Charles E. Sexey - Marysville Citizen

Marysville Citizen

By 1863 he was on his way to becoming a property developer with a newspaper reference to "a building Charles Sexey will erect on D Street." This was the Tremont Block on the corner of 2nd Street and Maiden Lane. Etchings of the place show a massive construction that was to house the Appeal Steam Printing House, the Daily and Weekly Appeal, F. Buttleman & Co, Wholesale and Retail Licquor Dealers and W.L. Lawrence, Harness and Saddlery.

In 1864 at the Catholic Church in Marysville, Sexey married Jane Frances O’Donnell, born in Ardare, County Donegal, Ireland. She was aged 26 and a devout Catholic. The marriage entry in the parish register suggests that he was not a Catholic.

Sexey went on to become one of the seven trustees of the local woollen mill, a highly successful venture incorporated in the spring of 1867 with a capital stock of $50,000. By the time of the 1870 census he is noted as being a 46 year old Englishman with a 32 year old wife and a young Chinese cook. His assets are $80,000 with $20,000 in real estate. He served as president of the Anti-Debris Association and is recorded as resident at 5th near the corner of Maiden Lane. There are many records during these years of his buying and selling property in Marysville, such as on 28 January 1870 at 2:20 PM, he purchased the famous ‘Ramirez Castle’ for $4,125 in gold coin. In spite of the high cost he and Jane never lived in the house. Some years later, after his death, she sold it at a loss. The price was $4,000 and the buyer was Atkins C. Bingham, a local businessman.

The Marysville Appeal Directory of 1878-79 reported that Charles Sexey was a Levee Commissioner born in England who held 280 acres (1.1 km2) of land. W.T. Ellis recounted an event when the dam broke and raging waters hurled towards Marysville. A telegram was sent to "the mayor or Charles Sexey" giving news of the imminent danger. Sexey and several others raced to the town to give warning. However, the flood was averted because the levee on the south bank of the Yuba River had broken, allowing water and debris to run through the township of Linda to the Feather River as other floods had done before.

Charles Sexey was naturalised as an American citizen on 3 November 1876, with registration of same not taking place until June 1880.

On 3 May 1887 he resigned as president of the Anti-Debris Association, saying that the duties of the office were "onerous" and his health had been greatly impaired. The Board refused to accept his resignation; nevertheless, he insisted and left on a year long trip to Europe. On 24 July 1888 he caught a chill during a trip to Oban in Scotland and died. His obituary published in the Oban Times was re-published in Marysville’s Appeal’' on 14 August 1888.

Headed, "Death & Burial in a foreign land" the article goes on to say that "the Hon. Charles Sexey of Marysville, California, while on a short visit to the Highlands for the benefit of his health, died rather suddenly at Oban on Tuesday evening last. He had unfortunately caught a chill on his journey from which, in spite of the utmost skill on the part of Dr. McKelvie and Dr. Hally, he never rallied. The deceased gentleman was an Englishman by birth and had been long resident in the land of his adoption to which he was one of its earliest pioneers. Having amassed considerable wealth, much of his time in later years had been devoted to the advancement of the people of Marysville morally, socially and politically and he was generally recognised as one of its foremost men. The deceased gentleman, who only arrived in this country (i.e., Scotland) a month ago with the intention of making a tour through Europe, was 68 years of age and we understand leaves a widow but no family. The Requiem Mass was sung at the Pro-Cathedral this morning (Thursday) at which Bishop McDonald and the Rev. Fathers Simon and Savelli officiated. The remains were buried at Pennyfuir Cemetery."

On his death certificate the cause of death is shown as being pleurisy and pneumonia, and the person who registered the death was Mr. Robert Nish of Glasgow, described as "a friend". Sexey's parents are shown as ‘unknown – deceased’.