Every Family Shares a Story
From Africa to Alberta
The Impey Family's Transcontinental Journey
By Allan Goddard
Part 1: The Back Story
As the title suggests every family has a story to share. With this in mind, the Breton Museum started on a journey of discovery to develop a temporary summer exhibit. It soon became clear to museum staff, as they researched the information for the exhibit, that this story was a testament to the courage and determination shared by all who seek new beginnings in distant lands. For over one hundred years, and seven generations, the Impey family name has been part of Breton’s history. While some branches of the family tree have spread to many parts of the world, a number still remain in the Breton area.
Over the summer, look forward as the museum presents several articles about the Impey family. The museum was fortunate to have several descendants generously provide us with archival information, photographs, personal memories as well as artifacts from the family to help tell the story. We start our exhibit with George Grey Impey and Ida Ann Pringle.
But before we delve into George Grey and Ida Ann’s life in Africa and their remarkable journey to Alberta, we wanted to provide a brief background on the families before their arrival in South Africa. George’s Grey’s paternal grandfather, also named George… there are a lot of George’s to keep straight, … had been a flax spinner and manufacture of sail cloth in Whitby, England. Likely, for new found opportunities in the colonies the family left England in 1844 aboard the ship Horwood, captained by James Gales. The ocean trip would last 85 days before reaching Port Elizabeth in South Africa. One of George’s sons, Richard Pullman Impey would marry Hannah Hart and have a family of 13, their youngest son was George Grey Impey was born in 1862. George would be educated first at home by a governess and later sent to Beswick School in Queenstown. During his youth he herded sheep on his father’s farm and went transporting freight with an older brother. George Grey also worked for James Hart on his farm.
Often when you start to trace family trees certain surnames start to intermingle between both families. With the Impey and Pringle families the surname Hart shows up though marriages in both families.
Turning now to Ida’s side of the family, the Pringle’s, we discover that in 1820 Thomas Pringle lead a small group of Scottish settlers to South Africa from Scotland. Thomas’s brother William along with his wife and several sons were part of this group. William’s son, James Pringle would marry Ann Bowker. James and Ann would have a family of 11 children, the second eldest Ida was born in 1864. Ida wrote there were 13 people to sit down to each meal.
As with George Grey, Ida was educated by a governess during her younger life. Later she was sent to the Midland Seminary for two years where she obtained her teaching degree. After finishing her schooling Ida returned home to her parent’s farm at Tembani where her father had a farm with an orange grove. In her written memoirs Ida relates a rather strange tale. Her younger siblings were being taught by a young Scottish woman Miss Beaton. “One evening she asked me to let her tell my fortune, saying I have the gift but I don’t always use it. But I want to read yours, … she took up my hand, and looking said what a long busy life line you have. You will marry the man you love and live a long happy life. You will face poverty, and many dangers but will be together, and will travel to far lands. She was still holding my hand, palm up and stooping looked closer, then said No, no, I can’t tell her that, not that. She put my hand down saying sorry, just trouble will be yours, but I cannot tell you.”
Oh, the plot thickens! Stay tuned for the next chapter when boy meets girls and the real story begins.
As the title suggests every family has a story to share. With this in mind, the Breton Museum started on a journey of discovery to develop a temporary summer exhibit. It soon became clear to museum staff, as they researched the information for the exhibit, that this story was a testament to the courage and determination shared by all who seek new beginnings in distant lands. For over one hundred years, and seven generations, the Impey family name has been part of Breton’s history. While some branches of the family tree have spread to many parts of the world, a number still remain in the Breton area.
Over the summer, look forward as the museum presents several articles about the Impey family. The museum was fortunate to have several descendants generously provide us with archival information, photographs, personal memories as well as artifacts from the family to help tell the story. We start our exhibit with George Grey Impey and Ida Ann Pringle.
But before we delve into George Grey and Ida Ann’s life in Africa and their remarkable journey to Alberta, we wanted to provide a brief background on the families before their arrival in South Africa. George’s Grey’s paternal grandfather, also named George… there are a lot of George’s to keep straight, … had been a flax spinner and manufacture of sail cloth in Whitby, England. Likely, for new found opportunities in the colonies the family left England in 1844 aboard the ship Horwood, captained by James Gales. The ocean trip would last 85 days before reaching Port Elizabeth in South Africa. One of George’s sons, Richard Pullman Impey would marry Hannah Hart and have a family of 13, their youngest son was George Grey Impey was born in 1862. George would be educated first at home by a governess and later sent to Beswick School in Queenstown. During his youth he herded sheep on his father’s farm and went transporting freight with an older brother. George Grey also worked for James Hart on his farm.
Often when you start to trace family trees certain surnames start to intermingle between both families. With the Impey and Pringle families the surname Hart shows up though marriages in both families.
Turning now to Ida’s side of the family, the Pringle’s, we discover that in 1820 Thomas Pringle lead a small group of Scottish settlers to South Africa from Scotland. Thomas’s brother William along with his wife and several sons were part of this group. William’s son, James Pringle would marry Ann Bowker. James and Ann would have a family of 11 children, the second eldest Ida was born in 1864. Ida wrote there were 13 people to sit down to each meal.
As with George Grey, Ida was educated by a governess during her younger life. Later she was sent to the Midland Seminary for two years where she obtained her teaching degree. After finishing her schooling Ida returned home to her parent’s farm at Tembani where her father had a farm with an orange grove. In her written memoirs Ida relates a rather strange tale. Her younger siblings were being taught by a young Scottish woman Miss Beaton. “One evening she asked me to let her tell my fortune, saying I have the gift but I don’t always use it. But I want to read yours, … she took up my hand, and looking said what a long busy life line you have. You will marry the man you love and live a long happy life. You will face poverty, and many dangers but will be together, and will travel to far lands. She was still holding my hand, palm up and stooping looked closer, then said No, no, I can’t tell her that, not that. She put my hand down saying sorry, just trouble will be yours, but I cannot tell you.”
Oh, the plot thickens! Stay tuned for the next chapter when boy meets girls and the real story begins.
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