Alice Ashcroft was born on September 18, 1885 in Kit
Green, Wigan, at Lancaster, England to James Ashcroft and Mary Ellen
Barton. She was the youngest of five
children. Her siblings were Margret
Ellen, (later married Richard Thomas Rowbottom), William, (later married Mary
Alice Burroughs), John, (died when he was 21 years old), and Amelia, (later
married Harrison Booth).
She grew up at No. 34 School Lane, about 4 ½ miles
from Wigan, in Upholland. Not too much
is known about Alice’s early childhood and teen years. She had about nine years of schooling, which
was quite a bit for those times in England.
She worked in the cotton mills with her sister, Amelia. She also worked in a library and a home that
took care of sick people.
She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and was a member of the Wigan Branch, Liverpool Conference in the
British Mission. She was baptized on
September 19, 1909 by Joseph Y. Card and confirmed on September 19, 1909 by
Thomas Walton.
She immigrated to America with her niece, Mary Jane
(Janie Rowbottom) and her nephew, James, about August 20, 1910 on the
“Laurentis” Quite*Line from Liverpool, England.
Janie had tuberculosis (TB) and they thought if they could get her to
Arizona, she would recover. But Janie
was allowed to come into the country, so Alice took her back to England, where
Janie later died on April 21, 1912.
Alice came back to America in 1912 on the
“Carpathea” White Star Ljne. There is no
verification of the ship’s name, time, or port of entry.
When Alice arrived at Salt Lake City, Utah, she journeyed
to Malta, Idaho where her sister, Amelia, had married Harrison Booth and was
living.
John William Hepworth was a neighbor and needed help
with his family, as his wife had just died.
Alice went to work for John, which later led to their marriage on
December 4, 1913 in Albion Idaho. She
had watched him in a baseball game, and thought he would be an okay
husband! She had to be a kind and
patient lady, as there were probably children still at home, from John’s first
marriage to Mahala Strong Parker. The
ages of the children were: Seth 20 years, Alvin 18 years, Squire 15 years, Oren
14 years, Joe 12 years, Lathel 10 years, Merritt eight years, Mahala six years,
Riley four years, and Eliel two years.
These boys and girl said that Alice was the only mother they knew and
she was a good mother.
While still living on a farm at Malta, they were
blessed with Mary Alice born 1914, James Edmund born in 1915, Emily born in
1917, and ethyl born in 1918. They
resided at Malta for about 4 ½ years.
They then moved Elba, Idaho where Effie was born in 1920 and Ivan was
born in 1922 at Conner Creek, Idaho Susie was born in 1924 at Declo, Idaho and
Beatrice was born in 1925 at Buhl, Idaho and Cora Mildred was born in 1927 at
Eden, Idaho. While living at Eden, they raised
range cattle and milk cows.
Alice was an English lady, through and through. She was small, about 5’3”, with brown hair
and blue eyes. She could have a bit of
it British temper, if the occasion called for it! Her reprints and her house were Nice. She kept her parlor just for visitors. John had to buy her shoes and bring home for
her to try on, and if they didn’t fit just right, she sent them back. She wouldn’t permit men to spit in her stove
or spittoon, which was a common practice at the time. The dishes had to be washed immediately after
a meal and put away.
They had a neighbor that was a little bit vain and
he always looked in the mirror as he came into their home. One day, she turned the mirror to the
wall! She had quite a sense of humor.
Amelia, her sister, sent close, that her children
had outgrown, for John and Alice’s children.
Ivan had to put the English knickerbockers on. He cried and cried and cried to pull them
down so they would cover his legs.
Finally, his father came to his rescue and said that he didn’t have to
wear them.
While living in Buhl, Alice fell while throwing out
dishwater and broke her arm. Emily also
had a broken leg at same time.
Effie thought Ivan got to sit on Momma’s lap more
than the rest of the children.
At age 41, Alice got the influenza when Mildred was
about nine months old, and died on May 14, 1928 in Jerome, Idaho leaving her
young family. She was buried at Malta,
Idaho.
John never married again and with the help of his
daughter, Mahala, who had married Alice’s nephew, James Rowbottom, and the
older girls in the family, helped raise the family. There were seven girls and two boys.
Perhaps the greatest compliment given to Alice’s
that her children remember the love that their mother had for them.
After further research through immigration records,
Alice was listed as a passenger on the “Laurentic” ship that sailed on August
20, 1910 from Liverpool, England to Québec, Canada. On her second trip, she was a passenger on
the “Scandinavian” ship that left Liverpool, England on August 25, 1912 and
arrived in Montréal, Canada. Alice
almost boarded the Titanic ship, but it was full. She was second in line from being able to
board, when it was announced that no further passengers would be allowed
aboard. As we all recall from history,
the Titanic sank on April 14, 1912 in route to New York.
“Where’s Mother?” could be heard through the
hallway. And they stood and watched her
as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see her, but she is
with us still. A mother like ours is
more than a memory. She is a Living
Presence.”
A thought from Alice’s youngest son, Ivan: “Even
though I was only five years old when my mother passed away, I feel as if her
influence in spirit has been with me my entire life. I felt her presence and love throughout my
life. Even though she wasn’t able to
live to see her children grow into adults, I think she would be proud of each
of them and the people they’ve all become.”
[Insert: Pdf
of John William Hepworth and Alice Ashcroft and family from Hepworth Family
folder]
[Insert: Pdf
of John William Hepworth’s Seventy’s License from Hepworth Family folder]
Letter
to Aunt Amelia from her cousin, Peter Barton
172W.
7th So. St.
Salt
Lake City, Utah USA
August 13th, 1910
Dear Amelia,
Your welcomed letter of July 26th was
received last night. It was a little
older on the road on account of your failure to put “Utah” on the address. You put Kaysville, Davis County, USA, so it
New York, they put on a red stamp “Deficiency Address Supplied by
N.Y.P.O.” There are other Davis Counties
in other states of the Union.
I was pleased to hear that Alice would start on her
journey here one week from today. So we
shall be able to welcome her here early in September.
You will notice that I am writing from Salt Lake
City. I think I mentioned in my last
letter a possibility of my moving. I
have let Oscar and Albert take the home and farm in Kaysville, and after much
deliberation, finally concluded to move here some four weeks ago. My daughters, Nellie and Clara, and Beatrice,
my wife, make the family.
Kaysville is 22 miles north of Salt Lake City and
about 16 miles south of Ogden. The
railroad from Ogden to Salt Lake passes through my land in Kaysville and only
about 300 yards from the house.
I will arrange so that she will come on to Salt Lake
and will meet her at the depot station.
I will find out at the President’s office today where the company will
land (I expect Canada or New York) and will write Alice, so she will get it on
arrival there.
My brother, William, from the Presiding Bishopric’s
office, meets every company of emigrants at the station here and arranges to
get them to their destination. We will
try and make Alice feel at home and after getting rested up and a little
acquainted with Customs. We will decide
what is best to do, as there will be no lack of opportunities for domestic
labor.
We have had an unusually dry season. Scarcely any rain all summer, but crops are
yielding much better than many anticipated.
I was pleased to hear that Cousin Ann had wed
William Contimel. Please remember me
kindly to them as well as to the other of my relatives.
My brother, John, still resides at Kaysville and was
70 years old on July 24th .
Two days before, William and James, the twins, were 74 years old and are
quite active. They live here also, as
does Isaac who is in his 68th year.
48 years ago at this date, I was on my way to Utah
with Father and Mother, two younger brothers, Joseph and Hyrum, and sister,
Bertha. We sailed from Liverpool on May
1 on a sailing vessel. Was 42 days on
the ocean, then by rail and steamship to Florence on the Missouri River. Then we started out West on the last miles,
over the planes and through Indian country, with the wagon, drawn by oxen. I was driving all the way. We was 63 days on this part of the journey
and arrived in Salt Lake City on October 5, being five months from leaving
Liverpool. What a change from some of
the emigrants today; they make it in 10 to 14 days.
Our family, on leaving England, were looked upon as
foolish and diluted, but the longer I live the more thankful I am that we made
the move, although it has not been without its trials and privatizations, which
seem to be necessary in this mortal state.
As Isaiah says with regard to the Savior, “He was a man of sorrow and
acquainted with grief.” Although he was
without sin, yet his trials was all he could bear. It seems that he had to suffer in order that
he might know by experience and thus be able to sympathize with others.
When we arrive at the condition spoken of in the
Bible by the apostles when we should quote see as we are seen and know as we
are known” we will understand more fully and see the wisdom of God in many
things that are more or less a mystery to us now.
I am so thankful for the testimony of the Gospel,
the knowledge and a hope of the future, which it is given me. It is a perfect plan and reaches and provides
for every condition in this and the future lives. Never mind the sneers and taunts of the
world, but continue to attend to your duties and you will have strength from
the Lord day by day.
We are all well except my wife, who continues quite
bad with rheumatism, still bettering herself than she was. Well, I must conclude.
With kind love to you, also Jane and James. Trusting to meet all of you soon.
As ever, your affectionate cousin,
Peter Barton
November 16, 1915 (transcribed copy of handwritten
letter)
Gunner
William Rowbottom L/16548
C. Battery & Sub.
149 C.P. Bng R.F.A.
No
16 Camp Lark Hill, Salisbury Plaines
Dear
Mrs. Alice Ashcroft Hepworth, Malta Idaho
Just
a few lines to you, hoping that this letter will find all of you in the best of
health as I am keeping in the pink, I was surprised when my wife sent me a
letter and that you had sent one for me.
I had given all hopes up that you did not think about writing to me
anymore and that you say you hate writing, well I cannot say anything about
that, I sent a letter to Amelia, but I don’t know whether she got it or not, so
I thought I would not send any more, till I did get another one back, she wrote
to Uncle Willie and also sent me a letter, he sent it on to me, and I forgot to
put their address down, so I could write back to them, I have asked my wife to
send it on in her next letter to me, and I will write, I don’t know what you
will think about me now that I have joined the Army, well I wanted to go, I
felt that I should be a coward not to join, and the way the Germans are doing,
I should not like my little baby Alice to be cut up like they are doing with
those poor little Belgium’s are being done and everybody is going, that is why
I went to join, I daresay you will have got a letter from my wife, and telling
you about it, I saw to my wife before I went, she is doing very well, she gets
money from the government, and some that I don’t, it’s no benefit to you,
getting your pay stopped and doing other things, well I will tell you some news
about the lads that has gone, you will know John Flomas King he has got wounded
and that Tom Barton’s son, the tailor who is my godfather, his son has got
killed and you know Mrs. Chatham, is dead and young Tom is at the front in
Belgium, there is only Elthel at home now, Alice has got married, it’s nearly
killing them, Mother, they asked me about you, and Mrs. Moorfield is dead, I
could tell of lots that has gone, and I am the next, so you must do your best,
and also tell Jim that I hope that he will do the best for you and he will get
along in this life, I have no doubt that you would all like to come back and
see us all, I cannot say whether you will never see me again, now that I am
going to the dangers of this awful war that we are fighting, but I can tell you
this, we shall win this war, men are joining every day, well dear friends I
hope and trust that we may all meet again, and that I shall get back to my dear
wife, she is doing all right, there is no need for her to go out working or
else I should have not joined, well I am going with a good heart, so you must
not think that I am afraid, I am looking on the best side of it, and we won’t
be long before we will put it to an end, I shall not be able to write another
letter like this, when I am at the front, just a line to let you know that I am
still alive and kicking the Germans out of their trenches, so here is the best
of love to you and your husband and family from your dear sisters love, William
Rowbottom XXXXXXXXXX
I
wish you could see me as XXXXXXXX
good
luck to you all, Amelia Alice and brother Jim
bedtime
XXXXXXXXXXX lights out – good night
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