History of Margaret Thompson Mitchell

Darrin & Andrea Lythgoe's Genealogy Pages

Margaret Thompson Mitchell

Written by Helene M. Robertson

Margaret Thompson was born on the 31^st of January, 1840, in Alston Moore, Cumberland, England. She and her twin sister were only six months old when she set sail for America with her father Ralph Thompson and mother Ann Bentley Thompson in September 1840.

Margaret had four sisters and two brothers. A brother John died at birth, before they left England in 1837. Besides her twin sister, Annie, another sister, Mary, born May 16, 1838, also sailed with them. They came for the belief their father had in the gospel.

After reaching Nauvoo, her sister Eleanor Jane was born on the 15^th of May, 1842. And on March 16^th, 1845, another brother, William, was born.

Grandmother, Margaret, was just just six years old when the Prophet Joseph Smith was murdered and the people numbering 20,000 were driven out of Nauvoo, Illinois. In a blizzard in the middle of winter with only what they could carry on their backs, they made their way south.

Ralph, Margaret’s father, was to go west with the first company of saints, but because her mother was in such delicate health, her father took Brigham Young’s advice to remain until his wife was in better health before attempting the journey. However, Margaret’s twin Annie was allowed to go in the first company in care of her Aunt Margaret Harrington.

Her folks moved to St. Louis to obtain employment and to get ready for the next company to leave. It was here her sister Elizabeth was born on October 9, 1848. Soon after came a siege of cholera. Ann Bentley Thompson, Margaret’s mother, and brother William were stricken and on June 14, 1849, they both died. A month later her baby sister died and on November 10^th of the same year, her oldest sister, Mary, died.

Margaret’s younger sons were often told of how she and her sister Eleanor, trudged on foot behind the wagon that carried their mother to the cemetery. Even in her advanced years she couldn’t help crying when she told of how she and her twin would sit on her father’s knees and wipe the tears off of his cheeks as they sat by the fire place in the evenings, while they were still living at the Thomas Bentleys’, Margaret’s grandfather in St. Louis.

It was in 1852 that Margaret and Eleanor left for the Salt Lake Valley in the wagon their father had made with the John B. Walker Company.

The adventures and interesting things that happened were told to me by her youngest son Edgar. Upon reaching Nebraska, they had not seen a single buffalo, until one of the out riders came back to the wagon train and reported he had seen two or three. As the story goes, Ralph and another man rushed off to bring some camp meat back, they got one. Well, as it happened there had been an extreme drought north in the Dakotas and while they had stopped to take care of the meat of one animal, there came upon them an immense herd of buffalo. Thousands of them and for five days they traveled right along with the wagon train. All the men were kept busy night and day to prevent them from goring their domestic stock. These great animals ground the grass into the earth and as a result their cattle nearly perished before they could rid themselves of the herd.

On another occasion, Margaret and Eleanor persuaded their father to let them take the saddle horse and ride a little ahead of the train, as a matter of fact they got out of sight of the train, when the girls came upon a little stream of water lined with a few trees and willows. It being a very warm day they decided to dismount and lay down in the shade. No sooner than they got resting peacefully, did they realize that an Indian Warrior all togged out in war paint was coming toward them. Needless to say, they made a dash for their horse. How they got on the horse and away is difficult to say, faith was with them or as Edgar said, "You can do anything if you are frightened bad enough."

According to our family record, Grandmother was baptized in 1848, but we haven’t been able to get the day or the month; but it was somewhere along the way.

Her father, Eleanor and she arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on October 3, 1852, where they were reunited with Margaret’s twin, Annie, who got here the year before.

I did find out, however, through the Genealogists International, that there were a lot of baptisms done over when only the year was known. So the work of her baptism was done over on November 20, 1967.

Two years later, on October 1854, Margaret met her husband to be. He had come to live with her Aunt Margaret Bentley Harrington. She had the privilege of serving Frederick A.H.F. Mitchell his first meal when he set foot in the Valley of the Saints. This was in 1854. She was fourteen years old at this time. I remember my father, Milton, telling how embarrassed grandmother was because they had no shoes at this time, so she would always cover her feet with her skirt or dress, so as to hide them.

It was while Margaret’s father was away assisting in the building of a mill and Brigham Young was to be away from Salt Lake for some time, that the twins decided to get married. They had a double wedding in the Endowment House on November 15, 1855. They were only fifteen, which was very upsetting to their father on his return home.

The newlyweds, Margaret and Frederick, lived on in Salt Lake close to her father, where her first seven children were born, Margaret Ann, Emily Lavinia, Ella, Frances Laura, Frederick August, Eleanor Mary, and Ida Rachel.

Frederick did any kind of work he could find to support his family, until the Spring of 1873, when he was called on a mission. His wife, Margaret, went with him to the Sandwich Islands.

They arrived at Laie, Oahu, on June 3, 1873. I’m not certain whether all the children went or not, but while they lived on the Islands, another son Frank was born. Also the LDS Mission and Missionaries were honored because of their help or accompoishments in the sugar industry at this time. Margaret had the privilege of helping to prepare and serve King Kalakua of Laie, which always seemed to be something special in her memory.

After returning to Salt Lake, four more boys were born to her. They were Ralph Thompson, Alfred Hezekiah, Milton Rueben, my father, and Edgar Bentley.

When Brigham Young began to send some of the brethren to different parts of Utah, my grandfather was sent into Cache Valley. It was here that Margaret finished raising her family; while Frederick became interested in building, farming and helped promote the new industries of the valley. They worked together to give their children the best education. I remember my father also telling how they all enjoyed hauling rock for the Logan Temple. This was grey silver material known as Limestone. The Temple was dedicated by John Taylor, May 17, 1884. It was here she worked and officiated for many years.

From the time I remember my grandmother, she was always well dressed. She liked elegant things, was a wonderful cook and liked order about her. It was always a real treat to go to her house and eat fresh raspberries, which she had picked from her small patch even in her late seventies. We also enjoyed swinging in the porch hammock. I was also given a silk blouse she had made by hand before she died.

She passed away on April 6, 1924, in Logan, but was taken to Salt Lake City Cemetery for burial.

The material for this history was gathered from different sources: Some from Ralph Thompson’s History (Margaret’s father); incidents from my Uncle Edgar, the last living son just before he died; and my father’s family record book.