These are my 2nd great-grandparents, Susan Kaziah Davis and Frederick William Ellis. They were both born in England. They each joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and immigrated to America. They made their way to Utah where they met. In 1869, they were married in Salt Lake City. They had ten children. Their youngest son, Claude Albert Ellis, is my great-grandfather. His daughter, Mary Margaret Ellis, is my grandmother. In 1930, Frederick was a widower and is found living in the home of his son Claude. This means that my Grandma spent some of her growing up years with her Grandpa Ellis living in her home. She knew him well. And, that is probably why I have so many Ellis family treasures.
Back to Frederick and Susan. And Sarah. In 1881, Frederick married Sarah Jane Barker. Frederick was a polygamist. He and Sarah had six children. It wasn’t long after his marriage to Sarah that polygamy became a felony. LDS polygamists were forced to make a choice. Frederick was not willing to divorce Sarah. And so, on two occasions, he spent time in the Utah Penitentiary.
Growing up, my Grandma only had happy, positive things to say about her grandparents. She had a framed picture hanging on her wall of the Frederick William Ellis family. At the time it was taken, Sarah was no longer living. Front and center are Frederick and Susan, surrounded by 12 of the children from both wives. (One had died, I’m not sure why the other three were not in the photo, maybe they lived too far away at the time it was taken.) Grandma seemed to have no negative feelings about polygamy. And since it was so close to her, generationally speaking, it had an impact on my perspective. I just really didn’t think much about it. It just was. And now that I am older, I wish I had thought to ask my Grandma more questions about what polygamy was like for her grandparents. But I did not ask. And so I am left to try to glean what I can from the bits of their lives they left behind.
This letter, was among the treasures in my Grandma’s boxes. It was written by Frederick to Susan on 1 January 1887. It is 131 years old. What a treasure!
Transcription:
Utah Penitentiary
Jan 1st 1887
Dear Susey,
I recived your letter yesterday and wase very glad to hear from you and to know you wase feeling better, I have been watching for a letter evry day for a week, Mother and Father sent me up a cake and a Pie and apples and candy for Christmas, I expect thay well come up and see me before thay go Back,
We had a concert on Christmas eve and we had a good time, being on of the committee you know what part I have to take, We have one evry week, I feal a little more at home now I have on my my new close, I do not feal
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so much like a black sheep thay say I look good in them
Bro Tracey Left here the other day and I expect he will call on you some day
I have got one of the school arithmetic now but I do not know wether I well go to school or not yet, as Bro Butler is in this Cell he his willing to tell me all I want to know
I have sent to Father to get me some Books and some over shoe’s and you can fix it with him when he comes home
I sent to you the other day for a few things I expect you have recived the letter before this
Pleas tell Fredy not to do anything to the hay Rack before I come home as I well be home in time then I well make a new one tell him
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to get some good strate stakes about 3 or 4 feet long to go around the rack if he has time
I would like the children to write to me at any time as it well be all the news I well get from home and tell them to be good children and I well see them again some day
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and I wish you a happy new year remember me to the Bishop and tell him I well write to him some day this is about all I have to say at Present
Hoping this will find you all well
I Remane yours
Truly
F. W. Ellis
If I had my slippers I would like it
That last line may be my very favorite part. There is something so gentle and understated about it as well as the fact that it just catches me off guard each time I read it and I usually laugh out loud a bit.
There is something so cool about holding a letter this old. What a joy to be the current steward of this family treasure.
Happy Monday! Do you have any old family letters? If so, what is the oldest letter you have?
ps – If you are curious about polygamy in my tree, let me tell you a bit. My Dad descends from all LDS pioneers. In his part of my tree, I counted 19 pioneer men and only 4 were definitely polygamists and 2 might have been (more research is needed on those men). Additionally, I have one female ancestor, Sarah Jane Marler, who was married to a man who was not a polygamist (from whom I descend) and then when he was killed she married his best friend who was already married. Many people are under the impression that polygamy was practiced by all members of the LDS church. That is not true. Many LDS men were never polygamists. The church issued what was known as the Manifesto in 1890, officially ending the practice of polygamy. Of course, that wasn’t something that could be followed immediately. But it did mean that no more men entered into the practice of polygamy. I have heard that a few more marriages somehow happened, but generally speaking, no more polygamous marriages occurred after 1890.