Janet Laird
1822-1896
Janet at age 20 worked as a domestic at a farm residence near Barleside in Scotland when she met and married James Jenkins. Their first baby girl was born dead. Less than a year later she had a little boy, John named after her husband’s father. And a second boy, Charles named after her father came 18 months later. It was while these boys were young that Janett came to believe in the restored gospel. Her husband was baptized first and 3 weeks later she was baptized
Little ones seemed to come about every 18 months as James and Janett lived the gospel and worked to provide for their growing family. Janett did not see much of her sweet husband as he had gone to work in the coal mines and spent much time underground, and Sundays were spent proclaiming the restored gospel in the nearby towns.
Two days after their oldest son John turned 8 years old, he was baptized. Each of the children were taught and baptized as they turned 8 years old.
It was in 1851 when Janett was pregnant with Helen that times were really tough. She was sick, and mining was down, and the store would not give them any more food. They suffered because of this and prayed to God that they would know how to feed and care for their growing family.
The family had a hard time making ends meet and wanting to follow the saints to Zion they decided to let James go ahead so he could get money for all of them to follow. In Jan. of 1851 James left for England, leaving Janet with John, Charles, Jane, James and baby Helen who was not more than two weeks old.
Most assuredly their two sons John and Charles at the tender ages of 5 and 8, if not already working in the mines were just about to be sent to work in the mines.
James was not able to make it all the way to America and so he sent for Janet and the kids to come and join him in England. Sea sickness was bad as they sailed to the far side of England to meet James.
In England is most likely where the family started the Bakery business. Never wanting to be without food again, they built a brick oven and began baking and selling all kinds of baked goods. Janet continued to have little ones and had many household chores to care for. James did most of the baking.
In England they had another little girl they named Janette after her mother. The baby was born in Feb. It was in March, on a cold, damp, bone chilling night that three-year-old James got up from his bed to sit by the fire with his brothers to get warm. Somehow his night gown caught fire. The brothers called for their mother, she rescued the little child from this horrible nightmare, rolling and ripping at his clothes but the damage had been done. He cried in terrible pain and died two days later just a couple of months before his 4thbirthday.
The next child they had was a boy and they named him James after the little boy who died. But his life was cut short also, he too passing away just a couple of month before his 4thbirthday.
Two months after this tragedy they had another little boy. They named him Henry.
James served as the Branch President and also as a missionary. Janet surely served right along with him in their little branch. They worked and saved and prayed that they would be able to go to Zion. They had many happy occasions in their family as each of the children turned 8 years old they were baptized into the Latter-Day Saint Church.
In 1860 sadness again struck the Jenkins household when little Margaret age 4 died. Shortly after that another little girl was born. They named her Elizabeth.
Their long-awaited dream finally came true most likely with the help of the perpetual education fund. They boarded the ship, Cyncure May 30th, 1863 with 8 children and lots of other happy saints.
As they sailed they endured many hardships and made many friends. Measles were on the ship and we do not know how many of the Jenkins family were stricken with the disease. The ship got lost, food ran short.
They arrived in New York July 19, 1863. When they arrived, they pulled in next to the ship, Amazon, that had left after them and arrived before them. There was a brass band playing, greeting them with the song Home, Sweet, Home! Everyone placed their feet on solid ground and let the tears fall from their eyes.
They had to make their way to Quincy Ill. where they took the steamer to Omaha Nebraska to join a wagon train to Utah. By August 10, they were traveling with the Thomas E. Ricks company. There were 400 saints in the company. Many friends they had made on the ship and the entire brass band that played for them upon arrival traveled with the company to settle in Ogden.
This whirlwind trip by ship, rail, steamer and land had left everyone somewhat worn out.
Agnes, 10 months old, little and frail died just 17 days after starting across the plains. She was buried along the Platte River near a campground over the second ridge of Big Mountain not far from Cedar Bluffs.
Much singing cheered the pioneers. Some people wrote about this trek, “At night we would sing songs around the campfire to cheer us on our way. Two of our favorite songs were "Do They Miss Me at Home" and "The Handcart Song." O how our voices would ring out on the night air.”
James and Janet pulled together and trusted in the Lord. William Stuart leader of the company became a good friend. He was also from Scotland and had buried a wife and baby on the trail 5 years previous. Impressed with the Jenkins family he encouraged them to settle in Goshen, Ut. Little did they know that 2 years later the Jenkins daughter Jane would marry William Stuart.
After a brief stay in Gardeville just north of Salt Lake, and after the loss of 10 year old Janette, William Stewart traveled to Salt Lake and helped the Jenkins move to Goshen. William and his second wife Ruth invited the Jenkins family to live with them while a dugout home was being prepared.
This move must have been a challenge. Here is a poem written by their son Charles.
The peas and beans
When they come up,
They take a curious notion
And all go back to Mother earth
As soon as they see Goshen.
In Goshen James built a comfortable adobe house where they finished rearing their family. Janet gave birth to their last child a little girl named Isabell but before she was 2 years old she passed away.
James was an excellent cook and baker having learned this art in earlier years. Janett kept a small shop of bakery, candy and gingerale. James did most of the baking on weekends. Their daughter Ellen remarks that she never ate meat pies which tasted as good as her father could make.
James contributed much to the social life of the young village. He taught school and took produce for his pay. When the "Black Hawk War" was declared about 1867, a part of it came close to Goshen. Those were unsettling times. Janet was relieved when James was ordered to remain at home in protection of the women and children of the village. Most of the men were called to arms. Their son Charles fought in the war.
In 1866 When John was 23 he went back to winter quarters to help a wagon company come to SLC. He became an expert builder and finisher and helped build many of the buildings in Goshen. Charles became a freighter and then moved to Oakley Id in 1882. They were always thankful for the life they had knowing that had they stayed in England they would have been coal miners working under ground. As their children grew four of their 6 living children settled in Idaho. John Laird Jenkins their oldest son and family were there in Goshen to comfort Janet in 1991 when she lost her husband.
We learn of Janet’s gentle, unassertive nature in a granddaughter’s account of her visit to Idaho. “The year following Grandfather's death, Grandmother came to Idaho to visit her four children who had lived in Idaho since leaving the home of their parents. Grandmother Janet wrote her daughter, Lizzie Stanfield, of her expected arrival, which letter Lizzie never received. Grandmother arrived by train in the little town of Bellevue and no one was there to meet her. She was not accustomed to traveling alone by train and was as a stranger in a strange land. She went to the one and only hotel, and there she lived in her room for three days waiting, worrying, and fretting for someone to meet her. Finally, she explained the condition to the proprietor of the hotel, Mr. Mat McFall, a friend Lizzie’s husband. He notified Lizzy whose family soon came and relieved the situation. This was a sad as well as a happy family reunion. It was the first time and the only time we saw our Scotish Lassie Grandmother. She followed Grandfather five years later. Blanche Virginia Jenkins Naser.
A tribute to Janet at her funeral:
After losing her husband she doubled her energy in the gospel, doing everything she could to carry out his wishes, helping to care for his young family, (children form his second wife) and never tiring in performing her church duties. She has been a faithful member from the beginning, always loving the Relief Society, always loving to attend her meetings better than anything else.
“As a teacher she faithfully guarded that trust. Her motto was, ‘Wear out but never Rust’. The last work she did was in filling this call. As an angel of Mercy with blessings for all.”
Janet died in Goshen in 1896 at 75 years of age.
No comments:
Post a Comment