Life Sketch of Margaret Ann Ashcroft

                         LIFE SKETCH OF MARGARET ANN ASHCROFT

I was born in Hyde Park, Cache Co., Utah on February 10, 1865. My father was Henry Ashcroft. He was born 30 Nov. 1833 Upholland, Lancashire, England. He accepted the gospel in England and there he was baptized on December 15, 1849 by Peter Rowbotham. He was then 16 years old. At this time he was living at Roby Mill. While freighting through Upholland he met my mother, Mary Glover. She was born 28 May 1837. The daughter of Wm. and Elizabeth Naylor Glover. My mother was the ninth child of a family of twelve, seven girls and five boys. Upon hearing the gospel she accepted it and was baptized a member of the Latter Day Saints Church 6 June 1851 at the age of fourteen years. Six brothers and sisters joined the church also.

My parents were married about 1852 in England. Prior to the year 1854 he and his young bride made preparations to emigrate to Utah. Together they had saved enough money to pay in advance for their passports to America. This was seven pounds fifteen shillings, amounting to $38.75 in US money. Before leaving England on their journey to America while they were still at the wharf, his mother, a small frail lady came and bade them farewell. They sailed on the Clara Wheeler ship from Liverpool 27 November 1854, arriving at St. Louis, Missouri January 22, 1855. They started the tiresome trek across the plains 12 September 1855. Captain Isaac Allreds company. Arriving in Salt Lake 2 November 1855. 


Their first home was at Payson, Utah, where my oldest brother Wm. Henry was born. My second brother James Albert was born at Goshen, and died a month later. In May 1860 James Mack and family and my father, mother and brother came to Hyde Park. My next or third brother George Franklin was the first white boy born in Hyde Park, 2 July 1861. The first girl of our family, Mary Elizabeth, was born and died 2 months later. I was number five. I was born in a log room situated one block South and one half west of the old rock meeting house now used for U. I. C. Car station. The 9th of May 1867 my father died. I was a little past 2 years old. 


This was a terrible blow to his two young wives who were both in delicate condition. My father's second wife Elizabeth Ann Barton had two sons and gave birth to another 5 months after his death. My fourth brother, Charles Robert was born seven months after the death of my father. But they struggled together waiting on each other and caring for each other's children. Later my mother married Robert Daines on 28 Dec. 1868. Three sides of our log room was moved to the Daines lot and joined on their old log granary. This was East of the old Daines home. 


My mother, Mary Glover, was a hard working industrious women and an immaculate house keeper. She had high ideals and a religious nature. Among my earliest recollections was my humble home. We had two home made high-posted beds one in south east comer and one in south west comer of our room. We had a chest and boxes of clothes under one. A trundle bed under the other, Valance around the bottom part of the bedsteads, curtains around the top. A table in north east comer, stove in the center of the north, with one window and door at west, a window at north. The floor was boards one foot wide. The ceiling was boards laid on top of the joint with a trap door in the center. This attic served as a store room. The only way of getting up there was by placing a chair on the table. After we had lived here for some time, Grandpa Daines bought a clock. This was placed on the home made shelf. Mother draped asparagus on both sides for the flies to roost on this kept them off the white washed ceiling.

I will remember being taught to help sort the potatoes in the spring putting the seed potatoes in one pile and potatoes for the family use in another pile. The rest we washed, peeled and grated to make starch, and how sore my hands were from grating them. Our next spring job was to help prepare the wool for making the rolls from which we spun the yam that made the cloth for our clothing. When I was old enough, I did the spinning of the yam. This work lasted from the time school was out until it started again in the fall. We worked from daylight till dark, six days a week.

In the Spring of 1872, my mother moved into part of the Daines horne. The 26th day of May 1872, May was born, her first child by brother Daines. The lOth September 1874 Emma was born. About this time, the Daines horne, which housed three families, was filled to overflowing. 


So Aunt Jemima moved to the John Gloomfield [Bloomfield?] horne. This was one block west and one north of the Daines horne. Later Aunt Jemima wanted to move back. So my mother moved to the lot where Wilford now lives. This horne was three rooms and a pantry. Two rooms were concrete and one was adobe. I lived in this horne until I was married. 


The 10th of December 1878 my mother gave birth to twins, Wilford Glover and Nora Jane. I was then less than 14 years old and took charge of all the household duties. The only help I had was on wash day when Jane Thurston was hired. Many times I have rubbed on the board all day and hung clothes on the fence after dark, wading in snow up to my knees. My mother was very poorly all winter. Nora had gatherings on her neck and we carried her for about six weeks, day and night. It was six months before my mother was able to corne into the kitchen. 


I well remember a gray cotton plaid dress I had with a full skirt and long sleeves. I wore this when I was about 16 years old to the dances and Sunday School for one year. It was picked to pieces and washed and made on the wrong side and worn for one more year. I knit my black woolen hose for winter and black cotton hose for summer also many pairs for the family. My panties were made long enough to button over my knees. We also wore cotton chemise made of factory. They were long and full.

Our shoes were high laced or buttoned. The higher the better. They were always greased with mutton tallow. We wore heavy sox over our shoes for rubbers when it was very wet weather. In those days every one made butter and sold to the Christian Lees Store. My mother and I would take all this butter of many colors and work it up and remold it to send to Salt Lake City and sell. My mother would take chickens to clean and I would help pick chickens until late in the evening. We also made head cheese for the same store.

In the summer when the apples were ready, we had apple bees. Mother would invite several young girls in and they would help peel and dry apples. Many bushel would be peeled and dried in one evening. They were dried on the roof of our house. Mother would wash and strip rags and than we girls would have rag bees. They would last all day and would be sewed by hand. These were woven and sewed into carpets for our homes.

I did housework for Lydia Reeder, Celia Woolf, Mary Woolf, and Ellen Woolf. I would wash on the board all day then scrub the floors after dark. I learned to sew by helping make baby clothes for the twins. Then later I helped Lizzie Daines sew for others making many beautiful dresses.

Forms of recreation was dramas and dances. The music for our dances consisted of violins. Some of the ones that used to play were Chris Christensen, Patterson D. Griffiths, John Follett, and Andrew Griffiths. Someone always called for the square dances. Round dances were not allowed in my day. I remember going to Smithfield to dance with my half brother James A. Daines, my best and only boy friend was James W Hurren. I went with him when he was home for about five years.

Some of the time he was away working on the railroad from Swan Lake, Idaho to Butte, Montana. Then he spent two winters at the university taking a normal course preparing to teach school.

I went out dressmaking to earn money for my trousseau. This consisted of 3 or 4 pair of pillow slips, 4 pieced quilts, a feather bed, four sheets, and a pair of pillows.  My bedding was folded, tied in a sheet and taken over to the Hurren home.  We married June 10, 1886 in the Logan temple.  Early that morning Charles England and Phebe Woolf and James and I left for Logan temple to be married.  We traveled  in a light wagon with two spring seats.  That evening we went to Mother Hurren’s for our wedding supper.  She was an excellent cook and had made us a delicious wedding cake. While James was going to school in Salt Lake he lived with Nettie Leeker. After our marriage she sent us a cream colored glass berry set. This with 3 or 4 other glass dishes was the extent of our gifts.


PICTURE of life-long friends:

June being a busy month, our wedding trip was postponed until August. Then the four of us with the same light wagon with bows over the top left and went through Gentile Valley on a trip for one week.  We came back through Logan Canyon. We took our food along. We had all the chicken and fish we could eat. We also took a gallon of honey and at Soda Springs we stopped and fixed us a drink putting acid with the water from the Spring.

We lived at mother Hurrens for three years. In September of 1889, we moved to the lot where we now live. We had a one room house with a lean, this lean was a pantry and a small entrance. This is our north bedroom now. The second of December 1889 the first child James William was born. He was the first one to bear the Hurren name. Grandfather Hurren would come every day and ask how is our boy. Emma Daines worked for us. I was poorly most of the winter. It was Spring before I could go out. James had rheumatism and was down most of the winter. We had some winter. Our next child, Mary lone was born 19th February 1892. Two years later Clarence Ashcroft was born on 14 May 1894. Then came Carrie, born 26 Jan. 1897. She was married and had two sons, Lee, and Hurren and passed away. Our next son was Henry Reeder. He was born 27 August 1899. Then David Glover, born 27 February 1902 and last came Eulalia 4th April 1906. Making a family of 4 sons and 3 daughters.

On June 10th of 1901 my husband left on a mission to the Netherlands. At this time we were planning to build on to our two rooms. On Xmas day we had dinner in our new home and February 27 David was born. I also sent money to immigrate two Dutch children, Daniel and Annie Milligan on January 18, 1913. My husband was called on a short term mission to California. When he was released Eulalia and I went to meet him in California. Eulalia was seven years old at the time.

I taught the New Testament class in Sunday School. Sang in Hyde Park Choir until I was married. I was called to work as second counselor to the Retrenchment Society now called the U. L. M. I. A. for eight years. Released December 1889. Chosen a teacher in Primary worked in this positron until 1916, which was nine years. Then chosen as President of Primary with Lettie Neilsen and Louise Ballam as counselors. Worker here seven years. Called to teach Religion Class in 1924-25 with Mortin C. Reeder as principal. I received an award of appreciation for my services. I have been a Relief Society teacher for many years sustained some 20 years ago. Here I had charge of the work and business with Nettie H. Reeder as assistant. I acted as chaplain in Daughters of Utah Pioneers for two years.

I have pieced many quilts, made rugs for myself and children, one quilt for each grandchild. I also learned to net at the age of 70. I keep a large beautiful lawn, shrubs, and flowers and vegetable garden.

Some of the interesting people I have met are Nicholes G. Smith, Charles Card and 1. Golden Kimball, Brigham Young came through Hyde Park and I went to see him. In early days Pres. Wilford Woodruff came to supper. Mother cooked a delicious meal and Page 5

Pres. Woodruff asked for buttermilk. Other church presidents I have known are as follows: Joseph F. Smith, John Taylor, President Grant, and President George Albert Smith.

My husband and I took a trip to Yellowstone with Roy and Ione about 12-13 years ago.

June 1938 we, William, Margaret, Connie, Phyllis, James William and myself attended the Ashcroft reunion held at Kibab, National Forest in Arizona. We stayed four days. It was an outstanding event in my life. It was really a thrill to see some of our kin. They were so happy to see us as well. Another Ashcroft reunion held in Hyde Park June 9, 1941. About 100 present. Dr Feliz Ashcroft came by plane from California to be present. In later years I have greatly enjoyed doing Temple work. Now at the age of 78 we have 19 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren.  We enjoy life and love to have our children and grandchildren spend an evening with us.

We still attend our meetings whenever possible and have a great love for the gospel and its teachings and have tried to teach our children to do what is right.

This story of mother was written as she told it to her daughter-in-law Carrie F. Hurren.

Margaret Ann Ashcroft Hurren died at the family home in Hyde Park, Utah, August 12, 1950.  The funeral service was conducted August 15, 1950, the Hyde Park LDS Chapel.  Bishop J.W. Hyde presided.  The service began at the home where her son, President C.A. Hurren offered the prayer.  Music was by the Hyde Park Choir.  Invocation, E.M. Weiler of Salt Lake City.  Special music was given by a trio composed of Jennes Hurren and her two sisters; and violin solos by William Douglas, husband of Alice Hurren.  Speakers were Bishop J.W. Hyde, R.S. McQuarrie, and uncle Wilford Daines.  The benediction was by C. Leland Ashcroft.  Dedicatory prayer was by a son, Bishop David G. Hurren.  Paul Bearers were Sidney F. Hurren, Bruce Hurren, Weiler R. Hurren, David A. Gittins, R. Hurren Waite, and William Dean Evans, grandsons and grandsons-in-law.

Eulalia Hurren Gittins