Relationships in the "Child-Stealing" case of Little James Wadsworth

Descendants of George Allen Wadsworth are related to many of the main characters involved in the kidnapping of Little James Wadsworth as shown below. In addition, these descendants are related to John and Charles Pulsipher since their sister, Eliza Jane Pulsipher, married Thomas Sirls Terry, and three of their daughters, Eliza Jane Terry, Sarah Mariah Terry and Josephine Rebecca Terry, married sons of George Allen Wadsworth and Elizabeth Broadbent Wadsworth. Both John and Charles were part of the Nauvoo Legion during the Utah War. These great grand uncles, John, Charles and William Pulsipher,  were also rescuers of the beleaguered 1856 handcart Saints including Annie Hicks [Free] and Uncle James Wadsworth’s family  of the Hunt Company.  Some descendants are also the great grand nieces and nephews of Brigham Young via his wife Emeline Free and of Daniel H Wells via Louisa and Hannah Free. Therefore they  are related to William Goodall Young, the Captain of George A Wadsworth’s wagon train, to Phineas Young and to Brigham Young’s sister [albeit only by marriage], Nancy Kent, who was also in the William G Young wagon train. There are more members in each family than shown below as revealed in the genealogy section of GAW.  Those with * belonged to the early Pilley, England Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ~ Mary Cotton’s death is the only entry for her in the early Pilley Branch Records. @ means the people were members of the Church but not members of the Pilley Branch in Yorkshire, England. And, as you can see, our relationship to Judge Eckels is by marriage only. Still it is intriguing to find ourselves on all sides of this most interesting historical event.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Thomas Hutchinson b 1744 md

                                                                                                                                                                                    Hannah Beal b 1742 of Hooton Pagnell

                                                                                                                                                                __________________I______________________________                              

                                                                                                                                                                I                                                                                                                       I

                                                                                                                                                                James Hutchinson b 1781 md         -brother and sister-                  Ann Hutchinson b 1774 md

                                                                                                                                                                Mary Waddington* b 1787 of Ardsley                                            Thomas Wilkinson b 1774

                    ________________________________________________________I_____________________                                                                                             I

                    I                                       I                                       I                                 I                                I                                          I                                                                                          I

Edward Hutchinson* 1830 md    Charlotte* 1813 md    George* 1828 md    William* 1823 md     Thomas@ 1818 md    Elizabeth Hutchinson* 1808 md    -1^st cousins-               Hannah Wilkinson b 1800 md

Elizabeth Storer@ 1840                 Thomas Cotton            Hannah Tate             Ruth*                           Rachel@ Poulter       “UNCLE” JAMES WADSWORTH*     -brothers-       William Wadsworth b 1799

I                                                           I________________________________________________________________                                                                                         I                                                                                                                       I                                                           I                                                 I                                 I                                                                                                I

I                                                           Elizabeth Cotton@ 1841 md         Sarahann Cotton* 1835     Mary Cotton~ 1845                                                                            GEORGE ALLEN WADSWORTH* b 1827 md

I                                                           William Secrest Eckels son of                                                                                                                                                                        1st Alice Allen b 1817

I                                                           Judge Delana Eckels of Indiana                                                                                                                                                                                          I

I                                                           I                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “LITTLE” JAMES WADSWORTH b 1848

I                                                           I                                                                                                                                                                                                                           of Panaca, Nevada

I                                                           I                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I                                                           I                                                                                                                                                                                                                           2^nd  Elizabeth Broadbent b 1832

I                                                           I                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I

I                                                           I                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I

Larry M Hutchinson                         Robert Eckels                                                        -modern-day researchers-                                                                                              H LaRae Free V/B Kerr

Chart showing relationships among Hutchinsons, Wadsworths and Eckels.

Copyright 2012 LaRae Free Kerr

temple genealogy experiences

13 Nov 2012                                                                                                 Spanish Fork, Utah

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Brother and Sister Anderson asked me to share some of my most sacred genealogical experiences with you. It is difficult for me, because such events are tender and deeply true, and I can’t bear the thought of anyone making light of such things. Still, I told them I would do it, so I ask for the Spirit of the Lord to be with me as I write them and with you as you read them.

Some forty years ago, before Internet and digitized records, I searched for the parents of Joshua Perkins [1728-1814]. I knew from the research of Junius Free Wells [1854-1930], that a man by that name was my 4^th great grandfather.  But which one? There were several Joshua Perkins living near the same place near the same time.

As a result of correspondence with another Perkins researcher, I was sent a summary of the will of Elisha Perkins[1697-1741] – right time, right place, right names.  But Joshua was not mentioned in the summary. Eventually, I obtained a copy of the complete will. Not seeing a connection, I threw it in a folder for unknown Perkins. About ten years later, when I was really concentrating on the Perkins, I went through that unknown file, reading every word. And there it was: On the second page of Elisha Perkins’ will, where the summarizer had completely missed it, was an entry regarding Elisha’s son Joshua Perkins who received one shilling. Other sons received plantations and property. Obviously, Elisha and fourteen-year-old Joshua were not in sync with each other at the time the will was drawn.  Yet there he was. So I cautiously added Elisha Perkins and his wife Margery Sherrill [1701-1746] to my pedigree. Since that time I’ve been able to add 5 generations beyond Joshua Perkins.

In the course of my research, I discovered Joshua Perkins was a Catawba County, North Carolina “Daniel Boone,” an explorer, a colonizer, and perhaps a Revolutionary War soldier. I also discovered he was once accused of stealing a mare! A real horse thief in my family.

But when our family knelt around the altar in the Holy Temple in Idaho Falls, to seal him to his children in 1982, he was there with us, full of gratitude to us for eternally uniting his family to him and to us.  The Spirit of the Lord and the spirit of Joshua Perkins were overwhelming, such love and peace filled us, as if he was gathering us in his arms.

Another time I was doing initiatories for family members. While doing the ordinance for one relative, I could feel her there with me, as real as if a living relative were in the room with me.  She went from station to station with me. I knew her because of the love she shared with me. When the ordinance was completed, the worker asked me if I had been able to see her because she had felt her presence as well. I had not seen her, but I had felt her so strongly I believe I will know her when I see her again.

Our son David does temple work in Las Vegas for relatives.  He described one of his experiences in 2009:
"I was given my tunic to change into it; went into the stall, wasn't even really focused on relatives themselves. But it felt as I was changing that someone was crying near my shoulder and saying thank you. I felt it was probably William Roy Free [1882-1959]. He was saying very emphatically thank you.  I said you're welcome. It was not a big deal. I was happy to do it and would do the endowment in the next few days. It came out of nowhere. It was really powerful and unexpected.  I didn't go thinking I would have this kind of experience. It got me to the temple. When you said would I like to do temple work it clicked. I didn't realize someone else would benefit and be so grateful about it. I had a really strong feeling that he wanted to be remembered, that he wanted someone to tell his story. He is glad to be remembered, not prideful or egotistical.  Maybe you could tell your children about me he said. I think our relatives would wish to be remembered and have something written about them.”

When we find people in historical records and do their work, especially if they are related to us, any of us may have such wonderful experiences.  They are glorious, testimony-building experiences, and they are experiences of gratitude from the people we serve.  Find your true ancestors and do the temple work for them. If you need help, please use my book which was written with all the inspiration and energy I could muster. Find it at www.freefamilyhistorybook.com. [The Andersons asked me to include the information about the book.]

God bless you and your ancestors. I know genealogy, family history and temple work are true and essential elements of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. In His mercy, He has provided for all to be saved. And we can have a little part in it by finding our actual ancestors and performing their temple work for them.

LaRae Free Kerr, M ED