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Show • • • SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ELIZABETH BOURNE WORLTON Elizabeth Bourn Worlton was born December 18, 1827, in the town of Board, Summerset, England. She was the daughter of James and Sarah Bourne. Her parents were members of the Methodist Church. They taught their family to love God and to look to him for guidance. At the age of seventeen she went to the town of Bath to teach in a Girl's School. She first heard the Gospel preached in the year 1848, and was soon baptized. That same year she married James T. Worlton, a young Elder of Bath. They continued to live here until 1855, leaving with a Company of Saints to come to Utah. They now had three daughters. They arrived in Philadelphia April 20, 1855 traveling from there to Pittsburgh by rail. They traveled by Steam Boat to St. Louis. While on the boat on the Mississippi River she gave birth to a son. They continued their journey from St. Louis to Atchison by Steam Boat. They started from Atchison with ox teams on July 1st to cross the plains. They had many hardships to endure. On this journey her baby boy died and was buried. They arrived in Salt Lake City, September 25th. The first year was a very difficult one. The grasshoppers had destroyed all the grain, and it was nearly impossible to obtain bread to eat. On one occasion there was nothing in the house to eat, and her husband took some cherished silver spoons and started out to try to trade them for flour. Having no luck he called on Heber C. Kimball. That noble man sent him home with a small amount of flour and also the silver spoons. They moved to Morgan 1862. After arriving in Morgan she served as a Sunday School Teacher. Later she was chosen and set apart as the President of the Relief Society, which position she held for over twenty years. During the same time she served as Ward Historian and Librarian for over twenty-four years. She was released on account of failing health. Mrs. Worlton was the first mid-wife in Morgan. Many times she delivered babies unaided by a Doctor. She was also one of the first School Teachers in Morgan. At one time she opened a class in her own home and taught a group of Railroad laborers the English language. For these tireless efforts she received no money. Her fine executive ability and her tender sympathetic heart made her a pillar of strength in the North Morgan Ward. Whenever she presided in public she did so with dignity and ease, commanding respect from all. Her virtues as wife and mother shone with luster in her home. It always represented a sweet resting place for her husband and children, and friends and neighbors. Her husband died February 6, 1885. She nobly took up his responsibilities carrying out his wished until the fall of 1900 when health failed her. On February 17, 1901 ~he ~ecame very ill. All her children gathered at her bedside. She asked to be anointed with oil and prayed that she might have a clear mind and clear speech in order to express her desires and blessings to her family. Elder Elisha P. Hardy, son-in-law complied with this wish and their prayers were answered. She thanked the Lord that she had heard and obeyed the gospel, and that He had bless them with the ways and means to gather in Zion. She died March 10, 1901. ..... ............... . ......B y granddaughter Martha A. Wadsworth. • • • OAJ £ /,z4Jefl, !Jc>OY1te..,. r::, 3~~ LIFE OF JAMES TIMBREL~ WORLTON, 1st (1821 - 1885) . James Timbrell Worlton was born in Wolcot, England March 20, 1821. He was the only son of John and Mary Parsons Worlton. While still a small boy he moved with his parents to London. When James was 16 years of age ( 183 7) his father suddenly died and he fell heir in connection with his two sisters and mother to the family estate. This property, Timbrell' s Court, had been handed down according to heir ship for several generations. It was conferred for life, without any right to sell it except at the demand of the government. While in London, James first heard the Gospel preached by Elder Hyde. Later they moved back to Bath and found a branch of the Church. James was baptized in 1840, ordained an Elder and sent out to preach the Gospel. In 1842 he married Emma Marton who also embraced the Gospel. He was then called to preside over a small branch of the church in Somerset, England. To this union were born two children, his wife dying at the birth of her second child . In the following year he formed the acquaintance of Elizabeth Bourne, also a member of the church. They were married on December 3, 1848 by Elder A. Merchant of Bath. In 1849 James was called to preside over a branch of the Church in Marchfield. In 1851 almost the entire branch immigrated to Utah. This was a sorrowing experience for James and Elizabeth as they also longed to make the journey to "Zion" but did not have the means. Returning to Bath he continued to preach and work as a cobbler like his father before him. "The spirit of gathering had come upon us and I and my wife felt the necessity of making an effort to that end. But we could not see our way clear to get to Zion until 1851 when the city desired to purchase property in that neighborhood for improvement of the city. The city council made application for Timbrell' s Court and a final settlement was agreed upon . • • • aa.-i!!t.~ c:tbl:ili~e~~f~i:t'llTcU!f.!l:t"'~!!f1~!l"@@gig~ean,uiee!!'!ftl'l!E!"'C=:G921'1:1rl:S=:1111111iaMtii4e,,1i-.. My wife and I acknowledged the hand of God. We at once placed my portion of the money in the perpetual immigration fund and secured passage on the first vessel that left thereafter. I joyfully left our native land and home of my forefathers, bade farewell to my widowed mother, sisters and friends to cast my lot with the people of God. We left our home in Bath on February 8, 1855 taking a train to Liverpool. By this ti.me our children were Martha (age 5), Flora (age 3), Emily Amilia (age 22 months), Ann (age 11) and John (age 8), making in all seven of us besides a hired girl, my wife being in delicate health. The vessel in which we were to sail left Liverpool, England on February 27th, 1855. It was and old. sailing vessel named SIDDONS. There were 430 saints on board. The ship was conunanded by a Captain Taylor. The saints were placed under the presidency of Elder John Fuller and James Pace. After a· ·safe voyage lasting 52 days we arrived i n Philadelphia on April 20, 1855. After a short stay in Philadelphia, we traveled by rail to Pittsburgh where arrangements were made for our transportation to st. Louis by steamboat down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The name of the steamer was MONGOLO. About April 29 at 6 o'clock in the morning a baby boy was born on the Mississippi river. we named him James Cyrus. We arrived at st. Louis on May 7th and on May 9th we embarked on the steamer POLOR STAR for t • • • Atchinson. On arriving there we immediately proceeded to "Mormon Grove", the camp ground appointed by the Church for the company to make arrangements for crossing the plains . We left the camp ground at Atchinson on July 1st. There were 402 souls, babies and all, 45 wagons, 220 oxen and 24 cows. The cows worked with the oxen. There were about 25 horsemen who acted as scouts with captain Ballantyne having charge of the company, Shortly after we started the scouts came back to say there was a big company of Indians coming toward us. They demanded beef and flour for letting us travel through their country. The Captain met them about a mile from camp, smoked with them and told them that we were very poor and meant no harm • The cattle were so poor that they could hardly pull the wagons. They insisted that we give them one beef and several sacks of flour. They promised never to bother us again, nor did they. The whole camp was struck with the "mountain fever" and many died. My wife took the fever. The baby nursed it from her and died on the 13th of July. I never will forget the day we laid our dear little boy away by the roadside and traveled on the next morning. we arrived in ·salt Lake City on September 25, 1855. It had taken 87 days to cross the plains. A brass band welcomed us and we marched behind it into the city. We went to the Union Square, a camp ground. It was Sunday. In the afternoon we all went to the meeting and heard President They d1recl-~c/ c:rnd '7kss ed +Ae-y tot/kl ii Brigham Young and Heber c. Kimball preach. 4// f-);e/r f4/* f..o f-Ae. ne.tuCcJme.r.5 u s ?t nd e.hcCfvr:/ ed · vs c;,// • • • The Salt Lake Valley had been settled only 7 years when they arrived. Upon their arrival they stayed in Salt Lake City one year, "living in a dugout without a floor." The family was extremely poor. Most all of their money had been used to afford transportation to Utah. On one occasion James sent his children John and Ann to Heber C. Kimball's home for some flour. He gave them some in a sack and when they returned home with the flour everyone was so happy they all joined hands and danced around the sack. They moved with the Saints from place to place as James was called upon. In April of 1862, they moved to East Weber (Morgan City), Utah at the suggestion of Brigham Young. Their first home consisted of a little one- room log cabin. For extra space, a wagon cover was stretched over some poles that leaned with one end on a fence and the other end on the ground. This cabin belonged to John Arthurs. Later, James hired a man for $3.00 to help build a home. On November 18, 1863 James (age 42) took a young woman, Maria Dallimore, (age 16) in a polygamous marriage. One year later, on November 23, 1864, a son was born. They named him William Albion Worlton. Maria had also come from Bath, England. Maria worked in the potato field adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad and while working in the field was noticed by a Mr. George Roberts. He worked for the railroad and disapproved of her working so hard. Maria married Mr. Roberts and moved to Henefer, Utah some 30 miles or so up the canyon from Morgan. It is reported that she never saw her son again as he was raised by Elizabeth and his father . James lived the last 20 years of his life in Morgan where he farmed. He also owned a small shoe shop where he made leather vests, leggings and covered saddles. He had his own tannery and tanned all the leather he used. Later, he and James Tucker, and James Stuart of South Morgan went into business together to make and repair shoes. When the Morgan Coop was opened they went in with them. Their place of business was called the Co-op Shoe Store. Here he worked as long as his health permitted. He remained active in the L.D.S. Church. He served as a Sunday School teacher and later the Superintendent of the Sunday School for many years. He also belonged to the 35th Quorum of seventies. He was later set apart as one of the seven presidents of the Quorum. Two years before his death he wrote a will leaving the sum of$I0.00 to each of his children. He died on February 6, 1885 at the age of sixty-four. His wife Elizabeth stayed on in Morgan with her "adapted" son, William, while he ran the farm. She died on March 10, 1901 and was laid to rest beside her husband in the Morgan Cemetery. My Great Great-Grandparents By Louise Butters Waldron |
