BRADSHAW AND HOBSON FAMILY: MORMON PIONEERS FROM BRIGHTLY, BURNLEY, AND STALYBRIDGE, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND TO SLATERVILLE AND OGDEN, UTAH: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THOMAS BRADSHAW AND HIS WIFE HANNAH HOBSON BRADSHAW

WRITTEN BY HIS DAUGHTER ELIZA HANNAH BRADSHAW KNIGHT

My father Thomas Bradshaw was born February 3, 1820, (It is recorded in the Slaterville Record Book.) at Brightly, Burnley, Lancashire, England. Later it stated in his Patriarchal Blessing the village of Featherow.

Of his ancestors I have not history other than his parents were of English nativity.
His father, Thomas Bradshaw, was born about 1789 and married Mary Eouth (?) about 1803. Their family consisted often children. (This following record copied from an old family Bible wich belongs to my uncle Henry Bradshaw.)
Betty born July 24, 1805
John born January,1807
Ann born 1809
Henry born September 3,1811. He has recorded as Agate Lancashire. But the map of York shows a town Harrogate which is near Byrley Lancashire, England, which we think is correct. Henry married Eliza Hurst, daughter of Henry Hurst and Harriett Howell Hurst.
William born May 13, 1813
Robert born July 24, 1815 Died in childhood
Daniel born March 1817 Died in childhood
Thomas born February 3, 1820
James born November 25,1823 at Burnley, Lancashire, England.
Mary born July 20, 1825 Married George Lees, born at Burnley, Lancashire, England.

Father, Thomas Bradshaw, often spoke of his grandmother who lived and died at their home. But of her direct line we have no record.

Grandfather Bradshaw died leaving grandmother with the family to support.

After his death the family moved to Stalybridge, England, where the children were soon put to work in the cotton mills where they learned the weavers trade. What little education father received was through night school and a little in botany. Grandmother Bradshaw died about 1850 in Staylbridge, England.

Father's brother, Henry, was the first in the family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, They immigrated to Utah 11855. Then another brother, James and his wife, Mary, and his sister, Mary, and her husband George Lees, left England for America. They went as far as Florence, Nebraska, then later made their home at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Another, ftcfoert, was supposed to have come to America, but if he did his whereabouts was unknown to his people, He was a hunchback, having been injured when a small boy.

Father grew to manhood in the town of Stalybridge, England. On his way to and from his work he often met a beautiful English lassie, Hannah Hobson, with a fair face and blue eyes and beautiful black hair. Her trim neat figure attracted his attention and he was married to her May 29, 1841.

They were early converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They were baptized in 1842 and were active members, he being a traveling Eider until 1856, when they came to America. They sailed on the ship, "William Prescott", landed in New York after a six week voyage.

We describe him as a short, dark complexioned man.. He was quick witted and he was fond of children, honest, generous, and hospitable, a stranger was never turned form his door.

On the first day of November, 1880 he went with his youngest son, John, for a load of wood. He met with an accident which resulted in his death. His life's story with his wife is given in the biographical sketch of Hannah Hobson Bradshaw,

Shortly after her marriage she with her husband heard of the Mormon Missionaries. They
heard them preach and also became interested in the literature given them after studying and
comparing their doctrine with other religions they were both converted and on May 19, about
1842 they were baptized by Elder Joseph Moss into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints.

Hannah was the only one of her people to join the Church, Her parents were not as much
opposed to her joining the Mormon Church as to her leaving them to go to Utah, as they had but
three children home and were advancing in years. She enjoyed her association with other
members of the branch and attending meetings and conferences, were prompt with their tithes and
offering always laying it away out of their weeks wages.

collect money from the Saints to help build it. At one time a "strike" was on in the mills and the Saints who had no money were told that jewelry would be accepted and turned into money. The only jewels Hannah wore was her plain gold wedding ring. She took it from her finger and gave it as her donation,

The spirit of'"gathering" was strong on the Saints in those days, her husband's Mother
passed away; one brother had joined the Mormon Church and with his wife immigrated to Utah in
1855. Another brother-in-law and families had gone to the "states" though not as Mormon
converts, So in March, 1857 they left their old home and loved ones to gather with, the Saints.
She often related how her dear old father and mother stood sobbing on the door-step, and her
brother, Alfred, going as far as Liverpool with them and lingering on the vessel until he barely reached shore.

The ocean trip was a trying one as baby James was only six weeks old at the time of starting and Sarah, age six, was seriously ill. After six weeks they arrived in New York, weary and with very little money, they started for Omaha, Her husband's brother, James, met them, He was captain on the ferry boat on the Missouri River. His sister, Mary Lees family also lived at Omaha.

Having no money to proceed farther his brother offered the father a job on the ferry boat $ they set up house keeping again for a short time living on the banks of the river. The malaria attacked them at one time. Her husband's doctor prescribed too much quinine and he was salavated. .

While living there the Johnson's Army marched by their door. Hannah heard them say they were on their way to kill the Mormons, The thought passed through her mind, "If they knew we were Mormons would they kill us, too?"

When baby James was two years old he was taken suddenly with membranous croup. Their hopes were again shattered as they laid his little body in the Mormon cemetery in Florence, Nebraska. The forget me nots were ready to bloom, which his little sister, Sarah, planted on his grave. The little family again made preparations for another journey under very difficult conditions. Her husband, Thomas Bradshaw was sick in bed, Captain Brigham H. Young refused to take him, said he surely would die on the plains. He however insisted said he would surely die if he stayed there and wanted to risk it which he finally consented to do. It was an independent company. They were allowed a wagon and yoke of oxen, was to drive it themselves, and in return the mother and oldest girl, Mary Ann, now 15 years old were to cook and wash and repair clothing for the teamsters.

A bed was made in the wagon for the father. There were no wagon springs. Their belongings were few and it must have been a sad sight to see the little family so unskilled in outdoor life, starting out, as many others did, to walk across the plains, driving a yoke of oxen and the husband and father lying sick for weeks.

At one camping place on a river with timbers growing around, Hannah, with another woman, went for water. Her companion filled her bucket first. As hannah went to follow she started on the wrong path and as she failed to see the wagons see realized she was lost, though the path would eventually lead to an opening. It did, but to her surprise there were a bunch of Indian wigwams. Squaws were the only ones at home. In her fright she managed to appear calm and asked if they knew where the wagon trail was. They jabbed and laughed, but she followed their pointed directions and came to three white men were shingling a log house. She was very frightened but explained her predicament and one man got off the building, had her go in and get warm while he hitched up his horses and drove her in a wagon to the camp. The camp was in quite a commotion as they had found a pair of woman's shoes on the river bank and had taken them to her husband's bed and he said they were the same size as she wore. So they concluded she had become despondent and had drowned herself.

After reaching the divide the father's health improved. They were all thankful that he was spared to them.

They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1859 and went to Ogden where the father received employment helping build the old cobble wall and the tithing yard which is now 24th and Washington Avenue in Ogden, Utah. He received for payment for six months labor twenty acres of land located in Slaterville, six miles from Ogden. His brother, Henry, and wife lived in that settlement.

There was an old log house located on the land, but they had no terms or implements or provisions so were advised to go and herd sheep at Hot Springs near what is now Pleasant View. So again they went out to live in a covered wagon. This place was rocky and rattlesnakes were a constant horror.

Shortly they discovered to their great disappointment that getting them to herd sheep was a ruse to get them of their newly acquired land. Notwithstanding, the laws, they had given others an opportunity to claim the land. So they were faced with extreme hardships.

Another piece of land was open so the father homesteaded that and erected a crude log hut. In the meantime another baby was born, a boy on the 30th of April, 1860. They called him William Henry.

The father made a hand loom and erected another log room and began weaving cloth, taking for pay anything the people could pay. These were days of much privation. Homemade furniture of the crudest kind was used. Many times she would tell the children of the beautiful carved oak her father took such a pride in polishing until one could see his own reflection. But like many brave pioneers, she valued the restored gospel above all and kept her humble home as clean and comfortable as possible, also repairing clothing and making "ends meet" as the early pioneers used to say.

February 8, 1862 another boy was born, George Alfred. On February 4, 1865 with her husband, they received their endowments in the Endowments House in Salt Lake City, Utah. July 6, 1866 another baby boy was born, John Daniel Franklin Bradshaw. She was now in her forty-fourth year and lay dangerously ill for several weeks.

June 16, 1868 in her forty- sixth year she gave birth to a frail baby girl christened Eliza Hannah. The devotion of her daughter, Sarah, now came to her rescue again as the care of the infant was taken almost from her. Sarah resumed most of the responsibility.

While hauling wood then father met with an accident which resumed to his death November 4, 1880, He had not been strong since his sickness in Winter Quarters, Omaha, Nebraska. The wife’s health was much impaired, but the closing years to her life brought some few comforts to her life financially and her time was always spent in usefulness. Her choice of literature was of the highest. She furnished choice reading for her family as far as she able to do so and her advise was for the best. Her happiness was seeing her children honest and useful in the upbuilding of the Church she valued so highly.

In 1890 her health became greatly impaired causing extreme suffering for many months. She displayed a cheerful, patient attitude during those months and passed to her rest 28 September 1891.

Her posterity at the present time (1931) number one hundred two. One son and four grandsons have been on missions; two of them being foreign missions. She is buried by the side of her husband in the Ogden City Cemetery.

Thomas and Hannah Bradshaw had John Daniel Franklin Bradshaw, who had Earl Clifford BRADSHAW, born 1904 in Utah; he married Freda Bell CORBETT. They had 3 children, including my mother. If you are related to this family or would like more information, please contact me at iflk@yahoo.com.
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