Wednesday, July 8, 2009

William Taylor 1844 Melina Smith 1844-1930

William Taylor
Parents Eli Taylor and Mary Ann Stringer
Christened 30 Sep 1844 Burton Upon Trent, Stafford, England
Occupation: (1871) Shoemaker
Married Melina Smith 3 Mar 1862 St Jude, Birmingham, Warwick, England (Divorced?)
Note:  Her name in the record is misspelled as Melinar

William and Melina marriage record
Life note: William likely got remarried after Melina left him.  I found 2 William's in the 1881 Birmingham census with spouses and children.  One was a waiter and the other a RR guard.
Sources
1861 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England (age 17 - living w/parents)
Marriage:  England Marriages Film 918917 Batch M07360-2
1871 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England (age 27)
Family Search
ancestry.com

Melina Smith
Parents William Smith and Hannah Rouse
Born 11 Sep 1843 Todenham, Gloucester, England
Christened 5 November 1843 Todenham, Gloucester, England
Note: Melina left England in Sep of 1872 with her three living sons aboard the ship Minnesota.
The ship Minnesota

Married 2) James Hepworth 14 Jul 1873 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Children: James, Mary Jane, Samuel, Nephi, Alma, Randolph, Maud, and Melina
Died 6 Jul 1930 Woods Cross, Davis, Utah
Buried 9 Jul 1930 Bountiful Cemetery, Bountiful, Davis, Utah

Life Story


Melina Smith was born September 11, 1843, at Todenham, England, one of six children. (She was christened 5 November 1843 in Todenham)

Her father (William) was a cooper (built barrels) by trade and a pipe organ builder. At the time of his death, he had a partly-built organ in their home. Her father was the bandmaster of the village and he with his three sons could play 21 different musical instruments. After his death, they all had to go to work as they were left in poor circumstances.

When she was 8 years old, Melina went to work in the silk mills 5 miles away, and later she worked in a corset factory. She was always asked to start the evening hymn to close the work at the factory. This was Doxology.

Her people were Methodists, but at the age of 16 years she went with her sister Grace to a Mormon Missionary meeting and there they became converted and baptized into the Mormon religion.

In September 1863 (Correction: 3 Mar 1862) she married William Taylor. Four children were born to them, Eli, William, Heber, and Joseph. She buried their son William in England and left the children’s father. (Leaving England via Liverpool aboard the ship Minnesota) She and their 3 sons immigrated to America in September of 1872 (Addition:  arriving the 17 of September in New York.  Her son Eli was baptized into the LDS Church on the 29 September so they were in Utah by that time). Two of her three children (Heber and Joseph Edwin) died 2 months after she came to Utah. (Joseph Edwin reportedly died three days after she reached Utah and Heber died 9 Dec 1872 in Salt Lake City) 

She came to Utah and lived with her sister, Lavinia Ann, until October conference when she moved to Salt Lake City where she lived with a family with the surname Lloyd.

<----Picture of James Hepworth, her second husband

On July 14, 1873, she married James Hepworth.  They lived in Salt Lake until 1878 when they moved to Bountiful where they have since lived. She was a high soprano and her husband a deep basso and they, and her sister Grace who was a wonderful alto and her husband, Jack Holden, a good tenor, formed a quartet. These singers were welcomed at all religious gatherings for their splendid music.

To her second marriage was born eight children James, Mary Jane, Samuel, Nephi, Alma, Randolph, Maud, and Melina.

They were all taught to sing the different parts and spent many evenings at home singing the old English songs of their parents. The 4 children Nephi, Randolph, Maud, and Melina, formed a quartet, and sang a great deal, and at one time were one of the best-mixed quartets in Davis County.

Melina Smith Taylor Hepworth was a woman of strong character whose courage never failed. She was honest, faithful, and true to her religion. She was very industrious and up to the age of 84 years, she made piece quilts, braided rugs, and numerous articles of crochet work.

She died July 6, 1930, at the age of 86 years leaving a posterity of 8 children, 52 grandchildren, and 33 great-grandchildren.

Sources
1851 Census for Gloucester, England (age 7 - living w/parents)
1871 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England (age 27 - as William's wife)

Note:  name spelled Malind in record
1872 Passenger list for the ship Minnesota. 
1880 US Census for Bountiful, Davis, Utah
1900 US Census For Bountiful, Davis, Utah (no age given)
1910 US Census for Bountiful, Davis, Utah page 6 (age not given)
1920 US Census for Bountiful, Davis, Utah sheet 2 (age 75)
1930 US Census for Bountiful, Davis, Utah Sheet 3A (age 85)
Utah Death Register 1847-1966
Note: more about the shiphistory.sur-name.info/index.php?title=Ship/Minnesota/History
Life Story: http://www.frankhistory.com/
Family Search
ancestry.com

CHILDREN



*Eli Taylor
Born 27 Dec 1862 Birmingham, Warwick, England
Married Maria Telford 23 Dec 1889 Bountiful, Davis, Utah
Children: John, George, Evan, Lurena, Witt, Beatrice, Unity, Charles, Clifford, Ora
Died 20 Jul 1931 Bountiful, Davis, Utah
Buried 23 Jul 1931 Bountiful Cemetery, Bountiful, Davis, Utah
Sources
1871 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England (age 8)
Passenger list for the ship Minnesota (age 7)

1900 US Census for Bountiful Davis, Utah page 12B (Head of house)
1910 US Census for Bountiful, Davis, Utah page 5 (age 47)
1920 US Census for Bountiful, Davis, Utah sheet 2 (age 57)
Family Search
ancestry.com
William Taylor
Born 7 Nov 1865 Birmingham, Warwick, England
Christened 14 Jan 1866 Birmingham, Warwick, England
Died and Buried pre-1872 England
Sources
Family Search
ancestry.com
Heber Taylor
Born 1868 Birmingham, Warwick, England
Died 9 December 1872 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Sources
Birth and Death: Utah Deaths and Burials Film 26553 Batch B54933-3 p 139 #5530
1871 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England (age 2)
Family Search
ancestry.com
(Joseph) Edwin Taylor
Born Jun 1871 Birmingham, Warwick, England
Died 1872 Utah I did not find a death record for him in Utah
Sources
1871 Census for Birmingham, Warwick, England (age 2m)
Note: On the Census, his name is listed as Joseph E
Passenger list for the ship Minnesota (infant)
Death: comes from James Hepworth's life story by Iris Hepworth Moon written in 1974
Family Search
ancestry.com

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