HISTORY OF JAMES WOOLSTENHULME

Father of Hephzibah Alice Woolstenhulme Turnbow

(This record taken from an Application for Membership in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Form #7735 dated August 1934 and verified May 20, 1935.)

James Woolstenhulme came in Captain De LaMar's company in the early fifties. He lived at Bountiful, Davis Co. until he moved to Kamas, Summit Co., Utah about 1865 and helped build the fort in 1866 & 1867.

James Woolstenhulme, my father, came to Utah as a mere boy, being 15 years of age. age. He came with the company which brought the machinery for the sugar factory, which was later established at Sugarhouse. He drove an ox team across the plains. He now found himself alone in a strange land, but soon found employment in Bountiful, Davis Co. He passed through the Grasshopper War with very scanty fare. He took part in the Johnston's Army affair, doing very excellent work. He served as one of Davis Co.'s mounted rangers. He was with Lot Smith on the Muddy, and did picket at Needles Rock near Yellow Creek, returning to Bountiful about Christmas time.

In 1855, he married Mary Love Page about Christmas time, and went south during the move, living at Provo. In 1861, he worked in Kamas, Summit Co., during the first logging in that part of Utah.

In February, 1863, he married Julia Duhamel. In April of same year, he went east for immigrants furnishing his own oxen, four in number. About 1864-65 he moved to Kamas Valley, then known as Rhoades Valley, with his family. Here he took part in three Indian raids. Here he was engaged in a shingle & sawmill business, latter farming & cattle raising. He was elected Justice of Peace, County Commissioner and several other public offices. He filled two missions to Great Britain, finding very valuable information in genealogical work while there. He served 65 days and $65.00 for a prison term for unlawful cohabitation. He is the father of 17 children. He had done a great deal of temple work for his relatives.

(I hereby certify that the said James Woolstenhulme, Mary Love Page (his wife) Hephzibeth Whitney Pierce and Alice Mellor are the ancestors mentioned in the foregoing application,m and the facts hereinbefore set forth are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.) Signed: Hephzibah Alice Woolstenhulme Turnbow

THE HISTORY OF JAMES WOOLSTENHULME

(This record was found by Robert C. Neel in some old pictures and materials given him by Aunt Zina McDonald, daughter of Hephzibah Woolstenhulme Turnbow, and granddaughter of James Woolstenhulme.) It apparently was written by one of his children as at beginning of the document is written "one hundred years today, March 24, my father was born." Copied 28 July 1992 by Robert C. Neel.

James Mellor Woolstenhulme was born March 24, 1837 at Oldham, Langshire, England, and at the age of four years his father, John Woolstenhulme died leaving his mother with four small children to raise and care for. James was the oldest,, then came a brother, William, next a sister, Ellen, and a baby, Alice. They were left in very poor circumstances. Their mother had to leave them locked in a room during the day while she worked in a factory to earn a living. Shortly after his father died, baby Alice also died. Later mother heard the Gospel preached and had a chance to come to America with a man named George Rhodes.

She placed James in the Blue Coat School. She married Mr. Rhodes and came to America, leaving James at the school to receive his education. He stayed there until he was 14 year old. then he came to America on the ship Olympia. He joined the Mormon Church on his way to the new country.

On the ship there was a little girl dressed in black. She was in mourning for her father who had died six weeks before. James arrived in St. Louis and there was reunited with his mother, brother, and sister. One year later he came to Utah with the Philip De Mars Sugar Company. When he arrived he got acquainted with a family by the name of Crosbys, and went to live with them. He worked for them until he was 21 years of age. The morning he was 21 there was no place set for him at the table and he was told to get out which he did.

Soon after leaving the Crosbys he married Mary Love Page to whom one child was born at the time of the month they moved to Provo to live, and from there they went to Camp Floyd. After being there for awhile, his wife Mary went away, taking their child with her. He did not know her whereabouts, and a year later he marred the little girl who was dressed in black on the ship Olympia, Julia Duhamel. They lived at Battle Creek for a short time, then moved to Kamas Valley. Three children were born to them. Then James received word that his wife, Mary, was in Salt Lake City and wanted him to come get her. He went and brought his wife and daughter back with him. It was a very happy reunion. Soon after this he built a house on the lower end of the land he had homesteaded, and moved both of his families into it.

He worked for Samuel Hoyt and Louie Smith for a while, then he went into the sawmill business for himself, in what is now called Hoyt's Canyon. After a few years he built a home for his first wife and children and then in the year of '84 he built a new home for his second wife.

He took part in the Black Hawk War, and went through the grasshopper siege with scanty fare. He helped fight the Indians when they were troublesome around Kamas Valley with his brother, William, John C. Lambert, his brother-in-law, John Duhamel, and several others.

One time while chasing Indians, he was about to shoot at some; he had seven loaded cartridges in his gun and for some unknown reason none of them would go off. He always thought afterwards that perhaps if he had shot it would have brought the whole band of Indians and more trouble.

He also helped to build the Fort. He was County Commissioner for Summit County for several years and took part in many other things. He served as High Priest, and President of the 22nd Quorum of Seventies. In November 1887 he was arrested and served six months and paid a three hundred dollar fine for unlawful cohabitation. He was released and in the year 1888, he served a two year mission to Great Britain and gained much genealogy for his father's family. He also served a six month mission hunting genealogy. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean five times.

At the time of his death, he was the father of seventeen children, 13 of whom survived him; 74 grandchildren, sixty-one of whom were living; also, 5 great-grandchildren. He lived to celebrate two Golden Weddings. At the time of his death his estate was sold for $22,000.00 and he owed no one. James Woolstenhulme died 28 July, 1914, and laid to rest in the Marion Cemetery on 31 July 1914.