Elizabeth Abbott (1816-1896)

Elizabeth Abbott

 My nephew's request for an ancestor's picture, sent me to my "pictures and notes I haven't yet identified pile." This lady isn't the picture he was looking for, but I'd just seen her on an old picture family pedigree chart. Then I understood who she is. She is Elizabeth Bott Brough's mother. Number 55-Elizabeth Abbott Bott on the bottom of my blog face page.

Elizabeth turned her daughter, Elizabeth, away from her home after she courted and married a Mormon, Samuel Brough. After her baptism she was never again welcome at her Mother's home.

I enjoyed the backside of the picture as much as the picture. 

And Mother's (Helen Rex Frazier) hand identifying her picture warmed my heart.

"A Thousand Years of Family History"

Did you know that RBFO stands for Richard Brough Family Organization? They have recently made, and released, “A Thousand Years of Family History,” as described in today’s MormonTimes here. Since the history they have compiled and filmed is on YouTube—anyone can watch it, free of charge.

It’s in four parts. Each part is just under ten minutes. So you can watch one when you have a few moments. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing them today. And recommend them to all Richard Brough descendants, and to anyone interested in seeing what a family organization can do to share their history and story. You will find the YouTube links in the MormonTimes article.

William and Mary Elizabeth Brough Rex and Elizabeth Bott Brough by their home in Randolph, Utah (before 1921).

Elizabeth was known throughout Randolph for her delicious hot cross buns. She delivered them to family and friends on Good Friday. Some of her daughters and grand daughters have done the same.

A two part history of Samuel and Elizabeth Bott Brough is posted on this blog.

Part 1

Part 2

Picture from Helen Rex Frazier collection.

Samuel and Elizabeth Bott Brough Family Part 2

The settlers in Randolph were pleased to have Samuel, an expert chimney maker, in their midst. While Samuel built chimneys for the settlers they cut and hauled logs for the house he was building for his family. He received 20 acres of land to homestead. He built a two-room log house located on the corner of Field Street and Second East.

Samuel returned to Porterville in the fall to harvest his crops and move his family to Randolph. By the time he returned, Elizabeth feared for his life. She was sitting by the side of the house crying when she saw him walking over the hill.

Samuel harvested his crops, sold his farm to his older brother, Thomas Brough, and sold their house to Charles White. With a horse, a pair of oxen and a prairie schooner, Samuel, Elizabeth and their six children left for Randolph. Ducks, pigs, chickens and all their belongings were packed in the wagon, which also had a box on the back. Their three cows along with some other cattle were driven. It took a week to make the trip.

It was after dark when they reached Big Creek south of Randolph. The wagon got stuck in the mud and they all walked into Randolph and stayed at Samuel Henderson's while Mr. Henderson went back to help Samuel get the wagon out. It was near midnight when they finally reached the little two-room log house with a dirt floor. Samuel had gathered the chips from the hewed logs and piled them in the center of the room. At the time, it did not have any doors or windows in it. Elizabeth sat on the pile of chips and cried. A fire was soon started in the fireplace in the west end of the room.

Elizabeth and the children stayed and milked and fed the cows, pigs, chickens and ducks while Samuel went to Almy, Wyoming to work in the coal mines during the winter. In the spring Samuel cleared a piece of land and planted grain and had a small vegetable garden. They gathered hay from the "bottoms" east of town for the cattle. They carried their water from "Little Creek" for household purposes until a well could be dug--they called it the "Old Windless." They still had hard times as their crops were not certain. Samuel was a very good farmer and worked at this in the summertime, and worked in the coal mines in Almy during the winters.

Three more children, Hannah 27 May 1872, Benjamin Richard 6 Jul 1874, and Adria (Ada) 17 July 1876, were born to them in Randolph. Elizabeth and her daughters, Mary Elizabeth and Jane, were among the first members of the L.D.S. Relief Society there and Elizabeth was set apart as one of the first visiting teachers. She was a very generous person, with love in her heart for her family and all she knew.

Elizabeth was told in her patriarchal blessing, “Thou shall feed the orphans and be mothers unto them and they shall never want bread …” also, “God shall care for thee and thou shall never lack for means when thou hast a desire to clothe and comfort those who are destitute.” She and Samuel gave a home to Lena Haney, and granddaughters Opal and Bessie Brough after their mothers died.

Samuel and Elizabeth had the first brick home to be built in Randolph. Samuel made his own brick, lime, and did the mason work on his home, and many other homes in Randolph.

Elizabeth’s granddaughters recall her as a dainty lady; mannerly, polite and refined. Proper in everything she said and did. When working in her home she could always be found with a long black skirt, frilly black satin blouses, and a long clean white starched apron, edged in lace at the bottom. She always had pretty bonnets that tied under her chin. Her apron strings she tied into bows in front so she could get them just right, then slipped them around to the back. Her home and Elizabeth were immaculately clean and neat.

When she gave her grandchildren a slice of bread and butter or jam she would put the loaf of bread between her legs, buttering it and then cutting a slice off. All agreed her apron was as clean as any bread board would be.

Samuel and Elizabeth’s yard was beautiful and well kept. Flower beds lined the board walks. The house’s sunny bay windows were filled with plants and blooming fuchsias and geraniums. Her cupboard held the English china painted by her sisters, straight from the Wedgewood potteries in Staffordshire.

Samuel Brough was a religious man and attended to his Church affairs with dedication. He died 29 May 1911 at the age of 71. He left Elizabeth well provided for financially. On hand were all six of her daughters. Three of her fours sons passed away before she did.

Elizabeth’s life was an example of true devotion to her husband, family, church and friends. She was a hard worker and often said, “It is better to wear out than to rust out.” In later years she accepted help from her granddaughters to clean her house, but no one was allowed to polish her stove. She was known throughout the valley for her hot cross buns, raisin bread, and butterscotch candy. Her daughter and granddaughters delivered hot cross buns to loved ones on Good Friday as they had seen her do.

Elizabeth was the only one of her family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She always defended her faith and encouraged her children and other Latter-day Saints to remain faithful to their beliefs. Of Elizabeth it was said, She never regretted the sacrifices and hardships she went through to come to Zion. She died 23 Nov 1921 at the age of 83.

See Part 1 for references. Pictures of the Brough homes are from Helen Rex Frazier collection. I took the picture of the Randolph Ward last summer, 2008.

Samuel and Elizabeth Bott Brough Family Part 1

Samuel Broughb.16 Sept 1839, Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire, England

p. Richard Brough, Mary Horleston Brough
m. 7 Feb 1858, Elizabeth Bott
d. 29 May 1911, Randolph, Utah
b. Randolph City Cemetery, SE corner

Elizabeth Bott Broughb. 9 Mar 1838, Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire, England
p. Benjamin Bott, Elizabeth Abbott
d. 23 Nov 1921, Randolph, Utah
b. Randolph City Cemetery, SE corner

[Editors Note November 8, 2014: people in this picture are identified here.]

Samuel Brough and Elizabeth Bott were both baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 May 1857 by Thomas Orgill of the Longton, Staffordshire, England Branch.

As a young man, Samuel worked in the coal mines around Longton and practiced the trades of masonry and carpentry. British census records state that Samuel was working as a coal miner when he was eleven years old. Elizabeth was the oldest of nine children and did not attend a single day of school in her life. She and her sisters were china painters and decorators in the Staffordshire potteries.

Elizabeth’s parents were members of the Church of England and bitterly opposed her keeping company with Samuel. His father was a Mormon. However, she did, and walked down the country lanes with him as frequently as she could. After Elizabeth joined the Church, her parents turned her away from their home.

On 7 February 1858, Samuel Brough married Elizabeth Bott in Edensor, Staffordshire. He built one room onto his father's house where they lived until they came to America. Four children were born to them in England: Mary Elizabeth 20 Dec 1858, Jane 22 Feb 1860, Samuel 9 Sep 1861, and Eliza 3 Mar 1863.

Samuel and Elizabeth and their children left Liverpool on 30 May 1863 on the ship Cynosure. They sailed with a company of 754 Saints under the direction of David M. Stewart, arriving in New York Harbor on July 19.

While on board ship there was an epidemic of measles and little Samuel became very sick. After arriving in New York, the family started westward. They traveled part of the way to Florence, Nebraska in cattle cars. They crossed the Missouri River near Florence on a ferry. Shortly after arriving in Nebraska, young Samuel died on 7 Aug 1863. He was buried in a dry-goods box, dressed in a little colored nightgown. Elizabeth used the crepe from the bonnet she wore to her father's funeral a year earlier, to stuff the cracks in the box.

On 15 Aug 1863 they started across the plains in the Samuel D. White Company. Snow had fallen before they reached Salt Lake City on 15 Oct 1863. It was cold and miserable. They lived in Bountiful, Utah the first winter and in the spring, moved to Porterville, Utah in Morgan County. There they lived in a dugout in the hillside. It was lined with adobes, and there was a fireplace in one end. In the spring when the snow started to melt, the frost came out of the ground and the water washed down the chimney and part of the wall caved in. A little daughter, Emma, was born in this dugout 25 Mar 1865. This same year Eliza died.


The family was able to move into a two-room house where William Thomas, was born on 11 Dec 1866. The following February, Samuel and Elizabeth went to Salt Lake City, to the old Endowment House and took out their endowments. They were sealed by Apostle Wilford Woodruff who had converted Samuel’s parents to the Gospel in England in 1840. In February 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad was starting down the Weber Canyon. They moved to Henefer and Samuel found employment. Prudence was born in Henefer on 24 Sep 1868. Samuel then moved his family back to Porterville where he started a brick business with his brother Thomas.

In May 1870 Samuel left Elizabeth in Porterville with five children and her expecting another. He walked through the hills to Randolph where land was available for homesteading. Their son, George Henry, was born in Porterville 9 Jul 1870.

(To be continued.)

Great great-granddaughter Flora Lee Lamborn Wall and her husband Bob Wall are presently serving a Church Mission in the beautiful Porterville, Utah Valley where the Broughs lived. They’re watching over and running a multi-stake girls camp there. Camp Zarahemla. They register, coordinate, track reservations (as many as 450 youth and leaders at a time) and care for everything else there; campers, grass, trees, road, river, lodge, cabins, showers, kitchen, meeting hall, and the snow. Camp Zarahemla is across the valley from the hill where the Brough brothers’ dugouts and kilns were. Cemetery hill remains. They can see it from the lodge stoop.

For more Brough Family History visit the Richard Brough Family Organization.

Samuel Brough family picture. Back row Left to Right; Emma, George, Prudence, William, Ada (Adria),
Second row; Mary Elizabeth, father Samuel, mother Elizabeth, Jane
Third row: Hannah, Benjamin. 

The History of the Broughs of Staffordshire, England, and their English, American and Australian Descendants, compiled by Robert Clayton Brough, Catharine Ann Brough Hind, Richard Brough Family Organization, 2004, “History of Samuel Brough and Elizabeth Bott,” pages 117-122. Histories on file at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah written by daughters MarJean Thomson, Randolph Utah; Vendla K. Roberts, Ogden, Utah, Jan 1986; and Mary McKinnon Crompton, great granddaughter, November 1970. And Helen Rex Frazier family records.