Elizabeth Hardman and Joseph Morgan

Morgan/Gilbert/Smith/Hodgkinson.

Joseph Morgan was born in Preston, Lancashsire, England on 21 January 1808, the son of John Morgan and Mary Mitchell.  Some researchers said that Joseph and Elizabeth knew each other during childhood. They married on 28 June 1828 in Preston, Lancashsire, England.  Elizabeth was born 22 March 1810 in Salwick, Lancashire, England. She was the daughter of Richard Hardman and Elizabeth Hodgkinson Hardman.  (Elizabeth is from the Smith side - but is a Hodgkinson - we have "Hodgkinson" blood from both sides.)

Joseph was 20 years and Elizabeth was 18 years of age when they married. They had five children, two of whom died in childhood. John (our ancestor) was second oldest, born 28 March 1820 in Preston, England.  Joseph was the Grand Master of a Free Mason Lodge. The Mormon elders had arrived in Preston and had held a few meetings there. It happened that the Mormon meetings were held the same nights as the Lodge meetings, so he was not privileged to attend any of their meetings. One day while at work Joseph became seriously ill and was taken home to his wife. He grew rapidly worse and passed away within 24 hours in Preston, Lancashire, England on 13 March 1838.

Elizabeth Hardman Morgan

Elizabeth was suddenly a widow with two young children to raise, the oldest, Mary, was 11 years old. John (our relative) was 8. Elizabeth was expecting a new baby when her husband died. About three months after his father's death, Edward was born on 20 October 1838. He was blessed by a Mormon Elder, Willard Richards (who would be ordained an apostle two years latter, serve as Church Historian and private secretary to Joseph Smith and as a counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency. ) Joseph was only 30 years old when he died and had been married not quite 11 years. Shortly after her husband's death two Mormon elders came to Elizabeth's door preaching the gospel. She became converted and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, her native land**. She was baptized 18 December 1838 when Edward, her new baby, was about 2 months old. In the spring of 1841, Elizabeth and her three living children emigrated to America a sailing ship, the Shefield.* They landed in New Orleans on April 13, 1841. From there they traveled to Nauvooo, Illinois, arriving on 1 June 1841. Christopher Marley took Elizabeth, Edward and John to live with him. Hyrum Smith took Mary into his home to live. Mary, the oldest child in the family, died while she was living with Hyrum Smith's family in 1842. She was about 13 years old at the time of her death.

 Elizabeth married a second time in 1842, probably in Nauvoo, Illinois. The man she married was named Francis Birch.  Elizabeth and Francis Birch remained in Nauvoo until 1846 when they moved to Alton, Illinois, which is just outside of St. Louis.  While in Alton the oldest son John, met and married Ann Gillett 5 April 1850 , who had just arrived from England with her family. After being in Alton for four years, the family left for the west on April 13, 1850 in Stephen Markham's Company (Note: This is just 8 days after John and Ann were married.) They traveled across the plains by ox team, arriving in Salt Lake City on 6 October 1850. It took them six months to cross the plains.

They moved into the Eleventh Ward in Salt Lake City until the spring of 1851 when they moved to Millcreek. Elizabeth spent much time with the sick and afflicted. She went through many hardships incident to pioneer life.Francis Birch died at his home in Mill Creek on 30 April 1875, leaving Elizabeth a widow for the second time in her life. Elizabeth, a faithful Latter-day Saint, died on 10 March 1882 in Millcreek, Salt Lake, Utah of pheumonia. John and Edward Morgan, loved and cared for their mother throughout her lifetime, and lived near her even after they married. Both sons served missions for the church, raised large families, and were well respected for their faithfulness and leadership in their communities. Their father, Joseph Morgan, would have been proud of the legacy he left--two righteous men who were raised by a woman who did not fear crossing the Atlantic Ocean to build a new life with her children. All three of these people were brave, strong, and faithful early pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley.
*  For a passenger list and stories of the voyage of the Shefield CLICK HERE.
** Elizabeth was a convert of the first group of missionaries in Great Britain who arrived in Liverpool July, 1837 and focused their efforts on Preston. CLICK HERE.