WI BIO - Dane Co - POYNOR, Charles
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol I, pp 136-137

Charles POYNOR, a successful farmer of Dane Township [Dane County], 
Wisconsin, located on section 36, was born in Leicestershire, England, in 
1826. His father, Jonah POYNOR, a native of the same county, was a clock and 
watch maker by trade, which occupation he learned during a service of seven 
years in the town of Leicestershire. The grandfather, James POYNOR, was a 
mechanic and followed blacksmithing the greater portion of his life. He 
[James POYNOR] died in Leicester at an advanced age, having reared three sons 
and three daughters. The grandmother of our subject was a Miss BREWEN, who 
lived some years after her husband, died at the same place [Leicester] and 
both rest in the same churchyard.

Jonah was the eldest child of the family and married Eliza RILEY, a daughter 
of Richard RILEY, and they came to America in the spring of 1847, having set 
sail from Liverpool about the last of May upon the merchant sailer, 
"Elizabeth Bruce," under Captain DAY. They had a pleasant voyage and landed 
in August in New Orleans, came up the Mississippi River to Galena [Jo Daviess 
County, IL] on the Galena River, then called "Fever River." The family 
consisted of (1) George W., who died in England, past middle life; by 
occupation he was a mechanic and he left a family; (2) Ellen was the next 
child and is now Mrs. James SLATER, of Milwaukee [Milwaukee County, WI]; her 
husband was a mechanic, but is now living retired on his interest; (3) 
Charles of this sketch; (4) Thomas, who followed the high seas as a sailor 
for years and later was a mate on a Mississippi steamer, where he was 
accidentally killed in the prime of life, leaving a daughter; (5) John 
POYNOR died in London and left a wife and two sons, still in London; he was 
apprenticed to one Thomas COOKE, of Cooke & Sons, and was Mr. COOKE's 
secretary and amanuensis [one who writes for another]; (6) Mary Ann is now 
the wife of John D. PLACKET, a farmer of Vienna Township [Dane County], 
Wisconsin; and (7) Richard is also a farmer of Vienna Township.

After coming to America his family settled on eighty acres of land. They 
moved into a rude log house on this land and here the parents resided until 
death. The mother died in 1854, aged about fifty-six years, and the father 
in 1869, having been born in the first of 1800. They were possessed of some 
means when they came here and died leaving an estate of 200 acres, improved.

Jonah POYNOR was reared on the farm until the age of fourteen and then was 
apprenticed to his trade. He received a fair amount of schooling and early 
became connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he became an 
earnest worker in this and the temperance movement. He accomplished much 
both in this country and in England toward the evangelizing of the race. 
When he left England he received an ovatin, a regular public demonstration, 
testifying to his faithfulness.

Charles POYNOR, of this sketch, served from his fourteenth to his 
twenty-first year in Leicester as an apprentice to the wood and bone turning 
business. The principal occupation was that of making ivory spools. For [p 
137] one month he worked as a journeyman before coming to America. Since 
locating here he has engaged in farming, although he does not consider this a 
congenial occupation.

In 1853 Mr. [Charles] POYNOR was married to Amelia A. FORD, born in 
Massachusetts, a daughter of Robert FORD and ---- (HOGAN) FORD, both parents 
from Scotland. They came to Wisconsin about 1851. The mother died at a ripe 
old age, having celebrated her golden wedding and the father, still living in 
Springfield Township [Dane County], Wisconsin, is an octogenarian, having the 
use of all his faculties, except his hearing. Mr. and Mrs. [Charles] POYNOR 
have two children, George L., a mechanic in Kansas; and Estella I., a school 
teacher for some years. Immediately after marriage Mr. and Mrs. [Charles] 
POYNOR settled on their home place of eighty acres, of which they have sold 
forty acres and still live in their primitive log house. Mr. [Charles] 
POYNOR was Assessor for two years and has been School Treasurer and Director 
for years. He has been a lifelong Democrat and an Odd Fellow for nearly 
twenty years.

Mrs. [Charles] POYNOR is the third child and second daughter in her family. 
She was the first child born at Chicopee Falls [Hampden County], 
Massachusetts, where the parents moved soon after coming to New York City, in 
1834. They made the journey on a sailing vessel. The father, Robert FORD, 
was reared to the weaver trade and was engaged mostly in the manufacture of 
damask linens. He was a mechanical genius and was the master mechanic in the 
gingham factory in Thompsonville [Hartford County], Connecticut. For years 
he was at the head of the print works at Chicopee Falls. They reared eight 
children, of whom five are still living and also the father, aged eighty-five 
years. His wife died in 1883 at the age of seventy-six.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly