History of Mary Ann Stockdale

Mary Ann Stockdale was born March 6, 1806 at Penryn, Cornwall, England, daughter of William Stockdale and Avis Francis Stockdale. Very little is known of neither her early life nor her family, except that she was one of nine children and two children of her mothers. Two brothers and a sister are the only ones listed in her record. No records were kept in those early days, and it is hard to obtain records only from cemeteries and early day churches.

Mary Ann was married in 1830 at Devonshire, England, to Edwin Carter. He was a stone mason. From this union there were five children born, namely, Edwin, William, Ellen, Jane and Mary Ann Carter.

Mary Ann was always a hard working woman. Her description was five feet six inches tall, weight about one hundred sixty five pounds, beautiful black wavy hair and blue eyes. She must have been a strong healthy girl and led a normal life. Her husband worked in a stone quarry and was accidentally killed on June 10, 1942. This was a terrible shock to his wife. She was left without support, except what she could earn to keep her children. The oldest child was ten years old and the youngest was one year. She did most any kind of work such as washing, ironing, cleaning, mending, also sewing and darning. Her hair lay in deep waves, was shiny black and hung long below her waist. She had it cut off and sold it to buy food for her family. She accepted the gospel in her native land, and was baptized at Ledbury, England in 1851. She married again, a man by the name of James Martin. To this marriage a son was born, his name was James Martin. This marriage was not successful, the husband was a good worker, but most of his wages were spent on drink. The little son, Jimmy, was a delicate child so the older children divided the nicest food with him because they could eat more common food and his appetite was poor.

Mary loved her religion sincerely, paying her tithing to her visiting teachers, her husband did not approve of this very much. Her two oldest sons, now grown to young men decided they could not live at home under the abuse of their step-father. One day they said, “Mother, we cannot stand it any longer. We are going away.” The poor mother protested but without avail. With aching heart, she packed their few clothes. She never saw them again; it is supposed they came back to the old home. When they found she had left they went back to Australia or America.

Her second husband died and she was alone again, but her heart was set on going to “Zion.” She worked hard and saved all she could for that purpose.

She left Liverpool on May 4, 1856 on the ship Thornton with a company of 764 Saints, under the presidency of Elders James G. Willie, Millen Atwood, Jacob A. Ahmansen, and Moses Clough. Considerable sickness prevailed among the emigrants of whom a number were old and sickly, seven deaths, three births and two marriages took place on board. One week was so stormy, the ship was driven back 500 miles.  Six weeks was a long time to live aboard ship, in cramped quarters. On the 20^th of May the people’s galley or cook house caught on fire and burned down which caused great excitement. The Saints were ordered below and the doors locked. They could hear the sailors going back and forth working hard to save the ship from burning up and sinking. After hours of anxious waiting the people were called on deck and the Captain Collins thanked them for obeying orders. On June 14, 1856 they landed at Castle Gardens, New York.

            

     Mary lived in New York City for about five years working and earning money to go on to Zion. Jane and Mary Ann came on two years before their mother. At last in 1861, she started on the three thousand mile trip to Utah. The railroad had extended two thousand miles into the west. She came by rail as far as Florence, Nebraska with her daughter Ellen, her son-in-law William Henry Bone, their three children, Mary, William James and Rhoda Jane and her son James Martin. William Bone was a lame so he could not walk all the way so they bought a wagon with two yoke of oxen so he and the children could take turns alternating walking and riding. Mary Ann pushed a hand cart with Ellen’s and Jimmy’s help with eighty pounds of provisions. Mary Ann walked every mile of the one thousand miles over the burning hot dessert into Salt Lake City. She had accomplished her dearest hope. She met her two daughters in Kaysville. She sold the oxen and wagon and bought cattle and with her son Jimmy bought a home in Harrisville, now North Ogden. James married Lydia Flint of Kaysville and raised a large family. He became Bishop of Harrisville Ward and served many years. Mary Ann lived with him until she was ninety one years of age. She suffered with typhoid fever at the age of ninety. She recovered but her memory was impaired. At the age of ninety one she went to live with her daughter Jane Robbins at Stone, Idaho, remaining with Jane the balance of her life. She was neither sick nor bedridden until the last few days. She passed peacefully away on May 20, 1899 at the advanced age of ninety three and two months. They laid her away in the cemetery at Snowville, Utah.

She left a large posterity which is scattered through out the state of Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, Nevada, Washington D.C., Tennessee, California, New Mexico and many others.

This is written in loving remembrance of Grandmother Martin by Pearl Robbins Olsen, copied November 24, 1955 by Barbara Darrington a great-great-granddaughter from the original obtained from Francis Marion Egbert of Twin Falls, Idaho.

A copy of this history was sent to me by Barbara Darrington. I am having copies made to send to our children. Alberta Blamires Streeper, great-granddaughter, Buckley, Washington, September 1970.

A copy of this history was sent to me by Alberta Blamires Streeper. I have added information about her travels aboard the ship Thornton. Allysa Ann Falkner, Great-Great-Great-granddaughter, Salt Lake City, Utah January 2005.