I have a story today… about a man named Henry.
(There’s a HUGE part of me that wants to say, “Henry? Hello. Happy Holidays” in my best Tom Hanks voice. I can’t help but quote “You’ve Got Mail” during the fall and holiday seasons… “Don’t you just love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies.”)
Here is Henry:
(from ashcroftfamilyhistory.com -most pictures are. Those that aren’t, I’ll cite otherwise.)
He lived in England a long time ago, it is true. He heard the missionaries there, was converted to the gospel at 16, married a woman named Mary Glover and then made his way through boat and pioneering to the Utah area. Once there, he took another wife: Elizabeth Ann Barton:
Elizabeth Ann Barton was also from England. She was one of four children, and her father was an alcoholic and extremely abusive. They were poor and lived in a rougher part of England. She heard missionaries preaching and joined the church. Her father kicked her out of the house, brought her back and beat her so hard she was sick for several days. On one occasion, her father chased her mother up the stairs and meant to beat her, but Elizabeth threw herself on top of her mother and took the beating for her… she carried the scars for the rest of her life.
AND THEN she trekked to America through boat and cart and train, married Henry, bore him two sons and was about to bear a third when her husband, Henry, died.
When Henry died, BOTH of his wives were pregnant. He was only 32. In time, the Ashcroft family’s home teachers each took one of Henry’s wives and married her.
Elizabeth Ann Barton Ashcroft became Elizabeth Ann Barton Ashcroft Bloomfield. She bore 7 children in her second marriage (bringing the total of children to 10) AND she raised her husband’s children from his marriage in which his wife had passed away (bringing the total of children to 13).
Her oldest son (from Henry) was James Barton Ashcroft.
James is in the center.
He had three wives. The second of which -Elizabeth Lavina Johnston -I come through:
The third of which (Nannie Amelia Smith) I once portrayed in a play. True story.
Henry and Elizabeth Ann had three sons together. The oldest was my greatgreatgreat grandfather. The second was my husband’s great grandfather. He is on the right in the picture above (with James) and his name is Josiah Emer Ashcroft.
Josiah Emer Ashcroft has three wives. At first, he only had two: Mary and Agnes. Mary and Josiah had a son named Henry Emer (he went by Emer). Emer became engaged to Arrilla Hamblin, and then he died of consumption the DAY before the wedding.
Josiah Emer had already lost his second wife.
A little while later, he lost his first wife.
So he and Arrilla were married. They originally planned to be married for time only and have Arrilla sealed to young Emer, but Joseph F. Smith discouraged this, insisting that any children they should have ought to be sealed to their real father.
So they were sealed together, and they had 6 children: one of which is named Mary Zelma Ashcroft Deets and is my husband’s grandmother.
NOW.
My husband’s line from Henry Ashcroft is simple:
Henry——-> Josiah Emer —————> Mary Zelma —————-> Mark Duane Deets —————> Danny Deets!
My line from Henry Ashcroft isn’t so simple:
Henry —> James Barton —-> Charles Ashcroft —–>Lelia Ruth Ashcroft —-> Allan Smith —-> Anna Smith (Hansen) —> Alicia!
Do you know how long it took me to figure all that out? It was the longest story problem I’d ever done.
I even showed my work:
And now I know how my husband and I are related. And now I know that Henry Ashcroft helped to settle the Little Colorado River Valley -namely the settlement Obed.
Obed is also the name of the ward we currently live in. The old Obed settlement is right outside of town. This summer, we went as a ward and cleaned some weeds out of the area and could see the original bricking. I think I blogged about it. I meant to if I didn’t…
I can’t find a single blog post about it (shame, shame, shame) so here’s the pictures:
Little did we know when we were raking up and burning weeds that our ancenstors settled the area. We’re so proud (and a little freaked out to be related, but hey. It’s distant).
Henry had passed away by the time they were called to settle Obed, but Elizabeth settled the area with her second husband, John Bloomfield, and of course her children -which included both James Barton and Josiah Emer Ashcroft.
So now I know.
The rest.
of the story.
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