Philip Edwin Humphrey
Born: October 1886, Croydon, Surrey, England
Emigrated: December 27th, 1907
Buried: January 4, 1954, Albion, MI

First Wife:
Annie Lottie Forder Searl Humphrey

Children:
Donald Humphrey
Eva Louise Humphrey
Wally J. Humphrey
Margretta (Humphrey) Marsh

Second Wife:
Sadie Humphrey

Parents:
William (George or Geoffrey?) Humphrey
Maria (Saunders) Humphrey

Siblings:
Unknown

Occupation:
Railway Porter, Wimbledon, London, England
Grocery Clerk, Gillick and Harrod's, aka College Hill Grocery, 603 Cass St. Albion, MI
Milk Delivery, Humphrey and Harrison; Humphrey Dairy, 510 S. Eaton St. Albion, MI

Notes:
Philip Humphrey was born in Croydon, England. (1/6/02 edit: he may have been born in America! Will update.) Croydon today is essentially a very southern neighborhood of London. His mother was also born in Croydon.

He apparently lived in Wimbledon just before he emigrated. According to the 1901 Wales and England census, Philip may have been living with his mother in Eastbourne, Sussex and worked as a grocery store errand boy at the age of 15.

His father is listed as "Geo. Humphrey" on Philip's marriage records; on his mother's death records and obituary his father is listed as "William Humphrey". We know a bit more about his mother because she emigrated to join her son in America. On his passenger manifest, he lists his occupation in England as "Railway Porter". There are two major railways that ran through Wimbeldon Station at that time, the London and South Western and the London, Brighton and South Coast. One stop happens to be on the very road Annie, his future wife, probably lived.

At age 21, Philip emigrated aboard the Southampton to New York Harlon and Wolff ship "Adriatic" and landed at Ellis Island, New York. This was the Adriatic's first year out to sea, and possibly Philip's first trip to America. He's listed on page 1 and page 2 of the ship's manifest as passenger 1. He apparently paid his own way, had twenty-one pounds on him at arrival, and had planned to stay with Mr. J. (James, I believe) H. Harrod of Ithaca, MI. Harrod is listed as a cousin; Philip's grandmother on his mother's side is listed as "Maria Herrod" on his mother's death certificate. He stood 5'8 1/2, had fair hair, brown eyes, and a fair complexion. Finally, he lists a cousin, Mr. J. (John, I believe) J. Harrod of 92 Norman Rd., Wimbeldon as being the closest living relative back home. This can't be quite true, as his mother was still living. I suspect that if he died during the crossing, he wanted a male relative to deliver the news to his mother.

Philip may have gone to Ithaca, but he definitely is listed as living in Albion, MI in the 1910 census. According to the census, Philip is working at Gillick and Harrod's, a grocery store. It was also called the College Hill Grocery Store (click here for an Albion Recorder newspaper ad from 1913). Mr. Albert E. Harrod is the shop owner; he and his wife are also witnesses at Philip's wedding. Philip is listed as a clerk and lodger at the store.

Maria Humphrey and Annie Searl arrived on September 17th 1910... and Annie and Philip immediately married on September 29th. It would certainly be interesting to have the correspondence between them over the years! They probably knew one another from "the neighborhood" back home.

Philip and Annie had three children, Wally J., Donald, and Margretta. A fourth child, Eva Louise died at the age of four and is buried at the family plot. In the 1920 census Philip lists his occupation as being "milk delivery". This brings us around to the Humphrey's Dairy. Note that the picture linked shows the dairy, a horse-drawn carriage from the dairy, and Margretta Marsh and Wallace Humphrey are pictured. Albion historian Frank Passic wrote an article on the dairy in his "Historical Notebook" column for the Morning Star newspaper, January 17, 2002, pg. 3.

Albion's city directory for 1923-24 has notations for Humphrey and Harrison. The 1926, 28, 30, 34, 37 and 39 directories list Humphrey's Dairy. There is no mention of the Dairy after '39. The dairy was on 510 S. Eaton Street in 26; after this it's listed at 514. Philip and family lived at that location.