Josiah Barton was born on November 17, 1809 in Winstanley, Lancashire, England. His parents were William Barton and Elizabeth Winstanley. He married Margaret Woods on June 13, 1838, in the Haigh church in Wigan, Lancashire, England. Josiah and Elizabeth had five children. They lived in St. Helens, a town about six miles from Liverpool. England. These are their children:

Elizabeth Ann b. 3 June 1839
Eliza Ann b. July 15, 1844
Margaret b. February 22, 1847
William b. 9 September 1849
James b. 3 June 1853

Josiah worked as a mechanical engineer, as did his brothers. He worked on the design and building of the first railway lines in the Lancashire area. In March of 1854 his wife Elizabeth died leaving him with three daughters and two sons, the youngest James being only old nine months old.

In 1852 a few years before Elizabeth's death, the oldest daugther, Elizabeth, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints (Mormons). In her life history Elizabeth recalls:

Her father, Josiah Barton, was very antagonistic to the Mormon church and she did not let him know right at first that she had been baptized. Her sister Eliza was baptized the next year. The two girls and their mother, when she was able, went to meeting together when they could go without the Josiah knowing. When father did learn of Elizabeth's baptism he was very angry and he whipped her so severely she was ill for several days after.

With the death of his wife Josiah became increasingly bitter about life, probably because of his many responsibilities regarding his family. Elizabeth tells that her father became increasingly severe with the children. They often felt like prisoners in their own home. Finally Elizabeth and Eliza left home and went to live with their father's brother, John and Elizabeth Barton. Josiah told the girls if they continued their association with the church he would disinherit them. By 1861 Elizabeth had enough money saved that she left for America, to emigrate to Utah. Eliza followed in 1862 when she was 18 years old with her Uncle John Barton, his wife Elizabeth Bell and their children. Josiah died on December 14, 1873, in Crawford Village, Lancashire, England.