Thomas Barnard 1848-1925 #1

Thomas Barnard 1848-1925 #1

(It is believed Sarah Louise Barnard second daughter of Thomas Barnard and Audry Elizabeth Nichols wrote this history)

My Father was 5th child in a family of ten children. His Father's name was William Barnard born January 9, 1821. His Mother's name was Louisa Hobbs born July 2, 1820, both at Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England. They were married 18 October 1841. She died 6 January 1886 in England.

William Barnard and Louisa Hobbs

My father Thomas Barnard was born 31 December 1848. He with the older children had to help as soon as possible in the family income.

They went to school for a while, Father was eight years old when he was compelled to quit school and go out into the fields to work. Walking to and from work each day. With a large family they all had to work, as they grew older.

The years rolled by and my Father reached the age of 17, he met a young lady by the name of Victoria Elizabeth Stotter. She was born 1 January 1838, at St. Marys Woodland, Berkshire, England. They were married in the year 1866 [5 Aug 1866].

Thomas being only 17 his parents took his wife away from him and they were separated till he was older. His wife went to live with her Grandmother and their first little girl was born 19 February 1867 naming her Victoria Elizabeth Barnard. When he was older he took his wife and baby back, and on 29 March 1872 their first son was born and they named him Thomas William, he lived only a few years and died 4 years later, 29 December 1877. As like other parents they did what they could to make a home and shared joys and sorrows.

Their next child was a little girl and they named her Emma Barnard, she was born 1 November 1874, but she did not live long. She died 3 January 1878.

Father at this time was walking 5 miles to work. They let him off 1/2 day to go to his child's funeral, in doing so he walked about 20 miles that day. He generally took his lunch which as a rule consisted of bread and cheese and a mug of beer.

About this time the Mormon Elders came to England and came into the neighborhood. My Father was a devout Catholic and he knew the Bible well, learning many passages off by heart.

He stopped at one of their meetings and listened to them talk about repentance and baptism, they talked to him but he told them that what they were preaching about was not in his Bible. They asked him to bring his Bible so they came again and he had his Bible so they compared them. The Elders wanted to see Father's Bible. They read out of his Bible the same as they had read out of theirs. Father said as they read it that it had all together a different meaning, and he wanted to hear more. In due time Father embraced the gospel. He learned of repentance and salvation, it unfolded a different meaning as they talked. His spirit was responsive and he could grasp the truth. He was baptized May 14, 1877 by Elder James Talmage and confirmed by Owen Smoot from USA Utah.

In August 1877, Father baptized his wife Victoria Elizabeth Stotter Barnard, she had for several years been suffering from cancer of her face. The doctor gave them some salve to put on her face. Father used his third finger to do this as he had lost all of the nail off this finger after getting it smashed in a door. In this he knew there would be less infection. It seemed his wife gradually become worse and on 27 April 1871, she died leaving him with one daughter about fifteen years old, Lizzie as he called her.

Feeling his great loss of his little ones and wife, he finally decided to go to Zion to American where the Saints were gathering. On 10 April 1883, they took sail on the good ship Nevada. Many of the Saints had no money at this time to cross the ocean. Some of the good Brethren in America sent transportation, Bro. Ensign B. Call of Bountiful , Utah sent the money to pay for Father and Lizzie's fare from England to Salt Lake City, Utah. It took them many days to cross the ocean in those days, but [they were] filled with the gospel message and the joy of coming to America. With gladdened hearts the time soon passed for them both. After arriving in Salt Lake City as soon as they could get settled Father started working for Mr. Smoot that had been to England. He was glad to get work in such a nice family and he could pay Mr. Call back for their passage across the ocean.

Lizzie was old enough to help out but the wages were small and it took both of them a year to get it all paid back.

They were really grateful to be in this new land and now Father started working for himself. He went to work in Bountiful and through his daughter he met a young Lady by the name of Elizabeth Audry Nichols. She was born 22 March 1864, in Bountiful, Davis Co., Utah. Her Father cam from England and his name was John William Nichols born 4 July 1821, Esseon, England. Her [Mother's] name was Ann Reed Evernington Roberts born 18 December 1826, Thropelton, Norfolk, England. Elizabeth's father was killed on a horse powered thrashing machine in August 1865 when she was 9 months old. Her father was a painter by trade and painted the East Bountiful tabernacle inside and out and he was also a fine musician, but they had to take work wherever they could find it.

The first time Mother met Father he was wearing a red flannel shirt and sitting astride a chair, Mother thought him anything but handsome and said he is not for me. But things changed and going together during the summer they decided to get married. On 27 December 1883, they went to Salt Lake City and were married in the endowment house because the temple was not completed as yet. Afterwards they with some others went up through the temple to the top where the Angel Moroni stood. They walked around and touched his feet. Some left money to help out while others were so anxious to bet a little piece to keep as souvenirs, they used their knives to chip pieces off. Soon they had to stop letting them go up to the top any more. Father took Mother to a saloon to get something to eat [after] just coming from the Temple where they had recently been married. Mother wondered what kind of a man she had married, but Father being used to the masses in London thought nothing of it. For in London there were many places like that to eat in.

They settled in Bountiful and Mother started to take in washing hoping to get a start together but she hadn't counted on married life and soon found herself flat on her back. For she had miscarried and lost a little boy who did not live.

Father ran a meat cart to Salt Lake City taking meat to some of the butcher shops also to customers he had there. He had ten miles to go each trip. Later he heard of work on the railroad and as he was now father of the little girl born 9 March 1885, who they named Annie Marrie; they decided to go to Castle Gate where Father had work on the railroad and they lived in a section house close to the tracks. As trains went by men used to throw money out to little Annie playing in the yard. Father raised some nice young pigs and when they were about half grown, the China men with their liking for roast pig came and wiped most of them.

Father being used to his beer and cheese in England used to go out drinking with the rest of the boys. Mother didn't like this and suggested they move, but Father kept putting her off. Mother was never used to that kind of life so in time she told him she was going to leave. One day she got her things together and packed. Father seeing this told her if she would wait for one more day he would go with her. They made preparations to move and in due time landed in Bountiful. Here they moved into a two-story house, which was just across the road from the tabernacle building, they rented the two rooms upstairs. The big front room they made into a candy and confectionery kitchen and serving room. They had two large slabs of marble they molded their candy on, and they dipped all their own chocolates and candy. Father had a small butcher shop over on the corner of the block.

Their second child Sarah Louise was born 13 September 1887. The third girl Audry Ella was born 10 August 1889. At this time the baby's clothes were two yards long and I have hear Father say it took many hours of hard work ironing the frills and ruffles, which made more work for them. Two years later another girl Ivy May was born on 17 September 1891, which made four little girls to care for.

When [we] were big enough we used to go to the butcher shop and ask for weenies and sometimes we were sent right back home. On the south corner of the block there was a Salon and in between was an orchard with grass and tables where folks used to eat sometimes. I with my girlfriend, Eloisia Call, while out there playing saw some men come out of the back of the Salon so we quickly got under one of the tables thinking we were hid. At another time we both went down into the one room cellar under the house where Mother had five lbs. of nice fresh molded butter and we made little tunnels all through it with our little fingers. We were about four or five years old and needless to say what we got that night.

Mother sent me over to Jessie Grants place to get my ears pierced. One ached bad bu the other didn't Sister Grant was related to Heber J. Grant.

To be continued #2