This weekend we received a message from Mike Harvey, first cousin three times removed, of Rev. William Harvey, who was appointed to the British Honduras Wesleyan Missionary in 1903. Mike Harvey is updating the Find a Grave entries for his family and asked about Mrs Harvey, who was one of the 24 persons that perished in the 1931 Hurricane while she was with friends on St George’s Caye. Mrs Harvey is mentioned in several reports by survivors as being a guest of island residents. In 1931 Mrs Matilda Harvey was 55 years old and had worked with her husband in the service of the church for 21 years. Reverend William Harvey survived the 1931 hurricane since he was reportedly working in Corozal as he was the Methodist Church Chairman for Honduras. Mike Harvey shared some details and pictures that he had received from the Harvey's descendents and reported they were from Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. William Harvey Sr. emigrated to the U.S. around 1906 with all of his children, with the exception of Rev. William, who went on to do missionary work. The photograph of the couple is thought to be from their wedding in 1907 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. There is a memorial placque for Matilda Easterbrook Harvey in the Methodist Church in Buckfastleigh, Devon, England where both Matilda and William were born. The news clipping says Matilda and William were pupils at Sunday School and later became Sunday School teachers. After the passing of his wife, Reverend William went on to marry two additional times, first in 1933 and again in 1949. His second and third wives were sisters. William passed away in 1968 in Cheshire, England at the age of 92. Thank you Mike Harvey for reaching out and sharing this little piece of our St George's Caye history with us. Links: Matilda Easterbrook Harvey in Find a Grave SKETCHES OF THE WESLEYAN MISSION IN BRITISH HONDURAS, TO COMMEMORATE THE JUBILEE OF WESLEY CHURCH, BELIZE 1916
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January 2022
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