BARNEBY, W. Henry
Visited the Bell Farm on July 21-22, 1883 - Henry Barneby was an independently wealthy member of the British aristocracy. He briefly served in the 58th Regiment of the British Army (1862-1864) and in 1865 he married Alice Mary Hicks-Beach (1847-1933). They subsequently had 10 children, two of whom died very young.
Henry travelled around the world in the 1880s. During his 1883 trip, he was accompanied by two close friends: Mersey Clive and Arthur Mitchell. They left England on May 10 - stopping at the Bell Farm on July 21 and 22, en route across North America in a private Midland Railway rail car. This travelling party included nine people, plus an undisclosed number of unnamed servants. Clive missed the Bell Farm visit as he took a side trip to see another acquaintance in the Kootenay part of the Rocky Mountains. Those who did visit the Farm included:
• W.H. Barneby, Brandenburg Court, Herefordshire, England
• Arthur C. Mitchell, The Ridge, Wiltshire, England – Barneby’s brother-in-law and tour companion
• R. Jaffray, Toronto merchant. Ontario & Midland Railway Director
• A.L. Davis, Midland Railway official, Peterborough, Ontario
• Albert Bath – Honourary secretary of the West Kent Branch of the Farmers Alliance
• C W.J. Mackenzie, Manager, Land Security Company, Toronto, Ontario
• Col. Williams, Member of Parliament, Port Hope, Ontario
• Master Victor Williams
After the Bell Farm visit, Barneby and his companions travelled the Qu’Appelle region and then went on to Regina, where they were interviewed by Nicholas Flood Davin, publisher of the “Regina Leader”. His report was printed in the July 26, 1883 edition.
Alas, Meysey Bolton Clive, of Whitfield Court, Herefordshire, contracted typhoid during the trip and died on August 11th in Winnipeg, en route back to England. Barneby, Mitchell and Clive’s body arrived in Liverpool on Aug 26th or 27th, about two weeks earlier than originally planned.
Meanwhile, Alice converted Henry's travel notes and letters into a book: “Life and Labour in the Far, Far West”, which he published in 1884. He also published at least four other books between 1884 and 1889.
Henry died in 1914 at age 71; Alice died in 1833 at age 86.
SOURCES:
1896 B/W photo - https://herefordshirehistory.org.uk/archive/herefordshire-images/people-and-portraits/229388-william-henry-barneby-1896
Colour portrait painting and detailed biography - https://landedfamilies.blogspot.com/2019/11/
Biography Summary: Feb. 2, 1843 - July 6, 1914 – age 71
“The London Times” - July 21, 1914 /obit - https://archive.org/details/visitationofengl21howa/page/172/mode/2up
"Notes from a Journal in North America 1883" – p. 44 – very brief reference to Bell Farm - http://archive.org/stream/cihm_14198#page/n53/mode/2up
Excellent tour report - "Life and Labour in the Far Far West..." – by W. Henry Barneby, 1884 - p. 207-208 - July 21-22, 1883 – Bell Farm description - http://archive.org/stream/lifelabourinfarf00barnuoft#page/206/mode/2up
Online Books by W.H. Barneby: - http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Barneby%2C%20W.%20Henry%20(William%20Henry)%2C%201843-1914
"Regina Leader" - 26 July, 1883, p. 4 - Interview by Nicholas Flood Davin and Henry Barneby and companions
RESEARCH BY:
Michelle Cabana, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and Frank Korvemaker, Regina, Sask.