A Life History of Mary Ann Neal Atkins

Edward Atkins and Mary Ann Neal Family

Mary Ann Neal Atkins

A brief history of the life of Mary Ann Neal Atkins.

Written by her daughter, Martha A. Tuddenham.  May 25, 1931

My mother Mary Ann Neal Atkins, was born in Burmingham, Warwickshire, England, July 5, 1812.  The daughter of Harriet Smith and Job Neal, she was the seventh child of a family of thirteen.  She was the last one of her Mother’s children to be christened in the Church of England.  Her parents having joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, had the rest of their children blessed in the Latter Day Saint Church.  My Mother’s Mother became a devout church worker and a staunch defender of the truth.  She would often accompany the Elders to their meetings and assist them with the singing and preaching.

The feeling toward the Latter Day Saints was very bitter in England at that time.  The mobs would gather, break up their meetings, destroy their books, insult and sometimes injure the Saints. At one time my Mother attempted to pick up some of the books and was immediately attacked by the mob.  She was glad to leave the books and get out of the way.

At one time when my mother was left at home to care for the younger children, while her mother went to the meeting, she saw a crowd of people coming up the passage-way, alongside her home.  As she opened the door she recognized them as latter Day Saints.  She flung wide the door and bade them enter and go to the upstairs.  They gladly accepted the shelter and protection offered.  As the mob came up, she met them at the same door and flinging the door wide as before said, “If there is anything in this house that belongs to you, come in and get it.”  The mob was astonished and dropped their heads.  Noticing some young women in the crowd, she said, “And you young women, it would look better of you if you would go home and darn your stockings.”  They looked ashamed and went away.  Just as they were leaving, one of the Saints who lived just across the street, fearing for his Mother’s safety, let himself out of the front door and ran across the street to his home.  He reached it without injury, but the mob stoned the house until every window was broken before they could be dispersed.

When grandmother arrived home sometime later, she, having taken shelter some other place, she was surprised to find the house full of people, but of course was very glad that my mother had protected the Saints.  As night settled down, my mother assisted in escorting the Saints unmolested to their homes.  These mobbings were quite common and quite frequent in my mother’s girlhood days.

I have always been interested in hearing Mother tell of these instances in her life.  There are other mobbings I could tell of, but as they concern Grandmother’s life more than they do my Mother’s I will leave them for her record.

My mother received very little education as a girl.  Going to school very young.  They had four miles to reach the school, and during the four mile journey home would play so hard they would often forget what they had learned during the day.  Books were scarce and the most they were taught was to read and write and do a few numbers as it was called.  As soon as she was old enough, like all other children at that time, she went to work at whatever she could get to do, such as tending babies, washing dishes or doing housework.  At one time she worked in a hook and eye factory sewing the hooks and eyes on cards.  At another time she worked in a button factory sewing the buttons of the cards.  This was tedious work and they received very little pay for it.  However, she was very happy to earn what she could, as their family was large and times were hard.

In due time, my mother was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  As a young woman she would think nothing of a two mile walk to attend church.

Mother was very fond of outdoor sports.  She liked to walk through the fields and gather the cowslips and daisies.  She liked to run and jump and was quite expert with the skipping rope.  She could do some fancy stunts with it.  Sometimes she would join us in our game of the jump the rope and could always do it better than we could.

It was while participating in a game of jump rope at a picnic outing that my Father first met and fell in love with my Mother.  How long their courtship lasted, I do not know.  Father had joined the Church and was struggling hard to save means to immigrate to America.  It was hard uphill work, but he finally succeeded.

June 9, 1867 my mother married Edward Atkins.  They were first married by the laws of the land then by the laws of the church.  It was customary at that time and indeed required of people contemplating marriage, that they so declare themselves.  Their intentions were announced for three consecutive weeks with this statement:  “If anyone objects to these to two people being united in the holy bonds of matrimony, speak now or forever after hold our peace.”  If there were no objections why they should not be married the marriage ceremony was performed.  Within a few days after her marriage she and Father left home for America, accompanied by Father’s mother, sister and brother, also my mother’s sister and her husband.

They were three weeks crossing the ocean, arriving in New York harbor on July Fourth.  It being Independence Day, they were not allowed to land until the following day.  They were met on the shores of New York by some of their latter Day Saint friends, who had immigrated to America before them.  The friends took them to their home and gave them dinner and then took Father to find a place to stay.  They were soon located in three rooms.  They could find but one cook stove.  This was put up in the center room which was used as a kitchen and living room and also a sleeping room for Father and Mother.  The rest of the party used the two smaller rooms for their sleeping quarters.  Mother soon got hired as a cook in a well to do family.  Father also found work.  They saved carefully and the following year sent the money to England to bring Mother’s Father and mother and two brothers and sister out to America. 

Three children were born to my mother during her five year stay in New York, Charles, Albert Edward, and Mary Ellen.  When my Eldest sister was but three weeks old, small pox was brought to their home and at the age of six weeks my sister was stricken and only through great care and the administration of the Elders who secretly slipped into the house each night and administered to the children, did she recover.

In 1862, my Father, Mother and their three children came west settling in Ogden, where they lived for two years and then moved to Salt Lake City settling in the 17^th ward.  Enroute from Omaha to Ogden, passengers had to change trains at a point about where North Platte, Nebraska is now.  The conductor halted his train out on the prairie and ordered all passengers out of the cars, stating that was as far as his train went and that the people would have to transfer into stages, which would haul them and their baggage into the station at the price of fifty cents per person and fifty cents for each piece of baggage.  Mother felt that that was not right, and told the people not to leave the train, such to the annoyance of the conductor, who insisted that the people leave the train.  Father was annoyed and humiliated, but Mother refused to move.  Many of the people who had gotten off, climbed back on the cars again.  Those who took the stages drove away and finally the train moved on into the station right alongside of the one to which they were to transfer and presently those who had taken the stages arrived in a drenching rainstorm.  It appears the train crew and stage drivers were in “cahoots” to make a little easy money.

Work was very scarce and also food, but by careful management they were able to get enough to eat and gather around them a few household goods. 

The winters were very cold and the snow extremely deep.  There was no work being done in Father’s trade, (that of a brass turner and finisher) so he had to take whatever he could get to do and was exceedingly glad to get work of any kind.

Three children were born to my Mother while in the 17^th ward, Amelia, Bertha Olive, and Ralph John.  Ralph Jon only survived three weeks.  While living here, my Mother’s Father, Job Neal and my eldest brother passed away.

                Mother’s next home was in the 13^th ward, or on the corner of 3^rd East and 1^st South Streets.  A son William Horace was born in this house.  After living two years in this home, Father bought a home in the 21^st Ward at 29 I Street, where they lived to the end of their earthly days.  One more son, Thomas Job was born in this home.

Mother spent many hours each day in the yard, making it beautiful.    She was a great lover of flowers and enjoyed working with them.  Many people visited and admired her garden.  She was a beautiful woman and a knitter of beautiful lace. 

Mother was for many years a block Relief Society teacher and worker, never failing to visit the district assigned her unless sickness prevented her doing so.  She was called upon many times to care for and sit up with the sick, to which calls she cheerfully responded.  She was a true Latter day Saint. She instilled into her children a love of work and usefulness, of honesty, truthfulness, chastity, cleanliness, and Faith in God.  Mother was a noble woman, a lover of pure, high ideals.  She was possessed with a clear vision and sound judgment; on from whom you could always get a square deal.  She was always cheerful and loved to entertain her friends and relatives.  She enjoyed the family reunions of which there were many.  All holidays and anniversaries were celebrated with family gatherings at her home.  She was extremely happy when she could lend a helping hand to one in need.

In 1890 a great sorrow came to my Mother.  Diphtheria entered her home.  Five children were stricken with the dread disease and the two youngest boys succumbed, William Horace age 9 years, and Thomas Job aged 6 years.

In the fall of 1892, Father and Mother were sealed to each other and their children sealed to them in the Logan Temple.

Father and Mother celebrated their Golden Wedding on June 9, 1917.    A large number of their relatives and friends gathered to wish them well.  She was the mother of eight children, three of whom survive.  She has 13 grandchildren, 12 of whom survive, and great grandchildren, 5 of whom survive.

My Father passed away March 1, 1924.  March 2, 1925, one year and a day later, my only surviving brother, Albert Edward, passed on.  This was a great shock to my Mother.  Six weeks later, Easter Sunday, April 12, 1925, she passed away at the age of 82 years, 9 months.

Mary Ann Neal Atkins was a sister of Jared’s great great grandfather Frederick Charles Neal Sr.

I obtained the biography from Coralie Bolingbroke, who is a descendant of Howard Neal (Frederick Neal’s grandson)