William Henry Russell (1846 - 1925)

Born 2 Sep 1846 in Bath, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Nancy Catherine (Harvey) Russell — married 16 Jan 1877 in Streeter, Summers County West Virginia

Descendants

Died 19 Apr 1925 at age 78 in Flat Top, Mercer County West Virginia, USA

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Biography

William's birth was registered in the Oct-Nov-Dec quarter of 1848 in the Bath district.^[1]

William's parents immigrated to America from Summerset County, England. Where William was born 10 Dec 1848. At the age of twenty-seven, he was living in Summers County, West Virginia, where he met a twenty-five year old lady from Monroe County, West Virginia. Her name was Nancy Katherine Harvey. They were married on January 16, 1877. William and Nancy settled at Streeter, West Virginia in Summers County. He was a Pruner of apple orchards and a U S mail carrier. He placed the mail bags on a horse and led it from Streeter to Camp Creek to Flat Top in Mercer County. He worked as a pruner of orchards all of his life and as a mail carrier for twenty-two years. He never rode the horse but always led it. He was known for his precise, curt speech and impeccable manners ~ Bio by Cousin Karen

William Henry Russell 9/2/1846-4/19/1925

William Henry Russell was the oldest child of Henry and Susan Russell and was born on September 2, 1846 in the Town of Bath, Somerset County, England. His father Henry was a harnessmaker and possibly also a shoemaker. The 1881 British Census indicates Henry was a Portmantau Maker (luggage maker) living at 4 Northgate Street, Bath St. Michael, Somerset, England. William’s siblings were James R. (11/28/1850)-2/1/1930), Henry R., Emma R. (8/17/1854- ), Herbert Sydney R. (2/4/1859- ), and Albert R. William immigrated to America from Somerset County, England at an unknown age. One of his grandsons John H. R. was told by his father Overton H. R. that William had been working on a merchant ship and likely jumped ship. William met and fell in love with Nancy K. Harvey and told her he needed to go away to work for three years, apparently to earn enough money so they could get married. He then went to New Orleans where he worked for approximately three years loading salt barrels at a dock. He then returned to Streeter when he was twenty-seven years old and married twenty-five year old Nancy Katherine Harvey (4/13/1852-2/15/1929), daughter of Jacob and Martha V. Harvey. They were married in Mercer County on January 17, 1877 by Elias Reed. William and Nancy settled at Streeter in what was then Monroe County where he bought property and built a house. He was a pruner of apple trees and a mail carrier. He would pick up the mail in Hinton, place it in bags on a horse, and lead the horse to Streeter, to Camp Creek, and to Flat Top in Mercer County. He worked as a pruner all of his life and as a mail carrier for twenty-two years. He would never ride the horse but always led it. He was known for a precise, curt speech and impeccable manners. The Russells had five children. Their names were Susan Amanda R. (12/9/1879- ) who married Augustus Pack, Mary Emma Katharine R. (6/18/1881-7/1/1934) who married Richard “Tich” Pack (_____/1878-2/24/1952) (twin of Augustus), Overton Henderson R. (4/28/1886-8/31/1965) who married Bessie May Harvey, Henry Frederick R. (7/5/1889- _) who married Anna Pack then Georgia Ellen Duncan then Beulah Farley, and Grace Elizabeth R (2/18/1893- ) who married Hartley Dunbar. William died of Brights disease on April 19, 1925 at Ghent, Raleigh County. Nancy died of a stroke and cerebral hemorrhage on February 15, 1929 at Bellepoint. She had been living with Richard and Mary Pack on Powleys Creek near Talcott in Summers County when she died. There was snow and ice on the ground so Richard had to put her body on a sled and take it off the mountain (according to Bertie R. Lowe, Richard and Mary’s daughter). Of all the children, only Fred stayed to rear his family in Mercer County. Fred also helped take care of his parents in their old age and, at their deaths, had them buried in the Harvey-Pack Cemetery at Streeter. William Henry Russell's first cousin John Howard Russell (Son of James Russell, William Henry Russell's brother) claimed that William was born November 10, 1848. However, William Henry Russell's tombstone in the Streeter Cemetery indicated that he was born September 2, 1846 and died April 4, 1925. Also, the WV death register for William indicated that he died on April 19, 1925. By Roger Russell (Great Grandson)

Spouse:

• Nancy Catherine Harvey Russell (1853 - 1929)

Children:

• Susan Ann Russell Pack (1877 - 1944)*
• Overton Henderson Russell (1886 - 1965)*
• Henry Fred Russell (1889 - 1974)*
• Mary Russell
• Grace Russell

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Registration: "England & Wales General Register Office"
   GRO Online Indexes - Birth (accessed 23 March 2023)
   Russell, William Henry (Mother's maiden name: Watts).
   GRO Reference: 1848 Oct-Nov-Dec in Bath Volume 11 Page 22.

WV DEATH REGISTER - Name: William/Russell Sex: M Death Date: 19 Apr 1925 Death Place: Raleigh, West Virginia Burial Place: Flat Top WV Marital Status: M Mother: Don't Know/ Father: Don't Know/ http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=170852&Type=Death