Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Nathaniel Spens

Male 1838 - 1916  (78 years)


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  • Name Nathaniel Spens 
    Born 21 Jun 1838  Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Christened 23 Aug 1838  New Jerusalem Church, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 25 Nov 1916  Mountainville, Sanpete, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 29 Nov 1916  Mount Pleasant City Cemetery, Mount Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I12  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family 1 Jane Ann Burnhope,   b. 17 Jan 1840, East Bolden, Westoe, Durham, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Apr 1865, American Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 25 years) 
    Married 4 Sep 1861  Newcastle upon Tyne St John, Northumberland, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F7  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Margaret Philpot,   b. 4 Dec 1824, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 21 Mar 1867, American Fork, Utah, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 42 years) 
    Married 12 Jun 1865  , , Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F13  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 Mary Jane Campbell,   b. 4 Oct 1848, Oakley or Saline, Fife, Scotland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 29 Jul 1921, Mountainville, Sanpete, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 72 years) 
    Married 21 Jun 1869  Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F14  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Censuses:
      1851 Eng: District 4, All Saints Parish, East Minicipal Ward, Borough of Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, p. 23 of 59:
      James Spens, mar. 54, master printer, b. in Scotland.
      Isabella, wife, mar. 52, b. Scotland.
      Sarah A., dau., unmd., 22, b. Durham, Gateshead.
      Nathaniel, son, 13, b. Scotland.
      William, son, 11, b. Scotland.
      John, son, 9, b. Scotland.

      1880 US: 1st to 10th Ward, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, NA film T9-1337, p. 14C:
      Nathaniel Spens, painter, M, 43, Scot, Scot, Scot.
      Mary, keeping house, wife, M, 29, Scot, Scot, Scot.
      Isabella, dau., S, 19, Eng, Scot, Scot.
      Eliz'h, at school, dau., 14, UT, Scot, Scot.
      Jas., at school, son, 10, UT, Scot, Scot.
      Thos., son, 8, UT, Scot, Scot.
      Mary Jane, dau, 6, UT, Scot, Scot.
      Eliz'h, dau, 4, UT, Scot, Scot.
      Nathaniel, son, 7M, UT, Scot, Scot.
      Eliz'h Campbell, mother-in-law, W, 58, Scot, Scot, Scot.

      1900 US: Mt. Pleasant precinct excluding Mt. Pleasant City, Sanpete, Utah, p. 174A [living next door to a son James Spens]:
      Nathaniel Spens, Jun 1836, 63, m. 31 years, Sco Sco Sco, emigrated 1863, farmer.
      Mary, wife, Aug 1848, 51, m. 31 years, Sco Sco Sco, emigrated 1867.
      Nathaniel A., son, Oct 1879, 20, S, UT Sco Sco, farm laborer.
      John A., son, May 1884, 16, S, UT Sco Sco.
      Sarah, dau., Feb 1889, 11, S, UT Sco Sco.
      Clara, dau., May 1891, 9, S, UT Sco Sco.
      Jacob Graf, servant, Apr 1889, 11, UT Ger Ger, farm laborer.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. From website : "Nathaniel Spens' Biography. Draft by Louise Brown February 2, 2003:
      Nathaniel's Birth and Boyhood. Nathaniel Spens, son of James Spens and Isabella Irvine, was born June 21, 1838 at Number 10 East Richmond Street in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He was baptized two months and two days later Aug 23, 1838 at 24 Waterloo Place in Edinburgh in the New Jerusalem Church... Nathaniel's parents James and Isabella Irvine Spens, were born in Scotland. The birth date for James Spens that the family has of Jan 9, 1797 fits James's age given on the 1851 census. James, the son of Colonel James Spens was a copperplate printer master by trade. He married Isabella Irvine, the daughter of the late John Irvine, potter of Westpans, East of Edinburgh. James and Isabella gave their names for marriage by proclamation at the Cannongate Parish in Edinburgh on May 16, 1817. James was living at Parries close, Cannongate and Isabella was from Reids Close, Cannongate, Drummonds Land 2nd Story. According to a pocket notebook that James kept, Nathaniel was the 11th of thirteen children born to James and Isabella. Four of his older brothers and sisters were baptized in Saint Cuthbert's Parish church in Edinburgh; Thomas in 1817, James in 1819, Gilchrist in 1822, and Isabella in 1834. Sarah Ann (1829) and Robert (1830) were both baptized in St. Mary's Gateshead Parish. Mitchel (1824), James (1833, died age two weeks), Mary (1836), William (1840) and John (1842) are all thought to have been born in Scotland but do not appear to have been formerly [formally] christened or registered at birth. Elisabeth (1826) was born in Newcastle/Upon Tyne, England according to family documents and Census reports; however neither her birth nor christening has been found. Around the time of Nathaniel's birth there were recurring religious agitation in both England and Scotland with respect to ministerial authority in matters of church discipline, patronage abuse and theological "moderatism." It appears that James and Isabella readily took an interest in the reforms, either in defiance of political patronage or because they were searching for the truth. After 1836 James and Isabella did not register their children with the Church in Scotland nor in England. Nathaniel's baptism in the New Jerusalem Church in Edinburgh was recorded on a registration paper which, according to Nathaniel's niece Isabella, daughter of his sister, Sarah Ann, "The register has made a mistake with the name (Nathaniel, son of James SPENCE)." Subsequently Nathaniel's birth registration was not completed (Letter written to the cousins on March 20, 1940 from 23 Edward St, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England). A bitter blow to the established church of Scotland was a breach referred to as the Disruption of 1843 which led to the formation of the Free Church of Scotland by a third of the ministers and most of their flocks. The New Jerusalem Church espoused a new dispensation of doctrinal truth derived from the theological writings of Swedish nobleman Emanuel Swedenborg. Followers of this faith maintained that the Last Judgment took place in 1757, that the former Heaven and Earth had passed away; that the New Jerusalem descended in the form of the "New Church." They subsequently believed that the second Advent of the Lord had been realized in a spiritual sense. The New Jerusalem Church members met in a stone building situated in Percy Street in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Erected in 1822, this building seated 403 persons. On April 22, 1839 John James Spens was born to Nathaniel's oldest brother, Thomas, and his sister-in-law, Ester. Ten-month-old Nathaniel became an uncle to his brother's baby. Although his nephew's life was a short seven months, it was the beginning of being Uncle Nat to at least twenty-two nieces and nephews. A month before Nathaniel's second birthday, his brother, William, was born on May 23, 1840 and Nathaniel lost his place as the baby of the family. Sisters Bertha, Bessie, Sarah Ann and Isabella were probably happier about the arrival of William than was Nathaniel, but with that many sisters the two-year-old did not lack for motherly care and attention. That same year, on December 22, 1840, a second nephew was born and named Thomas Brown Spens (later known as William Brown Spens), a brother to John James. As Nathaniel neared the age of four, he was quite used to babies arriving so the birth of his brother, John Spens, on March 13, 1842 was probably taken in stride. Like Nathaniel, neither William's nor John's births were registered in the parish records. On October 17, 1845 in Barony Parish, the final reading of marriage banns took place for Elizabeth Spens. No one had objected so the following month, on November 14, 1845 Nathaniel's sister Bessie married John Leck in Glasgow. Perhaps all the Spenses gathered there for the wedding or perhaps they were living there - this family has an unexplained history of moving. By 1851 the Spens family had moved from Scotland to England, a move they had made several times prior to Nathaniel's birth. The family had previously lived in Newcastle-Upon Tyne and in Gateshead, just south of Newcastle across the River Tyne in Durham County. In April 1851 when the Census was taken, James Spens, age 54, and Isabella, 52, were living in the East Municipal Ward of the Parish of All Saints in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne - a Scottish family with a noticeable accent. Nathaniel, 13 years old; William, 11; and John, 9 were living at home. Nathaniel's widowed sister, Sarah A., age 22, was also with her parents, having recently lost her husband, Thomas Raey Matthews (a watchmaker by trade) and her 14-month-old daughter, Bertha Spens Matthews. Although sorrow had brought Sarah home, her presence was a blessing. Early in May, 1851, Nathaniel's mother began to have great difficulty breathing. The doctor was called and, after an examination, said she was suffering from "phthisis" (the wasting away of tissue). Sarah helped provide tender care during the next five weeks of her mother's progressive emaciation. Isabella Spens died June 12th of tuberculosis of the lungs and was buried June 15th in the Jesmond General Cemetery in unconsecrated ground in Ward 11, Section 2E. The fact that Sarah Ann was also home to care for her three young motherless brothers endeared her to them. This tie will later withstand religious differences and defy the great physical distance between herself and Nathaniel.
      Nathaniel Is Apprenticed. Nathaniel was now old enough to learn a trade. His oldest brother had become an engraver like his father and his brother William was begging to learn that trade. Nathaniel apparently had other interests. Surely he must have loved to draw. James agreed to have his son, Nathaniel, "bound out" or apprenticed to William Jackson, Printer and Glazier. Papers were signed on March 29, 1852 and on June 18, 1852, just prior his 14th birthday and only a year after his mother's death, Nathaniel was apprenticed to Mr. William Jackson. For seven years Nathaniel served as he learned the painting trade at 4 Newgate Street, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Mr. Williams lived at 2 St. Mary's Place. The Indenture papers read as follows: "This Indenture witnesseth that Nathaniel Spens, son of James Spens of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, copper plate printer, hath of his own free will and with the consent of the said James Spens, his father, testified by his executing these presents and with consent (that) put himself Apprentice to William Jackson of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, aforesaid Printer and Glazier - to learn the Art with him after the manner of an apprentice to serve from the day of the date hereof unto the full end and term of seven years from thence next following to be fully complete and ended, during which term the said apprentice, his master faithfully shall serve, his which keep, his lawful commands every which gladly do. He shall do no damage to his said master, nor see to be done of others, but to his power shall tell in faith with give warning to his said Master. Of the same he shall not waste the goods of his said Master nor lend them unlawfully to any, he shall not commit fornication nor contract matrimony within the said term; shall not play at cards or dice tables or any other unlawful games whereby his said Master may have any loss with his own goods or others during the said term without license of his said Master; he shall neither buy or sell, he shall not haunt taverns or playhouses nor absent himself from his said Master's service day or night unlawfully. But in all things as a faithful apprentice he shall behave himself towards his said Master and all this during the said term. "And the said William Jackson for himself, his executors, administrators and assigns doth covenant, promise and agree by these presents to and with the said Nathaniel Spens, the said apprentice, that he, the said William Jackson, his executors, administrators, or assigns shall and will teach, learn and instruct him, the said apprentice, or cause him to be taught, learned and instructed in the trade of Painter and Glazier which he useth by the best means that he can with all circumstances thereunto belonging and will well and truly pay or cause to be paid unto the said Nathaniel Spens the wages, following, that is to say, the sum of two shillings and six pence per week for the first and second years of the said term, the sum of three shillings and six pence per week for the third and fourth years of the said term, the sum of five shillings per week for the fifth year of the said term, and the sum of six shillings per week for the sixth and seventh years of the said term, such wages payable only during the time the said Nathaniel Spens shall be working for and employed by the said William Jackson. The said James Spens finding unto the said apprentice sufficient meat, drink, washing, lodging and all other necessaries during the said term. "And for the true performance of all and every said covenants and agreements either of the said parties bindeth himself unto the other by these presents. In witness whereof the parties above named to these indentures interchangeably have put their hands and seals the nineteenth day of June and in the fifteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, defender of the Faith and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two. "Note: The indenture Covenant article or contract must bear date the day it is executed and what money or other thing is given or contracted for the clerk or apprentice must be inserted in words at length, otherwise the Indenture will be void and the Master or Minstrel's forfeit fifty pounds and another penalty and the apprentice be disabled to follow the trade or be made free." "Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Richard Hanson." (Signature of Nathaniel, James and William). From the apprenticeship agreement, Nathaniel's wages can be seen to increase with his skill. Beginning with "the sum of two shillings and six pence per week for the first and second years," then progressing to three shillings and six pence per week for the third and fourth years, five shillings per week for the fifth year, and finally, six shillings per week for the sixth and seventh years. The money was not for shelter or meals as the apprenticeship paper clearly shows James Spens responsible for food and lodging. Due to many changes in the family, Nathaniel probably lived in more than one place during the next seven years. There are family memories that suggest Nathaniel had to walk seven miles each day during at least part of the apprenticeship. Some believe Nathaniel stayed with his sister, Sarah, during that time. By 1853 Sarah had moved to Red Barns. She and Cuthbert Douse, a joiner by trade, and a widow, were married at St. Anne's Chapel on June 7, 1853. Her father, James Spens, was a witness to her second marriage. William, only two years younger than Nathaniel, learned the copper plate printing trade of his father, either from his father or from his brother, Thomas Spens who had been taught by James Spens. Thomas taught his son, Thomas Brown Spens, who was seven months younger than William and may also have taught his younger brother to be an engraver. By this time Thomas Spens's work was well known. Soon T. Spens would be moving his China, Glass & Earthenware business from 6 Mosely Street to Grey Street, the most prestigious street in the business section of the city. The business on Grey Street would be known as Spens, William Brown, Thos. S. & Son, lithographers, engravers. Nathaniel's brother, William, would also be known as an engraver by trade. Young John, or Jack Spens, was also "bound out" at the age of thirteen. John chose to become a confectioner and was bound on February 16, 1855, according to James's pocket notebook. James Spens was a man of sorrows. Not only had he recently buried his wife, but on May 19, 1853 his daughter, Bertha (born May 14, 1822 in Edinburgh and christened Gilchrist) died, age 31, at Temperance Row with James present. The death record lists the cause of her death as apoplexy (a stroke caused by cerebral hemorrhage). Bertha was buried in unconsecrated ground, Ward 11, Section 2E, grave 3, presumably near her mother. The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, Friday, May 27, 1853 noted under Deaths: In this town on the 19th inst., in Temperance-row, Shieldfield, aged 31, Bartha (sic), daughter of Mr. James Spens. "Bartha" is a reminder of James's strong Scottish accent. James Spens courted and married Jane Gray Davison after banns in the St. Peter's Parish Church in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on July 30, 1855. Their residence was in Leazes Lane. Jane Gray Davison was a widow some years younger than James and had at least three young children, Thomas Henry, Bilton George, and a daughter. As a child Jane Gray was christened 26 Sep 1819 at Lesbury, Northumberland, England, the daughter of Henry Gray (or Grey), labourer, and Jane Archbold. Jane married Bilton Davison by banns in the Anglican Church of St. Andrew in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on April 11, 1840. During the first three years of Nathaniel's apprenticeship, many changes have been noted. Bertha had died, Sarah had remarried, John had begun his apprenticeship and someone had begun to instruct William in the engraving trade. Sarah had moved and so had Nathaniel's father. Not only had James moved but he had also remarried and now Nathaniel had at least two step-brothers and a step-sister, not to mention a step-mother! In addition, Nathaniel had four new nieces and nephews born. Finally, on May 15, 1856, there was one more change - Nathaniel's half-brother, Robert Henry Spens (later to be known as Robert James Davison) was born. At the time of Robert's birth, the family was living at Hall's Court in Leazes Lane in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. By the Summer of 1859 Nathaniel had completed his seven year apprenticeship agreement with Mr. Jackson. Like most young men, Nathaniel was full of knowledge and ready to strike out on his own. Apparently Nathaniel did not go home, or at least not for long. There is some speculation that he went to Germany for a time to learn to be be an artist. One painting, thought to be called, "Lake Hotel," is painted on a wood panel as was often done in Europe and appears to have been painted on location. (Sadly, this painting is not dated or signed.) From the 1861 Census report, it appears that all was not well with James and his new wife. Neither Jane nor their nearly 5-year-old son, Robert, was with James, but were living with Jane's children. James was listed as a printer and widower, aged 64, born in Scotland. He was living with his daughter, Sarah Ann and son-in-law, Cuthbert Douse at 61, Elswick East Terrace in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Nathaniels' brothers, William, 21, and John, 19, were also living with the Douses, bringing the household to a total of 10 persons. The Census indicates that John was married but the marriage certificate indicates he was a bachelor in 1863 at the time of his marriage. The family appears to have moved to this address within the year as they were not listed in the 1860-61 Ward Directory. Nor did they have an entry in the 1861-62 Directory suggesting that their abode at this address was fleeting. Sometime during or after completing his apprenticeship, Nathaniel is thought to have gone to the continent to learn how to paint, perhaps to Baden, Germany. On the back of one of his paintings - a beveled wooden panel - is written, "Bottom, Germany." Sometime later, Nathaniel went to live with his sister, Bessie, in Glasgow. He was lucky enough to be there in time to help out with the legal requirements of the birth of his niece - Nathaniel registered little Margaret Leck in the 1860 births in the District of Milton in the Borough of Glasgow on November 20th, nineteen days after her birth. He reported to the clerk that he had been present at the time of Margaret's birth. Five months later, Nathaniel, age 22, is still in Glasgow. In the 1861 Census he is listed as a lodger at his sister's home and his occupation is given as painter.
      Jane Ann Burnhope. Later in 1861 Nathaniel returned to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and, on Sep 4, 1861, he married Jane Ann Burnhope - a Mormon! Nathaniel's brother, John, a confectioner, was present as a witness along with John Findley who has appeared as a witness on numerous other occasions. The wedding took place in the St. John's Parish Church "according to the rites and ceremonies of the Established Church after banns." We do not know the story of Nathaniel's introduction to Jane Burnhope or to the Latter-Day Saints, or the Mormons, as they were disparagingly called. Did he meet the missionaries while walking to and from his work? Or perhaps Jane Burnhope introduced him to the missionaries. What is known is that Thomas Wallace was a traveling Elder and married to Jane Ann Burnhope's sister, Mary Ann Burnhope and that later Nathaniel and Jane Ann would follow Mary Ann and Thomas Wallace to Utah. There are no records of Nathaniel's church affiliation after his baptism in the New Jerusalem Church nor of his family continuing with the Swedenborgian faith. Unlike the large building of the New Jerusalem Church in Edinburgh where Nathaniel had been christened, the Latter-Day Saints in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne were grateful for the small rented meeting room on Nelson Street in which to worship. According to the Sunderland and South Shields Branch records, Jane Ann Burnhope was born Jan 18, 1840 in Boldon, Durham, England and baptized May 31, 1853 in Hendon Bay. Her baptism record can be found in the South Shields Branch in Northumberland. Her personal decision to be baptized and accept the gospel was encouraged and supported by her parents, Isaac Burnhope and Elizabeth Charlton who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints a few months prior to Jane Ann. Unlike the Burnhopes' joy over their daughter's affiliation with the Mormons, Nathaniel's marriage to a Mormon seems to have resulted in a division among family members. If not earlier, a division among the Spens family members became apparent following Nathaniel's decision to be baptized a Mormon on March 4, 1862. According to The Manuscript History of the British Mission, Elder Moses F. Farnsworth arrived in England on the 14th of August, 1862, shortly after Nathaniel's baptism and labored in the Newcastle-on-Tyne District as a traveling Elder, until called, on the 1st of May, 1863, to preside over said district. There does not appear to be any record of the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Branch activities in the early 1860s to verify Nathaniel's self-reported baptism date. During the first three years of their marriage, Nathaniel and Jane had two children and prepared to gather to Zion. First, Isobell Irvine, (pronounced Arvin by the Scotts, and thus written by the British registrar) was born in Jarrow, South Shields, Durham, England May 10, 1862 and named after Nathaniel's mother. Twelve months later, William Burnhope Spens was born 7 May 1863 in Jared, Durham, England, according to family tradition - there is no birth registration for William. On April 23, 1861, Jane Ann's sister, Mary Ann Burnhope Wallace left England for America, traveling with her husband Thomas Michael Wallace and daughter Annie (born 18 April 1860) on board the ship "Underwriter." Mary Ann states they came to America "for the Gospel's sake, "arriving in New York 22 May 1861. As Jane Ann and Nathaniel would later learn the Wallace family traveled to Winter Quarters and remained there from 2 June 1861 until 30 June 1861, at which time they began the trek across the plains by ox team with Captain Ira Eldredge. She noted that the captain was very kind and "had the mothers with babies ride all the way" while their husbands walked. This family arrived in Salt Lake City 15 September 1861 and in the spring of 1862 settled in American Fork where they bought a large one-room log home with one window. The first payment of $150 was made by selling their best clothes. On January 9, 1862 Nathaniel's sister, Sarah, lost her second husband, Cuthbert Douse. At that time Sarah and her family were living at 61 East Elswick Lane in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. James Spens reported Cuthbert's death and listed the same address as his own.
      Crossing the ocean. Between 1841 and 1855, most Mormon converts traveled to "Zion" by sailing to New Orleans then up the Mississippi River to various departure points. After 1856, however, options included travel by railroad from New York to Chicago and beyond. Elder George Q. Cannon, president of the European Mission, chartered three ships in 1864, "The General McClellan," "The Monarch of the Sea" and "The Hudson." These three ships transported a total of 2,633 Saints from Liverpool to New York City. The latter two ships made the voyage in 36 and 45 days respectfully [respctively]. In general immigrations to the U.S were very low due to the on-going Civil War. Undaunted, Jane and Nathaniel prepared to travel to the land of Zion to join with the Saints. Jane Ann must have looked forward to reuniting herself with her dear sister, Mary Ann. Among their possessions to be taken were Nathaniel's graining brushes, a small photograph album and a wooden-panel painting by Nathaniel. On Saturday, May 21, 1864 just after Willie's first birthday, Nathaniel and his little family sailed from Liverpool, England for New York City aboard "The General McClellan," commanded by Captain G. D. S. Trask. The following account is taken from the Millennial Star: "This ship was chartered to sail on the 20th ult. but, owing to the rain which set in, the upper deck could not be used for the purpose of examination of passengers, who had, consequently; to undergo inspection between decks. This put them to some inconvenience and discomfort, but, not withstanding this, we did not hear one unkind word or one ill-natured remark from the Saints during the proceedings, which occupied some little time. In consequence of unavoidable delays, the vessel could not be cleared until next day (21st). On the morning of the 21st President Cannon, with a number of Elders, proceeded on board the vessel for the purpose of organizing the company" (Mill. Star 26:364). Appropriate instructions were given to the Saints aboard "The General McClellan." Three returning missionaries on board were called to serve as a presidency to assist the Saints in gathering to Zion. Elder Thomas E. Jeremy was appointed to preside over the company, with Elders Joseph Bull and George G. Bywater as counselors. Elder John C. Graham who had labored in the "Millenniel Star" office for many years was appointed clerk. The account in the Millenniel Star continues, "The ship was divided off into (twelve) wards, over each of which an Elder was placed to preside. On the evening of the 21st the vessel proceeded to sea, laden with her freight of precious souls, and accompanied by the best wishes and prayers of all true Saints. She had 802 souls on board, nearly all of whom have paid their fares through to Wyoming." The Elders appointed over the wards assisted the presidency with the spiritual needs of the Saints as well as "serving out provisions" for the physical needs of these Saints. May 21, 1864, John C. Graham, clerk, sent the following communication to President Cannon through the kindness of the pilot: "All the Saints on board seem quite satisfied with their new condition. They have not yet had time to experience the effects of traveling, having been only about three hours on our way, (we started from off the Landing-stage at 6:15 p.m.); still those disagreeable effects which are invariably experienced by poor landsmen (such for instance, as myself) I presume will, in due time, be felt by our company. At present, I can hear the notes of some beautiful hymn being sung with evident delight and happiness, by a large portion of the passengers, and I suppose their countenances bear the marks of joy and gratitude for the deliverance which is afforded them by the Almighty, judging by the feeling with which they sing the verses of the hymn. We pray that our passage may be a safe, prosperous and happy one. It has been what thousands of our brethren and sisters have realized by their faith and trust in Him, and it is what we may realize, too, if we place our dependence upon God, who is the deliverer of his Saints, and the great Captain of our salvation. I hope, that I may be true to my holy calling and ever be found trying to work out my personal salvation. I have set out for this purpose. Nothing but my religion would ever have educed me to leave my native land with those prospects which are before me. I go to Zion to serve God, and I pray that when I get there I may do so (see Manuscript History of the British Mission, pp. 3-4)." On May 22, Brother Graham made the following entry: "We are just off Holyhead - all well. The boat that towed us out is just leaving. Everyone feels well, so far as I know. Those who felt a little regret before starting, now are quite satisfied and contented. I expect there will be many soon experience some disagreeable feelings - the ship having her sails unfurled and tossing a bit. We have now a fair wind and good prospects." We can only surmise the individual experience of the Spens family on board "The General McClellen" as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind their homeland. We do, however, have a carefully written account prepared as a report to President Cannon. Written Sunday, June 19th the report provides general information about the passage from Liverpool to New York City acquainting President Cannon and friends left behind of the expected "safe arrival of the ship and its precious cargo": "Our distance from the desired port is but 450 miles, which, with some of the winds that we have had while on the voyage, might very soon be made; but, with the winds that we at present have, it is not likely that we will be able to reach New York much before the expiration of another week." The brethren went on to explain that there were several sick on board who have, "since leaving England, suffered very much from extreme weakness." About the voyage, the Presidency reported: "Since bidding you adieu we have had cause for no other feeling but that of gratitude to our Father in heaven for the manifold blessings which have been conferred upon us during the passage thus far. The power of the Holy Ghost, with its healing influences, has been often demonstrated in our midst. Suffice it to say, no company could wish for a better and indeed, we very much doubt if they could have a pleasanter passage across the mighty deep than this company has had. Health has almost generally prevailed; peace, concord and the Spirit of God have been abundantly manifested." President Cannon was told that the pleasant weather, according to the captain, "has been made for the Latter-day Saints." Not only was the fair weather a subject of surprise to Captain Trask, but also the health of the crowded Saints. It is noted in the report that both the captain and the surgeon admitted, "that for such a large company, they never were associated with a more healthy or a happier class of people." Statistics confirm the health of the Saints. During the voyage only one death was reported. Five-week-old Seth Holgate died on June 6th and was consigned to a watery grave as his father mourned, his mother having died before the voyage began. Two babies were born and named after the ship - Jenny McClellan Gee and George McClellan Hutchison - the babies were healthy and both mothers recovered. The brethren went on to give more details of the voyage, recounting that "a good easterly wind" had taken the boat along smoothly for eleven days. Then came frequent head winds and a few calms, "and in consequence, the ship has had a great deal of tacking to do in order to take what advantage she could of the wind." Not withstanding the over-all good weather, some rough weather is also described: "On the night of Thursday, the 9th inst., while in the vicinity of the Banks of Newfoundland, the wind rose to a high degree, and continued to rage with increasing fury during the whole of the night. It was during this night that the ship experienced the greatest shock it had ever before, since it has been a ship, received. It was caused by a heavy sea which rolled forward in her course and completely engulfed the bow of the ship, causing the after part of the vessel to rise to a fearful height. The man on the look-out on the forecastle deck, and the man at the wheel, were nearly carried away. Such a noise of boxes falling and tins jumping caused the air to reverberate in a not very melodious manner; the cracking of timbers, mingled with a chorus of juvenile voices, you would never desire to hear again. The night was foggy (the horn being blown every few minutes), and as icebergs had been seen and felt - it was very naturally concluded that the ship had struck one of those formidable bodies and sprung a leak, for the rushing of water could be distinctly heard. However, the fears of the people were soon quieted by the reassuring words of the first officer who cried below, 'All's right,' and the words of a hymn soon restored to the timid and fearful, confidence..." Christopher Alston (Carter, 1965) was eleven years old at the time of crossing. He later recorded the storm, never having been told that, although there were icebergs in the vacinity, an iceberg did not strike the ship: "One night, in dense fog, our ship struck a monstrous iceberg and was nearly wrecked, but was miraculously saved. It was thrown from side to side - people, utensils and luggage in one great pile. The rattle of pans, dishes and baggage, and the cries of women and Children, the shouts of men, the commands of officers, the banging and bumping of the ship against the iceberg made it seem as if two monsters were trying to beat each other to pieces and the great floating mountain of ice would overwhelm the sturdy ship and sink her in the deep sea with all on board. But it was not to be so, we were in the hands of the "Master of ocean and earth and skies." Weather permitting, general meetings were held on deck and the Elders gave discourses on "the blessings which God had vouchsafed unto the Saints." Individual ward meetings were held morning and evening, and were devoted to singing, testimony bearing and praying. On the 19th of June a conference was held on deck "at which most of the passengers convened. The Presidents of the Wards occupied the chief portion of the time in bearing testimony, and advancing some timely counsel suited to the circumstances under which the Saints are placed. At this meeting several resolutions of thanks to the officers of the ship were drawn up and tendered to them, expressive of the gratitude of the Saints for the watchful care which had been shown to make them comfortable." A major item of business on the 19th of June was preparation for landing and is noted in the report to President Cannon: "In anticipation of sundry expenses which the company may have to meet - such, for instance, as the passing of the baggage through the Customs, and supporting on the journey from New York to Wyoming, those who are destitute of funds, of whom we find an unusually large number - we have made collections in the various Wards. Our call was cheerfully responded to by those who possessed means, and many were found to be acting too generously, for they were to some extent depriving themselves of what they would necessarily require. Again, in accordance with your instructions, the Saints have been recommended to deposit their sterling money in our hands, for the purpose of converting it into American currency, and taking for them advantage of the market. Those who possessed gold and silver readily transferred it for that purpose into our hands. Every preparation necessary to be made for the landing of the company at New York and everything that we could do to facilitate the business consequent on their deembarkation, have been done in view of lightening the labors of our brethren there." With so many people crowded together, the leaders were very strict and rigid in reference to cleanliness. There were a very few whose unclean habits needed repeated instruction. "Altogether, however, we can boast of a clean and orderly body of people, and the fact that none have been afflicted with any other complaint than sea-sickness, is sufficient to justify our statement." On Tuesday, June 21st, Nathaniel celebrated his 26th birthday. About 3:00 p.m. on that same day there was a "terrific commotion" on board. Someone had sighted the pilot boat. "The pilot! The pilot! The cry was taken up between decks followed by a tumultuous rush up the hatchway, and folks lined the bulwarks immediately, to await the pilot's arrival. Dinners were abandoned for the time, and a general holiday all over the ship appeared to be in full enjoyment, the excitement being intense." The pilot arrived "admidst thunders of applause." The "General McClellen" was about 130 miles from New York, traveling at about 11 1/2 knots per hour. On Wednesday, June 22nd, at 4:00 p.m., Sandy Hook came into view after 32 days of sailing. The report continued, "Expect to anchor for the night as soon as we get through Quarantine." Expecting to be leaving the ship, the resolution of thanks prepared by the company for the Captain was presented to Captain Trask shortly after sighting Sandy Hook. The Captain made the following written reply: "Gentlemen (Messrs. Jeremy, Bull, Bywater and Graham), - You will please accept and convey to the passengers my thanks for the very handsome testimonial which you have presented me with. I am happy that my endeavors to make your passage pleasant and agreeable have been successful, and acknowledge the pride I feel in so flattering an approval of my course and conduct. The gratitude evinced, the regard conveyed, and the thorough feeling of kindness and respect manifested by them, are both appreciated and reciprocated, and will be long treasured. And I trust this favorable passage is a foreshadowing of the remainder of your journey - not only to Utah, but through life - and that you and they may be richly blessed in the enjoyments a good people are deserving of. Signed GOD. Trask." NEW YORK, AMERICA On that same June 22, in the evening the report to President Cannon continued with the following message: "9 o'clock p.m. - Just anchored in the bay. The people passed the medical officer without difficulty. Captain Trask handed Brother Graham a couple of sovereigns, one to be given to each of the parents of the two children born on the voyage, accompanied by his best wishes for the children's welfare. May the Lord bless him for his kindness to the people." The conclusion of the report was written on Thursday morning, June 23, 1864: "We are now waiting for our landing at Castle Gardens, so we will bring this letter to a close, and pray that God may bless you and all whom we have left behind, with the choicest of his blessings" (Mill. Star 26:476). Castle Garden was formerly known as Castle Clinton. Castle Clinton was a federal fort built in 1807 when tension between Great Britain and the United States was escalating. Situated on an island some 300 feet off the tip of Manhattan Island, its 28 guns and eight-foot-thick walls offered security through the War of 1812. In 1823 Castle Clinton was converted to a theater, renamed Castle Garden, and was the scene of many spectacular social events. Not many years later, Castle Garden was incorporated into Manhattan by landfill from the construction of subways. In 1855 Castle Garden became an immigrant landing depot and during the next 45 years about eight million people, including Nathaniel Spens, were processed at the old fort. Finally, in 1890, the federal government took over the state-operated reception depot after numerous reports of corrupt officials exploiting unsuspecting aliens. The continuing influx of immigrants swamped Castle Garden and, in 1892, the operation was transferred to Ellis Island. In 1946 Fort Castle Clinton was restored and designated as a National Monument (Allen, 1990). There were upwards of one thousand emigrants at Castle Garden in advance of the Saints aboard "The General McClellan," and it was necessary to spend one more night on board the ship. Elders Joseph A. Young, Brigham Young, Jr. and Paul A. Schettler boarded the ship Thursday evening and addressed the Saints. They expressed satisfaction at the prearrangement of the business connected with the landing of the people and their further journey toward Wyoming. Elders J. A. Young, B. Young, Jr., and Schettler had not received communication respecting the business of these Saints nor a list of the passengers. Notwithstanding the mail steamer with this information had been detained at sea, these three brethren were able to settle everything with surprisingly little difficulty as noted in the presidency's report: "There was but one obstacle that we foresaw would interfere with our immediate departure from New York, and that was the examination of the passengers' baggage, which we anticipated would be diligently overhauled by the officers. Doubtless through the heavy demands on the United States Government for the continued support of the expensive war now being waged upon this continent, a strict and rigid system of searching emigrants' luggage for contraband articles, is enforced; the officers charge for almost everything besides what individuals are clothed with. This obstacle, however, was removed, and we succeeded in having everything landed without the people being detained in New York longer than twelve hours. We left New York in the afternoon (Friday, June 24) for Albany, by the magnificent steamboat, St. John, and arrived early the following morning (Saturday, June 25). The organization of the company remained, at Brother Joseph A. Young's desire, as it originally stood."
      Travel from New York to Nebraska. According to young Christopher Alstron, the company traveled up the Hudson River toward Canada "to avoid the Armies of the Rebellion, broken bridges, uptorn railways, etc. incident to a war which was raging in the States between the North and the South, with blood and rapine in all the land " (Carter, 1965). After a few hours in Albany, the Saints continued their journey by "cars" (railway cars). On Sunday morning they reached Rochester where they were detained until 2 o'clock in the afternoon, according to the Manuscript History of the British Mission. There had been "an accident to the luggage-train locomotive which was in our rear." At Buffalo, "in consequence of our detention at Rochester," railroad officials distributed a quantity of biscuits and cheese to the passengers. Another distribution was made at Fort Huron. At Chicago Judge Kinney of Utah and Elders William S. Godbe and Francis A. H. Mitch gave President Thomas E. Jeremy fifty dollars to assist the immigrating Saints. According to the Manuscript History of the British Mission, "This money and the generous help of the railroad officials were much appreciated as a large number of the emigrants were entirely destitute of means and dependent upon President Jeremy and his assistants to supply their needs." Parley P. Pratt joined this company in Chicago and traveled with them to Wyoming near Omaha, Nebraska Territory. [Kerry's note: this appears incorrect since Parley died circa 1857 unless this should be Orson Pratt, Parley's brother.] Nathaniel must have heard firsthand some of the stories this missionary shares with present-day readers through his autobiography. Parley's joining the Saints surely was one of "the blessing of the Lord" noted to have been upon the travelers, "his providence has met us under every ill-favoured circumstance and supplied our wants." The presidency continue their report, "To no other power but the power of the Almighty can be ascribed our prosperity and success." On July 1, 1864 after six days on the train, the Saints arrived in St. Joseph, Missouri and "occupied a large shed-room attached to the warehouse of the Steam-packet Company." Having arrived on the frontier of civilization, the Saints took extreme safety precautions according to the following details from the Manuscript History: "Every able-bodied man was stationed as a guard, so that clear around the building there was a strong guard watching the safety and property of those who slept. Some of the Saints preferred sleeping in the open air, in consequence of the intense heat, which is such as many - especially from the old country - never experienced before. Around these was also stationed a strong guard." On July 2nd about half-past ten in the morning, the journey by steamer up the Missouri River began with the expectation of reaching Wyoming by the 3rd in the evening. As expected, on July 3rd, the company reached their destination of Wyoming, Nebraska Territory. No deaths had occurred since little Seth died while crossing the Atlantic. With only one or two exceptions, all the Saints who left England with this company, together with a few who had joined the company in New York and along the way, arrived in Wyoming safely.
      Crossing the Plains. Wyoming was a village situated on the west bank of the Missouri River, seven miles north of Nebraska City and 40 miles south of Omaha, Nebraska. The village of Wyoming was selected by the Church leaders as an outfitting station that year (Mill.Star 27:16). Two large warehouses had been constructed in addition to a store, the emigration office, a coral and a few dwellings. Elder Joseph Young was in charge of the outfitting station. Earlier this particular year, at Brigham Young's request, the Utah Church members again responded to the call to assist emigrating Saints. A total of 170 wagons, 1,717 oxen, 58 horses and 28 mules were sent in charge of six captains, 27 mounted guards and 144 experienced teamsters (Journal History of March 6, 1864). More was needed than transportation and good honest men who were expected to conduct themselves as if on a mission. Supplies requested for the trip East included molasses, grain, meat, and cotton. A large amount of freight was also sent to Utah from Wyoming, Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railroad did not begin to move west from Omaha until July 10, 1865 so all freight ordered by merchants, contractors and private individuals was freighted through the Church Emigration Office. Merchandise, ironware, stoves, glass and other commodities were loaded on wagons and moved west. President Joseph Young stated that "after all the wagons had been loaded, there were still one hundred tons of freight in the warehouses ready for shipment." Gold seekers and pioneers migrating west to California, Oregon and Washington increased the shortage of good wagons and strong animals for the Latter-Day Saints' use. Immediately the newly-arrived Saints began preparing for their overland journey of more than a thousand miles - across the great plains of Nebraska, over the mountains in Wyoming and Utah and finally into the Great Salt Lake Valley to their new home in Zion. From the Presidency's report we read: "The Saints have commenced camp life already. Some are sleeping in wagons, others under tents, and others, again, with nothing but the sky to cover them. This change in their mode of life, however, has its novelty and its pleasures. A few only express themselves dissatisfied with the change, and because of the inconveniences they have been subjected to, consider that the Work of God here and on the journey hither, is not the same glorious Work which they labored to promote in those lands whence they came." Most of the Saints were assigned either to Captain Rawlins or to Captain Warren's company. Nathaniel, Jane and their children, Isabella and Willie, were assigned to the Rawlins Company, and on July 15th, just twelve days after their arrival in Camp Wyoming, continued on their way west. Joseph S. Rawlins's train was partially loaded with freight and families were assigned to certain wagons. According to the recollections of Harry M. Payne whose family joined the company in Camp Wyoming, his family and relatives, totaling fifteen people, loaded "all their earthly possessions on top of a part of a load of freight." So many assigned to one wagon naturally required "all able-bodied individuals make the journey on foot" (Payne, 1974). Richard Daniels Brown, Jr. joined the train part way across the prairie and noted that he had "walked on the prairie with sore feet, bleeding and hungry" before finding his parents in this train (Brown, 1973). Christopher Alstron remembered walking the full 1,100 miles on foot. He recalled severe trials and hardships. One particular night "after the tents were set up and the camp was asleep, there came up a fearful wind, then rain fell in torrents, and every tent was blown down except the one we were in..." Christopher goes on to recount details that must have matched the chores and worries of other young boys in the company. The same worries must have been shared by Nathaniel and Jane whose children were too young to assist them: "Crossing the prairie there was no fuel other than buffalo chips with which to cook our little meals of bread and meat. Think of cooking your supper, after a long day's walk, over a fire of "chips" with the wind blowing over the great plains, and sometimes rain putting out the fire, and going to bed without any supper, getting up in the morning at daylight to find everthing soaking wet and nothing to burn to cook your breakfast with, hooking up the oxen and traveling until noon, trying to find some dry "chips" to make a fire to cook dinner! Such was our life on the plains before we reached the mountain country where we procured sticks to use with the "chips" (Carter, 1965). From the Millennial Star (26: 460, 476, 479, 539, 717-718) we learn more details of their journey: "Captain Joseph. S. Rawlins Church Train of ox-drawn wagons and consisting of a large company of emigrating Saints, left Wyoming, Nebraska Territory on July 15, 1864. Most of these Saints crossed the Atlantic in the ship, 'General McClellan.' " Captain Rawlins was at Laramie on the 20th of August (p.717). Another telegram indicated the train was at Deer Creek on the 26th of August and reported that "nine oxen died between Laramie and here." From a telegram sent to President Brigham Young from the Sweetwater Bridge under date of Sept. 1st, it was learned that "the train was in fine condition, traveling all right and all doing well." From one more telegram, sent from the Little Sandy Sept. 9th, it was learned that "the train was still in good condition, company well and cattle traveling well." A list of passengers in this company was published in the Deseret News Weekly, Vol 13, on August 17, 1864 on page 369 in anticipation of the company's arrival. The list was also published in Journal History September 20, 1864, on page one. Besides the Rawlins Company, five other church trains and three independent companies left Wyoming, Nebraska that same year. According to the Millennial Star (27:16), "Of the 2,697 emigrants, 118 provided their own teams. About 2,508 Saints (including Nathaniel Spens and his family) crossed the plains in Church Trains." The emigrants' nationalities were noted as 1343 English, 209 Scotch, 12 Irish, 132 Welsh, 427 Danes, 338 Swedes, 14 Norwegians, 31 Germans, 60 Dutch, 10 French, 79 Swiss, 1 Russian, 1 Italian and 20 Americans. Nathaniel is suspected to have announced himself as a Scot even though his little family were all English. The last train left the outfitting village of Wyoming, Nebraska in August and arrived in Salt Lake City November 2nd. President Joseph Young reported the last train had some worry of Indian trouble in Nebraska but proceeded safely. He noted that 1864 had been a prosperous season of work.
      Utah at last. In four months Nathaniel, Jane and their two children, traveling by ship, steamer, railway and ox-cart, had crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the United States, the great plains and the Continental Divide. All had gone well for Nathaniel and Jane. Then, on September 4, 1864, three days after leaving Sweetwater Bridge and just sixteen days before the J. S. Rawlins company arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley, little Willie Spens died. We do not have an account of Nathaniel and Jane's sorrow over the loss of their little son, but there is an account of the death of little Thomas Payne just two weeks prior to Willie's death. Thomas, a baby, nearly two years of age, "took sick about half way to Utah, and lingered along for two or three weeks and finally died on August 22, 1864, as we were camped at a place called "Bitter Cottonwood." He died a martyr to the cause for want of proper food. He cried for a slice of yeast bread cut from a loaf, which could not be provided. He could not be comforted. He was unable to eat the rough food that was provided the company." That sorrowful day the family stayed behind. "They dressed Thomas's body in a little red dress and sewed him up in a sheet, there being no material available with which to make a coffin. The body was placed in a grave, with the end gate of a wagon box laid over it to protect it as much as possible; another mound to mark the way to Zion" (Payne, 1974). Was William's a lingering sickness? Was he also sewed in a sheet? Did the little Spens family linger behind on September 4th? While Nathaniel dug the grave did Mrs. Payne, great with her next child (and Ann Price who also buried a little boy on the trail), linger behind with Jane to comfort her? And did those two women then take Isabella by the hand while Nathaniel comforted Jane? On September 20, 1864 the company entered the valley, and Nathaniel and Jane, like thousands of other Saints, had paid a price in answering the call to gather to Zion. Nathaniel would later learn that back in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on December 20, 1864 his sister, Sarah, lost her six-year-old daughter, Isabella Irvine Douse, to acute hydrocephalus. While Nathaniel's and Jane's grief was tempered by the gospel plan, Sarah's sorrow cut deep into her soul.
      American Fork, Utah. At the time of this writing it is speculative as to where Nathaniel Spens lived; however, it is thought that he settled with his wife and daughter in American Fork soon after his arrival in Salt Lake City. We can imagine the joyful reunion for Jane Ann and her sister Mary Ann Burnhope Wallace. Little Isabella met her cousin Annie. Aunt Mary Ann's sorrow over the recent death of Jane Ann's little Willie was genuine and brought fresh memories of her little Thomas, born 24 October 1862 and buried 22 May 1864 in American Fork. The Wallaces probably took Nathaniel and Jane Ann to visit their Thomas's little grave and shared the following poem which was penned by Thomas Michael Wallace 22 May 1864: "This evening at sundown died my son, Thomas. He was a lovely, mild, and affectionate boy. He has gone to the land of repose, No sorrow nor sin there annoys. But here we must mourn over the loss Of our lovely, affectionate boy. Farewell for a while, brightest gem. Thou wilt shine in thy newly won life. We will join thee in years yet to come When we've valiantly finished the strife." The following spring, 1865, Mary Ann and Jane Ann were both with child. On 10 March 1865, Mary Ann gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth. A few weeks later, on 28 April 1865, not even a year after Nathaniel and Jane arrived in Utah, Jane Ann Burnhope Spens died and was buried on the second of May, probably laid to rest beside Mary Ann's baby, Thomas. The new sorrow and loss Nathaniel and little Isabella felt were tempered by the hope of meeting beyond the veil, and were not reasons to berate God or his new religion. Death was not new to Nathaniel; he had lost his own mother at the age of thirteen and many of his brothers and sisters had died young. It seems that his mother, Isabella Irvine Spens, was a carrier for hemophilia as was his sister, Sarah. It is suspected that Mary Ann helped with little Isabella following Jane Ann's death. Mary Ann probably wrote her parents the sad news of Willie's and Jane's death. Some four years later, Isaac and Elizabeth Burnhope may have watched for a particular little mound near the Sweetwater Bridge that marked their grandson?s mortal existence. (The Burnhopes provided their own passage fare and sailed June 4, 1868 on the "John Bright," with two children, Thomas, 23, and Betsey, 20. Isaac was 57 years old at the time, occupation, slate layer, and his wife, Elizabeth was 59. "Crossing the Ocean.")
      Margaret Philpot. Needing a mother for his little daughter and a gentle woman to comfort his heart, Nathaniel very soon married Margaret Philpot (June 12, 1865). Margaret, known as Maggie, was born December 4, 1824 in Hemel, Hemstead, England to James Philpot and Charlotte Bean. Margaret Philpot sailed with her sister Elizabeth from Liverpool aboard the ship, "Manchester" on the 16th of April, 1862 in the company of her sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was traveling with her fiance's brother, John Durrant (FHL 298,437, p. 10). A spinster about fourteen years Nathaniel's senior, Maggie arrived in Greater Salt Lake in Captain Henry W. Miller's ox train October 17, 1862. Apparently Margaret Philpot's journey had its share of difficulty. The Deseret News reports the following: "On Friday, 17th; about noon, the fifth church train, Capt. H. W. Miller; arrived, in which were about six hundred and fifty immigrants, and sixty wagons. It seems there was considerable sickness in the company on the plains; and about thirty deaths, mostly Children. The teams generally returned in very good condition" (Desert News, Oct. 22, 1862, p. 132). An earlier edition of the Deseret News dated October 8, 1862 announced that the fifth church train "is supposed to be somewhere between Fort Bridger and Green River." The notice speculated that, due to the unavoidable lateness of the season, the companies still on the trail might encounter snow storms before arriving in the valley. A still earlier notice dated September 17, 1862 provides readers with a report that snow had fallen earlier that week in the mountains while rain had fallen in the valleys. That same paper carried a list of Saints in Capt. Miller's company, including Margaret Philpot, a spinster traveling with her sister who was married to E. J. Durrant. What faith this single woman must have had to travel to Zion, across the depths of the sea and across a divided and war-torn nation. One child, Elizabeth Philpot Spens, was born to Margaret and Nathaniel on December 12, 1866 in American Fork, Utah County, Utah. Margaret, affectionately known as Maggie, was not to nurture and grace this family long. After three short years, Maggie died on March 21, 1868 and was buried in American Fork in the John Durrant cemetery plot. Maggie's sister, Lizzie Philpot Durrant, was widowed without children 23 Jul 1867, prior to Maggie's death. Lizzie seemed the perfect solution to nurture Nathaniel's second daughter, at least for a time. She raised straw and braided straw for hats. Elizabeth reported to her children that, thanks to Aunt Lizzie, she enjoyed a new straw hat each year. Aunt Lizzie Durrant married Mr. Henry Collum, a polygamist, in 1878. Correspondance to England dated August 29, 1885 included the following: "I came here (to Utah) because I felt it was right to come, not to get rich but because it was just as necessary as it was for in older times for Noah and his family to save themselves by going into the ark. As we have not talk(ed) in our letters about my religion, I am going to ask you have you ever heard the Latter day Saints preach the same Gospel that Jesus and his disciples preached when he was on the earth? I used to think when I was a girl how I would like to live in those days but now I am thankful I heard the Gospel now as it is the same that it was. I expect you have heard all the stories about us as a people but we are trying to do what is right and wish to do good to everybody....Since I joined it I would not leave it for anything in the world as what I have embraced, if I live a Life according to it, will save me in a world to come and that is everything to me." Many years later the relationship between young Elizabeth Philpot Spens and her aunt, Elizabeth Philpot Durrant Collum, would again be poignantly sweet as the niece received her aunt into her home and cared for her in her twilight years. It was there that Elizabeth Cullom died January 19, 1921 in Salt Lake City and is buried in Lot 132 near her first husband, Edward John Durrant, and her sister, Margaret "Spense." Following Maggie's death in 1868, it appears that Nathaniel moved to Salt Lake City. His first wife's sister, Mary Ann Wallace and family had moved to Salt lake in 1866 and her parents arrived from England the same year Maggie died (1868). Perhaps little Lizzie was left with Aunt Elizabeth in American Fork and Isabella, age six, went to Salt Lake City to her grandparents and Aunt Mary's while her father worked. Nathaniel is found in the 1869 Salt Lake City Directory: "Spence,___ painter, 12th wd. 3 E. bet. 2 and 3 S."
      Mary Jane Campbell. A year after Maggie's death, Nathaniel sought a third wife. He most likely met Mary Campbell during a visit to American Fork to see his daughters, Elizabeth and Isabella - the Campbells had settled in American Fork. Mary Campbell was rebaptized by Brother Shelley on June 19, 1869, two days prior to her marriage to Nathaniel Spens. Nathaniel married Mary Campbell in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on his 31st birthday, June 21, 1869. Mary was 19 years old. That same day Nathaniel had Jane Ann Burnhope sealed to him first. According to the Endowment House records, Joseph F. Smith performed the sealings for Nathaniel, Jane and Mary. Maggie was seemingly forgotten, her temple ordinances left undone. [Kerry's note: website from which this biography was taken also has extensive biography on Mary Cambell.] Not too long after Mary and Nathaniel married, Mary's parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Campbell, moved to Salt Lake City and lived just east of Liberty Park in what was later called Old Rock Row. A year later, on the 25th of August, in the 1870 Census (page 184), Nathaniel and Mary are living in American Fork. Not only are Nathaniel's two girls back with him, but he and Mary have a baby, James. It appears that the family was away when the Census was taken. Perhaps a neighbor was questioned and provided the census taker with the surname of Spencer rather than Spens. Nathaniel and Mary's ages were most likely estimated as they are shown as being only two years apart in age. Finally, James is recorded as being born in February rather than March. It is noted in the census that the mother could neither read nor write. In addition to raising Nathaniel's two little daughters, Isabella and Elizabeth, whom Mary willingly took into her arms and heart, she bore Nathaniel twelve children. Their first son was born March 13, 1870, in American Fork and named James in the traditional Scottish pattern, after Nathaniel's father. When James was born, there were twenty other families living in the American Fork area, all farmers. Their immediate neighbors, according to the 1870 Census, were the Laycoxes and the Bloods. About seven months later, on October 17, 1870 Leonard E. Harrington, Mayor of American Fork City, sold Nathaniel Spens an acre and a quarter of land for the sum of $2.25. The parcel of land is described as Lot 4, Block 33, Plat A, situated in Section 14, Township 5, South Range 1 Cast do. This parcel of land is located by present address as 200 North and 100 West in American Fork. A second son born to Nathaniel and Mary was named Thomas in honor of Mary's father, again following the naming tradition. This son was also a namesake of Nathaniel's brother and grandfather. Sometime after Thomas's birth on February 14, 1872, the family moved to Salt Lake City where the next nine children were born. Nathaniel was living in Salt Lake City on the nineteenth of September 1872 when he sold the land he previously purchased in American Fork. Having purchased the land in American Fork from the mayor for $2.25, he sold it to Jefferson Eastmond for the sum of $95.00 in hand.
      Salt Lake City, Utah. Daniel H. Wells, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, in consideration of the sum of $2.05 paid by Nathaniel Spens of Salt Lake City deeded the East half of Lot two in Block 3 containing 100 square rods as plotted in Plot B on February 10, 1873. (This transaction was not recorded until December 27, 1889 just prior to the time Nathaniel sold the property. This information is recorded in Book 3 D, on pages 313-314.) The third child born to Nathaniel and Mary was named Mary Jane. She was born October 6, 1873 and was their first child to be born in Salt Lake City. Following tradition, she would have been named Elizabeth after Mary's mother; however, since Nathaniel already had a daughter named Elizabeth, this child was named after Mary, herself, and after her sister, Jane. Little Mary Jane's maternal grandmother, Mary Durham Campbell was honored, too. The name may have had additional meaning to Nathaniel, having a deceased sister named Mary. Nathaniel's step-mother was named Jane also but it would be speculative to suggest their common name was more than a coincidence. Nathaniel appears in the Salt Lake City General Directory for 1874, living on the property described above: Spens Nathaniel, painter, 1 wd. 9 S. bet. 7 and 8 E. Carter Photography and C. R. Savage's Pioneer Art Gallery are also listed in the 1874 Directory. The second daughter is most often named after the father's mother. However, Nathaniel already had a daughter named Isabell, having followed the naming pattern earlier. And, although Mary had a little girl named Lizzie, she may have felt sad about not naming a daughter Elizabeth in honor of her own dear mother. To solve the problem, they named their fourth child and second daughter Anna Elizabeth and called her Annie. Little Annie was born September 3, 1875. Having completed the demand of the formal Scottish naming tradition, Nathaniel and Mary continued to perpetuate the memory of kin as they chose name