Consecration Deed: John Sutton

Another consecration deed, this one for John Sutton and, by extension, his wife Mary Ellison Sutton. The collection, like any professionally-done documentary collection, shows both front and back of each page. The picture above is from FamilySearch Family Tree, courtesy of MWBaer. There is no known picture of John Sutton, so I have included his obituary.

April 11th 1854

Sir

      this is to Certify
that I am willing
to join the firm
namely of giving up
unto the Lord

I remain yours

        John Sutton

The Great Ellison-Sutton Migration

John and Mary Ellison Sutton (Maxine Tanner's great-great grandparents) owned a shop in Parr, St. Helens, Lancashire, England.

Their lives changed dramatically when they were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 12, 1851. Mary's baptismal certificate notes that she was baptized by Elder William Houghton and confirmed the next week by Elder John Bradshaw. They decided to gather to Zion with the Saints. 

In 1853, 2,312 persons emigrated to the Great Basin with assistance from the [Perpetual Emigrating Fund]. Four hundred were in the "poor companies," 1,000 were in the ten-pound class, and the final 955 paid their own expenses. (Arrington, Leonard J., and Davis Bitton. The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-Day Saints. New York: Knopf, 1979, 131.)

The Suttons were among these emigrants. I cannot tell what the money amounts mean in the Perpetual Emigrating Fund record (see below), but I assume the Suttons paid their own way, since they also helped two young men and a number of families to emigrate:

• John Lowe and Mary Wilgoose Lowe. (Ages 36 and 37. John was a blacksmith in England. Children: Richard Lowe, William Lowe, Peter Lowe, Elizabeth Lowe, and John Lowe.)
• James Ellison and Alice Halliwell Ellison. (This is Mary's brother and sister-in-law, ages 48 and 42. James was a farmer. Children: Ellen Ellison Bennett, George, John W., Jane A., Mary Ellison Bennett.)
• James and Anne Singleton. (Ages 38 and 36. James was an engineer. Children: William, Anne. They seem to have gone to California.)
• George Birchall and Sarah Hobson (Hodgson or Hodgin) Birchall. (Ages 38 and 26. George was a labourer.)
• William Maken. (Age 22.)
• Charles Longson. (Minister, age 23.) (This seems to be the Charles Longson mentioned living in the Marsden household in Brampton, Chesterfield—ancestors on the Glade line. Charles married John and Mary's daughter Ann.)
• Charles McKechnie. (Glass stainer, age 22. Charles later married John and Mary's daughter Ellen Sutton but left the Church and moved to California, after which Ellen married Irishman Samuel Linton, our ancestor.)
• John Nugent. (Labourer, 25. May have also gone to California.)
• Edward and Elizabeth Kaye. (Ages 25. Edward was a miner.)

Here are the PEF records showing the emigration arrangements.

After coming to America, the Suttons had some assets but were not wealthy, according to the 1860 United States Census.

From comparing their stated Value of Real Estate and Value of Personal Estate with others in Nephi, Utah, it looks like they probably had a small but sufficient home and an average amount of personal wealth (see definitions here). But they also had another kind of wealth: they lived surrounded by their children and relatives as well as some of the families they'd helped bring to America.

When John Sutton died in 1865, his obituary said:

Here is a chart Mary Ann Linton Morgan drew, showing the descendants of her grandparents John and Mary Sutton.

The Deaths of John and Mary Sutton

John Sutton's obituary as found in the Deseret News (April 12, 1865). It says:

In Nephi, Juab county, March 4, of lung fever, JOHN SUTTON, formerly of Parr, Lancashire, England, aged 77 years, 1 month and 15 days.

Deceased embraced the gospel in England, in 1851, emigrated to Utah in 1853; was ordained a High Priest in 1857. Brother Sutton assisted many saints to emigrate, and was very much respected by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He truly lived and died a saint indeed, and leaves a much respected family. [COM.

[Mil. Star please copy.

This date agrees with the family records. "Mil. Star please copy" means that this is news that the Millennial Star, the church newspaper published in England, should pick up and print to inform members and missionaries in England of the death. I can't find a mention of his death in the 1865 or 1866 Millennial Star.

The death notice in the Deseret News (December 15, 1869) for Mary Sutton is near the bottom of the second column above the word "Obituary." It reads:

DIED suddenly on the 20th of Nov., at the residence of Elder A.F. McDonald, Provo, Mary, relict of the late John Sutton, of Nephi, aged 71 years.

This directly contradicts a death date of 24 November found in her biography, in family files, in Family Search, and in New Family Search. Anyone have a death certificate?

Who is A.F. McDonald (or MacDonald)? He also shows up in repeated notices for the estate of John Sutton, for example:

 It says:

Adminstrators' Notice!

Having been appointed by the Probate Court of Juab County, Administrators of the Estate of the late JOHN SUTTON, of Nephi City, Juab County, U.T.:

We hereby give notice to all persons having claims against said Estate to present them for payment, and those knowing themselves indebted to said Estate are requested to settle immediately.

Communications addressed to A.F. MacDonald, Provo City, U.T.

Mrs. MARY E. SUTTON,
A. F. MACDONALD.

June 1st, 1868.

I can't find an A.F. MacDonald in the Sutton or Ellison family. Family Search only finds one A.F. McDonald in Utah, and he would have been 13 in 1868. But a Google search easily finds the following:

Alexander Findlay Macdonald

He was a Scottish convert and he was the manager of the Provo Tithing Office during the 1860s.

Before that, he had been the President of the Liverpool Conference of the Church, which is undoubtedly where the Sutton family had gotten to know and trust this man and his family. The MacDonald website is well designed and easy to read.

So to recap:

• John and Mary Sutton emigrated from Lancashire, England, to Utah in 1853 with their seven living children.
• John died twelve years later in 1865 in Nephi, Utah, at the age of 77.
• Mary died in 1869 in Provo, Utah, at the age of 70 at the home of A.F. Macdonald. Her death date needs to be confirmed.
  

Morgan 23: Mary Ellison Sutton

Mary Ellison Sutton was born at Welsh Whittle, Chorley, Lancashire, England on August 13, 1799 a daughter of Adam Ellison and Ellen Glover. She married John Sutton and to them were born eight children, seven of whom lived to adulthood and came to America for the Church. She was baptized a member of the L.D.S. Church on January 12, 1851 by John Ashcroft at Parr, Lancashire, England. Her brother, James Ellison, joined the church the same time as her husband, John Sutton, on March 8th of the same year. At that time her husband was the owner of a store.

In 1853 on February 13th, the family sailed for America to join the Saints. They sailed on the ship "Elvira Owens," and came across the plains with the company of Captain Joseph W. Young, traveling as an independent detachment using their own means. John and Mary with all seven of their children having with them three wagons, one carriage, two horses, nineteen oxen and three cows. They camped September 22, 1853, at the Big Sandy in Wyoming. After arriving in Salt Lake Valley they lived for a while in the 13th Ward. Later they moved to Nephi, Juab County, and there Mary Ellison Sutton died November 24, 1869.

Written by Frank A. Johnson, a great grandson.

[Chorley, where Mary was born, is the location of the Preston England Temple. The pictures were taken by me or my husband in and near Chorley and Preston, England.]

Morgan 22: John Sutton

John Sutton, son of Henry Sutton and Sarah Yates, was born January 19, 1788 at Billinge, Lancashire, England. His father had a large farm where he was raised. He had two older brothers, Peter and Henry, and two younger brothers, William and Robert, along with two older sisters, Ann and Mary.

View Larger Map

He married Mary Ellison, a daughter of Adam Ellison and Ellen Glover, of Welsh Whittle, Chorley, Lancashire. She was christened August 13, 1799. To them were born eight children, seven who lived to adulthood. Their fifth child Henry died while young. The other children are Ann, Sarah, Ellen, Mary, Alice, Peter and Henry John.

Mary Ellison Sutton and her older children were baptized members of the L.D.S. Church on January 12, 1851 by John Ashcroft, and her husband joined the Church March 8th of the same year. They were living at that time at 220 Parr Stocks, Parr, St. Helens, where John ran a grocery store and Ann, age 22, the oldest daughter, helped him. Sarah, age 20, worked making straw hats. Ellen was living at this time with an uncle, Joseph Greenough, a coal proprietor. They left England for Utah, sailing on the ship, "Elvira Owens," February 15, 1853, and came across the plains with the company of Captain Joseph W. Young, traveling as an independent detachment using their own means. John and Mary with all seven of their children, having with them three wagons, one carriage, two horses, nineteen oxen, and three cows. They camped September 22, 1853, at the Big Sandy in Wyoming. The following is a statement written by Henry Pugh, the secretary of the Company to President Brigham Young on this date.

Difficulties we are now encountering in the want of grass and the consequent daily loss of some cattle, 13 gave out on the 20th and 5 or 6 yesterday.

They arrived in Salt Lake Valley in October, 1853. John Sutton was ordained a High Priest by Heber C. Kimball in 1855.

John and Mary with some of their children moved to Nephi, Juab County where they remained the rest of their lives. John died March 4, 1865 and Mary died August 13, 1869.

Ann Sutton married Charles Langson

Sarah Sutton married James Holiday Durney

Ellen Sutton married Samuel Linton

Mary Sutton married George Goddard

Alice Sutton married Thomas Naylor

Peter Sutton married Mary Duncan Park

Henry John Sutton married Emaline Louise Knowles

From this wonderful couple came many descendants who are faithful members of the church.

Written by Frank A. Johnson, a great grandson.