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Show fk hk tanh ck ep IIT 10 RITE Ms LONI AO OE ee tampa BIOGRAPHY OF MARTHA BARTON HART As told by Sophia Hart Nelson MARTHA BARTON WAS BORN JANUARY 10, 1843, IN CLITHERO, LAW MORE, LANDCASHIRE, ENGLAND. SHE JOINED THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS WHEN A LITTLE GIRLIN ENGLAND. SHE CAME TO AMERICA WITH HER FAMILY AND A COMPANY OF SAINTS, AND CROSSED THE PLAINS WITH THE EARLY PIONEERS. THOUGH SHE WAS A FRAIL YOUNG LADY SHE WALKED MOST OF THE WAY TO UTAH. ONE OF HER BROTHERS DIED FROM CONSTANT WALKING ACROSS THE PLAINS. AND ANOTHER BROTHER DIED FROM MOUNTAIN FEVER SOON AFTER REACHING UTAH. SHE WAS A SMALL, BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, ONLY FIVE FEET TALL, WITH BLACK HAIR AND DEEP BROWN EYES. HAIR REMAINED BLACK HER ENTIRE LIFE, IN CONTRAST TO THE THICK GRAY HAIR HER CHILDREN HAD IN THEIR EARLIER YEARS. ON APRIL 11, 1863, SHE MARRIED JOHN ISAAC HART IN THE SALT LAKE CITY ENDOWMENT HOUSE, THE THIRD OF HIS SIX WIVES HE MARRIED IN POLYGAMY. SHE LIVED THE FIRST PART OF HER MARRIED LIFE IN OGDEN, UTAH, WHERE HER FOUR CHILDREN WERE BORN--JOHN WILLIAM ON NOVEMBER 14, 1866; WALTER ON AUGUST11, 1868; ABRAHAM ON FEBRUARY 6, 1870, WHO DIED THE SAME DAY; AND ANN BARTON ON DECEMBER 23, 1870. LATER SHE MOVEDTO WEST WEBER, UTAH, WHERE SHE SHARED A HOUSE WITH THE FOURTH WIFESARAH ANN CLAYTON. EACH FAMILY HAD THEIR OWN TWO OR THREE ROOMS, BUT USED’ THE SAME KITCHEN-- THEY CALLEDIT THE "POLYGAMY KITCHEN". ae ie FAMILIES LOVED ONE ANOTHER DEARLY AND HELPED EACH OTHER EARN THEIR JWN LIVING. JOHN ISAAC HART WENT ON FIVE MISSIONS TO ENGLAND AND WAS BISHOP OF WEST WEBER WARD FOR TWENTY YEARS. SO HIS FAMILIES HAD TOBE SELF SUPPORTING AND HELP HIM AS WELL. BECAUSE OF THIS, MARTHA HELPED SARAH ANN WASH AND STRETCH CURTAINS FOR MANY UTAH PEOPLE MOST OF HER MARRIED LIFE. SHE WAS QUICK AND AMBITIOUS, AND OFTEN AS SHE BENT OVER THE WASH TUB HER DARK HAIR WOULD FALL IN HER FACE. SHE WOULD RAISE HER HEAD, WIPE THE PERSPIRATION FROM HER CHEERFUL FACE WITH HER LITTLE FRONT APRON. QUICKLY PIN HER HAIR BACK INTO A "BOB" WITH TWO HAIRPINS--ALL SHE EVER NEEDED--AND CONTINUE HER SCRUBBING BY HAND. SHE OFTEN USED A “PAW STICK" TO WASH THE CLOTHES. THIS OBJECT WAS MADE FROM A SQUARE PIECE OF OAKWOOD, WITH THREE LITTLE PEGS CARVED ON ONE SIDE, AND ALONG STICK PLACED FIRMLY IN THE OTHER SIDE. THE TOP WAS SAWED OFF A LARGE WOODEN BARREL, ANDTHE CLOTHES WERE PLACEDINSIDE AND COVERED WITH WATER AND HOMEMADE SOAP. THEN THE “PAW STICK" WAS PLUNGED BACK AND FORTH MANY TIMES INTO THE CLOTHES TO GET THEM CLEAN. WITH THIS KIND OF WORK THESE TWO WIVES SUPPORTED THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR HUSBAND. MARTHA WAS A TIDY HOUSEKEEPER. HER PRIZE POSSESSION WAS HER BRIGHT RED BED STEAD, WITH WOVEN ROPE STRETCHED ACROSS IT TO HOLD THE FEATHER TICK AND BEDDING, AND OVER ALL SHE PLACED A PRETTY RUFFLED BED SPREAD. SHE HAD A FAVORITE LITTLE COPPER KETTLE WHICH SHE BROUGHT FROM ENGLAND AND WHICH SHE USE TO CARRY WATER FROM THE WELL. SHE HAD EXCELLENT HEALTH AND WAS MOST UNSELFISH WITH HER TIME AND MEANS. AFTER HER CHILDREN WERE MARRIED SHE WAS A DUTIFUL AND KIND MOTHER-IN-LAW WHO WAS ALWAYS ON HAND TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED. SHE SAW VERY LITTLE OF HER HUSBAND THROUGH THE YEARS, BUT REMAINED LOYAL TO HIM AND STEADFAST IN FAITH. | |
