My Family Tree

Son of William Dyment and Effie McArthur.

Henry Dyment was not found in the PEI Baptismal Index. He gave his year of birth as 1840 in the 1881 census, October 1839 in the US 1900 census, and 1841 in the 1910 census. According to a newspaper article, he celebrated his 70th birthday in 1910. He should have been named for one of his grandfathers, Humphrey or Hugh, and perhaps Henry was a compromise. Humphrey Dyment Sr. didn't accept the name Henry as a namesake - he only gave money to the grandsons named Humphrey in his will.

He married, in 1861, Matilda Serepta Hardy, born 1841, Kildare, Prince Edward Island. "Marriage, on the 26th ult, by Rev. A. Fraser, Mr. Henry Dimond of Lot 7 to Miss Matilda Hanly of Kildare." Islander April 12 1861. The Alberton Presbyterian church record says " _____ Diamond Lot 7 and Matilda Hardy married September 10, 1862." This is a transcribed entry. However, since William's 1861 census record indicates a marriage in the last year, and Henry is married by the time of the 1861 census, the marriage date of 1861 seems more likely. The newspaper could hardly report on a marriage that hadn't taken place!

Henry's entry in the 1861 census has a married couple and one male under 5. Three of their children were baptized in the Church of England in Alberton. P.E.I: Angelina, Dyer, and William Havelock. They were born at home in Kildare, and baptized on the same date in January 1864. Henry and Matilda's names were on the wedding records for Harriet Ellen, Hudson C., Annie and Margaret; and on the death certificates for George and Henry Dyer. The family's religion was Baptist by the time of the 1881 census, which might account for the lack of later baptismal records for their children.

In this household in the 1881 Census in Lot 7: Henry Dyment (41, farmer), Matilda (40), William (19), Dyer (17), Hudson (15), Harriet (13), Margaret (11), George (8), Angeline (6), Mariah (2), all born on the Island. There was also a William Dimond, age 21, in the household of George Hardy in this census. Angeline, age 6, must be a second daughter with this name. Only Harriet was going to school.

The family moved to the United States after this census. They were not in the 1892 census of Washington State, and there were marriages of their children in Massachusetts: Dyer in 1889, William in 1891, Harriet in 1892, and Hudson in 1898.

One of the first indications that they had gone further out west was when George married Nora Bailey in Washington State in 1898.

Henry (October 1839) and Matilda S. were living in Washington State in 1900 with daughters Margaret (27) and Minnie (20). On the form, Matilda said that she had had 11 children, 8 of whom were still alive in 1900. In 1910, Matilda said 10 children, 7 living. In this census Henry and Matilda (age 69) were on their own. Their daughter Margaret had gone back to Massachusetts by 1902. On October 18 1910, Henry and Matilda celebrated their 70th birthdays.

Henry died in Tacoma, Washington on 27 Mar 1912 in his 72 year. On his death certificate, his parents names were William Dyment and Effie McCarthy. Matilda, the daughter of Solomon Hardy and Nettie McNeil, died in Tacoma, Washington in 1914.

"United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MMPP-2K7 : accessed 02 Mar 2013), Henry Dymand, 1900.

"Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3LH-PBC : accessed 09 Apr 2013), Henry Dyment, 27 Mar 1912.

copyright Jane Dyment 2013