Joseph was a farmer according to his son Joseph's death certificate. It is unclear as to whether he was from County Down or County Tyrone, Ireland as his son Robert gives his place of birth as County Tyrone on his US naturalisation records, whilst son Hugh cites County Down as his place of birth. Son Joseph gives conflicting places of birth on his own sons' birth certificates citing County Down on one and County Tyrone on another but County Tyrone is given as his native place on the ships passenger list at the time of son Joseph's immigration to Australia.
Robert's family bible states that he emigrated from a place near Castle Town [Castletown] in County Tyrone. A birth record has also been found for a child of a Joseph Henderson and Matty Hamilton of Lisnaree, Co. Down for a daughter, Nancy, She was born on 4th June 1816 in Lisnaree and baptised on 9th June 1816 in Seapatrick, Co. Down.
The Tithe Applotment Books for Ireland for 1823 - 1837 have 2 listings for a Joseph Henderson having a joint share with a James Dougherty in farmland in the townland of Glentown, in the parish of Urnesy, Donegal, Tyrone. Both listings give them a joint share in half of a 56 acre 3 rood and 28 perch/pole piece of arable land in The other half of the land was shared by John Gwynn, Robert Anderson and Joseph Love. This is the only listing for a Joseph Henderson in the Tithe Applotments for either of the counties of Tyrone or Down.
A Joseph Henderson listed in the 1824 Pigot's directory, in Main St, Strathbane, Tyrone, was a linen and woolen draper.
Joseph & Martha and most of their children migrated to Pennsylvania in the 1830s and 1840s so it seems highly unlikely that they will be recorded in the Griffiths Valuations. Their son James (born C1815) arrived in Pennsylvania in 1833-4 and settled in Fallston, Beaver Co. Pennsylvania. He was joined by his brother Robert Henderson (born 5th April 1825) who arrived in New York on 1st August 1842. Their brother Joseph, born in July 1812, migrated to Melbourne Australia instead, with his wife. They arrived in Melbourne aboard the ship "Frankfield" on 7th June 1841 with their infant son, James, who was born during the voyage. Joseph & Martha's son Hugh (born C1817) arrived on 1st March 1845 or 1846 [the year was changed on his naturalization application form]. It appears that Joseph and Martha arrived in the USA in late 1846 along with their children Elizabeth & William Henry. They may have been accompanied by their daughter Martha Jane and her husband David McManamy and their two children, John & Elizabeth, or it may be that John & Elizabeth were already orphaned and being cared for by their grandparents. It is unknown what happened to son John.
Five letters exist from Joseph and Martha's children Robert, Hugh and Elizabeth that were written to their brother Joseph in Australia. These contain a considerable amount of detail about their families and lives in America.
In one of these letters, dated 12th November 1890, Elizabeth describes their father's migration to the US and his final years: "Dear Brother you wished me to tell you of Father's death. After he came to this country He joined the Presbyterian Church in New Brighton and after he was taken down with Erisipelae he was almost constant in prayer. As long as he could raise his arms I scarcely ever entered the room but they were raised in prayer, and I feel that our Father was prepared for the great change."
The book "Genealogical and Personal History of Beaver County Pennsylvania" by John W Jordan, and published in 1912, gives a brief history of Joseph and Martha's arrival in the USA. Apparently they arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Martha died within a few days of arriving. Joseph settled in Fallston, Beaver around 1848 and died about a year later. (He does not appear in the 1850 census). The book states that the family were of Scots heritage but had migrated to Ireland before they moved to the US.
Son Robert's family bible records the date of death of his mother, Martha, on 27th November 1846 and that of his father Joseph on 4th December 1847. The death of Robert's brother James is also listed as occurring on 8th December 1845. Son William Henry's grandson has recorded Joseph's birth year as 1777 and Martha's as 1786.
Please edit this document if you have information about the Date of birth of Joseph Henderson
| Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1st Jan 1777 | |
| Date of Death | 4th Dec 1847 (circa) | |
| Spouse (First Name/s and Maiden/Surname) | Martha Hamilton | |
| Place & Date of Marriage | Ireland | |
| Place of Death | Fallston, Beaver, Pennsylvania, USA | |
| Names of Siblings | John, Joseph, James, Hugh, Elizabeth, Mary Martha, William Henry. | |