little boy, Alfred, was born to Anne almost a year after arriving in the U.S. Another little boy, Austin, was born nearly 5 years later. At ages 5 and 7, both Alfred and his sister, Anna, died within 2 weeks of each other. Rachael was born a year later in 1866. After being discharged from the Union Army, William and Anne decided to move west. Rachael was born in New Jersey before they left by freighter to go to the Isthmus of Panama. They crossed the Isthmus where they marveled at the monkeys. They then boarded a freighter up the Pacific Coast to San Francisco. Their furniture was shipped around the horn of South America. They settled in San Francisco where William was a saloon keeper. Their last three children, Walter, Florence, and Lillian were born in San Francisco, California. They had 10 children born to them, 3 of which died young. One child, Rachael, was listed as an imbecile, rumored to have been caused by a fall on her head,and never married.
After the death of her husband, Anne maintained a home in Brentwood with her two unmarried daughters, Lillian and Rachel. In 1903 she lived at 566 Walter Street in San Francisco. She had a dowager hump caused by osteoporosis. The last 4 years before her death, she lived with her daughter, Florence Gates, because she needed contant attending. Anne died at age 90, January 2, 1918, of old age. She is buried in the Point of Timber Cemetary in Brentwood, Costa County, California. Her will left the ranch in Brentwood, valued at $1000, to be divided among her 6 surviving children.

1841 England Census about Ann Randall
Name: Ann Randall
Age: 13
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1828
Gender: Female
Where born: Surrey, England
Civil Parish: St George The Martyr
Hundred: Southwark
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: Occupation:
Registration District: St George Southwark
Sub-registration District: London Road
Neighbors:
Piece: 1086
Book: 5
Folio: 37
Page Number: 18
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Randall 38
Elizabeth Randall 32
Ann Randall 13
Edwin Randall 7
Elizabeth Randell 5
Amelia Randell 4 Mo


1851 England Census about Ann Randall
Name: Ann Randall
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1823
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Thomas Randall
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Randall
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: St. Georges, Surrey, England
Civil Parish: Southwark St George
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability:
Registration District: St George Southwark
Sub-registration District: London Road
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 42
Piece: 1565
Folio: 99
Page Number: 14
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Randall 48
Elizabeth Randall 42
Ann Randall 28
Thomas Randall 20
James Randall 18
Edwin Randall 17
Elizabeth Randall 15
David Stonehill 20
Samuel Atterbury 23
Emma Luck 29

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Ann E Collis
Age in 1860: 32
Birth Year: abt 1828
Birthplace: England
Home in 1860: Buffalo Ward 2, Erie, New York
Gender: Female
Post Office: Buffalo
Value of real estate: 200
Household Members: Name Age
Wm Collis 33 butcher
Ann E Collis 32
Ada Collis 6
William Collis 5
Bertha Collis 3
Alfred Collis 1

1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Annie E Collis
Home in 1900: Supervisors District 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 42
Estimated birth year: abt 1858
Birthplace: England
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Race: White
Home owned free
Immigration year: 1857
Household Members: Name Age
Annie E Collis 42
Lillian E Collis 27 Asst. Post mistress
Rachel Collis 34

1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Anne E Collis [Anne E Callis]
Age in 1910: 82
Birth Year: abt 1828
Birthplace: England
Home in 1910: Township 9, Contra Costa, California, Railroad Ave.
Race: White
Gender: Female
Immigration Year: 1858
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Widowed
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: England
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Anne E Collis 82 10 children, 6 living
Rachel Collis 40

Notes:

England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973
Name: William Collis
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 26
Birth Date: 1826
Marriage Date: 18 Nov 1852
Marriage Place: St. Paul, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England
Father: Christopher Aus...Ett Collis
Spouse: Ann Esther Randall
FHL Film Number: 1966291
Reference ID: it 1, pg 190, rn 379

Other Events:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Reference Number: *
• _UID: 212F7DE2F6992C4CA4CAAA9596B605772B26

Notes:

Things to do:
1. Check Napa and Brentwood newspapapers
2 Deeds in both counties as well as Berkeley.
3. Death notices and wills

Timeline for Erasmus Dorwin Grigsby:

1841 E D born Wright County, Missouri
1850 Census lived in Laclede County which was previously Wright County, Missouri
1852 age 11 moved with his parents by wagon train to Napa County, CA
1860 Census listed in Yount township, Napa county, CA with his parents.
1864 age 23 Married Elmira Miller in Napa County, CA
1866 Jul 2, daughter Laura Susan born Napa County
1867 Mar 20, son, Warren Miller born Napa County
1868 leased land in Contra Costa County, CA
1870 Mar 14, daughter Lillie Jane born Brentwood, Contra Costa, CA
1870 Census, listed with wife and three children in Yount, Napa County, California
1872 Mar 2, son Byron Lindsay born Brentwood, Contra Costa, CA
1875 took a trip to Texas
1880 Census listed in Contra Costa County, CA with wife and four children plus wife's mother and her
grand daughter, 2 servants, and three laborers.1900 Census, listed in Contra Costa, County with wife, 2 sons and 1 boarder.
1910 Census listed in Berkeley, Alameda, CA with wife and 1 servant
1912 Sep 18 died in Berkeley, Alameda, CA, age 70
1923 23 Jan Elmira died in Oakland, California, 2 days before her 74th birthday


Erasmus Dorwin Grigsby and Elmira Miller were married 28 Oct 1864 in Napa County, California. Elmira was only 15 at the time. Elmira's father had brought his family to Napa from Oregon, presumably by wagon, only a few years previous. Elmira and Dorwin were the parents of 4 children; Laura, Warren, Lillie, and Byron. After Laura was born, the family moved to Contra Costa County in California.
Elmira was born 20 Jan 1849 in DuPage County, Illinois; the only child of Daniel and Laura (Crumb) Miller. It is believed Laura died during or shortly after giving birth. When just a few years old, Elmira moved to Washington County, Oregon with her father and soon after removed to California with her father, step mother and half sister, Matilda. Elmira was often sick. Her grandson, Russell Collis, remembers being at his Grandma and Grandpa Grigsby's house in Berkeley and practicing the piano according to Grandma's (Elmira's) wishes. Uncle Bryon would sneak Russell out the back door to a baseball game when Grandma wasn't looking. Russell remembers riding in a surrey with a fringe on top. It is said Elmira practiced the Christian Scientist faith. She died from heart disease in Oakland in 1923 just 4 days short of age 74.
Erasmus or Dorwin as he was called was born 2 Oct 1841 in Wright County, Missouri. He was the 2nd of 8 children born to Terrell and Cynthia Grigsby. He came with his parents, Terrell and Cynthis Grigsby, to California by wagon train in the spring of 1852, at age 11. In 1868 he leased land in Contra Costa County and in Stanislaus County. He later sold all his stock and farming implements, and made a trip to Texas and returned in June, 1875. The next spring he purchased a quarter section, situated some 2 1/2 miles from Brentwood station, on the Central Pacific Railroad, four mile north of Point of Timber, and engaged in general farming. He was one of the most successful farmers of the county. He plowed with 8 mules and a jerkline. He was well liked. Dorwin became sick and he and Elmira moved to Grand Street in Berkeley. Byron took over the homestead. Dorwin died in Berkeley from heart disease in 1912 at just short of 80 years of age. Upon his death each of his children received 45 acres of land in Brentwood.

(See copy of "the History of Contra Costa County" SF, 1882, W. A. Slocum and Co. pg 570. and "Illustrations of Contra Costa County", 1878, pg 29.
Methodist Church at Point of Timber (50 members)

Have a picture of him and his wife.
Have copy of their marriage License. (father had to give consent as Elmira was underage at the time of her marriage- is listed as age 16)
!DEATH: State file #30376 vol. 3 pg 4257 (I have another state file #25627) Have a copy of his death certificate.

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Arasmus D Grigsby
Age: 8
Birth Year: abt 1842
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1850: District 45, Laclede, Missouri
Gender: Male
Family Number: 290
Household Members: Name Age
Leonell L Grigsby 31
Cynthia Grigsby 31
Robert T Grigsby 11
Arasmus D Grigsby 8
Elfonza D Grigsby 6
Mary Susan Grigsby 2

*1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Erasmus B Grigsby
Age in 1860: 18
Birth Year: abt 1842
BirthPlace: Missouri
Home in 1860: Yount, Napa, California
Gender: Male
Post Office: Sebastopol
Household Members: Name Age
Terril l Grigsby 42
Sinthea Grigsby 42
Erasmus B Grigsby 18
Elfonga d Grigsby 16
Mary S Grigsby 13
Laura J Grigsby 9
Orina E Grigsby 6
Thos A Grigsby 2
James H Grigsby 1
James Edington 21
Wm Alred 30
Alfred Boyd 25

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: E D Grigsby
Age in 1870: 29
Birth Year: abt 1841
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1870: Yount, Napa, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Napa City
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
E D Grigsby 29
Almira Grigsby 21
Laura S Grigsby 4
Warren M Grigsby 3
Infant Grigsby 3/12

*1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Erasmus D. Grigsby
Home in 1880: Township 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 39
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
BirthPlace: Missouri
Relation to head-of-household: Self
Spouses's Name: Elmira
Father's birthplace: TN
Mother's birthplace: NC
Occupation: Farmer
Marital status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Erasmus D. Grigsby 39
Elmira Grigsby 30 wife born Illinois
Laura S. Grigsby 13 daugh
Warren M. Grigsby 13 son
Lillie J. Grigsby 10 daugh
Byron L. Grigsby 8 son
Mary J. Miller 53 wife's mother nurse
Tillie M. Huey 5M boarder
Jack Ellsworth 50 servant farm labor
Jim Ah 17 servant cook on farm
Thomas Murphy 27 labor
Edward Ferguson 33 labor
William O Brien 30 labor

*1900 United States Federal Census
Name: Erasmus H Grigsby
Home in 1900: Supervisors District 5, Contra Costa, California
Age: 58
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
BirthPlace: Missouri
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Spouses's Name: Elmira
Race: White
Household Members: Name Age
Erasmus H Grigsby 58
Elmira Grigsby 51
Warren M Grigsby 32
Byron L Grigsby 28
Edward Elway 16 boarder

*1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Erasmus D Grigsby
Age in 1910: 68
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
BirthPlace: Missouri
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Tennessee
Mother's Birth Place: North Carolina
Spouses's Name: Elmira
Home in 1910: Berkely, Alameda, California
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Erasmus D Grigsby 68
Elmira Grigsby 66
Fannie Bennink 35 servant

Erasmus married Elmira MILLER on 28 Oct 1864 in , Napa, California, United States. Elmira (daughter of Daniel Miller and Laura CRUMB) was born on 20 Jan 1849 in , DuPage, Illinois, United States; died on 16 Jan 1923 in Oakland, Alameda, California, United States; was buried on 18 Jan 1923 in Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Grigsby
• _UID: 46FBBCD9CF24EF459D982CCD4069492C4977

Notes:

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Elmira Miller
Age in 1860: 11
Birth Year: abt 1849
Birthplace: Illinois
Home in 1860: Yount, Napa, California
Gender: Female
Post Office: Sebastopol
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
Daniel Miller 50
Mary J Miller 35
Elmira Miller 11
Matilda J Miller 5



CA voter registration,
1912, Berkeley, Alameda County precinct 23
Grigsby, Elmira 2245 Grant Ave., housewife, fem Rep
1920 Oakland, Alameda County precinct # 84
Grigsby, Mrs. Elmira, 838 Arlington Ave. housewife, Rep

Brentwood Union Cemetary

!DEATH: age 73. state file #122 vol 3 pg 4257 (Have copy of death certificate.)
She came to California from Oregon by covered wagon with her father between 1856 and 1860.
NDGW # 69-001
In the 1914 Oakland Directory she was listed as wid of E.D with business at 1417 Myrtle.

Notes:

extracted records batch # 7207415

Other Events:

• Occupation: 1832: Baker, Victualler; residence 1839:
• Reference Number: *
• _UID: 2F6625C640922E42B30FABD42757EF2F9F37

Notes:

Things to do:
1. Look through records in binder to add details
2. Is there an 1831 Census? no
3. Are there news articles or advertisements for Star brewery or Kennington Brewery?
4. Who did temple work for Christopher Annett Collis, mother, Susannah Smith/Collis?
5. Can more info on children be found? What about New Zealand/Australia?
6. 4. What is the name of the town where the White Horse Inn was located? Bert's email states it was in Witham.

Timeline for Christopher Annett Collis:

1800 May 7 Christopher born Braintree, Essex, England
1821 marriage: June 7 Maria Bridge in Witham, Essex, England
1822 Aug 11 daughter, Jane, born Essex County to Chrisopher and Maria
1824 son, Samuel Annett, born Essex
1825 son, Samuel Annett, died Witham, Essex, England
1826 May 20 son, William, born Witham,
1827 Christopher went bankrupt
1828 April 16 son, George Smith Collis, born Witham,
1829 Feb 9 daughter, Maria, born Witham,
1830 Poll Books and Electoral Registers Christopher A Collis, Witham
1831 May 21 daughter, Dorcus, born Witham,
1832 Christopher was a baker, brewer in Witham,
1833 Death: May 23, wife, Maria, in Witham,
1833 Christopher moves to Chelmsford as a brewer's clerk at Kennington Brewery, Dorset St
and Chapham Rd near the oval cricket grounds in London.
1836 son? Joseph Collis born (he was born after Christopher's wife Maria died and before he married Eliza)
1838 Oct 19 Marries Eliza Parker at St. Giles Cripplegate, London England. 1839 daughter, Eliza Collis born
1839 Owned a Tavern/Public House, The Woolpack Inn (near the White Horse Inn), Church St. Chipping Hill,
Witham
1839 Pigot's Directory: baker, Chipping Hill, Witham (Baker's yeast and yeast for ale may have been
interchangeable at that time)
1841 Census: Christopher and Eliza living Brixton, Lambeth, Surrey, England
1844 Sept, wife, Eliza dies, Lambeth, Surrey, England
1846 Jul 9 marries Alice Scott Honeysett at St. Giles Cripplegate, London England.
1851 Census: Christopher with wife, Alice, in Hounslow, Middlesex 177 London Rd, Brewer at Star Brewery,
employing 1 labor and two sons
1851 London, England, Electoral Registers, Christopher in Heston, Star Brewery
1853 London, England, Electoral Registers, Christopher in Heston, Star Brewery
1868 Christopher marries Elizabeth Archer age 37, spinster
1869 Death: Christopher South Stoneham, Hampshire age 69



According to the records sent to me from Bert Collis I write the following:
Christopher was bankrupt in 1827 and paid his creditors 2s.6d. in the pound. (i.e. One eighth) but by 1833 he was buying a small house in Witham and started in business as a victualler and baker. In 1833 he was in Chelmsford and was listed as a brewer's clerk of Kennington Brewery, Dorset Street and Chapham Rd. Brewer's clerk. (44 K from Witham, 35 K from Chelmsford. He also with his brother William became tenant of the Swan Inn at Brentwood in Essex. (Quite a coincidence! He soon failed again owing nearly four hundred pounds mainly to the brewers and was again made bankrupt. The Essex Record Office has a thick wad of court papers on the claims and counter claims. It includes a letter written by Christopher A Collis to the brewers solicitors. Christopher moved to London and became Brewers Clerk at the Kennington Brewery in Dorset St. Clapham Road. (This was near the Oval Cricket Ground). His father Samuel Collis was buried at Braintree on Jan 27th 1832, age 70 (Information from Bert Collis)

http://search.labs.familysearch.org
England births and Christenings 1538-1975
The index is an electronic database of information transcribed from original records.
Christopher Annett Collis
baptism/christening:24 Jul 1801
Braintree, Essex, England
father: Samuel Collis
mother: Susannah
indexing project batch# 103390-0
source film # 1702171

UK, Poll Books and Electoral Registers, 1538-1893
Name: Christopher A Collis
Poll Year: 1830
Residence: Witham
Where Freehold lies: White Notley Houses occupier: Hawkes
Hundred: Lexden And Witham
County: Essex

(page 111;1838 Marriage solemnized in
the Parish Church in the Parish of St Giles without Cripplegate in the city of London.
No. 222 Married 19 Oct 1838, Christopher Annett Collis, age 39, bachelor, profession: Brewer, Residence:
Witham, Essex, Father's name: Samuel Collis, Profession of father: Sadler
Eliza Parker, age 31, Spinster, residence: Witham, Essex, Father's name: Henry Parker, profession of father:
Sawyer)

1841 England Census Christoper Collis
Name: Christoper Collis
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Civil Parish: Lambeth (St. Mary Lambeth Parish)
Hundred: Brixton (Eastern Division)
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street address: Camberwell Lane South Occupation: Brewer
Source information: HO107/1054/1
Registration district: Lambeth
Sub-registration district: Brixton
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Folio: 31
Page:
Line number: 12
GSU Number: 474652
Household: Name: age
Christoper Collis 40
Eliza 35,
William 15,
George 14,
Maria 10,
Samuel 5,
Joseph 5,
Dorcus 5,
Eliza 5,
Henry Parker 20 (probably Eliza's brother) carpenter

1851 England Census Christopher A Collis
Name: Christopher A Collis
Age: 52
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1799
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Alice
Gender: Male
Where born: Braintree, Essex, England
Civil Parish: Heston
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Hounslow
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England
Street address: 177 London Rd. Occupation: Brewer employing 1 labor and two sons
Registration district: Brentford
Sub-registration district: Isleworth
ED, institution, or vessel: 1a
Neighbors:
Household schedule number: 177 Star Brewery, London Road
Household Members: Name Age
Alice Collis 53 wife, born Norfolk, Thilgay
Christopher A Collis 52 brewer
Samuel Collis 17 son, born Witham, Essex brewer
Joseph Collis 15 son, born Witham, Essex brewer
Eliza Collis 14 daughter, born Witham, Essex scholar at home

London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965
Name: Christopher Annett Collis
Year: 1851
County or Borough: Star Brewery, London
Smallberry Green, Hounslow Road, in the parish of Heston, County of Middlesex
Ward or Division/Constituency: Heston

London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965
Name: Christopher Annett Star Collis
Year: 1853
County or Borough: London, County of Middlesex
Ward or Division/Constituency: Heston
Street address: Star Brewery, Smallberry-green Hounslow

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1983
Name: Christopher Annett Collis age 67, widower, reside Portswood, father Samuel Collis, Saddler
and Elizabeth Archer age 37, spinster, reside Portswood, father William Archer, Blacksmith
Year of Registration: 1868
Quarter of Registration: 21-Mar
District: South Stoneham
County: Hampshire
Volume: 2c
Page: 89

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1983
Surname Given Name District Volume Page
Deaths Jun 1869 age 68
Collis Christopher Annett S. Stoneham 2c 29
The district S. Stoneham is an alternative name for South Stoneham and it is in the county of Hampshire

Food in the 17th Century
In the early 17th century people began eating food with forks for the first time.
During the century new foods were introduced into England (for the rich) such as bananas and pineapples. New drinks were introduced, tea and coffee. In the late 17th century there were many coffee houses in the towns. Merchants and professional men met there to read newspapers and talk shop.
In the late 17th century the rich began eating ice cream. Many rich people built special underground chambers in the grounds of their houses for preserving ice during the summer. The ice was covered in straw to preserve it.
However for the poor food remained plain and monotonous. They subsisted on food like bread, cheese and onions. Ordinary people continued to eat pottage each day.
Food in the 18th Century
There was little change in food in the 18th century. Despite the improvements in farming food for ordinary people remained plain and monotonous. For them meat was a luxury. A poor person's food was mainly bread and potatoes. In the 18th century drinking tea became common even among ordinary people.
19th Century Food
In the early 19th century the working class lived on plain food such as bread, butter, potatoes and bacon. Butcher's meat was a luxury. However things greatly improved in the late 19th century. Railways and steamships made it possible to import cheap grain from North America so bread became cheaper. Refrigeration made it possible to import cheap meat from Argentina and Australia. Consumption of sugar also increased. By the end of the 19th century most people (not all) were eating much better food.
The first fish and chip shops in Britain opened in the 1860s. By the late 19th century they were common in towns and cities.
In the late 19th century the first convenience food in tins and jars went on sale. Although the principle of canning was invented at the end of the 18th century tinned food first became widely available in the 1880s. The can opener was invented in 1855 and the rotary can opener followed in 1870. Furthermore in the 1870s margarine, a cheap substitute for butter, was invented. Tomato ketchup was invented in 1874.
Several new biscuits were invented in the 19th century including the Garibaldi (1861), the cream cracker (1885) and the Digestive (1892). Furthermore new sweets were invented during the 19th century including peanut brittle (1890) and liquorice allsorts (1899).
For centuries people drank chocolate but the first chocolate bar was made in 1847. Milk chocolate was invented in 1875.

19th Century Britain
In the 19th century Britain became the world's first industrial society. It also became the first urban society. By 1851 more than half the population lived in towns.
The population of Britain boomed during the 19th century. In 1801 it was about 9 million. By 1901 it had risen to about 41 million.
This was despite the fact that many people emigrated to North America and Australia to escape poverty. About 15 million people left Britain between 1815 and 1914.
However there were also many immigrants. In the 1840s many people came from Ireland, fleeing a terrible potato famine. In the 1880s the Tsar began persecuting Russian Jews. Some fled to Britain and settled in the East End of London.
19th Century Society
In the early 19th century Britain was an oligarchy. Only a small minority of men (and no women) were allowed to vote. The situation began to change in 1832 when the vote was given to more men. Constituencies were also redrawn and many industrial towns were represented for the first time. The franchise was extended again in 1867 and 1883. In 1872 the secret ballot was introduced.
However in the 19th century at least 80% of the population was working class. In order to be considered middle class you had to have at least one servant. Most servants were female. (Male servants were much more expensive because men were paid much higher wages). Throughout the 19th century 'service' was a major employer of women.
In the 19th century families were much larger than today. That was partly because infant mortality was high. People had many children and accepted that not all of them would survive.
In a 19th century family the Father was head of the family. He wife and children respected him and obeyed him (at least that was the theory!). Until 1879 a man could legally beat his wife and until 1882 all a woman's property, even the money she earned, belonged to her husband. Divorce was made legal in 1857 but it was very rare in the 19th century.

Christopher married Maria BRIDGE on 7 Jun 1821 in Witham, Essex, England. Maria (daughter of George BRIDGE and Elizabeth Endersby) was born about 1797 in Witham, Essex, England; was christened on 18 Feb 1797 in Witham, Essex, England; died on 23 May 1833 in Chipping Hill, Witham, Essex, England; was buried in Chipping Hill, Witham, Essex, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Mrs Christopher Annett Collis
• _UID: 5A9DF27CE32F49438EFC7E2F0B37BCDC1491

Notes:

Maria died at age 36

Notes:

Maria Bridge
England, Essex Parish Registers
Name Christopher Collis
Event Type Marriage
Event Date 07 Jun 1821
Event Place Witham, Essex, England
Gender Male
Marital Status Married
Spouse's Name Maria Bridge

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _UID: 70EA9F4CCD48524287F1FE730935FB6E7EA7

Notes:

Things to do:
1. Who did temple work for Thomas
2. email relatives of Thomas
3. marriage of Elizabeth Frances Randall and other children

Is this the right Thomas Randall?
England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906 about Thomas Randall
Name: Thomas Randall
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1802
Christening Date: 24 Oct 1802
Christening Place: Saint Denys, Warminster, Wiltshire, England
Father's name: James Randall
Mother's name: Ann

Timeline for Thomas Randall:
1803 Thomas born Wiltshire, England
1826 married Elizabeth Benfield
1828 Mar 13, daughter, Anne born in 77 London Rd, Southwark, Surrey, England
1831 son, Thomas Enos born in Southwark, Surrey, England
1833 son, James born in Southwark
1834 son, Edwin born in Southwark
1835 Sep 30, daughter, Elizabeth Frances born in Southwark
1841 Feb 6 Amelia Rosalie born in Southwark
1841 Census, living as a butcher with family in 78-79 London Road, Southwark, Surrey, England
1850 Feb 19, Emily Maria born in Southwark
1851 Census, living as a butcher with family in 78-79 London Road, Southwark, Surrey, England
1857 Jan 20, Thomas died in Southwark, Surrey, England; buried Norwood Cemetery, Norwood Road, Lambeth,
greater London, England

1841 England Census
Name: Thomas Randall
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1803
Gender: Male
Where born: Surrey, England
Civil Parish: St George The Martyr
Hundred: Southwark
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street address: 78-79 London Road, Occupation: butcher
Registration district: St George Southwark
Sub registration district: London Road
Neighbors:
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Randall 38
Elizabeth Randall 32
Ann Randall 13
Edwin Randall 7
Elizabeth Randell 5
Amelia Randell 4 Mo
George Smith 26 male servant
Mary Ann Randell 17 female servant

1851 England Census
Name: Thomas Randall
Age: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1803
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Randall
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Wiltshire, England
County: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: 78 London Road
Occupation: Condition as to marriage:
Registration district: St George Southwark
Sub-registration district: London Road
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 42
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Randall 48 butcher born Wiltshire
Elizabeth Randall 42 butcher assistant born Gloucester City
Ann Randall 28 " Born Surrey St George
Thomas Randall 20 " Born Surrey St George
James Randall 18 " Born Surrey St George
Edwin Randall 17 " Born Surrey St George
Elizabeth Randall 15 " Born Surrey St George
David Stonehill 20 journeyman butcher
Samuel Atterbury 23 "
Emma Luck 29 servant

Thomas employed thirty-five men. He had two live-in journeymen butchers and one girl house servant.
Charles nor the 2 little girls, Amelia and Emily, were in this census. perhaps the 2 little girls had died.
Charles was married, on his own, and is listed in the 1851 census in Surrey, Southwark, as a journeyman butcher with another butcher.

England & Wales, FreeBMD
Death Index: 1837-1983
Name: Thomas Randall
Year of Registration: 1857
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: St George Southwark
County: Surrey
Volume: 1d
Page: 115
Elizabeth Frances was administrator of Thomas' will.

London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 about Thomas Randall
Name: Thomas Randall
Record Type: Burial
Estimated Death Date: abt 1857
Burial Date: 12 Jan 1857
Age: 54
Residence: London Rd., Southwark
Estimated birth year: abt 1803
Parish or Poor Law Union: Norwood Cemetery, Norwood Road, Lambeth
Borough: Lambeth
County: Surrey

Christening dates found in the 1988 IGI-England, London County Microfische # C0327

England Vital records (freebmd.rootsweb.com)
Date Death Surname Given Name Age District Volume Page
Sep 1837 RANDALL William St George Southwk IV 111
Sep 1838 Randall Ann St Geo Southwark 4 11
Sep 1838 Randall Elizabeth St Geo Southwark 4 11
Dec 1838 RANDALL William St George Southwark 4 89
Jun 1840 RANDALL George St Geo Southk 4 303
Sep 1845 RANDALL Ann Cranage St Geo Southk 4 269
Dec 1847 Randall Jane Southk St Geo 4 415
Dec 1848 RANDALL James David St Geo Southk 4 372
Sep 1849 Randall Thomas St Geo Southk 4 877
Sep 1851 RANDALL George S Geo South 4 301
Mar 1852 RANDALL Ann St George Southwark 1d 133
Mar 1854 Randall Mary Jane St. Geo. Sk. 1d 135
Sep 1854 Randall Thomas James Harfo St Geo Sk 1d 34
Mar 1857 Randall Thomas St George S . 1d 115
Dec 1859 Randall Charles Arthur St George S 1d 130
Mar 1854 RANDALL Mary Elizabeth St George S 1d 151
Mar 1866 Randall Richard 59 St. George S . 1d 122
Sep 1866 Randall Benjamin C 1 St George Southwark 1d 135
Sep 1866 Randall Matilda 32 St George Southwark 1d 126

Search for Type: Births Surname: Collis County: Surrey
Birth date Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Mar 1841 Randall Amelia Rosalin St Geo Southk 4 44[8_]
Mar 1850 Randall Emily Maria Southk S Geo 4 513

Thomas married Elizabeth Benfield on 5 Mar 1826 in Tower Hamlets, St Mary Whitechapel, London, England. Elizabeth (daughter of Thomas Benfield and Keziah Pocket) was born in 1808 in Glouster City, Gloustershire, England; was christened on 26 Dec 1808 in St Michael, Glouster City, Gloustershire, England; died on 9 Aug 1866 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England; was buried in Anfield Cemetery and Crematorium Anfield, Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Randall
• _UID: 7BECFBFF9960A2428B42610DDBE205B8F3A4

Notes:

The death certificate of Ann Randall (daughter of Elizabeth and Thomas) states her mother's maiden name as Beufield (sic) The death certificate of James Randall (son of Elizabeth and Thomas) states his mother's maiden name as Benfield. There are lots of Benfields in Gloucestershire where the census records state Elizabeth was born.

England Births and Christenings 1538-1975
Elizabeth Benfield
christening: 26 Dec 1808
St Michael, Gloucester, Gloucester, England
Residence: Gloucester, England
Father: Thomas Benfield
Mother: Kezia

1841 England Census
Name: Elizabeth Randall
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1809
Gender: Female
Where born: Surrey, England
Civil parish: St George The Martyr
Hundred: Southwark
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: Occupation:
Registration district: St George Southwark
Sub-registration district: London Road
Neighbors:
Piece: 1086
Book: 5
Folio: 37
Page Number: 18
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Randall 38
Elizabeth Randall 32
Ann Randall 13
Edwin Randall 7
Elizabeth Randell 5
Amelia Randell 4 Mo

1851 England Census
Name: Elizabeth Randall
Age: 42
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1809
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Thomas butcher employing 35 men
Gender: Female
Where born: City, Gloucestershire, England
Civil parish: Southwark St George
County: Surrey
Country: England
Street Address: 78 London Road
Occupation: Condition as to marriage:
Registration district: St George Southwark
Sub-registration district: London Road
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 42
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Randall 48 butcher born Wiltshire
Elizabeth Randall 42 butcher assistant born Gloucester City
Ann Randall 28 " Born Surrey St George
Thomas Randall 20 " Born Surrey St George
James Randall 18 " Born Surrey St George
Edwin Randall 17 " Born Surrey St George
Elizabeth Randall 15 " Born Surrey St George
David Stonehill 20 "
Samuel Atterbury 23 "
Emma Luck 29 servant

Chs Randall in the London, England, Land Tax Records, 1692-1932
Record Image View
Add alternate information
Report issue
Tenant: Chs Randall
Proprietor: Mrs Randell
First Year of Section: 1865
Civil Parish or Ward: St George the Martyr, England
Borough or County: Southwark
Call Number: LT92/01/046
Save Ignore

Could this be the death index for Elizabeth, the daughter?
Surname Given Name District Volume Page
Deaths Jun 1861
Randall Elizabeth St. George S. 1d 116
The district St. George S. is an alternative name for St George Southwark and it is in the county of Surrey;

Probable siblings of Elizabeth Benfield.
Pallot's Baptism Index for England: 1780 - 1837 Birth, Marriage & Death (also IGI fische)
Name: Hannah Benfield Mother: Keziah Benfield Father: Thos Benfield Baptism: 11 Jan 1804 - Gloucester, St. Michael, Gloucestershire
Name: Wm Benfield Mother: Heziah Benfield Father: Thos Benfield Baptism: 21 Jul 1805 - Gloucester, St. Michael, Gloucestershire
Name: Eliz Benfield Mother: Heziah Benfield Father: Thos Benfield Baptism: 28 Dec 1808 - Gloucester, St. Michael, Gloucestershire
Name: Joseph Benfield Mother: Keziah Benfield Father: Thos Benfield Baptism: 2 Jan 1811 - Gloucester, St. Michael, Gloucestershire
Name: Thomas Benfield Mother: Keziah Benfield Father: Thos Benfield Baptism: 29 Sep 1794 - Gloucester, St. Michael, Gloucestershire

Who are these people?
1841 England Census
Name: Ann Benfield Age: 40 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801 Gender: Female Where born: Middlesex, England Civil parish: St Giles Without Cripplegate Hundred: London Without the Walls County/Island: Middlesex Country: England Street Address: Occupation:
Registration district: East London Sub-registration district: Cripplegate
Household Members: Name Age
Charles Benfield 55
Ann Benfield 40
George Benfield 12
Eliza Benfield 7
Rebecca Benfield 3

Who are these people?
1861 England Census
Name: Eliza Thos Benfield Age: 59
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1802 Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Susanna Gender: Male Where born: Portsea, Hampshire, England
Civil parish: Southwark St George
Ecclesiastical parish: Southwark St George County/Island: Surrey Country: England Street Address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage:
Registration district: St George Southwark
Sub-registration district: Borough Road ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Household schedule number: 10
Household Members: Name Age
Eliza Thos Benfield 59
Susanna Benfield 56
Charles J Benfield 24
Thomas Benfield 22
Wm Robertson 22

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915

Name: Elizabeth Randall
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Registration Year: 1866
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Age at Death: 55
Registration district: Liverpool
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 44
Source Information:

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
Administrations. 1866 pg 399-400RR Elizabeth Randall
Randall, Elizabeth.
Effects under L 50
27 August Letters of Administration of the Personal estate and effect of Elizabeth Randall late of 66 Regent Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Widow deceased who died 9 August 1866 at 66 Regent street aforesaid were granted at the Principal Registry to Charles Randall of 79 London Rd Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Butcher, the son and one of the Next of Kin of the said deceased, he having been first sworn.
to order death certificates:
Southwark The Register Office, 34 Peckham Road, London, SE5 8QA.
Tel: 020 7525 7651. Fax: 020 7525 7652.
E-mail: registrars@southwark.gov.uk

findagrave'
Elizabeth Randall
BIRTH unknown
DEATH 10 Aug 1866
BURIAL
Anfield Cemetery and Crematorium
Anfield, Metropolitan Borough of Liverpool, Merseyside, England
PLOT Consecrated Sec.14, Grave 1997
MEMORIAL ID 174994959 · View Source

Notes:

Is this right?
London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 about Thomas Randall
Name: Thomas Randall
Spouse Name: Elizabeth Benfield
Record Type: Banns
Marriage Bann Date: 19 Feb, 26 Feb, 05 Mar 1826
Parish: St Mary, Whitechapel (both of this parish)
County: Middlesex
Borough: Tower Hamlets

Other Events:

• Occupation: Vintner
• _UID: B23B9B74670233468751EC0DDC29B1B01586

Notes:

Things to do:
1. edit his story

Timeline for Terrell Grigsby:
1818 Feb 3, Terrell born in Giles County, Tennessee
1833 moved with parents to Pulaski County (Wright/Laclede) Missouri
1838 Mar 11 married Cynthia Faires in Osage, Laclede, Missouri
1839 Feb 22, son, Robert Faires, born in Missouri
1841 Oct 2, son, Erasmus, born in Missouri
1844 Apr 6, son, Alphonzo DeLafayette, born in Missouri
1847 Jun 14, daughter, Mary Susan, born in Missouri
1850 Nov 30, daughter, Lura Jane, born in Missouri
1854 Mar 2, daughter, Orlena, born in Napa, California
1857 Aug 27, son, Thomas Anderson, born in Napa, California
1859 Jun 9, son, James Pulaski, born in Napa, California
1861 Jul 1, daughter, Mary Susan, died in Napa, California
1892 Jan 16, Terrell died in Napa, Ca at age 73 of La Grippe
1898 Sep 6, Cynthia, died in Napa, CA age 81 of old age

Terrell and Cynthia Grigsby, paternal grandparents of Laura Susan Grigsby, the mother of Russell Collis

Terrell Grigsby and Cynthia Faires were married 11 March 1838 in Osage, Laclede County, Missouri. Both of their parents had moved their families to Missouri in the early 1830's from Tennessee. Their first 5 children were born in Missouri; Robert, Erasmus Dorwin, Alphonzo, Mary, and Lura. Terrell went to California in 1850 and settled in Napa County then came back to Missouri for his family. They moved to California in a wagon drawn by oxen about 1852. Terrell's parents came west, but Cynthia's parents stayed in Missouri. Three more children were born in Napa, California: Orlena, Thomas, and James. Terrell began farming and diversified in grapes for wine, wheat, and cattle in Mendocino, Lake, and Napa Counties.
Terrell Lindsey Grigsby was born 3 February 1818 in Giles County, Tennessee the 2nd of 7 children born to Samuel Harrison and Mary Lindsay Grigsby. At the age of fifteen Terrell accompanied his parents to Pulaski County (later to become Wright then Laclede County), Missouri, then considered "the frontier of the west." where he assisted his father in farming. Terrell's father, Samuel Harrison Grigsby, of Tennessee, was said to have served under his uncle, Gen. W. H. Harrison, during the War of 1812. Accompanied by his wife, Mary (who was called Polly), Samuel came to California in 1853, but Mrs. Grigsby survived the trip only a few days. Two of their children died as infants, two of their grown children died on the plains on the trip west.
Terrell, according to the History of Solano and Napa counties, "Was one of the most aggressive and energetic of our early settlers, a pioneer wine merchant, as well: a man whose originality of thought and action won for him an honored place in the community of which he was an important citizen." He later became interested in a local railroad and invested time and money in it, but due to the panic he pulled out. Shortly after this venture he withdrew from active life, and made his home in Napa until his death from la grippe, 18 January 1892 at the age of nearly 74.
Cynthia Faires was born 25 July 1817 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the first of 6 children. Her father, Robert Faires, who was born August 15, 1798, and died November 22, 1855, and her mother, Susannah (Orr) Faires, born October 21, 1793, died May 11, 1857, were also natives of North Carolina. The Faires family moved to Tennessee, then to Missouri where Robert Faires had a mill on the Osage Fork of the Gasconade River. The story is told about Cynthia that as she aged, she sat down in her rocking chair on the front porch of her house and said, "I quit! Anything else you want done around here, you need to hire someone to do it." True or not, she was a true pioneer with all of the hardships. Cynthia died of old age exhaustion in Napa County 4 September 1898 at the age of 81.

Mr. Grigsby carried on his wine industry on his Napa county farm. The building, which was 58x112 feet, and three stories high, was built of stone secured from the adjacent foothills, and its capacity was 275,000 gallons. The first and second floors were used for storing wine, while the third was devoted to its fermentation. The many windows were iron-barred, the walls were two feet thick and the uprights were of heavy redwood. From a large tank on the hillside water was distributed throughout the plant. In connection with the cellar Mr. Grigsby built of stone a still house 26x28 feet, which was used for making brandy. Operations in this still house were aided by a portable engine, which was also used to supply hot water for the cleaning of barrels. The entire plant cost approximately $30,000.
Mr. Grigsby was also interested in the prospective construction of what was to be know as the S. F. & Clear Railway, and in addition to devoting much time to the development of this proposition, he also advanced neccessary funds with which to carry on the initial work. Grading operations were instituted, but owing to the subsequent panic Mr. Grigsby deemed it impracticable to continue his plans, and after meeting obligations to date, which involved the sale of his ranches, he abandoned the project. Shortly after this venture he withdrew from active life, and made his home in Napa until his death, January 18, 1892. His wife died in Napa six years later, September 4, 1898.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Grigsby: Robert F., a miner near Calistoga; Darwin, a farmer in Contra Costa county; Alphonzo D., a farmer in San Diego county; Mary S., who died at the age of twenty-two; Lura Jane, now Mrs. Trubody; Orlena E, widow of J. B. Edington, who makes her home in Napa; Thomas A., of Napa township; and James P., a carpenter in the Southern Pacific shops in Sacramento.]

from "Hill Guides, 'Napa Valley, Land of Golden Vines", by Kathleen & Gerald Hill, p259:
Chinese laborers had first arrive in Napa Valley after they had been drawn to the gold diggings in the mountains as early as 1849 and helped build the transcontinental railroad which was completed in 1869. At least 400 settled in the Napa Valley and settled in the Chinatowns of Napa, Saint Helena, and Calistoga. They helped build the stone walls, plant and harvest the vinyards. They had laundries, worked at cooks, gardners, and household servants. In 1882 the Chinese exclusion act was enacted, barring further immigration. Terrell Grigsby, owner of Occidental Winery in Brown's Valley, personally fought off a mob intent on chasing out his Chinese workers. The wine industry needed their loyal inexpensive labor..

History of Solano and Napa Counties, California with Biographical Sketches of The leading men and women of the Counties, who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present time., History by Tom Gregory and other well known writers., Illustrated ~ Complete in one volume, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1912, pg 446
TERRIL LINDSEY GRIGSBY.
One of the most aggressive and energetic of our early settlers, a pioneer wine merchant, as well; a man whose originality of thought and action won for him an honored place in the community of which he was an important citizen, was Terril Lindsey Grigsby, who immigrated to California in 1850. He was born in Giles county, Tenn., February 3, 1818, and at the age of fifteen accompanied his parents to Laclede county, Mo., then considered “the frontier of the west,” where he assisted his father in farming. Mr. Grigsby’s father. Samuel Harrison Grigsby, of Tennessee, was a nephew of Gen. W. H. Harri­son, and served under his uncle during the War of 1812 ; accompanied by his wife he came to California in 1853, but Mrs. Grigsby survived the trip only a few days. her husband residing in Napa county until his death. At the early age of twenty. in 1838, T. L. Grigsby was married to Cynthia Faires, who was born in Mecklenburg county. N. C., July 25, 1817. Her father. Robert Faires, who was horn August 15, 1798, and died November 22. 1855, and her mother, Susannah (Orr) Faires. born October 21. 1793. died May 11, 1857. were also natives of North Carolina.
T. L. Grigsby made his first trip to the west with ox-team, and located on what is nosy known as the Occidental Vineyard ranch, in the foothills of Napa valley. This consisted of two hundred and fifty-seven acres, one hundred and twenty of which were planted to grain, eighty to grapes (the output of the vineyard being about three hundred tons annually) and the remainder used for pasturing. Abundantly watered by many springs, this ranch was, and is, one of the most fertile in Napa county. Returning- to Missouri by way of the Panama canal, Mr. Grigsby made necessary preparations for a second trip west in 1852, this time with his family. The wagons were drawn by oxen and the train also included a hand of cattle, which formed the nucleus of the stock business which Mr. Grigsby carried on upon his arrival in California. In addition to his Napa county farm he owned a ranch in Mendocino county, also land in Lake county, both of which were devoted to stock-raising.
Mr. Grigsby carried on his wine industry on his Napa county farm. The building, which was 58x112 feet, and three stories high, was built of stone secured from the adjacent foothills, and its capacity was 275,000 gallons. The first and second floors were used for storing wine, while the third was devoted to its fermentation. The many windows were iron-barred, the walls were two feet thick and the uprights were of heavy redwood. From a large tank on the hillside water was distributed throughout the plant. In connection with the cellar Mr. Grigsby built of stone a still house 26x28 feet. which was used for making brandy. Operations in this still house were aided by a portable engine, which was also used to supply hot water for the cleaning of barrels. The entire plant cost approximately $30,000.
Mr. Grigsby was also interested in the prospective construction of what was to be known as the S. F. & Clear Railway, and in addition to devoting much time to the development of this proposition, he also advanced necessary funds with which to carry on the initial work. Grading operations were instituted, but owing to the subsequent panic Mr. Grigsby deemed it impracticable to continue his plans, and after meeting obligations to date, which involved the sale of his ranches, he abandoned the project. Shortly after this venture he withdrew from active life, and made his home in Napa until his death, January 18, 1892. His wife died in Napa six years later, September 4, 1898.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Grigsby: Robert F., a miner near Calistoga ; Darwin, a farmer in Contra Costa county ; Alphonzo D., a farmer in San Diego county; Mary S., who died at the age of twenty-two; Lura Jane, now Mrs. Trubody; Orlena E., widow of J. B. Edington, who, makes her home in Napa; Thomas A., of Napa township; and James P., a car­penter in the Southern Pacific shops at Sacramento.


TL Grigsby patent
. THE OCCIDENTAL Vineyard Chief! - ■ The Most Perfect Vineyard Implement Ever Invented. It will do more work and butter work than any other plow over Invented. It is a Sulky QeJlg Plow on wheels, 4 feet 4 inches high, which makes it of LIGHTER DRAFT than any other plow ever invented. The plow is handled or controlled with the feet instead of tho hands. Tho slimes are run revcisidle, no they will do DOUBLE THE AMOUNT of WORK Without sharpening. They are adjustable, to the} can he set to suit any width of row. They turn the dirt right and left; at the same time they are so arranged as to throw the dirt to or from the vines, as desired. The plow does All the Plowing: All the Plowing in the Vineyard, And all the cultivator work and weed cutting, by simply removing the plows and attaching the cultivator or shovel plows; removing the cultivator and attaching the weed cutter. A Boy of Fourteen Years can Work It. Eight of these implements are in use on the Natoma Vineyard Farm. A team of 1,000 pounds each will run the Plow the whole season. Invented and Patented by T. L. GRIGSBY, Occidental Vineyard, Napa County. Or call and see them at K. BOULK'S Agricultural Works, Fourth Street, San Francisco. Pacific Rural Press, Volume 27, Number 16, 19 April 1884
!SOURCE: Births and deaths of family from family bible in posession of Elva Triplett (descendant of James P Grigsby) of Sacramento.

See copy of article in "Illustrations of Napa County, California with Historical Sketches", Oakland, Smith and Elliott, 1878.And, "History of Napa County" 1878 pg 7.
Have copy of sketch of properties and buildings.
Also have pictures of Grigsby winery buildings in Napa County.
Have a copy of death certificate.
Have a picture of him and his wife Cynthia

Terrell was said to have come to California in 1850 with the William Wilson Hale wagon train. For more info google book: Volunteer Forty-Niners: Tennesseans and the California Gold Rush by Walter T. Durham - (Nov 15, 1997)

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Terrell L Grigsby Age: 31 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1819
Birth place: Tennessee
Gender: Male
Home in 1850 (City,County,State): District 45, Laclede, Missouri; farmer
Household
Cynthia 31 NC
Robert 11 MO
Arasmus D. 8 MO
Elfonzo 6 MO
Mary Susan 2 MO

1860 United States Federal Census
Name: Terril l Grigsby
Age in 1860: 42 farmer value: $20,000
Birth Year: abt 1818
BirthPlace: Tennessee
Home in 1860: Yount, Napa, California
Gender: Male
Post Office: Sebastopol
Value of real estate:
Household Members: Name Age
Terril l Grigsby 42
Sinthea Grigsby 42
Erasmus D Grigsby 18
Elfonga d Grigsby 16
Mary S Grigsby 13
Laura J Grigsby 9
Orina E Grigsby 6
Thos A Grigsby 2
James H Grigsby 1
James Edington 21 day labor
Wm Alred 30 farmer
Alfred Boyd 25 day labor

1870 United States Federal Census
Name: Terrell R Grigsby
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1818
Age in 1870: 52 farmer
BirthPlace: Tennessee
Home in 1870: Yount, Napa, California
Gender: Male
Post Office: Napa City
Household members age
Cynthia 52;
Orlena E 14;
Thomas A 12;
James P 10

1880 United States Federal Census
Name: Terrell Grigsby
Home in 1880: Yount, Napa, California
Age: 62
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1818
BirthPlace: Tennessee
Relation to head-of-household: Self
Spouses's Name: Cynthia
Father's birthplace: VA
Mother's birthplace: TN
Occupation: Farmer vineculturest
Marital status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male
Household Members: Name Age
Terrell Grigsby 62
Cynthia Grigsby 62 wife
Elisabeth Grigsby 22 daughter
Chua Ah 30 labor
Sin Ah 30 labor

A Point in Vineyard Practice.

We had a pleasant conversation about vines on Monday with T. L. Grigsby, of Yountville, one of the leading viticnltnrists of Napa county; a man who spends nearly all his waking hours in working among vines or in thinking about the best way to'do the work. As Mr. G. has about 200 acres in vines and perhaps the best wine cellar in the county, he has certainly enough to keep one man busy both with hand and brain. Mr. G. is now adopting a practice with young vines which he believes produces a better vine than the old* method. When a young rooted vine is set in the vineyard there is a joint at the top from which start several shoots, one of which is generally led up and headed off above, at the bight the stump is desired to stand. The other shoots are lopped off and the strong sucker which usually starts from anteye below the ground, is also cut off beneath the surface. The result is that there is near the ground a gnurly knob formed by the out end of the original cutting and the shoots which are cut away. These exposed cut surfaces are liable to rot and always make a rough bunch in the vine, even if harmful decay does not set in. While Mr. G. has been scraping around the vine to cut off the lusty sucker, in order to build up a vine from the unsightly knob above the ground, he has thought that perhaps he was destroying the better shoot to save the poorer, and the thought pressed upon him so forcibly that he has changed his method with all the young vineyard he now has on hand. His practice is, therefore, to scrape away the dirt until he reaches the joint below, which threw up the strong sucker, and near that joint he cuts off the old wood instead of the sucker. This sudker then becomes the vine and there is no exposed surface of cut cane. It grows up strong and smooth. The old stock is out away in the spring, as soon as the sucker is started out well. The sucker is then permitted to run out as long as it likes until the proper time for pruning in the fall, being permitted to run along the ground the first summer. In the fall it is raised up, lopped off at the hight desired in the permanent stump and tied to a stake. The result is a smooth cane from the root to the top, instead of the knobby joint which is usually seen near the

ground. This rough joint with its exposed cut surfaces Mr. 6. regards as a vulnerable point in a vine, as it is liable to decay, which weakens the stock and opens the way for the attacks of insects. The same practice which he has adopted with young rooted vines, when set in vineyard, is also applicable to cuttings Bet in permanent positions, except, of course, that the change from old stock to sucker is made later in the case of cuttings. What have our vine-growing readers to say of this practice? We know that we have made handsome rose bushes by taking a strong sucker, which seemed born to supplant the old wood, and lopping off the older timber. The point is open for discussion.

Pacific Rural Press, Volume 19, Number 23, 5 June 1880

News article T.L. Grigsby
Grape Culture.

A writer engaged in grape culture near Sandusky, Ohio, has heard that in California, vines are tied to stakes only two feet in hight, and asks how we manage to keep our vines sufficiently up from the ground to escape mildew, rust and rot in the grape.

We happen just now to be in possession of a few notes on grape culture in Napa Valley, obtained from Mr. T. L. Grigsby, denning to some extent his mode of culture, which we will make use of, as answering fully the inquiries of our correspondent.

His grape lands are what would be termed gravelly or stony foothill lands, and yet immediately adjoining the more level valley lands, the latter being better adapted to corn and other annual crops. Preparation of Ground.

It is the practice of Mr. G. to plant rooted vines of one year's growth, instead of cuttings, us preferred t>y many. To do this and secure the best possible thrift to his vines, he thoroughly plows and pulverizes the soil to the depth of from 18 to 20 inches. This is done in fall find winter previous to planting, and the transplanting from tho nursery row to the vineyard ground is done from the middle of March to the fith of April. By this method he never fails of securing a vigorous growth, saves one year of field cultivation and the difference between setting the rooted vines and cuttings he thinks is fnlly made up by the ease with which his cuttings are cultivated in close nursery row.

Distance in Planting. Hardly any two persons agree as to the best distance for vine culture, and doubtless much depend! upon the varieties of grapes cultivated. Some being of more vigorous habit of growth than others, require more room; but Mr. G. has fully determined, that all things considered, eight feet by eight is the best distance to be observed on his land.

Where the land is low, strong and rich, doubtloss more room should be given than when it is high, dry and of less strength. At a distance of Bxß feet, vines five years old in Mr. G.s vineyard produce at the rate of four tons 700 lbs. to the acre. From vines nine yearß old he has grown as many as nine tons per acre. He gets $20 per ton for the Mission variety, and $30 per ton for foreign, and considers it better than any other crop he raises.

Low Training. After trying high and low training to his full satisfaction, he is convinced that in his locality it is bettor to train them low, taking cost of stakes and labor into consideration and gives them a tiunk of only one foot in bight, which to our Eastern inquirer will seem quite strange; but when it is understood that the grapes will not rot even when lying on the ground the strangeness vanishes. As to the age at which our vines bear—it being one of the questions of our correspondent— we are informed by Mr. G. that his Mission grape vines, in the fall of the second year after tr msplanting, yielded him 1,106 pounds to the acre.
jen_genealogy
jen_genealogy originally shared this
15 Apr 2014 story
Pacific Rural Press, Volume 4, Number 10, 7 September 1872

TL Grigsby article
TL Grigsby article
jen_genealogy
jen_genealogy originally shared this
15 Apr 2014 Other
Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 7, Number 224, 12 November 1878

Terrell married Cynthia FAIRES on 11 Mar 1838 in Osage, Laclede, Missouri, United States. Cynthia (daughter of Robert FAIRES and Susannah ORR) was born on 15 Jul 1817 in , Mecklenburg, North Carolina, United States; died on 4 Sep 1898 in , Napa, California, United States; was buried on 6 Sep 1898 in , Napa, California, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Grigsby
• _UID: 83BCD7E67AE2B543AC05C33B3C8CAE84F92F

Notes:

Tulocay Cemetary
NDGW # 69-003
Have a picture of her.
Have copy of death certificate and "Napa Daily Journal" death notice

Notes:

History of Laclede County, Missouri
Family Data Collection - Marriages Synthey Cynthia Faires
Name: Synthey Cynthia Faires
Spouse: Terrell Grigsby
Marriage Date (Day, Month, Year): 11 Mar 1838
City: Onyx
State: Missouri

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _UID: C3772C69052B704D86AA2FFD44170353C99F

Notes:

To do list:
1. check church records for Daniel in Ancaster and Illinois2. What was going on in 1847 in Glen Ellyn, DuPage, Illinois that both Laura and her 2 yr old daughter died?
3. 1840 Census there was a Daniel Miller in Lee County, Iowa territory. age 20-30, 1 female age 20-30
Timeline for Daniel Miller:

What we know about Daniel Miller: Source

1810- May 10, Daniel Miller born Ancaster, Ontario, Canada tombstone
1834- Mar 12, Daniel Miller & Mary Book witnesses to marriage of Alem research by Ancaster Hist. Soc.
Kelly & Margaret Vansickle, Ancaster, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
(there was no marriage for Daniel in St. John Angelic church
records of Ancaster)
1844-1852, Daniel owned land in DuPage County, Illinois DuPage Co land records
1846 Mar 4, Daniel married Laura Crumb (bn New York) in DuPage Co. DuPage Co marriage rec.
1847 Daughter, Malica born, DuPage Co, IL findagrave
1849 Jan 17, Daniel & Laura sold 2 parcels of land DuPage Co. DuPage Co land rec.
1849 Jan 20, daughter Elmira born to Daniel & Laura in DuPage Illinois Elmira death rec.
1849 Feb 5, Daughter, Malica dies and is buried Forest Hill Cemetery tombstone, findagrave
1849 Laura Crumb Miller died in DuPage Co, IL, findagrave, Forest Hill, Cem, Glen Ellyn
1849 Mar 24, Daniel only sold land parcel in DuPage Co. DuPage Co land rec.
1850 Census list only Daniel, age 39, farmer bn Canada, Milton tnshp 1850 Census,DuPageCo,Il
1851 Traveled to Oregon or California?
1852 Jun 25, Daniel&Mary sold land in DuPage Co,from Wash Co,OR DuPage Co land rec.
1856 Jan 24, daughter, Matilda J., b in Oregon to Daniel &Mary 1860 Census, Napa Co, CA
and tombstone
1860 Jun 19, Census, Napa Co. Daniel, age 50, carpenter, bn Canada 1860 Census, NapaCo,CA
Mary J, wife, age 55, bn Ireland
Elmira, daughter, age 11, bn Ill.
Matilda J., daughter, age 5, bn Oregon
1864 Living in Napa as his daughter Matilda was in Liberty School Liberty School Exhibition
program presentation.
1870 Jul 14, Daniel age 60 farmer bn Canada living in Martinez 1870 Census CC Co, CA
Mary age 42 keeping house bn Canada
Matilda age 14 at home bn Oregon
1879 Feb 28, Daniel died, buried Brentwood, Contra Costa, CA tombstone
1880 4 Jan, daughter,Matilda, born to Matilda J &Isaac Huey Martinez Gazette news
article & tombstone
1880 Jan 24, Matilda J. Huey died, Contra Costa Co., CA tombstone
1880 Mary J Miller widow, wife’s mother living with Erasmus Grigsby 1800 U S Census
1900 Mary J. Miller,head,widow,age76,b Ireland 1900 Census CC Co. CA
Tilley Huey,granddaughter, single, age 20 bn CA
1901-Feb 12, Mary J. Miller died tombstone


Daniel Miller and Laura Crumb were married 4 March 1846 in DuPage County, Illinois. They were married nearly 3 years before their first child, Elmira, was born in 17 January 1849. Laura died shortly after the birth of their child. Laura had signed with Daniel to sell property in DuPage County just 3 days before giving birth.
Daniel Miller was born 10 May 1810 in Ancaster, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada. Nothing is known about his family. He shows up in DuPage County, Illinois in land records as early as May 1843. He is there in the 1850 Census but without Laura or Elmira. In 1852 he and Mary sell land in DuPage County through an attorney as he is in Washington County, Oregon. It is not known when he and Mary married, but they had a daughter, Matilda, who was born in Oregon in 1856. Matilda died giving birth to her first child the same year Daniel, her father, died. Mary was born in Ireland and came to America in 1851. The family story is that Daniel came to California in 1852 in a covered wagon. (Did he go to California and then return to Oregon?) Daniel and Mary are in Yount, Napa County, California in the 1860 census. By 1870 they were in Contra Costa County, where both Daniel and Mary Miller died. They are both buried in the Union cemetery in Brentwood, Contra Costa County, California. Daniel was 69 years old.
Laura Crumb was born about 1824 in New York. She was the 4th of 11th children born to William and Anna Lewis Crumb. William died in 1947 in DuPage County, Illinois. Anna then married Willard Dingman in 1947 and they moved to New York. Both the Crumb and Lewis ancestors were from Washington County, Rhode Island. It is interesting to note that Laura's sister Harriet, who married James Stanton, lived in Oakland, California very close to where Laura's daughter, Elmira, lived during that same time period. Did they know each other? Laura Died in February 1847 in DuPage County, Illinois, shortly after the birth of her only child. She was 25 years old. Where she is buried is not known. There is no known picture of her.

birth and death info from Tombstone Brentwood, Contra Costa, California, Union Cemetary

http://www.paper-trail.org (there is a Daniel mentioned. Is it our Daniel? did he go to Oregon and come back to Illinois?)
1848People named (matching Soundex) Daniel Miller between 1847 and 1856. (1 results)
Family Name First Name Year Age Gender Origin Individual Type Party
Miller Daniel 1848 M Emigrant
Document mentioning Daniel Miller in 1848
Title Author Type Document Code

1848 Across the Plains Lee Other 48LEE01



The family story is that Daniel came to California in 1852 in a covered wagon. ( Did he go to California and then return, as his daughter, Matilda was born in Oregon in 1856?)
I have been to the cemetary where he is buried along with his 2nd wife, Mary, their daughter, Matilda, and her husband and their daughter. His first daughter, Elmira and her husband, Erasmus Grigsby, are also buried there in Brentwood, California.

Possible?
1840 United States Federal Census
Name: Samuel Meller or Daniel Miller]
Home in 1840 (City, County, State): Township 68, Lee, Iowa Territory
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1
Persons Employed in Agriculture: 1
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 2
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 2

1860 United States Federal Census Daniel Miller
Name: Daniel Miller
Age in 1860: 50
Birth Year: abt 1810
BirthPlace: Canada
Home in 1860: Yount, Napa, California
Gender: Male
Post Office: Sebastopol
Household Members:Name Age
Daniel Miller 50 Carpenter value of property $1200
Mary J Miller 35 (I read 33) born Ireland
Elmira Miller 11 born Illinois
Matilda J Miller 5 born Oregon

1870 United States Federal Census Daniel Miller
Name: Daniel Miller
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1810
Age in 1870: 60
BirthPlace: Canada
Home in 1870: Township 3, Contra Costa, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Martinez
Household: Daniel age 60 Canada
Mary 42 Canada
Matilda 14 Oregon

* (found 5/21/05 IL land record Daniel Miller Residence of Purchaser unknown,date of purchase-5/31/1843, 80 acres sec 10 T 39N R 10E Meridian 3 Aliquot or lot E2NW Dupage County, 1.25/acre $100 total price, type of land sale-FD, vol 686, page 56)
MILLER DANIEL purchaserNumber=0050248>SESW 03 39N 10E 3 08/01/1844 DUPAGE
MILLER DANIEL E2NW 10 39N 10E 3 05/31/1843 DUPAGE
MILLER DANIEL purchaserNumber=0050250>NWSE 10 39N 10E 3 03/28/1844 DUPAGE
MILLER DANIEL purchaserNumber=0050251>SESW 02 39N 10E 3 08/01/1844 DUPAGE
MILLER DANIEL purchaserNumber=0050252>NESW 10 39N 10E 3 03/28/1844 DUPAGE

Land in DuPage County, Illinois
Daniel Miller Grantee
Doc#1378 deed bk 3 pg 411 - 28 Oct 1844 80 acres +bldgs. $400 W1/2 NE1/4 sect 10 T39N R10E
3rd Prime Meridian
#4315 deed bk 10 pg 189 - 1 May 1845 (recorded Vol 25 p295 Gen Land office) certificate
#12398 public land sale 80 acres E1/2 SW1/4 sect 10 T39N R10E
#4316 deed bk 10 pg 190 - 1 Jun 1845 (patent recorded vol 30 pg 300 Gen Land office) cert #
15095 pub land sale - 80 acres NE1/4 SW1/4 + NW1/4 SE1/4
sect 10 T39N R10E
#4317 deed bk 10 pg 190 - 1 Sep 1845 (recorded Vol 32 pg 408 Gen Land office cert #16242
pub land sale- 40 acres SE1/4 SW1/4 sect 3 T39N R10E
#3504 deed bk 8 pg 407 - 7 May 1847 - 4.88 acres +bldgs. $11.67 part of W1/2 SE1/4 sect 3
T39N R10E
#3516 deed bk 8 pg 409 - 27 Sep 1848 - 67 acres + bldgs. $200, N1/2 of subdivision 8&9 sect
16 T40 R9E
Daniel Miller - Grantor
Doc #3841 deed bk 9 pg 262 - 17 Jan 1849 - 40 acres. $240, part of W1/2 NE1/4 sec 10 + part
of W1/2 SE1/4 sect 3 T39N R10E from Daniel and Laura
#3842 deed bk 9 pg 273 - 17 Jan 1849 - 80 acres. $150, W1/2 SE1/4 sect 10 T39N R10E
from Daniel and Laura
#5008 deed bk 11 pg 254 - 24 Mar 1849 - 37.25 acres $130, SE 1/4 SW1/4 sec 3 T39N
R10E from Daniel only
#5908 deed bk 12 pg 438 - 28 Jan 1852 - 67 acres, $800, N1/2 of subdivision 8&9 sect 16
T40 R9E from Daniel and Mary from Washington County, Oregon Terr.
#6350 deed bk 13 pg 200 - 3 July 1852 - about 257 acres, $1104, Daniel Miller by his
attorney in fact

*There seems to be about 230 more acres sold than acquired. Perhaps there was another parcel acquired previous to 1844.or perhaps there was another Daniel. was it a homestead?

Daniel married Laura CRUMB on 4 Mar 1846 in , DuPage, Illinois, United States. Laura (daughter of William Crumb and Anna LEWIS) was born about 1827 in New York, United States; died on 30 Jan 1849 in , DuPage, Illinois, United States; was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Glen Ellyn, DuPage, Illinois, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: *
• _MARNM: Miller
• _UID: 8343220218C1FA4DA560DFBFC6D6C49DAA73

Notes:

died 10 days after giving birth to Elmira Miller
findagraave.com
Laura Miller
Birth: unknown
Death: Jan. 30, 1849
Lot 27
Inscription:
Wife of Daniel, 22y
Burial: Forest Hill Cemetery, Glen Ellyn, DuPage County, Illinois, USA
Created by: Michael Harrington
Record added: Jun 25, 2006
Find A Grave Memorial# 14721547

this grave is in the same lot as Laura? Was there a baby boy born to them who died?
Daniel Miller
Birth: unknown
Death: unknown
Burial: Forest Hill Cemetery, Glen Ellyn, DuPage County, Illinois, USA
Plot: Lot 27
Created by: Michael Harrington
Record added: Jul 21, 2006
Find A Grave Memorial# 15000373

Who is this? 2 years older than Elmira?
Malica Miller
Birth: unknown
Death: Feb. 5, 1849
Lot 27
Inscription:
Dau of Daniel and Laura, 2y
Burial:
Forest Hill Cemetery, Glen Ellyn, DuPage County, Illinois, USA
Created by: Michael Harrington
Record added: Jun 25, 2006
Find A Grave Memorial# 14721553

Mother's birth place listed as New York on daughter Elmira's info in 1900 census of CA