Gollaher and Hirschi Family History: James Brigham Brett Wright

Showing posts with label James Brigham Brett Wright. Show all posts

Thursday, April 9, 2015

James Brett and Sarah Upstone Life History

James BRATT, BRETT, or BRITT was born about 1783, in or near London, England, the son of Thomas and Ruth BRETT.  His brothers and sisters are not known.   He may be the same one who was christened 29 Apr 1787, in St Andrews, Holborn, the son of Thomas and Ruth BRETT.  If so, he may have been the brother of Ruth BRETT, christened 12 Jan 1783, in Saint Saviour, Southwark, Surrey; and of Anne BRETT, christened 20 Feb 1785, in the same place.  Both girls were children of Thomas and Ruth BRETT. 

Sarah UPSTONE was born between 1790 and 1794, reportedly in Gloucestershire, England, the probable daughter of William UPSTONE.   Some family records report her name as Sarah Ann UPSTONE, but a primary source has never been found substantiating this claim.  One of the clues to her parentage comes from information left by her daughter, Sarah Ann Brett Wright Corbett PHILIPS, who said her mother had sisters, Hannah and Ann.  

From the records of the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah, dated 1867, Sarah Ann Britt PHILLIPS completed temple ordinances for Sarah UPSTONE, Hannah UPSTONE, and Ann UPSTONE, all of “Gloucester”.  Sarah PHILLIPS’ relationships to these ladies was recorded as “Grand daughter” to Sarah; “Niece” to Hannah; and “Niece” to Ann.  It has always been assumed the “Grand daughter” relationship was in error, either by Sarah’s mis-stating the relationship or by the clerk mis-hearing and mis-writing the relationship.  If the relationship should have been “Daughter”, then these three ladies were sisters.  If the relationship truly was “Grand daughter”, then Hannah and Ann (aunts of Sarah Ann Brett PHILIPS) would have been daughters of Sarah, and UPSTONE would have been Sarah’s married name, not her maiden name.  In other words, Sarah would have been the mother of the family, and Hannah and Ann would have been the daughters.  The trouble with that reasoning is that Sarah Ann Brett PHILIPS’ mother would have not been named, only her aunts and grandmother.  If the relationship was “Grand daughter” then the question must be asked why Sarah Ann was doing temple ordinances for her grandmother and two aunts, and not for her own mother.  From emigration records, it is known that Sarah (mother) and Sarah Ann (daughter) left England together and, since Sarah Upstone Brett ALLCOCK died enroute, Sarah Ann knew temple ordinances needed to be done for her.  Family records have always reported Sarah UPSTONE as the mother of Sarah Ann.   Manchester LDS Branch records report that the parents of Charles BRETT (as reported by Charles BRETT himself) were James BRETT and Sarah UPSTONE; and the parents of Sarah Ann Bratt WRIGHT (as reported by herself) were James BRATT and Sarah UPSTONE.   For a Patriarchal Blessing given to Sarah Ann PHILIPS, 1 Feb 1875, she reported her parents as John BRETT and Sarah UPSTON.   The obvious conclusion is that the mother of Sarah Ann Brett Wright Corbett PHILIPS was Sarah UPSTONE, and Sarah Ann’s aunts were Hannah and Ann.  Therefore, the family into which Sarah UPSTONE was born had to have included a father, William, and three daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Ann.

James Brigham BRETT (WRIGHT) was born 2nd February 1845, in Manchester, County of Lancaster, England, the eldest son of Sarah Ann BRETT.  He was illegitimate.  (Traditional family rumor says that the father was a missionary.) When his mother married Andrew WRIGHT, 16 Dec 1849, he took his stepfather's surname and became known as James Brigham WRIGHT. 

Sometime in 1854 or 1855, Andrew WRIGHT deserted his wife, Sarah Ann, and ran away with another woman.  Sarah Ann BROADHEAD, daughter of James Brigham WRIGHT, said the woman was the wife of Sarah Ann BRETT's brother.  They were never heard of again and it is thought they came to America.  (Sarah Ann had three brothers; Charles, George Frederick, and John James.)  

His mother worked very hard in a factory trying to support her three children; James Brigham; Thomas, born 23 Nov 1851; and Emma, born 19 Sep 1853.  

James Brigham was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was eight years old (1853).  He was a very studious boy at his age, trying hard to help his mother, as they were in very poor circumstances.  When he was nine years old (1854) the officers came and put them in the poor house.  It was a terrible trial to his mother and nearly broke her heart.  

However, they were only in the poor house nine days as a good and faithful friend of the family, heard of her trouble and helped get them out.  He was Edward CHAPPELL also a Latter-day Saint.

He took James home with him and apprenticed him to learn the clogger or shoemaker trade so he could help his mother support the others. At that time James Brigham probably became acquainted with Sarah Jane CHAPPELL, Edward's daughter, who eventually became his wife. When James was 11 years old (1856) the family was able to come to America. Sarah Ann had a burning desire to come to Zion and they worked and saved every penny they could for that purpose. With the help of Mr. CHAPPELL and the Church's Perpetual Emigration Fund, they came on the ship "Horizon", with a group of Saints bound for the United States, under the direction of Edward MARTIN. They sailed from Liverpool, England in May of 1856. The voyage was rough and he saw his beloved grandmother (Sarah Upstone Brett ALCOCK, aged 62) buried at sea. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to bear, to see his grandmother buried in a watery grave, and he never forgot this sad experience.