Hannah Libby Carter Robbins

Hannah Libby Carter Robbins

One of my third great grandmothers is Hannah Libby Carter Robbins. 

Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have in their possession stories of faith and fortitude of courageous people which survive in journals and family histories. Most are stored away in books and binders. Some are loosely tossed into crumbling cardboard boxes or even placed haphazardly on dusty basement shelves.

One such valuable piece of history, long tucked away, is an affidavit written by 11 Provo, Utah elderly women sworn on 24 March 1914. The document states,  "We the undersigned with joy and heartfelt gratitude to God, Our Heavenly Father, hereby testify that we saw the Prophet Joseph Smith and declare unto all that he was a Prophet of God.” This document was signed by Notary Public F. G. Richmond who wrote it was “subscribed and sworn before me on the 24th day of March 1914.” This short but public testimony shows the valor and courage of these women—proof of lives well-lived.

One of those 11 valiant women who signed the affidavit was Hannah Libby Carter Robbins living in her 73^rd year. Named after her paternal grandmother, Hannah Knight Libby Carter, both Hannahs were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and saw its growth from its early days. They followed the Prophet Joseph Smith and continued on to the Rocky Mountains and similarly lived out their years in Provo, Utah County, Utah.

The younger, Hannah Libby Carter Robbins was born on 25 March 1841 in Lima, Adams County, Illinois to William Furlsbury and Sarah York Carter. Her parents had traveled from Bethel-Newry, Maine to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836 or 1837, then to Far West, Missouri in 1838 and then to Lima, Adams County, Illinois, (near Nauvoo) in 1839. The Carter family was well acquainted with Church founder and Prophet Joseph Smith.


Hannah’s granddaughter Orpha J. Kling told that Hannah remembered the building of the Nauvoo temple. The Carters were living near Nauvoo when the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred.


Mob violence still continued even after Joseph’s death. In February of 1846, a mob came to the Carter door. Hannah’s mother, Sarah, asked them what they were going to do with them. They told her they were going to burn them out and drive them from there to Nauvoo and from there to Hell. She told them to go ahead if they thought there was no hereafter.


At this same time all the men in the community had had to flee for their lives into the corn fields as the mob had sent word that every man and boy that was left in town would be killed. Those who left Nauvoo took their families and what little things they could and left nearly everything behind.The Carter family left Nauvoo went across the Missouri River and into Iowa. They started a town called Carterville named after Hannah’s father, William Furlsbury Carter.


William was asked to stay behind in Council Bluffs, Iowa to prepare wagons, horses and equipment for other Latter-day Saint emigrants and did not cross the plains to Salt Lake City until 1850. At the age of 9 Hannah crossed the plains. She later told her family, “We were driven from our homes in the middle of the night and could only take a few of our possessions along. Our journey across the plains by ox team was very slow and had plenty of hardships. We were very happy to arrive in Salt Lake City. Soon after, the family moved to the east bench in Provo, Utah.


Hannah's father William F. Carter,  was called on a mission to the East Indies after their arrival in Provo. Hannah told her family, “I used to walk miles to get a coffee grinder to grind corn for cornbread which we mixed with water. If it wasn’t eaten at one meal, we would let it dry. Then we would pound it out and use it again. We had other similar ways to work to obtain our food.”


Hannah married Isaac Rogers Robbins on 25 March 1855, Hannah’s 14th birthday and one day after Isaac’s 50th birthday. In his younger years, Isaac was a handsome man with dark hair and piercing eyes. He was over six feet tall, a good marksman and a great lover of music. He became quite an accomplished violinist for his time. He was a builder, farmer and civic minded citizen of Provo for many years and respected by all who knew him. For a time he and his brother John owned considerable property in Park City, Utah and erected and operated a lumber mill there. With three wives, Isaac Rogers Robbins fathered 25 children.


A granddaughter, Orpha J. Kling remembered, “The family first lived on the block west of the Woolen Mills [which was located on 125 N 100 West]. Later Grandfather homesteaded the land in southwest Provo. He at one time he owned most of the land in that vicinity.


Hannah and Isaac had ten children:

• Mary Clestine Robbins, 1856
• Sarah Drucilla, 1858
• John Rogers, 1859
• Aaron Rogers, 1860
• Lyman Carter, 1862
• Hannah Libby, 1864
• Ferlsbury C., 1868
• Lavan Carter, 1870
• Elizabeth, 1874
• Emma Carter, 1879

On 25 October 1876, Hannah’s older sister and Isaac’s second wife, Abiah Russell Carter Robbins died. Abiah and Isaac had had eleven children. Seven of those children were under the age of 18 when their mother died.


By that time, Hannah and Isaac had nine children of their own. The responsibility of rearing all of these children fell upon Hannah. Four years later in 1880, there were still 11 children listed in the Robbins’ household.


On 4 January 1883, Isaac Rogers Robbins died leaving Hannah with their youngest child being only four years old. Isaac was buried in the Provo City Cemetery on 8 January 1883.


Hannah lived alone at 266 South 700 West in Provo until she struggled to take care of her home. She died while living with her son, Lyman Carter Robbins on 2 April 1930. Lyman lived just down the street at 409 South 700 West. Her obituary stated that at the time of her death, she was the oldest born L.D.S. Church member in her stake.

The ward sang at her funeral a fitting song Sister Thou Wast Mild and Lovely.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8j4Ao1gMeM

Elizabeth Gabbitas Clements

Elizabeth Gabbitas Clements

Elizabeth Gabbitas is my third great grandmother and was born 21 December 1829 in Mansfield, Nottingham, England. She was the daughter of George Gabbitas and Ellen Harper Gabbitas. The Gabbitas family lived in a comfortable home in the town of Mansfield, Nottingham, England. Her father was employed in a hosiery factory. The industrial revolution was very strong in the area of which the Gabbitas’ lived.


Elizabeth had the desire to earn her own and help her parents, and so she started working in a thread factory at an early age. She would walk two miles to work in the morning and then back to her home at night, making four miles altogether.

It was in her young womanhood that she first heard the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints preached. This was in the home of Thomas and Harriet Humphries. The message appealed to her very much. She felt the truthfulness of it, and soon after she was baptized a member of the Church. She was the first one of her father’s family to be baptized. Elizabeth had a great desire to come to America, but her parents were very opposed to her coming since she was single and would be alone.

Elizabeth earned money for her journey to America by working in a factory all day, and after work she would sit up until one and two o’clock in the morning making hats and bonnets to sell. She earned her own money to bring her to Zion.

Elizabeth left her home in England on 9 February 1854 and boarded the ship Windermere. On the morning of the 20th of April 1854, the ship entered the mouth of the Mississippi River. When they arrived in St. Louis, they were quarantined with smallpox and not allowed to land. On the 22nd of April 1854, they sailed for Council Bluffs and from there they started on the perilous journey across the plains.

Elizabeth was assigned the company [unofficially] known as the Ten Pound Company. They were called the Ten Pound Company because they had ten pounds of flour when they started across the plains. [Other companies crossing the plains were also called the Ten Pound Company.] A short time after they left Council Bluffs, the company was attacked with the dreaded disease, cholera. Many died and had to be buried on the plains; the remaining trudged on and arrived in Salt Lake City in the latter part of November.


It was nine months since Elizabeth had left her home and family. Not knowing where she could go, she was sent to the home of Bishop Winters where she stayed for some time. She then went to live in the home of Heber C. Kimball. It was while there, she met John Moon Clements and they fell in love. Only having known each other for a short time, they were married on the 5 January 1855. John Moon Clements was originally of Deal, Kent, England and had been a seaman since the age of 13 or 14. John was baptized into the Church while in New Orleans on 8 April 1851.


John and Elizabeth struggled while living in Salt Lake City to provide food for themselves and the two children they had while there. John often walked from Salt Lake to Farmington and well beyond to try to find work for pay—often finding none. On one occasion while walking back to Salt Lake, he stopped from house to house asking those who had food to share their bread stuffs.
 
In the year 1859, they sold their little home in Salt Lake City and moved south. They stayed a short time in Springville then moved as far south as Nephi. They returned soon to Springville where they made their home the rest of their lives.
 
Elizabeth and John had seven children:
 

• Elizabeth, 1856
• John Gabbitas, 1858
• Thomas Gabbitas,  1859  
• Ellen, 1862
• Mary Ann, 1864
• Charlotte, 1866
• Sarah Ann, 1869

On 1 November 1871 Elizabeth’s parents George Birks and Ellen Harper Gabbitas arrived in New York City from England settling in Springville, Utah.

Elizabeth was very devoted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She made a wonderful trip with her sister and brother-in-law, Emma and Francis Beardall to Manti, Utah to attend the dedication of the Manti Temple in May of 1888. This was not a small task. The following year in October of 1889, Elizabeth and Emma along with other family members, went to the Manti Temple to do temple work for the Gabbitas’ family members including their departed father and mother.

Elizabeth and John were very socially active. They had many visitors and invited dinner guests in their home, and they called on relatives and friends too. Elizabeth’s sister Emma Gabbitas Beardall accompanied her on many daily visits to friends and “connexions” [as John Moon Clements would record in his journal], and the two sisters went back and forth dining at each other’s homes.

John Moon Clements made his living from his gardening and small orchard. The family enjoyed all of the varieties of fruits and vegetables of which he grew. They had a cellar in which to store fruits and vegetables through the winter, and Elizabeth certainly took advantage of her cellar. In the late 1800s they preserved fruit by making them into jams and jellies. The Clements also dehydrated many hundreds of pounds of fruit to sell and for family use.

The Clements’ were a close family. As their children grew and married, they were in their parent’s home often and those who lived away exchanged letters regularly with their siblings and parents. Several grandchildren were born in John and Elizabeth’s home of which John stated “kept them quite busy."

Elizabeth’s husband, John Moon Clements, died on 16 August 1897 in Springville, Utah at the age of 74. Elizabeth outlived her husband by nine years—passing away of Bright’s disease on 11 September 1906 in Springville, Utah.

I was contacted recently about Elizabeth Gabbitas Clements. A group had done some research and found in the 1860 census that she claimed she was deaf. I had found that she did have hearing loss, but I had no idea how much. This research group was trying to find stories of pioneers who were deaf so they could use them with a deaf group doing a pioneer trek reinactment in the summer of 2011.

John Moon Clements

John Moon Clements  

This short biography of one of my third great grandfathers, John Moon Clements I hardly dare type. The reason being that he kept his own meticulous daily journal for most of his life. I am humbled to try and share tidbits of his life,  since his journal is several hundreds of pages long.

From his words, I can easily discern that he was fastidious, conscientious, studious and loving. And for some reason, I wonder how the people in his community looked towards him. Was he different from other men of the time and place? We may never know, but what would it matter now. 

Here is what I have gleaned from his journal and a short history written by his youngest daughter, Sarah Ann Clements Dalton.

John Moon Clements was born 17 October 1823 in Canterbury, England and reared in Deal in the county of Kent, England. His mother, Mary Ann Moon, was kind and loving. She taught John righteous principles--at least he claims as far as she had the knowledge. Mary Ann died when John was just six years old. His paternal grandmother, Sarah Wiley Clements, lived with them for a while helping with John's younger two sisters and brother.

Thomas Clements, John's father, remarried Mary A.. Willey with a few years. Thomas was a music teacher by trade. He also was hired to play the organ for the Church of England, and he did this for many years until he became crippled with gout. John said of his father, "Although he attended the Church of England, playing the organ for them was the only thing that influenced him to attend church." During the time of the services, John remembered seeing his father reading books he had taken with him. Thomas drew the curtains around the organ so no one would see him reading.

At the age of 14, John thought he might like to go to sea. His father gave his consent, and through the help of a step uncle serving in the English Navy, he got a job as a cabin boy. John worked on ships for almost 14 years, sailing on many--two that sank. It was while docked in New Orleans that his life changed forever.

Being a serious thinker and a man of great faith, John had thought for some time that he did not have the right religion. He fasted and prayed for light. On one of his trips to New Orleans, he met Joseph Couzins a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who had just docked in New Orleans coming from England with his family and other members of the Church. After hearing Brother Couzins speak of the Gospel, John was convinced that he had met a man of God with the right religion. 

John was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 8 April 1851 in New Orleans--just one day after listening to Brother Couzins. John was preparing to return to England on his ship when he met Elder Orson Pratt who had just returned from a mission to England. Elder Pratt encouraged John to sail with him to meet with the Saints in St. Louis and then on to Council Bluffs, so he did. After a very difficult time crossing the plains, his company arrived in Salt Lake City on 7 October 1851.

John lived with Elder Pratt's family for a while until he met a girl from Lincolnshire, England named Sarah Ann Reynolds. In a short time, they were married by Elder Orson Pratt on 30 January 1852 and shortly thereafter were sealed in the Endowment House.

The couple bought a lot and built a small house in Salt Lake City. Sarah gave birth to a daughter they named Sarah Ann on 23 November 1852, but she lived only 8 days. Four days after the baby died so did his wife.

John lived alone very sad and unhappy until he met Elizabeth Gabbitas at the home of Heber C. Kimball where she was employed. They were married on 8 November 1855 by Jedediah M. Grant and lived in Salt Lake City. While there John helped built the tabernacle and the temple.

John attended and recorded the proceedings of many Church meetings in Salt Lake City including those held in the original bowery and others at the tabernacle. His journal contains the names and talks of almost all of the early prophets, apostles, etc.

John, Elizabeth and their children lived in poverty while in Salt Lake City. John often traveled by foot to Ogden and Bountiful, then known as Sessions Settlement, looking for work. Usually finding none, he would walk back stopping door to door asking for food. Many others of that time and place were in similar circumstances.

In the year 1859, they sold their little home in Salt Lake City and moved south. They stayed a short time in Springville then moved as far south as Nephi. They returned soon to Springville where they made their home the rest of their lives.

In Springville they firstly lived in the north part of town until 1873 then they moved to what was referred to a the First Ward--probably on 400 South and about 400 East. It was the family home until 1912 when it was torn down to build a high school.

John employed himself with a garden and orchard. He also was the town sexton for over thirty years--burying people in both the Springville City Cemetery and the Evergreen Cemetery. His burial records are impecable--probably the best in the state of Utah.
 
He and Elizabeth had seven children and enjoyed their company very much. It seemed he was very much concerned for his children's welfare not only while they were young but also after they had their own families. His journal notes many times his praise of their good traits.
 
John had a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and this never wavered. He served wherever he was called:  in his priesthood quorums, as a music director, ward teacher and even as a Sunday school teacher of small children for a time. From his writings, I think he attended every meeting held in every organization of his ward, stake and region. He was called upon almost daily to give priesthood administrations to people in Springville who were ill. He had great compassion to those who suffered and were in need.
 
The Clements never had much money. I have seen no evidence that they even owned a horse, buggy or wagon, etc. John never served a mission as many in his area nor did he live the law of polygamy although he stated that he did not disagree with the practice.
 
He always longed that his family in England would join the Church. He bore his testimony to them in letter often, but none followed his path. In 1893 when he was quite old, he asked the brethren in Salt Lake City to set him apart as a missionary, and then he sailed to England to collect his genealogy from relatives. I am sure he tried to persuade his family in person of the truthfulness of the gospel.
 
John spent free time studying any written materials he could get. One journal entry noted that he was studying a book on mathematics. He left quite a variety of books to his family after his passing in Springville, Utah on 16 August 1897.
 
The following is a page from his journal. It begins by stating that he has cautioned his family not to tear any more pages from his journal, because he wants to keep the book and hand it down to them. He hopes that his journal will not be destroyed but preserved for his children's children to read that they may have, "some little hint of who and what their pregenitors were and what sort of lives they led."