Northumberland-Schuylkill-Dauphin County PA Archives Biographies.....Hemingray, William (Sr.) 1852 - living in 1899

************************************************

Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm

************************************************



File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:

Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 7, 2005, 9:32 pm



Author: Biographical Publishing Co.



WILLIAM HEMINGRAY, Sr., a worthy and esteemed citizen of Shamokin, is purely of

English descent. He is a son of John and Ann (Ellis) Hemingray and was born

April 22, 1826, at the family homestead in Derbyshire, England.



  John Hemingray, father of our subject, was born in the village of Heage,

Derbyshire, England, about 1783. He was reared and educated in the same village,

where he followed the occupation of a miner for many years, but finally

conceived the idea of trying to better his condition in life by coming" to

America. He brought with him his wife, formerly Ann Ellis of Castle Dunington,

England, and his son William, and located at Mt. Laffer, Schuylkill County, Pa.,

where he again turned his attention to mining, but death overtook him in 1846,

just ten weeks after coming to America. His widow fifteen years later crossed to

the unknown shore.



  William Hemingray had very poor advantages for obtaining an education during

his boyhood, which was spent in England. When twenty years old he left England

with his parents and came to America. They reached the mining districts of

Pennsylvania and located in Schuylkill County, where he engaged in mining. After

mining there about five years he located at Yellow Springs, Dauphin County,

where he continued the same occupation for one year, and was promoted to the

position of pit-boss, which position he retained for three years, giving entire

satisfaction to his employers. His next move was to the bituminous coal regions

of Chesterfield County, in Eastern Virginia, where he remained for two years,

and then returned to Dauphin County. Pa., and took charge of the outside

workings of a colliery at Rauch's Gap, where he remained for some time. He was

afterwards located at the following places: Kanawha Valley, W. Va., where he was

employed as mine-foreman by Col. Garland, and remained for three years; Lykens,

Dauphin County, where he continued to labor till the outbreak of the Rebellion;

Gilberton, Schuylkill County, at which place he was foreman of the South Side

Colliery for one year and a half; Ashland, where he had charge of Repptier's

colliery for a term of three years, resigning his position to accept the more

important position of mine inspector. He yielded to the urgent solicitations of

his friends and became a candidate for this office in 1873, being elected by a

majority of the examining board. He served in that capacity five years, making

his headquarters at Shamokin.



  Mr. Hemingray had made mining a life-study, and, having worked about mines all

his life, he was thoroughly qualified to fill this high office in an able manner

and discharge its duties most acceptably. He still makes Shamokin his home. Of

late years he has done no active work in the line of mining, except locating

mines in the anthracite, region. He has made a study of geological subjects,

especially iron ore and coal, and is considered good authority on this subject.

Rebecca Chaundy became his wife. She is deceased, having passed away May 30,

1895. But two of their children grew to maturity: William, Jr., born June, 1851,

was united in marriage with Ella Samuels, born in 1856. Their home was blessed

by the presence of one daughter, Cora, born in 1876. She was reared in Shamokin

and is highly educated, being a graduate of the Shamokin High School. She is now

a very successful teacher in her native city. Lizzie, wife of William Morgan,

died, leaving two children as a legacy to her husband: Lila, who lives with her

father in Shamokin, and is his joy and comfort; and Derby, who now resides near

Philadelphia.



  Our subject has always taken an active part in educational affairs in his

community, and has served a term of five years as school director. He is an

earnest Republican and zealously advocates the principles of his party. Socially

he is a member of the I. O. O. F., and affiliates with the members of Shamokin

Lodge. He is a willing worker in the M. E. Church and has lived an active and

useful life.







Additional Comments:

Extracted from:



Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District

Published by 

Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)



This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/



File size: 4.7 Kb