In 1914, one of the many families included in a book of New England families was that of Henry Hoar's son Richard Alexander Hoar. This account included information about Richard's father and mother. While there are many errors in the account, it is important for the history of this family. The full text is given below, along with my notations on some of the specifics. My notations are indicated in the text by putting the referenced text in bold red and following it with a square-bracketed number, which refers to my numbered comments after the text. My comments are limited to the ones born in Cornwall. -- Wesley Johnston (St. Blazey Families Project)

The Source

“New England Families: Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation” (Volume IV)

compiled under the editorial supervision of William Richard Cutter, A. M. New York, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914. Page 2212

books.google.com/books?id=itAUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2212&lpg=PA2212&dq=philip+henry+hoar

The Text

Captain Philip Henry Hoar [1], HOAR founder of this family in America [2],

was born at Truro, county Cornwall, Wales, August 15. 1825 [3], and died in the state of Washington, United States of America, July 2, 1899. He was educated in the schools of his native place. He began as a boy to learn the trade of stationary engineer. In 1848 he came to this country and located in Michigan [4] in the mining district. He became superintendent of a copper mine, and was afterward superintendent of iron mines in New York and of talc mines in that state. He was engaged in mining for a time in Colorado. He spent most of active life, however, in the state of Michigan. During the civil war he organized two regiments that served in the Union army. In religion he was a Methodist, a zealous and consistent supporter of his faith. He had two brothers, John A. and Richard M. Hoar, and a sister, Mary Ann [5]. The three brothers were very large and robust and were widely known as "the three Cornish giants." Captain Hoard married Elizabeth Bond Allen, who was born at Penzance [6], in Cornwall. Children : Jennie Estelle, deceased ; James Henry, lives in Chico, Washington; Jacob Bond, killed in 1890, in British Columbia ; John A., editor of a newspaper in Golden, Colorado; William J., resides at Swanzea, British Columbia; Richard A., of whom further.

(II) Richard Alexander Hoar, son of Captain Philip Henry Hoard, was born at Houghton,

Michigan, December 8, 1864. Early in life he learned the blacksmith's trade, and labored at the forge to secure means for his education. After attending the public schools he began to study law in the office of Hon. H. W. Day and Judge White, of Herman, New York. In 1886 he relinquished his studies and found employment in a granite quarry at Barre, Vermont. In the spring of 1887 he began to quarry and sell granite on his own account. A year later he sold his quarries to W. A. & O. B. Boyce, and resumed his study of law. He was admitted to the bar at the October term of the supreme court in 1889, standing fifth in a class of nineteen. He was admitted to practice in the federal courts in 1894. In 1890 he formed a partnership with Hon. William E. Barney, and the firm continued until Mr. Barney was appointed judge of the city court of Barre. In 1896-97 he was city attorney of Barre, resigning to become attorney for the Montpelier Traction and Power Company, operating a street railway between the cities of Montpelier and Barre. In June, 1898, Mr. Hoar was unanimously nominated for state's attorney for the county of Washington, and elected in September by a flattering majority. He was appointed state's attorney to fill the unexpired term of his predecessor, Hon. Fred A. Howland. At the Republican county convention in June, 1900, Mr. Hoar was again unanimously nominated for state's attorney, and reelected in September, He proved to be one of the most capable and efficient men that ever filled this office. He made a state-wide reputation for his administration of the important and difficult duties of his office. During his term he prepared for trial two hundred and forty-four cases, including several for capital or crimes. With the exception of eight cases the trials resulted in conviction or a change of plea to guilty, and but three juries reported disagreement. Mr. Hoar is a master of the art of trying cases before a jury, an adroit and aggressive fighter, skillful in crossexamination, and clear, cogent and convincing in summing up his evidence. He has enjoyed a large practice in the civil and criminal courts and has had much large corporation business in recent years. In 1912 he left the Republican party and followed the lead of Theodore Roosevelt in the Progressive party. He was candidate of the Progressive party for attorney-general of Vermont.

He married, in 1887, Mary M. Keith, daughter of Hon. Lewis and Marancy (Wilson) Keith (see Keith). Children: Ellen M.; Bernice W.; Lewis Keith ; Richard Alexander Jr.; Elizabeth Allen; and Redfield Dillingham.

Numbered Comments

[1] Philip Henry Hoar The surname was most-often spelled HORE in the Cornish records, although there are variant spellings, such as HOAR and HOARE. In the United States, after 1850, the name was always spelled HOAR, although some census takers created their own variants.

He was baptized Henry Hore, and that is the name that appears for him in all records until the 1890's. The earliest document that I have found that does not use Henry as his name is the 1892 Washington State Census, where he and his wife and son Orville are listed in Seattle, giving only his initials, where he is shown as "E. H.". Possibly the census taker was told "P. H." but misheard. The only document actually showing him as "Philip" that I have found is his death record. There was a Philip Henry Hore who is a youth in the 1871 England Census; so it may be that Henry was the child's godfather and then assumed the name Philip himself. But there is no document that I have found anywhere before 1892 that shows him as anything other than Henry. These include his baptism, the 1841 England Census, and the 1850, 1860 and 1870 US Censuses -- all show him as Henry. (I have not found him in the 1880 US Census.)

[2] founder of this family in America It is not really clear whether Henry came first or his brother John came first or they came together. The earliest document of either of them in the United States is the marriage at Bristol, Connecticut of Henry and Elizabeth 15 Nov 1849. However, in the 1850 US Census of Blyth Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania that shows the two brothers' families listed next to each other, John's youngest child William is shown as age 9/12, born in Pennsylvania, and the census date was5 Sep 1860, so that William was apparently born in Pennsylvania Dec 1849. So it is clear that both brothers were in the United States in 1849, but it is not clear when John came. Since both John and his wife Jenepher (nee Bennetts) died before the 1900 census, we have no census indication of when they came.

[3] born at Truro, county Cornwall, Wales, August 15. 1825 Henry was baptized at St. Austell 3 Sep 1826. (All of Jacob and Gertrude's children were baptized at St. Austell, except their first: Joseph was baptized 12 Nov 1815 at St. Blazey and shown with Parr as his abode.) There is no such place as "Cornwall, Wales", so that whoever gave the information that his birth was at "Truro, Cornwall, Wales" clearly had no idea what they were talking about. Henry's birth was almost certainly in the parish of St. Austell. Since I do not have access to the St. Austell parish register of his baptism, I cannot yet say where their abode was at that time. In the 1841 England Census, they are at Fatwork in the parish of St. Austell, the area near the Fatwork Mine.

[4] In 1848 he came to this country and located in Michigan Henry did eventually locate in Michigan. However, his15 Nov 1849 marriage to Elizabeth was in Bristol, Connecticut, and he appears in the 1850 US Census in Blyth Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The locations of the births of his children in the 1860 US Census of Houghton, Michigan shows that the family moved a great deal in the 1850's: Jane (c 1850) and James H. (c 1851) were born in Pennsylvania, Jacob (c 1853) was born in Connecticut, John (c 1855) was born in Michigan, and Juliette (c 1859) -- who apparently died in the 1860's -- was born in Illinois.

[5] two brothers, John A. and Richard M. Hoar, and a sister, Mary Ann I have been able to find his brothers, John and Richard, in the US records. However thus far, I have not found who is sister Mary Ann (presumably the Mary baptzied 7 Sep 1828 at St. Austell) married, so that I have not yet traced her to the US.

[6] Elizabeth Bond Allen, who was born at Penzance Elizabeth was not born at Penzance. The Bristol, Connecticut marriage record made an attempt to write her birthplace, as "Leedgoam". In fact, she was baptized as Elizabeth Bond ALLEN in the parish of Ludgvan 9 Apr 1826, the daughter of James and Ann ALLEN. (I have not attempted to trace her parents nor to find their marriage.)