Joseph Jarvis Prowse was born on February 22, 1824 and was christened on March 14, 1824 in the Saint Andrew Ebenezer Chapel - Wesleyan, Plymouth, Devon, England.[1] He was the 2nd son of William Prowse and Agnes Rider, and the first to survive past infancy. When Joseph was just a baby, the young family emigrated from Devon to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
On Dec 3, 1846, Joseph married his cousin, Agnes Rider Jarvis.[2] She was the daughter of Peggy (Rider) Jarvis, the sister of Joseph's mother, Agnes (Rider) Prowse. Joseph and Agnes were married by a Baptist minister named Silas Rand, after whom one of their 13 children was named.
At the time of the 1861 Census, Joseph was a farmer in Lot 33, with 100 acres owned by John H. Winsloe, on which Joseph had a 999 yr lease, with 38 years expired (1823).[3] The makeup of the household (including servants) was as follows:
Males – 2 under 5, 4 age 5-16, 2 age 21-45
Females – 1 age 16-21, 1 age 21-45
2 married; 8 single
In the past year: 0 married, 0 deaths, 0 births
Religion: 1 Catholic (likely a servant), 9 Methodist
Given the known children of Joseph and Agnes at that time, these were likely:
Males under 5: Silas and Samuel
Males 5-16: William, Isaac, Joseph J, John
Males 21-45: Joseph, plus a servant?
Female 16-21: Unknown. Perhaps a servant?
Female 21-45: Agnes
The family was at the same location in 1881, when they had 8 children living with them, the 3 three oldest boys having already moved out, and Sarah and Emma having died in childhood. On the 1881 census, the entire family is listed as Baptist.[4]
1881 Canada Census at the family farm on Brackley Pt. Road (Lot 33), Prince Edward Island:[5]
Head: Joseph Prowse, 57, b. England, Farmer;
Wife: Agnes Prowse, 54, b. England;
Son: Silas Prowse, 23, b. PEI, Farmer;
Son: John Prowse, 24, b. PEI, Farmer;
Son: Samuel Prowse, 21, b. PEI, Farmer;
Son: Henry Prowse, 19, b. PEI, Farmer;s son;
Daughter: Elizabeth Prowse, 16, b. PEI;
Son: Filip Prowse, 14, b. PEI;
Daughter: Jane Prowse, 12, b. PEI;
Daughter: Agnes, 8, b. PEI.
In 1891, just their 3 youngest children were still living at home on the farm. [6] Joseph's religion is listed as Calvinist Baptist, while the rest of the family are listed as Methodist. John likely became a Baptist around 1856. His first four children (to Jarvis, b. October 1855) were baptized as infants. None of the later children were baptized as infants. Interestingly, several of them were baptized as adults (3 on the same day) in the United Church (Methodist).
Joseph died suddenly in his home on April 8, 1891[7] and was buried in the Sherwood Cemetery.[8]
↑ The Daily Guardian, April 10, 1891, transcribed in Century of Immigration, Marriage and Death Records from Prince Edward Island Newspapers, 1780-1900, by Leland Currie, Page 2000
↑ Master name index of the Prince Edward Island Museum & Heritage Foundation
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