Surnames: Madeira, Knox, Cox, Herbertson, Moorhead
Henry C Madeira. The Madeira family was originally from Spain from near the Madeira Islands. The ancestors of the American branch of the family migrated to Germany and thence to this country.The coat of arms of the Madeira family is a blue shield with three solid silver triangles to represent the three Madeira Islands. Helmet on the top is steel, finished in gold. Wreath on top of the shield is silver and blue mountings: inside silver, outside blue. Three solid silver triangles are above the helmet.
Nimrod Madeira, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born at Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1815. He lived at Morgantown all his life, and died in March, 1888, at the age of seventy three. He was a carpenter and contractor, and one of the best in that section of the country.
He married Miss Elvira Knox, a native of Morgantown. She was the daughter of Jacob Knox, a carpenter and contractor who came from Reading, Penna, and located at Morgantown. She died in 1847 at the age of forty years.
Henry C Madeira was born January 26, 1838, in Morgantown, Virginia, and grew to manhood there. He attended the common schools of his native town. In 1856 he came to Brownsville where he completed his apprenticeship as a molder with John Herbertson and at present resides in Brownsville. The molder's trade not agreeing with his health, he abandoned it and learned
that of a stone and brick mason. In this business he has prospered and is now a contractor.In 1861 he was married to Miss Annie E Cox, daughter of David and Elizabeth Cox of Brownsville. David Cox was a bricklayer by trade and died in 1864. The result of this marriage was four children: Ella Madeira; Norval Madeira; Howard Madeira; and Maud Madeira, all living.
Norval Madeira was born July 26, 1867; he was reared in Brownsville and attended the common schools there. For the last two years he has been studying electricity and has become an expert electrician. He is also a watchmaker and a timer, having learned the former calling with J S
Moorhead of Brownsville, and the latter with S Vorhees of Bridgeport. He is now in the hardware business, and carries on the other three vocations in connection with his hardware. He deserves credit for his success; very few have done as well so early in life.