Mary Ann (Barker) Bond (1821 - abt. 1895)

Born 10 Dec 1821 in Cheetham Hill, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died about 1895 at about age 73 in Henefer, Summit, Utah

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Biography

Mary Ann Barker Bond

Mary Ann's parents were Joseph Barker born at Woodall, Yorkshire, England 11 May 1789, and Sarah Hammond born at Crumpsall, Lancashire, England on 8 March 1793. They were married at the Collegiate and Parish Church (now called the Manchester Cathedral) 22 November 1818, in Manchester, Lancashire, England. Three children were born to this young couple at Crumpsall, Lancashire, England; Mary Ann being the first, 10 Dec 1821, then Margaret on 25 September 1825 (christening date) and Joseph on 2 June 1829.

Mary Ann's father, Joseph Barker, was a tailor of White Smithy Bar, Crumpsall, England and he made suits and various things for people. In 1830, when Mary Ann was about eight years old, her father wanted an apprentice to help and train, so he went to the Cheatham Hospital School and got a thirteen year old boy, named William Bond, to come and work for him and he would receive seven years of good training in Tailoring. During this 7 year period I assume Mary Ann and William became very good friends and then fell in love. At the conclusion of the seven year training period William Bond worked a year as a tailor then he and Mary Ann got married on 2 August 1838 at the Manchester Cathedral, in Manchester, Lancashire, England. He was twenty-one and she was not quite seventeen and so in love.

In 1840 Mary Ann and William heard Elder Parley P. Pratt preach the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they were converted. William Bond was baptized by Elder William Blakely and Mary Ann by Elder James Williams at Blakely, Lancashire, England. At that time they had two little girls, Sarah, two years, and Ann a tiny baby. They had two more children, John and Margaret, before they had enough money saved for their journey to the headquarters of their church, the Great Salt Lake Basin.

Many Ann gathered up a few precious possessions to take with her, including a beautiful large oil painting of her mother, Sarah Hammond Barker, to hang on her wall in her new home across the ocean. It was very hard on her to leave her dear parents and sister and brother and move so far away. For some reason she left her oldest child, Sarah, with her parents, and that had to be very heart-breaking, but they were very anxious to make the journey to join the Saints.

The William Bond family left Liverpool, England the latter part of May 1848, on the "Ark Wright" sailing vessel, and arrived in Boston Harbor on 15 July 1848. It took six or seven weeks at sea and it was a very rough trip. Joseph Barker, Mary Ann's brother, crossed the Atlantic ocean with them, stayed for awhile, and then went back to England when they journeyed west.

Mary Ann, William and family settled in Fall River, Massachusetts. They rented a 7 room house on Columbia St., and William operated a successful tailoring business there. He was able to keep three tailors busy working for him. They stayed in Fall River for a few years saving money to make the rest of the journey, crossing the plains to the Great Salt Lake Basin. While in Fall River three more children were born to them: Mary Jane, Joseph William, and Nephi Alma. In the meantime Mary Ann's parents had died. Her father, Joseph Barker, about four months after she left England and her mother, Sarah Hammond, about four years after. After her grandmother's death Mary Ann's daughter, Sarah, joined them at Fall River and was able to go west with them.

From the Bond's Tailoring business they were able to save enough money to get a covered wagon and oxen and etc. for their journey west. Also there was enough for Mary Ann to buy a "beautiful No. 8 Charter Oak" kitchen cooking stove, of which she was very proud, to take with them.

Mary Ann, William and family left Fall River by steamboat to New York Harbor and then took the train to Iowa City, the end of the railroad at that time. They were taken by wagon two miles to Iowa Camp on 18 March 1856. The Bond family lived in a tent for four months waiting for their wagon, oxen, and supplies they had ordered. Within a few weeks over 2,000 converts also arrived from Europe, all needing supplies. Finally the supplies arrived and all was ready to leave. The Martin Handcart Company left for the West on July 18, 1856, and two days later the Company that included the William Bond family left under the leadership of William Benjamin Hodgetts. There were thirty wagons in this group.

Everyone was merrily on their way to the Promised Land but it wasn't long before the painting of Mary Ann's mother had to be left along the way to lighten the load so children with sore, bleeding, and freezing feet could ride. The new cooking stove was also left by the wayside along with other much needed equipment. The journey became one of survival rather than one of bringing a "bit of the old home" to the new home. A heavy early snowstorm on 20 October caused death and much suffering among the travelers. The available food was insufficient for those in the wagons, but they shared what they had with those in the handcart company. There were burials almost daily, sometimes two or three in the same shallow grave. The survivors were too weak from hunger to dig in into the hard frozen earth, so sometimes they had to bury their dead with heaps of rocks and many tears.

Children were continually begging for food. Mary Jane Bond, who was only six years old, walked most of the 1,000 mile journey as did her older brothers and sisters. When the ration was limited to a biscuit a day, William feared for his children's lives. Mary Ann cut up an empty cloth sugar sack and gave a small piece daily to each child to hold in their mouths. It was hoped that there was enough sugar among the threads to give the children some energy.

At last rescue wagons came bringing food, warm clothing, medicine and help. The last 113 miles were the hardest. There was 6 feet of snow in Echo Canyon and more than that on "Big Mountain" but they were aided now by the Rescue wagons and the Valley Boys, which helped.

The William Bond family arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley on November 30, 1856 at 4 p.m. All were alive but some with frosted bleeding feet. They were so thankful for the Lord's blessings!

Mary Ann and William and family went on to Provo, Utah and lived there for a few years. While there another child was born. They named him William Henry. Because of a good tailoring job offer they went back to Salt Lake. They lived there a few years and while there a baby daughter was born . She was given the name of Alice Ida.

Sometime later the Bond's moved to a small community along the Pioneer trail called Henneferville at that time, now called Hennefer. William bought 25 acres of farm land, and had a log home built for his family on it. They settled down and raised their family.

In her log house Mary Ann made a home of happiness and contentment for her husband and family. Another child was born to her in this log home, making her 10th child. She named him James Edward. She was very proud of her large family. Her children were ambitious. The boys learned about different crops and farming methods. Some became good herdsmen and loggers. Their son John was said to be an expert ax man. The daughters took care of the soap making, butter churning, gardening, and other usual chores of that day.

Mary Ann's knowledge of the use of herbs for medicines was unselfishly offered wherever needed. She was also a midwife and was even known to set broken bones. Her ability in doctoring and nursing came as a part of her. She was apt and alert in this line of need among those early pioneers and they very much appreciated her. They say in the winter she kept her sled right by her door at night and her horse nearby, ready to go if someone was in need of her.

Besides cooking and caring for her children and house duties she had charge of a small grocery store which took the space of a room in her house, this being a centralized meeting place for all the younger groups. Especially the boys who would come to laugh and joke with "Mother Bond" as she was called by everyone.

Mary Ann Loved music and loved to sing. She was always found in her special place in the church choir. If ever a party, social or dance was being held she would be present. She was always ready for fun and enjoyment.

The last days of life were spent with much pain and suffering, for she was stricken with chronic rheumatism, causing her hands to become very much disfigured. Mary Ann died two and a half years before her beloved husband William. She had been a faithful helpmate during all the troubles and trials. He was very lonesome without her and missed her very much. She died on 21 December 1895 and was buried on 24 December 1895. What a sad Christmas for her family! Many friends and relatives attended her funeral.

Mary Ann had never been sorry she came to Utah, but she longed to see her brother and sister in England. They did keep in touch by mail.

Living a very righteous life and standing firm to the belief of her religion, Mary Ann Barker Bond died at the age of seventy-four years. Even years of hard work, struggle and strife had never grayed one hair in her beautiful head of black hair. As she lay in her coffin not a gray hair could be found. She was placed to rest in the cemetery at the village once called Henneferville, now known as Hennefer, Summit, Utah.

(Mary Ann was rather short, of heavy build, had fair skin and black eyes. She parted her coal black hair in the center and combed it back from her round happy face. She was a good natured, friendly person, with a word of greeting and encouragement for her friends and neighbors.)

William was of medium height, slender build, had blue eyes and dark hair. His son John said he was a stern man who carried himself erect with his arms folded behind him.

Mary Ann and William were very much in love all through their married life. In one of Mary Ann's letters to her brother Joseph, she writes, "Brother, it is our Wedding Day the 2nd day of August. We will have been married 49 years, next year will be 50 years and we live as happy as we did when we was first married. I think I have got one of the best husbands in the world. When I am sick he sees I don't want for nothing he can get for me. He promised my poor mother he would take good care of me and he has fulfilled his promise." (Letter dated- 1887).

--This History was submitted by Lorraine Bond Martin to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers on 20 February 1995. The source of information is "William Bond & Mary Ann Barker - their Ancestors - descendants - cousins" written by Ina Harris Day.

Sources

• Family history of William & Mary Ann Barker Bond

"William Bond & Mary Ann Barker - their Ancestors - Descendants - Cousins" book written by Ina Harris Day