TITLE PIONEER (full name) BIR TH (date and place) DEA TH (date and place) PARENTS MARRIED (who and date) ARRIVAL IN UTAH (date) (Company arrived with) HISTORY (who wrote) (date written) (who submitted) (address) JO - ~, PAGE Eliza Durrant Whitehead Ursenback Compton 9 July 1844, Deans hanger, Northampton, Eng 8 January 1890, Morgan, Utah William Durrant Phebe Hoar Thomas Whitehead - 20 December 1863 Octave Ursenbach - 8 November 1869 George Compton - 18 November 1873 28 July 1869 (sailed for America) 11 Colorado11 - ship Deleen White Sommer - 9 September 1980 Morgan, Utah 84050 CAMP & COUNTY SUBMITTING _s_o_u_th_M-,--o_r_g_a_n_ ________ Camp _M_o_r_g_a_n ____________ County (Camp Historian & address) ---------------------- Margaret McKinnon Morgan, Utah 84050 County Historian & address) ---------------------- Veley Tonks Dickson PO Box 203, Morgan, Utah 84050 SOURCE OF INFORMATION & PAGE NUMBERS: e LIFE SKETCH OF ELIZA DURRANT AND HER THREE HUSBANDS THOMAS WHITEHEAD OCTAVE URSENBACH GEORGE COMPTON Eliza Durrant was born July 9, 1644 at Deanshanger, Northampton, England, to William and Phebe Hoar Durrant. She was the 5th of 11 children. She received a little schooling in Englarld, mostly in classes held in homes. Eliza"s parents were converted to the L.D.S. Church by missionaries in England, and they in turn taught the gospel to their children, and had them bapized as they reached 8 years of age. Eliaz' was baptized June 4, 1855. William and Phebe were anxious for the family to go to ~ion (Utah), so they all worked very hard, sacrificed much, and saved all they could out of ~eager earnings, over a period of several years, in order to have enough money to secure passage on a ship for each of their older children, one or two at a time. However, Eliza married Thomas Whitehead December 20, 1863 and had two children. The first, George Alfred, died at 1 year of age. Thomas joined the church to win Eliaa, but became ~~:habitual drunkard and moved around to various cities. One night he came home intoxicated, locked the door, took out his razor and threaterled to kill her. Eliza snatched up her baby daughter, Sarah Jane, and by some miracle at that moment, the door flew open and she ran out into the darkness. Later, her brother, Joseph, in Utah, heard of her tro1;1ble, and secured passage :!;or her on the ship "Colorado". She sailed for America July 28, 1869, to join her sister, Jane, and two brothers, Thomas and Joseph. She divorced Thomas Whitehead before • sailing, - e (2) On this ship she met Octave Ursenbach, who was returning from a mission to Switzerland, and they were immediately attracted to each other. Sometime after arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, they were married November 8, 1869, in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. They made their home here and a year .ia.ter a son, Octave Fredrick, was born to them. Octave Ursenbach was born November 22, 1832 at Geneva, Vaud, Switzerland, to Jacques Daniel Fredrick Ursenbach and Jean Sophie Esther Buvelot. He knew many hardships as a youth, being apprenticed at age 13 to a cruel watchmaker. He worked hard tending this man's cattle while also learnigg the trade. For 5 years he seldom had enough food or clothing, and was forced to sleep much of the time in the barn. At the age of 22, Octave was converted to the L.D.S. Church and was baptized $eptember 12, 1854. He sailed to America on the S.S. George Washingoon March 27, 1857. He lived in New York for one year, then with a group of returned missionaries, he came to Utah by mule team. They took an Untravelled route to avoid Johnson's Army and had an extremely difficult journey, .nearly freezing to death. When they reached Salt Lake City, it was Deserted, except for men detailed to burn it should the Army come through. On November 12, 1859 he received his endowments and was sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City to his first wife, Josephine de la Harpe, a widow with two children. He built a small house and started a business after much fi-win~:.i--a,l dU~icultr, He. waq ~in~lly successful in his trade as watchmaker and became quite prominent. (3) The Utah silk industry was started in 1868, fostered by President John Taylor, after Octave imported silkworm eggs from. France in 1863, and established a small cocoonery. Oct&lYe left April 1867 for a mission to Switzerland. His companion was Karl o. Maesser. Tney tried to open up France for missionary work but failed. OotaTe was imprisoned in the Ca15tle o! Chillon in the same dungeon where Lord Byron had been. This confinement caused h.iJll to be in Tery poor health, resulting in kis early death. Just 4 months after Octave Fredrick, Octave's only child was bont to him and Eliza Durrant, Octave passed away 26 Feb 1871, and was buried in t he Salt Lake City cementery. 18 November 1873, Eliza. married George Compton, a friend whom she had lmown in England. They lived in Morgan, Utah for 17 years. He:.- helped build the rad.lroa.d and was a clerk in Williams I store. He was also City Recorder for many years. No caildren were cont to George and Eliza, but he was a very good father to Eliza's children, Sarah Jane and Octave Fredrick. Eliza was a very unselfish and kind perSO:fl• On 13 July 1874, Eliza went to the _Endowment House and had Saran and Emma, her two sisters wao had :_died at the ages of 20 and 18, umnarried, sealed to her own deceased husband, Oc~Te Ursenbaoh. Eliza had an interesting life. She was an expert at making pillow lace, and some of her work won a prize at the World's Fair. When the president of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, and his wife were visiting Salt Lake City, the Relief Society presented a collar of lace to Mrs. Hayes, which had been made by Eliza. She studied medicine with Dr. Kohler in Morgan, and was very kind and helpful to those who were ill. (4) Eliza was a very spirtual woman, and once when she was extremely ill, and had apparently passed away, her mother insisted that the Elders exercise their Priesthood and ask the Lord to bring her back so she could raise her children. Eliza was revived, and she later testified that her huaband, Octave, had met her on the other side and . said "The Priesthood are exercising their power and you must return and raise our family. I will eome for you later"• After this experience, her health was never good, and she eventually went quite deaf, which prevented her from 'being very active in church work. She lived until Sarah Jane was married and Octave Fredrick was 20 years of age. She passed away 8 January 1890, and was laid to rest in the Morgan Cenetery.