Harry Broomfield JOHNSTON

                   Harry was named Henry, but called Harry.

Harrry's brother Jim died when Harry was about 30.  

When his father died, Harry sold the coppersmith  business for about A$25,000 which was divided among the children.  He then went to San Francisco and then back to Baltimore.
He went to Salt Lake City and stopped on the way at Cripple Creek, Colorado where he taught dancing.
After he arrived in Salt Lake City in about 1894, Harry met a Cuban named Ferrera and they set up a company to make cigars.  For this reason he changed his name to Fernandez.  The company was called the Spanish Cigar Co. and was located on 2nd South between Main and West Temple.  The business lasted only about six months.
Harry taught dancing at the Odeon in Salt Lake where he met Martha.
Harry and Martha were married under the name of Fernandez.
A friend told Martha that Harry's name was not really Fernandez but Johnston.  She was very upset and got on the train the next day to Baltimore to meet the family, which included Hannah (Haas)(common law wife) and a child (one source says two children???) fathered by Harry.  They rented an apartment from Mrs. Gobel and almost stayed, but returned to Salt Lake after 10 months.
Upon returning to Salt Lake Harry, Martha, Harry, Phyllis and Allie had their names legally changed  back to Johnston.  1936?
THe family lived on 2nd North between 1903 and 1905.  Harry had his own coppersmith shop in a rented building on 1st West between 2nd and 3rd North.
They moved to 835 South State where Harry had his own coppersmith shop.
Harry would sing in a quartet with some of Martha's brothers.  Martha would accompany them on the piano which she played by ear.
The family moved to Seattle in March 1918.
Harry and Martha were divorced in Seattle.

Harry spoke of himself as an "Orangeman" referring to the "Orange Order" in Ireland, created apparently to defend protestants against Catholics in Ireland.

Harry Broomfield was taught the coppersmithing trade by his father but he didn't like it and sold the business when his father died.  According to his son Chuck as told to Doug Johnston  Sept 23, 1979.  Chuck saw Harry tin the inside of milk containers by using pellets of tin and lead.  Chuck saw Harry construct copper candy kettles by brazing the parts which were fashioned from sheets of copper stock.  The seams were hammered smooth.  The kettles were ordered by Keeley's Candy Company in Salt Lake.  They were polished and sometimes displayed in the store where Harry would take the kids to buy candy.  The Piston Ring Co. in Seattle failed.  Harry had a lot of ideas for products but did not consider as well how to market them.  He was a bit of a dreamer.  After developing teh fish screen, Harry sold it to some businessmen for $10 or 15,000.  Thus, he made some money though it could not be called a success.

In Baltimore, Harry trained boxers according to Chuck.

In Polk's Salt Lake City directories between 1893 and 1924  (not 1901-2-  trip to Maryland?) Harry Broomfield Johnston is listed as a tinner, tinsmith, coppersmith, secretary and treasurer for Utah Fish Screen and Power Company, Johnston Piston and Ring.  (Harry B. Fernandez 1893-1900).  Residences listed as 266 W 2nd North, 835 S State, 529 8th East.  Coppersmith shop listed as 311 No 1st West in Salt Lake City and at home 835 South State. 

Harry and Martha were divorced which was obtained by a friend of Harry's who was the attorney for the fish screen company according to son Harry, but there is no record of the divorce in the Salt Lake County records.  Harry intentionally waited to marry Virginia Buffington until after Martha died.  Some question if the divorce really occured.

Aunt Erma Christensen said in a letter that she thought her father Harry Broomfield was baptized in Salt Lake sometime between 1900 and 1915, and ordained a deacon or priest, but could find no records as such.