William Hurst was born 25 July 1813 in the Parish of Frickenham, in Worcestershire England. He was the son of John Hurst and Susannah Long. The Hursts were an energetic, hard working, prosperous people. When William was one year old, his father John Hurst died, leaving the mother Susannah, and his sister Elizabeth, and himself.
William Hurst married Susanna Webley about 1830. Susannah Webly was the daughter of Richard Webly and Jane Danby, who were honorable religious people and were comfortably situated. William and Susannah had eight children all of which were born in England except one which was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Only three of the children grew to maturity, the others dying in infancy, one with cholera.
We as a family owe a great deal to Jane Danby, our great great grandmother and to the Latter-day Saint missionaries who brought her this Gospel. Jane Danby was the first to join the church in her family, and undoubtedly influences William Hurst and his wife Susannah to join the church and come to America. She was a widow about seventy six years of age. She left all of her family in England and arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois before 1841. She became acquainted with the prophet Joseph Smith whom she admired very much. In 1841 she wrote: “I am in the land of the living, a land of liberty, among a people who are blessed of the Lord. Nauvoo is a place that is increasing very fast. I bear my testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet of the Lord. Am pleased to hear that William Hurst and daughter Susannah have been baptized and hope to see you all soon over here.” This noble, God fearing woman went through the terrible persecutions in Nauvoo and started to make the trip to Utah in Job Smiths Co., but she contracted cholera in Garden Grove, died and was buried there.
William Hurst received a wonderful Patriarchal blessing in England in 1843. Religious zeal was probably not the only reason he decided to come to America. He saw financial possibilities. He was a RR contractor. William felt badly about leaving his mother and sister Elizabeth, wife of John Clapton, in England; but the desire to join the Saints in Utah was strong, so he and his wife Susannah Webley and his sister Elizabeth and their eight children sailed from Liverpool 6 Feb 1840 on the ship Ashland. They landed in New Orleans in April. While they were going up the Mississippi River cholera broke out and Joseph Westwood and his wife Ann Webly died. Betsy Ann, daughter of William and Susannah also died, and they were buried on the bank of the Mississippi, near St. Louis Missouri. William Hurst worked in St. Louis, Missouri and obtained a good outfit to cross the plains. Their Co. was known as the St Louis Independents, because they needed no help. When William left St. Louis, he was given a recommend as follows: “To whom it may concern, this certifies that William Hurst is a worthy member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the St. Louis branch, and new leaves it in full fellowship and in good standing. Given under my hands in St. Louis Missouri, this 9th day of April 1852, signed Thomas Wrigley president, John L. Caine, clerk.
Susannah Hurst said crossing the plains was the happiest time of her life, as they had such good time they all learned to dance.
The Hurst family arrived arrived Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852. William built a large adobe room and put a floor with lumber from his high wagon box. This was something special. He built a lean-to on one side for his son Philip and dick Westwood. . William promised his family that if they did not like Utah, he would go on with them to California. This may have been because they had lost so many loved ones it was only natural for him to want to please the ones living. Inn a letter he wrote to England he said, “I guess we will stay in Utah as we are happy and contented.”
William Hurst was a good workman and while working for President Brigham Young, digging a millrace for Chase’s Mill, in Liberty Park, he found a root, he thought was like the Saints had been eating. He was hungry for vegetables, so he ate it becoming very ill and suffering extremely on doing so. He passed away that same afternoon March 14, 1853. William Hurst was thirty-nine (39) years and eight (8) months old at his death.
After William’s death the family moved to Springville, Utah to get more land, and here Susannah married an Englishman James Maycock. Maycock was an elderly man and used to sit on a stool and tell her stories while she milked the cows. When Johnsons Army came to Utah and the Saints moved south, he traded his place in Springville and moved to north Ogden, Utah to live. They planted the first apple orchard in north Ogden. They worked very hard to subdue the desert and get established. Susannah did a great deal of this work. Philip remained in Springville and married Lucinda Gyman, and later moved to Fairview. Mary Jane married Myron Grandel and has a numerous posterity around North Ogden and pleasant View. Emma Jane married George Tucker and moved to Fairview. Mary A. Y. Brown
CConquerors of the West, Stalwart Mormon Pioneers:
Name: William Hurst
Birth Date: 24 Jul 1813
Birth Place: Feckenham, Worcester, England
Parents: John and Susannah Long Hurst
Death Date: 14 Mar 1853
Death Place: Salt Lake City, Utah
Arrival: 10 Sep 1852, St. Louis Independent Co.
Spouse: Susannah Webley
Marriage Date: 25 Jun 1830
Marriage Place: England.
Spouse's Parents: Richard and Jane Banby Webley
Spouse's Death Date: 14 Nov 1878
Spouse's Death Place: Pleasant View, Weber, Utah
Later, remarried 7 Nov 1831, Birmingham, Warwick, England, in St. Phillips Church William 's father, a basketmaker, died suddenly when William was a year old. His mother later married Gerard Baker , a shoemaker, and had six more children, plus the two she already had. When William was old enough, he became a railway contractor and spent 18 years traveling throughout England , wherever the railroads were built. Apparently his wife and children went with him as evidenced by the various places of birth of the children. Susannah 's mother joined the Mormon Church and emigrated to Nauvoo in 1843 . She wrote letters home encouraging her children to emigrate to America , telling them of the wonderful opportunities and also telling them about the church. William and his family decided to leave England with their three children. While traveling up the Mississippi River , cholera broke out and their youngest daughter, Betsy , died. They spent three years in St. Louis getting ready to cross the plains. While there, another daughter was born to them. Upon their arrival in the Valley, they made their home in Salt Lake at about 6th East and 6th South. William worked on the construction of the Chase Mill. Six months after their arrival, William ate a root that he thought was edible, but it turned out to be a poison parsnip. He died a painful death the same day. Children: John , b. 23 Dec 1831 , England . D. Young Sarah , b. 3 Oct 1832 , England . D. 23 Oct 1832 , Little Crown Yard, Bromsgrove, England . Infant. William , b. 11 Jan 1834 , Staple Hill, Bromsgrove, England . D. 26 Jan 1840 . Child. Philip , b. 15 Sep 1836 , Pirbright, Surrey, England . Md. 1st, 1 Jan 1857 , Lucinda Harris Guymon . Md. 2nd, 19 Sep 1868 , Elizabeth Willcox . Md. 3rd, 9 Oct 1873 , Rebecca Ann Sanderson . Md. 4th, 30 Apr 1892 , Emma Gibson . D. 14 Jul 1901 , Colonia Dublin, Chihuahua, Mexico . Mary Jane , b. 7 Nov 1838 , Southampton, Hampshire, England . Md. 1st, 13 Mar 1857 , Myron Nathan Crandall . Md. 2nd, Martin Pardon Crandall . Md. 3rd, 1 Sep 1875 , Amos Maycock . D. 30 Aug 1914 . Bur. No. Ogden, Utah . Solomon , b. 18 Mar 1841 . D. 9 Apr 1841 . Betsey , b. 1 May 1848 , Cheddleton, Stafford, England . D. 27 May 1849 , St. Louis, Missouri . Child. Emma Jane , b. 19 Jul 1851 , St. Louis, Missouri . Md. 1868 , George Tucker . D. 1 Jun 1882 , Fairview, Utah . Elden Hurst
CConquerors of the West, Stalwart Mormon Pioneers:
Name: William Hurst
Birth Date: 24 Jul 1813
Birth Place: Feckenham, Worcester, England
Parents: John and Susannah Long Hurst
Death Date: 14 Mar 1853
Death Place: Salt Lake City, Utah
Arrival: 10 Sep 1852, St. Louis Independent Co.
Spouse: Susannah Webley
Marriage Date: 25 Jun 1830
Marriage Place: England.
Spouse's Parents: Richard and Jane Banby Webley
Spouse's Death Date: 14 Nov 1878
Spouse's Death Place: Pleasant View, Weber, Utah
Later, remarried 7 Nov 1831, Birmingham, Warwick, England, in St. Phillips Church William 's father, a basketmaker, died suddenly when William was a year old. His mother later married Gerard Baker , a shoemaker, and had six more children, plus the two she already had. When William was old enough, he became a railway contractor and spent 18 years traveling throughout England , wherever the railroads were built. Apparently his wife and children went with him as evidenced by the various places of birth of the children. Susannah 's mother joined the Mormon Church and emigrated to Nauvoo in 1843 . She wrote letters home encouraging her children to emigrate to America , telling them of the wonderful opportunities and also telling them about the church. William and his family decided to leave England with their three children. While traveling up the Mississippi River , cholera broke out and their youngest daughter, Betsy , died. They spent three years in St. Louis getting ready to cross the plains. While there, another daughter was born to them. Upon their arrival in the Valley, they made their home in Salt Lake at about 6th East and 6th South. William worked on the construction of the Chase Mill. Six months after their arrival, William ate a root that he thought was edible, but it turned out to be a poison parsnip. He died a painful death the same day. Children: John , b. 23 Dec 1831 , England . D. Young Sarah , b. 3 Oct 1832 , England . D. 23 Oct 1832 , Little Crown Yard, Bromsgrove, England . Infant. William , b. 11 Jan 1834 , Staple Hill, Bromsgrove, England . D. 26 Jan 1840 . Child. Philip , b. 15 Sep 1836 , Pirbright, Surrey, England . Md. 1st, 1 Jan 1857 , Lucinda Harris Guymon . Md. 2nd, 19 Sep 1868 , Elizabeth Willcox . Md. 3rd, 9 Oct 1873 , Rebecca Ann Sanderson . Md. 4th, 30 Apr 1892 , Emma Gibson . D. 14 Jul 1901 , Colonia Dublin, Chihuahua, Mexico . Mary Jane , b. 7 Nov 1838 , Southampton, Hampshire, England . Md. 1st, 13 Mar 1857 , Myron Nathan Crandall . Md. 2nd, Martin Pardon Crandall . Md. 3rd, 1 Sep 1875 , Amos Maycock . D. 30 Aug 1914 . Bur. No. Ogden, Utah . Solomon , b. 18 Mar 1841 . D. 9 Apr 1841 . Betsey , b. 1 May 1848 , Cheddleton, Stafford, England . D. 27 May 1849 , St. Louis, Missouri . Child. Emma Jane , b. 19 Jul 1851 , St. Louis, Missouri . Md. 1868 , George Tucker . D. 1 Jun 1882 , Fairview, Utah . Elden Hurst