A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LIVES OF RICHARD BRADSHAW AND ELLEN HOLROYD

Written by Great Grandson Jasper B. Smith

The following is written to summarize the known events in the lives of Richard Bradshaw and Ellen Holroyd who were early pioneers in Beaver, Utah.

Richard Bradshaw was born 27 March 1812 at Forten Hill, Crockerham, Lancashire, England, the son of Richard Bradshaw and Betty White. According to the records, he had four brothers and one sister. Two brothers and one sister were older and two brothers were younger. Little is known about his parents and brothers and sister. His brother, Robert, who was just older than he, and his brother, Robert, who was just younger, died in childhood. His youngest brother, Thomas, married Alice Salisbury in 1838.

Ellen Holroyd was the daughter of Seth Holroyd and Mary Holliday and was born in Starton, Yorkshire, England, 22 November 1834. She was, therefore, 22 years younger than her husband, Richard Bradshaw. Ellen had one brother, George, and three sisters, Martha, Tabitha and Hannah. George died in infancy. Martha married Joseph Hanson and moved to the New England states. Tabitha married Richard Smith and moved to Beaver, Utah. Hannah had a half sister as Ellen's father died in 1839 when she was about 5-years-old, and her mother married John Dade. Hannah married Henry Gale and lived in Beaver, Utah.

Richard and Ellen did not write anything about their lives, and neither did their children write, so only certain genealogical data has been kept up to this time (1976); so it is only logical to assume that many important things will be omitted from this story of their lives.

Nothing is known of Richard and Ellen's childhood. The dates of Richard's two marriages are not known. It is assumed that the date of the marriage of Richard and Ellen was about 1857 or 1858, because their first child was born in Bristol, England, 20 February 1859. According to family tradition Richard's first wife was a red-headed woman who left him and that he had two or three children by this marriage. The only record of her and any of the children is of the daughter, Sarah Ann, who is listed as a child on the family group sheet of Richard and Ellen.

Ellen Holroyd had a bad burn on her lower lip and chin which disfigured her face badly and made it difficult for her to control the saliva. Because of this she did not appear in public very much and usually had a cover over her mouth and chin. This type of condition could now be fixed with plastic surgery, and if this had been done the life of the Bradshaws no doubt would have been much different. It could be that Richard chose Ellen after his experience with his first pretty red-headed wife.

How did Richard and Ellen meet and decide to marry? This is not known, but it is possible that they met at church. Richard was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 25 February l850 and Ellen Holroyd was baptized 2 December 1854 and as stated above, it is believed that their marriage was about 1857. At any rate they were both members of the church before they married and the church had much to do with their future life.

Their first child, James Henry, was born 20 February 1859 and died 23 August 1859. Their second child, George Albert Irving Bradshaw, was born in Bradford, England on his mother's birthday, 22 November 1861. In 1864 Richard and Ellen decided to emigrate with the Saints to Utah in the United States. Here again nothing was written or passed down by Richard or Ellen about the ocean voyage or the trip across the United States, but the following was recorded in the Church History which gives us some idea about their trip.

The Documentary or Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the years 1863 and 1864 lists Richard Bradshaw booked to sail from England on the ship "General McClellan" a 1900 ton ship bound for New York. Ship Master- TRASK- and Agent George Q. Cannon.

Listed was:
Richard Bradshaw 52 Years a Machinest
Helen 33 Years (No doubt Ellen)
George Albert Son 2 Years
Ticket No. 1138

Also listed was:
Mary Holroyd Age 59
Anna Holroyd Age 13
Ticket No. 1139

"The ship General McClellan sailed from Liverpool, England with a company of Saints bound for Utah." Journal History 1964-21 May 1864. The Millennial Star notes the departure of the Company as follows: M. S. 26 :364.

"On the evening of the 21st, the vessel proceeded to sea, laden with her freight and precious souls and accompanied by the best wishes and prayers of the Saints. She had 802 souls on board, nearly all of whom have paid their fares through to Wyoming."

The following communications were published in the Millenial Star (M. S. 26:476) dated June 18, Page 2 and 3. Written aboard ship about 450 miles or a week out of New York. This is a letter written to George Q. Cannon and gives some information concerning the conditions on ship but does not necessarily refer to the Bradshaws or Holroyds.

The Bradshaws came from Wyoming to Utah in 1864 with the Captain Rollins' Company and the following concerns this Company: Aug. 20, Page 2 of Millenial Star 26:538.

"Since writing the foregoing (written about the Hudson Ship Co. ) we have received a letter from Wyoming, from which we learn that about five hundred of the Saints who sailed on the ship General McClellan, were to leave that point, for Great Salt Lake City on the 14th of July in Captain Rollin's train, and that the remainder were to leave in a few days in Captain Warren's train." Mill. Star 26 :538.

Under date 20 Sept. 1864 the Deseret News printed:
"Capt. Rollins train arrived in G. S. L. City in fine condition. Following is a list of emigrants in the Capt. T. H. Rollin's Company which left Wyoming, July 15, 1864." Listed was Richard Bradshaw and family and Mary and Hannah Holroyd. Des. News 38:169.

In summary Richard Bradshaw, age 52, and wife, Ellen Hannah, age 30 and 2 year old son George Albert, left Liverpool, England on the ship "General McClellan" on May 21, 1864. With them were Ellen's mother, Mary Holroyd, age 59 and sister Hannah Holroyd, age 13. They had tickets across the ocean on the ship and on the train from New York to the end of the railroad in Wyoming. At the end of the railroad they joined a pioneer wagon train to make the trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. The wagon train left for Salt Lake 14 July 1864, about two months after leaving England, and it took them about two months to make the wagon trip from Wyoming to Salt Lake City.

While on the trip to Salt Lake City they found out that Charles Woodhouse, who was in the company on his way back with a load of freight for his store in Beaver, Utah knew Mary Holroyd's daughter, Tabitha, who had previously come to Utah and had married Richard Smith and lived in Beaver, Utah. It was logical, therefore, that the Bradshaws and Holroyds would go on to Beaver. Another possible reason for the families going to Beaver was the fact that there was a woolen mill in Beaver, and the Holroyd girls had been trained in the weaving trade in England.

Richard Bradshaw was listed as a machinest on the ship passenger list, but he did not work at this trade in Beaver. The Bradshaws had two city lots, (l/4 city block each) in Beaver. These lots were on the south side of the block between second and third north and fourth and fifth west. They lived in a log and frame house on the east lot where they also grew a garden and had fruit trees and the other lot (1/4 of the block) was a pasture. Richard, accordingly, was a gardener or farmer in Beaver.

Richard and Ellen had four children born to them in Beaver as follows:
Martha Ann, born 19 Sept. 1866, who married Earnest Meisner. Joram Holroyd, born 22 Sept. 1868, who married Mary Elinor Geordge. Richard White, born 23 Oct. 1871 and died 22 Nov 1877; and Rose Ellen, born 29 June 1876 and died 13 July 1876.

Richard died in Beaver 18 August 1893, so he lived in Utah for about 29 years. At the time of Richard's death, son Joram was the only child who was not married and he got married 3 January 1894. This left Ellen alone for most of the remaining 19 years of her life after the death of Richard. She maintained herself from what she raised on her two lots and by taking in washing and ironing and with the help of her two sons and some grandchildren who were able to help. Her boys, George Albert and Joram, were good to her and she was a good mother and grandmother. Several of her grandchildren report that they were born in her home and tell about the times when they stayed with her while going to school when their family lived at Pine Creek.

It would be very interesting if we knew more about these good people, our pioneer ancestors. There are many unanswered questions at the time of this writing because the family did not keep many records and did not write about themselves. This is somewhat typical of the early pioneers as they were very busy with making a living and what they did seemed to be repetitious and commonnplace. Did they become devoted members of the Church they embraced in England? Judging from the church records, it would seem that there may have been periods of inactivity or lack of enthusiasm in their religion. For example, the three children who lived were not baptized when 8 years of age which is the custom in the church but when they were 9, 11 and 16 years of age. The children were baptized in 1877 and 1878 and on December 4, 1878 the family went to the St. George, Utah Temple where the wife was sealed to her husband and the children were sealed to the parents. Richard was ordained a High Priest 28 Oct 1876 by Daniel Tyler which is a good indication of his good standing. As stated, Ellen had a dissfigured face and did not go out in public very much, so perhaps there might have been times when the children were not taken to church meetings regularly. The records do show that they were good people.

The descendants of Richard and Ellen Bradshaw are numerous and they can all be proud of their pioneer ancestors.

A Brief History of Richard Bradshaw and Ellen Holroyd