Trek across the plains/Sarah Ann & Charles Kidgell

Where do I get the 'stories', the information?  Let me explain; some information has been handed down from grandparents, one generation to the next.   Most information I have researched other's journal's that are available on the Internet.  I will put quotes around what I have found from others but, will not source it here (on the Blog) it just takes up too much space.  However, if you want to know exactly where I got something I have posted please e-mail me, I will willingly give you my source.  One way of finding the sources is through this link then follow the directions.

http://lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompanysearch/1,15773,3966-1,00.html

  

 After one month and four days at sea, the coast of America came into view on the morning of 4 May, 1855.  "The ship would be towed by a tug-boat up the Delaware River, finally anchoring the Juventa in Philadelphia on the evening of 5 May 1855."

I would like to mention that most of the Saints on board were participants in The Perpetual Emigrating Fund (P.E. F.) which was organized in 1849 under the direction of Brigham Young to assist the poor in emigrating however, it is my understanding from  Charles and Sarah's history they paid their own way. 

From Philadelphia Charles and Sarah traveled by train to Pittsburgh.  On the way they experienced a jarring train wreck, resulting in a "great bewailing among the women."  "Several of the trains car's had to be left behind, but the rest of the train moved ahead."  In Pittsburgh, they boarded a steamboat and the next stop was Atchinson, Kansas. 

From Atchinson they traveled a short distance to Mormon Grove.  It is here that they would experience their first 'pioneer life.'  At the first site of Mormon Grove Sarah and Charles would see the "appearance of a city of tents and wagons beautifully arranged in the open woodland...."  They will wait five weeks for their wagon and 'outfit' to take them across the plains to the Salt Lake Territory. 

I'm sure the five weeks went by quickly; for the men "completed a ditch, and a log fence and ploughed and planted about 40 acres."  "Cattle had to be broken and teamsters had to be trained."  This Charles would learn to do by having to yoke the oxen and drag logs around the camp.   

Charles and Sarah Ann were assigned to the Richard Ballantyne Company. 

Elder Ballantyne was returning from a Mormon mission in India. 

          

Richard Ballantyne

The Ballantyne company left Mormon Grove 2 July 1855. "Each morning the company rose to the sound of the bugle, gathered together for prayer, and sang a hymn. They would cover on average from twelve to fifteen miles a day," never traveling on Sunday. 


"During their journey the company supplemented their meals with fresh meat--usually buffalo--and fish when they could, and they also saw many wolves, bears, snakes, hares, and other desert wildlife, including on one occasion snapping turtle, which made for a tasty soup for the group." 
 However, food supplies did run low after a couple of months and some of the Saints began "to feel a little blue about it."   Nothing discouraged Charles and Sarah Ann. They pressed on without even a thought of complaint and with one thought in mind, as Charles told Sarah Ann over and over, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you."  ( History of Charles)  
With in a few days the company was met by wagons from Salt Lake to supplement their food supplies. "That night the Saints celebrated by dancing and singing until late in the evening." 

Like the ocean voyage with no deaths (I have read several account of 'crossing the ocean' and most voyages had many, many deaths) this company of Saints  fell far below the average death rate for emigrants on the plains.  Their were a total of eleven accidents, "eight were run over by wagons and three were shot." [Accidently]

For example; a sister from Switzerland "stepped on her dress while climbing out of a wagon and fell.  The wagon wheel ran over her, 'cutting across her groin and breast'.  It took her three days to die, becoming the first of several Swiss travelers  to die

 en-route."   

Another example; "One woman was making a bed and while dragging her husband's shotgun across the bed, accidently set it off.  It 'mangled her arm in a shocking manner.'  She ran out into the camp with her arm swinging by a piece of flesh. They tried to take her to Fort Laramie to see a surgeon, but she died on the way."

On another occasion, "while camped in Laverne.  We were surrounded by[many] Indians, they were dressed up with paints and feathers"  [Going to some great meeting]

Mr. Ballantyne "exercised all caution and instructed the men to keep their guns with them --loaded.  While the Indians were in the camp, one young Saint accidently shot off his gun, shooting a Sister in the knee.  The gunshot alarmed the Indians; they scattered and were almost instantly mounted and 'prepared for battle.'  But as soon as the Indians  learned of what happened, they returned to the camp and 'seemed very sorry for the sister.'  She was taken to Fort Laramie where her leg was cut off above the knee, but they had to cut above again and again and she finally died.  This caused a sad feeling in the company as she was a beautiful singer and the life of the camp."

After two months and twenty four days on the plains the company entered Salt Lake City and were met by a brass band.  There would be a reunion of families and friends that had entered the valley before them, President Young and Kimball visited, bidding the travelers welcome. Women and some men wept for joy. 

Charles and Sarah Ann's clothes were well worn and shoes worn off their feet.  It would be twenty four days after their arrival that Sarah Ann would give birth to her first baby, Ellen Maria in a hut that had a dirt roof and leaked quite badly.  The bed had to be raised up on stumps of trees to keep it up out of the water, and an umbrella was held over the bed to keep the mother and child dry during the birth.  (History of Charles and Sarah Ann Kidgell) 

Next post:  Life in Salt Lake City and many more children. 

Just so you know!

Dear Family and Friends,
As I have said before this is a work in progress and I have learned much since I started this genealogy blog. 
A very busy mother of three young boys Juliet helped me in redesigning my blog.  Thank You Juliet and don't you agree it is much better?   Oh, so much better I think. 
The bee theme has great personal meaning in my life!  And the life and symbol of a bee has great meaning!  
Those of you that are alerted by e-mail that a new post has been posted only to find it's a post you have already read, I apologize, this is because I have been going back and editing older post, cleaning them up, correcting sentence structure, just fixing. 

Renée 1 May  2010 Hepworth House Salt Lake City

Thanks for your patience. 


Next post:  Sarah Ann and & Charles cross the plains. 

Charles and Sarah Ann Kidgell leave England for Zion

St. Thomas Church of England

Taken from the history of Charles and Sarah Ann,

 'their united thought was'

 "First, last, and all time the Kingdom of God"

 'which was their greatest love, 

and for their growth and development

 they dedicated their lives and talents.' 

 Charles and Sarah Ann are married fifteen months when they traveled to Liverpool to board the ship Juventa for the voyage to America.  Sarah is three month pregnant and I'm sure her emotions are all over the place from one moment to the next.  Excited that this is Charles's dream come true to very sad to leave her close knit family - her parents, a married sister and two unmarried brothers. 1n 1869 thirteen years later Sarah Ann will convince her parents to come to Utah only to return to England after a few years.  Charles will be leaving his widowed father and four sisters, one married.  In 1859 just four years later his father Charles Sr. and his sister Caroline and husband John Higson will make the voyage across the sea and trek across the plains to Utah.  

Did you know that during the 1800's over nine million Britons emigrated from Liverpool alone to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and America?   Forty five thousand new converts to the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day-Saints from Britain and Scandinavia emigrated to Zion by 1900.  At least twenty of my ancestors emigrated to Zion from England before 1869.  http://lib.byu.edu/mormonmigration/  

The earliest English ancestor of mine was the Hepworth family who made the voyage/trek in 1852.  I mention this because Thomas and Mary Hepworth had a son who married a daughter of Charles and Sarah Ann Kidgell, my Great-grandparents.  

On the Mormon Migration site (link above) you can see the LDS passenger list and journals. 

I have read many accounts of the voyage's across the sea and this sea experience of Charles and Sarah in 1855 was a mild one in comparison.  I will be writing about their experience on the ship from other people's journals who were abroad and a brief history written by my Grandmother Ethel. 

Looking over the passenger list of 573 Mormons I was surprised to see the name's George and Ann Tomlinson.  Yes, to those who know about our 'surname story' this is the step-gg- grandfather and his first wife that our surname comes through.  Just a short explanation: My father's name is Vern Wherrett Tominson - after two years of researching a very puzzling family record sheet, I found the problem was our biological surname was Wherrett not Tomlinson.  Dad died not knowing the real truth. I am sure Charles and Sarah Ann knew George and Ann very well and probably in some way related to Sarah Ann's mother Maria Tomlinson.  I have not been able to make the connection, YET! 

 Charles and Sarah Ann were registered as ordinary steerage passengers Charles as an engine fitter. They paid two pounds and ten shillings for the trip across the ocean and at the end of their journey paid ten pounds and ten shillings more to complete the total cost of their passage. 

 "This was a remarkably successful passage-no deaths, one birth of a child who was named Juventa, and no issues, except seasickness and a few cases of measles among the children."  

 Their was one severe storm and the passengers were kept below without much air and very poor water.  Charles's experience as an engine fitter came in very handy when the attendant fell asleep. "Charles discovered the trouble and due to his knowledge as an engineer was able to alleviate the trouble without injury to anyone on board, or the vessel, and thus saved the lives on all on the ship."

GENEALOGY

Preserve the Past- Inspire the Future 

Coming Soon - Trek across the Plains

  

Charles Kidgell and Sarah Ann Cashmore

Sarah Ann Cashmore - b 19 Dec 1831
in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England      

  
  Sarah Ann Cashmore is my Great-Great-Grandmother.  This picture was taken when she was still living in England, I would guess about the time she was married in 1853.  She joined the Church of Jesus Christ-of latter day Saints at age 19 in 1850. At that time she was living with her parents who did not join the Church until much later.     Her parents were Edward Cashmore and Maria Tomlinson.  Yes, the surname Tomlinson is in our line on Dad's (Vern W. Tomlinson) MATERNAL side.  
     Sarah Ann had quite a colorful life.  If we read her life history that was handed down by Great-Grandmother Sarah Ann Hepworth and Grandmother Ethel Tomlinson we would know of only one husband for Sarah Ann.  Actually, she had three husbands.  I found husband number two about six months ago (2010).  Her first husband, the love of her life, (my interjection here but, I sure he was) died at an early age. Her second husband she divorced (I have the divorce papers from 1877) and her third husband died of quite bizarre circumstances.   
    This life history will take several posting over the next few weeks.

This is my Great-Great-Grandfather Charles Kidgell.  Don't you think he is older than 20 years old?   If so, this picture was taken when in Utah after 1855.  It IS a photograph that has been treated by a different process that I can't recall at this writing.   I am very fortunate to have the original photo in my possession.  What a handsome man!

 Charles was born 21 August 1833 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

the same area as Sarah Ann. 

Charles Kidgell Jr. b21 August 1833

 Charles's parents were Charles Sr. and Caroline Loftus.  His mother died in 1845 when Charles was twelve years old.  He was their first child and only boy.  Five sisters followed Charles the youngest Helen, was one year old at his mothers passing, she died the next year in 1846.
     Charles joined the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saints on the 22nd of April  1850.  He first heard the gospel preached by Mormon Elders on the street and became intensely interested.   After a thorough investigation he joined and it was at this time he met and courted Sarah Ann Cashmore.  

This is where Warwickshire is located; in the heart of England.  
Sarah Ann's father, Edward Cashmore was a Shoe Maker by trade.  He started repairing shoes at his home in England and developed his business into a shoe business that catered to the wealthier classes of people.   
      Charles Jr.'s father,  Charles Kidgell  was a jeweler most of his life.  He also was a pattern maker or designer and a gold chain maker while living in Warwickshire, England.  
              FYI
Warwickshire is perhaps best known for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon. Even today, road signs at the county boundary describe Warwickshire as "Shakespeare's County"

This is the church Sarah Ann and Charles were married on Christmas day  1853.  Charles is 20 Years old, Sarah Ann is 22.  The  St. Thomas Church is in Bedford, Lancashire, England which really puzzles me.  The location of this church is quite a distants  from their home town of Birmingham, about 80 miles away.  
      In the 1851 England census shows Charles Jr. at age 16/17 (depending when the census was taken) living with his younger siblings, Henrietta age 15/16 and Ann age 12 .  Charles is making a living as an Engine Fitter and they are still living in Birmingham.   However, their father in 1851 is living in St. Helen, Lancashire, England which is nearer this church.  In 1851, Sarah Ann is living with her parents in Birmingham.  So, why they were married in Bedford, Lancashire, I do not have the answer. 

 About six months before their marriage Charles writes this letter to Sarah Ann in response to a card she had written to him.  It is written in beautiful handwriting! Notice the drawn picture of a flower in a pot. This original  letter is in my possession! 






Birmingham, England
17 June 1853
My dear Sarah Ann;
It is with pleasure that I take my pen to write a few lines to you as you wished me in answer to the card you gave me. 

                                                  


                                                                 
                                                  SHALL I THEN BE DEAR AS NOW?

                                                    You profess that you adore me,

                                                    That I have your heart alone,

                                                    That within that heart no rival

                                                    Ever shall dare to hold a throne.

                                  

                                                   But when age my hair is turning 

                                                   And when altered is my brow,

                                                   Will your tone be then unchanging

                                                   Shall I then be dear as now?

 I will now proceed to answer these questions:  (1)I have always, as much as I have Professed; (2) You have my heart alone;   (3) for all the thrones in the world, as far as this world is concerned, I do not care a pin. 
I would not exchange my position, for what good would they be to me?


The prayer of my heart is to go on in the Kingdom of God and obtain Celestial salvation, and then go on progressing and  fulfilling all that the Lord shall appoint unto me as I may obtain thrones, powers, glories, kingdoms and worlds in eternity and through all eternity increase.  And no end, all in the Lord's own time, every man in is his own order. 


First Christ, the first fruits after those, they that are Christs's every man in his own order.  O, how this makes my heart to rejoice!  I feel to praise my God that he has raised up a prophet and established his Church and Kingdom and I have the opportunity
 of embracing the gospel.  And I know that it is the Church and Kingdom of God.  Besides it there is no other. 


I thank God for my body in this age of the world, when he is bringing about his great and mighty work, an age which most all kings (that is, kings of God) and prophets wished to live, but were not permitted.  They had their work to do and they did it.  But this is the
Last Dispensation.


The Last Dispensation includes all other dispensations, a time of restoring all the keys and powers, sealings, etc., as have been.  They have to be restored in this dispensation.  And things which never have been revealed to man on this earth, no, not from the Morning of Creation, have got to be revealed in dispensation.  O, what a glorious dispensation to live in!  It takes in all other dispensations, the works of all other prophets, and carries the work of redemption, or salvation, all through from the beginning.  Right through dawn to the winding up scene:  the end of wickedness, the resurrection of the dead, the millennium reign, the eternal judgments, the celestializing of this earth, fit for celestial beings to dwell upon. 


The Lord has set up his kingdom to bring about his salvation, and he will do it though all earth and hell oppose him.  So, my Dear, go on your way rejoicing.  Be firm and steadfast.  Though wicked men and devils try to usurp the power, it's in vain.  He who is Eternal has said you shall obtain. 


I rejoice to know that the Lord has revealed his gospel which will bind the hearts of the children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children.  (Fourth chapter of Malachi.)  And it also binds the hearts of the wives to their husbands and the hearts of the husbands to their wives.  I rejoice to know that there are principles in the gospel of Christ that will teach me how to appreciate the society of a wife, the worth and the value of a wife.  And I rejoice, hoping that we both may learn these glorious principles.  A good wife is better than all the gold of California and Australia put together.  They are filth and dross beside the side of a good wife. 


I think I must conclude, praying God, our Father, to bless us with his Spirit and lead us on in his kingdom and speedily gather us unto the land he has appointed for his Saints to gather, that we may be counted worthy of Eternal lives and each other's society and the ordinances of salvation in his house.  And may Zion soon be redeemed and rise and shine and put on her beautiful garments, her temples built and the Lord come and reign with his Saints.  May God bless you and me, and all his Saints, and gather us home.  In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen. 


So, good night, my Dear.  
From Your Affectionate Lover,
Charles Kidgell.
Amazing,Great-Great-Grandfather Charles is 19 years old when he wrote this 'testimony' of his new found faith and expressing his love for Sarah Ann.  However, Charles did attend school. 

"Charles was educated in Birmingham at a private school and at an early age was an apprentice as an engine fitter and later as an engineer.  He became foreman over a shop that employed seventy men in Birmingham."  

 [History of Charles Kidgell Jr. - information comes from his daughter Sarah Ann Kidgell Hepworth my Great-grandmother]

What a guy!!!

Next post will be about their journey to Zion in 1855.

Salt Lake Telegram 21 July 1902 A TRAGIC STORY

     Isn't it awful how 'living' gets in the way of your life?   I said I would be 'blogging' about the KIDGELL family but, just haven't gotten their story together because of the everyday 'things' in my life that get in the way!
So I thought I'd post this article I found some months ago while doing newspaper research. 
      BTW, newspaper search is hard, tedious and time consuming but, OH!! the results are so worth it! 
      I have been researching the John HEPWORTH family for a whole year (Started in the first week of January 2010)  when I came across this title "JUMPED TO HER DEATH" and of course had to read it.  I was very surprised when half way through the story I discovered that this tragic accident happened in front of the John HEPWORTH house and Elvira was even carried into HEPWORTH house, as you will read. 


Let me explain, below I have transcribed the article into three pages of two columns for each page.  The font size is small so, for those who have a hard time reading it you will need to increase your screen size.  Hopefully, you know how to do that. 



This tragic event happened 109 years ago in July. Even so long ago my heart just ached for the family as I read the story. And can you just imagine the feelings of the Hepworth family to  experience such a tragedy first hand.  Something you just don't get over. I know the Hepworth's did everything they could to comfort the grieving McEvoy family. The John HEPWORTH family was not without their own family tragedy's (which I will blog about in the future)

The John HEPWORTH family are our 'double cousins'. John is the brother of our gggrandfather Thomas HEPWORTH. John's wife Frances Amelia FLETCHER is a sister to our gggrandmother Mary FLETCHER married to Thomas.
Date: 21 July 1902

 Page 2

 Page 3

What does 'Normal' mean as in Albion State Normal?

I will be leaving the area of Albion but, before I do;

Swanger Hall 1896 (Named for 1st college president F. A. Swanger)

 Do you know what the term  'Normal' means in the title Albion State Normal? "How odd" I thought, I knew it was a college that trained High School graduates to become teachers, then my mind had quite an  imagination for the Normal part, who is normal and who is not normal that was to become a teacher!  I've had my share of 'not so normal' teacher's in my life so I was sure they didn't get their training at the Albion State Normal School!

Normal is a French word for model, a rule, a pattern.  The term Normal School is to indicate a teacher training institution or the idea of a 'model school' for practice.   The Albion school grades 1 though 9 were taught by the students under the direction of a certified teacher.   
The history of how the college was built in Albion is a very interesting story as well as it's demise.  Here is a link that gives the history in a nutshell. http://www.albionvalley.com/campus.htm
Grandfather Sam Perrins was one of the 'continual'  promoter's of building the college in Albion.  He is quoted as saying about the town people [they] "put their shoulders to the wheel and went to work."

In 1864 Albion was known as Marsh Valley.    1879 Cassia County was formed, and Marsh Valley became Albion, meaning 'mountain land high and white." 

Grandfather Sam Perrins came to the valley with his parents in 1881 at age 5.

Grandmother Edna Phippen came to the Albion Valley in 1884 at age 6.

Hepworth Meat Market came in about 1892 owned by Joseph Hepworth a great granduncle.  His partner was a brother-in-law Charles Albertson.   Later, sometime in the 1900's, his brother James, our great grandfather, became a partner.

I have many wonderful memories visiting Albion in the summers.  I always stayed with my Grandmother Tomlinson.  Aunt Louise and her children,  cousins Ardyth and Lee (the only cousins on my Dad's side) also lived in the 'Hepworth' house  with Grandmother, and we spent many hours playing on the playground at the 'Normal' school.   

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