Columbia County WI Archives Biographies.....Stubbins, George Edward October 19, 1822 - October 11, 1864 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/wi/wifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Clay Stubbins castubbins@suddenlink.net March 29, 2009, 2:54 pm Author: Clay Stubbins George Edward Stubbins Born: October 19, 1822 - Henton, Wookey, Wells, Somerset, England Died: October 11, 1864 - Hampden (Portage), Wisconsin Buried: Hampden Cemetery (Section 9-S) Revised October 12, 2008 George Edward Stubbins was born October 19, 1822 in Henton, Somerset, England, the son of Edmund and Sarah Stubbins. George had seven sisters. Priscilla (born 1826), Mary (born 1829), and Ruth (born 1830) are known. Based on correspondence from 1864 having to do with settlement of Sarah Stubbins' estate, there were four other daughters of Edmund and Sarah Stubbins, but their names are as yet unknown. George Edward at one time worked, and possibly lived, at the Bleadney Inn, near Henton, England. (There is also a town in England called Bleadney. It is near Henton, but no current or historical record of a Bleadney Inn could be found. Further research will require a trip to England.) Correspondence from 1854 discusses an apparent business dispute between George Edward Stubbins and a John Savage. A statement titled "Savage v. Stubbins" appears to outline a settlement whereby certain personal effects of George Edward Stubbins were sold at auction in March 1854 for 68 Pounds, 15 Shillings, 10 Pence. This forced sale occurred after George Edward had emigrated to America. George Edward's wife was Sarah Ann Rood. They married on March 24, 1845 in St. Matthews Church in Wookey, Wells, Somerset, England, where Sarah Rood was born on January 1, 1827. She was the daughter of John (born 1791) and Ann Rood (born 1796), and had two sisters, Caroline (born 1821) and Mary (born 1829). Little is known of Sarah's family other than John was listed on a census as an "Innkeeper". This presents the possibility that John Rood was the owner of the Bleadney Inn where George Edward worked, but there is no evidence to support this conjecture. George Edward's and Sarah's children were Sarah Eliza (March 19, 1846), George Edmund (May 19, 1848), Ruth Hester (August 26, 1855), Anna A. (March 5, 1858), Mary Elizabeth (March 21, 1861), Priscilla Caroline (April 1, 1863), and possibly one other unknown sister that died very young. Sarah Eliza and George were born in England, while Ruth Hester, Anna, Mary Elizabeth and Priscilla Caroline were born in Wisconsin. George Edward immigrated to the USA in 1852, arriving in New York City on April 26th on the ship "Hannah Crocker" out of London. George followed his sister Priscilla who had immigrated with her husband, Charles Baker, in 1847. Sarah Ann, with children Sarah Eliza and George Edmund, followed him in 1854, arriving in New York City on May 22nd on the ship "Mary Ann Peters". George Edward and his family settled in or near Moundville, Wisconsin (Columbia County, near Portage). They later spent time in the towns of Hampden and Lodi, also near Portage. Throughout this period George Edward made his living as a farmer. George Edward Stubbins died on October 14, 1864, and is buried in the Hampden cemetery. Only 42 years old at the time, the cause of his death is unknown. Following George Edward Stubbins' death, his widow, Sarah, and family, moved in 1865 to the New Hampton, Iowa area. * * * * * In a 1938 publication of "The Wisconsin Magazine of History", in a section titled "Settlement of English Potters", evidence is given as to why our Stubbins ancestors came to this county and settled, initially at least, in Wisconsin. The document is very long (26 pages), so some salient parts are presented here in italic type. A century ago, in the days of acute labor troubles in England, the potters, in common with other classes, suffered from low wages and oppression by their employers. Their situation produced an altruist named William Evans, who conceived an organ to represent them. This made its appearance on December 2, 1843, under the name of "The Voters Examiner and Workman's Advocate". It was published weekly, and first circulated in the pottery towns of Staffordshire. After a few issues, when the magazine had become known to the workmen, Evans wrote an article suggesting that the potters consider the subject of emigrating to America where they might improve their condition. Later Evans became more specific about his project. He said: "Now, it is my suggestion that as there are 7,000 operative potters in these districts and not more than 600 out of employment a joint stock emigration company of 5,000 shares at $1 (pound)…….this sum would purchase the one-half of a township or 12,000 acres of land, and clear the migration expenses of 100 families." He called their attention to the fact that they had to work 12, 14 or 16 hours a day in a heated and confined atmosphere amid whirling dust and rattling engines…….better to fly to the beautiful prairies of the fair west and the freedom of nature…….to the untaxed plains, rivers and lakes of a free country. While Evans interest was at first directed toward Illinois, a committee of three was sent out in 1846 to locate the proposed "promised land", and made the first purchase in Wisconsin territory. Following the above, an organization called the Potter's Emigration Society was formed. There is a lot of discussion about the organization and some financial shenanigans, and it eventually went bankrupt, but many of the people that immigrated to Wisconsin stayed and set down roots. Later in the article……… Mr. Turner states that the first purchase of land by the society in 1846 was made at a place first called "Pottersville", and later the town of Scott. That Thomas Twiggs came out in 1849 to purchase 50,000 acres and he did purchase a considerable amount, principally in the towns of Fort Winnebago (now Portage) and Moundville. A Dr. Shafer examined the manuscript census of 1860 and secured the names of all native English family heads in the four towns identified by Mr. Turner as those settled by English potters. Two of the towns are in Columbia County and two are in Marquette County. The names, totaling 83, of whom 76 were heads of farm families, are as follows: " Town of Fort Winnebago, Columbia County, Wisconsin - Charles Baker (and 10 others). " Town of Scott, Columbia County, Wisconsin - 22 Names. " Town of Buffalo, Marquette County, Wisconsin - 4 Names. " Town of Moundville, Marquette County, Wisconsin - 45 Names, including George Stubbins. (George Edward Stubbins) The above towns are, or were, all in the Portage, Wisconsin area and have largely been incorporated or otherwise absorbed into other communities over time. The Charles Baker (1823- 1904) cited above is the man separately identified as the husband of Priscilla Stubbins (1826-1862), George Edward Stubbins' sister. Charles and Priscilla settled in Fort Winnebago and had five children. * * * * * Relationships: " George Edward Stubbins (1822-1864) and Sarah Ann Rood (1827- 1908) are 2nd great-grandparents of Clayton Allan Stubbins (born 1947). " Their son, George Edmund Stubbins (1848-1933) was a great- grandfather of Clayton Allan Stubbins. " George Edmund Stubbins' son, Clayton Ashley Stubbins (1873- 1942) was a grandfather of Clayton Allan Stubbins. " Clayton Ashley Stubbins' son, Allan Linder Stubbins (1907- 1963) was the father of Clayton Allan Stubbins. * * * * * Hampden Cemetery Hampden Cemetery is in Hampden Township, Columbia County, Wisconsin (near Portage, Wisconsin). It is located at the intersections of County Roads K and N and Bradley Road near the Hampden Town Hall. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/columbia/bios/stubbins1138gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wifiles/ File size: 8.1 Kb