Biography of George Newton FOLKER
[Ref. P.3]
| Ancestors |  |
Profile | |
Naval service | |
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Index for FOLKER |
Biography of George Newton FOLKER
[Ref. P.3]
| Ancestors | |
Profile | |
Naval service | |
Photos | |
Index for FOLKER |
George Newton Folker was born at 127 St.James Street in the Kemptown district of Brighton in Sussex on 1 March 1858. His middle name of Newton is traditional within the family and celebrates the connection to Sir Isaac Newton. Sometime after George's youngest brother was born, their father seems to have left home, and by 1871, the cnsus shows the family living at 31 Osborne Street in Hove.
At the age of 15 George went into the navy at which time he was noted as being 5'1½" tall, having brown hair, hazel eyes and a fair complexion. He absconded from the navy several times as recorded in naval records. There is a story that has been handed down through the family being around 1883 when he swam ashore in Lisbon but this is not supported by naval records. He came to an area where the streets were laid out in circles and consequently he walked around in circles before calling at an inn to get a room for the night. All the rooms were let but the landlord let him sleep under the stairs where he caught fleas, probably from dogs.
Soon afterwards, George went to America, having changed his name to Reklof (Folker spelled backwards) to avoid detection. It is believed that he sailed on the Cunard Line sometime in 1877. He found his way to Central City in Nebraska where he lived with a doctor under whom he was studying. It was in Nebraska on 9 February 1878 that George signed his intention to become a citizen of the United States. However, he was accused of stealing so he left. He returned to England where he handed himself back to the navy following which he was discharged.
George next went to work for a relative in a bank. This may have been Thomas Clark who was married to George's sister Ellen Eliza Folker. After that he went to work in France where he had some connection with the London, Chatham and Dover Railway Company. Whilst there, George had met Alice Elizabeth Roberts who was living there with her father who ran the only English language newspaper in Paris at that time. Alice had been engaged to a cousin of George by the name of Waters but he had died from tuberculosis.
George and Alice were married in Paris on 14 May 1887 and their first child, Howard Stanley Folker, was born there on 26 March 1888. When Howard was about 18 months old, the family emigrated to America, sailing to New York aboard SS Egypt. The immigration record of their arrival has not been found but it is known that the family went to stay with a cousin in Evanston in Illinois. On 10 January 1890, a letter to George from his brother Alfred acknowledges money sent and he expresses his hope that it will help him to get established in his new life. Alfred also asks if Alice's health is improved and expects that the climate will suit.
By the time their second child, Dorothy Vida Folker, was born on 27 September 1890, they were living in San Francisco in California. In the mean time, on 31 May 1890, George and Alice had purchased at auction a plot of land which was on the corner of Elma Street and Lovell Avenue in Easton, later known as Mill Valley. On that plot George built a two storey house which he called Newton Cottage. Their remaining children were born at there, George Newton Folker on 8 January 1893, Mildred Eastland Folker on 17 November 1894 and Herbert Penn Folker on 23 September 1896. Unfortunately, the family lost possession of Newton Cottage as they had not been able to keep up with the mortgage payments.
George, as head of the household, completed the naturalisation process on 27 July 1898, and this automatically included Alice and the children. At that time, the family lived in Point Reyes where George was employed as a Third Assistant Keeper Point Reyes Light Station. The California State Roster of Government and Military Records in 1899 records George at Point Reyes Light Station in the 12th Lighthouse District. The census of 1900 confirms the family living in Point Reyes Township in marin County, California.
A letter written by George on 13 October 1901 to his brother Alfred records family and national events. George and Alice were divorced at some point later before 1910, at which time he was living at Glen Ellen in California.
The street directory of 1925 lists George as living in Elma and having an occupation as a salesman.
George's address book of 1937 gives his home address as 1206 Leavenworth Street in San Francisco, and his office as room 414, 16 California Street, San Francisco. He had a rubber stamp for the office address which gave his name as G Newton Folker which seems to emphasise the importance he felt of the connection to Sir Isaac Newton, as also reflected by the name of the house he built in Mill Valley.
George's residence was still at 1206 Leavenworth Street, Oakland, California in 1943 when he passed away. He died at Napa State Hospital in Oakland on 8 October as a result of prostrate cancer and suffering senility. The funeral was arranged by Godeau Funeral Home and George was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park on 16 October. The Record of Funeral contains a considerable amount of information about George.
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