Thursday, September 9, 2010
motivation for this blog
Sheri told me a blog should be about you, your thoughts and ideas. However I have been focusing on histories, and want a place to publish and post. Some of the blogs I have already made, should be in this blog. I also want a place to blog family historical photos, and this is the place
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Billy,
ReplyDeleteI would be most interested in any stories you could relay about Isaac's 2nd wife, Mary Ashton. She must have been all of 5 yrs old when she arrived with her sister from the Martin Handcart Co. into SLC. I've read the stories about her family's travails while making the trek but know very little about what happened to her after arriving in SLC. I've heard she and her sister were passed around to several families while growing up and that sometimes her treatment might not have been great. If my numbers are right, she married Isaac when she was 16-17, and he would have been around 32. I know she died giving birth to my Great Grandfather, William. Sounds like a pretty sad life. I would really enjoy anything you could share with me.
When I get the Isaac Wardle history done I plan on writing an Ashton history. John Jaques documents the deaths along the trail, except for Betsy. Elizabeth passed away July 2 while the boat was in Boston Harbor. She passed away at 9 and the family had to be the train at 11:30. Sarah Anne, died at Cutler's Park, 1 day past Florence, in child birth. The baby lived almost two weeks and was buried on the plains, next to the gravesite of the teamsters driving for A.W, Babbit. Betsy's death is not recorded. I know the story passed down to me is that she died some place between the last crossing of the Platte and Martins Cove. She froze her feet during the last crossing.
ReplyDeleteAs you probably know William Ashton left the company at Fort Laramie to join the infantry. I always wondered if he marched on Salt Lake. However his company was called up as reserves for Albert Johnston's troops, and marched to Ft. Bridger. However when things ended peacefully they went from there to California. He served out his 5 year commitment and then apparently went back to England.