Henry Lester was born August 12, 1876 in St.Helens, Lancashire, England to Henry and Mary (Watkin) Lester. Henry's mother Mary Watkin died during pregnancy when Henry was 10 years old. His father Henry Sr. remarried on December 25, 1886 to a widow Mary Ellen Morley who had three children to her first mariage. Henry immigrated to the United States with his step mother Mary Ellen and his brothers Joseph, William, and his half brother Richard in 1888. The ship arrived in The port of Philadelphia on June 19, 1888. There Henry joined his father, brother James, and step brother Fredrick Morley, who had immigrated the previous year and settled in Phillipsburg, Centre county Pennsylvania. Henry probably went to work in the mines at the age of 12 which was not unexpected at the time. It was legal to have 12 year old boys work above ground at the mines and 14 year old boys could work underground.
Henry married Clara Hesketh September 27, 1897 at the home of Mrs. Cowan in Phillipsburg Pennsylvania, he and Clara where 21 years old at the time of there marriage. In 1900 Henry and Clara lived in Phillipsburg, Centre county Pennsylvania and Henry worked in the coal mines with Clara's brother and Henry's good friend William Hesketh. At that time they had two children William Henry two years old and Minta who was ten months old, also living in thier home was William Hesketh Clara's brother. By 1910 Henry and Clara where living in Rockville, Croyle TWP, Cambria county, Pennsylvania thier daughter Minta had passed away but they had four more children in the family by then, Lucy Elizabeth, Jacob, James Patrick, and Sara Ellen, sadly Sarah Ellen would not survive, however In 1911 Clara gave birth to Ingles M. Of the infants that did not survive where, Minta, Sarah Ellen and there was a third whom I am unsure of. The family resided in South Fork for several years. In 1937 the family was living at r412 Ash St. Johnstown Cambria county Pennsylvania. Henry worked as a coal miner for most of his life. Later in life he went to work for Kolb Baking Co. in Johnstown, PA from where he retired. Henry lived to be 74 years old, he passed away June 20, 1951 at the home of his son Ingles in Flinton, Cambria county, Pennsylvania. He was survived by his loving wife Clara, brother Richard, sister Lucy, daughter Lucy, and sons William, James, Jacob, and Ingles, 25 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.
Marriage license and application
Wedding article Phillipsburg Daily Journal 1930 United States Census
1937 Johnstown Pennsylvania Directory
Henry and Clara (Hesketh) Lester
Obituary Johnstown Tribune Democrat
William Henry Lester 1898-1963
Minta Lester
Lucy Elizabeth Lester 1901-1953
James Patrick Lester 1905-1976
Sarah Ellen Lester
