Mary Mead, the rest of the Story (couple 3)

[Dad's paternal grandmother's paternal Grandparents]
[Ada Estella Rex > William Rex > Rex/Mead]

Based upon Mom's questions, I thought it wasn't fair to leave Mary Mead Rex hanging in 1853 in St. Louis, when in fact she lived for nearly 50 more years!  Here's the rest of the story.

So where we left off is that they arrived in St. Louis in December 1850, William Rex set up a bakery and did very well, until he died in the spring of  1852 from a "serious malady."  From here,

"Mary attempted to carry on her deceased husband’s baking business. Her lack of experience forced her to sell the business and find other work to support her family. She did nursing and was considered gifted in the care of the sick.  Her boys, Thomas, William, Charles, and Alfred were resourceful and tried every available means to help support their mother. They swam the Mississippi River and gathered drift wood for fuel, selling the excess. They did errands of all kinds. At one time William [my great grandfather 1844-1927] and Alfred had a contract as lamp lighters for the City of St. Louis. William used to say that the poem The Old Lamp Lighter [by Robert Louis Stephenson, 1850–1894] was a story of what they did. He often told of how they went about the streets with a torch and ladder to light the gas lamps.” There is a nice sketch and information about early lamplighters like Mary’s boys here."

St. Louis in 1860, from here.

 James Clucas and family had arrived in St. Louis the year before, having sailed on the same ship, in fact.

Clucas, James, [born] 1823
Clucas, Ann, [born] 1827
Clucas, Elizabeth A., [born] 1847

It looks like Ann (Jame's Clucas wife who came to St. Louis with him) died sometime during 1853, and with him being a widower and Mary Mead a widow, they were married on 28 December 1853 by Mormon Elders Samuel James Lees and Brigham H. Young.

Also from the AncestralTies blog:

James Clucas died from dysentery on December 23, 1864.

"As the boys grew older they went away from home seeking more lucrative employment. Thomas, the eldest, joined up with a surveying crew which took him over much of the territory, even into Wyoming. William went onto a farm in Illinois and it was from there that he enlisted in the union Army. Alfred G. also enlisted in the Union Army for the duration of the Civil War." -- “The Rex Family,” Edna B. Rex, Our Pioneer Heritage, V5, Kate B. Carter, 1962, pgs 498-500.

"Alfred G. also enlisted in the Union Army for the duration of the war. He was a drummer boy and William played the flute." --Rex Family History, pg 16.

[note:] Family stories preserved the fact that Mary's sons enlisted in the service while they were too young. Their mother went to camp to retrieve one of them and took him home with her. He purportedly left home again, and returned to the war. I couldn't find any documentation on Alfred's service."

Then continuing on another webpage:

Mary wrote in her diary, “Today, April 22, 1869, my two sons, Alfred G. and William left St. Louis for Utah with the first train-load of cattle to go west on the new railroad, to be delivered to Bishop Smoot of Provo.”“They unloaded at Uinta, Weber County [Utah] on the 12th of May, 1869. From there they drove their cattle to the point of delivery in Provo [Utah]where they were received by Bishop Smoot.

“William found employment with the Overland Telegraph company and went on to St. George [Utah]. Alfred G. worked at odd jobs until the spring of 1870 when he joined a company of Saints who had been sent to help colonize Randolph, Rich County, Utah. Later in the summer William arrived in Randolph where he and Alfred built a log home on Canyon Street and Third East in anticipation of their mother’s arrival. The home still stands after 90 years of use." --Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol5, Kate B. Carter, "The Rex Family," by Edna B. Rex, 1962, pgs 498-500. 

“Mary arrived in Randolph, Utah in June, 1871, twenty-one years after leaving England, to the log home her sons Alfred and William had built for her. Thomas stayed in St. Louis, but she brought her two remaining children, Charles and Mary, to her Third East and Canyon Street log home with her. "

 “Mary took her family to Salt Lake in November of that year and was endowed and sealed to William Rex, November 6 [1871]. Her daughter, Mary Clucas, was also sealed to her and William. Charles, the youngest son, moved on to California, where he died at Susanville, in 1874. Her sons, Alfred and William, were very good to their widowed mother and always shared with her what they had.

“Mary Mead Rex was a tall, good-looking woman with thick, dark hair in braids which she wore over the top of her head. She was always willing to help care for the sick. She homesteaded land east of Randolph on the Bear River, now known as the Telford property. Her daughter, Mary Mead, took a mid-wife obstetric course in Salt Lake City and helped deliver many babies in the Randolph area.
“Mary had a row of gooseberry and red-currant bushes south of her house, and an asparagus bed. She had flowers on both sides of her walk from her door to the gate. She let neighbor children pick berries and flowers with her.

“Mary was a very good housekeeper. When the Indians came to her home, she always gave them food, but was annoyed when they put their dirty feet in her clean oven or on her hearth. Although she was good to the Indians, she was always afraid of them.

“In 1882 Elizabeth Corless and Thomas Wilson were married and for the first three winters of their married life they lived in one room of Mary’s home and paid their rent by milking her cows and doing her chores. She always made very good butter.

“She was a beautiful knitter and kept knit shams on her bed and wide knit lace across the bottom of her white aprons. She loved her Bible and from it learned to be an excellent speller. A beautiful penman, she kept a neatly written diary, still legible.

“Mary Mead Rex died in Randolph, December 10, 1899, at the age of 86, at the home of her daughter, Mary Mead Pearce. The following was written of her at that time: “Mary had her share of joys and sorrows but she bore them all with calmness and fortitude. She has set an example worthy of imitation.”-- Randolph; A Look Back, Mary Mead Rex, submitted by Kathleen Rex Thornock, 1981, pgs 421-422.

Explore the area here.  Notice "Rex Peak" along the eastern mountains.  The "Bear River" mentioned in the story is probably "Big Creek" noted on the map.  Here's a cool picture. And the Wilford Woodruff Home.map. And a

William Rex and Mary Mead (couple 3)

[Dad's paternal grandmother's paternal Grandparents]
[Ada Estella Rex > William Rex > Rex/Mead]

Most of this information was gleaned from reading the AncestralTies blog, there is more information:
William Rex (1817-1852) 
Mary Mead (1813-1899)
Part 1, early lives
Part 2, 1850 voyage on James Pennell
Part 3, storm at sea, arrival at Mississippi River
Part 4, arrival in St. Louis
Part 5, Mary married to James Clucas, life in St. Louis
Part 6, move to Randolph, Utah
1903 letter from Thomas John Rex 

Including a few posts on our next pertinent progenitor:
William Rex (1844-1927)
Mary Elizabeth Brough Rex (1858-1939)
Part 1
Part 2
Mary's funeral, 1939
William Rex teaches school in Argyle, Utah
Ada Rex Jackson writes of her family part 1, part 2
1937 Wm & Mary Rex home burns
These make for a very interesting read!

From the AncestralTies blog:

Mary had her share of joys and sorrows but she bore them all with calmness and fortitude.
William was the sixth of eight children born to John Rex, a mason, and Ann Osland Rex. Mary was one of five children born to Meshack Mead, a sieve maker, and Betty (Elizabeth) Fox Mead.
William and Mary were married November 21, 1842 in the Union Chapel at Sherborne, Dorset, England. They were early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England. William was baptized February 10, 1849, and Mary was baptized on August 2, 1849. That year William wrote in his journal,opened my house for preaching. His sister Sarah was also baptized.
On December 17, 1849 Elder E. Hanham wrote: I now leave Sherborne after walking nearly one thousand miles for the salvation of this people. Since June 15, 1849, having been presiding Elder over this place since that period. I have succeeded in getting, by the assistance of others, Brother Rex not being least; eleven to be baptized, one of whom is cut off. But I think the Gospel standard is so well planted here that many will obey the Gospel ere long. My prayer to Israel’s God is that the few who have obeyed the Gospel may prosper, and become exceeding great. Yea, that the little one may become a thousand, and the great one a strong nation! I now leave my blessing on them and say, 'Be ye blessed in the name of Jesus Christ, and may ye prosper according to your well doing.' I remain your brother in the bonds of the New and Everlasting Covenant.
William Rex was ordained an Elder on December 23, 1849, and placed over the branch at Sherborne.
On October 2, 1850 William and Mary Mead Rex departed Liverpool, England on the emigrant ship James Pennell. Part of a company of 254 souls under the direction of Christopher Layton, they are listed on the ships passenger list with their children, and their birth years. William was 33 years old and Mary was 37, their children, Thomas John,7, William, 6, Charles, 4, Alfred George, 2, and 5-month old Florence Celeste who had been born earlier that year on May 5, 1850.
According to the Millennial Star, Vol XIII, page 9, their trip was an ordinary passage.

The materials for these posts are from Helen Rex Frazier's collection of history of her great grandparents, William and Mary Mead Rex. Much now appears in History, Descendants and Ancestory of William Rex and Mary Elizabeth Brough of Randolph, Utah, compiled and edited by Ronald Dee Rex, 1999. James Pannell voyage notes are from FamilySearch Mormon Immigration Index (50174) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2000 edition. The cover page, pictured beneath, was written and compiled by her Aunt Edna Brown Rex.

About

And this is from the notes section on FamilySearch.org:

At this time several branches of the various REAKES/REX families in Upton Noble, Milton Clevedon and Batcombe, began to convert to non conformist religions, ie not Church of England. We know from historical records that Elizabeth's son John had at least two children who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and migrated to America. Sarah Austin Reakes born 1810 and her brother William Rex, joined The Church in 1848 at Upton Noble. The Historical Dept of the Church sent me some information about the two converts: The Upton Noble branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organised in 1848 with James Rawlings as president. At her (Sarah) funeral in the Sixth Ward in Salt Lake City in 1877, "Elder Hanham" and "Elder Rawlings" were speakers. Both men had been at the Upton Noble Branch in 1848. Her obitituary in the Deseret Weekly News for May 16, 1877 mentions a baptism about 30yrs before her death. Elder Hanham baptised her. She sailed as Sarah Austin Rex on the ship `James Pennell' on Oct 2 1850 from Liverpool to New Orleans. Her brother William Rex, aged 33, his wife Mary aged 36, and children Thomas J. 7, William 6, Charles 4, Alfred George 2, and Florence Rex 3mths are listed in the British Mission's Liverpool Emigration Records. The ship arrived at New Orleans on the 22nd November 1850, then the passengers continued their journey up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, arriving there in early December. (Records from Upton Noble, show their arrival as 3rd Day of Dec 1850.) The papers relating to the branch at Upton Noble show quite a few papers relating to the Rex family and give the date of William's death at only 35yrs of age. He was an Elder of the Church at the time and was buried in the city burying ground. Son William was buried there too, dying 17th June 1853 aged 1 year 1 month and 2 days. Florence Celeste had died 20th July 1851 aged 7yrs 7mths 14 days and was buried in the Franklin Ave Cemetery. So it see ms a sad introduction to the New World.

Bonus: Ira Stearns Hatch (father of couple 2)

[Dad's paternal grandfather's maternal Grandparents]
[V.O. Jackson > Amelia Hatch > Orin Hatch > Ira Stearns Hatch]

Bonus material from a source document linked to Orin Hatch in FamilySearch.org, regarding Ira Stearns Hatch:

I shall relate the story of Ira Stearns Hatch who is my husband's Great-grandfather.  He and his two brothers with their families lived in Winchester, New York, and were cattle raisers.  A tribe of Nicaragua Indians lived not far from the Hatch home, and as was the custom in early days of the church, missionaries were sent to preach to the Indians.  Ira Stearns Hatch's wife went to listen to what these missionaries had to say.  She believed their story and told her husband that she wanted to join that church, but her husband told her that this church was so persecuted by other churches tha they had better wait awhile, and do some more investigating.  In those days they didn't have  all the magazines in their homes as we have today, but they did have the Bible and Ira Stearns Hatch and his family read the Bible.  Soon they learned that the Mormon people were to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio, and this made Mr. Hatch believe that it could be the true church as they had read of Solomon's temple in the Bible.  They had also heard that Joseph Smith claimed to be a Prophet of the Lord.

Mr. Hatch had $300 in the bank and wanting to know the truth as to whether this man was a Prophet of the Lord, as he claimed to be, he told his wife and family that he was going to Kirtland, and take this money to assist in the building of the temple, when he definitely found out that this man was a prophet of the Lord.  For three days he traveled in a horse drawn wagon until he reached Kirtland.  Upon arriving he asked where he might find Joseph Smith.  He was told that he was cutting timber for the erection of the temple.  As Mr. Hatch approached this grove of  trees, a young man looked up, and striking his axed into a tree, he approached Mr. Hatch and said to him, "Mr Hatch we have waited for three days to receive the money that you have brought to assist in the building of the temple.  We shall use it to build the altars.  The prophet had never before seen Mr. Hatch nor know that he had any money with him, so Ira Stearns Hatch knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this man was a prophet of the Lord.  The family was baptized into the church and moved to Kirtland and assisted in the building of the temple there.  They also assisted in the building of the temple at Nauvoo when the saints were driven from Kirtland.  While at Nauvoo the mother died, leaving Mr. Hatch to raise their seven children.

Elizabeth Melissa Perry and Orin Hatch (couple 2)

[Dad's paternal grandfather's maternal Grandparents]
[V.O. Jackson > Amelia Hatch > Hatch/Perry]

(Written by a descendant in 1946, photos gathered by me and inserted!)

Elizabeth Melissa Perry, born 27 September, 1836 at Ashperton, Herefordshire, England to Grace Ann Williams and John Perry, the youngest child in a family of eight, not quite four years old when the L.D.S. Missionaries who were visiting the people in this neighborhood, and had conversed with John Perry who was one of the Church of The United Brethren, who were very devout, and had petitioned his Heavenly Father for divine guidance regarding man’s mission on this earth. The Missionaries told a story of a man in far away America who had been visited by a. Heavenly Messenger who told them of a. marvelous work that was to be established on this earth in the last days. They claimed that God's plan for the benefit of His earthly children had been revealed in its fullness, and man had been given divine authority to teach and bless their fellowmen. After this plan had been fully explained to the people of this community, the good people numbering some six hundred soul’s readily understood and accepted it as the further light and for which they had been seeking and were anxious and willing to take part in it. Elizabeth’s parents were among the first ones to be baptized in a pool on a farm of John Benbow in March 1840 by these men holding divine authority to perform this ordinance. 

John Benbow farm. An interesting blog by a visitor.

Little Gadwell Chapel. from here.

 During the following summer months, this family, along with their neighbors, was engaged in disposing of all their earthly possessions except a few choice family treasures and preparing for a long journey to the land of America where they could live in harmony with those who believed as they did. Elizabeth’s parents were grieved with the knowledge that their parents and brothers and sisters were very bitter toward the new religion. By Monday, September 8th, all necessary preparations had been made and Elizabeth, with her parents and brothers and sisters, were on the ship "North America" at Liverpool with some two hundred of their neighbors, ready to sail for their new home. Elder Theodore Turley was in charge of this the second company of foreign L.D.S. emigrants to leave England. They arrived at Nauvoo, Ill. on November 20th 1840 after being some ten weeks on the way, a long tedious journey for a child of four year. Upon their arrival at Nauvoo, Elizabeth’s parents found plenty to fill their live for the new community was just beginning to be established. Her father being a capable and efficient joiner and wheelwright and her mother a big-hearted neighborly woman fitted in perfectly into the community life. Elizabeth too, with her brother John and sisters Eliza and Alice soon adjusted themselves to their new surroundings. Her brother William had died just prior to docking the ship “North America" at New York and was buried at Staten Island. While at Nauvoo Elizabeth was deprived of the companionship of her brother John, age 6 and her sister Alice, age 14, who died within a week of each other. One of Elizabeth's chores was to carry her father’s lunch to him each day as he was employed on the Nauvoo Temple, where he worked from the laying of the foundation until it’s completion in 1845. While at Nauvoo, she became personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and his brother Hyrum, and Brigham Young upon whom she saw the Prophet’s mantle fall, and many other leading men and women of the Church. In April 18, 1845 she was baptized in the in the Mississippi River, thus becoming a member of the L.D.S. or Mormon Church. The adjustments required of this child, to her new life in Nauvoo, may have been rather severe, but the following few years were to be even more trying and of an entirely different nature, as she was to be required to spend them on the outskirts of civilization with few opportunities to enjoy even the comforts of a temporary home. By the time she was ten years old, she with her father, mother and sister Elisa were forced to flee from mobs and seek another place of refuge in a stranger and less known land than Nauvoo. During the preparation for the Pioneer trip, Elizabeth's father was kept busy almost night and day helping to build wagons and other conveyances for the Saints. Because of this fact, his own family was not prepared to leave with the first emigrants in February 1846, but remained until spring of that year, then they journeyed to join a group at Winter Quarters in time to leave that place and become part of the group on the Elkhorn River who were organized on Thursday, June 17 1847 ready for their journey in the Charles C. Rich Guard of 100 with Edward Stevenson as Captain of their (10). This group started crossing the Elkhorn on Sunday June 20th at 11:00 A.M. and joined the main camp on the Platte River 80me twelve miles distant on Monday, June 21st.. Ten to twelve miles per day was the average for this group during their entire journey to the Valley. Sunday was a day of rest when necessary repairs were made. Considerable of Elizabeth's time was spent in driving the family oxen as her father was so often called upon to assist the Pioneers in repairing their conveyances. On the journey several bands of Indian were encountered, some of which were unfriendly, for this reason guards were constantly on duty. A large herd of buffalo, three of which were described as looking like puppies, were a novel sight for the emigrants. About the middle of August, the company was visited by Ezra Taft Benson and Orin P. Rockwell, just west of Fort Laramie, who brought a message from Brigham Young telling of the place which had been selected for their new home where they could dwell in peace and build up the Kingdom of God. Letters and instructions were left by this company as by others, on pieces of boards, buffalo skulls and small boxes nailed to trees for those who followed that their trip might be made easier. Entrusted to this company for safe delivery in the Valley were two large cannons, 25 kegs of powder, the Temple veil and a large boat. On September 5th Brigham Young, seven other Apostles and several of the earlier pioneers who were returning to Winter Quarters met the group at Pacific Springs and held a meeting with them. From this time on the roads were very bad, and as the stormy weather had set in and the first part of this group did not reach “The Old Fort” until Saturday, October 1st and that in which Elizabeth was traveling arrived on Monday, October 3rd, just one week after she had her 11 birthday.

more information on the Old Fort here

 The Old Fort was their home during the winter of l847-1848 and in the spring of 1848 they were members of a group of Saints comprised of the families of Perrigrian Sessions and Jezreal Shoemaker and John Perry who traveled some eight or ten miles north of the Old Fort and settled at what was called Sessions Settlement, later named Bountiful, making their first camp at what is 2nd So.3rd East. A little later they moved lower down on Stone Creek where they prepared the ground and planted a patch of grain and garden vegetables, The grain and vegetables grew and all seemed well until the crickets came and even though Elizabeth and her companions did all in their power to destroy the pest, it looked as though the crops were lost. Then followed the miracle of the Seagulls and the saving of their food. Thus the Seagulls became a Sacred bird to the Pioneer of the Valley.

As there was not sufficient time to prepare permanent homes during the summer of 1848, the Perry family with others made a temporary winter camp (1848-49) on the creek at what is now the Willey corner about one forth mile of the Bountiful Junior High School on 4th North. (1946) The spring of 1849 found the John Perry family on their way to Salt Lake City in answer to a false request that they were to go to the South to help settle that country. Upon consulting Pres. Brigham Young they were advised to return to Sessions Settlement. On their return to Sessions Settlement they found a spring of good water so decided to make this their permanent home. The property situated immediately south and west of the South Bountiful Ward Chapel has been the home place of the descendants of Elizabeth Perry Hatch until t he present time.(1964) Elizabeth’s parents who were grateful for the blessings of the Gospel, attempted to show their gratitude by extending their hospitality and assist any and all new comers, often giving them financial aid in getting them established i n their homes. This attitude was strongly inherent in Elizabeth who never failed to give and give of herself as well as her time and earthly possessions to assist anyone who needed that help. This attitude was encouraged land aided by her husband, Orin Hatch, whom she married on October 10, 1855 in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City. Their home was always the abode of one and sometimes two or more non-members of the family, and the traveler was always welcome, even if the children were obliged to sleep on the floor, which was often the case. At one time, we had seventeen visitors who remained two days, or more. Just a sample of the hospitality of this family. No day was too full or night too cold or stormy for Uncle Orin and Aunt Libby as they were affectionately known in the community, to leave their own family and go to the assistance of others who had sickness or death in their homes. Elizabeth’s patriarchal blessing promised that knowledge and skill should be given her in the care of the sick and in the use of herbs and home remedies. These promises were truly fulfilled. The older children well remember that their parents always kept a change of clothing in a shelter in the bushes near the home, to put on before entering their own home when they re turned from a home where they had been to give assistance. This was especially the case during the diphtheria epidemic. 

View of the house, Google Street View (2007)

Looks like they put on an addition! (2012)

Her mother was afflicted with asthma and suffered greatly during her later life, and required considerable care and attention from Elizabeth’s family consisting at this time of 9 children. She was unable to lie down and died setting in a chair on November 13, 1872. Although Elizabeth had very little opportunity to obtain an education she was a good speller and an excellent reader and best of all a kind, wise, prudent, thrifty wife and mother. Her husband’s marriage to his second wife on May 2nd l856, Mariah Thompson, was of Elizabeth’s own choosing and her own children were taught to respect and love not only Aunt Maria and her children, but also for Marias father whom they called Grandfather Thompson. As was the case in all early Utah homes, the inmates made their own candles, soap, butter, washed and carded and spun their wool and wove woolen cloth for clothing. A little later this family associated with the Atkinsons, Paces and Moss’s conducted a butter and cheese dairy at Silver Creek which called for the assistance of all the children as they became old enough to assume that responsibility thus leaving more chores for those who remained at home. Thirteen children had the grand privilege of having Elizabeth as their mother. All reached maturity and their lives were such that they were worthy and did go to the house of the Lord to be sealed to their companion, with never a separation or a divorce in the whole family. The children of Elizabeth are: Orin Perry Hatch b. 28 Jul 1856 Md. Marinda Woodward, 1876 12 children John Edward Hatch b. 26 Jan 1859 Md. Laura Victora Ellis 5 children Grace Ann Hatch b. 18 Oct 1860 Md. William Moss 10 children Amelia Elizabeth Hatch b. 30 Sep 1862 Md. David Jackson 10 children Joseph Ervin Hatch b. 30 Oct 1864 Md. Margaret C. Benson 7 children James Ernest Hatch b. 30 Nov 1866 Md. Annie Elizabeth Mann 10 children Alice Hatch b. 8 Apr 1868 Md. James Jackson 4 children Chloe Adalaide Hatch b. 11 Jan 1870 Md. Andrew Grant 6 children Ezra Taft Hatch b. 29 Dec 1871 Md. Edith Flosom 6 children Wilder True Hatch b. 14 Nov l873 Md. Patty Orilla Sessions 4 children Myra Rhoana b. 12 Oct 1875 Md. Charles B. Mann 5 children Algie Lydia b. 5 Jun 1877 Md. Joseph Hyrum Grant 5 children Jabez Bradford Hatch b. 5 Aug 1879 Md. Annie Putnam 10 children Total 97 children Although in her later Aunt Livvy's health was poor, from a heart condition which she suffered at times, she was still anxious about her neighbors and friends, whom she visited whenever she was able. Her husband died Sept. 8, 1906 and in just fifteen months later she joined him, on 30 January 1908. A career woman, yes truly a career woman. Who would wish for a greater or more glorious career. Thirteen stalwarts had the privilege of calling her Mother, ninety seven grandmother, and later generations are numbered by the hundreds. What an audience to greet her and call her blessed when the time of reckoning arrives. (Copy by Carrie Hatch Neville, February 1964)

Orin Hatch and Elizabeth Melissa Perry (couple 2)

[Dad's paternal grandfather's maternal Grandparents]
[V.O. Jackson > Amelia Hatch > Hatch/Perry]

The following is from a life sketch about Orin Hatch, followed by a dramatization of his experience in the Mormon Battalion as recorded in the Friend magazine.  Tomorrow I'll share the story of how his father, Ira Stearns Hatch first met the prophet Joseph Smith.

 

It was not a mansion, not even a house such as people of ordinary circumstances would build today, but it was a happy home, the dwelling place of people who were highly favored by our Heavenly Father. The inmates of this home were not people of wealth as the world of today judges wealth, but were wealthy in rich traits of character, for they were stalwart pioneers of a wilderness.

　　This home was located in the extreme western part of New York, in the part inhabitated by the Cattaraugus Indians. It was a densely timbered land, sparsely settled, where every acre tilled meant months of hard labor. People of sterling quality and strong determination were required to undertake conquering of such a country, and such was the character of the people in whom we are interested. Evidently this family were ambitious as they not only provided themselves with a comfortable home, but became quite prosperous.

　　On May 9th, 1830, a third child came to enrich the lies of this home. It was a son, whom the parents Ira Stearns and Wealtha Bradford Hatch gave the name Orin. Not much is recorded concerning his early life, but we can surmise that his time was fully occupied with the tasks usual to such a pioneer life. The mother who had been especially interested in the Indians, read the Book of Mormon, and was the first member of the family to be baptized. That ordinance being preformed in 1832. The father soon followed her example, although his people seriously objected to his affiliating with this unpopular faith.

The Church was barely six months old when Oliver Cowdery was called by revelation to go to the Lamanites and preach the gospel (see D&C 28:8). Subsequently Peter Whitmer, Jr., Ziba Peterson, and Parley P. Pratt were called to assist him (see D&C 30:5; 32:1–3).  Read more interesting descriptions HERE, and some artwork HERE.

　　At a very early date this family had the privilege of hearing the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, taught buy two humble representatives of the newly organized church, and recognizing it as the gospel of the Master, readily accepted it. Also while living here, Orin, then in his fourteenth year was baptized in crooked creek May 1844. A testimony of the gospel having come to him as he stood watching that ordinance being administered by the Elders.

　　After visiting the Prophet Joseph Smith at Kirtland, where the father received a marvelous manifestation of the Prophet's divine mission, the family was not long in deciding to cast their lots with the Saints and in 1840 moved to Hancock County, Illinois locating twenty five miles from the new town of Nauvoo. Their home was at Eton Farm on Jobs Creek, at which place, the mother was stricken with a fever that was prevalent among the Saints and died 3rd of Nov. 1841, leaving the father with the responsibility of caring for seven children.

　　During the March of the Mormon Battalion, Orin and his brother Meltiah were inseparable companions. While on the march Orin became seriously ill with scurvy and was obliged to step out of the ranks, and walk supported by two companions. Twice he was left by the side of the trail to die while the Battalion marched on and twice his brother Meltiah secretly took an officers horse at night and went back and took Orin into camp. Later he was strapped upon the back of an officers horse where he rode all day and was removed when camp was made at night.

From the CaliforniaPioneer website, a great read!

　　For a short time the family spent their time with the other saints in building a new home in what they hoped would be a permanent location, but were sadly disappointed, for emissaries of Satan were obeying his commands and the Saints were obliged to seek a new refuge.

Upon their expulsion from Illinois in 1846, the family took up residence at Bonary Lake near St. Joseph, Missouri where Orin, the 16 years and 2 months old, enlisted in the Mormon Battalion, being the youngest member of that famous organization. In 1853 he accompanied the group in charge of Orson Pratt and helped establish Fort Supply at Smith's Fork of the Green River in Wyoming. In 1856 the call came for him to join the company that was to establish settlements in Carson Valley, Nevada. This group returned to Salt Lake Valley at the time of the invasion of Johnston's Army. He later answered calls to assist the Saints at Fort Hall, Idaho, and in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.
　　Being deprived of the help of two sons, they decided to remain in that locality until a later date, so rented a farm and made their home there till the summer of 1849. At which time they emigrated to Utah. Upon arrival at their destination he was one of five men chosen to go into the timber and select a pole upon which was flown the first American flag over that part of the country. (Lower California)

　　Upon his discharge from the service in the Battalion he remained in California and was employed at Sutter's Mill when gold was discovered there. Panning gold and securing an amount which he brot back to Utah with him. His wife's wedding ring being made from one of the nuggets. Upon returning to Utah in 1852, he established his home in Bountiful, but his pioneering days were not yet ended as he was called to go to various parts of the intermountain region to establish settlements.

He married Elizabeth Melissa Perry, daughter of John and Grace Ann Williams Perry on Nov. 14, 1855. In 1856 he married Maria Thompson who accompanied him on his trip to Carson Valley. Orin Hatch was a Sunday School teacher, a Ward teacher, a Seventies President and a Patriarch, to which office he was ordained on June 19, 1899 by Apostle George Teasdale. All of these were sacred obligations to him and he faithfully performed them all. He never aspired to worldly honors nor prominent positions but was content to live an honorable life devoted to good deeds. There was no man in the community more willing to respond to the calls of neighbors in time of trials sickness or death, and every project of the community received his moral and financial support. His first wife was the mother of 13 children, 7 boys and 6 girls, and his second wife bore nine of all whom manifested a spirit of love and respect for each other due to the wise counsel and kindly consideration of the splendid parents.

　　Farming, dairying, and stock-raising were followed as a means of gaining a livelihood for his large families. His first venture outside of the home farms was to establish a milk and cheese dairy at Silver Creek Summit. Sheep raising was also an added source of revenue and very early he and his older sons were owners of large bands of sheep. They were joined by neighbors and herded on the hills adjacent to the Bountiful settlement. At an early date a sheep company was formed by Orin Hatch and Sons and John Moss Sr. and Sons and called the Moss and Hatch Sheep Company. This company later became the nucleus of the Deseret Land and Livestock company organized in 1889.

(This was retyped on May 26th, 2013 by John Olsen. A few corrections were made in spelling and punctuation, as seemed proper. None of the content was changed from the original document this was taken from.)

　　He died at the family home in Woods Cross, Davis County, Utah, Saturday, September 8, 1906 at 2:20 P.M. Surrounded by most of his large family now grown. His was the first break in the family of two wives and nineteen children. Also surviving are one hundred eleven grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.

The testimony he received at the time of his baptism when 14 years of age never wavered in all his trials and hardships of frontier life. He was fortified by his trust in God and reliance upon His help and power.

“Brothers,”

By: Sheila Kindred, Friend, Jul 1994, p35

(Based on an oral history passed down in the Hatch family)

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light (1 Jn. 2:10).

“Soldier!”

Meltiar Hatch leaped to his feet and saluted the man on horseback. The Mormon Battalion had been on the march since dawn. Meltiar had taken advantage of a break to bring his sixteen-year-old brother, Orin, to rest in the shade of a tree. He hadn’t heard the officer’s horse until it was right next to him.

Lieutenant Smith returned Meltiar’s salute. “At ease, soldier.” He looked down at Orin, who lay unmoving, his eyes closed. “Your companion looks to be very ill.”

“Yes, sir,” Meltiar said sadly. “He contracted the fever at Fort Leavenworth, but I know that in time—”

Meltiar’s protests were ignored as Lieutenant Smith turned and gave the order to assemble. As the drums sounded, men began to scramble to collect their provisions and line up. Meltiar sat down heavily and put his head in his hands.

“Time? Time?” Lieutenant Smith loudly interrupted. “This troop has no time. The untimely death of our former commanding officer has set us back two weeks. We cannot defer to the sick and the weary. Leave him.” “Meltiar,” Orin’s voice was barely audible. “Forgive me. I joined up only because I wanted to finally be useful, like you were in Nauvoo. I never imagined it would end like this.”

“Well, none of us imagined we’d ever be led by Lieutenant Smith, either. Few of the Gentile leaders have been unkind; he’s just the worst of the lot. Let’s not forget the promises given by Brigham Young and the Twelve,” Meltiar said with conviction. “If we conduct ourselves properly on this march, our lives will be spared.” He put his pack and canteen in Orin’s hands. “Here are some extra food and water to keep you for a while. I must go now, but I’ll be back, I promise.” He got to his feet.

“I never meant to be a burden.” “Brothers can never be burdens.” Later that night Meltiar awoke with a start. He wondered why he was alone in the woods in the middle of the night. Then he remembered that he was on an urgent mission, that someone’s life depended on him. His first thought was that he was still a messenger in the Nauvoo Legion. Meltiar shook his head to clear his jumbled thoughts. He spoke aloud to himself. “The Prophet Joseph is dead. I couldn’t have prevented his assassination. However, I should’ve gotten help when my horse went lame, instead of trying to walk to Carthage. Then I might’ve delivered the last message from his loved ones before he died.” He shook his head sadly. “But I was young and full of pride, just as Orin is now.”

Meltiar had prayed fervently for help when he’d set out. He knew he had an impossible task. Even if he had not been exhausted from lack of sleep, it would take him most of the night just to reach Orin on foot. Although Orin was much improved and could probably walk, he couldn’t travel very fast in his weakened condition. Meltiar knew that if he didn’t reach the battalion before it pulled out at dawn, it would leave them both behind. But he also knew that he could never leave Orin.

At the thought of his brother, Meltiar stumbled to his feet. That’s whose life depended on him now! Weary as he was, he had to keep walking. The two previous nights, Meltiar had another soldier help him bring Orin back to camp on horseback. Each morning, when Lieutenant Smith discovered what had happened, he angrily ordered that Orin be left behind again. Last night Commander Smith had informed Meltiar that if he wanted to keep up his “foolhardy venture,” he could no longer disturb the sleep of other men or beasts. That was why he was now alone and on foot. And he knew that he must be only about a third of the way back to where he’d left his brother. Several times on these night trips, Meltiar had had the uneasy feeling that he was being watched. Now he was certain he saw movement by a large rock up ahead. He stopped walking and slowly reached for his pistol. But the pistol was gone! He must’ve dropped it back where he’d fallen asleep. He started to reach for his knife but froze when an Indian stepped out of the shadows. In the light of the moon something glinted in the Indian’s hand. It was Meltiar’s pistol! As Meltiar stood wondering what to do, he heard the sound of a horse approaching. Could someone from the battalion be following me? he wondered. Or could it be another Indian? The Indian appeared not to have heard the sound, but stood unmoving, the gun down at his side.

When the horse came into the clearing, Meltiar’s heart sank when he saw that it was an Indian pony with two riders. Meltiar closed his eyes and prayed for help.

“Meltiar?” a familiar voice said. Startled, Meltiar opened his eyes to see that one of the riders had dismounted and was approaching him cautiously. “Meltiar?” the voice repeated, “Is that you?” “Orin?” The two brothers rushed together in a brief, fierce hug, then turned to face the waiting Indians. The Indians had both mounted the pony, leaving the brothers’ guns and packs on the ground. One Indian slowly raised his hand in a salute. “Brothers,” he said before they turned and rode off into the shadows. “That’s what he said when he came and got me,” Orin said. “I thought he meant that something had happened to you, so I went with him, even though I was scared. How did they know we were brothers?” “They’ve been watching us these past few nights,” Meltiar said with sudden realization. “And maybe they could see how much we cared for each other. They could also see how much we needed their aid, so they helped us! Or—” he smiled at Orin—“maybe he meant that we are all brothers.” “I’m grateful for their help,” Orin said softly, “but sometimes it isn’t easy to accept help from others.” 

“I know what you mean.” Meltiar leaned on Orin. “But if you are as strong as you look, now it’s time for you to be useful. I need your help to walk back to camp. I hate to be a burden, but I am very tired!” “I am much stronger now, Meltiar. Don’t worry,” Orin told him with a smile. “Brothers can never be burdens.”

[illustrations] Illustrated by Dick Brown

Who am I? William Jones/Jackson and Ann Wooley (couple 1)

[Dad's paternal grandfather's paternal Grandparents]
[V.O. Jackson > David Jackson > Jackson/Wooley]

Here's a bit of history exerpted from a record retyped on April 29, 2013 by John Olsen on FamilySearch.org. Spelling and grammar have been corrected.

William Jackson was born in Cardiff, South Wales, October 27, 1829. Little is left in the record of his early life except the sad fact that death deprived him of the love and guidance of a mother, while he was very young. In fact, he was so small a the time of his mother's death that he had no remembrance of her. His father's second marriage brought no maternal love into the home for young William. As time passed his home life became unbearable because of his stepmother's attitude toward him. One day when he was about nine years old she gave him a violent whipping and William ran away from home and went down to the sea shore where he eked out a precarious living doing what odd jobs a youngster of that age could find. 

　　His proximity to the shipping business brought tales of far off countries. The romance and mystery of the seas called and since he had become very friendly with many of the sailors, he worked out a deal with them in his answer to the far off call. He was too young to cast his lot with the sailors and become one of them so after some conniving, he was put in an oatmeal barrel had some excalcis packed around him for fake packing of a barrel of dishes, and was loaded on a merchant vessel. After the boat was far enough out in the sea that he could not be sent back his faking friends let him out of the barrel and William's life as a seaman began. First he was the errand boy or messenger for the seamen. From this his positions developed to the more responsible ones as his age would allow progression. 

　　The life of the sea became a part of William and he was fascinated with the life it offered. He never did return to his home in Cardiff and lost account of his family at home. He left merchant vessels and transferred to passenger ships as cook. While on one of his trips across the Atlantic ocean William met, by chance, Ann Wooley. Ann was the daughter of Jane and William Wooley who had joined the LDS Church in England and were on their way to Utah for the sake of their new faith. Ann's mother was very fussy about her tea and it was one of Ann's daily duty to go to the boat's kitchen and make her mother's tea. It was on these little trips to the kitchen that she met William Jackson. A mutual attraction developed and a romantic ship board romance ensued. Naturally a trip that required six weeks, with frequent trips to the kitchen and romantic moons spraying their silver streaks on the spacious ocean making a perfect setting for love game William another wonder-lust, and he felt that there was something else waiting for him, to complete his life besides the call of the ocean waters. When they finally arrived in the eastern port William bid farewell to his life on ships and [made his journey] with Ann and her parents. 　　　　William, Ann and her mother and father and others who had joined the church joined with Captain Jones' company whose wagon train arrived in Salt Lake City, Oct. 17, 1853, after several months of a long laborious trek filled with many burdensome trials and hardships across the plains. Ann walked all the way across the plains in order that room might be had in the wagons for her mother who was ill and her father who was unable to walk because he had contracted rheumatism. It was customary for her, along with Mrs. Elizabeth Layton, to start along ahead of the wagon train but they had to be very cautious of the Indians who were imperiling the immigrants at that time. Though this long journey was tiring it was not void of many happy memories. The evenings afforded time and inclination for good times in the form of campfire parties for the members of the train, various games and singing was one of the common evening events. The enchantment of romance grew very great and Ann and William were married on the plains, in the midst of this great journey. After arriving in Salt Lake, Ann and William Jackson moved to Kaysville where they spent the winter with Henry Wooley, a brother of Ann's who had joined the church and came to Utah a while before and sent for his mother and father and sister Ann.

　　This first winter William secured work with Mr. Walton, in Bountiful. Each Saturday evening, after work he would walk to Kaysville to be with his wife over the weekend, then return to work on Monday morning. In the spring of 1854, they moved to west Bountiful where they lived for sometime in a log house. Later that secured the homestead where their son John Jackson now lives. William was a very ambitions man. Incidents in his life testify of his thrift, ambition and spirituality. At one time he worked for six weeks and received a spade for his wage. Machinery and tools of all kinds were very valuable because of their scarcity. The next day with his new implement, he earned a five dollar gold piece digging drains. It was William Jackson and Robert Calder who owned and operated the first thrashing machine in his vicinity. They used to go as far north as Cache County with their thrashing machine. William was very generous and charitable. While the old adobe meeting house, they ran out of adobes. When brother Hyrum Grant made this known William gave the ward his adobe granary to the cause. William joined the church, but going to church did not interfere with his work. His charity, tolorance, ambition and his mode of every day living was his expression of religion. There were eleven children born to Ann and William. All were fine people and lived to maturity and were married before any of them passed away. William was a kind father,a good husband, a true and loyal friend as well as an understanding & charitable neighbor. When the Black Hawk war broke out, William enlisted and served in this battle until its end. He passed on to his reward January 25, 1895.

　　　　Mrs. Ann Jackson was brave, and a true Latter Day Saint, enduring without a murmur all the trials and hardships incident to pioneer life. Industrious and thrifty she toiled side by side with her husband to make a home for themselves. Each successful home of that time was a manufactory in itself. Candles, soap, starch all had to be made. Carding of wool, spinning of yarn, weaving of cloth and dyeing were tasks that fell to the lot of the mother. In this Ann was efficient as well as in the rearing and training of a family which she imbued with a desire for righteous living. Ann was an active member of the ward. She identified herself with the church auxiliaries. She was a live-long member of the Relief Society. It was her lot to live fifteen years after the passing of her husband whom she followed, in faith, to the great beyond August 2, 1910.　　

And here's a bit of an explanation from research summary by Tom Allred, MD (tjallred@gmail.com) justifying the evidence behind his name change from Jones to Jackson.

"William described his nuclear family in some detail - giving the names of his parents and siblings, their birth order and approximate years of birth - and he alleged that he was born in Pembroke, Wales. His children had the same names as his siblings interestingly enough. I have examined the birth records from Pembroke, Wales, and no Jackson's were born there between 1800 and 1875. Civil birth records were not started there until 1837 so only church records (for five different parishes, one of them Pater) are available - and no William Jackson is to be found. The was however the family of one David Jones from Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire, Wales - just 5 miles up the Milford Haven estuary from Pembroke Dock - that matches the description of William's nuclear family quite precisely. Same parents' names, same siblings name, same birth order, birth years, etc. , including a William Jones born in 1832. This same family appears in the first British census, in 1841, now residing at Pembroke Dock, the site of a Royal Navy shipyard - where the father David and one older son evidently worked (they are recorded in the census as shipwrights). William is identified in that 1841 (first-ever) British census as a nine-year old boy - and his mother Esther was still alive and present in the home then, according to the census record. The family appears again in the 1851 census, when William would have been 19 - but his father has a new wife (the infamous stepmother of William's stories)- but William is gone, although other siblings - including a probable stepbrother - were still present in the home. We find William's name in the British Merchant Navy records in about 1847 (the Merchant Navy was the Reserve for the Royal Navy so careful records of ships, crew and voyages were kept from 1835 to 1857). But then he disappears - only to reappear in 1853, now called William Jackson, as a sailor on the immigrant ship Falcon, which incidentally was an American ship out of Boston - although there were three different ships named Falcon registered out of Liverpool. Why he changed his name is a matter of speculation and we may never know - at least until we can ask him. We are attempting to find a Jones from Lawrenny or Pembroke with unbroken male ancestry there back to the first part of the 19th century so that we can compare Y-chromosome DNA. That will be the definitive proof!"

Pioneer travel at the time of Jackson/Wooley (couple 1)

[Dad's paternal grandfather's paternal Grandparents]
[V.O. Jackson > David Jackson > Jackson/Wooley]

My family tree is definitely two sided: At the 6th Generation, my dad's side of the family is entirely born in Great Britain.  On my mom's side at the same generation, the family is almost entirely in the South (Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina).  Of these 32 ancestors, they each have a story to tell, though some of the records are more available than others.  To be fair, I haven't done any handling of original source documents, but have gone to digitized sources (limited mostly to government records) and online books and family generations (limited mostly to people who have a descendant interested in genealogy).

I put together a map (see below), that starts with these 32 people's birth place and death place.  As I encounter additional information, I'll add waypoints to reflect the movements of my ancestors.    Where no substantial movement is noted between the birth and death locations, I planted a marker instead of a path line.  I figured that would bring a little attention to the lack of motion.


I'll begin on my Jackson side, marching through from paternal to maternal sides.  I'll start at the very top with (F,F,F,F,F+M) William Jackson and Ann Wooley.  Just to give a little context, for the first post, I'd like to describe a typical Mormon migration story.  After all, one of the defining parts of their life was the faith and their resulting movements from one country to another.  (Information gleaned from "LDS Emigration in 1853: The Keokuk Encampment and Outfitting Ten Wagon Trains for Utah," available here.  Also read "1853 Mormon Immigrants Who Camped in Keokuk", available here.)

The journey for William Jackson and Ann Wooley was typical for Mormon Pioneers.  They traveled from Liverpool England aboard the Falcon (a tall sailing ship) to New Orleans, which carried 324 passengers (departed 28 March 1853, arrived 18 May 1853).

Golconda, another tallship which brought other 1853 immigrants from Liverpool.

They then caught a steamer to St. Louis, and then to Keokuk.  Previous years immigrants cut their journey 300 miles shorter using the Missouri River to Kanesville (Council Bluffs), but the church and emigration agent that year decided to try a new outfitting/assembly place that year to a) stay on the Mississippi River which had more steamboat traffic for provisioning, and b) avoid the somewhat more precarious travel on the Missouri River.

1853 Camp at Keokuk, by Frederick Piercy, an April arrival, said the camp was atop a steep bluff by the river, “most picturesquely situated on top of a hill, surrounded by wood, and commanding a view of the country for miles around,” and had good drainage and plenty of wood and water.

Logistics
In England in 1852, the estimated cost for an adult to travel from Liverpool to Great Salt Lake City was twenty pounds. (A pound then equaled about five American dollars, so twenty pounds was worth about
$100 then, or $2,000 in year 2000 American dollars.)

As a new option, in October 1852, European Mission President Franklin D. Richards announced a £10 plan for British Saints. Essentially, it offered a half-price option, whereby costs were reduced to a minimum—more people per wagon and milk cows, less luggage allowed, and less food provided. The William G. Hartley: The Keokuk Encampment plan covered steerage and food on an Atlantic ship, Mississippi River steamer steerage fare and food, and a wagon, two yoke of oxen, and two milk cows per ten people, plus provisions for ten from Keokuk to Utah. To be £10 travelers meant the persons would not go as comfortably as earlier £20 passengers.  Traveler Maria Walker said that “most of them were too poor to buy a team all of their own. So, they put their money together and perhaps two families in one wagon with two yoke of cattle or three if they could. Some came in what was called the £10 company. . . . Of course they came on the cheapest way there was.” Historian Polly Aird has determined that “in 1853 more than 41 percent of the emigrants came through its (£10 companies) auspices,” which was “equal to the percent that came independently.”

This photo was taken about 1912 of a Pioneer Day re-enactment of the 1847 arrival by wagon train. Later, someone typed a caption on the front of the card. The image now is part of the Library of Congress archives, available for public use.

The logistics to buy and move to camp enough vehicles and animals were staggering; and, Haight (the church's travel agent) discovered, rising prices meant his funds were inadequate. He calculated than an outfit cost about $295—that is, $70 for a wagon, $150 for two yoke of oxen, $75 for two heifers, and $50 for provisions to cross Iowa—or about $6,000 in year 2000 dollars. How many people brought their own wagons is not known, but Elder Haight supplied at least 200 of the 350 outfits, at a cost then of about $60,000, or $1.2 million today.

Between late March and early July 1853, Church emigration agent Isaac C. Haight and his assistants blended together 2,548 Saints, 360 wagons, 1,440 oxen, and 720 milk cows to create ten wagon trains that rolled successfully some fourteen hundred overland miles to Utah by mid-October.

Coming up tomorrow: a retelling of some of the interesting family lore about William Jackson and Ann Wooley.

A Genealogical Starting Point

Starting Point: August 2014.  I hadn't really engaged in genealogy with any real effort...ever.  I mean, when I was a teenager, I became familiar with my family history that my mom had gathered, and the books that my dad's cousins had put together, and could navigate the generations in a family tree program.  I hadn't done any research, though.

When I went to England, I made sure to take 6 generations of my pedigree with me to remember my roots (mostly British) and to think about the significance of teaching in places where my ancestors could have visited.

After returning home and marrying Jen, we took a family history class (twice!) through church and learned some of the basics of perusing records through a few online resources (as of 2003-2004), but nothing really came of it because we had to go to the family history library to access memberships in databases.

But then-- as we referenced last year, FamilySearch Indexing has pretty much changed the way we can access low-level genealogy research.  We can get our feet wet without ever leaving our home.

This month, rather than rambling/pontificating too much, I want to create a storehouse of methods/stories/exhibits of not only some of the people that make me ME, but to introduce some of the steps I've taken since August to identify my ancestors.  Through the course of the month, I'm going to highlight some of the details of the lives of my 32 great-great-great grandparents.  I think this'll be fun!

Generated from TreeSeek.com