Item Detail
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Blyth, Margaret Mitchell Stubbart
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1824-1911
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MSS SC 794
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Biography
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Margaret Mitchell Stubbart Blyth was born June 9, 1824 to Robert Mitchell and Mary Brown in Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland. Margaret was the sixth of eleven children and enjoyed the comradeship and love of five brothers and five sisters. After immigrating to America when she was five years old, her father was sent to Nova Scotia, Canada where he managed the affairs in the small mining town at Bridge Port. Margaret met her first husband, Matthew Stubbart, and was married May 6, 1844 at 20 years of age. Following their marriage, Margaret and Matthew accompanied her family to Pittston, Pennsylvania where her father had been sent to work. After spending about ten years there, her husband caught the 'California Gold Fever,' and they set out in a wagon train to California. Margaret had four small children at this time, and drove one of the wagons alone during the entire trek. They paused for one day while Margaret gave birth to her 5th child, a baby boy. Her husband had become very domineering and treated Margaret more as a slave than a wife. His treatment of her was so bad that other men in their company resented his treatment and upbraided him. She heard the gospel preached by Mormon Elders after arriving in California. She knew it was true and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At this time, life with her husband had become impossible and they were divorced. Because of her religious beliefs, the judge awarded custody of their five children to her husband who took the children back east after he had failed in California. During this trying and lonely time in Margaret's life, she met a young man named John Law Blyth. Contrary to her first husband, he was kind and dependable. Their love grew and they were married December 17, 1855. She taught him the gospel and he became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 2, 1857. There are different accounts of when Margaret's baptism took place, but it was assumed that she had been a member of the church for about four years at this time. John and Margaret enjoyed a happy marriage, full of joy as well as trials. They lost four of their six children and endured some persecution for their unpopular religion while in California. They sacrificed almost everything they had to join the Saints in Utah in October 1860. Margaret was active in the church and served those around her for the remainder of her life. Her husband was called to preside over missions in Scotland, Australia, and Arizona. Margaret worked with their business endeavors and on their farm to provide the means for these experiences as well as her husband's second family (he had married again after arriving in Utah). She was known for her love of children and adopted and raised many children as her own. She lived an active life until her death at 86 years of age.
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Margaret's brief biography is included in the Mitchell Family Biographies written by Pearl Elizabeth Mitchell Boyce, a granddaughter. The biography is a copy of seven handwritten pages describing Margaret's life. It is clear that she was a generous and loving woman who worked hard to serve her family and the Lord. Many grandchildren benefited from her kindness when she put a dollar in their hand or pocket and told them to go to the opera or play or some other type of amusement. Margaret had faith and did her best to live the principles of the gospel. Towards the beginning of their marriage, John Blyth didn't see the necessity of paying tithing, but Margaret urged him to do so. She told him that money belonged to the Lord, and he had better pay or take the consequences. Shortly thereafter, there was a fire in John's holdings and he lost one tenth of all he owned. He then willingly paid tithing and was generous in his giving for the remainder of his life. Following their move to Utah, Margaret helped organize and operate a branch of the United Order as planned by Brigham Young. While her husband served missions, she traveled and saw to business on their property from Logan to Deseret, Millard Co. and became a well known figure in her 'black topped buggy.' She lived in Arizona with her husband for the last part of his mission, and is thought to have planted the first peach trees and grape vines in the state in the city of Moenkopi. It was also here that the famous Indian Chief Tuba, or 'Tubby', lived with them. She took a trip back east in her later years to meet her children she had missed for years. They then came to visit her in Utah and some even lived there for a time. In her older years, Margaret was blessed with worldly goods, and used them primarily to bless the lives of others. This is a joyful biography of an early Latter-day Saint. Polygamy, Pioneer.
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1814-1904