Cann

Cann

William Honey Cann married Ann Pidgeon 17 May 1869 at the Congregational Independent Glenor Rey Chapel in Exmouth, St Thomas, Devon, England. On 18 May 1869, they left Topsham for London and on the 21st left for New York City aboard the American Union.

I have not found the record of their arrival in New York yet but they would have come through Castle Garden. Their first child, Anne Elizabeth Cann, was born in New York City on December 13th of that year. Wm. H & Ann went to Pennsylvania shortly thereafter as they were enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census in Meadville, Crawford County, PA on 13 July 1870. William Honey is erroneously enumerated as Wallace H. Cann in this census but the presence of his wife and daughter and his brother Samuel in his household proves this is William H. Cann. It is my understanding that Samuel E. Cann had already settled in Meadville but he is listed in W. H. Cann's HH and not as a head of household himself. William H. is listed in this census under occupation as "working in foundry". They had a son, Wm. Abraham Cann born 13 Jun 1871 in Meadville, Crawford Co, Pa. Their third child, John Ingersent Cann was born 30 Apr 1873 in Meadville also. A fourth child, George Cann was born in Meadville on 24 Apr 1877.

In 1878, the entire family returned to England and there were two children born there. Samuel E. Cann was born 10 Feb 1879 in Bristol, England. He died 25 Feb 1879 in Bristol, Somerset, England and was buried in Arnorsvale Cemetery. Charles Cann was born 05 Mar 1880 in Bristol, England and was baptized Mar 1880 at Clifton Church, Bristol, England.

While in England, the family was enumerated in the 1881 British census living in Bristol at 21 Bouverie Street. William's brother, George Cann and his family were also living in Bristol, Gloucester in 1881 and their parents, John & Ann were living in Topsham, Devon with their daughter in law, Mary Ann - married to Reuben and their three children. Reuben was enumerated as serving on the Glenbervie as a Master Mariner. Another brother, James Hill Cann was living in Islington, London, Middlesex with his family.

William Honey Cann had served an indenture with shipbuilders in Topsham from 1862 to 1869 before coming to America . He worked as a blacksmith and in America worked for various machine shops related to the oil industry. According to his obituary, he worked for Phoenix Iron Works for 10 years while he lived in Meadville. After returning from 3 years in England, he settled in Jamestown, Ohio and then went to Kendall Creek where he worked for National Transit. He was transferred to the National Transit Shop in Oil City and that is where he worked until he died. He was a member of Trinity M. E. Church in Oil City and a member in good standing of Kendall Creek Lodge, A. O. U. W. He was the foreman of the blacksmith shop at National Transit in Oil City when he died.

He died at the age of 48 from Bright's Disease. He left Ann a widow with 5 children in 1893. Ann must have been a very strong lady as she not only lost her husband in 1893, but a child, Charles at the age of 14 the very next year. She had already lost one son while the family was in England from 1878 to 1881 who only lived for 15 days. In 1898 Ann's second son, John Ingersent Cann joined the army during the Spanish American War and died in 1899 after his return from the War. John I. Cann had been a machinist at National Transit for nine years before his death. In 1903, Ann would lose her fourth child, George Cann at the age of 26. George left a widow and one child, Howard Cann. George and his wife, Pearl Lee had a daughter, Helen who was born in 1899 and had died in 1900.

Ann, who had left England with her husband lived to be 88 years old and persevered the loss of her husband, four children, two grandchildren and a daughter in law. Her only two children to outlive her were William Abraham Cann and Annie Cann Pruin.

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By Linda Blum-Barton