CLAUDIUS V.

SPENCER MASSACHUSETTS MAN AND MORMON

By Claudia Spencer Sadler and Richard W. Sadler 2010 875 Edgewood Drive Ogden, Utah 84403 801-479-7988

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On his 77th birthday, Claudius Victor Spencer recalled the events of his life with Louisa his wife, as scribe. He titled his experiences, "Reminiscences." He expressed, "I desire to have these events of my life as words of a father to his children, that they may contrast one man's experience against the nearly universal claims of Protestant religions that the heavens are sealed from giving revelations in our day." He continued, "From boyhood I have been subject to strong intuitions, both in regard to individuals and events in life, and also to dreams which have often preserved and guided me safely when my natural judgment and abilities would have failed1." Claudius had great faith throughout his life, but there were occasions when the "Massachusetts Man" showed other parts of his personality. It was on these occasions when Claudius exhibited his sensitivity, impatience and independence which caused him anxiety and sadness. He was born on 2 April 1824 in the village of West Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The United States was a new and young country, and Claudius grew up with the country. James Monroe was just concluding his second term as United States President, and a Massachusetts Man, John Quincy Adams would be elected to succeed him. Massachusetts had become a more settled area following the American Revolution and the frontier had moved westward. As a child, Claudius no doubt heard narratives of the Indian captivities and kidnappings which had been much a part of 18th century Massachusetts. Stockbridge and West Stockbridge had both been settled near the New York state line and there was much commerce that traveled the roads east to Boston and west to Albany on the Hudson River. Claudius was eight years old when his mother Sophronia Eliza Pomeroy died at age 26 after a brief illness. He said of her, "My mother was kind and faithful, who endeavored to influence me by precept and example to walk in the path of truth and virtue".2 Two years later, on 30 June 1834, his father Daniel Spencer Jr., age 40, married a 29-year-old widow from nearby Great Barrington, Sarah Lester Van Schoonhaven. Sarah brought with her a son, Gilbert, age 6, who became Claudius' first sibling. In 1835, Sarah gave birth to a daughter Amanda. Two other children, both sons were born to the Daniel Spencer family, but they both died soon after birth, and Amanda died when she was three. This left Claudius and "Gib" to share many experiences together, both as children and later as adults. Proud of his Pomeroy heritage and his Spencer name, Claudius grew up watching his father's business skills and participating in the family freighting business. He was fifteen when 1

he witnessed the baptism of his father, Daniel, into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1839. Daniel shared the "new" gospel with many family members, including his parents and brothers Hiram and Orson, and many friends. The newly organized Union Branch of West Stockbridge and Richmond was soon organized with thirty members and Daniel Spencer Jr. as the Branch President.4 Claudius was baptized into the new church by his father on 12 August 1841, and much of the rest of his life was shaped by the early church environment. It was the desire of the Spencer brothers, Daniel, Hiram and Orson with their families and their parents, to move west to Nauvoo. Nauvoo, Illinois had become a major gathering place for the Mormon Church. After 1839, Nauvoo grew rapidly as the doctrine of the "gathering" was preached to individuals and congregations. Daniel knew that many of his neighbors expected the Spencer's to leave for the west, but he bought and sold property holdings and businesses, acting as he always did by keeping an eye on the profit. He kept to himself what the family's eventual plans were, until the time was right to leave for Nauvoo. The right time would be when he was able to sell most items for a profit. This was not particularly easy because the country was suffering from the effects of the Panic of 1837 for several years following the beginning of that major downturn in business. The move for the Spencer family came in three stages. In the spring of 1841, Claudius' uncle Orson left West Stockbridge with his wife Catharine and their five children for Nauvoo. It was Orson's responsibility to establish himself in Nauvoo, securing land for homes and family farms.5 Next, in the fall of 1841, sixteen-year-old Claudius was sent to Nauvoo with a family friend and church branch member, Stephen Crandall. It was their job to take thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, buggies and wagons, to Nauvoo by way of the Erie Canal and Lake Erie and set up a store in Orson's home where the merchandise would be sold. Monies from the sale of goods would help support Orson's family and also assist Daniel and Hiram make their start in Nauvoo. Before his departure for Nauvoo, Claudius had a "manifestation" during the night that he should have his father's power of attorney to take on the trip. At Buffalo, New York, Crandall booked passage for Claudius and the merchandise on one boat, and then Crandall and his family were placed on a different boat. After seeing the boat Crandall had chosen for Claudius and walking up the gangplank, Claudius "felt cold chills and gloomy mists of darkness around him." He told Crandall that he wouldn't take that boat and he had the legal power of attorney so he

could do with the goods what he wanted. Claudius noted, "The next day that boat went to the bottom of Lake Erie and every soul on board perished." 6 In June 1842, the third stage "to join the march westward" began when Claudius' father Daniel closed out his merchandise and business ventures in West Stockbridge, sold many of his farm lands, and left Massachusetts. The family traveled in company with Hiram and his children and the Daniel Hendrix family, who were Sarah's sister and brother in law. With wagons loaded with merchandise to sell in Nauvoo and family possessions, the family traveled overland by wagon through western Massachusetts and eastern New York to Albany, New York. They went by canal boat on the Erie Canal to Buffalo, New York, by steamboat on Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan to Chicago and then by wagon across Illinois to Nauvoo. Roads were generally in very poor condition both because of inadequate construction and weather, and water travel was more desirable when possible. Railroad lines were just being expanded across the eastern United States. After establishing his family in Nauvoo and becoming acquainted with many of the Saints, Orson left to serve a mission. In 1843, he returned to Nauvoo and brought with him the grandparents, Daniel Sr. and Chloe Spencer. Daniel Sr. was having health problems and issues related to age, and word of his illness reached Claudius' uncle Augustine, who was living in Michigan. Augustine traveled to Nauvoo, and reached the city before his father, Daniel Sr. died in November of 1843 at age seventy nine. Augustine, as the eldest Spencer brother felt that he should be directing the affairs of his deceased father. He became involved in a very heated dispute with Daniel Jr., Orson, Hiram, and his mother Chloe over the disbursement of the personal property of Daniel Sr. This lengthy disagreement lasted into the summer of 1844, and among other events, the resulting discord and antagonism led to Augustine signing in Carthage, Illinois the "Warrant for Treason" against the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, which led to their continued imprisonment in jail and deaths.7 Chloe Wilson Spencer died on 22 January 1845 at age eighty years. Establishing the Spencer families successfully in Nauvoo took a combined effort of the three brothers: Orson in his civic and teaching abilities, Hiram managing the family farms, and Daniel's skill of entrepreneur ship. Claudius nearing manhood was a part of the family venture. Sophronia, his mother, had inherited $1,600 from her father, Grove Pomeroy, and this sum was left to Claudius when Sophronia died. Claudius also inherited $1,250 from his grandmother,

Eunice Pomeroy, who died in 1843 and her second husband, Benjamin Howes. It appears that this money was used to help buy property and build a nice two story brick home furnished with eastern furniture. Claudius himself purchased two pieces of property on Block 12, across the street to the south from the temple block. The use of Claudius' inheritance by his father would become a source of irritation more than two decades later when Daniel died. Nauvoo was bustling and Claudius helped his father freight stone, hay, wood, grain and other merchandise. He was proud of his bargaining skills in making profitable trades and his talent for selling, which resulted in large profits for the family. He hauled sand for the construction of the Nauvoo Temple and spent many days working on its construction. Claudius spent evenings studying grammar, reading books from the Nauvoo library, attending lectures, and attending fencing school. In addition to these studies, Heber C. Kimball gathered a group of young people to his home "to warn them of the evils and temptations around them. They studied the scriptures and were exhorted to keep good company and remain pure from the evils of the world." After several meetings, Joseph Smith advised them to organize into a society for the relief of the poor. Claudius, Andrew Cahoon, and Stephen Perry were asked to help draft the organization's constitution.9 At the L.D.S church conference on 8 October 1844, Claudius, age 20, was ordained by Joseph Young to the office of seventy and he became as a member of the 2nd Quorum of Seventies. In an autobiographical sketch for the quorum, Claudius wrote: I have endeavored to live in obedience to the counsel and instruction of my parents in the Church, and I desire to be an instrument in the hands of God, of doing some good on the earth and to cheerfully submit to the sorrows and sufferings that are incident to a life of a saint of God, while they are surrounded by the wicked and murderous Gentiles, and to be one of those that shall be counted worthy to secure the honor, power and dominion that shall be given until those that abide faithful in the truth until the end. Claudius' quorum meetings were held twice a month in the Concert Hall and Seventies Hall in Nauvoo. The group was given a charge by Brigham Young to help build a home for President Joseph Young, who was one of the seven presidents of the Seventy. Joseph Young said, "He did not wish the brethren to hurt themselves in subscribing for the building of his house. The saints are generally poor and they have many necessary calls to attend to." Claudius contributed $4.00 in property and $.25 cash for the Joseph Young home.10

The Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were killed late in June of 1844. Many of the residents of Illinois expected the church to fall apart, and others were willing to drive the Mormons out of Illinois. As time passed and opposition to the Mormons in Nauvoo grew, it became evident that there would be an exodus from Nauvoo. In the late spring and early summer of 1845, Daniel sent Claudius back to West Stockbridge to try and sell the property that Daniel and Hiram hadn't been able to sell upon leaving western Massachusetts. Claudius was now twenty one years of age and faced a major task to sell property to non-Mormons in western Massachusetts who did not want to pay the market value for the property. In early July 1845, Claudius wrote a very detailed three page letter to his father and described to him his feelings of seeing old friends and family members and how they treated him as a Mormon. "I feel that I have a great burden on me and I need all your prayers - to enable me to bear it up but I strive to do my duty and I believe all will come out right... I never see the time before when I needed more brass than I do now." While in West Stockbridge, Claudius saw his uncle, Augustine, who had signed the Treason Warrant, then had fled Carthage after the mob killings in June of 1844. Claudius wrote, "Augustin has reported very bad stories about Nauvoo, and some appear to believe them, it is a current report here that you (Daniel) are poor. Augustin has got very sore eyes and drinks very hard."11 A major piece of property that Claudius shopped around was the Cobb Hill farming property located south of the village of West Stockbridge. In his letter, Claudius noted that there were several Mormons in the area who had not yet been able to migrate to Nauvoo. He described his interactions with friends and family by noting that most appeared friendly and treated him well, but others poked fun at him. "But when I am talking with 2 or 3 at a time I can peek out from my old wide brimmed hat and see them wink and laugh." On Claudius's return to Nauvoo, he found his father ill with malaria as a result of mosquito infested areas from Daniel's mission to the Indians. Sarah became ill while nursing Daniel and she died eight days later, 1 October 1845, at age 40, leaving Gilbert, age 17, and Mary Leon, age 2. Claudius said of her "I was permitted to enjoy her good counsel." In the two years following the death of Joseph Smith until the exodus began, both Daniel and Orson Spencer were involved in the government of Nauvoo as city officials. With preparations being made to leave Nauvoo, Claudius was sent to several neighboring towns to buy supplies, Wheat Shorts and Shipings and wagon materials were needed for the

exodus.12 Claudius' father and uncle Hiram sold in a paper transaction two farms for $862 and their homes for $1,600 to Claudius, probably thinking he could resell them at a later time. In the
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fall of 1845, Brigham Young set Claudius apart for an "express mission." With the Nauvoo Temple, nearly completed Claudius went to the temple with his uncle Hiram and his cousin Mariah Antoinette on 20 December 1845 for their endowments, where Daniel officiated for Claudius and Orson officiated for Hiram. On 16 January 1846 in the temple, Daniel, age 51, was married to his niece, Mary, age 24, daughter of Hiram and his wife Mary, and on 31 January Claudius went back to the temple to be sealed to Daniel with Mary acting as proxy for Sophronia. Gilbert was adopted and sealed to Daniel, and Mary acted as proxy for Sarah.14 Along with other families in the Nauvoo area, the Spencers had been planning to move with the body of the church early in 1846. On 4 February 1846, the first Mormons commenced crossing the Mississippi River for the purpose of moving west. This move was directed by Brigham Young, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve, who with the other church officials organized the move with companies of 50 and 100. Daniel Spencer was placed in charge Company #7 which included 50 church members. Many of his family members were in this company which left Nauvoo on 15 February 1846 in the middle of the winter season. On 2 February 1846, Daniel sent Claudius on what would be his third trip back to West Stockbridge from Nauvoo. Claudius had with him $45 for expenses to try to sell more property owned by Daniel and also a piece of property that Claudius owned. Orson made him a power of attorney, and Gilbert drove him in a buggy to Quincy, where Claudius went by steamboat to St. Louis and continued by steamboat up the Ohio River. He returned home to Nauvoo, a few weeks later, again making much of the journey by steamboat. "I jumped ashore and started for our old home east of the temple. On the way up I noticed that there was a change - that I did not meet anyone I knew. When I reached the house, I found it closed." Leaning on the garden gate, Claudius was approached by three men asking him "if he were the son of the Mormon cuss they had run out." Claudius replied that it was none of their business what religion he was, "I am free-born and white." They told him to either give up Mormonism or take the pony and get out of town. Claudius accepted the pony and traveled rapidly to find his father's family camped at Indian Creek across the Mississippi River and into the Iowa Territory.15

At the Mormon camp at Garden Grove, Claudius helped his father by bringing wagon loads of goods to the camp, and he was asked to go with his uncle Hiram, on an "express mission" back to Nauvoo to sell personal property and bring back supplies. They took hard tack (hard biscuit) and dried beef as their only food, and they rode horseback often in the rain and heat to Nauvoo in the mid summer of 1846. They were able to exchange some of the family property for supplies and trade a farm for 110 mixed cattle. While in Nauvoo, they helped to outfit several poor families for emigration. As Claudius wrote his recollections, many years later, he recounted the hardships they endured on this trip. Hiram and Claudius rode to Alton, Illinois, 132 miles south of Nauvoo to collect the cattle. Meanwhile, the sheriff of the area had issued trumped-up writs of attachment to hold the cattle until others could come to claim the herd. By almost superhuman exertions, and by the aid of a gentile friend, Hiram and Claudius drove the cattle north from Alton, and continued sixty miles further north of Nauvoo to the area of Burlington, Iowa. They did this to elude the sheriff and his friends who expected them to cross the Mississippi River below Nauvoo, but instead they crossed the river sixty miles above Nauvoo at the Burlington, Iowa crossing. Hiram and Claudius then drove the cattle for six days, watching them by night. On the seventh day in the afternoon, Claudius saw his uncle Hiram reel in the saddle. He rode to him and asked what the matter was, and Hiram replied, "not much, but I cannot last through; help me down and I will die here." As Claudius stayed with his uncle, Hiram said, "My nephew, I give you my daughter, (Mariah Antoinette) to wife, tell her so when you meet." Hiram gave Claudius encouragement and confidence that he could complete the task and "cast some comfort into the floods of sorrow that were submerging my soul." Hiram died that evening, in late July of 1846 at the age of 47, as they were halted at Soap Creek near the Mormon camp at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa. The Prophet Joseph Smith had said of Hiram because of his willingness to be used in the service of the Saints at all times, "Brother Hiram is always ready." His body was taken to the camp and prepared for burial, and then buried in a wagon box at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa Territory.16 Claudius continued the journey with the cattle, driving them steadily on to Council Buffs and the main Mormon encampment. He was desperate for food, and when he reached Council Bluffs, he finally collapsed. He was confined to a tent and sometimes in a wagon for five months while his body recovered. Hiram's daughter Mariah Antoinette, age 21, nursed him during this long illness. They were married at Winter Quarters, Nebraska, on 25 January 1847.

At Winter Quarters during the winter of 1846-47, the Mormon pioneer journey to the Great Basin was organized. Brigham Young would lead the first group often called the Pioneer Company. Eleven other companies were organized to travel to Utah during the summer of 1847. Daniel Spencer Jr. was placed in charge of one of these companies, and Daniel's was the first company to enter the Salt Lake Valley after Brigham Young's Pioneer Company and the Mississippi Company. Daniel's group was a made up of 204 people, and Claudius drove one of his father's wagons across the plains of Nebraska and Wyoming and into the Great Salt Lake Valley. 18 They arrived on 21 September 1847. They immediately began to work at tasks that would keep them alive for the winter including building small log homes within the pioneer fort. Claudius plowed and sowed seed every month from November 1847 to April of 1848. "We used to go up to the highest point in our field and dedicate the land and seed and labor and with uncovered heads ask our Heavenly Father to give us a harvest."1 Brigham Young and a small group of church leaders left the Salt Lake Valley in the late summer of 1847 and returned to Winter Quarters, Nebraska and Kanesville, Iowa. Brigham Young was sustained as church president while there, and he accompanied a new group of pioneers westward in the spring and early summer of 1848. The church leaders, for and on behalf of the people and themselves, commenced the distribution of city blocks and lots as "inheritances." These building lots were distributed among the people with the proviso that they were to be used for homes and business buildings only, and not to be sold or otherwise disposed of for pecuniary profit. Claudius was not happy with his assigned lot so he went to Brigham Young to change the lot and asked if there was something better. Brigham Young had his recorder see where there was vacant land, and the result was that the president awarded Claudius the piece of land north of his father's lot on State Road (State Street). He paid $.50 for the lot. Claudius built a small "cottage" on the property.20 Brigham Young had laid out the grid plan for Salt Lake City in part based on the earlier Joseph Smith plan for the City of Zion in Missouri. Following the arrival of the Mormons in Utah, Brigham Young sent out numerous explorers to explore and the map the areas of the Great Basin looking particularly for areas for possible settlement and also for natural resources. In the summer of 1848, Daniel and others were sent by Brigham Young to scout the areas to the west of the Salt Lake Valley. One of the results of this exploration journey was that Daniel visited the Tooele Valley and then further on Rush Valley. Rush Valley is a beautiful valley with a small lake filled by springs located
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southwest of Salt Lake City. Rush Valley was often lush and green because of nearby water, and appeared to be an excellent spot for cattle. This valley was also explored by U.S. government explorers - Captain Howard Stansbury (1849-1850) and Colonel Edward Steptoe (1854-1855). Steptoe had his troops headquartered in Rush Valley during his stay in the Utah Territory. In pre-emptive fashion, Steptoe claimed much of the valley for the United States as a military and ranching preserve. Prior to the arrival of Steptoe, Daniel had claimed six square miles under squatter's rights. Daniel and his friends had explored Rush Valley off and on since 1848, and they also explored in early 1855 the abandoned camp areas left by the Steptoe expedition. Claudius went into partnership with his father, Jacob Gates, and Jessie Little, to grow and graze cattle in Rush Valley. Later, while Daniel was on his British mission in the 1850's, a Herding Company was set up with Wilford Woodruff as president, J.W. Cummings, R.H. Porter, Claudius Spencer, Jacob Gates and Jessie Little. Each man was "to furnish a man to assist in taking charge of the herd, and each man named in the company would share equally in profits and losses arising from the herding." They set up a brand, had it recorded, and advertised with handbills and in the Deseret News. "The undersigned have established a herd ground in Rush Valley and are prepared to take to herd; and we feel confident in saying that the range is equal to any in the Territory. Negligent herdsman, severity of weather in other valleys has induced us to locate said herd ground and enter into the business of herding for the benefit of the people. We herd for $.02 a day."21 The herding business was successful until 1858 and 1859. Difficulties arose with the government claims and the newly arrived army commanded by Colonel Albert S. Johnston quartered at Camp Floyd and the Mormon claims by Daniel Spencer and others in Rush Valley. A March 1859 altercation in Rush Valley between Sergeant Ralph Pike and Claudius' cousin, Howard Orson Spencer, nearly led to Howard Orson's death, and did, it appears, lead to Pike's death. " Claudius was involved with many others in the Rush Valley herding enterprise during * much of the decade of the 1850's. On 31 January 1849, Claudius and Mariah Antoinette's first child was born. Named after Claudius' mother, Sophronia Eliza, she lived only one month. The following year, their second child was born on 5 March 1850 and named Maria Antoinette. Six days later, Mariah Antoinette, age 24, died from the complications of child birth.23 During the April L.D.S conference in 1850, Claudius felt a premonition that he was going to be called on a mission and

kept away from conference. "Thinking that if I were not seen, I should perhaps, not be remembered, and then went to the door, and standing on the outside pressed it open about two inches. Just as I did this, a man arose on the stand and said, 'It is moved and seconded that Claudius V. Spencer go on a mission to Europe.' I turned as though shot, walked down Main Street saying to myself, "Can it be possible those men have any inspiration to call such a stick for a missionary." Claudius at age 26 was set apart by Heber C. Kimball and promised that he should be like Paul of old among the people of Great Britain. He was instructed to go without taking money, watches, rings or chains of gold or silver, but told to go literally without purse or scrip. Claudius Spencer was chosen as the captain for the group of six missionaries leaving Great Salt Lake City. They camped their first night at the mouth of Emigration Canyon where they experienced a severe snow storm and lost all their cattle. They gathered them up the next day and moved up the canyon and over Big Mountain. As they traveled along the Platte River, they came across cholera, infecting a group of gold miners headed for California, and Claudius became ill. The brethren gave him encouragement telling him they would take him to the river and nurse him. Claudius replied, "Don't take me from the road, for God's servants had promised me I should not die on the road to England." He had them lay him on the sand with his face toward Europe and told them, "If you return from lunch and find me dead, they had better return home and conclude that 'Mormonism' was a hoax." 24 Claudius recovered and continued traveling east. While in route to the east coast, Claudius received a letter from his uncle Orson Spencer. The object of Orson's letter was to have Claudius counsel with the mission presidents in Great Britain, presidents Orson Pratt and Franklin D. Richards in England concerning a reprint of his Spencer's Letters. "Should Prest. Pratt or Prest. Richards think proper to print the volume again I have it wholly with them to give me whatever portion of the benefit they please - or nothing at all - If I could realize anything from the volume for the support or comfort of my family it would be gratefully remembered. I surrendered all my earnings and donation to the first Presidency immediately after my return here and all I have or may have will ever be at the service of God and her people."25 Following the journey of the missionaries from Salt Lake City to Council Bluffs, Claudius described how he traveled to New York City for the voyage to Liverpool, England.

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We sold our outfits at Council Bluffs for considerable more than those we traded for them would have brought us. As we journeyed through the States the Elders separated to visit relatives, and on the day I reached Albany N.Y., I had no companion. I had acted as cook considerable of the time on the plains, had laid on the ground, on the brush, and in the snow, assisted to wash dishes and had done my full share of camp duty generally; but in doing this my clothes had got into a condition that would have been a curiosity at a dress ball. I wore a cap that many years before (I cannot recollect how many) had been of fur; it had now got to be what might be called a skin cap. I had two or three holes cracked through it, out of which my hair would often be seen. I went aboard a New York steamer and applied for a ticket for passage and state room to that city. The agent looked at me from head to foot and then said that I could not have one, as the boat was chartered by the State, county, and city authorities for a pleasure trip. On looking round I saw "U.S. Mail" as a sign on the boat; I laid down the money before the ticket seller and demanded my ticket. After some squirming on his part I got it. On this same day I had the "blues" as I hope never to have them again. I had nearly concluded that there could not be either sense or inspiration in the authorities of the Church sending me to England on a mission, and that when I got to New York City I would go over to my native town where I had some property and quietly settle among my old friends and relatives. So great was the power that the devil had over me that when I first stepped on the boat I drew a chair into the niche by the "figure head" to avoid having conversation with anyone. I had sat there but a few moments when a person came up behind me and remarked that it was a pleasant evening. I made no reply. "Boat making fine time," said he. Still I did not answer. Soon he spoke again: "Are you traveling far, young man?" I jerked my chair around and answered very spitefully, "I have come a long way and I am going a long way, all the way from Salt Lake to England. Is there anything else you want?" My abruptness had sent him back several feet, and he was looking at me with about as much curiosity as if he were viewing a wild animal. Very soon he smiled and said, "Yes, if you come from Salt Lake there is a good deal more I want." He commenced asking questions and soon several more persons gathered around; but just then the dinner bell rang, and they invited me to go to dine, which I did not do, as it seemed to me that I could not have eaten at that time even if it were to save my life. After finishing their repast I was waited upon by three gentlemen, who stated they had engaged the cabin from the captain and wished me to preach. I told them I had never preached in my life. They wanted to know for what I was going to England. I told them to preach. They then wanted to know why I would not preach, in the cabin, my answer being that it was because I was not sent here to preach. We finally compromised the matter by my consenting to go to the cabin and answer questions. The room was so crowded that they could not sit down, but stood around in circles, and took turns in asking me questions. When I first sat down I noticed a large, black-eyed, black-haired man, and said to myself, "When he comes I will have the devil." After some time he pushed forward and literally covered me with compliments. He then remarked, "You must excuse me, young friend, after your testimony of the goodness of your people, for asking why such men as George J. Adams, John C. Bennett, Dr. Foster, Charles Foster and others could not live peaceably in your community?" My answer followed like lightning: "It was because they were such gamblers, whore-masters, black-legs, and rascals as you are." He made a bound for me; six men caught him pulled him to the outside of the circle, and slapping him on the back

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told him with an oath, that if God Almighty had come down out of heaven He could not have told his character any better than the little "Mormon" had. I answered questions until about eleven o'clock at night, when I sprang from my chair and said, "Gentlemen, you have had 'Mormonism' enough for one night," and I started for my room. I was stopped and led back to my chair, when I received a unanimous vote of thanks and the proffer to raise me three hundred dollars if I would accept the amount. I told the gentlemen that we preached the gospel without purse or script, and that I had already received enough to take me to England. I selected, however, three reliable men, who promised me to see that the three hundred dollars were given to the poor in their neighborhoods during the next Winter. I went into my room and prostrated myself with my face on the floor, and thanked God for the gift of the Holy Ghost, for I had most surely talked by inspiration. I asked forgiveness for my unbelief, and from that time I was wholly contented to go to England.26 When Claudius arrived at the mission headquarters in Liverpool, he was assigned by his mission president Orson Pratt to London to "learn the ropes" of missionary work. He worked in several towns and at Colchester, East of London. He said, "It was a hard place, and in order to have raised any life there in relation to Mormonism one would have required the power to resurrect the dead." Claudius felt inadequate as a missionary. He was totally alone on many of

his assignments and in walking miles on roads that "were wet, and heavy with his carpet bag, he suffered much in spirit and body. He told himself that "he was sent to this land by God's highest authority to preach the gospel, and it is your duty to do it." There were occasions that Claudius would find a building to preach in and be greeted with pieces of coal, dry manure and peat sod thrown at him. Claudius did not despair, and later said that the experience taught him "what simple things and persons the Lord could use to remove grave obstacles." On numerous occasions when he preached, he felt he was "literally clothed upon by the Holy Ghost." While Claudius was contacting people at a popular seaport town, he decided that a way to create interest in Mormonism was to rent the town hall and hold a meeting. He advertised by place carding the town and soon found he had generated more interest than would be pleasant for one missionary to handle. With his "growing sense of littleness" he sent for Elder George Wallace from Liverpool and Elder Harmon to come and help him. When the meeting began, Elder Harmon spoke first and lasted only two minutes before the crowd jeered him down. Then, Elder Wallace stood up, and his remarks lasted ninety seconds. Claudius commented, "We had a good representation of what imagination pictures as the pandemonium of hell." Claudius turned his back to the congregation and knelt in prayer. He 12

stood and felt impressed to sing a comic song. He received a hearty cheer form the crowd and then spoke to them for over an hour. Claudius learned "not to shirk my responsibilities and run
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for others to fill my place, let me be ever so weak."

Many of Claudius' missionary

experiences, his wry sense of humor, and his feelings of inadequacy are expressed well in his published writings about his missionary experiences during this mission. George Q. Cannon sought Claudius' recollections and they were published in 1884 in Labors in the Vineyard, published at the Juvenile Instructor Office and titled "My Experience in England." Daniel wrote to Claudius while he was on his mission and gave this advice: Your occupation is so much different from what you have been accustomed to and living, I know your trials are great.. .A sure remedy against all evils is to be humble and prayerful, not bolstering in your own strength and by giving God the glory.. .It is quite natural for all men when they feel important to their superior management or skills and especially men of your age, but this is wrong conclusion for it is God that is, should be honored and our whole trust should be in him. Daniel counseled Claudius "not to have many confidantes, they are quite dangerous, be sufficiently reserved in your decisions and not make them hastily, you say you see and hear
OQ

things, take the little caution I left in your Bible." Claudius had many experiences in England that he recorded in Labors of the Vineyard, and spiritual experiences with his deceased wife Mariah Antoinette and his uncle Hiram appearing to him to warn him of danger. There were occasions when he experienced the gift of healing, and times when he suffered from a "dark illness." Franklin D. Richards became the new mission president replacing Orson Pratt. Richards, who came from the same part of Massachusetts as Claudius, was one of the newer members of the Quorum of the Twelve. Richards advised him "keep your mind calm and seek to drive all gloomy thoughts away." There were occasions where Claudius showed his impatience and times when his sense of humor rescued him. He would most often be poking fun at himself.29 Claudius wrote in Labors in the Vineyard, I traveled a few weeks with Elder Gates, when I received an appointment to take the presidency of the Norwich Conference. I wrote to Apostle F.D. Richards, who then presided over the mission, asking him to give me a little more time to get accustomed to preaching and to read up my Bible. I soon received the following answer: "The Presidency of the British Mission wishes to know if Elder C. V. Spencer intends to stand up to the rack in this country." When I read it I immediately wrote in reply: "I shall start 13

to Norwich by the next train, and don't care a groat whether there is any hay in the rack or not." A sister was then washing my clothes, and I had quite a time to induce her to let me have them then; but, at last, she wrung them out as dry as she could and stuffed them into my carpet-bag. Only a few minutes elapsed before I was on the way to Norwich.30 In Norwich, Norfolk County, Claudius was the Conference President in charge of fourteen branches in the Norwich area. He became acquainted with Brother Samuel Neslen, Father Neslen as he was called by his Lowestoft Branch members in Suffolk County. Before his conversion to Mormonism, Samuel Neslen was a Wesleyan Methodist minister. By trade he was a wealthy carpenter, owning several buildings, including a church that he had built, and a schooner. Claudius also became acquainted with Hannah King, her daughters, Louisa and Georgiana in July 1851. They had traveled by train with friends and with Franklin D. Richards, President of the British Mission to attend the Norwich Conference meetings. Hannah and her daughters stayed at Sister Atkins home in Norwich, and upon their arrival there had tea with Brothers George B. Wallace and Claudius. Following the Sunday services Hannah, Louisa and Georgiana went to tea at Sister Teasdale's where Claudius was lodging. They would be formerly introduced to Claudius a month later in August, when they were invited to return to Norwich for another conference. Hannah's husband, Thomas King was well to do and they lived on an estate called Dernford Dale, on the outskirts of Sawston, Suffolk County, where he bred high grade cattle and ran a dairy farm. Both Samuel Neslen and Thomas King would later become Claudius fathers- in-law. Hannah King described Claudius as "a small man with manners and much dignity, self possession and a good sense about him." Later she wrote, "Shall I attempt to describe him? I do know that I liked him, for he possessed what I consider essential in a man viz, he was manly, gentlemanly, self possessed and dignified, modest and retiring in his manner, gentle and kind to all, humble and unassuming, yet ever maintaining self respect and his own position." Hannah was quite favorable towards Claudius until he proposed marriage to her daughter. Claudius, age 28, was married to Georgiana King, age 22, on 28 April 1852 at Dernford Dale, on the outskirts of Sawston, Cambridgeshire by President Franklin D. Richards. Not to cause any scandal from neighbors, Hannah stipulated that "Georgie" stay with the family in her own room until the marriage would be performed again one month later in the Old Thorpe Church of England, Norwich, Norfolk County.

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On 20 December 1852, Daniel, who had been called on a mission to England, arrived in Liverpool on the ship America. He became a councilor to Franklin D. Richards in the British Mission Presidency. Claudius and Georgiana and Hannah traveled to the London L.D.S Conference and Daniel traveled to the London Conference where father and son met 30 December 1852. Hannah described this meeting in her journal: The meeting between father and son after so long an absence as truly affecting, not that there was any 'scene,' but it was noble. There were no tears, or if one or two were wrung out they were quickly wiped away. I shall never forget it! Mr. Spencer is tall, you know his son is the reverseand he clasped him in his arms as though never more to part, and held him without speaking for a minute or two.. .he (Daniel) looks as though he had suffered much. 32 Claudius' mission was coming to an end and he was preparing to leave England in January 1853. Daniel would remain with his assignment in England until the summer of 1856. The Norwich Conference had grown to twenty-six branches and numbered 1,059 members, and Claudius had baptized 160 people in the last six months of his mission. He had been placed in charge of raising money to build the Salt Lake Temple. As he prepared to leave, he carried with him those donations and also the tithing money from the conference members to be delivered to Brigham Young. His father, Daniel, came and stayed a few days with Claudius at the King home, and then Claudius and Georgiana left for Liverpool to make arrangements for the King family's departure. Daniel, accompanied by Brother Larkin, took the luggage of the family to the Shelford train station, where they traveled the four miles north to Cambridge where Daniel made arrangements for the family to stay at the Cambridge Hotel. The following morning Daniel accompanied the family on to Liverpool. While in Liverpool, Claudius and Georgiana did shopping for the trip and their future home in Salt Lake including which included buying a piano for the King family and having it packed in zinc. Daniel accompanied Mrs. King while she shopped and then escorted the family to the Merseyside Docks in Liverpool to board their ship. Claudius assisted Jacob Gates, who was president of the 321 saints on board the Golconda. Claudius and Georgiana traveled with Thomas and Hannah King and their family, Louisa, age 19; Bertha May, age 17; and Thomas Owen, age 12, as well as Ann Newling, the cook at Dernford Dale who had been converted by Claudius prior to Hannah's conversion. They sailed from Liverpool on 23 January 1853. Samuel and Eunice Neslen also sailed on the

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Golconda with their nine children: Susannah age 23; Samuel Francis, age 22; Robert, age 21; Elizabeth, age 18; Ester, age 16; Eunice, age 15; Phoebe, age 14; William, age 12; Hannah, age 9.33 Daniel remained in England, where he became the British Mission President in 1855 during Franklin D. Richards's absence. Daniel's mission was extended for another year when he became passenger agent for the 1856 emigration. He eventually returned home to Salt Lake in October 1856. The Golconda docked at New Orleans on 24 March 1853, and the King family traveled by steamboat upriver to St. Louis. In St. Louis, they boarded another steamboat to Keokuk, Iowa further up the Mississippi River. In Keokuk, they stayed at a hotel and made preparations for going to the Mormon camp at Kanesville, Iowa. This was an unusual side trip as most Mormon emigrants traveled from Liverpool to New Orleans, then to St. Louis and then up the Missouri to Kanesville, Iowa. Thomas King purchased a lovely carriage with two fine horses for their mother's comfort in traveling. He also purchased 100 head of oxen, 40 cows, and some horses. While in Keokuk, the family asked Claudius to show them Nauvoo since they had heard so much about the city and the church there. They arranged for two carriages to take them to Montrose, Iowa, and ferried over the Mississippi to Nauvoo, where they saw the ruins of the temple and Claudius' home. They went to the Mansion House and visited the Prophet's widow, Emma. Hannah described their meeting: Her [Emma] mind seemed to be absorbed in the past and lost almost to the present. Her manners are not pervasive on account of this coldness and stolidity, neither does she seem to desire to form any intimacy or renew it, for she knew Claudius and all his family. She did not even seem to respond to kindness, but she looked as if she had suffered and as if a deep vein of bitterness ran through her system. They dined in the hotel portion of the Mansion House, and afterward they were shown into the room of Joseph's mother, Lucy, where she was pillowed up in bed. Hannah said: She made a great impression on me for she is no ordinary woman. I feel it would be vain to attempt to describe my feelings with regard to her. She is a character that Walter Scott would have loved to portray, and he would have done justice to her. She blessed us with a mother's blessing. 34 Georgiana asked Claudius "Had he brought her no present," and he told her to give her one of her rings. Following their visit in Nauvoo, they moved onto the Mormon camp at

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Kanesville, Iowa where Claudius was made captain of the 250 saints crossing the plains. The Neslen family also traveled with them. Claudius and his company of pioneers left for the west on 3 June 1853. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on 17 September 1853. The King family went to Daniel's home, where Daniel's wife Emily made them welcome. Georgiana had become ill with fever just days before entering the valley. On 26 September 1853 she died at Daniel's home and was buried behind the home along side Mariah Antoinette and her infant daughter Sophronia. Claudius had married two women and now they both were dead. The King family moved into Claudius' home, which Hannah described as a "cottage". Later, they moved into a "Pretty home" that Thomas King had purchased. Two weeks after their arrival in the valley, on 9 October 1853, Claudius, age 29, was married and sealed to Louisa King, age 20 and Susannah Neslen, age 23 by Brigham Young in his office. Although plural or celestial marriage had been practiced among the Mormons for more than a decade, its practice had been announced publically in August of 1852. Georgiana and Mariah Antoinette were also sealed by proxy to Claudius at this time.35 When Claudius returned home from his mission, "He had absolutely nothing." He was counseled by Heber C. Kimball to build a good house on his property. Claudius took two Englishmen and went up one of the canyons with ox teams, climbed a peak and found heavy timber. He cut the timber and hauled it to the city and traded the lumber for adobe and carpenter work. "When the house was completed, "I was $100 in debt." 36 There was not a street yet (3rd South); just a windy dirt road going east and west, so Claudius' children recalled that they had plenty of room for play. The home became known as the Spencer House, built on the same site as his first home located at 252 South State Street. Later, with a growing family and the opportunity to rent out rooms, a single story addition was added to each side of the home with individual doorways for both convenience and ventilation. The Spencer House, on occasion, was referred to as the Spencer Mansion and the Spencer Hotel, and for a number of years "the home was looked on as the gubernatorial headquarters and patronized by prominent people from the east." Claudius advertised the Spencer House in the newspaper saying it was "Surrounded by the largest and most beautiful Grounds, Lawns and Shades of any Hotel in the City, and is a most popular resort for Tourists and Transients who desire a Comfortable and Quiet Home at Moderate Rates. A Beautiful Shaded Playground for 17

Children. The Proprietor of this House has been a resident of Utah for 40 years, and is therefore well qualified to give information, introductions etc. Have your Baggage checked on the Cars for the Spencer House." Twenty-two children would be born in this home with Claudius' three wives.37 In December 1853, Claudius spoke in the Sunday afternoon LDS meeting held in the old Tabernacle, and on 12 January 1854 the 37th Quorum of Seventy was organized with Claudius as one of the seven presidents, along with Cyrus Wheelock, John Lyon, Jesse Crosby, Jonathan Midgley, David Ross, and George Halliday. Claudius was a farmer, herded cattle in Rush Valley and became involved in civic affairs by being elected in April 1854 and again in July 1854 as "fence viewer for the Great Salt Lake Precinct." He also was elected a member of the Territorial Assembly in August 1855. They held their meetings at the Fillmore State Assembly building until December 1856 when the legislative meetings were moved to Salt Lake City. Susannah had her first child, Susannah Eunice on 25 May 1855, and Louisa had her first child, Georgiana Louisa, on 31 January 1856. In 1856, Claudius became associated with a group of men interested "in the encouragement of arts and sciences, the development of language and the dissemination of truth in general." He was elected a member, along with E.T. Benson and Hon. Amasa Lyman, to the Deseret Typographical and Press Association.38 The fall of 1856 would be a time of anxiety for both Claudius and his father Daniel, as they were involved with the emigration and rescue of the Martin and Willie handcart companies. When Daniel completed his task of sending 2100 emigrants by handcart across the plains in 1856, he traveled by light carriage with Franklin D. Richards and other returning missionaries to the Salt Lake Valley. They passed all the handcart companies except the McArthur and Bunker Companies, who were ahead of the missionaries and had arrived in Salt Lake City earlier. Realizing the difficulty the lagging handcart companies would have in crossing late over the mountains, when Daniel arrived in the valley on 4 October 1856, he called a meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Historian's Office with the First Presidency and others to discuss sending back provisions and teams to meet the emigrants. Brigham Young said, "It is a day for calling upon the bishops."39 The first large rescue effort left Salt Lake City on 7 October with 27 teams with George Grant and Robert Burton as captains. It was their plan to distribute teams and provisions along the way at Weber, Fort Bridger, and other Mormon stations. Grant and Burton continually sent

18

out express teams looking for the Willie and Martin Companies. The Willie Company was eventually found on the 18 October. Wagon teams with provisions were continually leaving Salt Lake City to help with the rescue, and Daniel sent four wagons to help with Claudius, Gilbert, Hiram Theron (Hiram's son), and John Van Cott driving the teams. When they reached Fort Bridger on 29 October they had word of the Willie emigrant rescue, but there was no word of the Martin/Hodgett Company. While at Fort Bridger, there was discussion that the Martin Company, along with the Hodgett freight wagon company, had probably stopped at Fort Laramie or Kearny for the winter. At Fort Bridger, Claudius and John Van Cott purchased five bushel of oats for their teams and decided to continue east to see if they could find any news. When they arrived at the Sweetwater Station on the east side of South Pass, they found Reddick Allred, who told them that Grant and his men had been gone for eighteen days without word from them. While Claudius was there, Allred sent Ephrim Hanks and two other men to see if they could locate Grant's group. Claudius and Van Cott decided to turn around and go back to Fort Bridger. Reddick Allred gave Claudius and Van Cott the message to tell other wagon teams along the way to move forward to the Green River Station and to other Mormon stations where grass was available, in case the Martin Company was found. Claudius and John Van Cott reached Fort Bridger 9 November after crossing South Pass. Upon returning to Salt Lake City, on 12 November 1856, Claudius wrote a letter to Brigham Young titled "Dear Sir," to explain his actions of returning to Fort Bridger. In a letter that was both descriptive and defensive, Claudius said: Hanks promised if he obtained news in two days time in any way, either through reaching the companies or otherwise, to return and communicate it to us by the time we should reach Green River... .In consultation upon the anxiety of the people here and the length of time since any message had been sent, and believing most fully that the companies had stopped at Laramie or Kearney, and finding ourselves in a camp of Small Pox, and it being Bro. Allred's wish (he being Captain of the Station at Sweetwater) that more teams should be ordered up to that point such as were able, and others be camped on Green River and other places we started on our return, bearing written instructions to the different camps, to the effect which we delivered, and used our best influence to have obeyed at least until we could come in and your wisdom be communicated to them.

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In crossing South Pass, Claudius experienced "one of the worst storms I have ever witnessed in the mountains and Bro. Van Cott froze his hands and not being very well was quite disabled through the cold. It was with great difficulty that animals could be kept from freezing that night."40 As a result of Claudius and John Van Cott's return to Fort Bridger, the relief wagons began to follow them and also return to Fort Bridger instead of waiting at the Green River Station and other Mormon stations. At Fort Bridger Claudius met with Lewis Robinson, the station master. He described the November 9 meeting in his letter to Brigham Young: [I] stated the facts to Bro. Lewis Robinson, requested the loan of a saddle and bridle that I might come in on horseback as messenger. He could not accommodate me with either, and not feeling able to ride a hundred and thirteen miles bare back, we concluded to buy more oats and make the best of our way in (to Salt Lake) with the wagon. Before starting I asked Bro. Robinson if Bro. Tobin could come in as messenger.41 Robinson refused Claudius, and did not tell him that five hours earlier, after Claudius' arrival at the fort he had already sent Tobin to Brigham Young with the message that "nothing had been heard of the last handcart company and that the teams that went out from the fort (numbering 77) were returning and that George Grant's team were the only ones looking for the Martin/Hodgett Companies."42 Claudius and Van Cott left Fort Bridger on 10 November and five miles from Cache Cave found a mule, which Claudius rode back to Salt Lake City, arriving late on 11 November. Tobin also arrived in Salt Lake City earlier on 11 November with his letter from Robinson to Brigham Young. Tobin saw Claudius the following day, and blamed Claudius as "the turner back of the teams." In the 12 November letter Claudius wrote to Brigham Young he said "both Bro. Van Cott and myself have done our best to have those teams stay until they heard from you and considered ourselves rather entitled to credit and blessing in persevering and endeavoring to lead on teams to Sweetwater...Our team and Bro. Hanks were the only ones that had arrived at that point"43 When Brigham Young received the letter from Tobin on 11 November, he sent an express back to Fort Bridger with Hosea Stout, William Kimball, Joseph Simons, and James Ferguson with a letter addressed to "Brethren on the Road." In this letter, Brigham Young told the teamsters "to turn those teams back and keep going until they meet the companies." On 12

November, Kimball and Stout left Salt Lake City and at sunset camped near Big Mountain. The

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next morning, just over Big Mountain, they met John Van Cott returning to the city, who told them that,"Spencer had already gone home in the night." John Van Cott justified himself for: returning and abandoning the Handcart Company as he could get no information of them and had concluded they had returned to the states, or stopped at Laramie, been killed by the Indians or otherwise gone to the devil and for him to have gone further was only to lose his team and starve to death himself and do no good after all and as for G.D. Grant and those with him who had gone to meet them they had probably stopped at Fort Laramie. So on these vague conclusions he (John Van Cott) had not only turned back but had caused all the rest of the teams to return and thus leave the poor sufferings hand carters to their fate. Kimball reprimanded Van Cott severely before he gave him the letter from Brigham Young, whereupon Van Cott turned his wagons around which included wagons driven by Gilbert and Hiram Theron, and went back east.45 On 11 November, Grant was camped at Devils Gate and had sent two separate express teams out looking for the Martin Company, when they were finally found camped on the Piatt River. He and his men traveled to the Platte to help bring them in to Devils Gate, but they couldn't understand why there were no other rescue teams arriving. Grant sent Joseph Young and Able Garr as express riders back to the Sweetwater Station for help from Reddick Allred. Along the way, they met Ephraim Hanks, wandering through the snow looking for the lost emigrants. Hanks gave the explanation why there were no fresh teams and provisions to meet them, saying many teams had returned to Fort Bridger. Young and Garr traveled on to Fort Bridger, and as they passed the returning wagon teams had them turn back around. They arrived at the Fort Bridger 15 November, where they met Hosea Stout, John Van Cott and many others, and began moving the teams back over South Pass toward the Sweetwater.46 At the close of Claudius' letter to Brigham Young, he wrote with emphasis in justifying his actions, It might be asked why we did not leave our team and I come in alone. I answer because I am not willing to travel alone in such weather as we encountered, and neither were our animals worth anything to bring in a load. Three of them, as I stated, had just returned from trips from the States and the other a 3 year old colt that had never done a day's work until we started. The only able animal was a horse belonging to Bro. Jacob Gates, which was a States horse used to heavy graining. And now Sir, praying that if I have erred in judgment, my good intention and good spirit may offset in a degree in your estimation. I subscribe myself very humbly, 21

Your brother in Christ, C.V. Spencer47 The handcart experiences of 1856 were very difficult and dramatic for all of the Saints, and particularly so for Daniel and Claudius Spencer. They were both on most intimate terms with Brigham Young and the handcart pioneers during this episode. From 1855 to 1860, Claudius had six children born to him and his wives. Susannah had three children, and Louisa had three children, and two of Louisa's children died in infancy. In January 1859, the Legislative Assembly elected Claudius to the Board of Regents for the University of Deseret. He served with Orson Pratt as Chancellor and Daniel H. Wells, Orson Hyde, Joseph A. Young, Robert L. Campbell, Gilbert Clements, William Eddington, Isaac Bowman, Orson Pratt Jr., George Taylor, Samuel Richards and Isaac Grow, as other regents. During the L.D.S conference on 19 October 1859, Claudius was called to the High Council of the Salt Lake Stake. At this time, the Salt Lake Stake covered the entire Salt Lake Valley. Claudius served in this position for eleven years. Nine of them were under Stake President Daniel Spencer who died in 1868. 48 In September of 1860, Claudius, age 36, was called to serve a second mission in England. He met with thirty-one other missionaries, including his brother-in-law, Thomas Owen King, at the Historians Office on 9 September, where Brigham Young gave instructions to the missionaries. There were four missionaries called to England, including Apostle George Q. Cannon and his wife, who would take over the editorship of the Millennial Star. Brigham Young asked the church membership to start a fund to aid the families of the departing missionaries and to pay passage to Liverpool for those missionaries unable to do so themselves. "He was happy at the liberal responses of the people to his call to aid the missionaries."49 The people were very generous. A "splendid" going away party was held at Social Hall on Wednesday 25 September, and the missionaries began to depart Salt Lake City on Thursday, continuing through Saturday 29 September, with the plan to rendezvous and camp together at Kimball's Ranch at Parley's Park. Claudius and other missionaries arrived late at Kimball's Ranch and found that the main missionary group had already departed. At the crossing of the Weber River in the Henefer Valley, Claudius' missionary group organized themselves into a company and he was elected captain and when they met up with the main group, Claudius was again elected as captain. He

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sailed on 5 December 1860 from New York aboard the British mail steamer Argo and arrived in Southampton, Hampshire, England on 21 December 1860. Claudius was assigned to the Presidency of the Southampton District, which included the Southampton, Reading, and Dorset Conferences.50 He didn't stay long in England on this mission. After 3 2 months he sailed from Liverpool on 15 April 1861 back to New York on the ship Manchester. George Q. Cannon reported, "President Spencer has labored for a short time in the Southampton District with energy and zeal but his rapidly failing health has compelled him to return to Zion, though his desires were strong to continue his labors in these lands."51 On the return voyage, Claudius was placed in charge of 379 Mormon emigrants and twelve returning missionaries, the first emigrant company of 1861 to leave England. They arrived in New York City on 14 May 1861, shortly after the beginning of the American Civil War. Claudius' responsibility was to deliver the emigrants to Jacob Gates, the emigration agent, at Florence, Nebraska. While the emigrants were processed at Castle Garden in the New York harbor, Claudius purchased train tickets from New York City to Chicago. From Chicago the emigrants took another train to St. Joseph, Missouri and then went by steamboat up the Missouri River to Florence. While on the boat to Florence, Claudius met the president of the Overland Stage Company, who complimented Claudius for the kindness shown to his emigrants. Claudius was "invited by the president to ride to Salt Lake City in a fine stage coach with fishing tackle and paraphernalia for a right royal trip."52 When Claudius unloaded and housed his emigrants, he reported to Jacob Gates to bid him farewell. Elder Gates replied "Don't be in a hurry, take a seat, I want to read you a letter." The letter was from Brigham Young, authorizing Bro. Gates to stop any returning Elder to be his assistant, and after reading it to Claudius he said, "I choose to stop Elder C.V. Spencer." Outfits for the emigrants, wagons and tents had previously been purchased to take the emigrants to Omaha, where they would start their journey across the plains. But when they arrived in Florence, on the outskirts of Omaha, there were no outfits. Claudius wrote "Some of the emigrants were going to lawyers, judges etc. to make complaints and it rested very heavy on me and Bro. Gates so much so that it made Bro. Gates ill." Claudius went several nights to the highest hill in the area, where he dressed in his temple clothing and prayed to the Lord for some relief to open up for the saints. On one night a voice very plainly and said to him, "[G]o to Mr. Creighton who is building the Overland Telegraph Line and hire all your surplus men to him and
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get the pay in advance and with it buy your emigrants their outfits." Claudius persuaded Bro. Gates to let him have an outfit and go with Zera Sabin to Omaha to see Mr. Creighton. Claudius bargained with Mr. Creighton to have 75 men work to help finish the construction of a transcontinental telegraph line that was being built between Fort Kearney and Salt Lake City, and to have the pay be made in advance. Creighton said, "Have I been doing business with a crazy man?" Claudius replied, "Perhaps so, it looks like it, for my partner asked me this morning the same question." Creighton paid Claudius in telegraph scrip and the bank agreed to give him cash for the scrip. These 75 men would become part of a work force of 400 men. The workmen extended the line westward and met their counterpart constructing the line eastward from Salt Lake City on 17 October 1861. With cash in hand, Claudius and Sabin left for Missouri to purchase cattle and 1200 head of oxen. In Omaha, they located a man who had wagons to sell from a failed deal with a Chicago firm. Claudius sent word to Bro. Gates that the Saints could be moved to Omaha to start their journey westward across the plains. When the emigration season was completed,

Claudius along with Jacob Gates and Nathaniel Jones left for Salt Lake City arriving 15 August 1861. On Sunday, 1 September, Claudius and Jacob Gates spoke at the L.D.S church meeting held at the bowery. During the fall of 1861, Brigham Young directed George A. Smith to "get up a company of missionaries for the south." Young was looking at settling the St. George area. At the October L.D.S General Conference on 8 October 1861, Claudius' name was read along with 309 other men to leave the valley for a mission to settle in Southern Utah. From the Thirteenth Ward where Claudius, age 37, resided, eighteen men were called. Among them were Erastus Snow and Claudius' cousin Edwin Spencer, who was Hiram's son living under the care of Daniel. On 17 January 1862, Claudius visited with Brigham Young and asked him if he really wished him to go to the country where Brigham hoped to have cotton grown along the Virgin River. "The President told him it would much improve his health, and if his father were to go he thought it would do him good also. The President also remarked that he did not require him to go, and if he remained here he did not know that he would lose any blessing in so doing." Claudius chose to stay in Salt Lake City and instead furnished an outfit of cattle and a wagon to a man designated by Brigham Young to be used for the Dixie Mission.54

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In February 1862, Claudius ran for election to the Salt Lake City council. He lost the election, and since it became known that Brigham Young voted against him, Claudius was concerned and wrote a letter to Brigham Young. "The course taken in my nomination for and None Election, to the City Council is so unusual in this place, as to leave the People to imply some grave improprieties or criminality, on my part, very prejudicial to my welfare." Brigham Young responded with a letter which calmed Claudius, and Claudius responded back in a second letter to Brigham Young saying "I supposed I can win salvation without being in the city council."55 Matilda Price had immigrated to Salt Lake City from Birmingham, England in 1861. She had left her family in England and they would emigrate in 1862. Matilda traveled with four other single sisters from England, sailing on the ship Underwriter and coming across the plains in the Homer Duncan Company. Her family was acquainted with Daniel Spencer and with Claudius. Both father and son visited the Price home in Birmingham while they were on their missions. It is probable that Claudius became reacquainted with Matilda as he assisted in managing the spring and summer emigration to Utah. He had offered Matilda a job to work for him in the Spencer House. After her arrival in the Salt Lake Valley late in the summer of 1861, Matilda worked for the Spencer family as a cook and doing millinery work. On 7 February 1863, Matilda, age 20 became Claudius, age 39, fifth wife. Her first child, Edwin Forest, was born 26 May 1864, but only lived five months.56 As part of Claudius' assignment for the High Council, he traveled on occasion with leaders of the church to church conferences held in various parts of Utah, including Sanpete County and "Dixie," to preach to the Saints. He was interested in affairs of the church and of the community and felt comfortable being in the presence of Brigham Young and other leaders. From his boyhood experience in Nauvoo, he often helped to entertain church leaders in his home, and had learned to converse easily with them. On 24 April 1867, he traveled with Brigham Young, Daniel H. Wells, Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith, and Claudius spoke in conferences held at Provo, Fillmore and Cedar City.57 Claudius' father Daniel, age 74, president of the Salt Lake City Stake for nearly two decades, died at his Salt Lake City home on 8 December 1868. Daniel left five living wives and sixteen children, ranging from ages nineteen to four months old, to support. The financial status of his estate was such that the revenue from his ranches, rents, etc. was to be used to help support 25

equally all of his families. The Will did not consider the need to support Claudius, Daniel's eldest son, nor his half brother Gilbert who Daniel adopted in Nauvoo. Daniel knew, though, and so stated in his Will, that this would not be enough for any widow to support herself and her children. Additional income produced by each wife would be required to complement the income from the estate. The principal of Daniel's estate was not to be used for support purposes, but the interest would be used for such support. In June 1869, Claudius filed a claim against Daniel's estate requesting a lump sum of cash. This was money he felt was due to him from his inheritance from his mother Sophronia and also from his inheritance that he received in 1843 from his grandmother, Eunice Pomeroy and her second husband Benjamin Howes. Daniel had used Claudius' inheritances to help establish the Spencer families in Nauvoo.58 Although it appears that Daniel had a clear vision of the Nauvoo "understanding" between him and Claudius, over the next quarter century with the loss of most of the Nauvoo property and Claudius in 1868 finding he had no claim on his father's estate, Claudius was skeptical of the Nauvoo understanding. More than twenty five years had passed after Nauvoo, and there appears to have been little discussion of the Nauvoo understanding between Claudius and Daniel concerning Claudius' money. It hadn't been sorted out as to exactly what was due and how Claudius was to be paid. Daniel died without a clear agreement on these issues. Claudius also claimed from the estate payment for half of a stone wall between his lot and Daniel's lot in Salt Lake City amounting to the sum of $16, which Claudius had paid during his father's illness. Claudius' claim against the estate was denied. It was stated by the executors, Hiram Theron Spencer, and John Van Cott, "that Daniel, in 1847, had given a pair of cattle near the Missouri River to Claudius and that Claudius and his wife Mariah Antoinette drew support for himself and wife from Daniel while at Winter Quarters on the Missouri River and until they separated from Daniel in the 'Old Fort' Utah Territory in the latter part of the year 1848, and that Daniel had given to Claudius property amounting to many hundred dollars, consisting of wagons, cattle, and grain." A referee committee of four men was appointed by the court to examine the matter, and they suggested a compromise be made between Claudius and the executors. Claudius offered to settle all his claims "on account of my father's family, for one rod wide off the north side of my father's lot adjoining mine in Salt Lake City and one fair acre of grass lot lying on the State Road (State Street) and my father's pocket watch for a keepsake, and 26

I will do so if the executors will accept it. Otherwise I want what may be awarded to me."59 This compromise settlement was agreed to. As a result of Claudius' claims against the estate, bad feelings festered among some of the family members. In a letter to the Salt Lake Herald in 1885 concerning polygamy, Matilda Price Spencer stated that Claudius had lived for sixteen years under ostracism. The opposition of Claudius' claim by executors Hiram Theron Spencer and John Van Cott, both prominent members of the city, and the opposition of the widows, probably created much of this problem.60 During the L.D.S conference in the old Tabernacle on 6 October 1869, Claudius heard his name read to go on a short mission to the Eastern States. He was one of 181 missionaries called for a "special mission to visit friends and relatives for the purpose of trying to settle prejudice among them, respecting the Mormon people." On 11 October, all the missionaries assembled in the Assembly Hall to receive instructions pertaining to their missions from the First Presidency and members of the Quorum of the Twelve. At this meeting, the missionaries were organized into companies, and they voted to determine the date of their departure. The transcontinental railroad had been completed on May 10, 1869, and the departure dates were set for 25 October, 1 November, and 20 November 1869. The missionaries were to depart from the Uintah Train Station at the mouth of Weber Canyon for St. Louis, Missouri.61 Claudius took his wife Louisa with him on this mission, leaving Susannah and Matilda in Salt Lake City to care for the eight children of the family including Antoinette, age 19. Louisa had three children, Claudius Victor Jr., age 6; Jacob Thomas, age 3; and Pomeroy, age 15 months. Susannah also had three children, Suzie, age 14; Daniel Samuel, age 12; and Edmund Burke, age 10. Matilda had William Samuel, age 4. Shortly before the mission call, both Susannah and Matilda lost infants. Susannah's infant son John Van Cott died 11 September and Matilda's infant daughter Maude Isabella on 18 September. Claudius and Louisa traveled to Massachusetts, visiting towns in the Berkshire area, including West Stockbridge, Lenox, and Pittsfield. They visited relatives and friends and did some preaching in the communities. An article was published in the Berkshire Massachusetts Courier about their visit and religion. In response to the article, Louisa wrote the editor asking "why editors are so far fallen from their high calling as to knowingly use their position to publish the most libelous falsehoods to please a vitiated public taste." She ended the letter writing, "I

27

bear my testimony that for industry, sobriety, self-sacrificing piety, high-toned morality, and liberality, I know of no people that equal the Mormons." Claudius and Louisa returned to Salt Lake City 3 January 1870, and the Deseret News reported "C.V. Spencer arrived and did considerable preaching and met with a kind reception from the people where he traveled." Louisa reported "she and her husband were well received, but plurality of wives is the great bug bear." Claudius spoke in the old Tabernacle for the Sunday services 9 January 1870 about his experiences. His mission gave him a chance to reconnect with Spencer relatives and gather genealogy information. Just prior to this Eastern States Mission, Claudius wrote to Brigham Young asking permission to be baptized for his deceased uncle Grove Spencer.64 Claudius is given permission to move ahead with this ordinance. Susannah had lost her last three children in infancy 1864; 1866; 1869. In the October 1870 L.D.S Conference, Susannah's brother Robert was called on a mission to England. His wife had died six months earlier, 5 April 1870, leaving him with four children from ages ten to one. Susannah, age 40, made the decision to leave the Spencer House, along with her children to assist her brother in raising his children while he served his mission. She lovingly became known as "Aunt Susannah." Polygamy had always been an issue with many in the United States as well as the government. The Congress passed laws in 1862 and 1874 to eradicate the practice. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the anti-polygamy laws in 1879. In 1872, in a speech given by Brigham Young in Logan, he "pronounced the sinners, that if they do not stick to polygamy, they will be damned." 65 In April 1875, Claudius wrote a letter to the editor of The Old Colony Memorial, a Massachusetts newspaper published in Plymouth, Massachusetts, concerning an article that had been printed on 27 January 1875, on Utah matters. Claudius subscribed to this newspaper and wrote his letter in defense of the Mormons. The Salt Lake Daily Herald published his letter 8 April 1875.

POLYGAMY Its Defense by a Mormon Elder. (Correspondence Old Colony Memorial.)

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Coming here over twenty-seven years ago, when there were no houses, no fences, no homes; when the crickets, wolves, and Indians held high carnival around the arid shores of the Dead Sea of America; and having closely watched the developments here by "Mormons and Gentiles," I have thought, as a subscriber to your paper, a few notes might prove acceptable. The Mormons coming overland some 1,700 miles, through a trackless desert, occupied by the most powerful and hostile tribe of Indians, instigated to hatred by resident trappers and traders; starting on their journey from the hands of their spoilers with nominally nothing; accomplishing what they have accomplished in the face of ridicule and stern opposition from the whole world, and having today a territory some 125,000 people, with seven percent, more school facilities than Massachusetts, per ratio of population; creating out of one of Nature's most forbidding wastes, prosperous and beautiful cities; with lines of railroads north, south and west; with telegraphs permeating all parts of the territory; with street railroads, built and owned by themselves, far surpassing other territories not clogged with "Mormon " ignorance; I conclude your correspondent must have been unfortunate in making acquaintance with our people or failed of introductions to a class of high culture, "though it is generally considered that all things find their level." Polygamy We believe it to be God's right to establish and man's right to accept; we believe it corrupt, evil and disgusting, except practiced as God directs, in more purity and stronger control of lust than is exercised in monogamic life, and in the natural concomitants that spring from a law of one wife; we believe that no man has a right to liberties with any woman, except she be his wife, and he assumes before God and man, openly and honestly, all responsibilities. I conceive that the intensity of feeling regarding polygamy arises from ignorance and prejudice against innovation; this prejudice existed 1,800 years ago, against what were then considered the innovations of Jesus.. ..Shall I be considered very ignorant for suggesting the possibility of the old prophet having an eye to its reform, when he declared that "in the last days seven women shall take hold of one man, promising to eat their own food and wear their own apparel, if he would take away their reproach, and call them by his name." Before Christian men and women raise their hands in legislative, social and religious ostracisms against the "Mormons," they should, they must, in consistency, listen to the bare fact of the Mother of Christ coming in a direct line of descent through the polygamous families of old; if God then so hated polygamy, as some claim to now could Mary have conceived by the Holy Ghost and born such an one as our Lord and Savior? If polygamy today brands me and mine as subjects of contempt and special legislation, what shall be said of "Abraham, the Father of the Faithful," and his seed, in whom all nations of the earth were promised their richest blessing?... Your correspondent speaks of 110 souls massacred at Mountain Meadows and states "that they camped out of city limits on Jordan, and for some unknown reason the 29

'Mormons' would not sell them any provisions, and they were so badly treated that they desired to get out of the territory as soon as possible". Now the fact is these people camped in the city limits, bought all the provisions they wished and traded stock, members of the company dined with me several times, and had free access to the products of my garden. For some cause they were anxious to make the trip that season, myself and others persuading them to winter in some of our valleys and take early start in the spring.... The company would have tried the northern route to sure destruction, but after much evidence took the southern. The company "G" speaks of numbered but a fraction of 119, but coalesced with a company of rough men who committed a number of outrageous crimes between the states and Salt Lake city, and were sworn Indian killers, and to the best knowledge I can gain they committed desperate deeds between this point and Mountain Meadows, poisoning the springs the Indians were forced to use, or perish. I deny that the "Mormons," as a people, killed those emigrants, and deem it most unfair to charge and prejudice the public beforehand against an individual or people when the chief one accused is in custody, anxious for trial, and the whole stock of Massachusetts honor will side with me. I should have been pleased to have touched each point of your correspondent's letter, but for fear of using too much space. In conclusion I hope, as a former resident of Massachusetts, that I shall find breath of liberty in one of representative press to publish the foregoing.

In respectfully subscribing myself, I suppose I come under the list of your correspondent's "ignorant Mormons," as I hold no official position among them and am Very truly yours, Claudius Victor Spencer 66 The Salt Lake Tribune had learned of the correspondence between Claudius and The Old Colony Memorial, and on 4 April 1875 published a very unfavorable comment titled "Claudius on Polygamy." It stated: Claudius Victor Spencer of Salt Lake City has taken up a very weak pen in defense of Polygamy. Poor Claude! Instead of writing a letter to distant newspapers, advertising the bestial practices of Utah, he should have sent his photograph. The picture would give the lie direct to Brother Spencer's description of polygamic experience, and show how the divine ordinance has reduced this zealot priest to a pony pink-eyed skeleton Let him go abroad on a mission again and say to the people behold, Claudius Victor Spencer, the polygamist and we warrant that he'll never make a convert to plurality without guaranteeing or insuring the lives of those courageous enough to emulate the dangerous example. In October 1875, Claudius, age 51, was called on another short mission to labor in Omaha, Nebraska. He was scheduled to leave Salt Lake City with Joseph Taylor on 5 January 30

1876. In a letter to Brigham Young, Claudius requested to be released from this mission. In a return letter, Claudius was informed "President Brigham Young has decided to say to you that in consideration of your present temporal circumstances, he has thought it best to honorably release you from your mission to Council Bluffs and Neighborhood." 68 Other than having fruit trees and a large vegetable garden behind his home, Claudius' main income for his family came from his using the Spencer House as a hotel and boarding residence. Claudius advertised the House in many venues. He looked for ways to support his family and including using his salesmanship and trading skills some of which he had learned as a young man in Massachusetts. He went into partnership with J. L. Rowe of New York City, in August 1876, to sell the Dr. Rowe's Patent Elastic Trusses in Utah and Arizona Territories. These trusses were for men and were abdominal supporters to prevent hernia rupture or to support and alleviate abdominal pain from hernias. In the late summer of 1876, Claudius received 576 elastic trusses to sell for $1.30 per truss.69 Polygamy continued to be discussed along with arrests and trials in the newspapers, but another issue surfaced in the Spencer home concerning Maria Antoinette, age 30. This situation was printed in the newspapers 7 January 1880. Boarders staying at the Spencer House complained of "cruel treatment toward an imbecile daughter." This no doubt referred to Maria Antoinette. Claudius, in making adjustments to the apartments in the house, found it necessary to remove partitions of Antoinette's apartment, making her room into a part of the kitchen. When the boarders found that she was sleeping in the kitchen they were incensed and insisted on the girl's removal to some private house. They also questioned her deformity, and in the newspaper article, Claudius stated "that the girl's crippled condition was an inheritance from birth, and as far as her carrying children was concerned and its influence in bending her to one side, it was all the result of gossip and hatred." In the article, Claudius moved the focus of attention from Antoinette to himself, stating "that he had incurred the dislike of some Mormons by his liberal course to the Gentiles, by feeding and caring for sick California emigrants and that he had spent thousands of dollars in doing so." In the end, Antoinette was moved from home to live under the care of Mr. McAllister, not as a patient, but as a place to stay, in an asylum in the city, possibly the one started by Dr. Seymour Young that was located on the east bench of Salt Lake City.70

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When the Edmunds Act of 1882 was passed by the U.S. Congress defining cohabitation with a polygamous wife as a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $300 and imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, it was a time that Claudius would show his individualism in deciding what was best for him and his family. As Orson F. Whitney stated at Claudius' funeral, "he was a man who sought to be independent and who dared to be independent." Although many Mormons believed the Edmunds Law to be invalid because it interfered with their freedom of religion, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of this law in 1885. Claudius, Louisa, and Matilda tried to uphold the law, and in no way be found guilty of breaking the law, to protect Claudius. It was decided between them, since they rented rooms and ran the home like a hotel that Matilda would be paid wages and she would eat her meals alone in the kitchen with the hired servant girl, thus severing social and marital connections between her and Claudius. She lived this way for three years, but on Saturday afternoon, 4 April 1885, Claudius was arrested on an indictment issued by the grand jury charging him with unlawful cohabitation. He was taken before the commissioner and released on a $1,500 bond, and he was scheduled for trial on 1 May in the case of United States vs. Claudius V. Spencer.71 Claudius, age 61, had concerns that involved Matilda and Louisa and his children about what would happen if he were sentenced by Judge Zane to the penitentiary. He was concerned about his advanced age, the state of his finances in order to support his family, and that because of the poor state of his health, if he went to prison it might result in his death. The decision was made by Claudius before trial that he would plead guilty, and this decision was made in concurrence with Louisa and Matilda. This plea hopefully would allow Claudius to remain at his home and avoid jail time. Yet he and his family would suffer the consequences of this unpopular and seemingly unfaithful plea from the community and the church. The trial proceedings were published both in the Salt Lake Tribune and in the Deseret News with the headline in the News reading, "C.V. Spencer Pleads Guilty, He Takes The "Pledge" And Pleads For Mercy -The Court Suspends Sentence." In the past, Claudius was always quick to defend his character, but he now remained quiet and read in the newspapers of others defaming him. The community became aware of how Matilda had lived in the Spencer house and of Claudius' concerns relating to dying in prison.

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On 1 May, 1885, the day following the plea, an anonymous letter to the Editor of the Deseret News was published titled, "Pity and Shame." The article read, "Pity, because of the miserable aspect in which he (Claudius) has placed himself in the eyes of honest people. Shame because after so many years standing in the Church, and having so long been a candidate for a higher glory than ordinary mortals usually aim at, he should condescend to play the part of a
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cringing poltroon and become the laughing stock of the community."

The letter asked what the

wives and children would make of such proceedings. Matilda responded with a letter written to the Editor of The Salt Lake Herald and asked the courtesy of publishing her letter. She defended Claudius, saying that "he has never treated me as a menial"....that she was satisfied to live in the love and esteem of his heart and in that of his noble peace-making wife (Louisa)...."People may judge circumstances, but I believe God judges the heart. Though the court has decided that I may not live under the same roof with Mr. Spencer still, while I have strength and power, I will sustain and comfort the father of my children."73 The courage and faithfulness of Matilda was great support for Claudius, and reflects her involvement in the plea. On Sunday, 3 May 1885, a long article was published in the Deseret News titled "An Abject Spectacle." The article began, "The spectacle presented yesterday morning in the Third District Court connected with the case against Claudius V. Spencer, was exceedingly repulsive.... We detest the conduct of Mr. Spencer." During Stake Conference that day, "Claudius Victor Spencer was dropped from the list of Home Missionaries for renouncing his wives and children according with the request of Charles M. Zane, United States Judge of the Third Judicial District Court of Utah." On 16 May 1885, the Salt Lake Tribune reported the polygamous case in Blackfoot Idaho of J .0. Jones, who pleaded guilty to illegal cohabitation "and made promise to the judge similar to those of Claudius Spencer."74 When Matilda and her children moved out of the Spencer household, she dropped out of sight for a few years. She may have stayed in Almo, Cassia County, Idaho. Louisa's brother, Thomas Owen King, carrying on the tradition of his father, settled a farm of his own in the Almo area and raised cattle. Louisa's son Claudius Victor Jr. moved to Almo in the 1880's to work and later had a farm where Matilda often stayed. Her children seemed to be moving along in life. Her son, William was working for a civil engineer in Salt Lake and living on his own; George was 15 in 1885 and worked as an office boy for John W. Young, and Edward was 12 in 1885. It

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isn't until Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto in 1889 that Matilda reappears in the historical record. Her self-imposed exile seems to have been related to protecting Claudius. There is no mention of Claudius in community newspapers or church activities for the next three years, until May 1888, when Claudius was called as a character witness for his cousin Howard Orson Spencer, who was on trial for the murder of Sgt. Ralph Pike on 11 August 1859 in Salt Lake City over an incident that occurred in Rush Valley 21 March 1859.75 During 1888, the Quorum of the Twelve was presiding over the Church following the death of President John Taylor, and in August 1888, Claudius was asked to give the opening prayer for the Sunday services held at the new Tabernacle. In April 1889, President Wilford Woodruff was sustained as President of the church, and in September 1889, he issued the Manifesto which announced the end of the official practice of plural marriage. Claudius spoke on Sunday for the afternoon church services held at the Tabernacle on 29 July 1889. He said: [W]hat the world termed "Mormonism" was the true gospel of Christ.. ..It is the promise made by Him who spoke as never man spake, If any man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself. The Prophet Joseph in all humility, but by the power of the Holy Ghost, promised the honest in heart in his day that if they repented of their sins and were baptized for the remission there of, they would know of the doctrine that He taught, whether
1ft

it was true or not. In March 1893, he was sustained as a Home Missionary. Over the next few years, Claudius, who was one of the remaining few who knew the Prophet Joseph Smith, spoke at various ward meetings and at the Tabernacle on life in Nauvoo, early pioneer life and early church experiences, and, on occasion, spent time writing articles on pioneer life for the Deseret News. He was asked by George Q. Cannon, editor of the Juvenile Instructor, to write "Reminiscences of Pioneer Life," which was published for the 15 March 1899 issue of the Juvenile Instructor. Claudius and Louisa sold the Spencer House in 1889 to Patrick Mulrooney, a Leadville, Colorado mining man, for $35,100. They built a smaller home, but large enough to have rooms for boarders, located at 127 Social Hall Avenue. Susannah, age 70, had been living on "E" Street in the Avenues near other Neslen family members when, after a short illness, she died 27 March 1900. She was known as "Aunt Susannah Spencer," living quietly and without ostentatious, scattering seeds of kindness wherever she went and benefitting all with whom she came in contact.77 Matilda worked for a time as Supervisor of the Dress Making Department for
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the Woman's Co-op Mercantile and Manufacturing Institution, organized at the end of 1890. The business opened to furnish work for girls and women and to teach them a trade. Claudius helped her get a home at 151 Social Hall Avenue where she also took in boarders. There were family occasions when Matilda was with Claudius and Louisa at their home, but she was always in the background. The result of Claudius' polygamy situation was difficult for the children of Susannah and Matilda. In a letter from Susannah's son "Burke" the emotion of son to father is felt. Portland, Oregon, April 20th 1891 My Dear Father, As I sit here waiting the arrival of the mail from the East, my thoughts carry me back to home and friends, and a desire to be near you all, prompts me to write, for in doing so I feel nearer those I love, which seems to ease my tired heart. I am forced to the conclusion that "There is no place like Home" I say forced, because my cup at home has contained so much bitterness and I have believed that it would be different away , but alas! In the midst of hard struggles, looms up the indisputable fact that we are better with those who have loved us from the cradle. The world is indeed heartless to one in need. While a man has money his alleged friends are innumerable, but if he needs, all backs are turned to him. I say tired heart, because it aches and cries out to me for rest. When, Oh when has there not been pain? In early youth, prior to the initial sign from the goblet? Yes, but not since, unless for a moment when in prayer, our ever generous Maker has alleviated the torture. Were it not for these gentle interferences, it would indeed be too great to bear. One long reflection, regret, followed closely by a strong resolution. I pray to God for strength to bear me out in it. Will He, do you think come to my assistance? Will you ask Him to aid me? I want so much. I have lost so much time, but I still feel strong enough to retrieve many losses if I am afforded an opportunity. I am at present engaged in the newspaper business, but it is not a very lucrative undertaking. Telegraphy is overdone in this section. I must seek greener pastures. I have made applications for positions in California and Utah, but cannot say whether any will be entertained or not. I want a home; a place to rest. I have written to Dan and Jacob, asking them to inquire around and act in my behalf, but as yet I have not heard from them. I have abandoned every habit that is not becoming to a gentleman and am sure to succeed if a trial is given me. How are all at home? I presume you are having lovely weather. Of course you look for a "Boom" this summer. I expect to leave here for Utah or California, not later than May 1st and should like to receive a letter from you before I leave. My warmest love goes with this letter to all, 35

As Ever Your loving son Burke (General delivery)

In a letter to Matilda's son "Will" who was working as a telegrapher in El Paso, Texas Claudius wrote: New Year's evening 1902 I have had many thoughts during the day among them the wish that my boy Will would make half the man that he was naturally gifted to make. I enclose you a check for $10 no strings to it, you can use it to pay your debts or have a damned good time(?) I only wish it to emphasize a little of my love and prayers for youallow me to say that I hope none of my Sons will die allowing people to curse them after death as frauds. Do you ever think Will of the number of your family and the number of mine? I do not think that all I had when I married - my clothes and my wife's clothes included would bring five dollars in the market today. I have been reticent with you for some time past - not from lack of interest or love for in that element you have not stood second to any of my sons and my expectations of your outcome were great God bless you this ensuing year with wisdom and the will of a man born a Spencer - if you will put the bridle on what you know needs curbing and soberly and faithfully serve your employers and the service you owe your dear Mother who brought you into the world I promise the fulfillment of the world. Of a happy & prosperous New Year C V Spencer78 On 2 April 1894, Claudius celebrated his seventieth birthday. Possibly, it was at this time his nine sons gathered and had a group picture taken with their father. Claudius was elected to represent the Thirteenth Ward at the territorial political convention in 1895 as Utah approached statehood and was elected as a "fruit tree inspector" in 1897. On 15 June 1903, at the Salt Lake Stake Conference, Claudius, age 79, was sustained as the Patriarch for the Thirteenth Ward. In the 84th year of his life, Claudius made a "Last Will Of Instruction To My Family." He requested: 36

No funeral service other than singing and prayer at the home where I die; My grave to be dedicated; I do not wish any flowers used. Leave their fragrance and beauty to gladden the living, unless I should die when the roses, planted and raised by my own hand, are in bloom, then put two or three in the coffin; I wish to be buried so near evening as can be without too much exposure and inconvenience to my family; Do not keep me above ground longer than to give reasonable time to prepare for burial; Do not allow my body to be cut or marred; bury me in the same Robe etc. that I wore at my second anointing and when sealed to my wives; Please not wear black signs of mourning, give thanks that I have lived about 69 years a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; If any of my family feel that I have been in any manner injured and hard toward someone who might have treated me different, bury all animosities when you bury my body; I wish my sons, irrespective of their individual motherhood to cherish my wives I leave with all chivalrous kindness, make their declining years beautiful and happy instead of a black widowed desert; I wish my sons to be kind to Elizabeth Funnell Spencer. She was a true girl, a true woman, a loyal, loving wife to my father; Not long since, I had a revelation concerning the descendants of my Father Daniel Spencer. I voice it here. Bury your enmities, cease to be little one another's influence, be united to build up and not pull down - only in union will the Spencer family ever hold the position they should hold in Israel from such a foundation as was laid by Daniel, Orson and Hiram Spencer.. ,79 Matilda was staying in Burley, Idaho, helping Louisa's son Jacob and his family, when she received word from Louisa in December 1909 that Claudius was ill. She came back to be with Louisa to help nurse their husband. Claudius, age 86, died on 5 January 1910. Matilda and Louisa lived together until Louisa, age 79, died 29 January 1912. Matilda then moved to live next to her son George and later died at the home of her sister, Isabella, 16 July 1920, at age 77. Claudius' funeral was held in the Thirteenth Ward Chapel on 7 January, with five of his remaining sons and a cousin, Henry Spencer, as pallbearers. As Claudius requested, the funeral was short, with music and one speaker, Orson F. Whitney, who said: Brother Spencer was conscious of the fact that some of his brethren and sisters didn't admire him altogether. Exceedingly sensitive and high spirited, he was easily wounded.. .There never was a time when Claudius Spencer did not dare to say what was in his heart. It might injure him but he dared do it. He was like his father. He would have come out in the face of the whole world and proclaimed himself a "Mormon", a Latter-Day Saint, a lover of God and truth.80 In a speech given by Claudius at the Twenty-First Ward meeting house on 23 February 1899, Claudius said, I know it is God's work, I bear it from what I have learned, what I have experienced... I have been in my life time, almost as a boy, well off in this world [sic] things, and have had it all go in [sic] the conditions that have come upon this people. The
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President of the Stake at Nauvoo, both his counselors... Joseph Smith's two counselors, and hundreds of my brothers and sisters have considered these trials too hard to bear, and dropped out at Nauvoo, by the wayside on the road up to Council Bluffs and during the terrible winter of our sufferings at Winter Quarters. Many of these men and women I know personally, know them nearly as well as I do my own family I confess that I am with this people through a love of truth that has dwelt in my soul.. .it was a key to me, and I would say to every young man and every young woman in this congregation and all Israel, that when these things come upon the people of God, God has a notice, and God has blessings to bestow that cannot be enjoyed without passing through ordeals that he ordains for his people. May God help us to prize what we have already got and use it wisely and valiantly is my prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.81

38

Great appreciation is given to Mary Jacobs Howard, descendant of Hiram Spencer, who over her lifetime made family connections and collected invaluable family documents which she passed on to Claudia Spencer Sadler. A special thank you is given to John and Debbie AuWerter (John a descendant of Claudius and Susannah Neslen) for their incredible research on the Spencer family, investment of time, and computer skills.

Unless otherwise noted, all documents are in the possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler and Richard W. Sadler Endnotes "Reminiscences" unpublished manuscript found among the possessions of Jacob Thomas Spencer, son of Claudius V. Spencer and Louisa King, 1936, in possession of Claudia Sadler 2 Recorded 17 February 1846 by Bradford W. Elliott Nauvoo, Illinois. " Nauvoo Seventies Biographical Sketches Record." Daniel Spencer Jr.(29) married Sophronia Eliza Pomeroy (17) 21 January 1823. 3 Amanda was born 12 June 1835 and died 30 August 1838. Infant sons born 1837 and 1840, all buried in West Stockbridge. 4 Journal of Samuel Richards, 17 April 1840 5 Aurelia Spencer Rogers, Life Sketches of Orson Spencer and Others and History of Primary Work, George Q. Cannon & Son: Salt Lake City, 1898, page 23 6 "Reminiscences" unpublished manuscript found among the possessions of Jacob T. Spencer. 7 Probate records of Daniel Spencer Sr.,Carthage, Illinois. Also the "Nauvoo Scroll Petition to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States", dated 28 November 1843. 8 "Reminiscences" unpublished manuscript found among the possessions of Jacob T. Spencer. Also Will of Daniel Spencer, also Letter of character by Gustaves Williams of West Stockbridge, in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. The home was furnished with eastern furniture and Daniel Spencer Jr. spent $10,000 on improvements in Nauvoo. 9 Original word for hauling was "drawing". Two month diary of C.V. Spencer printed in Nauvoo Journal as "The 1845 Diary of Claudius Victor Spencer", Edited by Maurine Carr Ward, Volume 9 Spring 1997 Number 1. 1 2nd Q u o r u m 0 f Seventy Minutes Record, 2nd Quorum, Biographical Sketches, LDS Church Archives, page 157 0 11 Letter from C.V. Spencer to his father Daniel dated July 5, 1845, in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler 12 Wheat Shorts are a product of the milling process which includes fine bits of bran, the germ, and sometimes other by products of wheat milling. The courser fragments of the wheat kernel exterior are called bran and the finer particles are screened into the shorts bin. Both bran and shorts are used extensively in the animal feed and Wheat Shorts are very nutritious, exceeding the original wheat kernel in protein and other nutrients. Shipings were "Ship Stuff, so called because it was used to make "Ship Biscuits" or a type of "Hard Tack" for sailors. The Shipings were the left over's of the last flour cloth milling process. Information from George Sterling Spencer. 13 Seventies Record, 2nd Quorum, Biographical Sketches, LDS Church Archives, page 157. The Fall of 1845 was a precarious time for the Saints in Nauvoo. Regular missions, i.e., those that we would identify as proselytizing missions, were generally not assigned at this time, but rather there were several enterprises that were called missions to which a number of Mormons were called, including some who were called in anticipation of a departure to "the West." Information concerning these missions is included in correspondence with Ronald O. Barney. 14 1845-1846, 1847-1849, 1855-1856,1856-1857 Journals of Daniel Spencer, also Devery Anderson and Gary Bergera, editors, The Nauvoo Endowment Company 1845-1846, a Documentary History, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2005 15 "Reminiscences" unpublished manuscript found among the possessions of Jacob T. Spencer. Daniel left Nauvoo in charge of small group of saints comprised of family members and friends in Company #7 February 15, 1846 16 "The 1845 Diary of Claudius Victor Spencer," also "Interesting Scrap of History" published by the Deseret News on Mt. Pisgah pioneers, no date, also "Some Living Pioneers" published by The Salt Lake Herald, both in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. Daniel Spencer letter, August 12, 1846 to Brigham Young in possession of Claudia Sadler. Millenial Star, 9:60, February 15, 1847 includes an article on Hiram and Catherine Curtis Spencer written by Orson Spencer. Catherine Curtis Spencer wife of Orson Spencer died on 12 March 1846 at Indian Creek, near Keosaqua, Iowa territory at the age of thirty-five years wanting nine days. Orson Spencer left the Iowa
1

39

Territory and his six children (thirteen and younger) to become president of the British Mission following the death of his wife. Daniel Spencer's wife Mary and infant daughter both died in August 1846 at Council Bluffs and were buried at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory. 17 Maurine Carr Ward, editor, Mary Haskin Parker Richards , Logan: Utah State University Press, 1996, page 129 18 Along with Daniel Spencer's company, the other companies were led by Parley P. Pratt, A. O. Smoot, C. C. Rich, George W. Wallace, Edward Hunter, Joseph Horne, J. B. Noble, Willard Snow, and J. M. Grant. Total Mormon emigration to Utah in 1847 was 2,095. 19 Deseret News 29 April 1897 20 Deseret News 1 July 1906. City Creek ran north to south on the property. Orson and Daniel were back to back, Daniel being on State Street and Orson on Main Street. Claudius' property ran from State Street through to Main Street. He later sold the west half to Samuel Neslen and Gustaves Williams. 21 Deseret News 29 October 1856, also Wilford Woodruff Journal, Volume 4, page 477-78 22 Richard W. Sadler, "The Spencer-Pike Affair," Utah Historical Quarterly. Winter 2008, Volume 76, number 1 23 Little Antoinette was borderline retarded. As a baby, she had several nurses, and while Claudius was called on his 1850 mission, she lived with Daniel and his wife Emily and other families who cared for her while Claudius was away. She died in 1917, age 67 in Murray, Utah, where she was being taken care of. Daniel rented out Claudius' home while he was on his mission. Letter from Daniel and Emily Spencer, to Claudius, dated 30 May 1851, in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. 4 "My Experience in England" published in Labors in the Vineyard, Volume 12, pages 9-12, published in 1884, George Q. Cannon, editor. George Q. Cannon felt the need to help encourage the youth to be more missionary minded. He had seventeen booklets published by the Juvenile Instructor office and Claudius wrote part of the Twelfth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. 25 Letter written by Orson Spencer dated April 23, 1850 to Claudius, in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. 26 Labors in the Vineyard, pages 14-15. 27 "My Experience in England" published in Labors in the Vineyard, Volume 12, page 17, 21, 23. Published in 1884, George Q. Cannon, editor. 28 Labors in the Vineyard, George Q. Cannon Editor, Volume 12, pages 9-12, published 1884. 29 Letters to Claudius from his father, Daniel dated 1850-1853, in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. Also Labors in the Vineyard, Volume 12, pages 9-12, published in 1884 30 Labors in the Vineyard, pages 16-17 31 Journal of Hannah Tapfield King, July 1851, page 70. 32 Journal of Hannah Tapfield King. Orson and Daniel had been called on missions to Great Britain in 1852. 33 Journal of Hannah Tapfield King, also Draft Notes of C.V. Spencer of his mission experiences, in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. Samuel Neslen at the time of his departure for England gave Claudius 170 gold Sovereigns to help the poorer saints to immigrate to Utah, paying for 43 persons. Thomas King, also helped the poorer saints by paying for 30 emigrants. Journal of Hannah Tapfield King 35 Endowment House Records, Temple Index Bureau 36 Deseret News, 7 July 1906, "Old Landmark Razed This Week" 37 Obituary of ClaudiusV. Spencer, also Deseret News 1887, no date, and July 1906. Claudius' fifth wife, Matilda Price kept an autograph book of famous people's signatures, which is in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, Salt Lake City. Claudius advertises his home with a lengthy description in the Deseret News, 19, March 1884. 38 Seventies Quorum Records 1844-1975, also Deseret News 3 April 1854, 18 July 1855, 27 February 1856. Old Tabernacle was located where current Assembly Hall now stands. 39 Journal History, 4 October 1856 40 Letter written by C.V. Spencer to Brigham Young, dated 12 November 1856, LDS Church Archives 41 Letter written by C.V. Spencer to Brigham Young, dated 12 November 1856, LDS Church Archives 42 Letter written by Louis Robinson to Brigham Young, dated 9 November 1856, also Rebecca Bartholomew and Leonard J. Arrington, Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies, Provo: Charles Redd Center for Western Studies, 1992. 43 Letter Written by C.V. Spencer to Brigham Young, dated 12 November 1856, LDS Church Archives 44 Historians Office Journal of LDS Church 45 Bartholomew and Arrington, Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies, also Juanita Brooks, editor, On the Mormon Frontier, the diary of Hosea Stout, two volumes, Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1964. Reading

40

the journal of Hosea Stout, Juanita Brooks transposed C.V. Spencer as C.N. Spencer, thus C.N. Spencer appears in numerous books and articles pertaining to the hand cart rescue. As a result, no one recognizes who C.N. Spencer is. 46 Bartholomew and Arrington, Rescue of the 1856 Handcart Companies, also Church Historians Office General Minutes, also Journal History dated 13 November 1856. 47 Letter Written by C.V. Spencer to Brigham Young, dated 12 November 1856 LDS Church Archives 48 Deseret News 26 January 1859, 19 October 1859, also Lynn Hilton, editor, The Story of the Salt Lake Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1847-1972, Salt Lake City: Utah Printing Company, 1972 page 198 49 Journal History 9 September 1860, 27 September 1860. Claudius was set apart on Saturday 22 September at the Seventies Hall 50 Journal History 29 September 1860, 14 October 1860. Some missionaries, including Claudius were late in arriving at Kimball's Ranch and found the other missionaries had already departed. The missionaries joined together at the Green River. 51 The Millennial Star 23:167 52 "Reminiscences" unpublished manuscript found in Jacob T. Spencer's possessions. 53 "Reminiscences" unpublished manuscript found in Jacob T. Spencer's possessions. 54 Manuscript History of the Salt Lake Stake, also letter from Brigham Young to John Van Cott dated 19 August 1861. Also Journal History 8 October 1861. Also "Dairies, Journals and Letters, Office Journals of Brigham Young" 1853-1862, page 335-337. 55 Brigham Young Letter Press Copy Books, 26 February 1862 and 3 March 1862, LDS Church Historical Department 56 Autobiography of Agnes Price, also "Brief Account of My Mother's Life and How She Gained Her Testimony of the Gospel" by Isabelle Price Kunkle 57 Scott G. Kenney, editor, Wilford Woodruffs Journal, nine volumes, Midvale: Signature Books, 1984, Volume 6, page 337-40 58 Probate Records of Daniel Spencer Jr. C.V. inheritance from his mother Sophronia was 50 acres of land, which Daniel as his guardian, petitioned the court for permission to sell and invest the money. C.V.'s inheritance from his grandparents was also in land which was sold. 59 Daniel Spencer Jr's Will, also copy of Claims dated 2 July 1869, also Probate Record of Daniel Spencer Jr., also research notes by John and Debbie AuWerter in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler. 60 Research notes of John and Debbie AuWerter 61 Journal History 11 October 1869 62 Carol Caflin, History of Louisa King Spencer. Also Deseret News 4 January 1870. 63 Deseret News 7 January 1870. Also Journal History 4 January 1870. Also Wilford Woodruff's Journal, Volume 6 page 518 64 Brigham Young Letter Press Copy Books, 11 October 1869 65 Sal Lake Tribune 26 August 1872 66 "Polygamy It's Defense by a Mormon Elder." Published in The Salt Lake Daily Herald 8 April 1875 67 Salt Lake Tribune 4 April 1875 68 Journal History October 1875, 5 January 1876. Also Brigham Young Letter Press Copy Books, 3 January 1876 69 Letter of agreement dated 1 August 1876 in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler 70 "A Friend to the Gentiles, How Brother Claudius Tried to Make a Gentile a Mormon", Salt Lake Tribune 1 January 1880. 71 Deseret News 15 April 1885, 22 April 1885 72 Deseret News, Letter to the Editor, 1 May 1885 73 The Salt Lake Herald, also known as The Salt Lake Daily Herald, Letter to the Editor, date unavailable. 74 "An Abject Spectacle", Deseret News, 3 May 1885. Also, Manuscript History of the Salt Lake Stake. Also Salt Lake Tribune, dated 16 May 1885. 75 Richard W. Sadler, 'The Spencer Pike Affair", The Utah Historical Quarterly, Winter 2008 76 "Sunday Services", Deseret News, 29 July 1893 77 "Death of a Noble Woman", Deseret News, 27 March 1900 78 Letter to William Samuel Spencer and letter from Edmund Burke Spencer in possession of Claudia Spencer Sadler 79 "Last Will Of Instruction To My Family", dated 27 February 1908. 80 Funeral speech of Orson F. Whitney for C.V. Spencer, 7 January 1910. 81 Speech by Claudius V. Spencer, Twenty-First Ward, 23 April 1899.

41

WIVES AND CHILDREN OF CLAUDIUS VICTOR SPENCER

Mariah Antoinette Spencer (1826 1850) (24) Sophronia Eliza b. Feb. 4 d. Feb. 28 (24 days) Maria Antoinette b. Georgiana King ( 1 8 3 0 - 1 8 5 3 ) (23) Louisa King (1833 1912) (79) Susannah Nelsen ( 1 8 3 0 - 1 9 0 0 ) (70) Matilda Price (1843 1920) (77)

1849

1850 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1863 1864

Suzie Eunice b. Georgiana Louisa b. Georgiana Louisa d. (22 months) Hyrum Claudius b. Hyrum Claudius d. (17 months) Claudius Victor Jr. b. Hannah Tapfield b. Hannah Tapfield d. (15 months) Daniel Samuel b.

Edmund Burke b.

Claudia Victoria b. Claudia Victoria d. (12 months)

1865 1866

Edwin Forrest b. May d. October (5 months) William Samuel b.

Jacob Thomas b.

1868 1869 1870 1873 1882 1898 1902 1918 1934 1942 1943 1957

Pomeroy b.

Joseph Smith b. Jan. d. November (10 months) John Van Cott b. John Van Cott d. (16 months)

Owen Howard b. Suzie Eunice d. (27) Owen Howard d. (29) Maria Antoinette d. (68) Daniel Samuel d. (77) Claudius Victor Jr. d. (82) Pomeroy d. (75)

Maud Isabella b. Maud Isabella d. (18 months) George Sterling b. Edward Price b. Edward Price d. (25) William Samuel d. (43)

George Sterling d. (87)

THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF CLAUDIUS VICTOR SPENCER Claudius V. Spencer signed his will on February 27, 1908 which served as his final set of decisions concerning the distribution of his worldly goods. Claudius appointed as executors of his estate, four of his sons: Daniel S. Spencer, Jacob T. Spencer, Pomeroy Spencer, and George S. Spencer. The will included provisions to pay for "just and lawful debts" and for the "liberal and comfortable support, according to their condition and needs" of Claudius' wives Louisa King Spencer and Matilda Price Spencer during their "natural lives or widowhood." Claudius added that he desired that their "lives should not be a bleak, unhappy widowhood." Over the next decade as the executors acted to fulfill the wishes of their father, selected receipts for the estate included : The return of money borrowed $700 Sale of real property $6,150 Interest earned $2,616

Selected expenses over the next decade paid by the executors included the following: Funeral expenses, Claudius V. Spencer $292.40 Funeral expenses, Louis King Spencer $188.25 Funeral expenses, Matilda Price Spencer $372.00 Funeral expenses, Maria Antoinette Spencer $192.50 Paid Louisa King Spencer, under terms of the will Paid Matilda Price Spencer, under terms of the will Paid Maria Antoinette Spencer, under terms of the will Payment of Bothwell & McConaughy Investment Company note Payment of money borrowed prior to the death of Claudius V. Spencer Taxes Cemetery lot Perpetual upkeep cemetery lot Monument, Claudius V. Spencer $99.25 $2,255.00 $992.25

$ 1000.00 $700.00 $503.41 $36.00 $100.00 $285.00

By the time of Matilda's death in 1920, expenditures of the estate exceeded receipts by almost $2,000. It is suggested that the additional money needed by the estate was supplied by Claudius' sons.

CkflCIfHOS VICTOR l>peNCeR

/ (.

j % d^^..

fir

Standing left to right: Edmund Burke, Edward Price, Daniel Samuel, William Samuel Seated left to right: Jacob Thomas, George Sterling, Owen Howard, Claudius Victor Sr., Claudius Victor Jr., Pomeroy

Isouisa King
Jacob Thomas Owen Howard Claudius Victor Jr. Pomeroy

Susannah Nszslpn
Edmund Burke Daniel Samuel

Matilda priep
Edward Price William Samuel George Sterling

not a v a i l a b l e

Claudius V. Spencer

Mariah Antoinette Spencer

Georgiana King

Louisa King

Susannah Neslen

Matilda Price

!' ,;

PENCER
This Moid is located ill Tost Offio and Shades of any Hotel in the City. aiul is

HOUSE,

r\A-.;

fk\ 252 psst East gtoeet, between, Second and T^isfd jSouth, S A L T L A K E CITY, U T A H .
ck. iiri'oui ' In lh. 11 > < and i't beautiful Grounds. l.auns S ,1 |K>|)ol.ii lesoit tor Tourists ami Transients who desire

IJeautlful Shaded Have.-ra.ml tor Children. Tho P, . n . , oi hi H o t w l..s b-eu a resident of Ulal. for 40 years, and is therefore well ijnaltfkd to give information, introductions, etc. No kuniicra employed. I lave your Baggage checked ou the Caw for die Spencer House.

Mtnyflti fiNToiNerre peNCeR

Mariah Antoinette Spencer was a cousin and the first wife of Claudius Victor Spencer. She was born on 22 January 1826 in the village of Rockdale, township of West Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Her father was Hiram Spencer (1798-1846), son of Daniel Spencer Sr. and Chloe Wilson, and her mother was Mary Spencer (1797-1840), daughter of James Spencer and Betsy Boughton. Her parents were fifth cousins, tracing their family line back to their common ancestor Gerard Spencer (1614-1685), who emigrated to America inl631. Mariah, often called Antoinette, was the third child born in a family of nine children to Hiram and Mary that included a set of twins. Hiram was a farmer by trade. He was over six feet tall, raised sheep, and was known for his muscular strength. In the 1836 tax records for Berkshire County, Hiram is listed as a husbandman. The year that Mariah was born, 1826, Hiram purchased his father's, Daniel Spencer Sr's, farm of 120 acres and also his father's home. Daniel Sr., age 62, and his wife Chloe, age 61, lived with Hiram and Mary in the home. When Mariah was eleven, her sisters Jane, age 15, and Mary, age 13, undoubtedly helped their father in the farming enterprise as he acquired several parcels of land and was in partnership with his brother Daniel Spencer Jr. to grow a good amount of produce, make cheese and other farm products along with wool to sell in the merchandise business and freighting business. Claudius, being an only child, was close with his cousins and often spent winter days with them sledding down the hill in front of his home. When Mariah was fourteen, her mother Mary, age 43, died on 5 December 1840, leaving Mariah and her two older sisters Jane , age 18 and Mary, age 16 to help care for the family of Charles Henry, age 12; Anna, age 10; Martha, age 8; Hiram Theron, age 5; and Amanda, age 2. Mariah was fifteen when her Uncle Daniel came to her family and told them about Mormonism. Hiram said, "I must not accept such great things as you claim, even from my loved brother, without direct testimony." In his earnestness of investigation, "He claimed of God a manifestation, and had an open vision lasting four hours." Hiram was baptized by his brother Daniel, 18 August 1841. Mariah's uncle Orson Spencer was a Baptist minister and when he was baptized by Daniel, he left his congregation in Middlefield, Massachusetts and joined the Spencer families in West Stockbridge. He and his wife Catherine and their five children lived with Hiram and his family. A dinner horn would call the family to meals. Orson's family left for Nauvoo in the spring of 1841. Mariah's family moved to Nauvoo in the spring of 1842 with 6

their Uncle Daniel's family. Her father, Hiram built a brick home on the west side of Block 11 between Daniel Spencer Jr's and Daniel Hendrix's homes and kitty corner across the street from Uncle Orson's home. A large barn, sheds, vegetable gardens and chicken coops were built behind the homes in the center of the block for the families to share. Mariah's home was located on Page Street, directly east of the block square known as the Stand, where the Prophet Joseph Smith and others would speak including Orson and Daniel. When there were parades or public entertainment on the square, the Prophet often sat on the porch of her home to watch the performance. On 1 January 1843, Mariah's father Hiram married Emily Thompson, a convert from Connecticut. Her Uncle Daniel performed the marriage. On the "prairie", six miles from Nauvoo, Hiram ran the collective farms which included his farm property, Daniel, Orson, and Claudius' farm property amounting to over 1,000 acres. A shelter was built on the farm land, where Mariah and her sisters and brothers spent their summers living and working and cooking for their father and hired help. Her sister Jane was married in Nauvoo, in July 1843 to Daniel Cahoon, and her sister Mary married her Uncle Daniel in the fall of 1845 following his wife Sarah's death. Hiram was in charge of the rock hauling for the construction of the Nauvoo Temple. As the Nauvoo temple progressed in completion, Mariah went to the temple on 20 December 1845 with her father and his wife Emily and her cousin Claudius for their endowments. Mariah helped her family, which now included Edwin Eugene, age 2 and Francis Elizabeth, age 7 months; prepare for their departure from Nauvoo. In leaving Nauvoo, the pioneer companies' were numbered of which there were more than a dozen. Mariah traveled in her uncle Daniel's Company Number Seven. Her father had two wagons, and they left Nauvoo 15 February 1846. Mariah was at Council Bluffs, when her father died by Mt. Pisgah. When Claudius arrived at Council Bluffs, she nursed him for five months, and on 25 January 1847 at Council Bluffs, Mariah, age 21, and Claudius, age 23, were married. On 17 June 1847, they left for the Salt Lake Valley, driving a wagon for Daniel. They arrived in the Valley on 19 September. Claudius and Mariah lived in the fort with Daniel for the first year and then built a small home next to Daniel's home on State Street. On 4 February 1849, a daughter, Sophronia Eliza was born but died on 28 February. The following year, Maria Antoinette was born on 5 March 1850, but six days after giving birth, Mariah, age 24, died. She was buried beside her infant daughter Sophronia behind Daniel's home and later interred at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Children
Sophronia Eliza Born 4 February 1849 Salt Lake City Blessed 15 February 1849 by Daniel Spencer Jr. Died 28 February 1849 Buried in garden cemetery behind Daniel's home Maria Antoinette Born 5 March 1850 Salt Lake City Died 12 Mar 1918 age 68 Buried Salt Lake City Cemetery

Sources: 1847-1849 Journal of Daniel Spencer Jr. Research of Mary Jacobs Howard, descendent of Hiram Spencer Claudia Spencer Sadler

GeORGlflNfl KING
Georgiana King was the second wife of Claudius Victor Spencer. She was born on 4 October 1830, the fourth child of Thomas Owen King (1800-1875) and Hannah Tapfield (1807-1886). Her parents had lost their first baby as a stillborn, their second child at fourteen months and their third child at four months. Georgiana, or "Georgie" as she was called, had a very sweet disposition and was very close to her mother. Georgiana was raised on a 1,000 acre estate called Dernford Dale that had been in her father's family for three generations. Dernford Dale was located outside the village of Sawston, Cambridge County, about seven miles south of the city of Cambridge. Her father had a large dairy business, bred cattle and farmed. Georgiana was taught by her mother in her early years; later, she had a governess who also taught her other sisters, Louisa and Bertha. Georgiana's education included piano lessons from her uncle Samuel Tapfield, a music instructor, art lessons and singing lessons. She became very skilled at needlepoint and fancy lace work. To further her education, Georgiana attended a ladies academy in Huntingdon, northwest of the city of Cambridge. At age nineteen, on 1 August 1849, she left home to become a governess to Mrs. Thorpe in Chippenham, Wiltshire County. While she was in Chippenham and her sister Louisa was attending school at Huntingdon, their mother, Hannah, learned of a new religion from her seamstress, Miss Bailey. Hannah read Spencer's Letters, written by Orson Spencer, published in England in 1847 and used as an important doctrinal work for missionaries. She was converted to Mormonism, but her husband was not interested. Hannah and Georgiana were baptized on 4 November 1850 in the river Cam by Elder Joseph Johnston. Five months after their baptism, Louisa was also baptized 17 April 1851. They traveled to Cambridge for church services and heard Lorenzo Snow speak a few times. On 26 July 1851, Georgiana, Hannah and Louisa took a carriage three miles to the village of Shelford to take the London Cambridge Railway to Norwich, Norfolk County, to attend L.D.S church services held in the Freemason's Hall. They heard Claudius speak and afterward were invited to Sister Teasdel's for tea, where Claudius was staying. The following day, Claudius accompanied them to the train station in Norwich for their return home. When they arrived back to Dernford Dale they received an invitation from Claudius to come to Norwich for the conference being held in 9

August and spend the week. At the conference, Hannah, Georgiana and Louisa were formally introduced to Claudius who was the President of the Norwich Conference. Claudius spent the week with the Kings visiting the noble castle and majestic cathedral that was built in the 1100's. By Sunday, 17-August 1851, Claudius and Georgiana had decided to marry. Hannah drove her pony chaise to the Shelford station to bring Claudius to Dernford Dale on 9 September to meet the family, and on 10 September Claudius spoke with Georgiana's father about the gospel principles and asked for Georgiana's hand in marriage. "He gave Brother Spencer his consent and his blessing, and he parted with us in all love and amity, returning to Norwich." Georgiana wrote letters to Claudius while he was in Norwich. She never mentioned her delicate health, but gave support and encouragement to him. Georgiana, age 22, married Claudius, age 28, at Dernford Dale on 28 April 1852, with the ceremony performed by Franklin D. Richards, President of the British Mission. Hannah was having difficulty with her neighbors because she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so to appease them and avoid any slander, she had Georgiana remain with the family and repeat their wedding vows in the Old Thorpe Church by the river Yare in Norwich, on 31 May 1852. At this ceremony, Georgiana's father was ill, so President Richards gave her away. The wedding celebration was described in the Millennial Star on 3 July 1852. A three day conference was being held at this time with traveling elders and branch presidents, so following the wedding ceremony Monday morning, Claudius met with the missionaries in the Freemason's chapel where he gave them instructions. At the close of the council, Claudius invited the group, including visiting friends, to his residence where a sumptuous dinner was served, hosted by Georgiana's mother. That evening, a large company of saints gathered in the chapel where another party was given in their honor. A decorated banner reading, "Welcome President Spencer and his Bride," greeted the guests. Claudius' missionary time was coming to an end, and he and Georgiana were preparing to leave England. The separation was difficult for the family, as Hannah felt that Georgiana was a twin spirit of her soul. Although Thomas Owen King was not interested in the church, after a lengthy illness, he gave his consent to have his family leave England and gather to Utah. Thomas, age 53; Hannah, age 46; Louisa, age 20; Bertha, age 18; and Thomas Owen, age 13; made arrangements to sail on 22 January 1853 from Liverpool on the ship Golconda. Georgiana's father sold his beloved family estate and made preparations to leave. Daniel Spencer Jr. arrived from London to help them pack and make travel arrangements, and Claudius and Georgiana arrived from Norwich to help. The family traveled with Claudius and Georgiana and Daniel accompanied them to 10

Liverpool. Claudius was placed in charge of the emigrating saints and also of the wagon company going to Utah. While en route to Utah, Georgiana's brother became ill with mountain fever, and her sister Bertha also became ill. A few days before their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, Georgiana became ill. Upon their arrival, the family stayed at the Daniel Spencer home where his wife, Emily, Hiram's widow, made them welcome. While at Daniel's home, Georgiana, age 23, died on 26 September 1853. Franklin D. Richards spoke over her at the grave, and she was buried in the garden cemetery of Daniel's home along side Mariah Antoinette.

Children
None

Sources: Journal of Hannah Tapfield King Research of Carol Catlin, descendent of Louisa King

11

IaOOISfl RING
Louisa King, a sister to Georgiana, was born on 12 August 1833 at the family estate in Dernford Dale in the village of Stapleford, located four miles south of the city of Cambridge. She was the daughter of Thomas Owen King (1800-1875) and Hannah Tapfield (1807-1886). Although she was three years younger than her sister Georgiana, they grew up as close companions. Louisa's mother Hannah objected to boarding schools for small children, and she loved her children around her, so the King family children had their early instruction from their mother. Later, a governess came to take charge of their education. Louisa, along with her sisters, had the opportunity to study and develop her talents. Louisa was artistic in drawing and water colors. Music was a delight in her life, and she loved playing the piano. Following supper, the evening entertainment at the King family home, with friends and family included piano duets, singing and dancing. On occasion, Louisa and Georgiana played organ duets at the Stapleford Church of England, and later they entertained church members at the L.D.S Norwich Conferences held at the Freemason's Hall in Norwich, Norfolk County. As Louisa grew older, her education continued at the ladies academy in Huntingdon, Cambridge County, located northwest of the city of Cambridge. At age 18, when Louisa came home for a visit from the academy, she found her family divided in their religious beliefs. Her mother and Georgiana had been baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were attending services in Cambridge. Her father, Thomas, her brother Thomas Owen, and her sister Bertha were attending St. Andrew Anglican church in Stapleford. Their friends and neighbors thought her mother and Georgiana had gone insane and her father had become physically ill with the family division. The family cook, Ann Newling had been baptized by Claudius and it wasn't long before Louisa was also baptized, on 17 April 1851. Bertha followed on 1 July 1852, and Thomas Owen was baptized on 1 August 1852. Louisa's father watched each member of his family join the new religion and suffered the disgrace and humiliation from the community for their actions. Claudius' mission assignment was coming to a close, and in September 1852, there was much discussion in the family of Georgiana and Claudius leaving for Utah. It was the family's desire to immigrate to Zion, and Thomas was being asked to leave his beautiful home to 12

go to a strange land. After a severe illness, Thomas gave his consent for the family to leave. He gave Claudius money to help pay for thirty of the poorer church members to immigrate. He sacrificed his financial all and his health so that his beloved wife and children could realize their hearts desire to go to Zion in the Salt Lake Valley. The farm of Dernford Dale, land and stock, was sold at auction in October 1852. Two days before their departure for Liverpool, the household furniture was auctioned off. On 16 January 1853, Daniel Spencer Jr. arrived from London to help Thomas make travel arrangements. Claudius and Georgiana also came to help. Before supper that evening, Daniel gave Claudius, Hannah, and Louisa a blessing; then Claudius gave Georgiana a blessing. The family spent the rest of the evening in song and music. Louisa and her family sailed on the ship Golconda from the Mersey Docks in Liverpool 22 January 1853. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 17 September 1853. Following the death of her sister Georgiana on 26 September 1853, Claudius married Louisa and also Susannah Nelsen together as plural wives in Brigham Young's office on 9 October 1853. In Louisa's life sketch, she said, "Oh! My! I leave you to imagine what this was to an English girl reared as I had been. For a frail delicate girl who had never done a menial days work I was now required to do all that was necessary to maintain a home. Being in polygamy, I decided to honor it and do my best to promote peace." The piano that was shipped from Liverpool had been given to Claudius and Georgiana by Thomas King, after a cumbersome experience coming across the plains. Louisa now had the piano in her home, where evenings were spent with music and song. Louisa gave birth to her first child, Georgiana Louisa on 31 January 1856; eight months after Susannah gave birth to her first child. She lived nineteen months. Two months after the death of Georgiana Louisa on 19 November 1857, Louisa's second child, Hyrum Claudius was born on 10 January 1858. He lived fifteen months and died on 21 June 1859. Her third child, Claudius Victor Jr., was born on 6 April 1860. Five months later, Claudius was called on his second mission to England in September 1860. Because of his health problems, the mission was short, and in July 1861 when Louisa and Susannah learned of his return, they cleaned the home from top to bottom and made a new carpet for the parlor. Louisa's brother, Thomas Owen, served a mission to England from September 1860 to November 1864. While he was there Claudius had him send thread, lace and woolen cloth to make clothing for the family. Louisa said there were times when the family struggled and they were very poor, but because of their home, some in the community thought them rich. Claudius admonished his family "to never complain or falter under humiliations but to work hard and keep their faith in the gospel." On 7 February 1863, 13

Claudius married his fifth wife, Matilda Price, and five months later, Louisa gave birth to her fourth child, Hannah on 31 July 1863. Hannah lived fifteen months and died 26 October 1864. Louisa had three more children, Jacob Thomas, born 9 January 1866; Pomeroy, born 28 August 1868; and Owen Howard, born 1 August 1873. At the 1869 October General Conference, Claudius was called on a short mission to the Eastern States, and he took Louisa with him. She visited friends and relatives of Claudius' in the West Stockbridge area in the Berkshire Mountains. In response to an article published in the Berkshire Massachusetts Courier, on 1 December 1869, Louisa wrote the editor, and her letter was published. At the close of the article, the editor published, "Sister Spencer evidently possess the spirit of her mission, is qualified to do good and we wish her joy in her labors." They returned home in January 1870. Susannah left the Spencer household in the spring of 1870 to raise her Brother Robert's children while he served a mission to England. Louisa said "I never received a cross word from one of the wives or their children, and never gave them one." Louisa was active in supporting women's rights and expressed her opinions in the Deseret News, 19 January 1880. On 18 January 1884, Louisa was called to be the second councilor in the 13 th Ward Relief Society organization under Sister Rachel Grant, and on 30 April 1891 she was made first councilor. She served in this position for nineteen years, finally released on 17 May 1903. Louisa and Claudius celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary on 9 October 1903 with family at their home on Social Hall Avenue. Claudius' health was declining, so Louisa and Matilda lived together taking care of their husband. He died on 5 January 1910. Matilda remained with Louisa until Louisa's death at age 79, on 25 January 1912. At her funeral, tribute was paid to her gentleness, nobility and her faith.

Children
1 Georgiana Louisa Born 3 Uan 1856, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 19 Nov 1857 age 10 months

mftuit

14

Hyrum Claudius Born 10 Jan 1858, Salt Lake City, Utah

Infant

Claudius Victor Jr. "Victor" Born 6 April 1860, Salt Lake City, Utah Not married Died 26 April 1942 age 82 Buried in Phoenix, Arizona Farmer/Rancher

Infant

Hannah Tapfield Born 31 July 1863, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 26 Oct 1864 age 15 months

Jacob Thomas Born 9 Jan 1866, Salt Lake City, Utah Married Ann Laura Middleton 19 June 1890, Logan Temple Died 20 March 1921, San Diego, California age 55 Telegrapher Union Pacific Rail Road General Passenger Agent Oregon Short Line Rail Road Bookkeeper Gray News Compay

Pomeroy Born 28 Aug 1868, Salt Lake City, Utah Married Clarissa Ann Augusta Pitman 9 Jan 1893, Ogden, Utah Died 28 Dec 1843, Salt Lake City, Utah age 75 Steamfitter, Plummer Thermal Engineering Company

15

Owen Howard Born 1 Aug 1873, Salt Lake City, Utah Married Nellie Eliza Thompson 19 April 1893, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 13 July 1902, Salt Lake City, Utah age 29 Telegrapher Union Pacific Rail Road Stenographer De La Mar's Mines

Sources: Journal of Hannah Tapfield King Sketch of the Life of Thomas Owen King Sr. and Thomas Owen King Jr. Research of Carol Catlin, descendent of Louisa King

16

0fINNfIti FRfINCI NeSIsCN

Susannah Neslen was born on the eastern coast of England in the coastal town of Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England, on 13 September 1830. Lowestoft is the most easterly town in England and is located about twenty miles south of Norwich, where Claudius Spencer acted at the President of the Norwich Conference. Susannah's father, Samuel Neslen (1807-1887), had been apprenticed to the carpentry and cabinet making business when he was young, and over time became wealthy in his construction business. Samuel had an office in Lowestoft, a workshop, several buildings. He was the town undertaker, and had constructed a church building behind his home where he preached. Susannah's mother, Eunice Francis (1808-1891), married Samuel in Lowestoft in 1829, and they were the parents often children, Susannah was the oldest, nine living to maturity. Samuel felt the need to serve God, so he converted to his wife's religion and became a Wesleyan Methodist minister. When Susannah was nineteen, Samuel, age 42 became interested in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Despite the circulation of anti-Mormon pamphlets, Samuel began attending the branch meetings in Lowestoft, where he became intensely interested in the teachings of the church and soon felt convinced of its truth and asked to be baptized. Samuel told his wife Eunice of his interest and desire of becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but she didn't accept his conversion seriously. Despite her lack of interest, he was baptized on 7 July 1849 by Thomas Smith, whom Claudius Spencer later replaced as President of the Norwich Conference. Samuel "was an intelligent man with a determination to strengthen the L.D.S. church in Lowestoft", and was soon made the branch clerk, and three months later he became president of the branch. The church meetings were held in unfavorable conditions in a stable on Rant Score, a narrow street leading down to the beach. Samuel set to work and organized both members and non members into a renovation crew who worked many evenings to improve the stable, but the smell from the surrounding fish and brewery trades created "a very obscure, uninviting and incommodious place with three months' rent owing." Samuel let the members of the Lowestoft Branch members use the church he had built until his departure to Utah, when the building was sold along with his home. Samuel and 17

Claudius worked together in church matters, and one evening Claudius asked Samuel why he had never invited him to his home for lodging. Samuel explained that his wife and children were not interested in becoming members of the church and that is why he always took Claudius to lodge elsewhere. Claudius told Samuel that if he would invite him to his home, he promised him that everyone in his family would embrace the gospel, and live to see Zion. Susannah met Claudius on one of these occasions when he stayed at the Neslen home. On 20 May 1852, Eunice was baptized, and on 31 July 1852, Claudius baptized Susannah, age 22, and six of her brothers and sisters. Susannah's brother Robert who was a Wesleyan Methodist minister and her youngest sister, Hannah, were baptized the following November. When Claudius made preparations to leave England after the completion of his mission, the Neslen family also made preparations to leave for "Zion." Eunice was given a blessing and promised that every member of her family would reach the Salt Lake Valley alive. Eunice had a gift of nursing, which would be put to good use while traveling across the ocean and crossing the plains. Samuel sold seven houses, a schooner, and his large stock of goods, and gave Claudius 170 gold sovereigns to pay for 43 of the poorer saints to travel to the Salt Lake Valley. Samuel, age, 46; Eunice, age 45; Susannah, age 23; Samuel, age 22; Robert, age 21; Elizabeth, age 18; Ester , age 16; Eunice, age 15; Phoebe, age 14; William, age 12; and Hannah, age 9, sailed on the Golconda, with Claudius and the King family, with whom they became very close friends. They arrived at New Orleans on 1 April 1853 and went by steamboat up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. In St. Louis, the family rested for six weeks, then moved on to Keokuk, Iowa, then on to Omaha, Nebraska, where Samuel bought oxen and a prairie schooner wagon. During the journey across the plains there had been several discussions on the topic of polygamy among Claudius, Hannah and Louisa King, and Georgiana. While traveling along the Platte River, Hannah King was riding alone in her carriage with Claudius, and Claudius asked Hannah whom Susannah (Neslen) was engaged to. Hannah replied "to you!" This caused an "excitable conversation" after which Hannah got out of the carriage and walked alone. Two weeks after their arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, on 9 October 1853, Susannah Neslen and Louisa King were both married to Claudius as plural wives in Brigham Young's office. Susannah and Louisa lived in Claudius' "cottage" with his daughter, Maria Antoinette, age 3. Susannah's first child, Susannah Eunice,called "Sweet Susie", was born on 25 May 1855, and two years later, Daniel Samuel was born on 12 June 1857. Her second son and third child, Edmund Burke, was born on 27 July 1859. By 1863, Susannah had given birth to four children, three of whom lived to maturity, and Louisa had given 18

birth to four children, of whom only one lived to maturity. 1863 also brought a new plural wife to live in the household, Matilda Price, who had emigrated from England in 1861. Susannah's second daughter, Claudia Victoria, was born on 15 September 1863, but the infant lived only twelve months and died on 8 September 1864. Her son Joseph Smith was born on 28 January 1866 and only lived ten months, dying on 16 November 1866. Her last child, John Van Cott, was born on 8 May 1868 and lived sixteen months, dying on 11 September 1869. The Spencer House was busy; with thirteen residents listed in the 1870 census, but a change soon would occur. During the 1870 October General Conference of the church, Susannah's brother Robert was called on a mission to England. His wife, Eleanor Stevens Neslen had died on 5 April 1870, leaving Robert with four children to raise, Eleanor, age 10; Samuel, age 6; Florence, age 4 and Richard, age 1. Susannah, age 40, left the Spencer House with her children, Susie, age 15; Dan, age 13; and Burke, age 11, to help raise Robert's children. "Aunt Susannah," as she became known, probably moved into Robert's home at 313 Third Avenue. Robert returned from his mission in 1871, and Susannah remained with him to help with the children until he married his second wife, Eliza Saville, on 28 August 1871. After Robert's marriage, Susannah remained living apart from Claudius. She lived at 136 D Street in 1889, 413 Third Avenue in 1893, and 224 E Street, in 1894, all within a block of her brother Robert and her father Samuel. In Susannah's obituary, it was written that she was a very nurturing, kind individual, totally devoted to her children. In 1882, "Aunt Susannah," age 52, was again needed to nurture, this time for a grandchild. Susannah's daughter, Suzie, age 17, married Edgar B. Marden, 26 August 1872. She had two children born in Salt Lake City by Edgar: a son named Edgar born 29 July 1874 who lived two months, and a daughter named Frances "Frankie", who was born 26 January 1876. On 4 April 1880, Susie married her second husband, John Holt Rice II, in Silver Reef, Washington County, Utah. She had two more children: Judith, born on 28 November 1880, and a son named John Holt Rice III, born on 29 September 1882. After her fourth child's birth, Susie contracted typhoid fever, and Susannah nursed her. The baby died on 21 October 1882 at one month, and Susie died at the home of her mother on 2 November 1882, age 27. Susie's husband John was in no position to take care of the children, so Susannah's sister, Hannah, and her husband, John Sharp, Jr., took care of Frankie, and became her guardians. Judith, age 2, remained with Susannah. Susie's husband, John Rice later died in Tombstone, Arizona, on 10 December 1885. Susannah's son Daniel Samuel was not yet married, and Susannah, age 65, who was raising Judith, had Daniel Samuel made guardian of Judith, on 21 December 1885. 19

Susannah, age 70, died at her home at 224 E Street, on 26 March 1900. After Susannah's death, Judith lived for a while with Daniel Samuel and his wife Margaret Crismon. Tributes were written about Susannah in her obituary for the Deseret News, 27 March 1900 and also the Millennial Star, 26 April 1900. "In the broad field of womanhood she lived quietly and unostentatiously, scattering seeds of kindness wherever she went and benefitting all with whom she came in contact. It may be truly said of her that the world is better for her having lived. Her death is a distinct loss to the community. Her last moments were simply a reflex of the beautiful life she lived and she passed away while pronouncing benedictions on the heads of her children and testifying to the divinity of the Latter-day faith of which she has been so true an exponent."

Children
l Susannah Eunice "Sweet Susie" Born 25 May 1855, Salt Lake City, Utah Married (1) Edgar B. Marden 25 May 1872, Salt Lake City, Utah (2) John Holt Rice III 4 April 1880, Silver Reef, Utah Died 2 Nov 1882, Salt Lake City, Utah age 27

Daniel Samuel Born 12 June 1857, Salt Lake City, Utah Married Margaret Louise Crismon 9 Nov 1887 Logan Temple Died 26 June 1934, Salt Lake City, Utah age 77 Chief Passenger Agent Union Pacific Rail Road Chief Passenger Agent Oregon Shortline Rail Road

Edmund Burke "Burke" Born 27 July 1859, Salt Lake City, Utah Married Virginia Mary Thatcher 27 July 1881 Endowment House Died 29 Aug 1928, San Francisco, California age 69 Telegrapher Telegrapher Western Union Telegraph Company

20

4 brant Claudia Victoria Born 15 Sept 1863, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 8 Sept 1864 age 12 months

5
Infant

Joseph Smith Born 28 Jan 1866, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 16 Nov 1866 age 10 months

6 m John Van Cott Born 8 May 1868, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 11 Sept 1869 age 16 months

Sources: Research of John and Debbie AuWerter, John a descendent of Susannah Neslen

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Mtmiafw PRice
In the bustling town of Birmingham, Warwick County, England, Matilda Price was born on 26 February 1843. Her father, Edward Price (1811-1875), was a coachman and later owned his business of coaches. In the 1849 Pigots Directory of Birmingham, Edward is listed as a car proprietor. In Birmingham, a town known for inventions and craftsmen, transportation played a vital role in the economic system. Matilda's mother, Matilda Lawrence (1821-1864), had learned the skill of millinery from her grandmother, Hannah Langston, who raised her after her mother died when Matilda Lawrence was two years old. Young Matilda was the third child born in the family of sixteen children and the first to survive to maturity. Her mother, Matilda Lawrence, had two sets of twins. In the fall of 1842, Matilda Lawrence was invited by her aunt, Caroline Langston, to hear the L.D.S missionaries preach in Birmingham on a Sunday evening. Caroline told her, "They claim to have revelations and communications with angels." Matilda Lawrence replied, "Maybe they are some of the false prophets the Bible tells will come in the last days." When Matilda Lawrence saw the preacher come to the pulpit, she recognized the place and missionary from a dream she previously had. She said, "As soon as I saw the preacher come into to the pulpit, my dream all came back to me. . . . It was the same place, the same voice and every word was the same as I had heard in my dream. I sat there enraptured, listening, wondering at the strong coincidence." Matilda Lawrence went several times to hear the new doctrine the missionary was preaching and "every time felt more convinced that it was the true church." On 8 December 1842, Matilda Lawrence Price, seven months pregnant with Matilda, was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Birmingham Canal. Two years later, Edward followed his wife in baptism on 11 August 1844. In 1844, Birmingham had fourteen branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with 668 members. Edward and Matilda Lawrence Price attended the Livery Street meeting chapel, two blocks from their home. Birmingham was situated on the road between Liverpool and London, and the Price home became a place for missionaries to stay when lodging was needed. During this time, the family became acquainted with Daniel Spencer Jr. and Claudius V. Spencer, who 22

were both serving missions in England. In 1855, when young Matilda was age 12, her parents made plans to emigrate to Utah with their children, which included at this time: Lorenzo, age 9; Isabelle, age 8; Agnes, age 6; Walter, age 5; Louisa age 3; and Rosina, age 1. Edward borrowed money from bondsmen to help some of their friends, who were in need of financial help and when their friends didn't pay back the money, Edward lost his coachman business, his home and the servant help for the children, and moved back into the city into a smaller home. Matilda Lawrence Price helped to support the family by doing millinery work in the home, and no doubt that young Matilda honed her millinery skills in helping. An addition to the family came in 1856 with the birth of Albert. Tragedy struck the family once more during the small pox epidemic of 1857, when within sixteen days three of their children died. Louisa, age 5, died on 25 November 1857; Rosina, age 3, died on 10 December 1857; and Albert, 17 months, died on 11 December 1857. The family again made preparations to emigrate four years later. In 1861, Matilda, age 18, sailed from the Mersey Docks in Liverpool on 23 April 1861 on the ship Underwriter, with 624 Mormon saints on board bound for New York City. It was the family's intent, that Matilda go to the Salt Lake Valley and prepare a place for the Price family to live when they would emigrate in 1862. Matilda traveled in company with three other single women. Her ship passage was relatively fast, and Matilda arrived in New York on 21 May 1861. She traveled by train to St. Joseph, Missouri, then by steamboat up the Missouri River to Florence, Nebraska. At this time, Claudius Spencer was helping Jacob Gates, the emigration agent, to outfit the saints for the trek west, and Matilda was reacquainted with Claudius in Florence, Nebraska. Claudius offered her a job to work in his Spencer home in Salt Lake City. She left for the Utah Territory on 25 June 1861 in the Homer Duncan Pioneer Company, and she arrived in Salt Lake City on 13 September 1861. Matilda stayed at George and Mary Ann Taysum Bourne's home. Mary Ann was a dear friend of Matilda Lawrence Price in Birmingham, and had immigrated to Salt Lake City in 1855. While staying with the Bourne's, Matilda worked in the Spencer home, cooking and doing millinery work and looked for a location where her family could live when they emigrated the following year in 1862. Matilda was known for her gentle disposition and her lovely singing voice and often sang at church activities. Matilda's family sailed from Liverpool on 13 May 1862 on the ship William Tapscott with 807 Mormon emigrants. Edward, age 51; Matilda, age 41; Lorenzo, age 16; Isabelle, age 15; Agnes, age 13; Walter, age 12; Arlinda, age 4; and Eli, age 15 months, arrived in St. Joseph, Missouri on 4 July 1862 and traveled in the Horton-Haight Pioneer Company to Salt Lake City. On Sunday morning, 19 October 1862, 23

Matilda received word that the wagon company had entered Emigration Canyon. Matilda was so excited to see her family that she had George Bourne drive her up the canyon where she greeted her family. She put her mother and young Eli in the buggy and took them ahead to the city. The family stayed with George and Mary Ann for two weeks until their rented adobe log home was ready. The following year, Matilda was married to Claudius V. Spencer as his fifth wife on 7 February 1863 in the Endowment House by Brigham Young. She joined Louisa King and Susannah Neslen as plural wives. Matilda's mother died in 1864 giving birth to her sixteenth child. The baby, William Lawrence Price, was born on 19 January 1864, and Matilda Lawrence Price died two days later. William was given to John and Elizabeth Frost to raise, and Matilda's sister Agnes moved back to live with Mary Ann Bourne. After three years, Agnes moved in with Matilda in the Spencer house, where she met her future husband, who was working for Claudius. Four months following her mother's death, Matilda had her first child, Edwin Forrest, on 26 May 1864, but he only lived 4 V months and died on 10 October 1864. Her second son was born the z following year on 16 October 1865, and was named William Samuel. They called him "Will". Matilda gave birth to her only daughter on 14 March 1868. They named her Maud Isabella and called her "Beth." Two months following Maud's birth, Claudius' wife, Susannah gave birth to her son, John. Both Matilda and Susannah lost their infants. Susannah's John died on 11 September 1869 and Matilda's "Beth" died on 18 September 1869. Matilda had two more children: George Sterling, born on 13 October 1870, and Edward Price, born on 23 June 1873. The 1880's brought trials to the Spencer household concerning polygamy. When Claudius was arrested and brought to trial on 1 May 1885, he stated at his court proceedings that to protect him, it had been Matilda's suggestion that they live by the Edmunds Law that was passed in 1882. This meant Matilda would sever all social and marital relations with Claudius. She ate with the hired help in the kitchen. Following his conviction of cohabitation, the family suffered disgrace and sorrow as the family broke apart. There was much publicity about Claudius' trial in the newspapers. Matilda was angered by one of the articles titled, "Pity and Shame" that was published in the Deseret News, on 2 May 1885. She wrote a rebuttal article published in The Herald defending Claudius. Matilda stated: Mr. Spencer has never treated me as a menial. He and his family have tried to live polygamy in honor, virtue, and unity.... He plead on the witness stand what I insisted upon at the enactment of the Edmunds Law... .1 was satisfied to live in the love and
24

esteem of his heart and in that of his noble, patient, peacemaking wife, (Louisa) .. .1 have lived in Mr. Spencer's family long enough to have every member of the family held by me in as tender affection as I hold my own children, and I say "Judge not, least he be judged," but let Him whose right it is to judge , when we stand before the bar of God to answer for the deeds done in the body. Following the trial and publicity, Matilda, age 41; William, age 20; George, age 15; and Edward age 12 moved from the Spencer household. For the next five years, it seems possible that Matilda moved to Almo, Idaho so she could be out of sight of federal officials and have a place to live. Claudius Victor Jr. was starting a farm in Almo, near his uncle, Thomas King, who had a dairy farm in the area. In 1889, the Manifesto was issued by L.D.S. Church President Wilford Woodruff, which stated that plural marriage among the Mormons would cease, and, in turn, the federal government moved away from arrests and prosecutions of those involved in plural marriage. Related to these events, Matilda arrived back in Salt Lake City in 1890, where she lived for a short time with her three sons and William's new wife, Emily Brazier, at 174 East Second South near the residence of her husband Claudius, who resided at 127 Social Hall Avenue with Louisa and their sons. In 1893 Matilda began working as the Superintendent of the Woman's Co-op Mercantile and Manufacturing Company, located at 63 East 1st South. This was an organization "to teach young women a useful trade in an environment approved of by their parents." Matilda undoubtedly taught her skills of millinery work as she supervised the work room. She had this job for two years. Matilda's main residence became a home on the corner of Social Hall Avenue and 2nd East, where Claudius made arrangements for her to live and also take in boarders. Her brother, Walter Lawrence Price, who took over the Price produce business upon the death of Matilda's father, supplied Matilda with much of the produce that she needed for her boarding house. Over the next thirty-five years following 1885, Matilda exemplified her gentle disposition, her devotion and unselfishness by being of service to her family and neighbors. She experienced both happiness and sadness in her life. Her son George, age 24, married Fanny Elizabeth Ostler on 11 April 1894, and on 20 July 1898, Edward died at the age of 25. In 1900, tragedy struck George and Fanny with the death of their three children from the typhoid and whooping cough epidemic: Orson, age 2; and twins Laura Matilda and Louisa Ruth, age 7 months. Matilda had George and Fanny live with her until they felt ready to start a new life. William Samuel was often out of Salt Lake City following his profession as a telegrapher. On occasion, Matilda lived with Nellie, William's second wife, and her three children to help while Nellie studied stenography. After William died in 1908, Matilda had Nellie and her children, 25

Richard, Robin and Patsy, live in her home. Claudius' health began to deteriorate in 1908, so Matilda gave up her residence at 32 2nd East. She moved to live with Claudius and Louisa on Social Hall Avenue, to assist Louisa in the care of their husband. Matilda was in Burley, Idaho, in December 1809, helping Louisa's son Jacob and his family, when she received word to return to Salt Lake City because Claudius was nearing death. Claudius died on 5 January 1910. Following Claudius' death, Matilda and Louisa lived out their widowhood together until Louisa's death two years later, on 25 January 1912. George was Matilda's only surviving child. She lived numerous times with his family in Forest Dale in the Sugar House area of Salt Lake City. George arranged for her to live in the home next door to his family at 826 Ashton Avenue with her companion Jeanette Rudellate, who had boarded at Matilda's home. Matilda spent many enjoyable years on Ashton Avenue, associating with her grandchildren and spending time with them at their summer home at the Pines on the upper Weber River. The last year of Matilda's life was spent living with her sister, Isabelle, who was also a widow, and with Jeannette at Isabelle's home. Matilda, age 77, died there on 16 July 1920.

Children
1
Infant

Edwin Forrest Born 26 May 1864, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 10 Oct 1864 age 4 Vi months

William Samuel "Will" Born 16 Oct 1865, Salt Lake City, Utah Married (1) Emily Jane Brazier 28 Nov 1889, Salt Lake City, Utah (2) Nellie Catharine Tiemey, date and place unknown Died 19 Nov 1908, El Paso, Texas age 43 Telegrapher Union Pacific Rail Road Telegrapher Denver & Rio Grande Rail Road

Infant

Maud Isabella "Beth" Born 14 March 1868, Salt Lake City, Utah Died 18 Sept 1869 age 18 months 26

George Sterling Born 13 Oct 1870, Salt Lake City, Utah Married Fanny Elizabeth Ostler, 11 April 1894, Salt Lake Temple Died 31 May 1957, Salt Lake City, Utah age 87 Clerk, Pacific Express Company Vice President Zions Savings Bank

Edward Price Born 23 June 1873, Salt Lake City, Utah Not married Died 20 July 1898, Salt Lake City, Utah age 25 Telegrapher Union Pacific Rail Road

Sources: Research of Claudia Spencer Sadler

27