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Francis Algar at his marriage to Sarah Croydon at Otterton on the 13th May 1801 was from the parish of St Mary Clyst (now Clyst St Mary) (1).   Francis was literate and a Tailor by trade. 

Over the next twenty years the couple had eleven children (2), they lived in a cottage where Watering Farm House now stands (3). 

One of their sons, Henry, who had been born in 1812 became a Mariner and eventually a Coast Guard on the Isle of Wight.  He had married and had several children, in the 1850’s he emigrated with his family to Canada (4). 

Henry’s son, James Nelson Algar (1857-1941), went to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where he became a Farmer.  In turn, his son, Harry Algar (1884-1954), decided to be a pharmacist, and left Canada for California, settling in the town of Modesto (4). 

A son of Harry’s, another James Nelson Algar (1912-1998), headed to Hollywood where he joined the Walt Disney corporation in the early 1930’s.  These were to be the iconic years of Walt Disney and James Algar was involved with many of the legendary Disney Classics of the time:  

An animator on Snow White (5)

A sequence director on Bambi (5)

A director of The Sorcerers Apprentice in Fantasia (5) 

James Agar gained fame as a Director, Writer and Producer, winning two awards at the Cannes film Festival in 1949 and 1954 both for Natural history films.  At the Berlin Film Festival during the 1950’s he won seven major awards (6).  

Researched and written by Roz Hickman © 2011

With consent of Robert Chance Algar – California

Ref:

(1)Otterton Marriage Register PR 10

(2)Otterton Baptism Registers PR 7+8

(3)Tithe Map

(4)Information from Descendant Robert Chance Algar

(5)Disneymovie list.com

(6)The Internet Movie Database (imdb.com)

126 OT-B-00014 Biography any