Mary Carlisle James Healey

Emory Clarence Smith's Maternal Great Grandmother

Mary Carlisle James Healey

Mary Carlisle was born September 10, 1824, in Sturton, Lincolnshire, England. She was the second of eleven children and the first daughter of Richard and Jane Fields Carlisle.
Mary and her family joined the Church in 1850, and her father (Richard) decided to emigrate to Utah shortly after they were baptized. In January 1851, her father, mother and all the remaining children, (five of the children died in infancy), except one, the oldest boy Thomas, obtained passage on the good ship “Ellen.”
When joining the Church, Mary was deserted by her former lover, as he could not see the faith as she saw it. This was a great trial but the Gospel meant everything to her.
At the time of joining the Church, she was working for a lady who was not of our faith, but a very fine woman, who thought a great deal of Mary. It was not long after Mary joined the Church until the woman died, and in her will she left Mary a year’s wages in advance. She had been doing cooking in this lady’s service and, of course, received a good salary for those times. Knowing that she was to be married, she also had saved a year’s wages. This proved to be a great blessing to Mary’s family, for with the little amount her father had saved and with what she had on hand, the large family were able to immigrate to America. Mary always felt that “the Lord moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.”
The following was taken from the Millennial Star: “Richard Carlisle, age fifty-two; Jane (Jenny) Carlisle, age fifty-five; Joseph, son, age twenty-four; John, son, age seventeen; Mary, daughter, age twenty-six; Alice, daughter, age fourteen; Richard, son, age ten.”
The ship “Ellen” sailed from Liverpool, Monday, January 6, 1851, having on board a company of Saints consisting of 466 souls under the presidential care of Elders James W. Cummings, Crandall Dunnard, and William Mose. The ship remained anchored in the river opposite Liverpool until Wednesday, January 8, about 11:00 a.m. when the anchor was weighed and the Saints were soon under way with a fair wind. The good ship “Ellen” ran at a rate of seven miles an hour until about 11:00 p.m. when she struck a schooner during a fog and was compelled to stop.
The following day, the captain put into Cardigan Bay, North Wales, to repair and in a few days the ship was ready for sea again.
The wind, on the very day the big vessel put into port, changed to an unfavorable quarter and for three weeks she remained in port. During the storm, many vessels were wrecked and hundreds of human beings were consigned to a watery grave.
The captain, at length, became impatient and although the wind still continued unfavorable, and “Ellen”, again weighed anchor on January 23 and put to sail. The wind blew a strong gale from the direction the ship wanted to sail and consequently only a little progress was made for several days. On February 1, however, the wind changed to a favorable quarter. The “Ellen” stood at sea and the passengers soon lost sight of the Irish coast. From that time they enjoyed pleasant weather and fair winds. On the night of March 4, the “Ellen” anchored in the Mississippi River off New Orleans, making the passage from Cardigan Bay (which is twelve hours sail from Liverpool) in about seven weeks.

The measles broke out among the immigrants the day they left the dock and nearly every child on board had them, besides some adults.
During the voyage, six marriages were solemnized and one birth took place. Immediately after leaving port, the presidency on board divided the company into twelve divisions of wards (38 people), allotting twelve berths to each division, and appointing a president over each. Then these twelve divisions were divided into two, and a president appointed in the steerage with a president over the whole steerage.
The second-class cabin was organized in like manner. The Priesthood was also organized. A president was appointed over them to see that they attended their duties. This complete organization was found to be a great utility in preserving peace and good will, order and help, and comfort to the Saints while on board.
President Cummings and his counselors watched over their flocks with utmost care, and in meetings in counsel with the brothers, who had charge of the smaller division, they could easily learn of the condition of every saint on board. If any were sick or in want or in transgression they were made acquainted with it. They immediately adopted measures to relieve this want of the needy and prevent iniquity from creeping into their midst. Men were appointed to visit every family twice a day and administer to the sick.
At New Orleans, the Company chartered the steamer “Alexander Scott” to St. Louis. They paid $2.50 a head for adults and half fare for children and all luggage was included. The Company left New Orleans on the morning of March 19, and landed in St. Louis March 26, after a good trip.
While in St. Louis, her mother, Jane Fields, died. She did a washing for a friend who had cholera and came home that night, took sick and died, leaving the family without a mother. This was a great sorrow to the family.
While attending Church, Mary met a very fine man by the name of John James, and they were later married.
Mary’s family stayed in St. Louis a year and worked. They came on to Salt Lake with Henry Bryant, Manning Jolly, Seventh Company arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, September 15, 1852.
Mary and John were very anxious to go to Zion, and as money was very scarce, her husband arranged for her to precede him with a company that was leaving shortly after their marriage. He planned to follow just as soon as he could make proper arrangements and earn enough money.
Coming with ox team was a very tedious journey, and as she was recovering from a long siege of intermittent fever, it was only by the help of our Father-in-Heaven that she was able to make the journey. This fever undermined her health and she never fully recovered from it.
Another great sorrow awaited her when she reached the valley, news came that her husband (John James) had started to Utah, but contracted cholera while enroute and had passed away.
Her father had preceded her to Salt Lake and made his home in Cottonwood and Mary made her home with him once again. She was obliged to seek employment and was successful in finding work in the home of David McOlney of Alpine. There she met a man by the name of James Healey who was also working at the same place. James had lost his wife with cholera at New Orleans, and was left with two small boys, Ephraim and William. They were married in 1855, and she raised and loved his sons as her own children.
David McOlney proved a very dear friend and allowed them to buy some of his land and pay for it in labor, grain, or anything they could spare. This is how they got their start. They were in extreme poverty, as were the other Saints at this time, their bedstead was a wagon box turned over and a straw tick for a mattress. The stove was an old fashioned fireplace.
Under these conditions, her first baby, Mary Alice, was born. She came near losing her life as there was no good help to be had and it took several days to make the trip to Salt Lake by ox team. Her family consisted of six children: Mary Alice, Elizabeth, Jane Fields, Martha, James and Richard.
She was a wonderful mother, being very ladylike and refined, a thorough Latter-day Saint. She was a very fine student and received a fair education by her own efforts, using all her spare time reading books and magazines. Her language was beautiful, never using slang or light words.
In the early days when newspapers were very scarce, she was called on to read to the neighbors. They would gather in each other’s homes and by the light of the tallow candle she would read to the groups, in turn with Brother R. T. Booth, father of Sister Talmage.
She was a very industrious woman, making her own candles, soap, and many times making lye from ashes in which soap was made. She made clothing from bed ticking, canvas, blue denims, and skins.
Mary had many trials to go through incident to pioneer life. Her eldest daughter, Mary Alice, who married William Thomas Brown, died when her first baby was nine days old. This was a great shock to her as she lived very close to her children. Her greatest trial was when she lost her eyesight, but because her memory was far above average, she was able to memorize long poems and even books right up to the time of her death. Throughout this great handicap she went ahead trying to make other people happy with her stories and poems, doing all she could in Church affairs.
Mary spent the remaining years with her children taking turns living in their homes. She died at the age of seventy-eight, September 2, 1902, in Alpine, Utah. She was survived by her husband, three daughters: Mrs. Jacob S. Beck (Elizabeth) of Highland, Mrs. Hans Olsen (Jane), Mrs. D. J. Strong (Martha); two sons, James Carlisle and Richard Joseph, of Alpine