John Thomas Henry Warne: From Cornwall to California 1887

A brief discourse on how the Warne-McGraw family is connected to the Cornwall region of England. For a much more robust read on earlier Warne family history, see “A Cornish Story” written by Mary Ellen Warne in the early 1930’s. In fact, when she original wrote the book, she considered it controversial enough that she changed the family name from Warne to “Acton” and all references to Reen Manor were changed to “Higher Barton.” According to her granddaughter, Alfreda Nesbitt (Glasson), “Her reason being, at the time she wrote it many of the characters were still alive and she feared they may not have approved of her comments.”

Tom and Fanny Warne established their children in the 1790’s. Their son John married Ann Basset. They welcomed their firstborn in 1833, as son who was named, you guessed it… John. John married Elizabeth Pascoe. They had four children: Mary Ann, Elizabeth Ellen, John Thomas Henry, and Mary Ellen. Mary Ann and Elizabeth Ellen died of sickness in 1870, the same week as John Thomas Henry’s birth. It is believed that the choice to send John Thomas Henry and Mary Ellen away to boarding school was likely connected to the fear John and Elizabeth had of injury or death of their remaining two children due to the presence of a stream through the Reen Manor property that swiftly moved out to the sea. Unfortunately, family tragedy struck Reen Manor once again in 1877 when Elizabeth herself succumbed to illness and died. At the time of their mother’s death, John Thomas Henry was 7 years old and his sister, Mary Ellen, was only 4 years old.

Although they received the best education money could buy at their exclusive boarding schools, it is believed that there was a profound lack of close connection between John Thomas Henry and his father, John, and that this relational distance would provide impetus for John Thomas Henry to make a life-changing choice upon finishing his education at age 17.

Again, from Alfreda Nesbitt (Glasson) in her forward to “A Cornish Story,” “Mary Ellen’s brother, John Thomas Henry Warne (John Henry) decided to leave Reen Manor and moved to America when he was 17 years old. He eventually settled and farmed in Westminster, California, until his death in the 1950’s. His three sons, John, Henry and Tom continued to farm there until a their deaths. His father was heartbroken that he never returned to Reen Manor to farm, and he never returned to Cornwall in his Father’s lifetime.”

At age 5, John Thomas Henry was sent off to a prestigious boy's boarding school to protect him from the dangers of the swiftly moving stream outside his home, Reen Manor. Here, he is seated directly in front of the Head Master of the boy's boarding school (look for the big white beard.) The Head Master and his wife took particular care of John after the death of John's mom when he was only 7 years old. — At age 5, John Thomas Henry was sent off to a prestigious boy’s boarding school to protect him from the dangers of the swiftly moving stream outside his home, Reen Manor. Here, he is seated directly in front of the Head Master of the boy’s boarding school (look for the big white beard.) The Head Master and his wife took particular care of John after the death of John’s mom when he was only 7 years old.

John Thomas Henry is shown seated in the front right on the ground with his boarding school rugby team.

After finishing his schooling at age 17, John briefly returned home to Reen Manor. His father hoped his son would step up in responsibilities on the family farm and someday assume the rightful responsibility of the Manor house and farming. Instead, John set off for the United States, settling in Westminster, California. There he married a woman named Sarah and established his own family farm.

John had left home and family behind to make his way in the Americas. His grandparents had given him some inheritance money, which he used for establishing his farm in Westminster. The barn was built in 1915 at the corner of Bolsa and Bushard.

Despite the distance, John and his sister, Mary Ellen, remained close. He especially was a comfort for his sister on the death of their father, and the premature death of her husband, George Clift, in 1910. Mary Ellen was left with the overwhelming burden of the running of Reen Manor in addition to caring for her son, John Henry Warne Clift who was only 8, and her daughter, Georgina Warne Clift who was only 1 year old.

John Thomas Henry urged his sister to come join him in California, so she sold out her interest in the remaining family farming lands in Cornwall, sewed the money into the lining of her skirts, and head by ocean liner across to New York City. There, her brother met her and her children, assisting them on the long train journey across to California. Unfortunately, life on the Westminster farm did not suit Mary Ellen at all. After only two short years, she packed up her son and daughter and moved them back to Cornwall. But it was clearly the end of an era for the Warne family in Cornwall. Mary Ellen could not return to life in a Manor house although she had been raised to be a Lady. Her later years included working in service to other families and being unable to provide her children with the same fine education and finishing school she, herself, had experienced.

If Mary Ellen had stayed in California, there might have been little reason for the Warne-McGraw family to come visit Cornwall in 2016. Instead, thankfully, Mary Ellen’s children stayed in contact with their California cousins throughout their lifetime. But more about that and some great pics in later posts.