Item Detail
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Derricott, Martha
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1828-1911
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MSS SC 835
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Biography
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Martha Derricott was born May 24, 1828 in Wrockwardine Wood, Shropshire, England to Mary Ashley Derricott and Charles Derricott (also spelled Dadacote). Martha married William Tonks in England. The couple immigrated to the United States in 1856, coming first to New York City and then making their way to Utah in 1859. They settled in Morgan City, Utah. William and Martha were the parents of eight children: Elizabeth Manwin, George Maroni, William Henry, Martha Jane, Louisa, Mary Elizabeth, Charles William, and Rebecca Althura. Martha died September 17, 1911 in Morgan, Utah, and William died March 29, 1912.
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This two-page, typewritten biography was written by Edna Hansen Sheets, a great-granddaughter of Martha Derricott. It belongs to a collection of biographies mostly from the Tonks family, and is primarily an account of William and Martha's journey from England to Utah. Edna states that her great-grandfather William Tonks and her great-grandmother Martha Derricott came to New York in 1856. William came from a family of locksmiths, and he found employment in New York City making nails. Edna's grandfather, George Maroni Tonks, was born in New York City on October 15, 1856. In 1859, the family traveled to Utah by way of boat to New Orleans and up the Mississippi River to Council Bluffs. From there, they crossed the plains with a man named Bucannon who had a wagon, a cow, and an ox. The team became tired and would not pull the wagon, so Buchannan sawed his wagon in half and made a small cart. Edna's grandparents walked the entire journey. Edna recounts a story about Martha that happened on the trail. She laid down to rest alongside the trail and fell asleep, and the company passed by without her. When she awoke they were gone, and she hurried to catch up. She came to a river, took off her shoes and stockings, and was about to cross when some mountaineers came along and brought her across the river on horseback. When they reached the other side, they could see the emigrant train coming back for her. Edna states that the family reached Salt Lake City in October with barely enough time for William to build a log cabin before winter. They lived the first winter with half a roof over their heads. After several years, they moved to Morgan City, Utah where William was a blacksmith.
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1911-1977