Maurice Gover (1827 - 1908)

Born 6 Nov 1827 in Clutton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Tucker) Gover — married 11 Jun 1848 in Clutton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 7 Jun 1908 at age 80 in Clarkston, Cache, Utah, United States

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Biography

Maurice was born in 1827. He passed away in 1908.

Sources

• Family History Book

The family believes he changed his name to Morris sometime after moving to Clarkston, family and other records show Morris' and Sarah's birth-year is 1828.

Morris began working in the coal mines at a very early age. It was still his occupation when he left England and came to America. He enlisted as a soldier in the English Army, but his parents paid for his release.

Sarah and her husband, Morris (Maurice) Gover, named their children after their brothers and sisters. Sarah's father and brothers also worked in the coal mines. The marriage between Sarah and Morris took place June 11, 1848. The marriage was solemnized in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah on September 25, 1855 by Brigham Young and witnessed by Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah M. Grant.

They left Clutton and moved Abersychan, Monmouthshire some time between their marriage in June of 1848 and June 1849 as the mines in Somerset were worked out. They were happy and comfortable as he made well financially. They had a nice home and were quite contented when the gospel message was brought to them by Elder Cooke. Morris was interested and began investigating immediately.

Sarah was not so readily impressed. She said they were and contented, and she was very satisfied before the Elders made such an impression upon her husband. She was confused about the Mormons. Nevertheless they joined the Church. Morris baptized Sarah on September 10, 1849. After they joined the church, it was hard to secure work. They lived in Wales where he found employment until he could save enough to come to Zion. Both of their parents were opposed to them coming to America. Sarah's mother told Sarah to tell Morris that she didn't want to go. When Sarah asked Morris about it he said, "It is my desire to take you with me, but if you will not go then I shall go alone." Sarah said, "I knew he meant it."

Two children were born before they left for America. Elijah was one month old when they boarded the ship. While waiting for the wind to take them out to sea, he died. Morris got permission to leave the ship and took the little child's body to some farmers he found in a field in Kea Cot, England, and gave them money to bury the baby. They always felt comforted that he was buried on land, instead of at sea. There are other versions to this sad but heroic story. One was that he left the boat and found a friend (or stranger) to bury the body.

Their ship, "International, " left Liverpool, England February 26, 1853. After landing in New Orleans, they sailed up the Mississippi River on a steamboat for 1,000 miles to ST. Louis, then up the Missouri River to Florence, Nebraska. From there, they crossed the plains to Salt Lake City with one of the church teams, the Jacob Gates' company. This company was part of the Perpetual Immigration Fund that was provided for those coming across the plains that did not have any other means. Those who came this way reimbursed the church later. The company they came in consisted of two hundred sixty-two people, thirty-three wagons, one hundred forty -seven oxen, forty-seven cows, two mares, one bull, three lambs, and five dogs.

While crossing the plains it was necessary to go through streams of water and many rivers. The men would tie ropes around their waists and swim to help pull the wagons. After one of these exhausting experiences, Morris took a severe cold and had what was then called ague fever. As a result, he had to ride the rest o the way. His illness left Sarah to care for the children, gather firewood, and do all of the camp work that each family was expected to do. She walked the entire journey across the plains. Morris never completely recovered from this illness.

The Indians were very troublesome riding up close to the travelers. doing anything they could to annoy them and trying to pick up some of the women.

When the company started out, the food supplies were stored together, but when they were getting low the food was divided out among the families. They arrived in Salt Lake City on Sept. 8 or 9 , 1853. Morris and Sarah had one quart of flour left. They slept in a wagon box the first night and the next day Sarah began working at a home where her pay was their board.

One Sunday they were walking to church and hadn't eaten for some time. Their little daughter Emily began to cry because she was so hungry. It hurt Sarah's pride very much to beg, but she took her daughter to the home of Sister John Taylor and asked for a piece of bread. Sister Taylor insisted they all come in, and she would give the the best she had. Which was bread and beet molasses. At this time they lived in the tenth Ward and later moved to the 19th ward.

Morris was a guard over the home of President Young after they came to Utah. He worked on the railroad in the winter. The rest of the time he worked on the Salt Lake Temple.

Morris was Trained as a stone cutter and worked in the rock quarry, for sixteen years getting rock fo the Salt Lake Temple. He said every stone was numbered so, if necessary, the temple could be moved and re-erected to be exactly as it is today. He would leave on Monday morning and not return until Saturday night. For pay, he received some money and the rest in food supplies for the family. Sarah would go to the tithing office and stand in line, sometimes all day to get supplies.

The family moved to Newton, Cache County, Utah about 1869. They lived there a short time and then moved to Clarkston. There, they bought a farm wtih a one-room log house and a wagon with a team of horses for their son's employment since Morris Sr. had no interest in farming. The log house did not have a ceiling on it only the rafters and a dirt roof. When it rained, it was necessary to set pans and buckets on the beds to catch the rain that leaked in. They used clay to whitewash the walls to make them white and clean.

The home was located on the southwest corner of the city lot, North block; number three. This lot and house was owned for a number of years by a grandson, Lewis Godfrey, and later a granddaughter David and Jesmine Williams, owned the lot. There was a spring of water nearby and they carried water for all of their needs. Their beds were made of four blocks of wood, cut form a large log for the legs and a wooden frame built on top of them. Ropes were laced back and forth for springs. For the mattress, a tik was made of cloth and filled with straw, or cattails that had been burst open to expose the fluffiness. The tick was washed and refilled with clean straw often.

Candles made by Sarah and her daughters lighted their home. The candles were made of melted mutton tallow, and set to harden in candle molds. After the family moved to Clarkston, they had a kerosene lamp.This lamp had to be filled, its chimney washed, and the wick trimmed every day. It was a great improvement over the candles. From the on, much of their sewing and reading was done by lamplight.

I may 1875, some Freighters who were traveling though Clarkston invited a crowd of boys, including 18 year old Henry Morris, to taste their beer by inserting a long wheat straws down into the barrels of beer that they were hauling and suck some of the beer out. Henry Morris inhaled some of the foam gas off the top. It was so poisonous it caused his death. After his death they sold the farm. In September that same year, the family got diphtheria. Fourteen -year-old Sarah (Sadie) contracted this disease and died as well.

The entertainment for the young people, was sleigh riding on homemade sleds, molasses candy pulls, and dances. The dances were held about once a week and enjoyed by old and young alike. The stage in the old rock meetinghouse was usually filled with sleeping children in beds made on the benches. The dances consisted of the French Fours, Reels, Quadrilles, and square dances. When the waltz was first introduced it was called Round Dancing. Only one or two waltzes were permitted each evening. The attendance at the dances was so large that each man received a number when he paid his ticket. He could only dance when his number was called.

In 1894, Sarah received some money from the estate of her brother William, who lived in England. He did not have any children. The amount of money was about $150.00. He presided over the Acting Quorum of Teachers. He was a High Priest at the time of his death. Sarah Gover was a Relief Society Teacher.

Sources: Book "Ancestors and Descendants of Lydia Gover and John Ezekiel Godfrey" Compiled by Lydia G. Benson and Theo G. Buttars 1. Information for history given to Cora Page Godfrey, by Martha Griffin and used with permission of Iva Lou Godfrey Sparks. 2. Personal Knowledge of Emma Gover Buttars related to Archulious Archibald and used by permission of Boyd Archibald. 3. History in possession of Sadimae Anderson Smith.

Morris (Maurice) Gover died when he was eighty years old. All combined and edited by Teo Buttars and Wendy Jagoloski