Nellie Alnora Boice Helmandollar
By Kim Helmandollar Colaianni
August, 2019
The Boice name has gone through many iterations over the past
435 years. The name originated in Holland as Buijs or Beesz. The first record of the
name is with the birth of Jan Jacob Buijs in 1584 in Haarlem. It was later
changed to Buys upon arrival in New Holland (New Amsterdam) (New York), and
later to Boice, then to Boyce.
 |
| Fig. 2 Prince Phillip I of Orange |
 |
| Fig, 1 Flag of Holland |
The Dutch Flag was flown between 1544 and 1630
as the colors representing William I, Prince of Orange. He
was the main leader of the Dutch Revolt against
the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of
the United Provinces of
the Netherlands in
1581. He was born to the House
of Nassau as Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. He became Prince of Orange in 1544, and is, thereby, the
founder of the branch House
of Orange-Nassau, and
the ancestor of the current monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland.
Pieter Jacobsen Buys was the first forefather of the Boice
clan to come to America in 1656, settling in New Amsterdam. He is shown as a
citizen of the city in 1657. He traveled via ship from Amsterdam with his wife,
Gertruida, and three-year-old son, Arien. Travel was most likely provided by
the Dutch West India Company that was trying to colonized North America to
compete with the British. Records show that Pieter returned to Holland and died
there, leaving his family in Bergen, New Jersey.
The following list is from Affairs and Men of New Amsterdam: In the time of Governor
Peter Stuyvesant. Compiled from Dutch manuscript records of the period, by
Paulding J., 1843.[1]
It shows that Pieter J. Buys was a citizen of New Amsterdam in 1657. The Dutch had won the Eighty Years War against the Spanish and had become the world’s leading seafaring and economic power. The citizens of Holland were wealthy by comparison to other European nations and were able to begin expanding their empire and with the help of the Dutch West India Company which had set up a colony on Manhattan Island in what is now New York. Our fore-bearers were not poor, were not indentured, and were able to buy land and build homes and farms in New York and New Jersey.
It shows that Pieter J. Buys was a citizen of New Amsterdam in 1657. The Dutch had won the Eighty Years War against the Spanish and had become the world’s leading seafaring and economic power. The citizens of Holland were wealthy by comparison to other European nations and were able to begin expanding their empire and with the help of the Dutch West India Company which had set up a colony on Manhattan Island in what is now New York. Our fore-bearers were not poor, were not indentured, and were able to buy land and build homes and farms in New York and New Jersey.
Fig. 3 Citizens of New Amsterdam 1657
 |
| Fig. 4 The Little Church Bergen, New Jersey |
A son named after his father, Hendrick Ariense Buys, was born April 2, 1684 in Bergen County. Hendrick married Willemje Jansze Oostrom. The had 9 children, one of whom died during childbirth in 1713. From the birth records of their children, it appears that the couple lived many years in Poughkeepsie, New York.
 |
| Fig, 5 Record Showing Marriage of Arien Pieters Buys |
Peter and Willemje’s second son, Peter, was born May 14,
1711, in Poughkeepsie. There is also a handwritten birth record of a younger
sister, Magtelt, born in 1713, and died the same year. Peter Buys, the second
son, married Rachel Ostrander in 1733 in Ulster, New York. Rachel gave birth to
seven children. The family lived in Rhinebeck, New York. Rachel died in
Poughkeepsie in 1758.
The couple’s first-born son was William Buys. He was born in
Hoosick, New York (North East of Albany near the Vermont border. The
Continental Army during the Revolutionary War shows William Boice as a
Lieutenant in the Western Battalion of Virginia, 1781 through 1783. He is also
shown on the tax rolls for the Military District of Virginia in 1801. Military
records show that William volunteered in 1775 with the Pennsylvania
Battalion.
 |
| Fig. 6 Flag of the original thirteen colonies |
We are Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution by birthright.
 |
| Fig. 7 Sons of the American Revolution |
 |
| Fig. 8 Daughters of the American Revolution |
 |
| Fig. 9 American Minute Man |
William Boyce (name spelling changed by the British prior to
the Revolution) married Elizabeth Snyder in 1765 in Hoosick, New York. The
following story was found on Ancestry.com:
The Other
Benjamin Boice 1775-1849
Compiled by Gladys Boice TolbertMay 19, 2013
Benjamin was born sometime during the year 1774 in New York
according to information he supplied for the 1850 Illinois Will County census
enumeration. New York was a colony of Great Britain when Benjamin was
christened April 2, 1775 at the Poughkeepsie Dutch Reformed Church in
Poughkeepsie. William Boice and Elizabeth Snyder are listed in the church
baptism record as his parents.
 |
Fig. 10 Benjamin Boice
|
The name Benjamin repeats in the more than several Boice
families in New York for that time period; however, this Benjamin is our first
direct line ancestor with that given name. Relationship of some of the other
Benjamin Boice’s to our family line, while presumed isn't known. There was some
intermarriage and religious event sponsorships among the families.
From christening
records, it is known that Benjamin had two older brothers, Peter & Johannes
[John].
Placement in the family group of another brother, Abraham is uncertain
because no birth or christening record exist for this Abraham. Events of the American
Revolution covered the first ten years of Benjamin Boice's life.
Understandably, few vital records exist for those years of the armed conflict.
The area in which the William Boice family lived may have been a battle scene
or an area evacuated due to the hostilities, i.e., Battle of Bennington.
Staying alive and out of harm’s way during the war was probably more of a worry for a family than the concerns of religious and civil legalities for a vital record event during that time. The Rented War could be used to describe the Revolutionary War as both sides in this conflict were using soldiers or aides of other countries. The British sentiments regarding the American Cause were not so much that of a surrender as deciding to cut their losses both in revenue and lives due to the several wars and military actions in which Great Britain was involved in Europe.
Staying alive and out of harm’s way during the war was probably more of a worry for a family than the concerns of religious and civil legalities for a vital record event during that time. The Rented War could be used to describe the Revolutionary War as both sides in this conflict were using soldiers or aides of other countries. The British sentiments regarding the American Cause were not so much that of a surrender as deciding to cut their losses both in revenue and lives due to the several wars and military actions in which Great Britain was involved in Europe.
New
York had a greater number of residents loyal to the British cause than did any
other of the colonies. As a result, the greater number of Loyalists and other
settlers to Upper Canada were from New York. The Loyalist or Tories were those
people displaced by the American Revolution and exiled from the original
thirteen colonies for their indifference or opposition to the rebellion of
1776-1783.
Those residents who chose allegiance to the King paid a
price for this choice--called traitors, their property was confiscated and
these Loyalists were now homeless, so to speak and were now displaced people.
Some went back to England, some to the Crown colonies in the Caribbean or to
Florida, which was then under Spanish control. The greater number of these
Loyalists, however, fled to Canada.
Upper Canada was perceived as a new frontier and the British
offered the land to those who supported Great Britain in the Revolution. This
may be the reason why Elizabeth Snyder Boice and her son, Benjamin Boice, moved
from New York to Upper Canada. It appears from the records that two of
Elizabeth’s brothers, Markus and Simon, moved their families to Canada as well,
leaving their parents and other siblings in Duchess County, New York. It is
unclear if William was presumed to be one of the war dead or deserted his
family after the war, but he was living, paying taxes, and died in Virginia.
There were those settlers moving to Lennox and Addington
County, Ontario, Canada who had neither served as soldiers or assisted the
British Cause in some manner. The phrase squatter's era is used to define the
time period of this settlement. Settlers to Upper Canada, who merely took
advantage of a homesteading opportunity, were known as squatters. Most likely,
the Boice family members were settlers in the Squatter's era. Squatter is a
word with an insinuated meaning; but the definition is that of a colonizer,
pioneer or homesteader. Benjamin Boice was surely any one of these when his
name, as well as those of his parents, and several siblings were affixed to an
application for land in Upper Canada in August 1792 and for permission to
remove to Upper Canada.
Six years elapsed from the time of the land grant
application and permission request before another document offers details into
the life of Benjamin Boice. On August 30, 1798, Benjamin Boice and Margaret
Bartley Schumann wed in a Fredericksburgh Township church, Ontario, Canada.
Margaret Bartley was in a prior marriage to Martin Cheban Schumann and they had six children: William Frederick Shewman (1793 – 1855), Katreen Shuman (1794 – 1864), Eleanor Nellie Shewman (1796 – 1884), Baltus Shewman, Martin Shewman, Magdalena Shewman. Martin had served in the 84th King’s Royal Regiment of New York, and as such, he petitioned for land in Upper Canada after his service. Marin Cheban passed away in 1797, leaving Margaret with six small children to raise.
Margaret Bartley was in a prior marriage to Martin Cheban Schumann and they had six children: William Frederick Shewman (1793 – 1855), Katreen Shuman (1794 – 1864), Eleanor Nellie Shewman (1796 – 1884), Baltus Shewman, Martin Shewman, Magdalena Shewman. Martin had served in the 84th King’s Royal Regiment of New York, and as such, he petitioned for land in Upper Canada after his service. Marin Cheban passed away in 1797, leaving Margaret with six small children to raise.
Benjamin and Margaret Bartley Schumann Boice began their
married life in Fredericksburgh Township, Lennox and Addington County where the
first several of their eleven children were born. In the year 1808 and while
living in Fredericksburgh Township., Benjamin was assessed taxes on 75
cultivated acres, 25 uncultivated, a round log house, 1 horse, 5 cows. At least
the oldest three of her children, William, Katreen, and Nellie went to live
with their mother and Benjamin, taking his last name, Boice. We don’t have any
information about the youngest three children.
For reasons unknown to us now, Benjamin decided to move his
family into Loughborough Township in Frontenac County. Settlement had begun in
the area as early as 1807 and a note is made in township histories that Ben
Boice was among the earliest settlers to the area. The paper trail for Benjamin
improved somewhat while the family lived in Loughborough Township. The least of
Benjamin's literacy skills was his penmanship, and it is apparent he struggled
over the attempt to write when signing an affidavit certifying the 1819
Loughborough Township Census. Benjamin's writing skills had vastly improved by
1825 when Benjamin and his neighbors signed a petition on behalf of his newly
homeless father-in-law Isaiah Bartley.
Still and all, when Benjamin decided to buy the land where the Boice family was living, he chose an agent to write the petition to the government on his behalf. What happened in the intervening years from the date of the petition on behalf of Isaiah Bartley and the appearance of Benjamin's name on the 1850 Illinois Will County census is conjecture. The method, means and location of the deaths of Benjamin and his wife Margaret has yet to be proven as no primary source documentation has been found to date. It is known that Benjamin Boice was still living on October 25,1850, as that is the date the census enumerator visited the home and Benjamin reported himself to be 76 years old, a widower, and born New York.[2]
Still and all, when Benjamin decided to buy the land where the Boice family was living, he chose an agent to write the petition to the government on his behalf. What happened in the intervening years from the date of the petition on behalf of Isaiah Bartley and the appearance of Benjamin's name on the 1850 Illinois Will County census is conjecture. The method, means and location of the deaths of Benjamin and his wife Margaret has yet to be proven as no primary source documentation has been found to date. It is known that Benjamin Boice was still living on October 25,1850, as that is the date the census enumerator visited the home and Benjamin reported himself to be 76 years old, a widower, and born New York.[2]
NOTE 1: Isaiah Bartley, Margaret’s father was a soldier in the
King’s Army, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Royal Regiment
of New York. He moved to Upper Canada before the war and became homeless after
the war. He did petition for land in Quebec of 100 acres, but was denied. So
much for being a Loyalist.
NOTE 2: There are records that show a Benjamin Boice being
married to Susannah Judd. However, the timelines are incorrect for this
marriage to be Benjamin Boice born in 1775. I have deleted this marriage from
my family tree.
Biography of John Thomas Boyce
Written
by Julia L. Boyce
March 14, 2013
John Thomas Boyce was born February 20, 1814, in
Fredericksburgh, Ontario, Canada. On the 7th of June
in 1835, John Thomas Boyce married Martha Jane Herns. She was born in
Fredericksburgh, March 3, 1816, the daughter of Thomas Herns and Martha Jane
Cronk, who were both of Scottish origin. Martha Jane Herns became a member of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the 6th of February 1835,
before she married John, not quite five years after the LDS Church was
officially organized in New York. John Thomas was baptized on October 7, 1836.
John and Martha had two children born to them in Fredericksburgh, a girl named
for her mother and grandmother, Martha Jane, born March 2, 1836, and a boy,
Thomas, born February 15, 1838.
After the birth of Thomas in 1838, the family of four moved
from Canada to Kirtland, Ohio, to join with the settlement of members of the
LDS faith. Unfortunately, by July 6, 1838, most of the members of the Church
who had remained in Kirtland started for Far West. They called themselves The
Kirtland Camp. John and Martha, most likely, arrived in Kirtland too late to go
with them, because they left Kirtland for Missouri the following year, in 1839.
By early spring of 1839, about 7,000 Latter-day Saints had already been forced
to leave Missouri and had settled in Quincy, Illinois and in the settlements
scattered up and down the Missouri River.
When John Thomas and Martha arrived in Illinois, they
settled at Barry, about 16 miles south of Quincy. It was there that their third
child, Benjamin, was born in Barry, Pike County, Illinois, on October 7, 1839.
When Martha and the baby were well enough to travel, John Thomas made the
decision to return to Kirtland.
They had arrived at Hudson, Ohio by February of 1840, but by
then Martha had become desperately ill with consumption (tuberculosis), and she
died there on the evening of February14th. Upon returning from her burial the
next day, John found little Thomas was dying, but not with any sickness
perceivable, and thus, Baby Thomas left this world on his second birthday, the
15th of February, 1840, and was buried beside his mother in Hudson, Ohio.
Before Martha died, she told John that she was leaving just
two of her children for him to raise, but that she was going to take one of the
children with her. She took Thomas. John and his daughter, Martha Jane, and his
four- month-old baby, Benjamin, continued the journey
onto Kirtland, Ohio (near Cleveland). Within the three months after his return
to Kirtland, John Boyce met Mary Ann Barzee and it was there, in Kirtland,
where they were married on the 7th of May 1840.
Mary Ann was born in Ellisburg, New York, but was raised in
Halderman, Upper Canada. She joined the LDS Church March 17, 1838, and she and
her family emigrated to Kirtland, Ohio in 1839. Mary Ann was the eldest child
in a family of ten, the daughter of James Woodward Barzee and Elizabeth
Whitham.
In 1842, John and Mary Ann moved from Kirtland to Nauvoo,
Illinois. Chester, their first baby boy, was born in Ohio the 2nd of April
1842, but died when he was just five months old, and was buried in Hancock
County, Illinois. Martin Calvin was born at Crooked Creek, Hancock County,
Illinois on April 7, 1844, two months before the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and
his brother Hyrum. John Jr. was born on May 24, 1846, at Blanderville; David S., February 18, 1848, at Woods Grove; and Elizabeth Ann (Betsy), November 27, 1850, at
Landcove, all in the state of Illinois.
John and Mary Ann received their endowments and were sealed
in the Nauvoo Temple on the 22nd of January 1846, before the dedication of the
temple officially took place at the end of April or the first part of May. The
family moved on to Utah after staying for a period of time in Council Bluffs,
Iowa. Albert Myron (some of my older sisters remember him as "Doc")
was born in Palmyra, Utah, March 16, 1854, and Joseph Young Boyce was born on October 26, 1856, in Spanish Fork, Utah, where the family had been sent by Brigham
Young to help settle the area.
By the time my grandfather, Elijah, was born June 5, 1860,
the family had moved to Farmington, Utah. Elijah was the eighth child and the
seventh son born to John and Mary Ann. Elisha Lorenzo, their ninth and last
child, was born February 11, 1863, in Smithfield, Utah.
Brigham Young then sent the family with other members of the LDS
Church in 1865 to help settle Oxford, Idaho. At the time they moved to Oxford,
Elijah was a little five-year-old boy. John and Mary Ann had nine children of
their own, eight sons and one daughter. They also cared for an Indian baby,
Alpharetta, until her death at about two years old. She was eventually sealed to
them in the LDS Temple.
Of the three children that were born to Martha Jane Herns
and John Boyce, two, Benjamin and Martha Jane, were raised by Mary
Ann. John was called to be a Stake Patriarch, and he and Mary Ann both performed a
great deal of temple work for their deceased family members and friends in the
Logan Temple after its completion in 1884.
John died March 31, 1886. John Taylor was then President of
the Church. Mary Ann passed away more than sixteen years after her husband’s
death on the 7th of October 1902, having lived on through the LDS presidencies
of Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow. Before her death, she saw Joseph Fielding
Smith become the sixth President of the Church. John and Mary Ann are both
buried in the Oxford Cemetery, Oxford, Idaho.
NOTE 3: I have already published a biography of John Thomas Boice, but this was written in regard to his membership in the LDS Church.
 |
| Fig. 11 John Thomas Boice at various ages |
Story of Mary Ann Barzee
Spanish Fork Press
Wednesday May 22, 1974
Written by Delilah B.
Asay of Lovell, Wyoming.
 |
| Fig. 12 Mary Ann Barzee |
My grandmother, Mary Ann Barzee Boyce, with her husband,
John Thomas Boyce, were called by President Brigham Young to help make a
settlement at Spanish Fork, Utah. My grandmother Mary Ann Barzee Boyce
was called by President Brigham Young to be an interpreter between the Indians
and the settlers. She had studied the Indian language and could speak it
quite well and understand what the Indians said. Through her ability to
speak, the Indians relied a great deal on her for advice. She settled
many difficulties between the settlers and the Indians. They placed much
confidence in what grandmother said and many came to her for advice.
One June morning the open door in her one room log
shack. On looking up, it was a young Indian father standing in the
door. Grandmother said, "Come in, you seem so sad." The young
man said, "My wife died, we have a very little baby, I don't know how to
care for it. I give her to you; I will never take her back."
Grandmother replied, "Take it to your mother, she will know what to do for
it." "No", he said, "My mother is far away, I can't take it
to her." Then grandmother suggested that his wife's mother should
have it. He said "She is far, far away and I cannot take it to
her." Then grandmother said, "I must talk with my
husband. It will be as he says. You come back when the sun is straight up
in the sky. I can answer you then."
Grandmother soon found grandfather and told him what had
happened. All he said was, "Mary Ann, go to Bishop Markham, tell him
we will do exactly as he says." The Bishop’s house was only around
the block. After hearing her story, grandmother said," Bishop we are
like many of the pioneers, a bit short of this worlds comforts. I have
five small children of my own and I have had no experience with an Indian
baby."
When she had finished speaking, Bishop Markham said, “Sister
Boyce, take that baby by all means, and some day you will be blessed." She
took her leave and rushed back to her home where she told her husband what the
Bishop had said. Grandfather of course replied, " That is exactly what
we will do."
Grandmother went in their cabin
to prepare for the new arrival. When the young father returned, she said,
"Yes, go and bring your baby to me. I will do the best I
can." The young father left and was soon back with his baby, a beautiful
little girl. Grandmother gave the wee one a warm bath and food. Oh,
how well the little baby responded and adjusted to all that was done for
her. Uncle Bert (Albert Myron), then only three months old, shared his
natural food with the Indian baby, and they were raised almost as twins.
The baby grew well and fit into the family of five children.
When nearly 2 years old, both babies took ill. Both were
fed alike, both given the same medical care. Uncle Bert responded well to
the treatment given, but little Alpharetta passed away. The young father
came daily to check on his baby. After her passing the father said,
"You should not morn, her mother wanted her back." After the
little one was buried, the father was never seen again.
Later, Grandfather's family was called with others to go to
Rodes Valley and start another settlement. They traveled two days by ox
team, were tired, and camped for the night on a small hill. They turned
their oxen and livestock loose to feed and rest. Just at break of day the
travelers were awakened by an Indian war party in the ravine below. They
knew the Indians meant trouble. They dressed quickly and prepared to
travel on.
Before they could get started, however, forty Indians on
horseback partly surrounded the Pioneers, who offered no resistance. My Grandfather, John T. Boyce, got out of his wagon, went to the Chief, offered a
friendly hand, and tried to talk to him. The Chief only turned his back
and would not speak.
Then Grandfather said, "Mary Ann, tell him we want to
be friendly." It was then the Chief said, "The white man has
fished all fish out of the stream, killed the game that is Indian food, and
left the Indians to starve."
Just then a young brave pulled his horse from the line and
rode up to the Chief. He jumped from his horse and cried, "Chief, Oh
Chief, spare these white people they are my friends, this white woman nursed my
baby after my wife died, please spare their lives." The Chief's heart was
touched. He said, "You may stay fish and hunt as we do." The
Pioneers and Indians formed a treaty with 50 pounds of flour and a beef paid to
the Indians. They all parted in peace.
NOTE 4: There is something about this story regarding adoption of an indigenous child that doesn't pass the sniff test. First of all, the Indians and the whites were in conflict during these years as the white Mormon settlers were using up the natural resources on which the tribes depended. The Indians committed raids on white settlers, but the Mormons also committed raids and atrocities against the Indians, regardless of Brigham Young's edict to live in peace with the Indians. Second, the Indian 'brave' would have taken the baby and raised her within the tribe. Third, the way the original story was written refers to the Indians as war hoops which shows a bias against the Indians. Therefore, I believe this child may have been taken in a raid by white settlers on an Indian encampment. Also of note is the anglicization of her name.
NOTE 4: There is something about this story regarding adoption of an indigenous child that doesn't pass the sniff test. First of all, the Indians and the whites were in conflict during these years as the white Mormon settlers were using up the natural resources on which the tribes depended. The Indians committed raids on white settlers, but the Mormons also committed raids and atrocities against the Indians, regardless of Brigham Young's edict to live in peace with the Indians. Second, the Indian 'brave' would have taken the baby and raised her within the tribe. Third, the way the original story was written refers to the Indians as war hoops which shows a bias against the Indians. Therefore, I believe this child may have been taken in a raid by white settlers on an Indian encampment. Also of note is the anglicization of her name.
NOTE 5: John Thomas
Boyce and Mary Ann Barzee had ten other children, not including Alpharetta.
Their son, Joseph Young Boyce was born in Spanish Fork, Utah, on October 26,
1856, the same year that Alpharetta died on December 7th. Joseph
Young Boyce was my great-grand father.
 |
| Fig. 12 Grave Marker for Alpharetta Boice |
James Duffin
Jr. and Margaret 'Peggy' Gledhill
Compiled by Cheryl Garrison
Edited by
Kim Helmandollar Colaianni
August,
2019
I now turn to my Grandmother Helmandollar's maternal
great-grandparents, James Jr. and Peggy Duffin. James Duffin, Jr., a son
of James Duffin and Betty Wood, was christened in St. Chad’s Parish
Church, Rochdale, Lancashire, England, August 24, 1774. He was a weaver,
spinner, and shopkeeper.
James Duffin Jr. married his first wife, Sarah Ann Greaves,
November 12, 1797, in the Oldham St Mary Church, Lancashire, England. Sarah was
the daughter of John and Mary Greaves. Sarah died April 15, 1811, in
Crompton, Lancashire, England at the age of 33. They named their
first son John Greaves Duffin, lending credence to Sarah’s father being John
Greaves. James and Sarah had nine children in total:
- John Greaves
- Thomas
- Betty
- Sarah
- Robert
- Ann
- James
- Abraham
- William
 |
| Fig. 13 Record of Court Conviction for Larceny |
John and his brother,
James, were convicted of larceny in 1835, in Lancashire and
sent to the British prison colony at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. They
were pardoned in 1841 but stayed in Australia. Both married and had families in
Australia. I can find no court records of what the larceny entailed.
A ticket of leave was a document of parole issued to convicts who had shown they could now be trusted with some freedoms.
A ticket of leave was a document of parole issued to convicts who had shown they could now be trusted with some freedoms.
James Duffin Jr. married his second wife, Ann Wild, March 18, 1814, in
Crompton, Lancashire, England. She was born about 1774 in Rochdale, Lancashire,
England. Her burial was September 30, 1815, in Crompton, Lancashire,
England. James was 41 years old at the time of her death. They had one child,
Mary Ann, who died at birth. Ann died one month later in April of 1814.
James Jr. then married wife number three, Margaret Peggy
Gledhill, November 1, 1818, in Prestwich St Mary, Lancashire, England.
She was born June 14, 1796, in Crompton, Lancashire, England to John Gledhill
and Sarah Whittaker. Their home in England had been on Little Lane, Hooly
Hill, near Manchester. Hooly (Holly Hill note spelling difference) Hill is a
small village in the parish of Ashton near Lyne, lying on the banks of the
Mersey River, one mile south of the town of Ashton-under-Lyne, and about ten
miles southeast of the city of Manchester.
 |
| Fig. 14 Ticket of Leave 1841 |
 |
| Fig. 14 Hooly Street Present Day |
 |
| Fig. 15 Kirtland LDS Temple |
This mission would be an outgrowth of one to Canada in which the Fielding family was baptized. Joseph and his two sisters, Mercy and Mary,
had a brother, James, in Preston, England, who wanted to know of the American
Church. Brother Kimball asked for Willard Richards, his friend, to accompany
him along with Joseph Fielding and several other missionaries.
They arrived in Liverpool, England July 23, 1837 and immediately started north toward Preston, Lancashire, England, a distance of 30 miles. They preached two times that first day in the Independent Church of James Fielding, brother of Joseph Fielding, who was the minister. Within a week nine people were baptized in the River Ribble. Thus, began the small stone that would roll throughout the nations proclaiming the truth of the gospel. From July 1837 to April of 1838, 2000 people were baptized into the church.[3]
They arrived in Liverpool, England July 23, 1837 and immediately started north toward Preston, Lancashire, England, a distance of 30 miles. They preached two times that first day in the Independent Church of James Fielding, brother of Joseph Fielding, who was the minister. Within a week nine people were baptized in the River Ribble. Thus, began the small stone that would roll throughout the nations proclaiming the truth of the gospel. From July 1837 to April of 1838, 2000 people were baptized into the church.[3]
NOTE 6: Joseph Fielding, the
minister of Independent Church, had a daughter, Mary Ann Fielding who married
Isaac Duffin, son of Peggy and James Duffin Jr. Joseph eventual became
antagonistic toward his brother and became an anti-Mormon advocate in England.
In 1841 the gospel reached the home of the widow Margaret
Peggy Gledhill Duffin, who was living in Shaw, Lancashire, England. In June of
1842, she was baptized along with a brother, James Gledhill. Mary Ann, a daughter age 17, had been
baptized in May of that year. Isaac followed
being baptized April 8, 1843, by Levi Riggs.
Later he did labor as a missionary with Elder Riggs, bringing others into the
fold.
 |
| Fig. 16 Peggy Duffin |
Within a week of the time that the missionaries arrived in
England, a baby girl was born to the widow, Peggy Duffin, July 14, 1837.
Peggy named her Sophia Duffin. Sophia,
pronounced with a long “i”, was born in
Shaw and Crompton, Lancashire, England. Her
records and those of her siblings were recorded in the historical Oldham
parish. Margaret Peggy Gledhill Duffin was the daughter of John Gledhill and
Sarah Whittaker.
Her youngest child, Sophia, would
never know her father, James Duffin Jr., who had died May 1, 1837. It was the father of James, James Sr., who had testified that the true
church was not upon the earth but would come during the lifetime of his
children. The gospel was restored to the earth but did not reach England until
after the death of James Sr.
Hezekiah, a brother to Sophia, stated the testimony of James Sr. thus: “He was a student of the Bible and taught his family religious concepts and that there was no authorized church of Christ on the earth, but the time would come when the true church would be organized with apostles and prophets as it was in the days of the Savior. He [James Duffin, Sr.] prophetically remarked, 'I will not live to see the church so organized but some of my children will.’”
Hezekiah, a brother to Sophia, stated the testimony of James Sr. thus: “He was a student of the Bible and taught his family religious concepts and that there was no authorized church of Christ on the earth, but the time would come when the true church would be organized with apostles and prophets as it was in the days of the Savior. He [James Duffin, Sr.] prophetically remarked, 'I will not live to see the church so organized but some of my children will.’”
This was literally fulfilled. Peggy and her children would benefit from the restoration of the gospel. The temple work for James Jr. would later be done so he, too, would be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and many of their ancestors.
Peggy and James
Duffin Jr. had 10 children, all born in England. Listed in birth order:
1. Richard born October 15, 1820. Died in 1831.
2. Anna born May 12, 1822
3. Edward born February 2, 1824
4. Mary Ann born March 14 1825
5. Isaac born December 13, 1826
6. Maria christened August 16, 1829
7. Jacob born March 10, 1832.
8. Hezekiah born July 25, 1834
9. James III born July 16,1835.
10. Sophia born
July 14, 1837.
Peggy Duffin tried to run the weaving and spinning shop that her husband owned. However, the business was run down and eventually she moved the family to another place and began again. In 1851 they were residing with her eldest living son, Edward Duffin, in Audenshaw, a township in the parish of Ashton-Under-Lyne, about two miles east of Manchester, England.
Sophia had plenty of older sisters and brothers to watch over her as Peggy Duffin tried to operate the family business. Isaac an older brother spoke of his mother as beautiful and who was able to keep food on the table.
In 1846 Ireland faced a devastating potato famine that caused the direct deaths of at least a million people in that country. England also had many people who were starving to death. Brigham Young announced to the Church that they needed to find a way to bring the faithful saints to America and then on to Salt Lake City. In 1849 the Perpetual Immigration Fund was established to help those who could not emigrate to have the means to do so. Then, when they reached Zion, they would pay back the fund.
It was a family plan to come to America but the family did
not have money for such a voyage. Isaac left England in the spring of
1848. He worked for a year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
earning enough funds for the tickets for his brother, Hezekiah, and that of his
fiancé, Mary Harriet Fielding. Mary Fielding was the daughter of James and Ann
Henthorn Fielding. Isaac paid for transport via the Saranac steamship to the
Port of Philadelphia. Isaac and Mary were married as soon as Mary arrived in Pennsylvania.
Isaac then paid passage for Mary, who was then pregnant to sail along the
Atlantic coast, around Florida and to the Port of New Orleans. She traveled up
the Mississippi to St. Louis, then up the Missouri River to Council Bluffs. The
records show that Mary Fielding gave birth aboard the boat to a baby girl,
Maria Sarah Duffin, May 8, 1850. Hezekiah,
Isaac and Mary with their newborn daughter started west in June 18[50].[4]
Fig. 17 Isaac and Mary Fielding Duffin
On the 10 of February 1852 Margaret Peggy Duffin
and 4 of her children, Jacob, Maria, Mary Ann and Sophia boarded the ship, the ELLEN MARIA and set
sail for America. Aboard were 369 converts and missionaries. Among the 182 of
the Perpetual Emigrating Fund member passengers were the Duffin Family. Sophia Duffin in later years would say that
they were a part of the 1st Donation Company. The other
passengers, under the direction of Elder John S. Higbee, boarded the
ship, Kennebec, bringing the total of fund members to 252. The
passengers on the Ellen Maria were under the direction of
Elder Isaac C. Haight until they reached America. A. O. Smoot would then be in charge of getting
the Saints to Zion. The ship landed in New Orleans on April 7, 1852 for a total of 51 days on the
Atlantic Ocean. St. Louis was at that
time the point where many of the Saints from Europe made preparations for their
long trek across the plains.[5]
 |
| Fig. 18 Passenger List for the Ellen Maria |
A. O. Smoot who went ahead made preparations for the saints
by securing wagons, food and other supplies. He had gone north to Lexington to
purchase cattle for the company when the "Saluda”, that he had been urged
to use for the transportation of the
saints up the Mississippi, blew up. This tragedy took the lives of 75 of the 175 passengers on board. Smoot remained
to help the unfortunate victims for 8 days before purchasing oxen for a bargain
price of fifty dollars per head and then returning
to St. Louis.
The company laid over a few days at Kansas City, Kansas,
waiting for their wagons that proved to be of such a fine type, that Brigham
Young advised that the emigrates purchase their wagons of the same kind and
from the same company as Brother Smoot had done. The Duffin family soon found
that their money was gone causing them to suffer many hardships.
Since they were a close family, they helped one another very
much. During the layover, the company was stricken with cholera, which attacked about forty persons and proved
fatal to more than fifteen of them. "This was a very sad affair. Here was
a company of several hundred Saints, temporarily located among a people who
were hostile to the whole Mormon Community, and who had assisted in driving the
Saints across the river some years before and that they were on hand to go
through the same performance again. But as the scourge in the camp increased,
and the brethren and sisters were dying off, alarm
spread thro’ the surrounding country
and the result was that Indignation Meetings were held, and propositions made
to have the Saints removed. But as the scourge continued, they were afraid to
go near the camp .... Crude boxes of
any kind were made use of and the dead laid away without much ceremony,"
described Isaac Brockbank, one of the emigrants.[6]
Two of the victims were Maria and her mother, Peggy Duffin, who called Sophia, her youngest daughter, to her bedside instructing her to take empty pails and pick all the berries that she and her siblings could find as they were plentiful at that time of the year. Before Sophia departed with Jacob and Mary Ann to pick berries, Margaret quietly spoke to her daughter, "Remember, always remain faithful in the Church." She was also reminded to be a good girl and look after her brother and sister. Sophia knew her mother was very sick but was too young to realize just how sick she really was.
Two of the victims were Maria and her mother, Peggy Duffin, who called Sophia, her youngest daughter, to her bedside instructing her to take empty pails and pick all the berries that she and her siblings could find as they were plentiful at that time of the year. Before Sophia departed with Jacob and Mary Ann to pick berries, Margaret quietly spoke to her daughter, "Remember, always remain faithful in the Church." She was also reminded to be a good girl and look after her brother and sister. Sophia knew her mother was very sick but was too young to realize just how sick she really was.
Along with Jacob and Mary Ann they picked berries all day,
returning in the evening to learn that their mother and sister, Maria, had
passed away with cholera and were already buried. Samuel
Adams later told the family Margaret and Maria
were buried in the same grave at the trunk of a large tree at Kansas City that
was at the time called Westport. Other sources quote Samuel Adams as saying
that Sister Duffin was buried 4 miles west of Westport (now Kansas City)
in a neck of the woods and Maria buried about 8 miles west of Westport, 12
miles from the Missouri River. 1852 was one of the very worst years for cholera
along the Missouri River. Many other
Pioneers would fall victim to this dreaded disease. One could be fine in the
morning and dead by evening. Why some were ill and could not recover and others
stayed well is not known. Modern medicine suggests that drinking lots of water
helped the body from dehydrating and thus prevented death.[7]
This was a distressing time for Sophia, Jacob and Mary Ann. Sophia, an orphan now,
was only 14. She was broken hearted. There is no doubt that because Margaret,
Maria, and others like them had died, the rest of the wagon train survived.
Without cholera the bragging men just over the hill would have swooped down for
the intent of ridding the countryside of all Mormons.
As Sophia walked west, she probably thought of the sacrifice
that her mother and others had rendered in giving their lives for the
protection of the rest of the company. Captain Smoot was stricken with the same
disease. His condition was so critical that he was not expected to recover so
he wrote his will. However, the wagon train was stopped and the company fasted
and prayed for their leader. Although he had lost 75 pounds, he was made well.[8]
A.O. Smoot had a real challenge getting this company across the plains. Few
companies were as green as this group of English immigrants.
"It took some two weeks to get ready. Brother Smoot hired one American ox
teamster, who drove the commissery waggon drawn by six yoke of oxen. There was
33 waggons in the company, and if any
of us ever seen a yoke of oxen before our arrivel at Kansas City, I am not
aware of it, for we knew no more about cattle than cattle knew about us. There
was considerable manauvoring in getting everyone to know just what to do, but
Brother Smoot and C. Layton had to use a great deal of patience while showing
us what to do and how to yoke up the cattle. They were all unbroke except a few
yoke which he purchased for leaders.
“One
brother, a Welshman, tried to yoke up his team with the bows in the yoke, it
was a yoke of Texas cattle. They had extra-long horns. He tried till he was
pettered out endeavering to put the heads of his cattle through the bows in the
yoke without taking them out. It is
useless to say that he was unsuccessful. He
then went to Brother Smoot and asked him if he had a saw. He asked what he
wanted to do with a saw. The teamster replied innocently in broken Welsh that
he was going to cut off the horns of his oxen, but Brother Smoot did not
reprove him but simply said take the bows out of the yoke." Recorded by
James Thomas Wilson who had kept a journal during the trip.
 |
| Fig. 19 Journey of the Utah Pioneers |
"All now being ready, a meeting was called for the
purpose of organizing our company according to the pattern led down by our
great prophet Joseph Smith. All voted
for A.O. Smoot, the Captain was sustained by
unanimous vote. Christopher Layton, Captain of fifty was sustained by unanimous
vote. Thomas Smith, Captain of the Second fifty was sustained by
unanimous vote. There was ten persons to each wagon and a captain of each ten.
One cow and one tent to each ten, and each ten were only allowed 10 lbs. of
flour per day on the frontiers and three or four week after starting we were
alowed some sugar, bacon, and fish- so
we got along very well till those were no longer to be had. There were also men
and boys appointed to drive the loose stock through the day and among this
number I was selected, and all had to
walk except our worthy captain. He had
three animals, two mules and one horse and
a young man by the name of Weeks had charge of the horse. I think it was the 15th day of May we
struck tents and headed to the west,"
James Wilson had continued.[9]
"Everybody loved our Captain," spoke James Wilson.
"He was both thoughtful, polite, considerate and although our waggons were
loaded to the bows, when he would see any of the company lagging as they
trudged wearly along with stick in hand to aid them in their locamotive powers and
he was convinced they were not putting it on, he would tell them to ride. The rule was that all able bodyed men,
women, and youth should walk. There was
to be no favourates who rode just when they pleased, while some who were more
deserving had to trudge on.”[10]
Many scenes greeted the travelers. It was humorous to see
the teams bolt out of line and run out on the Prairie. Men were running after
them moving as fast as they could to try to stop them. "It was laughable
to see men with a big club on his shoulder, a heavy coat on and a stiff stove
pipe hat on, his coat tails in midair. Then the man with the whip slashing at
them and in place of striking the team he would get it tangled around his head
and neck, then stop to undo it and after them again, the team running at full
speed, making circles and semi circles in quick time, the
men puffin and blowing like a purpose," James Wilson recorded.[11]
During the summer the heaviest emigration came from Council
Bluffs. Ten-thousand Saints left there that year. Smoot's company traveled on
the south side of the Platte River with the other Saints on the north side. By
the time the Saints reached Fort Kearney their supplies of sugar, coffee, bacon, and fish had begun to disappear. Their main food now was flour and milk.[12]
One experience caused havoc as John Calvin returned to camp after having found his dog that got lost. He came into camp whopping it up, which promptly
caused a domino effect to begin as nine teams
[of oxen] began running like a cyclone had struck. No one was hurt although
some were in the stampede. The result was broken wheels and tongues of the
wagons and scrapes of the cattle. A layover
was necessary to complete repairs. During this time the women did the laundry.[13]
Other experiences occurred with one man drowning while bathing
in the river and a woman strayed from the camp and was lost. She had not wanted
to come to America and after having a baby who was not weaned left. She was not
heard of again. On Sunday the Saints rested from their cares and held
church services. The sacrament was passed
to the people and Brother Smoot would instruct the Saints in relation to their
duties.[14]
NOTE 6: Pioneers too poor to afford wagons and teams of oxen used makeshift handcarts to bring their goods across the plains. Those too poor for handcarts walked carrying what little belongings they had.
NOTE 6: Pioneers too poor to afford wagons and teams of oxen used makeshift handcarts to bring their goods across the plains. Those too poor for handcarts walked carrying what little belongings they had.
Buffalo were encountered after crossing the Platte River.
They sometimes straggled right through the camp. Soon grass became scarce. The
main pioneer groups, who had earlier passed through, caused the supply to be
depleted. The diminished supply of grass soon weakened the animals which in
turn caused the milk to be depleted. All members of the camp felt this loss,
but the children suffered the most, as
milk was a large part of their diet. With
careful distribution and care of their supplies the Saints managed to get along
all right. Captain Smoot was fair and
just in the way that the distribution was met.[15]
After crossing the Green River, the wagons had to be pulled through
heavy stretches of sand. To add needed power to the teams, cows were now
hitched along with the oxen. Upon leaving
Fort Bridger, family and friends began to meet other Saints along the way which
brought much encouragement. They often
brought supplies which helped the Pioneers along the way.
The mountains now brought a greener scene. In the late
summer of 1852, Isaac with great hope
and anticipation walked as far east on the pioneer trail as Echo Canyon to meet
the A.O. Smoot Company. He wanted to greet
his mother and family who were coming to Salt Lake. However, he was much disappointed as the wagon train
was later than he had anticipated, so he started for home. On the way down the
canyon, he came face to face with a large bear. To Isaac's joy the bear took to
the brush. With a light heart and a quick step, he went on his way, happy there had been no friction between
the two of them.
In just a few days the company would arrive in Salt Lake and Isaac would learn of the death of his
beloved mother, Margaret Gledhill Duffin and that of his sister, Maria, who was born
just 3 years after him. The news blighted the arrival of his loved ones.
However, he was glad to see his baby sister, Sophia as well as Jacob and Mary
Ann.[16]
The trek each day seemed to go faster. Captain Smoot arrived
in the valley ahead of the company but returned to lead his group of Saints
into the Salt Lake Valley. On September 2, as the Saints descended into the
valley, the teamsters locked all four
wheels and used ropes to ease the wagons down the steep slopes of Emigration
Canyon. When the company had camped for the evening, they
feasted on a fine beef sent out by President Young, and then, danced until a
late hour, happy in the thoughts of
entering the city the next day.[17]
September 3, 1852, was a beautiful autumn day, bright and
clear, as nature joined in to make it a truly joyful occasion. The sisters
brought out their finest apparel and except for their tanned complexions,
resembled the ladies of old English fair. They proceeded in advance of the
wagons in order to keep out of the dust and also to gain a better view of the
valley.[18]
Some of the Saints were so overjoyed that they were unable
to concentrate on the problems of travel. One
Welshman, a bit unbalanced by the
occasion, yoked up his team with the yoke below their necks. He did not even realize
his mistake until Captain Smoot called his attention to it. After he reversed the yoke, the company
rolled out from their last campsite of
the trip.
Considerable importance had been attached to this first company to travel under the Perpetual Emigrating
Fund. It seemed that the entire population of Salt Lake City had turned out
to welcome the company to their new home. People
came on foot, on horseback, and some in carriages to swell the numbers
as the multitude coming up from the valley to meet the new arrivals descending
from the mountains. Many shed tears of happiness at such a demonstration
or at meeting with family or friends.
The Pitt's band met the group at the mouth of Emigration Canyon to add strains of music to the joyous welcome. The First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles were on hand as well as civil and military officials. As the procession progressed down Emigration Street, now lined with spectators, it could truly be called the Perpetual Emigration Fund Grand march. Young Wilson's reaction was, "That the interest manifested towards us in all my experience had been unparalleled in the history of this people.[19]
Majesty seemed to permeate the air as the company descended from the mouth of the canyon to the city. Captain Smoot moved about on horseback directing the progress of the company. When he led them by Temple Square, a salute of nine rounds of artillery was fired in their honor. The fine condition of the cattle and the general appearance of the whole train spoke well for the wise and skillful management of Captain Smoot, who received much praise for his accomplishment. Among those who were especially pleased at the successful completion of the undertaking, was Franklin D. Richards who had selected Smoot for this assignment.
The Pitt's band met the group at the mouth of Emigration Canyon to add strains of music to the joyous welcome. The First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles were on hand as well as civil and military officials. As the procession progressed down Emigration Street, now lined with spectators, it could truly be called the Perpetual Emigration Fund Grand march. Young Wilson's reaction was, "That the interest manifested towards us in all my experience had been unparalleled in the history of this people.[19]
Majesty seemed to permeate the air as the company descended from the mouth of the canyon to the city. Captain Smoot moved about on horseback directing the progress of the company. When he led them by Temple Square, a salute of nine rounds of artillery was fired in their honor. The fine condition of the cattle and the general appearance of the whole train spoke well for the wise and skillful management of Captain Smoot, who received much praise for his accomplishment. Among those who were especially pleased at the successful completion of the undertaking, was Franklin D. Richards who had selected Smoot for this assignment.
 |
| Fig. 21 This is the Place Monument at the mouth of Emigration Canyon |
They had been reported in the Valley, by the emigrants who
had passed them upon the plains as
being the most orderly company they had passed on the entire journey. No
disturbance nor confusion among them, but all moved along in perfect union, and
great blessings had attended them while journeying over the plains.[20]
The members of the company were grateful for Captain Smoot
who had so successfully directed them to Zion. Extra stray cows that the pioneers had picked up during their
journey were presented to him as a token of their high regard for him. When the
company had formed on Union Square a bounteous meal was spread before them as a
part of their welcome.
Enjoying this great feast was James Wilson who took time to
record his reaction. "And it was
nothing less than huge piles of light bread waiting to be distributed. When the
camp had become quiet, it was the sisters who furnished this the staff of life
and this was a treat of itself and the sweetest food I ever eat, and if anyone doubts my word let him go
through 7 months of my experience and I think he will be convinced as to the
truth of what I say. But it was not alone bread in great abundance, but all of
the general productions of the climate; potatoes, corn, melons, squash,
tomatoes, and etc. Things dealt out not by the pound, as had been the custom
heretofore, but by the bushel. Then the
sisters stood around the baskets full of many choice and delicious pastries
which they divided without stint."[21]
President Young then addressed the people, saying to the new arrivals, "We have prayed for you continually;
thousands of prayers have been offered up for you, day
by day, to Him who has commanded us to gather Israel.
I will say to this company, they had had the honor of being escorted
into the city by some of the most distinguished individuals of our society, and
a band of music, accompanied with a salutation of cannon. Other companies have
not had this mark of respect shown to them."[22]
Of all the experiences addressed thus far, perhaps the most
astonishing was the transporting of the remains of two missionaries who had
died in England. A.O. Smoot says, the remains of L.D.
Barnes were taken up by the direction of Elder F.D. Richards,
and brought to his room in Liverpool. A case of zinc was made for them; they were then encased [it] in a
square oak box, iron bound, and labeled
machinery. When they landed in New Orleans,
they paid duty as machinery, under the charge of Isaac C. Haight; then
[they] came up the river to St. Louis.
When A.O. Smoot took charge and brought them up the Missouri River and paid on
them & then
brought them over the plains.
When they arrived at Salt Lake Sept 3, 1852, the zinc
was worn through Burton's case; it leaked and smelt rather offensively. Not a
person knew they were along. On the 4th of September. they
were delivered up to Mrs. Burton. Bishop Hunter took charge of Barnes remains.
The driver, Ewing, [had] slept on the boxes all the way & was not attacked with
cholera."[23]
At last the Duffin family had achieved their goal to be in Zion.
Peggy Duffin and her daughter, Maria, had died of cholera in
1852 and were buried in Kansas City. As I get closer to my grandmother’s
genealogy, I will be including more information on more people.
Of the Duffin children Richard died at age 11 on November 3,
1831.
Anna stayed in England and married Abraham Powell in
Lancashire, England. They had five children. The family emigrated to America in
1864. Anna died in Salt Lake City on May 8, 1868. Abraham took another wife,
Caroline Ellen Pitt Hawkins on January 31, 1895. Abraham died on September 2nd of that same year in Salt Lake City.
 |
| Fig. 22 Edward Duffin |
 |
| Fig.23 Margaret Gledhill |
Edward Duffin came
to America in 1854. He was married in England to Margaret Gledhill, his first
cousin and they had three children. Residing with the couple was his mother,
Peggy, and three siblings, Mary Ann, Maria, Jacob, and Sophia according to the
1851 English Census. They emigrated on the ship the Marshfield, arriving at the
Port of New Orleans on May 29, 1854. Edward Duffin was a Private in the Utah
Territorial Militia in the Blackhawk War from June 5, 1866 until November 12,
1866. He was wounded in the leg by the Indians and his health was
not very good from then on.
Edward died July 2, 1872. He was helpful during the Johnston
Army scare by staying in the mountains pretending to be more men than there really
were. His wife Margaret Gledhill Duffin, also called Peggy, was asked by
Brigham Young to go into the southern communities and teach the women what they
needed to know. She taught them how to choose plants for dye, how to make wool
into cloth, how to make soap, and many more skills.
Mary Ann Duffin married Thomas James Kirby in Salt Lake City
April 16, 1854. They had two sons. James died March 12, 1857, in Manti, Utah.
She then married William Green, age 62. Mary Ann died in 1869. She was drowned crossing a river [likely
the Sevier River] in Sanpete County, Utah.
In Salt
Lake, Isaac became helpful in many ways; house building, road engineering,
construction and business pursuits. He engineered the construction of the first
road up City Creek Canyon. He also spent one summer at Fort Supply helping the
coming emigrants.
 |
| Fig. 24 Isaac Duffin |
Mary
Fielding, who weighed only ninety pounds, drove one of the teams all the way to
St. George. They finally settled in Toquerville where they raised a family of
ten children. Isaac engaged in the mercantile business and was very successful.
He had a partner who stayed in Salt Lake to do the buying. At one time, Isaac
sent $30,000 to his partner in Salt Lake to pay off their bills. The partner
vanished with the money leaving Isaac holding the bag. He also raised cavalry
horses for the Government and imported a beautiful stallion from France. He
also engaged in mining and freighting business.
Isaac was chosen from a group with
nine others to go to Sanpete and drive back Church cattle. On their return,
they corralled the cattle at Mona, Juab County for the night. About 9 p.m. they
were raided by the Indians. Apparently, the Indians saw where Isaac was located
and began shooting. A bullet from one of their guns struck him on the cap of
the knee and lodged in the fleshy part of his leg. He carried the lead the
remainder of his life, from which he suffered a great deal.
 |
| Fig. 24 Military Record of Isaac Duffin |
This revolver was a
5-shot used by Isaac during the Black Hawk War in 1865. It shot approximately a .44 caliber size cartridge.
It's not known if Isaac purchased the gun here in the US, or if he brought it
with him from England, where it was manufactured.[24] This is an actual photo of Isaac's pistol.
 |
| Fig. 26 .44 Caliber British Bulldog |
Isaac’s military record indicates that he was
3rd Lt. under command of J.D.L. Pearce in June 1866 during the Walker
War, which was more of a skirmish than an all-out Indian war.
Isaac Duffin died February 26, 1883 and was buried in Toquerville, Utah. His wife survived him many years and passed away September 17, 1905.[25]
Isaac Duffin died February 26, 1883 and was buried in Toquerville, Utah. His wife survived him many years and passed away September 17, 1905.[25]
Isaac was in charge of
the City Creek Canyon road project. He
had his brother Jacob, working for him. Jacob had come with his mother to
America probably because he took to spells. Peggy Duffin looked over her son.
The following was an article about his death. Jacob drowned in City Creek
on June 20, 1862.
 |
| Fig. 26 Desert New Article June 21, 1862 |
There has been a lot of discussion in the family history regarding Hezekiah and his brother, James, III. Some records affix the date of birth of Hezekiah as July 16, 1835 and some reports of birth as 1834. Since the Baptism Record in England shows that date of birth as July 25, 1834, I believe that is his actual date of birth and have changed my family tree to reflect this information.
Hezekiah was shown on the passenger list of the Saranac as 12 and not 15, actual age. This may have been to pay passage as a minor and not the full price of an adult. He married Elizabeth Helen Brewer on November 17, 1862 in Salt Lake City. They had no children and Lou Duffin, daughter of his second wife, specifically states that Elizabeth could bear no children.He then married Louisa Ann (Louanna) Harford Brewer on November 21, 1870, in Salt Lake. They had seven children. Louanna died on June 21, 1885, in Ogden, Utah. He then married Jane Marie Barker on August 1, 1889. The had four children. He was 55 years old.
 |
| Fig. 28 Hezekiah and Elizabeth Duffin |
 |
| Fig. 27 Hezekiah Duffin |
Sophia, the youngest child of Peggy Duffin, married Marcus Devalson Merrick on March 1, 1857, in Salt Lake City. Marcus had been an LDS missionary to the South Pacific and California prior to coming home to Utah. Marcus was appointed U.S. Postmaster for Franklin County in 1887. The couple had six children. The first five had been born in Ogden, Utah. The last child, a boy named Leander was born in Franklin, Idaho in 1867.
Eunice Merrick
My great-grandmother married Joseph Young Boyce in Richmond, Utah on March 8, 1876. They had seven children. I will cover her life later in this history.
She married Emanuel Philip Cardon October 13, 1876, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. Emanuel was born January 29, 1859 in Ogden, Weber, Utah to Louis Philippe Cardon and Susette Stale. Amelia died February 3, 1933, in Colonia Dublan, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico and was buried there in the Dublan Memorial Cemetery. Interesting note, her husband’s mother and father emigrated from Torino, Italy.
FACTOID: Emanuel and Amelia moved to Mexico with the Cardon family as Emanuel’s father was a polygamist forced to flee the U.S.
She married
Albert Myron Boyce January 25, 1877, in Logan LDS Temple. Albert was born
March 16, 1854, in Palmyra, Utah to John Boice and Mary Ann Barzee. Ida
died October 4,1946 in Lava Hot Springs, Bannock, Idaho. Albert died
February 18, 1948, in Lava Hot Springs. Sisters, Ida and Eunice, married
brothers, Albert and Joseph Young Boice.
She married Lorenzo Francis Stalker September 16, 1893, in Oxford, Bannock, Idaho. Lorenzo was born December 8, 1871, in Franklin, Oneida, Idaho to Alexander Stalker and Ellen Foster. Nellie died February 1916 in Ogden, Utah. Lorenzo died 6 July 1916 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah and is buried in the Lava Hot Springs Cemetery.
He
married Elizabeth Reid Kidd 2 September 1892 in Franklin, Oneida, Idaho.
Elizabeth was born January 24, 1876, in Kirkland, Wemyss, Fife, Scotland to
George Fredrick Handel Kidd and Isabella Kirk. Devalson died 15 December
15 1933, in Bancroft, Caribou, Idaho and was buried there. Elizabeth died May
10, 1930, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah and was buried with her husband in
the Bancroft Cemetery.
On page 129 of Vol. 2,
Heart Throbs of the West, we find an article about the Early Public Schools of
Ogden City and the following notation, “A gentle man named Marcus Devalson
Merrick taught in the winter of 1856-1857.” They were happy. Marcus
was handsome, a scholar, and refined. He taught Sophia many things to
complete her education.
It is impossible to tell what the actual
facts were that caused Marcus D. Merrick to desert his wife and family.
The story goes that one winter day in 1869 he announced that he was going to
Ogden. He took his daughter Elizabeth with him in his sleigh and was never
heard of again. Elizabeth was his daughter by his first wife and would have
been 18 when the two of them left together.
 |
| Fig. 29 |
It is
clear from the Petition for Divorce filed by Sophia on June 5, 1870 that he did
desert the family. In the Petition, Sophia claims the reasons for divorce were:
absenting is family for more than one year, for abusive language without just
cause or provocation, for taking to himself his oldest daughter as a wife, and
leaving me and my six children without providing any means of support.
 |
| Fig. 30 Divorce Petition from Sophia Merrick (full copy available on Ancestry.com |
Joseph Young Boyce married
Eunice Sophia Merrick on March 8, 1876, in Richmond, Utah. They were my great
grand-parents. Eunice gave birth to seven children, the last one, Eva, died
during childbirth. My Grandmother, Nellie Alnora, was born in 1879 in Oxford,
Idaho and was their second child. She was named after her great-grandfather’s
sister, Nellie, who passed away in 1884.
My Grandmother Nellie married
George Helmandollar October 12, 1900 and the couple had 9 children. My father,
Herman, was born September 25, 1910 and passed away on April 2, 1998 from
mesothelioma caused by working on steam locomotives for Union Pacific Railroad.
The steam locomotive boilers were wrapped in blankets of asbestos which saturated
his lungs.
I did not know my Grandmother Nellie or my Grandfather George as they had both passed away before I was born. However, Grandma Helmandollar had a brother named Leander, who was three years her junior. Uncle Lee, as the family called him, never married and lived in a big old house on the main road outside of Oxford. The house had no indoor bathroom and only a single bare lightbulb dangling from a wire in the kitchen. My father told me that Uncle Lee was afraid of electricity and didn’t want it in his house except that my Grandmother insisted on at least one electric light in his kitchen.
I got to know Uncle Lee on our
visits to Oxford. He would harness his Shetland pony to a two-wheeled buggy and
take me for rides around Oxford. He had a great sense of humor and told my
father off-colored stores. He didn’t shave or trim his beard, although Aunt
Reet would give him haircuts when needed. He looked a lot like pictures of John
Thomas Boyce, Uncle Lee’s grandfather. I was sad when he passed away in 1971,
but I was not allowed to attend the funeral with my parents.
I did not know my Grandmother Nellie or my Grandfather George as they had both passed away before I was born. However, Grandma Helmandollar had a brother named Leander, who was three years her junior. Uncle Lee, as the family called him, never married and lived in a big old house on the main road outside of Oxford. The house had no indoor bathroom and only a single bare lightbulb dangling from a wire in the kitchen. My father told me that Uncle Lee was afraid of electricity and didn’t want it in his house except that my Grandmother insisted on at least one electric light in his kitchen.
 |
| Fig. 31 Nellie Boyce & George Helmandollar |
 |
| Fig. 32 Back, left to right: Eunice Boyce and her daughter, Nellie. Front, left to right: Sophia Merrick (Eunice’s mother) and Floyd Helmandollar (Nellie's eldest son) holding Dean Helmandollar (Nellie's eldest grandson) |
 |
| Fig. 33 Eunice Merrick and Joseph Young Boyce. Nellie Boyce to his right and (Leander) Uncle Lee to his left. |
These are the stories and history of the people who came to America and settled the West. We can all be proud of their accomplishments, in spite of short-comings.
We are all Daughters and Sons of the Utah Pioneers.
TABLE OF FIGURES
________________________
Figure 32
Back, left to right: Eunice Boyce and her daughter, Nellie. Front, left to
right: Sophia Merrick (Eunice’s mother) and Floyd Helmandollar (Nellie's oldest
son) holding Dean Helmandollar (Nellie's oldest grandson)
Figure 33 Eunice Merrick and Joseph Young Boyce. Nellie Boyce to his right
and (Leander) Uncle Lee to his left
Figure 33 Eunice Merrick and Joseph Young Boyce. Nellie Boyce to his right
and (Leander) Uncle Lee to his left
ENDNOTES
[1] Paulding, J., Affairs and Men of New Amsterdam: In the time of Governor Peter
Stuyvesant. Compiled from Dutch manuscript records of the period. Casper C.
Childs, Printer, New York. 1843.
[2] Compiled by
Gladys Boice Tolbert, 3rd great-granddaughter: "Some of Our
Grandparents Were Boice's". 2008. Sources studied & or consulted in
preparation of this report: 1850 Illinois Will County Census; Records of the
Reformed Dutch Church of Poughkeepsie [New York]; Assessment Roll of
Fredericksburgh, Lennox and Addington County 1808; 1819 Census of Loughborough
Township, Frontenac County; Petitions for Land in Upper Canada from Cambridge
New York; Land Records including Loughborough Township Papers; Canada Church
Records including 1800-1841 Presbyterian Register of Rev. Robert McDowell;
1787-1814 Anglican Records of Rev. John Langhorn. From Family Search https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/1057622
[3] Manuscript
Journal of Joseph Fielding as quoted in 'The Pick & Flower of England, the
Story of the Mormons in Victorian England, David MW Pickup, Living Legend,
2001.
[5] C.
Elliott Berlin, “Abraham Owen Smoot: Pioneer Mormon Leader,” master’s thesis
(BYU, 1955), p. 88.
[6] Brockbank, Isaack (Autobiography,) Microfilmed from a typewritten
manuscript, film is on file
in Brigham Young University Library, p.7.
[7] Wilson,
James Thomas, journal. Microfilm
copy in B.Y.U. Library, Provo. Utah, pp. 44-45.
[8] Ibid., pp. 46-47.
[9] Ibid.,
p. 47.
[10]
Ibid., p. 48.
[13]
Ibid., p. 49.
[17]
Ibid., p. 53.
[18]
Ibid., p. 53.
[19]
Millennial Star, London, England, November 13,
1852.
[21]
Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 18, 1852.
[24]
Duffin, Rex, familysearch.org.
[25]
Compiled by Maurine Duffin James from information received from Hezekiah
Duffin, no date provided.
No comments:
Post a Comment