GILL, Ann

1795 - 1878  (82 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	GILL, Ann
  Birth	3 Aug 1795	Arncliffe, Yorkshire, England
  Christening	8 Aug 1795	St. Oswalds, Arncliffe, Yorkshire, England
  Gender	Female
  WAC	24 Jan 1846
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Death	27 Jan 1878	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Burial	29 Jan 1878	Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I55765	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Family ID

  F27105

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	LONGSTROTH, Stephen ,   b. 29 Jun 1789, Langcliffe, Yorkshire, England Langcliffe, Yorkshire, Englandd. 4 Feb 1861, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States (Age 71 years)
  Children	+ 1. LONGSTROTH, Sarah ,   b. 19 Feb 1826, Arncliffe, Yorkshire, England Arncliffe, Yorkshire, Englandd. 26 Jan 1858, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 31 years)
  Family ID	F25713	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

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  Stephen Longstroth was born 29 June 1769, the second of 6 children of John and Agnes Shackleton Longstroth. The Longstroth's residence was given as Langscliffe in the ancient parish of Giggleswick, England. Very little is recorded concerning Stephen Longstroth's early years, except that he learned a trade, that of carpenter (or joiner) and thus freed himself from the drudgery in the cotton mills. When he was about 26 years of age he married Ann Gill, 6 years his junior. She was the eldest of 5 children of George and Anne Shaw Gill. The newly married couple made their first home in Arncliffe, Yorkshire. Here they lived for 19 years. Eight children were born here, but only 4 of them lived to adulthood. Sometime during the year 1833-44 they moved to Clitheroe, Lancashire. Clitheroe was larger than Arncliffe and probably offered more opportunity for employment. Stephen was a good carpenter and builder of fine furniture. Here in Clitheroe 4 more children were born, but just 2 survived, making a total of 6 children who lived to accompany their parents to "Zion". Early in the year 1838, missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints came in contact with the Longstroth family. Stephen and Ann both embraced the truths of the message of the gospel. They were baptized on 4 March 1838 by Heber C. Kimball. This event was to change their lives from an existence of relative obscurity to one of great adventure, fulfillment, and the eventual satisfaction of knowing that they had been true and faithful servants of the Lord. On the 29th March 1838 the Longstroths were certified as "members in good standing and fellowship in the church and Orson Hyde and Heber C. Kimball ordained Stephen to the office of a Teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood. Less than a year later, 10 Nov. 1839 he was ordained and advanced to the office of a Priest by Willard Richards, his future son-in-law, assisted by Joseph Fielding and William Clayton. A year later he records his ordination as an Elder by Heber C. Kimball. He was busy and faithful in his church duties, recording numerous baptisms and confirmations, indicating that not only attended to his duties as a church member, but was himself caught up with the zeal of missionary work. He was ordained a High Priest by Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde on 28 March,1841 The great success of the British Mission soon made itself felt in the Church. The converts became imbued with the spirit of gathering. The first shipload left Liverpool, England on 6 june, 1840. This was the beginning of a migration movement of such magnitude that the Church in America became predominately English for the next 50 years. Nineteen months after the first ship left England, the spirit, of the gathering touched Stephen and Ann. They set sail Feb 5, 1842 from Liverpool, leaving many of their personal belongings behind. They did, however, carry one feather bed for Nanny as she was an invalid at the time. Their ship was the HOPE under the command of Capt. Soule. They were 8 weeks on the water, arriving at New Orleans on April lst. There they were transferred to the steamers Louisa and Amaranth for the slow travel of 1500 miles up the Mississippi River, to arrive at. Nauvoo 13th April 1842. It appears that the Longstroths stay in Nauvoo was very brief, because he needed to get money, and in St. Louis there was more opportunity for work. But most of the next 2 years he went a little further up the river to Rockville. Here he could work and accumulate enough to make the move to Nauvoo. Some of the relatives in England must have inquired about the conditions in America, and his letter to them gives this description: This land has the advantage of England for working people...They may get a good living almost everywhere. The only difficulty here is that money is very scarce, but; when any family gets settled, they can get along very well. I have been very fortunate in getting work where I have got cash. I have saved betwixt two and three hundred dollars, and I intend to build myself a house this next summer somewhere in Illinois where the saints have settled. They have got many locations now. John Brown requests me to let him know the prices of clothing, vittles, and country. The country varies almost in every state. . ..Missouri is a slave state, and is not a good place for immigrants families in general on account of so many black people.. . . ...Illinois is a free state where we intend to settle, which is better for unite families and much pleasanter. The land in these two states have about equal in value. We can have land out in the country for 1.25 to 2.5 dollars per acre. The towns lots sell tolerably high for building on and gardens. A good situation will sell for 100 dollars acre. Cattle is very cheap. Here a good cow will cost about 10 or 12 dollars. Pigs, we might have had more given (to us) than we could keep. I never heard any account of pork being so cheap as it is here at present. We can buy any quantity for 14 cents a pound. Wearing apparel has fallen in price nearly one half since we came. Shoes are six shillings for men shoes, and boy and girls shoes in proportion in price. Good coat cloth and good hats are very high. In another letter to England he described their move to Nauvoo: ". ....We left Rocheport on 26th March 1844; and landed at Nauvoo on the..We had to go down the Missouri River to St. Louis and then up the Mississippi to this city. It is on the bank of the river. We made it our business to get here before our conference, which commenced on the 6th and lasted 14 days. It was held in a grove shaded with trees, and we heard many good and Glories from the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Elders of the Church. It was supposed that there was 1500 people attended this conference, and about 300 sent out on missions to preach the fulness of the Gospel. This work is rolling on in majesty and great power. But whilst I write, I suppose you will stager at the word Prophet, but I tell you that he is a Prophet and receives revelation from God as much as Moses, for when he speaks, it is with authority and power, and he is honored by all as such. Nauvoo's layout is 3.5 miles by 4 miles square. In 1840 there was but a very few houses here until the saints came to this place and now it is a charter city and is making great progress in building. There is houses squandered all over the square of this city. Here is hundreds of people that have landed here nearly without money, some that have not had a cent, and now all of them have a house of their own, some brick and others framed and log houses. When I came here, I bought an acre lot with a good log house on it and a well, which supplies us with water. I gave one hundred dollars for it, and I have builded a work shop up to it, and have planted my acre lot with all kinds of seeds such as you sow in your gardens. 1 bought a good cow and calf, for which I gave 12 dollars and they will cost us nothing keeping for the summer, sees they can go anywhere. The land is not fenced in..... Stephen Longstroth and his family had become well acquainted with Willard Richards during his 1837-1841 mission in England. Willard had visited in the Longstroth homeland a bond of love and mutual admiration had developed between them. Upon Willard's return to America he became the official Church recorder and a close associate of the Prophet Joseph who "took him aside" and taught him the principles of plural marriage. It appears that in the late fall of 1842, Willard, following the Prophet Joseph's counsel and instructions, made a special trip to St. Louis where he prayerfully presented his proposal to Stephen, Ann, and their two lovely daughters, Sarah and Nanny. After understandable concern and consideration, it was accepted by them as "the will of the Lord." The following January (1843) Stephen took his two young daughters to Nauvoo where they were married and sealed to Willard Richards by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Sarah was almost 17 and Nanny was almost 15 at the time. Following the ceremony, Nanny returned to St. Louis with her father. Sarah may have stayed in Nauvoo for a time. However, she was with her family later in 1841. When the Longstroth's moved to Nauvoo in 1841 it would appear that both Sarah and Nanny were with them, and Sarah was still "living at her father's house in Nauvoo in July of 1845 according to Willard Richards Journal. While in Nauvoo, Stephen and Ann took advantage of many opportunities made available in the Gospel plan. They both received their patriarchal blessings from Patriarch John Smith, uncle to the Prophet. Both blessings were written down in pen by Albert Carrington, then acting as scribe for Patriarch Smith. There is also records of Stephen being baptized for some of his dead relatives. Although the temple building was not yet completed, ordinances were being performed in the basement. On the 14th of July 1844, seventeen days after the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Stephen Longstroth was in the Nauvoo Temple being baptized vicariously for members of his family that had passed away prior to having an opportunity to hear the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. He had not forgotten those loved ones left behind in England. He was giving them the greatest gift any mortal man could give--an open door to eternal life. In a letter to England Stephen wrote that they were getting along very well, both temporally and spiritually. He then told more about his home, his garden and livestock he had "bote" another half acre adjoining his original piece and reported that he had a beautiful situation which contributes to our comfort. He also reported "we have got a host of enemies in Illinois and in adjoining counties. They have strove hard to drive us from this state by threatening to drive us, but we are both regardless and unconcerned about them. "I am working all the time at the Tempel, and it, is going to be one of the spendedist buildings in the States. He wrote that, the "Tempel is the place to receive our endowments, our washings and anointings and baptism for the dead, " and urged them to send him the names of his father and mother and the names of all our uncles and aunts that are dead; ....He reported that a great number of Elders were coming to England and prayed "that my brothers and sisters will obey the Gospel and be baptized.. Stephen Longstroth was received into the High Priests quorum in Nauvoo, Dec. 15, 1844 by President Miller. The next day, Dec. 16, 1844, "Truman O. Angell....Stephen Longstroth.....were selected to work on the timbers by Brigham Young and the Twelve for the Nauvoo Temple... At the time of this call, the Nauvoo Temple was nearing completion, and Stephen Longstroth had the opportunity to turn his talents, as a master finisher of wood, to the adornment of the Lord's House. It is recorded that "Stephen Longstroth worked in the carpenter shop on the south side of the lower story of the Nauvoo Temple." Within two weeks after they had received their endowments, the Temple was closed and the Saints completed preparations for their epic journey westward. On September 12th, firing on both sides ensued and a real battle took place. The number killed in the Battle of Nauvoo is not known. Three of the defenders were killed and several wounded. Nauvoo surrendered on Sept. 17, 1846 and the mob forces moved quickly into the city. After the Longstroth family had been evacuated from Nauvoo, they went to St. Louis where Stephen could earn money for their journey to the Rocky Mountains. They lived there for about 19 months. During this time Stephen found employment on river boats and sailing snips "ships carpenter" wherever he went. He always took with him the tools of his trade. One of his proudest possessions was his homemade tool chest. It was quite large and sturdily built. On the top of the lid to the chest was a patiently carved representation of "Solomon's Temple," all in color. In a letter Stephen wrote in March 1848, he described their preparations to leave St. Louis and join the main body of the Saints for the emigration westward. Ann was busy making wagon covers and a large tent for the journey. He reported on the martyrdom again, told about thc burning of 50 or 60 houses by the mob, and the confrontation that ended up the pitched battle with about, 200 Mormons against 900 mobbers, but "we made them to retreat two or three times." He ended with this, "It will all come out right. Me and all my family go hand in hand. We have never had to regret for one moment that we went down into the waters of Baptism and become Momons, and I pray you were all Mormons and were here.. . . Our next recorded entry finds the Longstrotn family on the Missouri River. On the 11th of April 1848 they set out from St. Louis with a group of Saints on board the river steamer "WINDANT Also on board were some of the early Church leaders--"Mathias Cowley, Erastus Snow, and Ezra T. Benson." The river steamer was bound for Council Bluffs where the Saints would meet wagon companies moving westward. 0n the fifth day out of St. Louis, "the boat ran on a rock and was so injured as to render her unsafe. All went ashore and struck camp (on the shores of the Missouri)....and the boat went for repairs." The delay was considerable and of concern to the Authorities who were anxiously waiting for the boat. It wasn't until May the 9th before the boat finally reached its destination. The Longstroth Family were attached to Willard Richard's Division, finally getting under way on the 3rd of July, 1848--leaving Winter Quarters a “perfect desolation." There were 502 whites, 24 negroes, 169 wagons, 50 horses, and an assortment of livestock and other animals. This was broken into two main companies, Amasa M. Lyman leading one of them. On July 9th, Franklin D. Richards was appointed a captain of 50. The procession moved along quite steadily with a few minor accidents. "After months of travel, going over bumpety, dusty roads, late one Autumn afternoon, Dr. Richards pulled his wagon away from the train and up over a little hill near Ft. Bridger, and on October 4th another son was born to Sarah Longstroth Richards. Two weeks later, on the 19th of October 1848 they entered the Salt Lake Valley. After their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, they were re-baptized in City Creek. This was required of all Saints coming into the valley with the early companies-—it's purpose was to receive them into the bosom of the Chruch and to keep the records straight. It is reported that the Richards and Longstroth families lived in their wagons until they could get their homes built. These homes were built in the block just to the south of Temple Square. Stephen's home was located at the corner of Richards and First South Streets. He also owned property on the south side of First South Street. He wrote to his family in England on 28 July 1850 and reported that they had been greatly blessed since they arrived. He said he had a good house with 3 rooms and 6.25 acres of land under good cultivation. garden was 1.25 acres which Ann was managing while he labored at his trade. He was making 15 dollars a week when he worked—---again bore his testimony to them hoping that they "may obey the Gospel of Christ and go down into the waters and be baptized......and continue faithful to the end that you may have a part in the first resurrection, for I would say probably that be the first chance that you would have to see me...." On May 1, 1851 in the last letter to his brothers and sister in England ....We are feeling a little of the infirmities of old age coming upon us. We have only Ann and William with us, that is 2 our of 12, but we are blessed with the necessities of life." In his later years, Stephen's eyesight began to fail him- he wore a pair of "Franklin style" eye glasses that perched low on the nose with thin straight wires coming from the lower sides up along the temples. He manifested patience throughout, a long illness, passed away on Feb. 11,1861, The cause of death was recorded as "consumption." Buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery. Ann Gill Longstroth lived on another seventeen years before her death on 27th Jan. 1878 at, age 82. On the 12th of April 1875 in her own handwriting, she left this simple admonition to those who were to survive her, "take good care of the family registers," (records) These were people who had been scrupulously honest and faithful in their beliefs to the very end. They never wavered in their testimonies of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ--even in the face of the most taxing adversities. Stephen Longsroth had said many times during the last few days of mortal life, "I am full of hope."