Description
A 350 year journey from Suffolk England to Canterbury, Quebec and Washington DC
Philip Reid Mayhew, my first cousin, passed away January 9, 2015, in Washington, D.C. Phil was orphaned at the age of 15, and was an only child who did not marry so had no immediate family. I decided to write his story so that there would be a permanent record of this marvelous man’s life, and his life would not be forgotten.
The story begins in 17th century Suffolk, England with Phil’s seventh great-grandfather, Henry Mayhew, a famous Suffolk clockmaker, and traces the Mayhew family descendants down through the centuries. The emigration of Alfred Mayhew and his family from Suffolk, England in 1836 as a pioneer family to the wilderness of Canterbury, Quebec is a fascinating tale of survival and the building of a thriving new community.
The interesting U.S. Army career of Phil’s father, Colonel Gordon Mayhew, is described in considerable detail but, sadly, ended in tragedy. Phil enjoyed a distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service and his many photos, records and other materials allowed me to record much about his exotic and exciting foreign service life, and his many close friendships.
Gordon C. Parsons
(ID 441)
