HARROCKS, Jane (1841)
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| Jane Harrocks Livingston | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jane Harrocks |
| Born | August 30 1841 |
| Place of birth | Aughton, Lancashire, England |
| Died | July 2 1914 |
| Place of death | Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
|
Contents |
History of Jane Harrocks Livingston
by Thomas B. Child, Jr., her grandson
Jane Harrocks was born in Aughton near Ormskirk, Lanacashire, England, August 30, 1841. Aughton, her birth place is a suburb of Liverpool and her relatives were among the first in England to hear and accept the Gospel. Especial mention should be made of her Aunt Betty Prescott Harrocks, wife of her uncle Peter Harrocks who was nicknamed "Old Joe Smith" because of 'her loyalty and enthusiasm for the Gospel as taught by the latter Day Saints.
Jane was the oldest of the family of five children. Her father’s name was Daniel Harrocks born Dec. 17, 180h at Aughton, Lancashire, England. Her mother’s maiden name was Ann Rutter born July 4, 1818 at Aughton, Lancashire England. Ann Harrocks, a sister next younger than Jane, and a child of eight was drowned in Aughton, Lancashire, England while playing with some boys who were fishing, she supposedly was rustling bait. Shortly after this accident the family decided to emigrate to Utah having accepted of the Gospel. The father of the family was particularly determined to gather to Zion and after considerable persuasion the wife and mother, out of loyalty to her husband accepted of his religion and decided to cast her lot with the Saints in the Rocky Mountains. Peter Harrocks, an older brother, and his wife also were emigrating at the same time with other relatives.
The Harrocks were fairly well to do people in England and from the reports were farmers who had business frequently to transact in Liverpool. In the County Clerk's Office in Salt Lake City are many papers which were evidence in the breaking of the will of Peter Harrocks, showing of money owing them in England and cash brought with them. Peter Harrocks' home was planned and built in Salt Lake City and made ready for his arrival.
The family sailed on the ship Juvinta and arrived in Philadelphia May 5, 1855. Their shipping record reads as follows:
Daniel Harrocks Age 57 Farmer Aughton Near Olmskirk, England Ann Age 37 Jane Age 14 Ellen Age 7 Elizabeth Age 3 Peter Age 1 month
From Philadelphia the company went by rail to Pittsburg and further on steamboat down the Ohio River to St. Louis, Missouri thence up the Missouri River to Mormon Grove. Andrew Jensen the Church Historian has this to say about Mormon Grove. "Mormon Grove was a temporary settlement, founded in Kansas, by the Latter Day Saints in 1855 as an outfitting place for the emigrating Saints who commenced their journey that year over the plains and mountain to Great Salt Lake Valley. During the emigration season of 1855, the place was very lively, hundreds of teams and thousands of Saints commencing their Icing march westward toward the gathering place in the Rocky Mountains. Mormon Grove was situated on the prairie four and one half miles west of the city of Atchison in Kansas on the Missouri River which was the landing place in 1855 for the Saints who commenced their westward journey that year."
Daniel Harrocks and his family were organized into what was called a second company composed of Danish Saints and the British Independent Company. Captain Jacob Secrist was in charge. He was returning from a mission in Germany. The company consisted of 368 souls, 51 wagons, 317 oxen, 100 cows and 5 horses. Captain Secrist died of Cholera [on Ketchum Creek between Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Kearney, Nebraska] on July 2, 1855, leaving Noah T. Guyman to take charge of the company.
Tragic indeed were the experiences of the Harrocks Family at Mormon Grove. Their baby and only boy of the family died and was buried there. Shortly after leaving on their journey the father Daniel Harrocks was stricken with the Cholera and died soon after. His body was returned to Mormon Grove and buried beside his son. Tradition of the family says "He had a wooden box and clean hickory shirt to be laid ways in." It was in this trying circumstance that the widow with her three daughters showed her faith and courage. Peter Harrocks, her brother-in-law offered her the money to return to England with her children but she determined to bring them to Zion. Daniel Harrocks it seems was more enthusiastic about the church and coming to Utah than his wife who came out of loyalty to her husband rather than because of her convictions.
However, it is evident when the real test came she was proven equal to the sacrifice she was called upon to make and remained true and faithful. Years afterward the burial grounds in Mormon Grove were visited by relatives and no definite locations of the graves could be determined as the old cemetery had become a corn field.
The following article was published in the Atchison, (Kansas) Daily Globe of Dec. 3, 1910, as to their burial ground. "Their burial ground was on a ridge between their village and pasture on the tract now occupied by T. E. Armstrong and belonging to Mr. Holmes. It was a short distance northwest of W. Armstrong's house. The ground has been under cultivation many years and no external evidence of the graveyard remains although Mr. Holmes can point out the exact spots where many of them repose. Many of them died of Cholera."
Arrangements were made to have O. N. Dewell, a young man who was returning from a Mission to drive the widow to the valley. Her wagon was placed third in the train. The caravan arrived safely in Salt Lake Valley and the widow camped in her wagon opposite the home built by her brother-in-law, on vacant property located on 2nd South between 2nd and 3rd East. She soon however purchased property located at 145 South 7th East and built her a comfortable adobe cottage in which she moved in Christmas Day 1855. The plaster on the walls from report still being wet. Happy indeed and grateful was the widow for her new home as they had been living in a dugout until the hew home could be occupied.
Grandma Harrocks was a thrifty hardworking woman. She immediately obtained work from some of the influential families who always welcomed her at their home. She did their house work and solicited the laundry work of the stores and had regular customers of doing the covers and towels for them. Jane, being the oldest, was left in charge of the home and in addition work was brought home for the girls to do. In this way the family was provided for and it should be said to all generations to come and to her everlasting credit, she honestly earned every dollar she received with her own hands and even saved the money for her burial expense, a worthy example for her posterity.
Jane made the acquaintance of Charles Livingston who she married May 25, 1861 by William A. McMaster, and later in the Endowment House. A wedding reception was given by the widow. It is of interest to know that her husband was one of the men who dug her father's grave in Mormon Grove. The Livingston's were 11th Warders, also Grandma Livingston being a widow and bringing her orphan grandchildren to Zion from Scotland for the Gospel's sake. It seems almost fate that they should be brought together.
Charles Livingston was a quarryman by trade, but afterwards was a police officer, road supervisor in Salt Lake Co. and the last Superintendent of Construction on the Salt Lake Temple. The following children are the result of this marriage.
- Charles Daniel, born July 2I, 1862, and died Oct. 22, 1862 of whooping cough. Everything was done to try to cure this little boy. It is said his mother carried him to the Warm Springs in her arms every day change of air being recommended as a cure for the dread disease. As grandchildren we have seen the little red sandstone monument on the Harrocks lot in the City Cemetery and have been told how Grandpa Livingston quarried it with his own hands and was digging the grave himself when his Uncle William Dobbie went up and relieved him of his grief. This was the only son Jane ever had.
- Helen Ann was the next child. She was born Oct. 8, 1863 and died Nov. 9, 1868 of a disease which from the description was possibly typhoid fever.
- Jane Livingston was born March 26, 1866 and died from eating a poison biscuit which was set as bait for rats. April 13, 1868.
- The next child was Elizabeth born March 2, 1868, and is still living at the date of the writing of this story. This sketch is written by her son Thomas B. Child Jr.
- Mary Jane was born March 11, 1871 and died July Al 1871. She was a premature baby.
- Christina was born Feb. 21, 1873.
- Catherine was born March 2, 1877.
- Alice Grace was born Feb. 26, 1881 and died of pneumonia, April 20, 1882.
To those who knew Grandma Livingston and of the tragedies and deaths in her family many of her failings and shortcomings are overlooked. When Grandpa Livingston died on June 17, 1908, the remark was dropped by her that she had suffered the loss of him long ago. Sacrifices were made by the women of our church in those days to uphold the doctrine of polygamy and my Grandfather was no exception. After six years of married life he married his wife's sister Ellen to whom a large family was born.
Jane was always willing to share, too willing for her own good and if we can be forgiven for our passing of judgment, was imposed upon. While the children were young both families lived together but, as they grew older Jane had her own three rooms and Ellen hers.
About the year 1890 the three Harrocks daughters Jane and Ellen who married Charles Livingston and Elizabeth who married George Coulam received the estate of their Uncle Peter Harrocks. After breaking his will and sharing with his 2nd wife and attorney fees, altogether the daughters received approximately $30,000. From the results and feelings which have developed one cannot help but observe that the money did the Livingstons no good and that happiness comes only to the thrifty and honest person who earns it and not to the heir. Documents in the court prove that much of the inherited wealth came from England and should have been divided with the widow of Daniel Harrocks. How tragic that she after burying her husband on the plains should have to struggle and fight for a living all her life and then to have such large sums wasted by her children which might have eased her burden and in which she was not allowed to share.
Jane Livingston was a good reader, a Relief Society block teacher, always attended her sacrament meetings and blessed with an extra good memory. As grandchildren we enjoyed hearing her tell of her husband walking to the stone quarries and of her being able to watch him for miles on his way to work, of her going to the first shows in the old Salt Lake Theatre, of being in Cottonwood Canyon when word was received of the coming of Johnston's Army and other stories of England and pioneer life, the move south to Provo bottom and their scrubbing their home before leaving so if it was burned it would be clean. She was a great hand to be picking up after us boys and most generally had some hard candy in her pocket for us. She was a hard worker and kept her home clean.
There always seemed to be plenty of work for the Livingstons. They always had cows and horses to take care of with orchards and current bushes in the backyard and Lucerne growing on every available space that was not gardened. No one lacked for the necessities of life.
Grandma Livingston received a great deal of satisfaction from her oldest living daughter Elizabeth who had a family of 6 sons and 2 daughters, and most of her time was spent at her house. Her other daughters caused her great anxiety because of circumstances and she has often said "There is worse trials than laying them away." Toward the end of her life she fell and broke her arm and dislocated her ankle and finally rheumatism set in which was so serious it twisted her limbs and body into such a misshapen condition that on July 2, 1914, age 72, she died which must have been a happy relief. Her funeral was held in the llth Ward where she had resided all her life since leaving England.
As years roll by and we see our own faults and reflect on the weaknesses of our friends and relatives we must admit that the faults of Jane Harrocks Livingston grow less and less with the passing years and that her virtues continue to stand out brighter and brighter and that if mental and bodily suffering and determination prepare us for the life to come she is most certainly prepared to meet her Maker.
Newspaper Clipping - Mrs. Jane H. Livingston
Impressive funeral services were held in the Eleventh Ward Chapel yesterday noon for Mrs. Jane H. Livingston, widow of the late Charles Livingston. The chapel was filled to capacity with friends of Mrs. Livingston and of the family.
Bishop William Armstrong presided and he and Mr. Coulam, John M. Knight of the presidency of Ensign stake, and David Cameron were the speakers, all paying glowing tributes to the memory of Mrs. Livingston. Vocal solos were given by Melvin Peterson and Josephine Gustaveson. Burial was in the City cemetery, where many assembled to pay their final respects to the decedent. The pall bearers were Thomas, William, Harold, and Stanley Child and Charles and Archibald Livingston.
Grave dedicated by S. M. Taylor
Death's Call Comes to Mrs. Jane H. Livingston
Mrs. Jane Horrocks Livingston, 73 years of age, widow of Charles Livingston, died yesterday, Thursday July 2, 1914, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Thomas S. Child, #153 Seventh East Street, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mrs. Livingston had been a resident of Utah since 1855, in which year she crossed the plains to Salt Lake. She was a native of Lancashire, England. In 1861 she married Charles Livingston in Salt Lake. Mr. Livingston was a member of the Salt Lake police department about 20 years. Mrs. Livingston is survived by three daughters.
Funeral services will be held at Noon Sunday, July 5, 1914, at the Eleventh Ward chapel. Burial will be in the City Cemetery. (Deseret News, 1914, Fridahy July 3, p.5.)
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