Richard Horswell, 1822-1915

HORSWELL, WOOD, CRONK, MASTIN, CANNON, LAW, JOHNSON, LAISY, GARFIELD BLANCH

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/7/2009 at 07:30:06

ANOTHER PIONEER IS CALLED HOME
RICHARD HORSWELL, OF ARMSTRONG GROVE TOWNSHIP PASSED AWAY.
FORTY-TWO YEARS IN COUNTY

Was the father of Seventeen Children, All But One of Whom Are Living

Richard Horswell was born March 25, 1822, at Tavistock, near Plymouth, England; died at his home near Armstrong, Wednesday August 4, at 10:30 p.m. 1915, being 93 years, 4 months and 10 days old. He was born of that strong and sturdy class, the English peasantry. He was born with the spirit of adventure, with a strong impulse to know the larger world and sail on the high seas of discovery, crossing the Atlantic at twenty-one, and four times thereafter from Plymouth to Quebec. Upon his return voyage to England he was united in marriage with Mary Ann Wood, daughter of a Plymouth lumber merchant, in 1845. In 1849 he returned to Canada with wife and two children.

From 1849 to 1861 the family were in the new country back of Kingston. At the earnest pleadings of the mother, the family, now grown to six children, of whom Albert was the babe, took ship for Plymouth. This change was made with the special purpose of bringing the children under the influence of education and religion the lack of which was much felt in interior Canada in those days. In the course of the six years following, the call of the west again became audible and on April 18, 1867, on the good ship Parsee, Captain John transferred all that was transferable of the family estate, with one accession to the family, Victor, born in England, across the ocean, landing at Quebec May 31. June 23 of the same year, the wife and mother died at Kingston. The good man staggered under this affliction but did not fall.

In 1870, his son, John R. had found his way to Humboldt, then known as Springvale and Dakota City [both towns in Iowa.] The father soon took the trail and with the family arrived at that place April 14, 1870. He was there united in marriage with Miss Dorcas Cronk, whom he had known in Canada. The three following years were spent in Humboldt county. In the meantime he had made application to the land office for any vacant homesteads and was referred to one in Emmet county. This he made haste to enter. Here at last 'he drove a stake in a sure place" which was not to be moved. This homestead joins the town of Armstrong on the east. Here for 42 years he lived and toiled in content, finding his chief pleasure in the work of his own hands and the sweat of his brow. He was a strong and healthy man, a lover of men and a lover of God, devoted to the church as he understood his duty in that relation, enjoying the life he lived with his God for it was frequently his habit to break out in a stanza of a hymn or an audible prayer when he thought he was alone. He has had his day. It has been a long and great day. He came upon the scene of life when the Napoleanic wars were fresh in memory and it was his pleasure for many years while around the fireside with the family and visitors to relate the scenes of great moving drama of war, which he had well at command. In the days before the popular newspaper this was a principal means of dispensing current information. He was always proud of life and lived it to the full.

He was the father of 17 children all of whom are living but one of the second family. The list by families follows: First family, John Richard, born in Plymouth; Elizabeth, Mrs. H. Cronk of Armstrong, born in Plymouth; Adaline, Mrs. C. D. Mastin, Minneapolis; George H., of Fort Dodge; Charles, of Chicago; Albert of Cleveland, all born in Canada, and James Victor Wood of Armstrong, born in Plymouth. The second family: Victoria A., Mrs. George Cannon, Walter R. of Swea City; Maud II, Mrs.John Law of Armstrong; Thyrna B., Mrs. Johnson of Sioux City; Francis A., deceased; Mae A., Mrs. Laisy of Gill, S. D. Garfield S. of Armstrong; Laura Blanch of Chicago; Howard Blaine, of Swea City; Allen Lincoln of Harris.

A very impressive funeral service was held at the Methodist church, of which the deceased had long been a member, conducted by the pastor, Rev. Pruitt, preaching from the words of Scripture selected long before by the aged father, "Let me die the death of the righteous (one) and let my last end be like his," surely a fitting close for such a life. He was buried in the beautiful Armstrong cemetery by the side of his daughter, Francis, Saturday, August 7, 1915.

Contributed by: Ruth M. Hackett. Source: The Estherville Enterprise, Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa, Aug. 11, 1915.