HISTORY OF THOMAS WRIGLEY

Submitted by CJ Christensen.  Pictures from Barnby Don appear elsewhere on this site.  See the index.

HISTORY OF THOMAS WRIGLEY
by himself

Submitted to DUP as a pioneer history

[All material added in square parenthesis was added by C.J. Christensen]
{Carolyn Christensen>Doris Kirkham Johnson>Sarah Wrigley Kirkham>Edward Charles Wrigley>Joseph Wrigley md. to Adah Lucy Steel>Thomas Wrigley}

I was born in a small village, Barnaby upon Dun, five miles from Doncaster, in the county of York, England. (Born 22 February 1816. Died 3 July 1873). My father’s name was John Wrigley. I think he was born near Dewsbury in Yorkshire, England (Born 7 September 1774. Died 1 May 1853). My mother’s maiden name was Hannah Morgan (Born abt 1781. Died 27 Feb 1816). She was born in the north of Ireland in the county Down. She was brought up in the Protestant faith. She was married to my father in Ireland while he was serving as a soldier in the British Militia. My father worked at shoe-making for a living. He joined the Wesleyan Methodist Connection when a young man and continued a member of that body for about fifty years. I was the eight child of my father’s family. My mother died when I was five days old, on the 27th of February, 1816.

The death of my mother left my father (age 42) with a large family of small children (8) which caused him to put me out to nurse in a family by the name of John Wright in the same village. [ John Wrigley was left with 7 children 12 years old and under, along with a new baby.] He (John Wright) was a tailor by trade. His wife’s maiden name was Mary Launsers. They were a good father and mother to me and ever watched me for my good and impressed on my mind in childhood the necessity of living and fearing God so far as they had light. They were members of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection and died in the faith before the Gospel ever was preached to them in the flesh. I remained with them and worked at the business till I was near eighteen years old. Then, by their advice, I moved to Doncaster and engaged for two years for improvement to a man by the name of Thomas Waisnige, a tailor and a Methodist preacher. In the year 1836, I (age 20) moved to Sheffield and worked till November and then we had a strike for higher wages and in January, 1837, I (age 21) left Sheffield and traveled through many of the principal cities in England and in the month of May, returned to Sheffield again, stopped a few weeks and then went to Doncaster and worked. On the 26th of September 1837 I was married to Grace Wilkinson (age 19), of the city of Lincoln.

[She was the oldest of four girls and one boy born to Anthony Wilkinson and Elizabeth Jubb. She was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England (as were her brother and sisters) on 24 Sep 1819. About five years after their marriage, Thomas joined the L.D.S. church on 21 March 1842. Six months later, his wife, Grace Mary was baptized on 8 Sept 1842. At that time, two boys and a girl had blessed their home. None of Thomas's brothers and sisters joined the church, but a brother, William Wrigley, immigrated to America, and eventually established the Wrigley Gum enterprise.]

Notwithstanding my religious instruction in youth, I thought but little of all I had heard for a time but was led by the spirit and fashion of the world till I had been married about one year. I attended some temperance meetings and in October 1838, I became a total abstainer from fermented liquor and from that time I (age 22) commenced again to attend some Christian church. About this time a man by the name of Robert Akins was causing a great excitement through the country by his powerful oratory and preaching. He was zealous to do the work of the Lord and was the means of many thousands turning to serve God according to the best light they then had. I was one of that number, but as soon as the servants of God came with the Priesthood, his power became weakness. He rejected the Gospel and fought against it and withered and died as to the things of God and he had to fall back upon the Church of England from whence he came for a small living. All of his apparent zeal died away when he found that he was not one of the Lord’s anointed but was called upon to go into the waters of baptism and wash away his sins.

I was a member and class-leader in his (Robert Akins) church for some time until in the winter of 1840 (age 24) an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to Doncaster and preached the Gospel. His name was Stephen Nixon. Some were convinced of the truth and many began to study the Scriptures and some time after, another Elder of the Church came - Alfred Cordon and preached and baptized a number and organized a branch of the Church of Jesus Christ. I still kept back, not being prepared to receive the doctrine of these men. I was honest and wished to be right. I began to search the Scriptures and as soon as I was convinced of the truth, I went forth and was baptized a member of the Church and Kingdom of God under the hands of Edwin Senior, Elder, in the Month of January 1842 (age 26). Some three of four weeks afterwards I was ordained a Priest by Elder A. Cordon, then traveling Elder in that region of country.

On the seventh day of October, 1842, I left my wife and family, two sons and one daughter, [John (age 4), Joseph (age 2), and Mary (newborn)] in Doncaster and went to Liverpool for about two weeks and on the twentieth day of October, I went on board the ship Emerald. Captain Leighton was master of the ship and Brother Parley P. Pratt was president of the company of Saints. His family was along with him. He was returning from his first mission to that land to the bosom of the Church at Nauvoo. We moved out of dock that day and lay in the river four or five days and then set sail with a head wind but towards evening the Captain had to hoist a signal for a pilot boat and we returned and lay at anchor four days and then put to sea again with a head wind. We had bad weather for some two weeks and many were sick. After this, had a chance of pleasant weather all the way except one night in the Gulf of Mexico, but no accident of importance. I believe we had four deaths and two births. Our company numbered about 250 souls. After a long and tedious journey, we arrived in New Orleans on the 26th day of December, 1942.

We stopped in New Orleans about five days and on the first day of January, 1843 we left port on the steamboat for Saint Louis and arrived there on the morning of the 8th. I found my sister’s (Hannah) house about 8 o’clock in the morning and was received kindly by her and her husband. His name was John M. Parker. They were members of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection. When they found I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they tried their best by every means to persuade me to give up my faith in the doctrine and join some of the popular sects of the day. In turn, I preached the Gospel to them and bore a faithful testimony of the truth of Joseph Smith being a Prophet of the Lord, but they could not believe. On the first day of April following, I left St. Louis on board the steamboat Maid of Iowa for Nauvoo. Owing to a great flow of ice down the river, we were detained but arrived all safe at Nauvoo on the 12th day of April.

I was a stranger in the city and without means but I was kindly received by Elder Stephen Nixon into his house and boarded with them for some months. In July following, I moved from there to a Brother Walter Clark’s house and worked with him at brick-making. He had married a Sister Johnson whose husband had died in Nauvoo soon after they arrived there from England. In the meantime, I had wrote to my wife several times and was very anxious to have them with me. I received several letters from her stating they were well in health but enduring many hardships. I received a letter in November that my wife and family would leave England in the month of October in a ship called the Champion and she requested me to meet them at New Orleans, as they would be entirely out of means to come any further without my assistance.

This was the cause of my leaving Nauvoo. About the first of December I went down to St. Louis and the day after I got some employment and concluded to go no further at present. I soon received another letter from my wife stating that she would not be able to come before January. She accordingly left Liverpool about the 15th day of January, 1844 (Thomas age 28)in the bark, Fanny, Captain Patterson master, and Elder W. T. Kay, President of the company of the Saints. After about six weeks good sailing, she arrived in New Orleans. I had made provision with a Mr. Fisher, store-keeper in New Orleans, to forward my family to St. Louis. They went on board the Maid of Iowa and started for Saint Louis and after about one month of toil and hardship on the river, they arrived in Saint Louis on the 7th day of April, 1844. In coming up the river, the steamboat had several accidents by breaking her shaft, but all arrived safe.

I was compelled to remain in Saint Louis for the time being but I felt away from home and from the society of the Saints and from the hearing of the voice of the Prophets of the Lord. We for some time felt afraid of the exterminating orders of Governor Boggs, which were still in force, but our numbers began to increase in that city and we took courage and a few met in ta private house and organized a branch of the Church and the Lord blest the faithful but it was sometimes hard work having to contend with the prejudice of the people of the world and every apostate that left Nauvoo came there and did their best to bring persecution on us. [In St. Louis, Grace Mary gave birth to a daughter, Priscilla, who died when she was 1 ½ years old. Other children born in St. Louis were Thomas Bingham, who died 11 years later in American Fork, Utah, Eliza Hannah who died at the age of 2, just 2 weeks before Alonzo Lina was born. Alonzo died at the age of 14, after his family had moved to Utah.]

A man by the name of Small was appointed to preside over the branch and he turned out to be very small for he soon backed out and left he Church and went after Sydney Rigdon. The next man appointed to preside was a Richard Riley. He, after a while, left the city and went to Nauvoo but soon returned, a bitter enemy to the church, and then was a man by the name of Aker. He did not stay long but got weak in the faith. Then came Brother Joseph Stratton to preside. He made some improvement on our organization under his presidency but still was far behind our privileges. In the year 1847, Brother Stratton left and gathered with the Church, having the good will and confidence of the brethren. He left behind Brother H. H. Felt (who) was the president appointed to succeed Brother Stratton.

Under the Presidency of Brother Felt the Branch seemed to take a new start and by the Spirit of the Lord he showed forth great wisdom in organizing a Council of Twelve or fifteen members for the benefit of the Branch. The City was laid off into six wards. Two Bishops or Presiding Officers were appointed in each ward to meet in council with the President and his two Councilors. I was appointed a member of that Council and in connection with Brother Thomas Forester to preside over the Second Ward. I filled that office faithfully to the best of my ability. On the 9th day of April, 1848, I was ordained an Elder under the hands of Ezra T. Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder N. H. Felt. [Thomas Brigham was born to Thomas and Grace Mary Wrigley in St. Louis. ]

In the year 1850 (age 34) Brother Felt moved with his family to the valley. Brother Alexander Robbins was appointed to succeed him in the Presidency of the St. Louis Branch. I was called to act as first Councilor to Brother Robbins and Brother John Galigher was Second Councilor. In the year 1849 the 27th day of February, I was ordained an Apostle and Seventy under the hands of Presidents. A. P Rockwood, Augustus Farnham, Loren Babitt, P. Henery and N. H. Felt. Brother Robbins presided one year and in 1851 moved to Great Salt Lake City with his family and effects. Brother Orson Hyde appointed me as Robbins successor to preside over the Saint Louis Conference which numbers about three thousand souls; men, women and children. I filled that office one year. About the tenth of April 1852, I was taken sick with inflamatory rheumatism but on the twelfth of May (I was) so sick that I had to be carried out of my room to a carriage. I left St. Louis on the steamboat Robert Campbell for Kanesville (later Council Bluffs) and landed on the twenty-send of May.

[ Thomas (36) and Grace Mary Wrigley(33) traveled with their family (of John (16),

Joseph (12), Mary (10) , Thomas (54) Alonzo (1)) and 9 others using a wagon and 2 yoke of oxen donated by PEF (Perpetual Emigration Fund).

This family, Thomas and Grace Mary were endowed and sealed to each other in the Endowment House in March of 1856

Thomas Wrigley died on 3 July 1878 at the age of 62 in American Fork, Utah. His wife lived 28 more years and died at the age of 87 in American Fork.]


AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THOMAS WRIGLEY
Pioneer of 1852
Written by himself

(This material collected from Karleen Smith Stoker seems to be an addition to what Thomas wrote above.)

On my way to the Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, my health improved a little, but still not able to get about. We crossed the Missouri River on the twenty third day of June. Elder James McGraw was appointed Captain of our company of about fifty wagons. We traveled on our tedious journey, and arrived in Salt Lake City safely on the twenty first day of September 1852. I had in my charge one wagon and two yoke of cattle, laden with nine of the poor people of the Branch who were sent by donation from the Saints of St. Louis Branch. On arrival, according to instructions, I delivered the wagon and two yoke of cattle into the hands of Bishop E. Hunter, as a donation from the saints in St. Louis Branch to the Perpetual Immigration Fund. I bought a house and lot off a Brother Laytham in the Fifteenth Ward, Great Salt Lake City.

I worked most of the first winter in the tithing office at my business, and in the spring I followed anything I could get to do. On the fifteenth day of November 1853, I left the city to go on a mission to Fort Supply(the fort built by the Mormons near Fort Bridger when they were unable to purchase Fort Bridger). Brother Johns Nebuker was Captain of the Company numbering about ninety men. Elder Orson Hyde was President of the mission. We put up a log fort, built a number of houses, and fenced a farm in, broke up land and put seed in on the seventeenth day of July 1854. By counsel I left Fort to visit my family in Salt Lake City and arrived on the twenty third 1854. Brother Hyde told me not to return to the Fort without further orders. Most of the company was sent for home, and but five or six remained there to winter.

I sold my house and lot in the Fifteenth Ward to Elder Orson Hyde, and on the fourth day of October 1854 I left Salt Lake City for American Fork City. I arrived on the fifth, bought a house and lot off John Wood with twenty five acres of land. Not having a team to break my own land, I worked land on shares in 1855 and raised thirty five bushels of wheat.

Following are interesting little entries that Thomas Morgan Wrigley entered into his journal

that might be important one day to someone or for something:

* I was once in St. Louis. A store burnt down, and many people were burnt up in the flames.

* Sue went away in the year 1875, on the 15 March.

* May 20, 1868, I received a letter from my brother George Wrigley and the following is his address: #2 Mitton St., Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

* The address of Mr. George Fish (Eliza’s husband): #24 Millner Yard, French Gate, Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

* John Wrigley, Sr., died May 1, 1853 at the age of 79 at Barmby Dunn, Yorkshire, England.

* Sarah, 2nd wife of John Wrigley, died September 29, 1860 age 74 at Barmby Dunn, Yorkshire, England.

* Mary, daughter of John and Hannah Wrigley, died December 16, 1862 age 59 at Wakefield, Yorkshire, England.

* James Wrigley, son of John and Sarah Wrigley, died in 1865 age 39 at Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

* The wife of George Wrigley died August 6, 1865 age 40 at Sheffield, England.

* The address of my sister Harriet, Thomas and Harriet Hartley, Barmby Dunn, Yorkshire, England.

* The names and age of my brother, George Wrigley’s children taken May 21, 1868: Eliza 23 years; Sarah 18 years; Fanny 13 years; Clara 9 years; and Henery 4 years.

* July 3, 1868 received a letter and Doncaster Gazette from my niece Ann Hurst. Her address: William Hurst, N 37 St. James Terris, Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

* August 10, 1863 received a letter from Brother George Wrigley.

* August 12, 1863 received a letter from Mother Wilkinson.

* Address of John Wright: #16, Castle Green, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

* Brother William Wrigley’s daughters address: Mr. John Townend, Land Surveyer, Steel Bank, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

* Sister Elizabeth and her husband address: Charles Bellamy, Alpha Place, Near Rotherhan, Yorkshire, England.

* Thomas and Eliza Cuthbert address: Mefsers (?) Habershan & Co., Steel Rolling Mills, Holms, Masbro, Yorkshire, England.

* Sister Emma Wilkinson husband address: James Lees, Hoch, Near Hoden(?) England.

* May 23, 1868 mailed letter to Brother George Wrigley, Sheffield

* July 4, 1868 mailed two letters to Elizabeth Wilkinson and Ann Finkinson, mother and sister, Doncaster. August 10, 1868 received a letter from George Wrigley. August 12, 1868 received a letter from Mother Wilkinson. September 12, 1868 mailed letter to John Wright.

“The End”

Thomas Wrigley



These are facts added to Thomas Wrigley’s life that he supposed were not important enough to remember:

It is not known by whom.



From the Deseret News December 1, 1853:

Group met at Stake House November 16, 1853 to organize an expedition under Orson Hyde to go to Fort Supply, 132 miles south of Fort Bridger on a mission to prepare the Indians to receive the gospel. Thomas Wrigley was in Issaac Bullocks division.

From the Deseret News May 9, 1855:

Thomas Wrigley belonged to the 36th Quorum of Seventies. Asked to meet every Sunday evening at home of Thomas Nixon after meeting at Tabernacle.

From the Deseret News July 24, 1856:

At the 24th July celebration SLC, Thomas Wrigley was Orator of the day. Addressed the people on the rise of the Kingdom of God and showed how soon it will fill the whole earth.



Deseret News July 8, 1873.

Obituary of Thomas Wrigley

Mr. John Peters writes from American Fork July 3, as follows:



This morning we are called upon to mourn the loss of one of our respected citizens, Elder Thomas Wrigley. Brother Wrigley was born on the 23 February 1816 in Barnby, near Doncaster, Yorkshire, England. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 1842. On October 7, of the same year he left his family in England and started for America. He arrived in Nauvoo on the 12th of April 1843. In April 1844 his family came to him in St. Louis, where for some time he presided over the saints previous to coming to Utah, where he arrived with his family in September 1852. He was ordained and appointed president of the 36th Quorum of Seventy April 7, 1853. In November of the same year he was called as a missionary to assist in building Fort Supply. Moved to American Fork October 5, 1854 where he has since resided. He was the first clerk in the Cooperative Store of this place, which position he faithfully held for a number of years until he was compelled to retire on account of ill health. He died as he had lived in full fellowship and in the hope of a glorious resurrection. He was beloved by all who knew him.

Thomas Wrigley and Grace Mary Wilkinson had nine children as follows:

John July 9, 1838 Catherine Cunningham

Joseph February 24, 1840 Ada L. Steel; Ann Singleton;

Dinah Stoddart Crookston

Mary April 7, 1842 George Cunningham

Prisilla January 29, 1845 Died in St. Louis

Thomas Brigham July 7, 1847 Died in Salt Lake

Eliza Hannah October 6, 1849 Died in St. Louis

Alonza Lina November 23, 1851 Died in American Fork

Lurin Lacorin July 10, 1854 Died in Dillon, Montana

Clara Ann October 24, 1856 Moroni Paxman



Elder Thomas Wrigley wrote the following to the editor of the Frontier Guardsman, St. Louis on July 31, 1851:



Dear Editor:

Thinking that it might be interesting to your readers to hear from their friends in St. Louis, I write this communication for publication in your paper. There is a large and respectable congregation in this city who attend public worship every Sunday in the Concert Hall, Market Street. This large room is generally crowded with Saints from every nation. The feeling is good and the Saints greatly rejoice at being liberated from bondage. Cholera caused death to a large number of poor families on hand. To be able to relieve the destitute, I called the Saints to fast and pray Sunday June 21, to call upon God unitedly to stop the ravages of this disease in the midst of this people. Also, to contribute of their substance to feed the poor. One hundred sixteen dollars were collected and distributed to the worthy poor.

Published in the Frontier Guardsman August 22, 1851 page #1.

COAL MINING IN ENGLAND

COAL MINING IN ENGLAND AS A BACKGROUND TO THE HISTORY OF LOTT RUSSON

Submitted by Carolyn J. Christensen

I read the novel, The Undaunted. The part I enjoyed the most was the description of coal mining in the Black Country of England. The reason – it brought to mind the history of my Great Great Grandfather, Lott Russon. His father was injured and had to quit working in coal mines, and later died when Lott was 13. During the years before his father’s death, Lott worked in the coal mines and was the sole support of his mother and four sisters. As I read The Undaunted, I could picture Lott as a small boy starting the coal mines, and working up through the system until he had married and had eight children at which time he emigrated with his family to America. His story will be posted on this Blog. I have included background information on coal mining. Though lengthy, it will be of interest to some. The history of Lott Russon follows this article.

Following are some information taken from the book, The Undaunted. The author had done much research about coal mining, and though fictional, his characters give knowledge of what it was like to live the life of a collier.

INFORMATION FROM “The Undaunted”

Trappers were children, girls and boys, starting at age 5, who would open and close the tunnel doors in the mines as they heard carts approaching. The door were necessary to help control gasses and air flow in the mines. The Trapper would probably spent much of their time sitting in blackness created hundreds of feet underground. Some tunnels were only high enough to accommodate the carts. Hurriers were children starting at about age nine who would be strapped with chains and harnesses to the front of cart to pull the carts through the low ceiling tunnels, thus, they pulled while crawling on feet and hands. Thrusters were assigned to push the carts from behind to help the hurriers, stooping over to equal the height of the cart. As children got older, there we given difficult positions of harder and more dangerous work. (See pictures below.)

Miners usually worked in their underwear as the air in the mines was extremely warm. Also, they often worked in water knee deep because of seepage.

FOLLOWING: MATERIALS TAKEN FROM INTERNET SITES.

COAL MINING IN ENGLAND

Prior to the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s there was little need for coal and coal miners were few in number. By the 1800s, the coal mining industry was burgeoning. 1

In the 1800s, coal was dug with a pick. Crouching or lying on his side, the collier carefully undercut the seam until a wedge or small powder charge brought the coal crashing down. One usually entered the trade as a boy. Very often a father took his own children, boy or girl as soon as they could open a trap door or push a corve of coal along tracks. In order to survive, a child had to quickly learn how to shore up mine ceilings with timbers and how to recognize the deadly fumes of "black" and "white" damp. Needless to say, mining was one of the most dangerous occupations of this time period. In Yorkshire, more than a thousand people died in mine explosions between 1851 and 1877. Despite the heavy death toll by explosions, it was the less spectacular deaths caused by the less spectacular falls of coal that accounted for most of the deaths in the coal mines.

The miners themselves were responsible for many of the accidents. They took risks like failing to set timbers or build packs. They were often reckless when drawing timber in the goaf, and they sometimes caused explosions by smoking pipes.

Apart from the carelessness of the miner, accidents were also caused by the avarice of the masters and the incompetence of the collier officials. One of the most common forms of neglect was the failure to examine working places before the men entered the mine. Where candles were used for light, men risked an explosion when they entered a gas-filled tunnel.

Ventilation was often inadequate especially in the thin-seamed collieries. Inadequate ventilation meant that the miner was uncomfortable, but also there were accidents under such conditions. Workers became groggy from lack of oxygen, and explosive fumes could accumulate.

For all the danger they faced and their labor, the skilled miner earned between 20 and 30 shillings a week. In addition it was rare for a miner to live past 40 or 50. They often walked home stiffly like cripples bearing the visible signs of over strained muscles. 1

 FOR EXAMPLES OF REPORTS TO COMMIDSSIONERS WHEN CHILD LABOR STARTED TO BECOME AN ISSUE IN ENGLAND, SEE THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

http://www.scan.org.uk/education/coal/source1a.html

http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/factmine/childmin.htm

http://www.victorianweb.org/history/hist8.html

DESCRIPTIONS OF CONDITIONS IN MINES

“To clear mines of gas - be it explosive or poisonous - a crude system of ventilation was used. To assist this, young children called trappers (sometimes as young as age five) would sit underground (often for hours in complete darkness) opening and shutting trap doors which went across a mine. This allowed coal trucks through but it also created a draught and it could shift a cloud a gas.”

“ A report on deaths in coal mines to Parliament gave a list of ways miners could be killed : falling down a mine shaft on the way down to the coal face falling out of the ‘bucket’ bringing you up after a shift being hit by a fall of dug coal falling down a mine shaft as it was lifted up drowning in the mine crushed to death killed by explosions suffocation by poisonous gas being run over by a tram carrying dug coal in the mine itself.”

“A report informed the public that children under five years of age worked underground as trappers for 12 hours a day and for 2 pennies a day; older girls carried baskets of dug coal which were far too heavy for them and caused deformities in these girls. Often the workers would do twenty journeys a shift pushing a tub which weighed over 200 kilos and if she showed signs of slacking, she would be whipped. Children had to work in water that came up to their thighs while underground”

COAL MINING TERMS

There are hundreds of different terms. These were chosen for this article because they help describe the conditions of the mines and the work done by the miners.

Backskin - A piece of thick leather worn by some putters as a protection to their backs.

Bait - the hasty refreshment taken during the working of the pits. Bat - light stroke, similar to pat.

Caivil - a species of lot drawing or lottery, by which is decided the working-place of each individual.

Cage - the iron framework which contains the tub of coals in its passage and the men in their passage, through the shaft.

Corf - (obviously the Dutch Korf) - a wicker-work basket for drawing the coal and containing from 4 to 7 cwt. It is made of strong hazel-rods from half to one inch in diameter.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease - Also known as COPD, an illness caused by obstruction of the flow of air in and out of the lungs, a leading cause of death amongst former miners as there is a recognized link between COPD and coal mine dust.

Davy - the common designation of the Davy-lamp by the miners. (This lamp, after invented in 1815, took the place of candles and was a much safer lighting method.

Gin - a horse-machine for driving coals.

Hewer - the man who extracts the coal. An able-bodied hewer may get about six tons coals a day.

Onsetter - the man who is stationed at the bottom of the shaft to hook and unhook the corves and tub of coals, &c Where tubs are used he has commonly an assistant boy of from 12 to 15 years of age, who is paid from 1s. 3d. to 2s. a-day. (1841)

Overman - the third in rank of the officers of the mine. He has the constant charge of everything underground places the workpeople, examines the ventilation, and keeps an account of all proceedings underground. Two or more are appointed in the most extensive concerns, there being one to each pit. A 'back-overman' is an inferior overman.

Putter - a generic term for the boys who push the trams of coals from the workings to the crane. The term putter comprises the specific distinctions of 'headsman,' 'half marrow,' and 'foal.' The distinction between the labour of the last two is, that a half-marrow goes at each end of the tram alternately with the other half-marrow, while a foal always precedes the tram.

Pick - The tool of the hewer for excavating his coal.

Peck - the coal peck contains 4.5 gallons and 8 pecks make 1 bole,

Rolley - the wagons for transporting the tub or corves of coals from the crane to the shaft. They usually hold each two or three tubs, and are 7 feet 6 inches long at Killingworth.

Rolley-ways - the-principal horse-roads extending into distant parts of the mine and made sufficiently high for an ordinary horse, by cutting away the roof or floor if necessary. Some of these rolley-ways are two miles long they are kept in repair by the rolley-way man.

Sump - the bottom of the shaft connected with the standage.

Standage - a place set apart £or holding accumulations of water in the pit until pumped out by the engine.

Token-hanger - a boy of from 9 to 12 years old, who is paid 1s. or 1s. 2d per day for arranging the tokens attached to each corf to indicate the hewer of its contents.

Tram - a small carriage, in length 3 feet 10 inches, on which the putters, who are thence sometimes called trams, put their coals.

Trapper - a boy or girl who is stationed at a door for guiding the air, to open it when any coal. carriages or people have to pass through it and to close it after them, so as to keep the mine properly ventilated.

Tubs - square vessels of wood or iron for the carriage of the coals. Sometimes all fast and sometimes with a door at the end for the discharge of the coals.

Way-cleaner - a boy or girl who clears the dust, &c. from the rails along which the putters push the trams with two pieces of rope or hay - such boys are usually of from 11 to 15 years of age and earn from ls. 3d. to 2s. 6d. a day. (1841)

Wood and Water Leaders - boys of from 11 to 15 years old, who carry props and wood to the various parts of the pit in which they are required. They also remove water from the horseways and other parts of the pit and assist the deputies. Their wages vary from 1s. 3d. to 2s. a day. (1841)

FOR  PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF COAL MINING SITUATIONS, SEE THE FOLLOWING LINK:

http://www.cmhrc.co.uk/site/literature/minersday/index.html

RUSSON, LOTT & ELIZA ROUND

Submitted by C. J. Christensen
LOTT RUSSON and ELIZA ROUND SMART SKETCH
(The parents of Sarah Russon, the mother of Lot Kirkham, who is the father of Doris Johnson {her great-grandparents)

Lott Russon and Eliza Round were born in Netherton, Worcestershire, England. Lott was born January 1, 1829 and Eliza on October 21, 1830. Lott was a lad of 13 when his father died, and he was the support of his mother and four sisters for many years.

On December 25, 1850, he married Eliza Round. They were baptized in August, 1852. He was a collier, and she made nails until their fifth child was born. They were faithful in their church duties. In October, 1871, they emigrated to Utah with eight children, namely; Charlotte, Thomas, Mary, Sarah, Lot Jr., Eliza, Enoch, and George. Annie Amelia had died in England. Two were later born in Lehi, Joseph and Kate. All were stalwart Latter-Day-Saints and have done temple work.


Brother Lott was appointed President of the Elder's Quorum by Apostle Erastus Snow on June 10, 1877, being the first to receive that appointment in Lehi, and was President 22 years. He missed only four meetings in that time.

Eliza held the office of a teacher in the Relief Society for thirty years, and died in the harness on July 22, 1908 in her seventy eighth year, surrounded by her husband and children, all except Enoch who was doing missionary work in England.
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL LIFE STORY OF LOTT RUSSON


I, Lott Russon, was born January 21, 1829, in Netherton, Worcestershire, England. I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on August 8, 1852. I came to Utah November, 1871. I went through the House of the Lord with my partner, September 9, 1872 and we received our washings and anointings and sealings, and received the greatest blessing of our lives on this earth, if we are faithful to the end.

We received our second blessings on October 27, 1875, by President Lorenzo Snow. I was called by Bishop David Evans to be President of the elders quorum on February 11, 1876, and was called by Bishop Evans to be a block teacher on 23 October, 1876. I received my appointment as President of Elders quorum June 10, 1877, by Erastus Snow. I was first to receive that appointment in Lehi. I remained as President of Elders quorum for 22 year and never missed one meeting.

I was called to be one of the circle members by Bishop T. R. Cutler, June 25, 1881.

I was ordained a high priest November 6, 1897, by Brother James Daniel, President. Was appointed to teach High Priests May 1898.

My wife, Eliza Round was born October 21, 1830 at Netherton, Worcestershire, England, was baptized August 11, 1852 at Dudley, Worcestershire, England by Elder John Price. She was confirmed by Elder Price on August 14, 1852 in the same place. She was rebaptized April 22, 1872 by William Yates and confirmed by William Ball in Lehi, Utah, the same day (first record of baptism lost). She was rebaptized into the United Order by her husband, Lott Russon, September 19, 1875, confirmed by me the same day. She was called to the office of Relief Society block teacher which office she held for 30 years and 8 months, which we was forced to give up because of ill health.

My dear beloved wife departed this life, 22 July 1908, in her 78th year. Now I will continue to write my life story.

When I was a little past 7 years, I worked at boiler making, carrying rivets. While working there I had a spike driven into my head, and I was senseless for a long while. The master (boss) Soloman Woodell took me to his home, and had my head dressed and washed and made me as comfortable as they could, but they had to take me home soon, as I was very weak from loss of blood, but I was soon at work again. While I was working there, my father was working at the mines, and he got disabled down n the mines. A piece of ruff fell onto him and buried him into the small dirt. It took 20 men to get the weight off him.

At that time I had a mother and four sisters to support. I was the only son Mother had. I had to leave the boiler making, and get work to make more money, so I went down to the coal mines. My poor father was never able to work again, so we were left very short. My father came to the pit one Saturday where I worked to see how I was getting on. He accidently fell down the pit, and was killed. I was only 13 years of age, but being the only boy in the family, I had to work hard to keep the family together.

In this same pit, a Brother Weeks, a Latter Day Saint, and myself had to stay down one afternoon when all the men went up. We had to clear out the airway, to get more air in the pit. It was a mile thru, and we had to go on our hands and knees. While we were going through (Brother Weeks first) our candles burned out. It was so dark we couldn't see a thing, while trying to go thru in the dark, Brother Weeks caught fast, and he could not move. I was in an open place but no light. What to do I did not know.

 For hours, it seemed I was praying to God to put into my head a scheme to get him out. At last there came a plan into my head. We used to wear little round hard caps, and the spirit of the Lord put into my head to get my cap and dig the dirt from under him. I worked with my cap digging that way for an hour. The Lord heard our prayers, and we got to the bottom of the pit about six o'clock. The other men couldn't imagine what had happened to us, and gave us up for dead, and they never did get us near that place again.

When I was about 18 year old, four of my companions and I were out one night a few miles from home. As we were walking through the woods arm in arm, I was in the middle between them,, (I had a little of the gospel) and the ground in front of me opened at my feet, and a great ball of fire came out the opening right up to may face, and burst, then disappeared. It frightened us all. Now when I think back on it, I was the only one of us that joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or obeyed the promptings and commandments of God.

When I was 21 years old, I married Eliza Round. It was on the 25th of December, 1850. We lived with limy mother until we had our first born, then we moved into a house by ourselves.

One day, the next door neighbor let us take a Book of Mormon, and I read it through. I could see that no lone man could ever ‘make up’ such a book unless he was inspired of God. OI said to my partner (wife), “It is the truth”, and right now I wanted to be baptized. The Sunday before we were baptized, my sister Ruth came to spend this afternoon with us. Our neighbor came in, and said he was on his way to meeting. He had a large boil on his arm, the size of a hen’s egg. He said to me, “Look, Lott, when I come back from meeting, this boil will be gone, and this arm will be as well as the other arm.” When he came from meeting (he had been blessed by the Elders), he called in to show us, and there was nothing on his arm, not even a scar.

We gave our names in for baptism and the following week we were baptized by John Price, who is the man that had the boil. (Lott was baptized when he was 23 on 8 Aug 1852). He was then President of the Dudley Branch of the Church. I was in the church only six months, and they ordained me a teacher. After meeting, I was thinking if I had done the right thing. It was a pitch black night, and as I came to a narrow bridge over a deep gully about 20 feet down, a man appeared before me. He zigzagged across the bridge, and each time I crossed to get by he would cross too, and get in m way, and try to push me off. I feel it was the evil one trying to banish me because I had become a new member in the Church. I began to utter a prayer, and he vanished. I was so weak, I could hardly get to my home, but IO thanked God for my safe return.

The next month, another council meeting was held. I had to walk the two miles there each time. When the meeting was over, I was possessed with the same feeling of doubt, and still wondered if the church I had joined was the true one. Again , that feeling of perplexity came into my mind. I took my hat off my head and knelt down, and began to call upon the Lord in solemn prayer, asking God to show me if this was the true church of God. I hadn’t prayed for long when suddenly a light from heaven shone about me, and the bible was opened before me, then all came so clear to me and I understood. This satisfied my mind. The light stayed with me for a mile, and I shall never forget the joy I felt. When I got home, it was 12 o’clock. I told my partner about this, but it was a sleepless night for me. The next morning I went to my mother, thinking she would b e happy to hear my glorious testimony. When I reviewed to her the proceedings of the night before, I was disappointed for she thought I was joshing. Anyway, I still felt as I was engaged in the work of helping build the Kingdom of God.

Not long after I was baptized, it was pronounced upon my head that I should soon travel to Zion (Utah). One day after this I was as work in the pit where they mined iron ore, and a fall of bind (this could have been a cave in) came on me, three tons fell on me. The other miners thought for sure I was dead, but through the mercy and goodness of my Heavenly Father, I was spared again, but was hurt so bad of the leg, it cause me to stay home from work for one month. When I was able to work, I went back in the iron pit and stayed for a few more months, then I went to work for my uncles, William Davis, in a coal mine. One day as I was finishing my work, a fall came onto me. I was part senseless. I could hear the men say, “he must be dead.” It took five men to remove the weight off me. This time a prop in the mine had saved me from being crushed. Then they got me out, I walked home, and again thanked God for saving my life.

Another time, I want to work on Sunday night, and got into the cage to go down into the mine. When I started from the top, the drum slipped out of place, and I was run to the bottom of the pit, and there I lay senseless for quite some time. They came down to the thinking I was dead. When they took me up, they found I was only shaken a bit, and I went to work and worked all night. It was 450 feet to the bottom of that pit, and I thanked God again that I was still alive.

One morning I was working in a place by myself, the ruff began falling. I prayed for it to stop, it did not. The still small voice said to me, “Lott, go out this minute and get your breakfast.” I obeyed and soon as I stepped out the fall came, and hundreds of tons of coal and ruff covered all my tools, which were never recovered, and the work was discontinued at this mine, but men went into the place with a lighted candle, and fired the sulphur. It caused an explosion which blew some of the men to pieces. Five men were killed, and all the lights in the pit blown out.

One, I was at work in what was called a sump. It is the bottom of the pit. It was winter, I was climbing out of the bottom, and as the water was drawn up the shaft, ice had formed around the shaft, and on the breaks and all in a moment the ice gave way it came down on me burying me up to my arms. I was hurt a little bit, but not enough to hinder me long from work. Again my life was spared.

While living in Derbyshire, I went to work at a place called Buttly Park. It was a foundry. I worked at molding and casting. One afternoon, the Master came along, and said he wanted a cogwheel cast right away. I got busy with it. It was then 4 o’clock, and the iron was almost run out of the furnace. I ran to the crane to hoist the pattern to the mold. The cogwheel and the handle came off the crane, and I fell with my head against the cog. One of my fingers went into the cog, and it took my finger to the first joint. Later it took to bad ways, and proud flesh set in, and it was very bad for many weeks. While I was away from work, we went very short for then we had eight children, but the Lord always opened the way for us.

After my finger was well, I went back to the pit where I worked before, and we opened up a new place for better coal. I had what they called a chamber to get the coal out, and send it up. There were six men working for me, and one day as we were at work, there came and weight upon the chamber. The ruff broke loose, and a stream of water as big as a home came through.  We ran for our lives, and all of our tools were lost again.

On October 14, 1871 (age 42), my wife came to the pit, and had me called up. At that time, I was with other men laying down pipe, and were up to our waists in water. When she saw me, she said, “Take off the wet clothes Lott, and never put them on again. The money has come to take us to Utah.” I said, “Let me go down and finish the job. She said, “No Lott, you might get hurt.” As I was taking off my clothes, another accident happened, and buried all the men in the mine. I was saved again.

We left our home for Utah \the following week, and went to my sister’s where my aged mother lived, to bid them all god-bye. My mother put her arms around my neck, and tears rolled down her face. With m e being the only son, and she was 78 years old, it made her feel pretty bad when we left her. When we were about to start for Nottingham, my youngest sister fainted away, and we did not get to bid her goodbye.

We left my mother, four sisters and all my wife’s folks, and boarded the train. We stayed in Nottingham over night, and on the 22nd of October 1871, we boarded the train for Liverpool. Eight children, my wife and I arrived in Liverpool about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. While waiting, I went to buy beds and cans to cross the sea. October 23, at 2 o’clock in the night, we had to go up a narrow plank to go into the ship, “Nevada” which we will never forget while we live. It was a trying time for us all, going into the vessel in the dark of night. As soon as we were all safely on, they launched her, and set sail on the Atlantic Ocean. We had a pleasant voyage for the first two days, then buckets came in use for many days. We were all sick but for our little daughter Annie. My wife ate very little for days. I got a herring from one of the returning Elders. She ate a little bit, but was very sick after.

We were eighteen days crossing the water. We never had but two fine days in all, and we could hold no meetings, the sea was so rough. The vessel went onto its side many times. The sailors said it was the roughest voyage they had ever experienced. One Sunday it was so bad, none of us were allowed on the deck. My children were crying for water. I had to go fetch some for them. I started up to the deck. When I got near the pump, there came a mountain of water and sent me headlong against the side of the vessel, and I lay senseless for some time, how long I do not know. When I came to myself, I was soaking wet to the skin, and not another soul on the deck. Still, I had no water to drink. I crawled on my hands and knees to the pump, got the bottle full and started back. Just as I came to the galley, there came a great hurricane that would have sent me into the sea if I had not been where I was. I got back to my family, and told them they could not get me to go back there again while the sea was so rough. We would have to suffer the thirst and too, I had to keep my wet clothes on until they were dry. The ship was reported lost, the pilot ship came three days out of New York City after us. Finally we sighted land. The pilot of the ship said to my wife, “where are you going, Madam, with your large family?” My wife told him “to Utah.” He said, “they’ve got your prophet in jail.” My wife said to him, “Well, if all the sisters will be of the same mind, I am sure we will have the jail walls down and let him free.” He went away and said no more.

Two days after we sighted land, we arrive at Castle Gardens. We bowed our heads in thankful prayer to our Father for our safe landing, and rejoiced that all our lives had been spared.

At New York City, we board the train for Salt Lake City. While traveling across the plains we saw many interesting sights. At every stop, I would jump off the train to get something to eat. We had bread, but needed something to go with it. As I arrived at the store door, the train whistle blew, and I had to run back without a thing. We were seven days on the train from New York to Salt Lake City.

We arrive in Salt Lake well and happy, and was me by Brother Nebeker. He took us to his home, and his good wife and family gave us a good supper and made us very comfortable for the night. At last we were safe in Zion.

My Son-in-law, Elisha Peck came to the Nebeker home the next morning, and we started for Lehi with him in a wagon. Upon our arrival at his home, we were proud to be united with our daughter, Charlotte (Elisha’s wife), the eldest in the family. We hadn’t seen her for two and one half years. She came to live and work at Bro. Nebeker’s home. She came as soon as the rail was completed to Ogden. She was all alone. She knew no one, only Brother Nebeker, who was a missionary to England. He sent for her to work for them, knowing she was anxious to go to Utah. It was this same Brother Nebeker who sent the money for us to go to Utah. The amount of money he send us was $535.36. He was a savior to us, and we have it all paid back, now.

When we arrived in Lehi, my daughter Charlotte, who had been married about a year, lived in a little two room house built of mud. We lived with them for a few months. We were crowded together in that little place until my daughter gave birth to her firstborn, a son, our first grandchild. My son-in-law Elisha asked me to go up to the canyon with him to get some wood. We were getting up some stumps with an iron bar. I was pulling the bar when it gave way, and I fell onto a rock and struck the back of my heard. It moved my brain. He had to bring me home on top of the load of wood, every jolt I thought I would die. I thought I would never see my partner again. I lay for two weeks at the point of death, but through the administration and the power of the priesthood and the goodness of God I was restored to health again.

In the last of February 1872, we left my daughter’s place. Brother William Turner let us have a place they had once lived in, but now it was where they kept chickens. It was made of mud and the roof was willows and dirt. When it rained it poured through on us. We though the roof would fall in on us, too, but at that we were very grateful for a place to live. We did the best we knew how, and the Lord Blessed us, and we thanked him for all our blessings.

On April 9th, 1872 we went through the Endowment House. I was ordained an Elder September 9, 1872 by William Smith in the Endowment House.

Once I lost the use of my hearing. I could not hear a thing, not even the train, and we lived right near the railroad track. Now in our own house, (my sons and I made the adobes to build it), I felt the loss of my hearing. My family had to write to me on paper when they wanted to convey a message to me. I shall never forget it. We appointed a day to fast and pray, all my family and my grandchildren that were old enough fasted for 28 hours. My son, Joseph Russon, was away in Provo, going to school. We did not tell him about the fast, but he had an impression to fast the same day, then they all came to my home, and each one took a turn to pray for the restoration of my hearing. After the prayers were said, I arose to my feet, and said to my family, you have done all the Lord requires of you. I shall hear again. The next morning I could hear my partner speak to me, and we burst into tears of joy. After that I went to the circle and Andrew R. Anderson anointed me with oil all over my ears, and Bishop T. R. Cutler did the anointing upon my head, and after that I heard all that was said, and I surely thanked God for it all.

END OF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

PATRIARCHAL BLESSING


A Patriarchal Blessing is on file in the church archives. Much was said about the rewards Lott earned in the afterlife.
Given January 8, 1909 in Lehi, Utah by James Kirkham (brother of Lott's son-in-law)

OTHER ACCUMULATED INFORMATION

It was said by his daughter, Kate Russon Anderson, that Lott’s back was so pitted and marked with scars or pieces of coal while working in the mines that there was hardly room to place a pinhead between them.

Lott and Eliza Russon had 11 children; one died at the age of nine years. They were all married to their mates in the Temple. All of the boys but one filled mission going back to the place of their father’s birth to carry the message of the gospel to others.

In the Life Sketch of Eliza Russon Taylor, daughter of Lott and Eliza Russon, she indicated the children in the family had to begin work at an early age to help support the family. They were never entirely satisfied as for eating. Times were hard, money and commodities were scarce in their home.

Eliza’s history tells that 15 people lived in the two room house of Charlotte Russon and Elisha Peck when Lott's family came to Utah. Her mother could sometimes be heard singing aloud: “Give us room that we may dwell, Zion’s children cry aloud. See the numbers how they swell, how they gather like a cloud.”

 Eliza tells that after her father built an adobe home, the Russons made adobes for sale and many of the homes in Lehi and American Fork were made of the Russon adobes. Eliza and the other children helped make the adobes. They tramped straw in the mud with their bare feet, and put the clay in molds and pressed them out on the ground to dry in the sun. They were a little bigger than the bricks of today. They made good insulation and the homes were cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

 In the life sketch of Sara Russon, there is information that Sara’s father, Lott Russon, was a coal miner in England and through an accident to his hand, was out of work several months. Because of this, Sara’s mother was obliged to find a way to support her family and she made pancakes and filled a little basket each morning for Sara to sell from door to door. Many days she would sit by the driveway and cry if the people wouldn’t buy, but when the task was done and all were sold, she would run home happily, with her pennies for her mother.

EDWARD STEEL SKETCH

HISTORY OF EDWARD STEEL

Written by

Granddaughter - Anna S. Barlow
Submitted to DUP as a pioneer history

I was 15 years old when my Grandpa Edward Steel died, so I remember him well. He had character and personality - plus, but it was all his own – there was just NO ONE quite like grandpa. He was a very efficient carpenter. He was a faithful Latter-day Saint, but he never quite got use to this vast arid country. He used to say he was a thorough-bred Englishman. Me missed his beautiful England, the rain, fog and sunshine, the flowers, shrubs, trees and green grass everywhere, the fertile soil that didn’t have to be irrigated to raise abundant crops, so different from Utah.

He used to say that he would go back to England if he didn’t have to cross that big pond of water again. That was grandpa, he had a dry wit and humor that made him good company in any crowd. He was dearly loved and enjoyed by grandchildren.

Grandpa was born 13 December 1822 at Melton, Mowbray, England. His parents were Thomas and Sarah Waite Steel. I don’t remember him talking much about his boyhood days.

On June 24, 1844 (age 22) he married grandmother, Lucy Charles. She was the lovely daughter of John and Martha Forman Charles. The first child of Edward and Lucy was a daughter, Sarah Jane, then next came my mother, Ada Lucy.

In his youth grandpa had been apprenticed as a carpenter. In those days, after they completed their apprenticeship they really knew most everything about the trade they had learned. He was indeed prepared to go out on his own in the carpenter business. He made a good living for his family and was happy in his work.

The entire routine of their lives was changed one day when Grandma went to visit her older sister, Martha Stevenson and saw two strange books, The Pearl of Great Price and The Doctrine and Covenants laying on the table, She didn’t know that her sister and her family were members of the Mormon Church. But she, herself, had a strong desire to read these books. Through this incident, she and grandpa became converted and were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

They had plans of emigrating to America and Utah in 1860, but grandma’s health was so poor that they decided to wait a little longer.

The following incident shows how efficient grandpa was at his trade. He was working for a firm by the name of ‘Ellis Brothers” and they belonged to either the Methodist or Baptist Church. It seemed the roof of their church needed re-roofing and these Ellis men were contractors and were given the job. However, they didn’t know exactly how to do it. Grandpa, seeing their dilemma, approached them on the subject and said he would take on the job. He even made the boast that he could roof Nottingham Market Place, if they would furnish him the equipment. When the church job was completed so satisfactorily, the Ellis Brothers were so pleased that they paid him handsomely for the job. From this he made enough money to emigrate to Zion.

The family disposed of their belongings in England and prepared to embark on their new adventure April 23, 1862 (age 40 for Edward). The John J. Boyd with 700 saints on board with James S. Brown in charge, was their ship. They were 6 weeks on the ocean. They experienced a very severe storm one night near the banks of Newfoundland, and had a narrow escape from being hit by another ship in the fog. Grandpa saw it and said he could have thrown a potato onto the deck of the other ship it was so close. It would certainly have completely wrecked the John J. Boyd if the collision had occurred.

The land of America, at New York Harbor was a welcome sight to the Steel family. As soon as possible they boarded a train for Florence Nebraska, the outfitting place for the Saints going West. Here they remained 5 weeks making the necessary preparations to cross the plains by ox teams. Homer Duncan was the Captain with Samuel Russell, his assistant, with 50 wagons in the train. They left Florence on July 22 1862. It was extremely hard on grandpa trying to yoke and drive these wild cattle. He had had no previous experience with animals and to get these oxen to go in the right direction with his commands of “Gee” and “Haw” was really a trial to him.

It was September 24, 1862 when the Duncan Company arrived in Salt Lake City. They were pleased to be welcomed by Martha and James Stevenson who had come to Utah in 1855, and were making a home in Springville; also, their friends, the Chamberlains.

The first employment that grandpa had in Salt Lake was on the interior of the Salt Lake Theatre. He had brought his carpenter tools with him, which enabled him to do very skilled labor.

In March of 1863 he moved his family to American Fork and went to work at the mouth of American Fork Canyon at D. R. Allen’s mill. They lived in Pleasant Grove for a while. At this time the Indians were very bad and the families had to stay together at nights for protection.

To get the money to build a home in American Fork, Grandpa got the job of keeping the mail station at Bear River Junction, now called Collingston. Grandma and my mother (Ada Lucy) went with him. They stayed there several moths. (At this time, Ada was home from her first marriage with her son, Edward.)

When the Salt Lake Tabernacle was being built, the folks decided they would move there where the employment was more to grandpa’s liking and ability. In fact, he made all the small sash for the windows in the entire building by hand, fitting them together without the use of nails. His daughter, Ada, my mother, faithfully carried his noon lunch to him each day, which grandma had so lovingly prepared. Their home was just east of where the City and County Building stands today.

When the work on the Tabernacle was finished they moved back to American Fork where he continued to make a living at his building trade and fine carpenter work that was available.

When grandpa and grandma became old and needed extra care, Aunt Sarah Jane Stevenson brought them to Salt Lake City to live close to her. Grandpa was never idle. He obtained small jobs doing cabinet work for homes.

On July 31, 1903, Grandma died. This separation for a time was a great loss and sorrow for him. They had enjoyed a close, sweet companionship for 59 years. Aunt Sarah took good care of him, and we visited him as often as possible. He puttered around at odd jobs when he was able, to occupy his time until our Heavenly Father saw fit to call him to join Grandma. It was January 4, 1907 (age 85) when this happy reunion took place.

(Note from CJC:

Edward and Lucy raised their grandson, Edward, son of Ada Lucy who had married Joseph Wrigley when she was 16. Shortly after the marriage, she became pregnant, and before the child was delivered, she divorced Joseph Wrigley and went home to live with her parents when she was 17. The story in the family is that she promised her parents if she had a son, she would let them raise the boy since they had never had a son. Edward (Sr.) would have been 42 at the time, and his wife would have been 47 or 49. )

PICTURE IDENTIFICATION

In trying to identify who is in this pictures, Kathy Kirkham Reed and Carolyn Johnson Christensen, grandaughters of Sarah Wrigley Kirkham think the following:

From Left ot Right:

 Adah Lucy age 15, Velma 3 months, Sarah age 17,  Nona age 7, Menta age 4,

ANY OTHER IDEAS?

WRIGLEY, EDWARD CHARLES PIX

Posted by Carolyn J. Christensen.  Uncle Charlie is the brother of my Grandmother, Sarah Adalaide Wrigley Kirkham.

Edward Charles Wrigley, son of Edward Charles Wrigley and Sarah Ann Robinson.  Born 28 Jul 1893 in American Fork, Utah.  Died 20 Dec 1979 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Married Syrina Magdalene Jensen.  Children:  Elva Lucile Wrigley (Allen), Geraldine Wrigley (Snyder) and Margene Wrigley who died at birth.

Above is a rocking chair pin cushion made from a tin can.  I visited Uncle Charlie once when I was an adult, and he gave me this.  He had made many of these.

The house listed in the address on the bottom of the chair has been torn down.

EDWARD CHARLES WRIGLEY

Kathy Kirkham Reed has provided access to two new pictures of Edward Charles Wrigley.  I have posted them with the picture I posted previously.

SPICED BACON !??! FOR CHRISTMAS

Posted by Carolyn J. Christensen
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE THIS TRADITION OR MAKE SPICED BACON - PLEASE COMMENT.

After talking to some of my relatives, I found out that there are those who actually do not know what Spiced Bacon is, and who have not eaten it on Christmas Morning. What a surprise to me. I don’t remember a Christmas without spiced bacon. I will set forth my memories of this delectable meat as well as a recipe for any who would like to try it. I consider this an English Christmas Tradition passed to me though a long lines of ancestors, and therefore think of the recipe as an heirloom, and preparing the dish as a reminder of my heritage.

I remember Grandma Sarah Wrigley Kirkham and later my mother serving spiced bacon at Christmas. From conversations about this food, I think it came from a recipe passed down in our family from England. Since, in early days, people made (or spiced) their own bacon or fresh side pork, this is probably one of many recipes to do so.

By the time I came on the scene, this meat was served only at Christmastime. That could have been true of spiced bacon in England, seeing that two spices included in it were probably expensive at that time, so it was served as a Christmas treat.

When I was young, a slab of fresh side pork was purchased, sprinkled with the spices, rolled into a roll and tied with a string at least two weeks before serving (so the spices would have time to permeate the meat), then was sliced into bacon strips on Christmas morning, cooked and served.

I have seen the method evolve and today, a few days before Christmas, I purchase several pounds of sliced fresh side pork at the local store. If there is a choice, I always have it sliced thick (as opposed to thin – learned from sad experience). It comes looking like a package of bacon. Usually I call ahead to make sure the store I am going to has fresh side pork. Not all stores carry it. At home I open the packages, and spread the bacon in a 9 x 12 pan, one layer at a time, sprinkling the spices on the meat with a salt shaker. If the meat was bought several days before Christmas, it can be covered and stored in the freezer. If prepared one or two days before Christmas, cover and store in refrigerator.

Our Christmas Breakfast consists usually of juice, pancakes, eggs, and spiced bacon. We know that Christmas is really here when the aroma of spiced bacon permeates the house and makes our mouths water and our minds turn to our wonderful heritage.

RECIPIE

1 lb fresh side pork

1 tsp sugar, salt, cloves, cinnamon mixed together in a shaker

CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS: EDWARD CHARLES WRIGLEY

Kathy Reed brought to my attention some changes that needed to be made in Edward Wrigley's life history. I appreciate her doing that and hope anyone will feel free to suggest changes, and especially add information to this Blog.  To do so, you can call me, e-mail me, or comment on the site.  You will recognize the changes as I will put an asterisk where the change was made, and put the old, incorrect information at the bottom of the article.  Thanks again to Kathy Reed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - RESOLUTION?

Submitted by Carolyn J. Christensen.

For years, my big Christmas Project was to obtain new Family History materials for our family, then distribute it to my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews.  This project involved reams of paper and many, many notebooks.  It also involved trying to formulate a way to keep the material organized - which as many of you know, was nearly impossible. 

This Christmas, I sent the following message to those who have always received information from me.

“Merry Christmas:

· The Bad News is that if you don’t use a computer, the following is of little use to you.

· The Good News is that you aren’t getting a bunch of papers from me for Christmas.

· The Better News is that there is an attachment that you can print if you want – or not. It is also below on this email.

· The Best News is that throughout the next year, all the family history I have ever given you in the yearly notebook installments will eventually show up on the Blog Spots. No longer will you have to feel guilty about not being able to get all those papers organized that I have sent you. And – on the Blog Spot, it will all be indexed in the left hand column, and available to anyone who wants to see it with a simple click of the finger.

Sooooo- my Christmas Gift to my Family is :

http://carloscarjohnson.blogspot.com/

http://lottsarahwrigleykirkham.blogspot.com/

A study of family history tells you who you are. What better gift can I give you for Christmas and on a continuous basis than self-awareness – which I will do on these blogs”

This message encompasses my plans and desires for the blog for the coming year.  Eventually, I hope it can be said that any information I have about this family is on this Blog.  Carolyn

REMEMBERING GRANDMA SARAH AND HER WRIGLEY RESEARCH

REMEMBERING GRANDMA SARAH AND HER WRIGLEY RESEARCH or


HOW ARE WE RELATED TO WRIGLEY GUM?

Of course, one of the pieces of “Wrigley” information I received from Grandma Sarah that stood out in my mind is that we were in some way related to the “Gum” Wrigleys. (See last paragraph). Loving to chew gum, and being young, I was very impressed that we were part of that Wrigley Line. However, I was never interested enough to find out just how we were “cousins” to the Wrigley Gum people.

The other part of my “Wrigley” upbringing, was that Grandma Kirkham had traced the Wrigley’s to Barnby Don in Yorkshire, England. After extending the pedigree as far as she could, she applied to the Genealogical Society to do temple work for all the Wrigley in Barnby Don and surrounding villages and towns on the assumption that we were probably related to most of the Wrigleys. This permission was granted, and she spent hours copying Wrigley names from books in local Genealogical Libraries.

At one time in England, it became popular to copy lists of births, marriages, and deaths names from local cemeteries and church records and publish them in newspapers. They were then compiled into books, published, and found their way to the Genealogical Society and it’s offshoots, of which there were two in Shelley, and Idaho Falls.

Grandma would take me to help her copy these names onto group sheets. I soon learned, at a very early age, how to sort these names into families and group them on Family Group Sheets. These sheets would then be sent to the Genealogical Society, cleared for temple work, and sent to the temple. Eventually they would be returned to Grandma Sarah, with an extension glue to the right side indicated the date of the temple work, and who completed it. I inherited a large cardboard box packed tight with Wrigley Group Sheets; the temple work having been done for the names on those sheets. I eventually spent hours organizing them, and trying to form pedigree charts. I soon realized that proving relationship to all these names would be quite difficult, but many were related to our pedigree charts as collateral ancestors.

This experience left me with the impression that although Edward Wrigley had little to do with his “Wrigley” relatives and blood line, it was important to the family, at least to Grandma, to complete the research for the Wrigley line.

Note: In another article on this Blog, I described my experience of traveling to Barnby Don, and impression it left with me. See Parish Chest.

Wrigley Gum Information.

(I don’t even remember where I obtained this little bit of information)

William Wrigley, Jr. was born in 1861. He went into business with his father in 1882 and moved to Chicago. In 1891 William Jr., entered business for himself under the name of William Wrigley Jr. and Co., Manufactures of Chewing Gum. On January 1, 1911 the plant of the Zero Manufacturing Co was absorbed and the name of the corporation was changed to the William Wrigley Jr. of which he was president. William Jr. was president of the First National Bank of Chicago, First trust and Savings Bank, Boulevard Bridges Bank, and Consumers Company of Chicago. William Jr. married Adam L. Foote and to this union was born three children named:

Philip K. Dorothy W. Mrs. James R. Oldfield

William Wrigley Jr. died in 1932 leaving his son Philip K. head of many enterprises.

On Family Search, William is on a pedigree that includes his son Philip and his father and mother.  They have not been tied into any other pedigree.   There lies a challenge.

EDWARD CHARLES WRIGLEY/STEELE

Submitted by Carolyn J. Christensen, Great granddaughter of Edward Charles Steele/Wrigley

EDWARD CHARLES WRIGLEY

Edward and Sarah are in the back row on the right.

  

(A Sketch written by his daughter, Sarah Adelaide Wrigley Kirkham)

A picture of Edward is elsewhere on this sight.  Click on his name in the alphabetized Index in the left hand column.

My father, Edward Charles Wrigley, was born September 21, 1864 at American Fork, Utah. His father was Joseph Wrigley, son of Thomas Wrigley and Grace Mary Wilkinson. His mother was Adah Lucy Steel, daughter of Edward Steel and Lucy Charles who joined the church in England and came to America for the Gospel, bringing with them the two children, Adah Lucy and Sarah.

Edward's father and mother did not live together very long after their marriage on 25 November, 1863, and were later divorced. His mother was only sixteen years old when Edward was born the next September. Edward's mother later married Robert Stoddart on 8 September 1974, from which union came ten children. It seems his father never made a home for his mother but took her to live with his parents in Provo, Utah. I have heard Grandma(Lucy) say that Joseph was very mean to his wife, Adah Lucy, and did everything he could to make her life miserable. For instance, he would ride a horse and dig its sides with spurs and jerk at it until the blood would be streaming from it, then chase her with it. She could not stand such treatment in her condition so she went home to live with her parents.

Adah Lucy's parents never had a son so she promised them before father was born that if her baby was a boy, they could have him; so he was given to them even before he was born. His own father never recognized him as a son, and Ed lived with his grandparents and was called Ed Steel.

The first few years of his life, the Steels lived in Salt Lake City. Their home was across the street south from the city and county building. Ed's playmates were *Herbert and George Auerbach, and their sister and William Wallace in Salt Lake. Other boyhood chums were Ned Wild, Ed King, Rona and Esther Paxman, later in American Fork. He told of an old man Maycock who was the street lamplighter. Also, he told of an old Negro woman who lived in the court back of them who said she would be willing to be skinned alive to be able to go to the temple. Sometimes Ed would go swimming in the Mill Stream in City Creek Canyon. Oscar Hunter was Bishop of the Eight Ward then.

Ed's grandfather Steel made the doors and windows for the Salt Lake Tabernacle. His Grandparents later moved to American Fork. He said he would sit on his fathers bench and watch him work and as soon as he could drive a nail, he went with him to help him.

I don't think his childhood days were very happy ones. From my memory of Grandma and Grandpa Steel, they were very eccentric and cranky. I've heard father say the only real father he had was Grandpa Robinson, his father-in-law.

The Steel home in American Fork, as I remember it, was an adobe with a long walk from the gate to the house with an ash tree on each side of the gate. One of the trees had seed pods but the other tree never did have any. There was a herb garden on one side of the path with lavender, heliotrope, verbena, sage, parsley and thyme. Grandma Steel put sprays of lavender and heliotrope in the drawers with her clothes. There was a large tea vine on the back porch, a cellar full of wine and cider and a grape arbor and wine press in back of the cellar.

Edward was never legally adopted, so he took his own name for the ceremony when he was married, but never liked to be called Ed Wrigley. He married Sarah Ann Robinson May 15, 1888 in American Fork, Utah. Her parents had also joined the church in England and came to America for the gospel.

When Ed and Sarah had been married for about six years and had three children, Charley, Adah and I (Sarah), his father (Joseph Wrigley) came to American Fork to see him. Father said his father found Ed was doing pretty good and had a good trade, so he pretended he was sorry for the indifference he had shown and induced him to move to Castle Valley in Emery County, Utah. Here his father had two families having married Ann Singleton who had a large family and Dina Stoddart Crookston who had two children. Father homesteaded a farm between Ferron and Castledale. He had not been down there long before he found out his father's motives were selfish. Joseph knew father was a good carpenter and thought he would work for him for nothing. When Joseph found out father would not be bullied and kicked about like the rest of the family, he wanted nothing to do with his son.

Father learned to love his Aunt Annie (Singleton Wrigley) and her family treated him like a brother, but his dislike for his father grew stronger. He felt sorry for the cruel treatment the other children got from Joseph.

Mother and Dad had a hard time in Castle Valley. Father knew very little about farming. They lived so far from the railroad that local produce was very cheap and food that had to be shipped in was so high it was not within their reach. Mother said she had to trade three dozen eggs for a spool of thread. Sugar was fifty cents a pound, a luxury they could not afford. They used honey for sweetening until mother could hardly stand the smell of it. I was only five years old, but I can remember what a grand occasion it was when we got a box from Grandpa Robinson in American Fork. He would send shoes and pieces of cloth for dresses. In one box he put in a note that said, "If you don't like these things, send them back."

We lived like this for three years. In that time it seems like mother said we made five trips to American Fork. Each trip was made over a different route, and during all seasons of the year. I remember my parents made a fire to melt the snow so they could make their bed by the fire. Then they made a bed in the corner of the wagon for us kids. The horses would be tied to the wagon and we could hear them eating all night. It took from five to eleven days to make the trip.

One time we were caught in a sand storm. Father had to get out and dig the sand away from the wheels so the horses could move the wagon. It seems like that was near Orangeville.

When I was eight years old, we moved to Lehi in the cottage back of the Union Hotel, which Grandma Stoddart (Edward's birth mother) ran. From here, we moved into a one room house in the Locust Grove. Willie was born in the Locust Grove. Soon after that, father bought a lot and built a house. Then when we moved into the new house, Nona, Menta, and Velma were born.

Willie had died in December, five months after his eight birthday when his mother was six months pregnant with Velma. (That story is told in Sarah's history.) Velma was born three months after Willie's death, but died of scarlet fever when she was four years old. **
When father couldn't get work at home, he would go to Salt Lake City where, with the help of his Uncle Richard Chamberlain, he could always get work. When Velma died, mother was on the verge of a nervous breakdown so we moved to Salt Lake so she would not have to be alone. +Helen was born in Salt Lake City and then Robin (Bob) was born in Salt Lake in 1915. (It is interesting to note that Sarah was 27 years old when her youngest brother was born. Edward would have been 51 years old and his wife, Sarah was 47 at the time of Bob's birth.)

My parents lived in Salt Lake City until their death. Mother died November 13, 1925 at the age of 57, (when Bob was 10 years old), and father died December 5, 1929.

*changed from Overbach.  A search by Kathy Reed revealed no records of Overbachs that would justify the name.
** The following was removed, as Helen was born in Salt Lake City after Velma died. "At that time of Velma's death, Helen was very young".
+"Helen was born in Salt Lake City and then" was added to more correctly reflect the sequence of events.