Elizabeth Anderton Shipley
Written by Laura Walker Ritchie
from information obtained from her Mother,
"Nettie" Nancy Shipley Walker
Additions and/or corrections by
Elizabeth's Great Granddaughter
Bonnie Madge Shipley

Elizabeth Anderton was born at Wigan,Lancashire,England the 22 of December, 1828. She was the daughter of John Anderton and Nancy Holland Lyon. Nancy had previously married Henry Ashurst and had one son named Henry Ashurst. The young husband had been accidentally killed in a coal pit soon after the birth of their baby, and the young widow had become the wife of John Anderton 26 April 1826. By this union she had three boys and three girls. All the boys died as infants except one that lived to be about twelve years of age. One sister Margaret also died in infancy. This left Elizabeth and her sister Grace when their mother died sometime before 31 May 1838 when their father married Mary Leather. Mary gave birth to six sons but only four are mentioned as visiting Elizabeth when she lived in Utah later. They were named Jim Levi, William and Tom. Their real names were James, William, Levi and Thomas Anderton. There was also Richard and Peter Anderton. Five of the half brothers lived and died in Utah while Peter died in Wyoming. Elizabeth helped raise these boys and also worked in a factory in England until she was 26 years of age.

Elizabeth was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 24 of December 1850 in her native town of Wigan Lancashire England. Her Grandmother Leather also joined the church at this time. Elder John Taylor was doing missionary work here. The Elders traveled without purse or script and depended entirely upon the people for food and clothes. The young people in this section gave entertainment's such as theaters and concerts to raise money to help with the expenses of this branch of the Church. At one time they raised money enough to buy Brother Taylor a new suit of clothes. Elizabeth was quite a talented young lady, with a good voice and she took much pleasure using this gift for the benefit and blessing of others.

The 1851 Census find the family of John and Mary Leather Anderton living in Wigan on Lyon Street. The Census lists John and Mary and five sons. Levi wouldn’t of been born yet and the where abouts of the others is unknown to me.  In this same Census we find the family of Robert and Alice Leather as living at 66 Margaret Street in Ashton-Under-Lyne. Elizabeth Anderton age 22 is shown as a lodger with a two year old daughter Margaret Anderton. In one source it says Robert and Alice are Mary’s brother and sister-in-law. In some accounts it says Elizabeth was married but she still was using the Anderton name as was Margaret and there is no mention of a husband.

Even though Grace didn’t join the church, she later emigrated to Gerardville, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, from where she often wrote to Elizabeth, until her death on 19 January 1895. In one account it says she married a Richard Haywood. How she got to Pennsylvania I do not know. Mary Leather Anderton also lived in Pennsylvania and died their.

When Elizabeth decided to come to Zion, her father followed her to the train and held her hand through the window as long as he could. He told her she would be like Joseph, sold into Egypt. Elizabeth and her daughter Margaret sailed on the ship ELVIRA OWEN which was built in1852 by R. Morse & Sons at Bath, Maine. Elder Joseph W. Young, who had presided over the Preston Conference of the Mormon Church in England, was placed in charge of 345 Saints aboard the ship Elvira Owen. Among the passengers was Elder Jonathan Midgley, who had presided over the Manchester Conference. The newly built vessel sailed from Liverpool on 15 February 1853. The passage was relatively fast, and thirty-six days later Captain Charles Owen brought his square-rigger to the bar at the mouth of the Mississippi.

During the voyage smallpox broke out on board but was contained. Fortunately the disease was not fatal to any of its victims. However, there were three deaths from other causes, three marriages, and three births. Captain Owen, a quarter-owner of the ship, was especially kind to the passengers-particularly the sick. In appreciation for "his fatherly conduct to all," the Saints presented him with a memorial. After a delay of several days off New Orleans the emigrants landed on 31 March 1853. Elizabeth became lost when they got off the boat and, in her fright, hid with her little girl in a barrel on the docks until her friends found her there.

Elizabeth cooked for the teamsters to earn her way across the plains. Her little daughter Margaret was allowed to ride as she wore a brace on one foot. Elizabeth walked the entire way across the plains, picking up buffalo chips and sticks, carrying them in her apron to make the fires for meal cooking. One night, while waiting for bread to bake, she was thinking of her folks at home, she was startled hearing someone near, looking up she saw an Indian standing there. He showed her his foot, which was full of burs. She made signs for him to sit down and she helped him get them out. Then she washed his foot, put salve on it and wrapped it up for him. Next morning he came to the tent where the girls were and called several times "Wina Squaw" . Each girl went to see what he wanted but he said "You no Wina Squaw". After they had all but Elizabeth been to the window, one of the girls said "Elizabeth, it’s you he wants to see", so she went to the window, and was afraid but, he gave her a pair of beautiful beaded moccasins. These she kept for many years.

Upon arrival in the Salt Lake Valley she made her home and worked in the family of Levi Willard Richards. Here she became acquainted with Joseph Shipley. who also worked for Brother Richards. She was a quiet girl, a stranger in a strange land. Joseph was fifteen years her senior, The sad experiences through which he had passed, gave him a tender feeling for the homeless girl. Her health had not been good and she had faith that if she could be baptized her health would return. On the 5^th of January 1854 Brother Richards asked Joseph to take Elizabeth up to City Creek, break the ice end baptize her. After this was done, they came back home, changed their frozen clothing and were made warm and comfortable Brother Richards told them to stand up together and he would marry them. This was quite a shock to Elizabeth, she hesitated. She wondered if she wanted to become the wife of this man, though she had the greatest respect for him. Brother Richards seeing this hesitancy told her if she would marry this man, do her duty and be true to him, she would never regret it. They were married and lived a long, happy and useful life together.

They made their home In Salt lake for a few years, then moved to Brigham City, Box Elder County Utah in 1857, and later to American Fork, Utah, where they spent the remainder of their lives, except for a short time they lived at Provo, Utah where the couple ran a boarding house and Elizabeth cooked for the Brigham Young Academy students. Joseph owned his own farm and for many years was a successful farmer. They were both short and chubby in build, pleasant in disposition and were loved and respected by a host of neighbors and friends. They had twelve children, ten of them lived to maturity and married.

Elizabeth found her mission in life through her Patriarchal Blessing. She was promised if she would strive for it she would be a blessing to all those who were associated with her and her heart should be touched with understanding and light up as a candle and she would be able to minister comfort to those that were afflicted. She was also promised that under her ministration the sick should be healed and they would rise up and call her blessed and as she ministered to their wants they would administer to her needs. Besides taking care of her own family many hours were spent taking care of the sick, for miles around people came for her. One time the doctors had given up on a lady who's leg was covered with 6 nasty sores. They sent for her. she prayed to the Lord to know what to do. A voice said "put wood ashes on it,"' she did and it was healed.

Elizabeth had many talents and all through her life she cultivated them. One of her talents was cooking. She knew how to cook meat just right. Her noodles and dumplings were a favorite with her children and grandchildren.

Elizabeth was thankful for everything she had and she never missed an opportunity to thank her Heavenly Father. When she got her first feather tick for her bed she was so thankful and while she was thanking her Heavenly Father a voice said, "The Lord accepts a grateful heart", and as she looked up at the ceiling she saw an eye.

Elizabeth and Joseph went through the hardships of the early pioneer days. She said one Christmas Eve she didn’t have a thing for Santa Claus to bring the children. As she sat by the fire wondering what she could do, a knock came on the door. It was one of her kind neighbors. He said, "We wondered if you could use a little lard." With some of that lard, a few apples and a little sugar she made some apple turnovers and that was what Santa brought the children.

Elizabeth’s first home in American Fork was made of logs. Later Joseph built a two-story home on the same lot. The bedrooms were upstairs. As Elizabeth was coming down the stairs one morning she fell from the top step to the bottom, breaking her neck. When she was moved, they had to lift her head on a pillow. Through her faith and prayers, she was made well again.

Elizabeth believed in keeping the Sabbath Day holy. She often used this little verse to remind her children. "A Sabbath well spent, brings a world of content and cares from the toils of the morrow - - but a Sabbath profaned, whatever is gained is a forerunner of sorrow."

In July 1890 Elizabeth went with Joseph to Manti and on the 10^th of that month they were sealed together in the Manti Temple for time and all eternity. Six of her children were sealed to them at that time and six years later on June 12, 1896 the rest of their children were sealed to them.

Elizabeth received joy and happiness in administering to the sick, teaching her children the principles of the Gospel by example and being a true helpmate to her husband Joseph. She passed away the.27 of July 1900.

Elizabeth had two Patriarchal Blessings. The first one was given February 24, 1858 (or 1854) and the second in American Fork July 26 1877. Just click your mouse on the dates to read them.

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