Alfred Dengate

Alfred Dengate and family

KEY DATES:

Baptised: 26 April 1866, St Mary's Church Northiam, East Sussex

Married: 23 May 1889

Died: 11 March 1921 Detroit, Michigan, America

Buried: Balcom Cemetery, Ionia, Michigan, America

BIOGRAPHY:

Alfred Dengate was baptised 26 April 1866 in St Mary's Church, Northiam, East Sussex, one of nine children born to Charles and Caroline Dengate of Northiam. Alfred, known as Fred, spent his early years in the quiet village of Northiam with his parents and siblings. The 1881 census shows fifteen year-old Alfred working as a baker, like many members of the Dengate family.

St Mary's Church, Northiam, East Sussex, 2003

In 1885, aged nineteen years, Alfred left Northiam to start a new life. He travelled onboard the SS Celtic, arriving in New York at 6am on 9 November 1885. He then travelled to London, Ontario, Canada where he began his new life. His two brothers Richard and Charles Dengate also travelled to Ontario in the 1880s. Four years later, in 1889 Alfred married a Canadian named Sarah Walmsley and the couple had two children together, Charles and Clareva Dengate.

Sometime after Alfred's mother's death in 1896, his father Charles sailed to Ontario to visit his three sons. It is likely the first time Charles saw his grandchildren. Whilst in Ontario, the family had a wonderful photograph taken of all of them together.

Dengate family, c.1897, Ontario, Canada

Whilst working as a baker in London, Ontario, Alfred apparently ran into trouble with creditors and decided to move. Sometime around 1900 the family moved back across the border into America.

The 1900 Michigan census shows Alfred, Sarah and their two children living in Ionia, Michigan, America, where Charles is working as a cook in a bakery. By 1920 Alfred and Sarah are living in Detroit, where he is working as a purchasing agent for an automobile company.

In 1919 Alfred's son Charles abandoned his wife and family, embarking on a troubled life involving, among other things, bigamy and theft. It is highly doubtful that Alfred ever saw his son again, or even knew what happened to him as Alfred died 11 March 1921 in Detroit, Michigan aged fifty-five years. He was buried in Balcom Cemetery, Ionia, Michigan. His wife Sarah died three years later and was buried 26 June 1924 with her husband in Balcom Cemetery, Ionia, Michigan.

~Alfred and Sarah Dengate's graves~

CENSUS:

Grateful thanks to Patrick Dengate for the photos of Alfred Dengate, the family photo and information on his Canadian and US life and thanks to Lise Leresche for the census information.