The Cass family of Howden, Goole and USA

 I was surprised to notice that it was May when I last wrote a blog post. That does not mean that I have not been looking at local history but have not been writing it on here. So here is a catch up!!

It is a hot summer and we now have a hosepipe ban.  The vegetables seem to have come and gone very quickly but we have a lot of spinach and courgettes. I have three new chickens - they came as small  chicks but are now fully feathered and are almost ready to be introduced to the bigger ones!

I spent a busy time in Junction in Goole where we - ie the Boothferry family and Local History group had an exhibition for two weeks. We saw a lot of people and now have our own facebook page to keep us up to date.

I am now looking forward to and preparing for an exhibition in Eastrington church on 13th September. This is a heritage day event and I am working with a radio amateur - who happens to be my cousin. He- with colleagues - will be broadcasting from the church that day.

https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/amateur-radio-meets-one-of-the-architecturally-trickiest-churches-in-the-east-riding-2025.html

I recently listened to a talk about the life of William Eden Cass who was Goole's first doctor.  I thought I would add some family details here.

William was born in Howden in October 1801. His father William had married Elizabeth Justice in 1800. 

The Justice family, about whom I have a lot of information, originated in the Snaith area and owned land  in Cowick, Newland, Airmyn and Fishlake.

Elizabeth was the daughter of David and Dorothy nee Bolton and was baptised at Snaith in 1771. She had six brothers and sisters including William Andrew and Dorothy.

William Andrew Justice who died 1830 was a stationer in Howden in the premises which are now Boots chemist.

Dorothy in 1799 married William Small of London. William died in London in 1829 aged 60. They had five surviving children,  including David Justice Small, Justice Small and Alfred Small. David, a printer, emigrated in 1833 to Newark New Jersey and his descendants live in USA. Justice never married but was of independent means and her initials are over the unusual building she had built in Churchside in Howden. Alfred founded the  Goole and Marshland Gazette in Aire Street. He later lived in Laxton.

William Eden Cass had a younger brother David born 1803 and four younger siblings who died as babies. The last was Elizabeth baptised 18th June 1810 who died 27th August. Her mother died in childbirth on 16th June.

William Cass snr married again on 1st January 1811. His wife was the former Mary Hawkins. They had at least seven further children  Joseph Hawkins Cass b 1811 d 1849 John Cass b 1813 William Cass b1815 They were baptised at Howden. Then the family moved to Owston Ferry where  Eliza was baptised in 1817,  Laurenza  in 1818 [died 1818]  Mary Ann in 1822, Walter in 1826 and Lavinia in 1828.

 
Owston Ferry

William snr described himself as a druggist on William Eden's birth but later as a surgeon,

William Eden Cass went to school firstly in Howden and then in Wintringham where he was tutored by  Rev Lorenzo Grainger. It seems that the families were somehow related.  When Rev Grainger died in 1839 he left £250 to David Cass 'grandson of his aunt Jane/Janet Cass' and £50 to William Eden Cass. As yet I have not worked out the connection.

Rev Grainger had an  apparently eccentric sister Lavinia and William gave his first son the middle name Grainger.

So by the 1830s William Eden Cass had voyaged to the Arctic, been a surgeon on a whaling vessel and was settled in Goole living in Banks Terrace. In 1834 he married  Ann Earnshaw whose father George Rawden Earnshaw was a prominent local landowner and farmer. There is still an important drain named for him - Earnshaw's Warping drain.

 William Eden Cass

William and Ann had sons George Grainger b 1835, William Leonard b 1839 and Edward Earnshaw b 1843 More about them another time!!.

The family saw several weddings in 1837.

William's younger brother David was a chemist and druggist in Aire Street. In 1837 he married Ann Earle at York

Joseph Hawkins married Eleanor Fawcett in Hull also in 1837. Their son William Henry was born at Goole. the following year. Joseph was listed with his father at Owston Ferry in 1841 and described as a surgeon. [He died in Hull in 1849].

William born 1815 also married in 1837 Anna Isabella Scholfield, daughter of Joseph Gabriel Scholfield and grandaughter of John Scholfield of Sandhall near Howden. Their son Walter Lionel was born at Owston Ferry in 1841. William was a grocer and draper.

In 1841 John was an assistant surgeon living and working with older [half] brother William Eden in Goole. 

In 1841 most of the rest of the family were in Owston Ferry. 

But then in the 1840s  several of them emigrated. Online records enable us to trace them.

In June 1848 William,  Anna Isabella and their children Walter and Anne left Liverpool on the ship Patrick Henry arriving on 24 Jul 1848  at New York, 

 The Patrick Henry arriving in New York. The voyage normally took a little over a month

Also on the ship were William's brother John a surgeon with his wife Ann and infant son William

By 1855 John was living  at Lockport Niagara County and by 1860 had children  Richard, Samuel, Percival and Charles Frederick 

He died in 1873 and there is a memorial to him [Dr John Cass] in Cold Springs Cemetery Lockport. According to the stone his wife Ann died in 1863 and a second wife Rebecca in 1880

In Sept 1849 aboard the ship Aberdeen from Liverpool was William Cass aged 75 and listed as a surgeon, Mrs Cass and Miss Cass

Also on the Aberdeen was their daughter Eliza Wright and her children Thomas, Mary Ann, Lorenzo, Walter  and baby John. Not Thomas who had travelled earlier on the Richard Alsop

But by 1850 the census shows that the extended family were all close including their daughter Mary Ann who had married John Todd. William and Anna were there as were the Wrights

I have not followed all the family but I did find that buried at Oak Hill cemetery Elma Erie county was Dr William Cass aged 77 who died on 3rd May 1851. A long way from Howden and Owston Ferry. 

Also on the stone is Joseph Cass (his grandson) son of William and Ann Isabella Cass

David Cass

David was Wiliam Eden Cass's younger brother and he too emigrated. In November 1849 he sold the contents of his Aire St premises

Mr. JAMES WALKER begs to announce to the Public that he will SELL BY AUCT[ON, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Days of November, 1849, on the  Premises, at Goole, in the occupation of Mr. David Cass, the whole of the superior Household Furniture, Silver Plate, Plated Goods, Bed and at Table Linen; upwards of 60 Dozen of British Champagne, Tent, Port, Sherry, Orange, Raisin, Currant,  Ginger, Calcavella, and Cowslip Wines; a quantity of Wine, in Cask; a large Quantity of Groceries, and  Drugs, with Sundry other Effects.  The whole to be sold without reserve.  The Sale to commence each Morning at Ten  punctually, November 14, 1849. 

 Aire Street with the station on the left. David Cass will have seen this built as it opened in 1848

By 1850  David was alone in Newark New Jersey as a bookkeeper. By 1860 his wife and son William Earle Cass had joined him. He died in 1878. Maybe he met up with his cousin David  Justice Small.

So by 1851 Dr Cass's extended family were mostly in the USA. But he remained in Goole  until his death in 1890 outliving two of his three sons. But that is for another time.