Joseph Pollard (1803-1855)

Birth/Baptism
Joseph Pollard was born in 1803 in Gwinear, Cornwall, along with his twin brother Christopher, to parents John and Jane Pollard (nee Hand).

He was his parents’ 7th child and 4th son. His elder siblings were John, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Mary, William and his twin brother Christopher.

Marriage
Joseph married Mary Ann Trenary at Perranzabuloe, Cornwall on Christmas Eve, 1827. This was the same town that his twin brother Christopher had married in 1824. Mary was the daughter of William and Mary Trenary of Perranzabuloe. The surname ‘Trenary’ is sometimes spelt as ‘Trennery’

Joseph was recorded as a ‘sourjoiner’ on the marriage certificate as he had come from Gwinear. Witnesses to the marriage were a William Pollard (likely Joseph’s brother) and William Trenary (likely Mary’s father). Mary was able to sign the register while Joseph used his mark.

Children
Joseph and Mary settled in Perranzabuloe and had 6 children between 1827 and 1839. Twin brother Christopher and his family (who still lived in Gwinear), joined them in Perranzabuloe in the mid 1830s.

A seventh child born to Joseph and Mary in 1840 (Caroline) was born in Gwinear.

=1841 census= In the 1841 census for Peranzabuloe, Joseph is listed with wife Mary and 6 children at Goosehaven. Both he and wife Mary are recorded as age 35 and the children with them are Joseph (aged 12), Elizabeth (aged 10), Emma (referred to as Amy, aged 9), John (aged 6), William (aged 4) and Richard (aged 2). Joseph and his eldest son Joseph are recorded as lead miners.

Twin brother Christopher is also located at Goosehaven with his family in the same census.

Birth of 7th Child
Joseph and Mary had a 7th child, daughter Caroline, shortly after the census was taken. Caroline was born in the September quarter of 1841 in the Truro district of Cornwall.

Caroline was baptised in Perranzabuloe on 9th January 1842.

Immigration to USA
Joseph and family left England via the port of Padstow on the 17th April 1842 for the United States of America. This is determined by a Declaration of Intent to Naturalise as a citizen of the United States on which Joseph would later sign. The family arrived at Buffalo, New York, USA in June 1842 and made their way to the state of Wisconsin, most likely overland.

Mineral Point, Wisconsin
The family made their way (probably overland) to the state of Wisconsin. Joseph was experienced in lead mining and had most likely heard about the lead mines at Mineral Point that were located in this state. According to Wikipedia, although the most easily accessible lead deposits on the surface were exhausted by this time, new immigrants began to arrive with more refined techniques for extracting ore. The largest group came from Cornwall, which had been a mining center for centuries. Experienced Cornish miners were attracted to the lead mining opportunities in Mineral Point, and by 1845 roughly half of the town's population had Cornish ancestry. Lead continued to be produced in abundant quantities by the Cornish miners, and in 1847, the Mineral Point Tribune reported that the town's furnaces were producing 43,800 pounds (19,900 kg) of lead each day.

Further Children
Joseph and Mary would have two more children while in the United States, however official records of the time and place of their birth have not been located. Mary was born in approximately 1845 and her younger brother James in approximately 1846.

Soon after this, Joseph and Mary’s three eldest children (Joseph, Elizabeth and Emma) all married in the United States.

Naturalisation
Joseph signed a Declaration of Intent to Naturalise as a citizen of the United States on 31st July 1848 at the District Court of Iowa County, Wisconsin. He stated that he had left Cornwall on the 17th April 1842 from the port of Padstow in England and had arrived at Buffalo, New York, USA in June 1842. He stated that he was 45 years old, born in the county of Cornwall and was able to sign the document. This was a change since the time of his marriage, where he had been unable to sign his name on the register.

1850 census
Joseph and his family were located at Linden, Iowa, Wisconsin for the 1850 US Census. Joseph (aged 48) is located with wife Mary (aged 44) and children John (aged 16), William (aged 12), Richard (aged 9), Caroline (aged 8), Mary A (aged 5) and James (aged 4). Joseph and son John are recorded as miners and the total value of property that Joseph owns comes to a total of £100 (considerably less than all of his neighbours). They live next door to the Vial family, most likely related to daughter Emma’s husband Philip.

=Death= Joseph lived only 5 more years and died on the 13th October 1855. It is believed his cause of death was sunstroke.

He was buried at Peddlers Creek Cemetery, Linden, Iowa, Wisconsin.

It is not certain how long wife Mary survived him, but she was still alive in 1870, some 15 years after his death.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Joseph and Mary Pollard
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Joseph and Mary Pollard