Thomas Henfry or Henfrey was born on June 6, 1844, in Lincolnshire, England, the son of English-born George Henfry (1808-1890) and Mary Baker (1817-1871).
George and Mary were married on December 1, 1828, in Trent, Nottingham, England. The family immigrated to the United States and settled in Michigan sometime between 1845 and 1850 when they were living in Allendale, Ottawa County. In 1860 George and Mary were living on a farm in Cascade, Kent County, and Thomas’ older sister Sarah was working as a domestic for Jonathan Thomas, a farmer in Cascade.
Thomas was probably living in the Lansing area in the spring of 1861 when he became a member of the Lansing company called the “Williams’ Rifles,” whose members would serve as the nucleus of Company G on June 10, 1861. Indeed, he was 16 years old when he enlisted in Company G, but was transferred to Company B at some point prior to the Regiment’s departure from Grand Rapids on June 13, 1861.
There is no further record.
In fact, it appears that he was 18 years old, a blacksmith, stood 5’5”with gray eyes, light hair and light complexion when enlisted on April 2, 1862, at Detroit in Company G, 17th US Infantry. Thomas was discharged on account of disability on November 5, 1864, at Fort Preble, Portland, Maine.
In May of 1865 Thomas applied for a pension (no. 67972) but the certificate was never granted.
Thomas returned to his parent’s home in Cascade where he died on April 18, 1867, and was buried in Cascade cemetery: lot 2 grave no. 1.
His mother, although buried next to her husband (according to cemetery records and whose headstone is long gone), has written on her headstone: “Mother of Thomas.”
In 1870 George was living by himself in Cascade, and Mary was living with the Edward Love (?) family in Cascade. George was still living in Cascade in 1890.
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