Steve's Memories

Grandson Steve’s shares these favorite memories:

“I remember Gran taking us (Steve and Martyn) to a “temperance bar” run by Mrs Nickleson at Astley Bridge for drinks. As I recall I always had Vimto. I also remember being taken to Queen’s Park in the centre of Bolton where there was a bandstand where they held concerts on Sunday. We also went to Barrow Bridge where there was a rowing lake and roundabouts – as well as a lot of tearooms.

On several occasions Gran took me to Haslem’s house (where she worked); I remember playing on the typewriter there. Gran was given the typewriter when she stopped working there – I still have it.”

Grandson Steve

This photo was taken by the front door at Dovedale. Steve, Doris' grandson, had just joined the cubs! Don, on the left, was Doris’s brother.

Grandson Martyn's Memories

Grandson, Martyn, remembers the tremendous encouragement she always gave to him in whatever he did. He writes this about his Gran:

“When I was very young she was always there for me, apart from when she was in the States, but even then I received letters and presents from various places over there. She sent me many pennants from the different states which I had on my bedroom wall all through my early years and up until my mid teens. These and the postcards and letters made me feel that I was actually there with her.

Before she went to the States I have very fond memories of when she looked after me and the walks that she took me on. One of her favorite walks was to the 'Jolly Brows' were we used to skim stones in the stream there. Even in later years she could still walk the legs off me and it was usually me asking when we were going to take a rest!

When she said she was coming home from the U.S. I can tell you I was very excited and it was like waiting for the arrival of a best friend who you had not seen in ages. She would tell me all about my extended family in America and the kind of things you all got up to and the places she'd been to.

One of the first places we went to when she got back was Blackpool and we stayed there for a week. While there we went to loads of places: (Blackpool Tower, Stanley Park, South, Central and North Piers, the Wax Works) and mostly by foot as she always liked to walk. That said whilst we were there I had my first ever tram ride from Star Gate (South Shore) up to Bispham (North Shore) and all the while she'd be telling me all about the area and past visits.

She also took me to see relations in St Helens, which if my memory serves me correctly; I think involved changing buses three times. I didn't even know we had relations there or at Platt Bridge (Wigan) which was another place we visited. Whilst visiting they would be talking about things from years gone by, and to someone who was still of tender years it didn't really mean much to me at the time.

Over my childhood years my Gran was not only my Gran, but a great friend to me and could always tell when things were troubling me. She would offer me advice and comfort when I needed it and the one regret I have in life is that I never got to say goodbye properly to her before she died.

When my Dad tells me how times were hard for them when they were kids, I realize how hard she must have worked to keep a roof over their heads and to keep the family together. It kind of puts any problems we have today into perspective.

A picture of Gran when she was younger has a place of pride in my house along with my two children's photos. I would have loved them to have met her, and then they would know for themselves how great she was.”

Grace Visits

This photo was taken during Grace's visit home. Standing left is Eric, next to him is grandson Martyn, to the right standing is George, Martyn's father, sitting on the left is Joan, Eric's wife, next to her is Audry, George's wife and mother Doris Taylor.

In the early 1970's Doris' daughter, Grace, finally got the opportunity to visit her home in England. This is the last family photo taken of Doris and her children. George is standing on the left, next to him is Eric, the oldest son, Grace is sitting on the left and Doris on the right.

The Passing of a Loved Mother and Grandmother

This photo was taken at Steve's wedding, shortly before Doris passed away. Gran Doris is standing on the right next to her is Steve's other Grandparents, the Grundys.

May 8, 1973, Doris passed away for pneumonia. A few days earlier she had been working in her small garden and that evening began to feel quite bad. Her neighbor called an ambulance and she was admitted to the hospital were she passed away. Doris left behind a remarkable example of determination, hard work and love. At the time of her passing she left behind two sons, Eric and George,one daughter, Grace,and five grandchildren, Steve, Martyn, Paul, Gail Ann and Lynn.

William Barton

Doris Ada Barton parents were William Barton born on December 4, 1871, in St. Helens, Lancashire, England, and Ada Bates born on December 6, 1871, also in St. Helens.

William was a very strict patriarch. Doris’s recollection was that her father was a staunch member of the Congregational church and a Sunday School Superintendent. In 1908 Albert Barton, a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, visited William and taught him the gospel. He recognized the truth of the gospel the missionaries preached and he was baptized on March 6, 1908. Doris recorded this in her journal:

“A small branch of the church was formed which consisted of our family and two more men. Strange as it seemed to us children at the time, one of the men was called Joseph Smith and at first we became confused as to whom he really was, until we learned a little more of the gospel, mostly from the children’s Book of Mormon and stories published in the Desert News. Our meeting room was a small room over a barbershop, but the services and social events we held there we remember with joy. In 1912 we moved to Bolton and here we found a much bigger branch, where my father had more opportunity to be active.”

Another memory that Doris had of her father was that on Tuesdays and Thursdays he would accompany the missionaries to the town hall square where they would hold open air meetings; often they would have to shout out the message they had to give because on the other side of the square the Salvation Army Band was in full swing.

When WWI broke out in 1914 William was called up, as he was a reservist; he was gone for many, many months. During this time Doris’ mother kept the family together. When William was invalided out of the army due to wounds and gas poisoning, he at once set about servicing and preaching the gospel, he was made the branch president in about 1920. During the last years of his life Doris wrote this about her father:

“During the last years of his life my father worked as long as 16 sometimes 18 hours a day copying the records of all the Barton births, marriages and deaths. Before he died he had completed all available records from the churches, cemeteries, and libraries.”

She also recalled that one night her father and another man had gone to a local church, St Helen’s, to look for records. Somehow they were forgotten and the church was locked up for the night with them still inside, they had no way of getting out. This proved to be a very productive night as they worked through the night studying the old church ledgers.

Granddaughter Grace tells of an incidence that shows a little of Williams sense of humor. When she was quite small Grandfather Taylor took Grace out for a stroll down the street. He held her hand as they went along. Once for a brief time Grace let go of her grandfather's hand, Grandfather Taylor reached out to catch her hand again, and as he did so a kindly women pressed some coins into his hand, apparently thinking he was needy. When they returned home Grandfather Barton told Doris, his daughter, he should go out more as he could bring a few coins in each day.

William Barton died on June 12, 1939, at the age of 68. His wife Ada Bates Barton died nine years early on July 30, 1930.

Bolton Town Square

This photo was taken in the 1940's of Bolton Town Square, here was were the missionaries and William Barton would go to hold street meetings.

Ada Bates

Ada Bates, born December 6, 1971, in St. Helens, Lancashire, England, was the daughter of James Holden Bates, born on January 12, 1845, and Helen Boardman, born on September 14, 1840. Ada married William Taylor on November 15, 1894, in St. Helen's, England. She had eleven children, eight of which reached adulthood.
Doris, one of her daughters, had fond memories of her mother, and the fun the children had with her. She remembers her mother dressing up as Father Christmas and the excitement that caused in the house. Her mother once took the children on holiday to Blackpool while their father was away.
Ada joined the LDS church along with her husband in 1908. Ada fed the missionaries often as well as doing mending for them. Doris recalled the missionaries bringing over funny shaped packages for her mother, this always peeked the curiosity of the children. They were somewhat disappointed when the bundles turned out to be clothes that needed mending. At times the missionaries would stay with the family, while they looked for housing.
Ada Bates Taylor died on august 4, 1930, in Bolton, England. She died from heart failure.

This is Ada Bate's, mother Helen Boardman. According to the 1881 census, Helen was born about 1842 in St. Helens and married James Holden Bates on November 11, 1864. He was born about 1845. His occupation was listed as a hairdresser. Helen and James had eight known children, they are:

Lucy b. 11 March 1865
Pauline b. 18 July 1866
Eliza b. 3o Nevember 1869
Ada b. 6 December 1871

James b. 1874

Loise b. 1876
Joseph b. 28 April 1879
Jesse b. 16 July 1882

Helen died on November 30, 1918 in St. Helens. Her husband James Holden Bates died in June 1910.

This is a drawing of Eliza Boote, she is Helen Boardman's mother, and Ada Bates grandmother. She was born about 1818 in St.Helens. She married a James Boardman.

William Barton

William Barton was born on September 9th, 1849, in St. Helen, Lancashire, England. His parents were Josiah Barton and Margaret Woods. He was the oldest son of five children. He married Martha Haines on February 2, 1870, in St. Helens. William worked as a Iron Moulder. He died on the 6th of January, 1929, in St. Helens, England.

Martha Haines

Martha Haines was born on October 6, 1852, in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England. She married William Barton on February 2, 1870. Martha and William had nine children.

William b. 4 Dec 1871
Henry b. 27 Oct 1876
Josiah b. 20 Dec 1878
Margaret b. 17 Nov 1880
Ellen b. 15 Oct 1882
Jane b. 8 Sep 1884
Walter b. 22 Jul 1888
Emma b. 15 Sep 1892
James b. 25 May 1895

Her parents were Henry Haines and Ellen Slater. Martha died on June 17, 1922, in St. Helens, England.

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.

Elizabeth Ann Barton

Elizabeth Ann Barton Ashcroft Bloomfield, the eldest daughter of Josiah Barton and Margaret Woods, was born at Pemberton, Lancashire, England, on June 3, 1839. The family lived down by the wharves in Liverpool as they were quite poor. The mother was ill much of the time as so most of the work fell to Elizabeth to do.

When the Mormon missionaries began preaching in their locality, Elizabeth went with a friend to hear them. The missionaries usually spoke on the street, but once Elizabeth went to a house where a small group was gathered. Her Aunt Elizabeth Bell Barton had joined the church in 1847. By the time Elizabeth was 13 she knew that the gospel taught by the missionaries was true and she wanted to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and so in 1852 she was baptized. Her father, Josiah, was very antagonistic to the church and she did not let him know right at first that she had been baptized. Her sister Eliza, was baptized the next year, April 11, 1853 and the two girls and their mother, when she was able, went to meetings together when they could go without the father knowing. When Josiah did learn of Elizabeth's baptism he was very angry and he whipped her so severely she was ill for several days after.

By the time there were five children in the family-Elizabeth; Eliza, born June 15, 1844; Margaret, born February 22, 1847; William, born September 9, 1849 and James, born June 3, 1853. When James was nine months old his mother, Margaret Woods Barton, died on the 24 of March, 1854. The day she was buried, her father, Josiah, gave her mother's ring to Elizabeth. Elizabeth wore the ring first around her neck on a string until her finger was large enough to keep it on. She took very good care of it, as it was the only thing she had of her mothers. One day her father became very angry with her over her joining the Mormon church and he wrenched the ring from her and hurt her because he was so rough. Her physical hurt was not as bad as her broke heart, having lost the one thing she had of her mothers.

The father, Josiah, became increasingly severe with the children. They were virtually prisoners in their own home. Finally Elizabeth and Eliza left home and went to live with their father's brother, John Barton, and his wife Elizabeth Bell Barton. They had also joined the Mormon church and were kind to the girls.

Elizabeth was anxious to emigrate to Utah so she worked in an inn or a "pub." She worked their until she had money enough to bring her to America. She was a steerage passenger on the ship Monarch of the Sea, which left Liverpool, England, on May 21, 1861, and arrived in New York on June 19, 1861. Elizabeth traveled in a cattle car on the railroad to Florence, Nebraska, and there joined a group of saints with ox teams who were coming to Salt Lake City, Utah. During that long journey across the plains Elizabeth walked all the way except for two days when she was ill. She was not a large husky girl, but rather small and of a slight build. When she started across the the plains Elizabeth has a good pair of shoes, but they did not last. She had to take some cedar chips and cow hide to fashion a type of shoe. When she arrived in Utah her feet were calloused, bare, cracked and bleeding from all the walking. Her clothes were almost wore out as well. She had arrived in the valley, the missionaries had told her to have faith and courage, she was most grateful that she had been blessed by the Lord with sufficient courage and faith to bring her this far.

She arrived in Salt Lake City on September 22, 1861; she then went to Hyde Park, Cache County, Utah, to work in the home of William Hyde. She had known Henry Ashcroft as a missionary in England and on October 26, 1861, when she had been here but one month she married Henry, and began his second wife, as the church practiced polygamy at this time. They lived in Hyde Park and has two sons; James Barton Ashcroft, born March 23, 1863 and Josiah Emer Ashcroft, born September 7, 1865. When Henry Ashcroft was 32 years of age he became very ill. He called his two good friend, Robert Daines and John Bloomfield to administer to him. Henry knew he was going to die and he asked his two friends to care for his families. They promised they would. Herny died May 9, 1867, five months before the third son, Walter Ottual was born on October 14, 1867.

The next January 2, 1868, John Bloomfield's wife, Harriet passed away leaving him with two small girls and a baby boy to care for. The next January 11, 1896, John Bloomfield and Elizabeth Ann Barton Ashcroft were married. They continued to live at Hyde Park and three children were born to John and Elizabeth; Joseph W., November 17, 1869; Richard M., March 6, 1873 and Harriet Martha, July 31, 1875. Soon after Harriet was born they were called to help colonize Arizona.

Eliza Barton

Eliza Barton was born July 15, 1844 in the town of St. Helens, six miles from Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Eliza was the second daughter of Josiah and Margaret Woods. Eliza was very fond of her father's brother, John Barton and his wife, Elizabeth Bell Barton. She visited them often and they enjoyed her as well. John and Elizabeth had five sons, the only daughter that had died as an infant. An indecent that occurred that changed Eliza's life happened as Eliza was walking with her Aunt Elizabeth and she sister, Elizabeth, in the town's square. They noticed that a crowd had gathered around two peculiarly dressed young men, the Mormon missionaries. Elizabeth listened intently to what the young missionaries were preaching. When the sermon was over Elizabeth told Eliza that she had listened to the missionaries several times and intended to join their church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Elizabeth was baptized in 1847. In 1852 Eliza also was baptized by David Grant much against her father's wishes.

In March 1854 Eliza's mother died leaving Josiah, her father, with three daughters and two sons. The youngest son James was just nine months old. Josiah became increasingly bitter, probably because of his wife's death and his many responsibilities regarding his young family. He was especially resentful toward the Mormon church and finally told Eliza that if she continued her affiliation with the church he would disinherit her. Eliza left and lived with her Uncle John Barton for a time. In 1862 she left England with her Uncle John and his family who had decided to emigrate to America. They left St Helens for Liverpool and on May 6, 1862, they set sail on the ship Manchester for New York. There were 376 passengers on the ship, all bound for Utah. They landed at Castle Garden, New York, on June 13. The next day they took a train for Albany and then west crossing the Hudson River, Niagara River, Detroit River and down and across the Mississippi River, then to St. Joes Missouri. They then took a river boat named Omaha and arrived a Florence, Nebraska on June 25. In Florence John Barton's sons, William and James, the twins and John, met their father and his family and cousin Eliza. The had emigrated to America two years before and had outfitted their own wagons and had been helping to bring other saints across the plains. On this trip they all joined in the wagon train of Ansel p. Harmon; they arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 5, 1862; Eliza having walked all the way across the plains. They did not stay long in Salt Lake, but settled in Kaysward, now Kaysville.

In 1863 Eliza married her cousin James Barton, one of the twin sons of John Barton. Eliza and James were married on the 4th of July in Kaysville. The next year on the 5th of March, 1864 their marriage was solemnized in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. The new couple settled in Kaysville, Davis County. In 1879 they moved to Salt Lake City wher James had work on the railroad. He was a master mechanic.

Early in life it became evident that Eliza was born with a gift for healing and caring for the sick. She passed the requirements of a doctor and was given a certificate to practice by Dr. Benedict, the head of the medical profession at the time. She was the instrument for bringing many, many children into this world. She was called to many homes by doctors because of her great skill and knowledge of curing "milk leg" after child birth. When called she would immediately roll up her sleeves and pitch in. One area doctor said, "I ceased to worry and I knew my patient would get well if I could get Eliza Barton to come help." Eliza's children often helped to deliver the medicines to the houses of the sick. Eliza walked up and down the hills of Salt Lake City helping where she was needed. There were not telephones in that day so people would come and get her. Many times a knock at the door would wake the family, and a man would ask her to hurry. Eliza would dress quickly and they would be gone. Sometimes the family would not see her for many days as she was busy nursing and caring for her patients. She gave her time and much of her own provisions to the poor. She used to make a spring tonic that was marvelous in curing the sick. Eliza would go and stay with patients who had diphtheria, which was a fearful disease at that day, and she would stay until they recovered. She would come home and bury her clothes in the ground so her own children would not be exposed. Once she was called to go to Evanston, Wyoming, to nurse a boy who had been kicked by some animal. He was a relative to some people in the ward. She stayed five weeks with him until he got well. Eliza's family got along pretty well with out her, she had taught how to care for themselves and with seven daughters things ran smoothly for most the time. Eliza also served as a counselor in the church's Relief Society, for a number of years, she later served as president.

Eliza and James had eleven children. Two died in infancy. She died in 1905 of goiter. At the time of her death she had 29 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Written by Daughter Lucy Seele Barton