Item Detail
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Clayton, Elizabeth Tonks
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1854-1926
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MSS SC 835
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Biography
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Elizabeth Tonks was born December 7, 1854 in Rockwardine, Shropshire, England. Her mother was Martha Derricott Tonks. Her father appears to be Richard Manwin, but the history does not specify if Martha and Richard were ever married; it only says that for some reason the two were separated. When Elizabeth was one year old her mother married William Tonks. The newlyweds set out for America leaving Elizabeth with her grandparents with whom she lived until she was 14 years old. She came to the United States with her grandparents and moved to Morgan, Utah where she lived with her mother and stepfather. Her biography states that Elizabeth was asked two different times to join in a plural marriage, however neither marriage took place. In 1872 she met John Clayton at a dancing party she attended with her friends. After two years of courtship they where married on August 13, 1874. On June 17, 1879 John and Elizabeth went to the Salt Lake City Endowment House and were sealed for time and all eternity. In 1902 the family moved to Coalville, Utah. In 1920 they returned to Salt Lake City to live with their youngest daughter and get better care for Elizabeth, who was very ill. In 1922 she suffered a stroke and was paralyzed on her right side. On January 24, 1926 Elizabeth passed away.
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Folder 5 of the collection contains biographical information relating to Elizabeth Tonks Clayton. The folder contains includes short biographies for many members of the Tonks family. Elizabeth's biographical information is contained in four typed pages, written by her daughter Alveretta Clayton Child. Elizabeth's history is entertaining and provides several interesting stories about her life. One story says that during her engagement to John she lost her engagement ring while at work. Thinking she had lost it in the spring when she went to get water, her employer hired a man to drain the spring, but the ring was never returned. Years later Elizabeth saw the man who had been hired to drain the spring with his new bride, who was wearing the lost engagement ring. Elizabeth is remembered by her daughter as being a splendid cook. She suffered from inflammatory rheumatism and was bedridden for a long time. Her biography also provides a brief history of her callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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