Nida Susannah Hales Bradley Donaldson

 

Julia Ann Lockwood Hales

Julia Ann Lockwood Hales

1824-1903

Ralph Otis Bradley's Great Great Grandmother

Julia Ann Lockwood Hales

Julia Ann Lockwood Hales  1824-1903

Ralph Otis Bradley's Great Great Grandmother

            Julia was born August 10, 1824 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York near Palmyra.  Soon after her birth, her mother was granted a divorce from her father.  He had no use for the gospel, which was so dear to her mother.  Julia Ann was shifted from one family member to another during the early years of her life.  She never knew what real love and family life was like because of this situation.  Parley P. Pratt baptized her into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 8 in 1836.  She moved to Kirtland, Ohio with her family.

She married Charles Henry Hales at the age of fifteen, October 31, 1839 in Quincy, Illinois.   Here they had one baby Eliza Ann and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where another son and daughter were born to them.  While living at Nauvoo she was a dear friend of Emma Smith and the Prophet. 

            They were driven out of Nauvoo in 1845 and made their home in Garden Grove, Iowa for six years, 1846-1852.  Three other children were born to them in this place.  They were driven out of their homes in 1852 and were able to take with them across the desert only those articles absolutely necessary for a family of eight.  Julia Ann walked most of the way leaving to her oldest daughter the responsibility of driving the team. They joined the James C. Snow Wagon Company.   They arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852.  Their early years in Utah were harsh ones. 

            In 1856, the grasshoppers destroyed the crops they had planted.  The families moved to Spanish Fork in 1858.  They had little to eat.  Her husband took a second wife.

            She was a real helpmate to her husband.  Many times they had very little to eat.  She cooked over an open fire until 1868 when her son, Joe, went off to work and bought her her first stove.  She was glad to get seamless sacks to make dresses and trousers for her children.  In spite of their hardships, their children were all strong and healthy and grew to adulthood to form large families of their own.

           

            Julia Ann was a member of the first Relief Society in Nauvoo.  She served as president of her ward Relief Society in Spanish Fork and gave much compassionate service to her sisters and those in need during those early pioneer days.  She and her husband both sang in the Spanish Fork Choir.  She was much loved and respected by her neighbors and friends. 

           

            The Indians killed her daughter, Isabell, and her husband, Robert Berry.  They were on their way home to Southern Utah, after visiting her family in Spanish Fork.  This was a great trial to her.  After her husband died, she made her home with her youngest daughter, Harriet E. Nelson.  Julia Ann lived as a widow for fourteen years and died at the age of 79 in the home where she raised her family.  Due to her age she suffered a stroke and died on February 18, 1903.  She was buried at Spanish Fork Cemetery.  She was remembered as a faithful wife and loving mother and a true Latter-day Saint.

Julia Ann Lockwood Hales

1824-1903

Julia Ann was born August 10, 1824 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, near Palmyra. There is some confusion as to the name of her father, it is either Joseph or George Lockwood. Half the records say Joseph and the other half say George and each of them have different parents. Her mother, Annis Gillett had also been previously married, there is confusion here also. Annis was married to a Jonathan Barlow or Edward Thompson or both.
Wayne B. Hales, Julia Ann's grandson, writes "Soon after Julia's birth, her mother was granted a divorce from her father. He had no use for the gospel which was so dear to her mother. Julia Ann was shifted from one family member to another during the early years of her life. She never knew what real love and family life was like because of this situation. She was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 8 by Parley P. Pratt." 

Julia Ann and family followed the Saints when they moved to Kirtland, Ohio. Then around June 1838 her family moved to a small community called Huntsville, Randolf, Missouri. They found quite a big branch of the Church there. This is when Julia Ann first became acquainted with Charles Hales. 

After being driven out of Missouri Julia Ann and her family settled in Quincey, Illinois. Here she married Charles Henry Hales at the age of fifteen on October 31, 1839. They had one baby, Eliza Ann and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where Julia Aedena and George Gillett (named after Julia Ann's brother) and Mary Isabella were born to them. While living at Nauvoo Julia Ann and Charles were neighbors to the Prophet Joseph Smith and knew his family very well. Julia was a dear friend of Emma Smith and was a member of the first Relief Society in Nauvoo. 

Julia Ann and Charles were driven out of Nauvoo in 1846 and made their home in Garden Grove, Iowa for six years 1846-1852. Two other children were born to them in this place Charles Henry, and Joseph Lockwood. They were driven out of their homes again in 1852 and were able to take with them across the desert only those articles absolutely necessary for a family of eight. Julia Ann walked most of the way leaving to her oldest daughter the responsibility of driving the team. They joined the James C. Snow Wagon Company and arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852. 

Their early years in Utah were harsh ones and they were often hungry. They first lived in Salt Lake and had their seventh child there, they named him John Taylor because John Taylor had traveled West with them on the same wagon train. 

In the spring of 1854 Charles and family moved to Big Cottonwood (located just south of 48th South and west of Highland Drive in Salt Lake County). Here Stephen Frederick and William Parley were born. For five years they lived here and farmed. In 1856 Charles had rented a farm and put in crops just as the young plants began to make the fields green the terrible grass-hoppers came and destroyed the crops as they did all over Utah, but they were faithful and were saved by the Sea Gulls, which God sent to their rescue.
Julia Ann's husband, Charles, took a second wife in the spring of 1957, Francis Brunyer. Of this union thirteen children were born.

The families moved to Spanish Fork in 1858. Julia Ann had her last three children there; Mariah Josephine, Jonathan Hyrum, and Harriet Elizabeth. Julia Ann had twelve children in all. 

Julia Ann was a real helpmate to her husband. Many times they had very little to eat. She was glad to get seamless sacks to make dresses and trousers for her children. She cooked over an open fire until 1868 when her son, Joe, went off to work and bought her her first stove. In spite of their hardships, their children were all strong and healthy and grew to adulthood to form large faithful families of their own.

Julia Ann served as president of her ward Relief Society in Spanish Fork and gave much compassionate service to her sisters and those in need during those early pioneer days.
Julia Ann and Charles both sang in the Spanish Fork Choir for 20 years. Kate B. Carter writes "The Spanish Fork Choir had some notoriety in rendering both sacred and secular music, having some of the best soprano voices in the Territory, and affording amusement and refined enjoyement to the citizens of Spanish Fork and the neighboring settlements by giving concerts and social parties. They attracted the attention of Pres. Brigham Young and on two occasions they visited Salt Lake City by his invitation, the first to sing at a conference held in the Bowery and afterwards at the opening of the new Tabernacle. At another time, while on his way to attend the dedicatory services at the opening of the Nephi meetinghouse, Pres. Young and party stayed at Spanish Fork and held service in the afternoon. Afterward Pres. Young asked the choir to accompany him to Nephi to assist at the services there. The choir spent two days at Nephi having a most enjoyable time." There is a picture of the choir which includes both Julia Ann and Charles Hales.
The Indians killed her daughter, Mary Isabella and her husband in 1866. They were on their way to Southern Utah after visiting the folks at Spanish Fork.

After Charles died, she made her home with her youngest daughter, Harriet E. Nelson. Julia Ann lived as a widow for fourteen years and died at the age of 79 in the home where she raised her family. Due to her age she suffered a stroke and died on February 18, 1903. She was buried at Spanish Fork Cemetery. 

Julia Ann was much loved and respected by her neighbors and friends. She was remembered as a faithful wife and loving mother and a true Latter-day Saint.

Jehial Bradford

JEHIAL “Hial” BRADFORD  1804-1845

Ralph Otis Bradley's Great Great Grandfather

Born 25 July 1804, at Berkshire Lower Canada. (Lower Canada is now Quebec, and Berkshire is now in Vermont, the U.S. - Canadian border having been changed a few miles since 1804.) He was the eighth son of Joel Bradford and Tryphena Smith. His parents, along with his father’s twin brother Hosea and wife Parthenia, who was Tryphena’s twin sister, moved north from Springfield, Vermont. There seems two reasons for this move; politics and religious unrest in Vermont. 

Not long after Je Hial was born the two families started west. Next we find them in the 1820 Census in Switzerland County, Indiana. There the Bradford families became quite prosperous. Over the years they owned hundreds of acres of land near the Ohio River. Later, for some reason not known, Hosea and family moved up into Ohio. While living in Cotton Township, Switzerland County, Indiana, Je Hial (Hial) met and married Abigail Sprague in Vevay, Indiana 21 August 1830. There in Indiana five of their seven children were born. 

In or about 1839 Hial’s father-in-law met “Mormon” missionaries in Switzerland County. Soon the two families had joined the Church. While living in Switzerland Co., Hial became the legal guardian of his sister Lois’ son, James Washington Nicholes. In November 1842, Hial petitioned the court to be released from this obligations, the boy was almost of legal age.

We find that Hial and Abigail had already been up to Nauvoo, IL, and had their patriarchal blessings on 12 March 1841, from Hyrum Smith. So we assume that at least Hial went back to Indiana to this court proceeding and also to sell several parcels of land. 

In Hancock County, IL, Hial and Abigail bought a farm 6 miles south of Nauvoo on the Mississippi. A little while later he purchased another one from a neighbor. Hial’s son, Rausel, injured his wrist and they were taking him to a doctor, fearing the hand would have to be amputated. On the way there they met the Prophet Joseph Smith. He examined the child’s arm and hand and told them to go back home and promised them that it would be made well and strong. With faith in the Prophet they obeyed and the child was healed. 

Little is known of Hial’s activities while in Nauvoo, except that he was a faithful Latter-Day-Saint. He was ordained a Seventy on 15 Dec. l8.

Toward the end of Abigail’s seventh pregnancy she became very ill. Hial was called in from the fields where he had been working with his son, Sylvester, who was not quite six years old. Hial immediately went to get a sister-in-law to come help Abigail. Upon arriving back (after dark) the sister-in-law went right in the house to help and Hial took the horses to the barn. He was a long time coming in and as they went to look for him they found him trying to feel his way to the house. He had gone blind and was very ill. He died that night, a strong man cut down in his 41st year. (We recognize this age does not agree with that published in the “Nauvoo Neighbor” but it does seem to agree with other dates.) We suppose Hial died of a stroke of some sort. A small notice appeared in the newspaper, “Nauvoo Neighbor” of 3 Sept. 1845 under ‘Sextons Reports for week of August 24th. It states, “Died: Hial Bradford, age 39”. Thus ended the life of the first Bradford to join the Church. He died in the act of helping, being a good husband and father. 

(The material for this sketch was taken from: Patriarchal Blessings Records, Vol. 1 Church History films in Church Historian’s Office. 1920 Census of Indiana. Land records of Switzerland County, Indiana. Marriage records and court records of Switzerland Co., Ind. The last 3 records were extracted from originals in court house in Vevay in Oct. 1977 by Lavon B. Jones. Other material from stories handed down by Abigail to her grandchildren. Also from excerpts taken from book “Life of Archibald Gardner” in the genealogical library) This life sketch of Je Hial “Hial” Bradford compiled by Lavon Bradford Jones, his great granddaughter, June 1979

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