Census Journey Part 11
THE PARKINSONS, WOODWARDS, THIRKELLS & DARLEYS in 1842, 1850, 1853 and 1860 by K. Dixit, Sept. 2002 (revised in 2004)
Contents:
- Ma Pearlie and Papa Charley
- Ship's Record from 1842
- 1850 Census - Pottawattamie County, Iowa
- Ships' Records from 1853.
- Census of June 1, 1860, Cache County, Utah Territory
My great-grandparents were born and raised in Wellsville, Utah. Their names were Sylvia Pearl Parkinson ("Ma Pearlie") and Charles Thirkell Darley ("Papa Charley"). Papa Charley was born in 1880 in Wellsville, and moved to Oregon as a young man. Ma Pearlie was born in 1885 in Wellsville, and lived there until age 23. Papa Charley proposed to Ma Pearlie by mail from Oregon, enclosing a diamond ring with the letter. She took a train by herself to her sister's house in Nevada City, California, and she and Charles were married there, in 1908. They had an exciting life, moving around to different towns in Oregon as they followed Papa Charley's profession of civil engineering. He was known throughout the Northwest as a person who could solve irrigation problems, and he continued to work on projects until his 80's, or longer. Ma Pearlie kept her family of 5 girls and one boy well-fed and happy through the Great Depression, and through Charles's sometimes long absences from home, while he worked on engineering projects. They were much-loved by their 6 children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who all enjoyed being with them at large family gatherings in Stayton, Oregon, where they lived from 1929 onwards. Ma Pearlie died in 1977, at the age of 91, and Papa Charley died in 1981, at the age of 101. Four of their children are living now, in 2004.
Papa Charley and Ma Pearlie were both of English descent - of their 4 parents, 3 had been born in England and one had been born in Illinois to recent immigrants from England.
- Ma Pearlie's parents: Henry Fielding Parkinson and Betsy Barnes Woodward (in the 1860 Wellsville census, Henry and Betsy were ages 18 and 16)
- Papa Charley's parents: William Frederick Darley and Jemima Brown Thirkell (in the 1860 Wellsville census, William and Jemima were ages 25 and 18)
The Woodwards, Parkinsons and Thirkells all came to the U.S. as families, and William Frederick Darley immigrated as a single man. I would like to follow these four families through the U.S. Federal Census records (viewed by subscription at http://www.ancestry.com/) in chronological order, from 1860 to 1930. Other sources will be used to provide more details (in particular, two wonderful books):
- William Frederick Darley and Jemima Brown Thirkell: Their Ancestors and Descendants. Published by the William Frederick Darley Family Organization, Archibald E. Darley, Pres. Centreville, Utah. 1st Edition, June 1965. Printed by the Carr Printing Company, Bountiful, Utah. I will call it the "Darley/Thirkell book".
- Timothy Parkinson and Ann Fielding: Their Ancestors and Descendants. Editors Virginia Parkinson Darley Miller and Larie Goss Cory, 1st Edition July 1972. http://www.familysearch.org/ LDS immigration records (viewed at LDS Family History Center, and on the CD-Rom "Mormon Immigration Index", purchased at the Family History Center).
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1842 was the third year of Mormon immigration to the U.S., at that time still mainly from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Joseph and Margaret Woodward, together with their infant son, traveled aboard the ship "Hope" - departing Liverpool on 5 Feb 1842, and arriving in New Orleans on 1 Apr 1842. My direct ancestors are in bold type.
Woodward, Joseph; 25; England; Shoemaker
Woodward, Margaret; 24; England
Woodward, James; infant; England
From the Autobiography of George Morris, as quoted on the CD-Rom "Mormon
Immigration Index":
". . . I
arrived in Liverpool on the 4th and set sail on the 8th of Feb. 1842 upon
the good ship Hope, the captain's name was Saul. The cargo was Saints bound
for Zion, 270 in number. So with all these favorable coincidence it might
reasonably be expected that we would have prosperous voyage. We had been 9
weeks and 3 days when we landed in New Orleans and had one death on the
way. We steamed up the Mississippi on a steamboat called "Louisa," landed
in Nauvoo the 13th of April, 1842, and went to work 3 days after landing
on the Nauvoo brickyard to make brick for the Nauvoo House. . . .
" [p.19] BIB: Morris,
George, "Autobiography of George Morris," (Mimeographed, 1953) p. 19. (HDL)
see note on the brother and parents of Margaret Molyneux Barnes Woodward
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1850 Census - Pottawattamie County, Iowa
The Woodwards had first settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, probably in 1842, but had fled that town along with other Latter-day Saints around 1846.
They were found in the 1850 Census of Pottawattamie County, Iowa (district 21, family no. 607):
Name, age, birthplace:
Joseph Woodard, 38, England
Margaret Woodard, 34, England
James Woodard, 12, England
Betsy Woodard, 7, Illinois
Joseph Woodard, 6/12, Iowa
The "occupation" space was left blank for all family members.
The birthplaces of the Woodwards' children (as indicated by http://www.familysearch.org/ and census records) give us the best clues as to their movements:
- Henry, born 1838 in Salford, Lancashire, England
- James, born 1840 in Salford, Lancashire, England
- Betsy, born 1843/44 in Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois
- Joseph, born abt Nov 1849 in Plum Hollow near Council Bluff, Pottawattamie Co., Iowa
- Rachel, born Jul 1852, "crossing plains", Nebraska
- (twins) Martha and
- Margaret, born Jan 1855 in Grantsville, Tooele Co., Utah
- Hyrum, born Apr 1857 in Wellsville, Cache Co., Utah
- (James?) - additional child found only in 1870 census. Born in Utah.
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The Thirkells, Parkinsons, and William Darley were all living in England until 1853. According to the ships' records database at the LDS Family History Center, both the Thirkells and Parkinsons were on board the ship "Ellen Maria", which left Liverpool on the 17th of Jan, 1853. Most likely they met each other for the first time on board the ship.
From the passenger list of the Ellen Maria, dep. date 17th Jan, 1853 from Liverpool, arr. New Orleans 6 Mar, 1853.
(name, age, place of origin, and occupation -- note that the "place of origin" is in many cases not the birthplace)
Parkinson, Mary; 50; Tottington
Parkinson, Timothy; 46; Tottington; Block Printer
Parkinson, Charles G.; 21; Tottington; Penciller for Engravers
Parkinson, Sarah A.; 19; Tottington
Parkinson, Timothy; 15; Tottington; Bleacher
Parkinson, Henry; 11; Tottington
Thirkell, John; 38; Brigstock Park; Game Keeper
Thirkell, Mary; 37; Brigstock Park
Thirkell, Sarah A.; 15; Brigstock Park
Thirkell, Jemima; 11; Brigstock Park
Thirkell, Caroline; 8; Brigstock Park
Thirkell, Mary A.; 5; Brigstock Park
Thirkell, Rebecca; "10 wks"; Brigstock Park
The Parkinsons: Mary Parkinson was Timothy's second wife (the children's step-mother). The children's mother was Ann Fielding, who had died sometime soon after the birth of their youngest child, Amos, who had also died (in about 1843), according to the Parkinson book.
The Parkinsons worked in the textile industry in England, around Holcombe, Tottington (just north of Manchester). The Manchester area was the birthplace of the industrial revolution, and the textile industry was one of the main industries there.
Note: the Parkinsons also had 2 older children – John, who stayed behind in England, and Mary Ann, who settled in New York with her husband. Another daughter, Elizabeth, had died at about age 2, in England.
The Thirkells: "A neighbor, Robin Brown, gave the family shelter until John found another job. After a short time John did find another job as gamekeeper for a Mr. Goodman at the Brickstock Lodge.
"At a branch meeting John prophesied that he and his family would go to Utah and that they would experience hunger. The people were amazed that he would consider going to America when he felt this way. This prophecy was soon fulfilled after they arrived in Utah. Just before sailing to America John and Mary heard about polygamy. Mary wanted none of that and objected to their going; but John knew the Gospel was true and wanted to go to America; therefore he promised that he would not enter into plural marriage. This promise he faithfully kept.
"John Thirkell with his wife and five daughters – Sarah Ann aged fifteen, Jemima aged eleven, Caroline aged nine, Mary Agnes aged six, and Rebecca aged six months – sailed from Liverpool, England, the first of February, 1853, aboard the ship ELLEN MARIA. While on board ship a fire broke out, causing much excitement among the passengers. Shortly after the fire was controlled they found themselves stranded on a sand bar. Here they remained two or three days while a strong wind and high waves rocked the ship until it was thought that they would never reach America. John assisted the crewmen in lowering the anchor and drawing in the sails. He was a very strong man and helped while the wind whipped him from side to side. After many anxious hours and much hard work the men succeeded in freeing the ship, which was still in good condition to continue the planned voyage. When John boarded the ship, he brought with him a large teakettle and a bottle of gin. The gin was for treating the cook so that he would be able to get hot water while on the voyage. He shared the water with others on the boat and became known as the big man with the big teakettle."
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About a month after the Ellen Maria left Liverpool, William Darley of Devonshire departed from Liverpool on the ship "International", bound for New Orleans.
From the ship's record at the Family History Center, the ship "International", dep. from Liverpool 28 Feb 1853, arr. New Orleans 25 April, 1853.
Darley, William F., (21) , Woolwich, Ship Wright
The ships' records database actually says he was 2 (and a ship wright!), but a photocopy of the landing record from the Port of New Orleans, found in the Darley/Thirkell book, says he was 21.
The meeting of William Darley and Jemima Thirkell is described in the Darley/Thirkell book, pages 20-21:
"After an eventful two months' voyage the International arrived at New Orleans, United States of America, on the twenty-fifth of April, 1853.
"At this time we come to a very important incident in the life of William Frederick Darley. It was here he met the John Pinock Thirkell family – John, his wife, Mary Brown, and five daughters: Sarah Ann, aged 15; Jemima, aged 11; Caroline, age nine; Mary Agnes, age six; and Rebecca, age nine months. ...
"John Thirkell had sent to America in advance money with which he had purchased two wagons and a team and a half of oxen; a man named Wilson owned the other half team. John had been assigned captain of ten in the company; consequently, when William Frederick Darley, aged twenty-one, asked to drive and travel with Brother Thirkell, he was accepted without hesitation.
"This company under the direction of Jacob Gates consisted of 262 persons, 147 oxen, thirty-three wagons, forty-seven cows, three mares, one bull, three lambs and five dogs. The company left Keokuk, Iowa, the third of June, 1853."
More information about the Jacob Gates Company at www.lds.org.
The Parkinsons traveled to Utah with the Company of Cyrus H. Wheelock - more information at www.lds.org.
Lost along the way to Utah were the following children, who died on the long overland journey from New Orleans (info is from the Darley/Thirkell book and Parkinson book):
Rebecca Thirkell, one year old, died crossing the plains on the 3rd of Aug, 1853
Mary Agnes Thirkell, six years old, died crossing the plains on the 10th of Aug, 1853
Sarah Ann Parkinson, age 19, died abt. 1853 in Omaha, Nebraska (or 1858?)
"The [Thirkell] family possessions had been packed into five large boxes; two of these were emptied and used as coffins for burying the children."
@
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More from the Darley/Thirkell book:
"On arriving in Salt Lake on the twenty-sixth of September, 1853, they were advised by President Brigham Young to go on to Grantsville. The weary company traveled another twenty-seven miles to reach a place to settle. Arriving at Grantsville, they set up their tents. These were to be their homes until logs could be cut and brought from the canyon to build houses. William Frederick helped the Thirkell family cut logs and build a two room house, and then he went with Mr. Burrbanks to work at the salt plant.
"After a couple of years at the salt plant, William Frederick returned to Grantsville and lived with the Thirkell family, helping them clear ten acres of land of greasewood. In the fall of 1855, they planted this land to wheat, but in the spring of 1856, they had no water with which to irrigate it, and the grasshoppers were so thick that the family raised very little wheat.
"William Frederick and Jemima Brown Thirkell, second daughter of Mary Brown and John Thirkell, were married on the twenty-second of March, 1857."
There were many problems in Grantsville, and Brigham Young advised the Grantsville settlers to find a suitable location in the Cache Valley, up until then unoccupied by any white settlers. Our ancestors were not in the first scouting party to the Cache Valley in 1856 (which included the Maughans and several others), but stayed behind in Grantsville until the next spring.
"When the members of the scouting company returned to Cache Valley in the spring of 1857, William Frederick Darley and his wife Jemima and her father, John Thirkell, returned with them, leaving the mother, Mary, and three daughters in Grantsville. The eldest daughter, having married John Pool, was making her home in Grantsville. Others that joined the company were: Timothy Parkinson, Timothy F. Parkinson, Henry F. Parkinson, James Cooper, Joseph Woodward, William Gardner, Cooper Cummens, Frank Gunell, John Rees, Thomas Obery, George and Elias Edwards, and some of their families."
A good crop of wheat was raised and they returned to Grantsville for the winter. In the spring of 1858, all Mormons migrated to the south, due to news that US soldiers were coming. The Darley/Thirkell book relates:
"During the move south William Frederick and Jemima's first child, William Henry, was born on the ninth of May 1858, at White Fork, near where Sandy, Utah, now stands. The mother was ill with a gathered breast and wasn't able to nurse the baby. However, Jemima's mother had a baby [Henrietta] just seven months old, so she nursed both babies. This proved to be difficult at night when the baby had to be taken by his father from one wagon to the other and then returned after the nursing, but it saved the child's life, and William Frederick and Jemima were thankful that the circumstances were so favorable. A kitchen was constructed between the wagons to be used by both families; they lived in wagons this way until fall, when word came that the soldiers had come in peace and had moved to Camp Floyd."In the spring of 1860, the families finally moved permanently to their new home, the Cache Valley. This brings us up to 1860, the first U.S. Federal Census year after our ancestors' arrival in Utah.
Census of 1860 (June 1), Cache County, Utah Territory
The Cache County section of the census (on www.ancestry.com) consists of one section entitled "unknown townships", that is 66 pages long. Our 4 families were found on pages 4 and 5 of this. There is no name given for "town/city", so perhaps they had not yet named the town of Wellsville, having only been there for a few months.
1860 Census, Utah Territory, Cache County, _____ City. Enumeration date 26 July, 1860 (information regarding 1 June, 1860). Census Roll M653_1314, images number 5 and 6. Census page numbers 216 and 217. Listed are name, age, and birthplace; my direct ancestors are in bold;.
In the 1640th dwelling to be visited by the enumerator (the 1581st family) [Note: The dwelling number and family number are very high, so I guess the numbering must have been carried on from other nearby areas, as there were only a few families and dwellings in Wellsville at that time.]
The Parkinsons in 1860:
(name, age, birthplace)
Timothy Parkinson, 44, England
Martha Parkinson , 50?, North Carolina
Timothy Parkinson, 20, England
Henry Parkinson, 18, England
David Bickmore, 16, Illinois
Danl. Bickmore, 12?, Iowa
Jos. Jensey?, 10, Massachussetts
Jno. Mc Donnel, 10, Scotland
Timothy Parkinson was a farmer, with real estate worth $800 and personal estate $1000.
According to the Parkinson book, Timothy Parkinson's second wife, Mary Nuttal Haslam, had died in Grantsville. She had made the journey from England to Utah with the familiy, and was the first white adult to be buried in Grantsville. Martha, shown here in 1860, was Timothy's third wife. The Parkinson book states, "Further research shows that Timothy took a third wife, Martha Harville, born June 4, 1811 in Kainey, North Carolina; sealed to Timothy June 4, 1856. He was sealed to Rebecca Wood on October 4, 1869." The Ancestral File at http://www.familysearch.org/ shows Martha's name as Martha Harville Bickmore. She had been married previously to a Mr. Bickmore, and David and Daniel Bickmore were her sons – stepbrothers for Henry and Timothy.
Henry and Timothy's older brother Charles G. Parkinson had stayed behind in Grantsville. The Parkinson book states that Charles opened the first photograph gallery in Grantsville, and that he was also a painter. He would have been 28 at the time of this census, already married to the daughter of the "big man of the town", with 3 small children. His family home remained in Grantsville. Also in the Parkinson book:
"It is said that Charles and his family dressed quite fancy. The family had been well to do in England and Charles wore green or black velvet trousers with bright buckles, long black stockings and low cut shoes. Since the natives of Grantsville were not used to these fancy clothes and customs, it was difficult for awhile for the Parkinson family to fit in."
Note: a later search of the 1860 census finds Charles G. Parkinson and his wife, Anna M. (Hannah Maria) living in Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah, with their three children -- Charles G., age 4, Henry T., age 3, and Charlotte A., age 6 months. Charles was 28 years old and a farmer; Anna was also 28. See additional notes on Charles Graham Parkinson and his two wives, Hannah Maria Clark and Sarah Hill Parkinson.
Back to Wellsville in 1860 -- On the next page, 7 families away from the Parkinsons --
The Woodwards in 1860:
Joseph Wodward, 49, England
Margaret Wodward, 45, England
Betsy Wodward, 16, Illinois
Joseph Wodward, 10, Iowa
Rachel Wodward, 8, U.T.
Margaret Wodward, 5, U.T.
Martha Wodward, 5, U.T.
Hyram Wodward, 3, U.T.
Jos. Ekleson, 20, England
Joseph Woodward was a farmer, with real estate valued at $350 and personal estate $260. Joseph, Rachel, Margaret, and Martha had attended school within the year.
Betsy Barnes Woodward had been the first child of the Woodwards to be born in the U.S. (in Nauvoo, Illinois, in either 1843 or 1844). The Parkinson book says, "An incident is told of how her mother took her in her arms and went to the scene and actually saw the Prophet Joseph Smith when he was martyred at Carthridge Jail." The Woodwards later joined the migration from Nauvoo to Utah, probably taking a couple of years to complete the journey, and ending up in Grantsville about the same time as the Parkinsons, Thirkells, and William Darley (all fresh from England). At this point, 1860, they had already been living in the U.S. for about 18 years.
According to the Ancestral File at http://www.familysearch.org/, Joseph Hague Woodward and Margaret Molyneux Barnes had also had 2 older children who were born in England (in Salford, Lancashire – very near Manchester). They were Henry (born in 1838 in Salford, and died in 1839 while the family was still in England), and James (born in 1840 in Salford, and may have died in 1847 in St. Louis, Missouri (according to one source), or perhaps after 1850, as he appears to be in the 1850 Pottawattamie Co., Iowa census).
According to both the Parkinson book and the FamilySearch website, Betsy Barnes Woodward and Henry Fielding Parkinson were married in Jan, 1860 (FamilySearch.org says the 2nd of Jan). However, in the census records here for June 1860, Betsy is living with her family and listed with her maiden last name. I don't know what the explanation might be for this.
Betsy and Henry Parkinson's first child, Henry, was born the following year, on 16 Dec., 1861, in Wellsville (according to the FamilySearch website), and died the next year. The Parkinson book says, "When Betsy's first child, Henry, was less than a year old, he contracted whooping cough and died." Betsy and Henry Parkinson would have a total of 12 children -- their 10th child was Sylvia Pearl, who married Charles Thirkell Darley in 1908.
Back to the 1860 Census, on the same page, right next door to the Woodwards --
The Thirkells and the Darleys in 1860:
Jno. Thirkell, 45, England
Mary Thirkell, 44, England
Emily Thirkell, 6, U.T.
Henrietta Thirkell, 2, U.T.
Wm. Darley, 25, England
Jemimah Darley, 18, England
Wm. H. Darley, 2, U.T.
Thos. Darley, 3mos, U.T.
John Thirkell was a farmer, with real estate valued at $360 and personal estate $900. Emily Thirkell had attended school within the year. William Darley's age, 25, doesn't match up with his age 7 years before on the ship, "International" – then he was 21, so now he should be 28. Which is right?
Altogether, John and Mary Thirkell had 7 daughters. Information on each of them, from the Darley/Thirkell book and FamilySearch.org:
- Sarah Ann -- by 1860 she was married to John Pool and living in Grantsville or Ogden. Note: a later search of the 1860 census finds the Pools living in Cache County, Utah -- John Pool, age 26, a laborer, Sarah A. Pool, age 22, and their children Sarah E., age 4, Mary A. and Rebecca A., age 2, and John, age 9 months.
- Jemima -- shown here, age 18 and married to William Darley;
- Caroline -- she is not shown above, or anywhere nearby, but she would have been 15 that year. The Darley/Thirkell book says she had moved to Cache Valley with her family, and that, in 1861, she married Edwin Mitton. In this 1860 census, he is living right next door to the Thirkells in Cache Valley, age 20, with his mother and 2 brothers. Other sources suggest that Caroline was briefly married at this time to another man, Alexander Brice Hill, but this marriage soon ended in divorce. Note: a later search of the 1860 census confirms that a Caroline Hill is a part of the family of Daniel and Elizabeth Brice Hill, which also includes their son, Alexander B. Hill, in Cache County, Utah.
- Mary Agnes, who died on the way to Utah;
- Rebecca, who died on the way to Utah;
- Emily Alice -- shown here age 6. She lived a long and productive life in Wellsville – she was married twice, to Mr. Baugh and, later, Mr. John, but had no children of her own, though she raised 2 little girls, Lydia and Ethel (according to the Darley/Thirkell book). The Darley/Thirkell book also says, "In 1890, Emily attended a nursing class which helped to prepare her for the work for which she became best known and most loved. Many were the homes into which she came night or day, on a moment's notice. When sickness struck and help was needed, someone was sure to say, 'Send and get Aunt Emily'. She was always ready to help and, at times, seemed to go day after day with little or no sleep. She was an Angel of Mercy to many families of her community."
- Henrietta, who as an infant had shared her mother Mary Thirkell's milk with Jemima's son, William H. Darley. Both Henrietta and her nephew William are shown in this family in the 1860 census, age 2. Henrietta died in March, 1861, at the age of 3 ½.
Though the Thirkell name itself did not continue, the Thirkells have many descendants today – Pools, Mittons, all the Darleys of Wellsville, and many others.
2nd daughter Jemima Thirkell and her husband William Darley would have a total of 11 children together (7 boys and 4 girls), ten of whom lived until at least 80 years old. Their 9th child was Charles Thirkell Darley (my great-grandpa), who married Sylvia Pearl Parkinson (my great-grandma), the 10th child of Henry Parkinson and Betsy Woodward. My great-grandparents' marriage in 1908 finally joined the families of Henry Parkinson and Jemima Thirkell, who, 55 years earlier, had been two 11-year-olds departing from Liverpool with their families on the same ship, the Ellen Maria.
This story will continue with the 1870 census in Census Journey Part 12.