Fanny Smith Spilsbury (1823-1903)
Frankie Estella Spilsbury Harris' Grandmother
Fanny Smith Spilsbury was full of faith and had a deep
abiding love for the gospel. She was born Christmas Day in 1823, in
Herefordshire, England. Twenty miles away and nine months prior to her birth
her future husband George Spilsbury was born in Worcestershire, England. Fannie
was one of the five children of Richard and Tabithia Bridges Smith, who were
members of the Church of England. They had enough of this world’s goods that
Fanny received a good education. She was also well trained in other arts and
skills, such as dressmaking, millinery, needle work and cooking; she was also
an excellent business woman.
In her late teens she met George Spilsbury who had accepted
the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and filled a mission to Wales.
He invited her to go with him to some of their meetings. She was so impressed
with the beauties of the gospel that she wanted to learn more. Fanny’s mother
had recently passed away and her father was bitterly opposed to her having
anything to do with terrible, new fangled religion. However, she knew this was
the truth, and she continued to study and learn. Her boyfriend, George
Spilsbury, was an excellent teacher and she was finally baptized. This greatly
angered her father and he practically disowned her.
She was baptized at night and the ice had to be broken to
have this done and she walked home in these wet clothes and got into bed with
out her Father knowing it.
Plans were being
made for a group of newly converted saints to sail for America to be with the
body of the saints there. Shortly before they left, George and Fanny were
married and they booked a passage on the ship. Fanny was barely nineteen years
old and George not quite twenty. The ship left England, home, family and all
that life held dear to this young couple—except each other, and the gospel.
Fanny’s father had tried everything possible to get her to
give up the wild idea, he even threatened to cut her off from any inheritance.
After all of his attempts to get her to change her mind, just as they were
about to leave, he made one more attempt, for all other had failed. In March of
1843 Fanny’s father came to the wharf and gave Fanny a little gold locket. He
told her to keep it until she was sorry for her wild adventure and was ready to
come home, then, she was simply to send him the locket and he would send for
her. She embraced him warmly and then said bravely, “Thank you dear father, but
I will never be sorry.” And of course she never was, even though she was called
to endure extreme sufferings, persecutions, and dire want.
By the time they landed in New Orleans, after six weeks of
stormy sailing, all of their money was gone. Fanny had to sell some of her
lovely clothing to get money to buy food and passage on the steamboat up the
Mississippi River. They then had to stop off in St. Louis to get work so they
could earn enough money to finish the trip. After they joined with the Saints
in Nauvoo, George being an excellent bricklayer and mason went to work on the
Nauvoo temple. Fanny did her part at home helping with the work along the other
sisters.
They loved to tell their family of their great joy and
happiness, when they attended their fist meeting in the half finished Nauvoo
where they sat on planks laid on blocks of wood. All of their sorrows and
sufferings of leaving home were forgotten the first time they saw the Prophet
Joseph Smith, a man who had seen and talked with God and his son Jesus Christ.
Fanny and George felt tremendously honored and their hearts were filled with
joy and gratitude.
During the next few years, Fanny lost their first four
little girls who were buried along the way—in Nauvoo and Winter Quarters. She was one who never murmured at the
hardships and trials she passed through.
They were there when Joseph Smith was killed. They were driven with the saints from
Nauvoo. They were at the dedication of
the Nauvoo Temple and her husband helped quarry stone and build the Nauvoo
house.
She was expecting her fifth baby when they were finally
ready to start across the plains in ox-drawn wagons. One hot day on August 5,
1850 the wagons were stopped long enough for this little stranger to arrive and
then they were on their way again. The company had been without water for
several days and as they approached the Platte River the oxen were so lean that
their side almost touched for want of a drink. They seemed to smell the water
and picked up the pace until George was hardly able to keep up with them. The
oxen then left the road and made for the river, leaping down the bank and into
the river to quench their maddening thirst. As the wagon went over the bank it
turned over and the mother and babe were thrown into the water! By this time,
George and some other men of the company had rushed to the rescue and helped
them out of the water. Bishop Edward Hunter was the one that snatched the baby
from the muddy river. Holding it up by its feet, so the water could run out of
its mouth, he gave it a smart slap on the seat then shouted for men to come and
bless the baby. “Give it the name of Alma, for the Prophet in the Book of
Mormon,” Fanny called out weakly. “And to that we will add Platte, for this
river,” announced Bishop Hunter, and so the baby was blessed Alma Platte
Spilsbury.
The little family arrived in Salt Lake in September of 1850,
and lived there for nine years. Then they moved south to Draper. They were
among those called to help settle Utah’s Dixie. There they had a constant
warfare with floods, droughts, and Native Americans. They lived in several
little towns but finally settled in Toquerville where they spent the remainder
of their days. Fanny and George had seven more children, five of which they
raised, three sons and two daughters. They also raised a Native American orphan
child whose tribe had abandoned him. He lived with then all his life.
In addition to making dresses hats, and other articles for
her family and others, Fanny kept the Telegraph and Post Offices, as well as an
open house for weary travelers. She was an ardent church worker who was
connected with the Relief Society almost from its beginning. Everyone knew and
loved her. She and George received their endowments in the Nauvoo temple on
January 12, 1846 and were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake in July of
1853, where all of their children were sealed to them.
She was always ready and willing to give a helping hand to
others not so fortunate. She was a
friend to young people and many went to her for advice about their love affairs
for she seemed to understand.
She always told the story of the first meeting held to decide
who was to lead the Church. She said
everyone knew it was to be Brigham Young for his voice sounded as the Prophet
Joseph Smith’s and really she said he seemed to look like him.
Fanny was ill with cholera, they thought she was dead and
were preparing to bury her when her child was born and this saved her
life. She had been in a coma.
She passed on to her daughters the fine qualities of beauty,
art, love and romance. She left a
monument of a successful life well spent.
She stood the test of being drive from her home for religion.
Fanny died at the age of 80 in her beloved Utah’s Dixie.
Shortly before she passed away one of her granddaughters, knowing the story of
the gold locket, asked her if she had ever been sorry. Proudly showing this to
her granddaughter, she said “No, no, my dear, I have never been sorry. I have
had a good life and have never regretted the step I took so long ago.”
From her own story:
I was raised in England, my father was a well to do
squire. The household was taken care of
by a housekeeper, who trained me in the gentle art of beauty, culture and
romance. I was taught serving and fine
embroidery work. I was baptized 23
January 1842 and confirmed by my future husband George Spilsbury. I left England under protest by my father,
who gave me a locket and ask me to send it to him, if I ever wanted to return.
We suffered persecution and tragedy. I lived in the back of a wagon and made a
home out of a crude log cabin. I gave my
dishes for the Nauvoo Temple and traded my fine clothes for pots and pans. We had $5.00, that I had earned on ship serving
to buy provisions.
The first time I saw Joseph Smith I knew him, although I
had never seen a picture of him. I
picked him out of a crowd. He spent many
hours in our home. Hyrum Smith gave me a
blessing.
We had 13 children and only raised five of them. I had to learn to make quilts of which I made
many. I spent much time with the young
people of Toquerville. I was never
sorry. And I never wanted to return the
locket my father gave me.
From a form filled out at Toquerville, December 18, 1915
by David Spilsbury:
Height: 5 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 140 lbs. Complexion: Brunette
Color of Hair: dark brown
First
Counselor in the Relief Society of Toquerville Ward
Baptized
23 Jan 1842 by George Spilsbury
Mother
was a Milliner and Dress maker by occupation.
She was prominent in all female and Relief Society work but did not let
the left hand know what the right hand was giving. She was kind, generous and noble
spirited. Her motto was "Waste not
want not." She often told me
"If you have a surplus give to the poor but don't waste." She was often seen by night distributing her
gifts to the needy. The first book she
taught me to read was the Bible then the faith promoting Series, The Lives of
our Leaders etc. I thank her for those
early impressions which made a lasting impression upon my heart. She was a very
industrious woman never idle. In the days
of Silver Reef she took Boarders and sent me to the U of U in Salt Lake and
later (1880-2) upon my mission to England. By overwork and worry her nervous
system gave way she had a paraletic stroke and was an invalid for 10 years
before her death. To be thus helpful was
a great trail to Mother for she was high spirited and independent woman. She entertained Pres. Young and party in her
little Dug out at Grafton (near Rockville).
She obeyed every principle of the gospel and was true to the end. The statements I made in regard to father
would also apply to mother from the time they were married Sept 5, 1842. The both left all for the gospel's sake.
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Patriarchal Blessing of Fanny Spilsbury
Sister Fanny I lay my hands upon thy head, & bless thee in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, inasmuch as thou hast obeyed the gospel, & left thy native land, in obedience to the commandments of the Lord to gain an inheritance among the saints, thou shalt have one & possess it again in eternity, for thou art of the house of Joseph, & a lawful heir to the priesthood with all the blessings & benefits, which are sealed upon thy companion, for thou shalt partake with him in all his blessings and in his endowment, his honors, powers, &privileges, even to be able to do miracles, to heal the sick in thy house, and to keep the destroyer from thy dwelling; thou shalt be blest with health, peace & plenty, thy children shall grow up about thee like olive plants, no good thing shall be withheld from thee; shall be able to accomplish every purpose of thy heart; live to see the closing scene of this generation & enjoy all the blessings of the Redeemer’s kingdom to all eternity in common with thy companion & children; inasmuch as thou art patient & abide in the truth these words shall not fail, evenso, Amen. A Blessing by John Smith, Patriarch, upon the head of Fanny Spilsbury, daughter of Richard & Elizabeth Smith, born December 1825. Herefordshire, England (L.D.S. Church Historian’s Office, Patriarchal Blessings, Volume 9, Page 386) |
Patriarchal Blessing of Fanny Smith Spilsbury
Sister Fanny, I lay my hands upon your head, in the name of Jesus and seal upon you a blessing, and bless you according to the mind of the spirit, as it shall indite the matter. Behold, I say unto you Fanny, thou shalt be blessed even as thy husband, as touching the blessings of the priesthood and promised possessions, as also the key of knowledge, wherein you shall be made wise, and be prepared to understand the times and seasons, of times of refreshments, and the coming of the Son of Man. Nevertheless your lineage is not the same lineage with your husband, but your inheritance shall be with his inheritance, that all things may be had in common with him, even in him whose inheritance is in the lineage of Levi. And unto the blessings of that inheritance, which shall be in the Mount called Zion, for in Zion, shall the sons of Moses and Aaron be purified, and enter in through the gate unto the city and that is the reward, and your inheritance laid up for you, in the city of Jerusalem and a reward and blessing for you to receive for your pilgrimage and leaving your native country, the domicile of your fathers, in obedience to the commandments God had given to His people and to those who are wanderers and pilgrims in a strange land, in the midst of strangers, seeking a house and habitation, whose builder and maker, is God. Therefore, be steadfast and you shall be blessed spiritually and temporally, even in all things in common with your husband, and your name shall be perpetuated and had in honor unto the latest generation and these blessings I seal upon your head, even so Amen.
Nauvoo, 19 November 1843
A Patriarchal blessing of Fanny Smith Spilsbury, daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Tabitha Bridges) Smith born in Parish of Cradley, Herefordshire, England, born 1 November 1823 (25 December 1823).
(copied from typed copy included in biography of George Spilsbury in possession of Frankie Estella Spilsbury Harris)
(L.D. S. Church Historian’s Office, Patriarchal Blessings, Volume 41)
