Father to Mary Ann Gartrell, Grandfather to Jessie Waters, Great grandfather to Cora Spargo ne Waters
William Foxwell was born in Mullion on the Lizard in 1761 to John and Susanna Foxwell née Munday. He described his ancestors as “tillers of the ground”
Here is his account of his childhood. ” My mother died when I was three years and a half old. About that time my father joined the Methodist society”.
Although William left school at 12, he continued to educate himself particularly in mathematics and astronomy. He became expert in botany and medicine. He taught himself singing and to play the flute and the violin. He owned many books.
He was married three times, to Ann Williams, Mary Cock and Ann Harris. His first two wives died young and there were no children. All his nine children were born to him and Ann Harris who he married in 1804.
In private life he was a docile man and amiable man. His feelings were extremely tender, and as a father his affection was unbounded; although he knew how to administer correction and reproof
He was a founding member of the Methodist Church in Mullion. He was instrumental in the building of methodism in Mullion, both buildings and doctrine, and was a renowned local preacher. The booklet Methodism in Mullion by Ivor Thomas, Mullion Methodist 1978, gives more information.
In December 1807 a navy frigate the Anson was shipwrecked off Loe Bar and over a hundred people were drowned. William and several others were part of a rescue operation.
In 1808 he was awarded a medal for saving lives from the frigate.
The inscription read “to William Foxwell one of his divine providence of saving lives of his fellow creatures wrecked in the frigate Anson on the Loe Bar 29th December 1807.This medal given by his country”
The loss of life from this shipwreck led Henry Trengrouse, a friend of Williams’ to invent the Rocket line apparatus.
See this youtube video by the Museum of Cornish Life.
Voting list Mullion 1834
Election of Knights of the Shire
1834 Voters’ List for the Parish of Mullion, in the South Western Division of Cornwall
| Forename(s) | Surname | Abode | Nature of qualification | Property Address etc. |
| William | FOXWELL | Newton | Freehold Lands | Parkventonsaw Vicarage |
He died of influenza on the 21st March 1837.
After his death in 1837 the whole family including his widow Ann, apart from our ancestor Mary Ann Gartrell née Foxwell emigrated to America.
They went over a period of two years between 1840 and 1842, sailing from Falmouth. The majority sailed on the Orient departing in April 1842. Sailing with family members,William’s widow Ann Foxwell, although 60 years of age, jokingly observed that she had no alternative but to leave Cornwall, now that her husband was dead. As she was his third wife and, as family legend has it, as the previous two had been buried on either side of him, she certainly had no desire to be buried at his feet!
Some of them settled in Racine Wisconsin. The eldest, Anna Maria and her husband Samuel James subsequently travelled the Oregon Trail and settled north of Portland, Oregon.
Read their emigration story here.