MEMOIRS
by Mayme Thomas Richards
This was written for a speech given at a family reunion before 1958. My grandmother had an excellent memory, but most of the events she tells about happened before she was born. Recent family research has uncovered inaccuracies and those are flagged by footnotes.
Joseph HenryThomas was the youngest child of 9 children born of Richard and Ann Thomas, three girls and six boys.
Mary Trembath was only child of Benedict and Ann Trembath and she attended private school.
Both born at Crown Town, Sithney Parish, Cornwall, England and
were married there in 1861.
Mary Annie, Elizabeth Jane, and Benedict Trembath Thomas born
in England.
When Ben was a baby father went to America to New York, then by
boat to Isthmus Panama and traveled across Isthmus by train, by
boat and walking to Pacific coast, then to SanFrancisco, and to
Amador City.
He worked in Little Amador Mine and after working his shift walked
to Sutter Creek to attend night school so he could learn to read
and write.
When strike declared at the mine, he and Grandpa Trembath went
back to England. Ben was then nearly six years old.
Mary Annie had an affliction [cleft lip &/or palate] and was operated on several times in Children's Hospital in London. She was near well when she fell and had to have work done over, so had to go back to hospital. Queen Victoria visited the Children's Hospital and gave Mary Annie a silver spoon
In 1871, father, mother, Liz and Ben, also Steve Angove
Louise was born in Amador City April 13, 1872. Grandpa, grandma and Mary Annie arrived in Amador City when Louise was a baby in arms.[Benedict and Ann Trembath had stayed behind with Mary Annie until she had recovered from her last surgery.]
Father worked in the Little Amador Mine and mother kept boarders. In 1877, they started a general merchandise store up the creek and father gave up mining.
In 1879 they started to buy land, for Mr. Culbert was borrowing money from them to buy land and they thought they could make a go of it for they would have no interest to pay, so in 1880 bought the Linke property in Drytown and New Chicago.
In 1889 they bought the brick store on main street of town and moved merchandise down there. In 1891 the old store which had grain stored in it, also caskets; two houses; big barn and sheds burned down.
They had the safe in store blown open and money and jewelry stolen, also other people's keepsakes.
They hauled logs for Bunker Hill Mine in 12 to 16 mule teams, also to other mines. About 1895 the mines failed and they were left with checks that bounced back. Also had other folks checks which they cashed and folks moved away. Folks were left with large bundles of worthless checks.
Mother said before that they were worth $60,000 but when reverses came they were land poor and had to sell pieces of land to keep going.
Father was known all over Amador County as "Uncle Joe". He had so many nephews to come to Amador County from England. Mother was called "Misses." Guess the boarders gave her that name.
I only regret that my sisters and brothers are not here with us, also my nieces and nephews, Lillie Sanders, Mabel Sowden, Francis Clemens, Bennie and Joey Thomas and William Sowden who have passed on.
When father was sick he told Louise, Mary Annie, Ben and I that when we turned from his grave to go back to Sacramento, not to grieve for him, for he would be happy for he would be beside Misses.
When Dick Sowden and I were children, Dick was to be a minister and I, a school teacher and we would be married. I became a teacher but Dick did not become a minister!
I want to thank my nephews Jack Leam, Ray and Leam Thomas, Earl Sanders and Harold [Richards, her son} and all helpers who have made a success of this reunion.
Mary Trott and Edith Biggs selected the wreath.[to be placed on the family grave site.]
As the dew is to the blossoms,
The bud is to the Bee
As the scent is to the roses
So are these memories to me.
Should have said they moved to Sacramento April 1907 when Will
and I moved here.
Mother died in Sacramento at 9th and R St.
Father died in Sacramento at 301- 19th St, at my home.
Both taken to Amador to be buried.
Ben, Joey, Jack, Ray, Westley and Jay Pratt, father's pallbearers.....His
grandsons.
Mother never lived on the ranch.
footnotes
1. Joseph was actually 2nd youngest of 10 children, 3 girls and 7 boys: Richard, Ann"Nan", John (died as child), Thomas, Mary Jane, John, William, James, Joseph Henry, Elizabeth. He always said he was the 7th son of a 7th son, which turns out to be true..2. Joseph was 15 when his father died, but his father was disabled with "consumption" the last 6 years of his life. Joseph likely worked in the TIN mines as Cornwall was notoriously without coal and it had to be imported from Wales for smelting their metals. Most miner's children who went to school started by age 3 as they started working in the mines by age 9 or 10, but I don't believe Joseph & his siblings had any formal schooling.
3. Birth records actually indicate Mary Trembath was probably born in Chenhale, 1 mile north of Crowntown and Joseph Thomas was probably born in Prospidnick about 2 miles north of Crowntown. Crowntown, however, was the closest "town". Although only a "bend in the road" it did have a Pub with an Inn and the Eddy's had a tiny grocery store.
4.These were the first 3 children of Joseph and Mary Thomas. Their last 6 children were born in California.
5.The year was 1867 and his father-in-law, Benedict Trembath was probably with him. The are listed together in the 1870 census, boarding with Samuel Mugford.
6. Although he could write his own name, he had no formal education as his wife had. The family story is that he went to night school so he could write letters home to his wife. He may have also been taking classes to become a citizen.
7. According to The Cornish Miner in America, the strike was due to the import of cheap labor from China by the mine owners. The Cornish knew from experience this would drive down wages until no one could make a living. They called a strike knowing the mines could not run without the experienced Cornish miners. Joseph Thomas and Benedict Trembath apparently took this opportunity to travel home to get their families in 1871. They missed all the excitement, as while they were gone, the state militia was called in the break up the strike in an incident known as "The Amador War."
8. Steve Angove was related through the EDDY family. He was first
cousin of Mary Trembath Thomas' first cousin John Angove II who settled
in Grass Valley, California. John Angove II was the husband of Elizabeth
EDDY, Mary Trembath Thomas' aunt. Steve Angove married Annie Jones &
lived in Jackson, California.
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