52 Ancestors Wk2- Sarah Hemingway

This week, for my second of 52 ancestors I chose Sarah Hemingway. Why her? Because we share a birthday, and I felt like writing about her.

Sarah was born to John Hemingway and Elizabeth Tuckler on November 9, 1827 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England. According to her son, Sarah's mother died in 1832, and she got a new step-mother soon after. But Sarah didn't get along with her stepmother and at the age of 13 she moved to Nottingham to work in a stocking factory.

On a trip home to visit her father, she heard missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon missionaries). When she got back to Nottingham she again heard them preach, and decided to join the church. She was baptized in September 1848. Her father also converted. He later died in her home in 1855.

Sarah married John Ellison Jr. July 18, 1851. While they lived in Nottingham, he was a sailor. He never joined the Mormon church, and didn't like the elders of the church visiting his family, which caused contention in the family. In 1868, while working in Grimsby hauling goods up and down the canal, John was killed in a boat accident. This left Sarah a widow with 7 children. In 1870 her second child, Alfred, died at the age of 15, probably from complications that came from a childhood injury when a cart ran over him.

In 1872 her son Arthur enlisted in the Navy. And the same year her oldest child Henry got married. It was then decided that Sarah and the 4 remaining children should immigrate to America with other Mormons and settle in Utah. In October 1872 Sarah and her children, left Liverpool on board the Minnesota bound for New York, along with 203 other Mormons. From New York they made an 8 day journey to Salt Lake, arriving on November 7, 1872.

In April 1873 Sarah married Thomas Jones, a man she had known from Nottingham. His wife had died 3 years prior, leaving him with 4 kids (3 of whom had come with him to America). So, Sarah and the kids moved down to Provo, Utah where Thomas worked at the woolen mills. They rented various houses in Provo, until Thomas built them an adobe house in 1879.

She remained in Utah for the rest of her days, staying home to tend children and take care of the house. Just after her 87th birthday, she caught a severe cold, which turned into pneumonia. She died November 23, 1914 in Provo Utah.

In 1892 she wrote a small sketch of her life and testimony. Here are the final paragraphs:

"And I am still as strong in the faith today as I was then and hope always to remain so. And my desire is and always has been that my children might follow in the footsteps of the Mother and live their religion to the best of their knowledge.
And it is also my wish that this sketch may be handed down to my youngest son, if he is still living or to any of my children that may be living at that time. And if there is none left, to go to any of my Grand Children or Great Grand Children that may be still living."

I guess she valued family history too, wanting her story and faith to be carried on down the family line.

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Parents: John Hemingway (1790/3 - 1855) and Elizabeth Tuckler (1798-1832)

Siblings (known and verified):
John Hemingway Jr (1820-1867)
Hannah Hemingway (1825-1863)
Mary Hemingway (1830-1913)

Spouses:
John Ellison Jr (1830-1868)
Thomas Jones (1836-1890)

Children:
Henry Ellison (1852-1912)
Alfred Ellison (1854-1870)
Arthur Ellison (1857-?)
Elizabeth Ann Ellison (1858-1933)
Mary 'Polly' Ellison (1861-1940)
William Ellison (1863-1921)  -- my great great grandfather
Sarah Ann Ellison (1865-1924)