Friday, November 15, 2013

Uncle Isaac and Aunt Ann (Fran)

Isaac, in a couple letter home while on his mission, mentions visiting an aunt and an uncle, sister and brother of his father.


  I am now it the house of my aunt Fran Smith, my father’s sister.  She and her husband James Smith is well and was glad to see me and made me welcome to anything that they had.  This was a blessing to me for I was weary by traveling so many thousand miles and glad to be one home where I [am] allowed [to] lay down and rest my weary body. … I have had the privilege to walk around to see Coleville and see some few old friends.  (Wardle, Isaac, letter Feb. 13, 1879)

I visited all around the town and found some old acquaintances glad to hear of my father and his family and of Salt Lake City and that I had traveled so many miles.  They think I have more experience in traveling than all the people in the town. 
   I start in the morning to the big town of Leister to my uncle Isaac Wardle then to my field of labor. 
   I was glad to be in the old meeting house and to see the Brethren and Sisters once more; but not so glad to see them in the distressed circumstances so many of them having.  No more than $9.50 cts per week to live and if this is the condition of all the folks in England I know not what they will do.  My heart brakes for them. (Wardle, Isaac, letter Feb 17. 1879)

 I went looking for them on Family Search, and couldn't find them.  I searched for Fran Wardle married to James Smith.  This came back as Ann Wardle, William's (Isaac's father) youngest sister.  However Uncle Isaac was not there.  I looked for him and found him, and linked him to the family.  It had William as his father with no mother.  Temple work has already been done.  He was born in Ravenston, but passed away in Leister which is consistent with Isaac's letter.  He passed away in 1882. 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for your post and all your efforts to transcribe the the letters!

    I have a question, though: Isn't Isaac John Wardle's father John Wardle and his grandfather Thomas Wardle? My records have Ann Wardle Smith and Isaac Wardle as the younger brother and sister of John (father of Isaac John Wardle) and the children of Thomas Wardle and Elizabeth.

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    1. I miss wrote, Isaac and Ann are brothers of John Wardle, Isaac Johns' father. William Wardle is another brother.

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