Emma Twiggs, the daughter of William and Mary (Reed) Twigg, was born March 9, 1850 at Rickeston
Mill, Roch Parish, Pembroke, Wales . Her father died in January of 1854, and in November of
that year joined with her mother, uncle, aunt, and siblings and sailed to
America on the Clara Wheeler when four years of age. [To see the account
of this voyage see the history of her mother Mary Reed Twigg].
She was orphaned at the age of five when her mother died in Mormon
Grove, Kansas en route to Utah . Her uncle and aunt, John and Martha Twigg,
brought her and her brother across the plains to Salt Lake City in 1855 and settled in the
Seventh Ward, where she was baptized in 1858 as a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. Never were children loved more by their own
parents than they were by their aunt and uncle. She became acquainted with John
Gabbott, and they were married on May 2, 1868 in the Endownment House in Salt
Lake City by Heber C. Kimball.
John Gabbott was born October 4,
1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois,
the son of Edward and Sarah (Rigby) Gabbott who had
been baptized in 1838 into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by
Heber C. Kimball in Leyland, Lancashire, England, and immigrated to America, arriving in Nauvoo, Illinois
in 1841. After the murder of the Prophet Joseph Smith by a mob in Carthage, Illinois
in 1844, the persecution against the Mormons intensified and they were forced
to leave their homes in Nauvoo in the winter of 1846.
On the journey across Iowa,
John’s mother was attempting to get into the wagon and fell backwards
frightening the team, and she was run over and killed. This was on October 30,
1846. They remained one year at a place called Little Pigeon Creek on the
Missouri River near Council Bluffs,
Iowa. In the spring of 1848 they
made their way westward, arriving in Heber C. Kimball’s Company to Salt Lake City on
September 22, 1848, settling in the Seventh Ward, but prior to that lived in
the Fort, where John’s father built an adobe house of one room, covered with poles,
canes and earth, but having no floor. In this humble home they spent the first
two winters.
The first school John attended was in the fort, but
afterwards went to the Seventh
District School ,
attending school in the winter season, and in the summer he worked with his
father on the farm. John wrote, “Events of interest to children in those times
were the training days of the Nauvoo Legion and the celebrations of the Fourth
and Twenty-Fourth of July. I remember also the riot on Christmas day. I think it
was 1855, between the citizens and the soldiers of Colonel Steptoe’s command. I
was on Main Street
at the time and saw the soldiers fire on the crowd
across the street.” In 1851, John was baptized in the church, and was ordained
a deacon when about thirteen or fourteen years of age. In 1858 the family moved
south because of the encroachment of the United States Army under General
Johnston being sent toward Utah to put down the so-called “Mormon Rebellion” in
1857. But since the army was stopped from entering Salt Lake Valley, the Gabbott’s
returned to their home in July of 1858.
On June 27, 1859 , John was
ordained an elder in the Endowment House, and received his endowments the same
day. John taught one term of school in the Ninth Ward in 1861. In the summer of
1866 John went on an expedition against the Indians who were hostile at that
time. “On June 11, 1866 ,” John stated, “I started
with General Daniel H. Wells and escort for Sanpete county, where I spent six
weeks of that summer in the Blackhawk Indian war. We assisted the people of
Circleville on the Upper Sevier to remove to Sanpete County
for safety from the Indians.”
When at home, John was occupied with
farming, teaming, wood hauling, and canyon work. In the fall of that
year John’s father moved a part of his family to his farm in Sugar House Ward
in a house that he had built to give John when he married. As before mentioned,
John married Emma Twiggs on May 2, 1868. John wrote, “I took my wife to the
house on the farm in Sugarhouse Ward where we lived until the fall (October
conference) of the same year when we were called to go on a mission to the
“Muddy” in Nevada
to assist in building up that section of country.” It was Brigham Young who set
them apart for their mission.
On the way to Muddy Waters they were stopped by an Indian
who wanted Emma as his wife, but John explained to him that she was his wife.
He gave the Indian a gold coin and he left in peace. They remained there until
in the spring of 1869 the government selected that area to be an Indian
reservation and so they returned to Seventh Ward in Salt Lake
and lived with her uncle John Twiggs, where their first child, Sarah Ellen, was
born on May 14, 1869.
“The following year, when having exchanged property with my
father, we moved into our new house in 7th Ward,” John wrote. This
home was on the northwest corner of First
Street West in Salt Lake.
“While we lived there we were blessed with two sons, William Edward, born
September 25, 1870, and John Twigg, born October 9,
1872. Being by occupation a farmer owning land in the “Big Field” in Sugarhouse
Ward, we concluded we would build on our land, so on August 10, 1874 we entered
our new home, Brother (John) Twiggs’ building also on his lot adjoining us.
Here our fourth child was born, Martha, born October 4, 1875, being a birthday
present on my 33rd year.”
In 1877 the Presidency of the church requested for all of
the members to renew their covenants and live nearer the Lord, and John was
re-baptized on July 26 of that year and Emma in August. On the same day he was
re-baptized, John was ordained a high priest by Daniel H. Wells and was set
apart as second counselor of Farmers Ward (newly formed when Sugarhouse Ward as
divided), and on September 12, 1886 was appointed as first counselor, a position
he held for many years. Besides working his farm, on which he raised asparagus,
John also served as Justice of the Peace and from 1876 to 1895 was elected as
school trustee of 40th District. John wrote in his journal, “I pass
over one year, the time being taken up in the cares of life providing the
necessaries of life for our family, building, improving, etc., striving to lay
a foundation for a future independence in regard to this world’s goods, looking
forward to the time when myself and Emma would not have to labor so hard and
would live in peace and comfort. Alas! For worldly hopes and
aspirations.
I now approach a time when the great sorrow of my life takes
place” On October 20, 1878, Emma was churning butter when she called out for
her six year old son, John, to fetch his father. He did so and Emma was taken
to the bedroom. John wrote, “My wife and sharer of my joys and sorrows who had
labored so hard and faithfully for her family was stricken with pneumonia and
was delivered of a still born child being within two and one half months of her
time.” Emma passed away at 6:45 am on October 22, 1878. “Oh what misery of that
moment,” John continued. “She died in my arms unconscious. As her spirit was
leaving her body I kissed her cold lips and bid her good-bye until we should
meet again. And at that very moment I received the assurance as though her
spirit whispered to mine that it was all well with her and know if I am
faithful we shall meet again never more to part, for she was sealed to me for
time and eternity by God’s servants on the earth, holding the ever lasting
priesthood. She will come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, for
that is the promise to the Saints of God who are sealed in the new and
everlasting covenant and keep their covenants they have made with God. May I
prove faithful and true to my God that I may be worthy to meet her in that
world where sin and death can never come.” Emma was
buried with her baby on October 24, 1878 in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
The year following Emma’s death was taken up with business
as school trustee and being elected water master for the ensuing year, which
pertained to the water ditches known as the Turnbow
ditch. John married on March 27, 1879 in the Endownment
House to Olive Raymond Crossgrove, daughter of
Charles and Theresa (Raymond) Crossgrove, born March
31, 1845 in Centerville, New Castle County, Delaware.
Several excerpts from John’s journal during 1879 read: May 6: “Great
demonstration of respect to Daniel H. Wells on his return from prison where he
had been incarcerated for refusing to answer certain questions in relation to
the clothes worn in the Endownment House in the trial
of John Miles for polygamy. June 12: “The first heavy rain storm since the
middle of April which will be of great value to the farmers as the mountain
streams have become very low as low as they have been for twenty years. We have
cause to be thankful and praise God for all his mercies.” July 4: “Independence
Day. Very warm weather. Spent the
day at home.” July 5 & 6: Attended Quarterly Conference of Salt Lake Stake
of Zion. July
17: “Commenced to harvest wheat.” August 3: “Attended the funeral service of
Elder Joseph Standing who was killed by a mob in the state of Georgia while
performing a mission to that state. The service was held in the large
Tabernacle, Salt Lake City.
President John Taylor and George Q. Cannon preaching the funeral discourse.”
August 7: “My oldest son William was baptized by Jacob Peart.
Brother (John) Twiggs being mouth at the confirmation.” Sept. 1: “Commenced to
cut and haul corn.” Oct 22: “One year today since Emma my wife died. Oh, Emma
my darling, I will never forget you but look forward to a joyful reunion with
you when my life work is done. May God spare my life so that I shall rear our
children to man and womanhood.” Oct. 24: “Finished
harvesting potatoes, but a light crop – 100 bushels per acre.” Nov. 27:
“Thanksgiving Day but very little moisture in the ground yet this season.
1880 started out a bad month for John. He wrote in his
journal: Jan 8: “Heavy snows have fallen during the last month. Prospects for water good next season. Martha (his four-year-old
daughter) taken sick this morning, very severe
headache.” Jan 15: “Martha been very sick, some kind of fever, some better today,
think the worst is past.” Jan 18: Martha taken worse last night, high fever,
restless, appears to be on her lungs.” Jan 22: “Martha died at 45 minutes past
4 o’clock today, afternoon. I will here record a few of her last words during
the night before she died. She talked of her playthings, of her brothers and
sister, requested her father to bend down for ‘I want to tiss
papa’ she had done many so repeatedly. ‘Papa is a good man,
he buys me everything I want.’ She also called her ‘Mama’ (stepmother) and
throwing her arms around her neck as she had done mine, kissed her. ‘Me loves
papa and mama’ seeming to have an intuition that we were about to part.
I will here record a phenomona
that I witnessed shortly after listening to the words above and saw that a
change for the worse had taken place. It was between three and four o’clock in
the morning. I went out of the house to call Brother and Sister Twiggs and as I
stood for a few moments by the corner of the coal house with my back to the
house there seemed as though a light burst forth illuminating the surroundings
for a certain distance from me. The center of the light appeared to be behind
me. I turned my head quickly to ascertain the cause and it seemed to me that it
settled down upon the house. The night was dark, sky overcast with misty
clouds, it being calm and very cold. After the occurrence I looked about to see
if I could see anything that would rise to the light that I had seen. There was
no noise, it did not seem like a meteor in that a meteor lights only one
portion of the heavens while this light was on the earth lighting up the whole
circumference within the range of my vision, and as the center was behind me I
suppose the circle was complete. I do not pretend to say what it was. I have
all my life been skeptical in regard to spiritual manifestations, although I
have sat and listened to my father tell what he had seen and heard from time to
time again, yet I always doubted the existence of such things. Since the death
of my wife I have had a desire to see her on some manifestation of presence and
in my disappointment I have said that I did not believe that I could see
anything, my mind not being spiritual enough. Although I have had dreams which
interpreted were warnings to me both before my wife’s death and after. I will
here record one that I had shortly after my wife’s death, in regard to my
little daughter who has just died. She being in delicate health very often, I
was solicitous about her as whenever she would catch cold. It always settled on
her lungs. I dreamed that I saw her, her mother and father (who was also dead)
in the same bed together. I could never banish that dream from my mind. In
regard to the light that I saw, I interpreted it to mean first that there was such things, second that when we die some of our friends
come to accompany us to our Father in Heaven. Third, that although my little
girl was about to leave me she would go to a more bright and glorious sphere
than this on which we dwell and was sent as a comfort to me that I might know
that all was well with her, she having gone to her mother, all was well.”
During the coming year John sowed barley, planted potatoes,
corn, cabbage, turnips and parsnips, and since his fall wheat had been winter
killed he commenced to plow and resow wheat. On
October 2, 1880 John was elected delegate to the territorial Democratic
convention to nominate a delegate to represent Utah in the United States Congress, and four
days later was present at the Semi-Annual Conference for the church when the first
presidency was organized with John Taylor as President, with George Q. Cannon
and Joseph F. Smith as Counselors. Wilford Woodruff
was sustained President of the Quorum of the Twelve. On May 21 his wife Olive,
who had been suffering from heart disease since the birth of their daughter
Emma in January of 1886, was stricken with paralysis, losing the use of her
limbs of the left side and was confined to her bed for five weeks. She then
recovered somewhat so as to be able to sit up in her chair and move about the
room a little with assistance. “We felt encouraged,” John wrote, “and hoped
that she would regain her strength although knowing the serious nature of her
complaint, we scarcely dared to hope.”
On May 24th at twenty minutes past ten in the
evening, John’s next door neighbor John Twiggs died. “He was my first wife’s
uncle and foster father. He had not enjoyed good health for 20 years. His wife
survives him. It was their habit, while my wife was sick to come over in the
evening and stay til bed time. The evening of his
death they stayed till 9:15. Went home apparently in his usual health, although
not feeling well, was taken with pain in his side, supposed to be his heart and
died before his wife realized that death was so near.”
On July 4, 1888, Olive, while sitting in her chair tasting a
little ice cream was taken with another attack and stricken with
unconsciousness and remained so until she died on the morning of the following
day. John wrote, “Thus twice in my life have I been called upon to lay in the
grave a dear and beloved wife. Why is it that we should part? We lived together
in perfect harmony. Our tastes being alike and nobly she performed the part of
a mother to the children left by my first wife now four little children are
left by her to be cared for by my daughter who will I hope be able to pay the
debt, love and kindness which my first wife’s children ever received at her
hands. What are the joys of this life? Nothing. It is
a continual struggle with labor, sickness and death. If it was not for the hope
we have of another and better existence our life here would be almost
unendurable. But we hope if faithful to meet my loved ones when our work is
done in this probation, but how lonesome I am, how little there is in life to
live for; but our children must be cared for and I realize that there is a duty
in this regard that must be attended to.”
In February 1891 John served on a committee to secure plans
to purchase a lot and build a meeting house for the Latter-day Saints of
Farmers Ward. The work was commenced in the spring of 1891 and ready for use by
the first of September. The cost of the building and furnishings was about
$6,500. John and William Wagstaff were also charged
with erecting a new school building that was completed in August of 1892. John
later engaged in gardening and in the nursery business. On January 28, 1900,
John took part in the organization of the Granite Stake, with which Farmers
Ward became connected. John died November 10, 1926 at his home at 1548 South West Temple Street
in Salt Lake City.
