Abigail Sprague Bradford Gardner

Abigail Sprague Bradford Gardner   1812-1879

Ralph Otis Bradley's Great Great Grandmother

        Abigail Sprague's ancestors came from Holland to England  about 1560.  A coat of Arms was granted to Sir Hugh Sprague Esquire, by the Queen of England in 1580.  That  grant has been passed down to this generation of Sprague's.  Abigail's forefather, William Sprague, came to America from England in the ship "Abigail" in 1628, in the company with Governor Endicott.  William and brothers, Ralph and Richard, were founders of the city Charleston, Massachusetts in 1638.  Charleston is now part of Boston.  They were persons of character, substance, enterprise, excellent citizens and public benefactors as were many of their descendants.

       Abigail's grandfather, Ebenezer Sprague served in the Revolutionary War, first as Sergeant in 1777 and then as First Lieutenant in Captain Samuel Taylor's 6th Company, Hampshire County Regiment-commissioned November 18, 1779. 

       Abigail's father, Hezekiah Sprague, was born November 10, 1775 in Massachusetts.  Her mother, Abigail Jeffers, was born July 18, 1772 in Connecticut.  When Hezekiah Sprague and Abigail Jeffers were married they settled in Oxford, Cananga County, New York, where eight of their children were born; Ira, Satira, Abraham, Lucretia, Lois, Rawsel, Ithamer and Gad.  In 1809 Hezekiah disposed of his holdings to his brother Basil and moved about fifty-five miles northwest into Cayuga County, New York.  Abigail was born here August 14, 1812, and later Henry was born at the same place.  About 1822 Hezekiah sold out and again went west with his wife Abigail and children Lois, Rawsel, Ithamer, Gad, Abigail, and Henry, and located in the southeastern part of Indiana.

       Abigail married Jahial (Hial) Lee Bradford, of the "Mayflower" family, on August 21, 1830 in Cotton Township, Switzerland County, Indiana.  Abigail was only sixteen years old at the time.  In 1831 Hial and Abigail had their first child, Mary Ann, next Rawsel was born in 1833, then Jesse in 1835 but he lived only 16 days.  Granville was born in 1837 and Sylvester in 1839.

       When contacted in 1838 by the Elders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Abigail was quickly converted.  She allowed the missionaries to stay in her home, but husband, Hail, was a little slower accepting the Gospel and took time to check things out.  When Hial did join, he was the only one of his ten brothers and sisters to join the church.  Abigail's father was very much opposed to her allowing the missionaries into her home.  However after being told "they sometimes entertain angels unaware" he let them come to his home.  He was a learned scholar of the Bible and scoffed at the missionaries at first, in spite of this he stayed up all night discussing principles of the gospel, and by the next morning he applied for baptism.  Then Abigail's mother, Abigail, and her brother, Ithamer, his wife and her other brother, Henry all joined the Church.   

       In 1839 they all moved to be with the body of the Saints and settled at Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois.  There Hial bought a forty-acre farm about 6 miles below the city near the Mississippi river, he later purchased another forty-acre farm adjoining it.  Pleasant, their sixth child was born here in 1843.

       Abigail and Hial were devoted friends and neighbors to the Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife Emma.  Being a man of means, Hial loaned the Prophet money many times with no security.  The Prophet told him, "they would be neighbors in the hereafter."  Hial was ordained a Patriarch on June 11, 1843, by the Patriarch Hyrum Smith.

       Abigail and Hial both received their patriarchal blessings November 12, 1841 under the hands of Patriarch Hyrum Smith.  Abigail was promised that her name should be perpetuated, that she should be honored by posterity and that the blessings of God should rest upon her descendants.  She would be "blessed in basket and in store" and would gain a knowledge of God and His mysteries that would be a comfort to her heart in time of need.  These promises with others gave her faith and strength to bear up under the severe trials so soon to overtake her.

       On one occasion their son, Rawsel had a badly infected arm.  They had done all they could and had exercised all their faith but the doctor said it must be amputated.  On the way to the doctors they met the Prophet who had been away for some time.  They told him of their problem.  He examined the arm and blessed him. Then told them to return home and the arm would be healed, they obeyed the Prophet and went home and the promise was fulfilled.

       Persecutions ran riot in Nauvoo.  When the remains of the murdered Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith lay in state, Abigail and her daughter Mary Ann were among the thousands to view him.

   Abigail was very ill when her baby Tryphena was born September 30, 1845.  With a high fever and childbirth she lay at death's door.  Everyone in the house had fever and chills except Mary Ann who was trying to take care of the family.  Hial went for the midwife on a horse and after he had brought her, he went to put the horse in the barn.  He was so long in coming that the family went in search of him.  They found him feeling his way to the house.  He had taken suddenly and violently ill.  Some thought he had been kicked by the horse others thought he had had a stroke.  He died during the night. They’re little eight-year-old son, Grandville, also died two days later.  So in just a couple of days Abigail lost her beloved husband Hial and dear son Grandville and gained a new daughter.  Two vacant chairs met her gaze when Abigail was able to sit up again.  As she grew stronger, this broken hearted mother resolved to carry on. Her courage and sacrifice gave her greater faith in God. 

       Persecutions continued and the Saints were being driven from their homes.  When definite plans were being made by the leaders to move westward, Abigail decided to go also.  But first she was able to take out her endowments in the Nauvoo Temple the January 21, 1846.  Her parents also took out their endowments.

       Picture, if you can a widowed mother and five children making plans for a thousand mile trip to an unknown country.  In the early spring of 1846, Abigail sold her two forty acre farms, with all the tools and implements, and a two thousand bushel crib of corn, livestock and personal property for two yoke of oxen and one wagon that was so old it needed a lot of repair before it could be used for the journey.  But otherwise she had enough means to equip herself and family equal with others of the company. 

       When Hial's two brothers from Indiana learned of Abigail's intentions to go west, they immediately came to Nauvoo. As they were well to do, they offered to take her and her children home with them, where they could be educated and reared in luxury.  But first they must deny Mormonism.  Abigail's testimony was too strong to be thrown aside.  She trusted in the Lord and could not be persuaded-no, nor even bought.  Abigail refused to go, or let her children go with them, so they attempted to kidnap the children, thinking Abigail would follow. But they failed in their plans and finally left.

       She continued her preparation for the trip.  When all was in readiness, her parents and her brothers, Ithamer and Henry, and their families, left Nauvoo with the body of the Saints.  They each were equipped with ox teams, a cow, a covered wagon loaded with provisions, clothing and seeds for planting.

       They were ferried across the Mississippi River and took one last look at all that had been so near and dear to them.  After leaving Nauvoo they encountered many bad roads, much mud and discouragement.  Henry with his wife and children settled a few miles down the river from Burlington.  He had lost his cattle.  In the search for them he got a few days behind the company, too long to rejoin them.  He never came any further west.

       Parley P. Pratt established a way station at Mount Pisgah, Iowa.  Ithamer and his family decided to stay there for the winter.  They had a great deal of sickness at the camp that winter, and Ithamer lost his wife and all five of his children.

       Abigail and her children spent the winter at Winter Quarters with her father and mother.  Here her mother, Abigail Jeffers Sprague died January 22, 1847 and was buried.  In the late spring Ithamer came to Winter Quarters to join with his family for the trek west.

       On June 21, 1847, Abigail with her father, her brother, Ithamer, and her children, Mary Ann, (sixteen), Rawsel, (fourteen), Sylvester, (eight), Pleasant, (four), Tryphena, (two), started west.  They traveled in Bishop Edward Hunter's company of one hundred wagons, Captain Joseph Horne's company of fifty, and Archibald Gardner's company of ten.  Elder John Taylor, who was a member of the Twelve, traveled in their company.

       During the journey one ox died so they hooked up "Old Lil" the milk cow.  Each morning they would milk the cow and put the milk in the churn and each night a large pat of butter was taken out.  The jolting of the wagon did the trick. 

       The "Old Sow" a cannon used in the war of 1812, was brought across the plains with them to be used against the Indians if necessary.  Sylvester Bradford, Al Babcock, and Wiley Thomas took turns riding it. 

       Toward the end of the long trek Abigail's wagon became so "good-for-nothing" that she prayed night and morning that it would hold together until they reached their destination.  It broke down completely at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, almost in sight of their goal.  The next day a company was sent to meet them, so they landed at Salt Lake on October 1, 1847, just two months and seven days behind the first company with Brigham Young.

       Upon reaching the valley, they settled in the "Old Fort" which is now Pioneer Park.  Mary Ann and Rawsel helped make the adobes that went into their first home in the valley.  Since they were the oldest children a lot of the work fell on them.  Hezekiah was seventy-five years old and badly worn by the journey, but happy at its completion.  He died early in the winter of 1847, and was buried in Salt Lake City. 

       The hardships and hunger of that first winter in the valley were never forgotten.  For six weeks Abigail and her family never tasted bread, but lived on roots, greens, and old beef.  In the spring they planted crops which came up beautifully only to be devoured by the black hordes of crickets.  President Young called on everyone to fast and pray.  Then came the miracle of the gulls, which glutted themselves on the crickets and then disgorge the dead crickets.  In two days the crickets were gone.  They irrigated the land and replanted and raised enough grain for bread for the coming year. 

       With the scarcity of food, clothing, shelter and paying employment, the problem of caring for the widows and children became a serious one. President Young felt a very keen responsibility for them.  The doctrine of plural marriage was now openly taught as a revelation from God.  Mary Ann, Abigail's first child, was around eighteen years old and was a passionate admirer of Archibald Gardner since the trek west.  When Archibald asked her to be his plural wife she gladly accepted.  They went to President Young to have him perform their ceremony.  President Young asked, "Where is the mother?  I want you to marry the Widow Bradford and be a father to her family too.  Archie, your shoulders are broad and you must help carry the burden."  So on April 19, 1849, Archibald Gardner married Abigail Sprague Bradford and Mary Ann Bradford, thus obeying the Prophets council.  They all moved to Mill Creek and became a part of the Gardner household.  Rawsel worked at the various Gardner mills, and later married Jane Gardner, a step cousin.  Sylvester, Pleasant and Tryphena did what they could and Abigail and Mary Ann cooked for the workmen.  Abigail had one daughter with Archibald, Abigail Gardner in 1850.

       At the time of Johnston's Army they all moved to Spanish Fork with the rest of the Saints.  Abigail's brother, Ithamer, brought her a ten-year-old Indian girl.  He had felt sorry for the girl because she had been stolen from her family by a warring tribe and was a slave.  He bought her for a pony then gave her to Abigail to raise.  She was adopted into the family and named Fanny.  Her brother would come visit once in a while but when any other Indians came around she would hide.  Fanny did not want to go back to her own people.  Abigail learned the Indian language at this time and made friends with the Indians, and was able to be of great service when trouble arose.  On different occasions she sat in their circles and smoked the pipe of peace with them.

       Then sometime in 1863 Abigail moved to West Jordan.  Her two sons, Sylvester and Pleasant Bradford, bought farms in Spanish Fork near the river, and her daughter Tryphena kept house for them. The three of them were all dear to each other all through their childhood. They were inseparable.  So on October 15, 1864 a triple marriage took place in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, and a wedding reception for the three young couples was held in West Jordan where Abigail lived.  Sylvester was married to Mary Jones; Pleasant to Mary's sister, Jane Jones; and Tryphena to George Gillette Hales, all of Spanish Fork.  There they made their homes.

       Abigail was genial of disposition, and a wonderful storyteller and took delight in relating to the children tales of witches and fairies.  In her later years she suffered severely with breast cancer but after being operated on, it ceased to trouble her.

       Through all her trials and hardships she never once lost faith in the Gospel.  She lived its precepts and taught its precious truths to her children and her children's children.

       She died January 16, 1879 at the age of sixty-six at West Jordan, Utah, and was buried in the Salt Lake Cemetery.

       Abigail's patriarchal blessing promised her that her name would be perpetuated and she would be honored by her posterity.  We honor this great woman who was so fully committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Abigail, a pioneer of faith.

Compiled by Sherie Sorbonne Demple, August 1999 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Sources;

"The Life of Archibald Gardner" Written by Delila Gardner Hughes. 

"Biographies of Tryphena Bradford Hales and her Parents Hial and Abigail Sprague Bradford" Author Unknown.

"Biography of Abigail Sprague Bradford" Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Book