Inscription: Mother. Maria Heap Oldham, Born at Hasingdon, England December 28, 1816, Died January 1, 1886. Father. John Oldham, Born at Hasingdon, England July 1, 1813, Died November 24, 1874.
Burial: Paradise Cemetery, Paradise, Cache County, Utah, USA - Plot: L6
Birth: December 28, 1816, Lancashire, England
Death: January 1, 1886, Paradise, Cache County, Utah, USA
Maria was the daughter of John and Alice (Howorth) Heap. She was the oldest of 3 sisters and a brother. Maria was the wife of John Oldham. Maria and John married 4 June 1836 in St. James Church, Haslingden, Lancashire, England.
They had the following children:
William
William Heap
Thomas
Alice
John Henry
Maria
Ellen
Margaret Ann
Samuel Heaps
John Henry
Eliza
Comments
Maria attended the Bury, Manchester, England Conference. She was removed in conference on November 18, 1854.
From unknown book, page 946
Listed as recipient of Perpetual Emigrating Fund
NAME INDEX Compiled by Maurine Carr Ward - NAMES of PERSONS AND SURETIES indebted to the PERPETUAL EMIGRATING FUND COMPANY FROM 1850 TO 1877 INCLUSIVE Printed at the Star Book and Job Printing Office, Salt Lake City 1877
MARIE HEAPS OLDHAM
Written by Sarah Helen Lofthouse Tams
Read at Edith Baldey's D.U.P. May 21, 1936
Maria Heaps Oldham was born at Haslingden, Lancashire, England, December 28, 1816. She was the wife of John Oldham and mother of ten children, John, William, James Henry, Thomas, Samuel, Alice, Maria, Ellen, Margaret, and Eliza
She joined the L.D.S. church about the year 1844. In 1864 the whole family left England to come to Utah. Arriving in the central part of the United States, William joined the army to fight in the Civil War. He was never heard from again. Thomas and John becoming dissatisfied with the Church and remained in the "States." Later they married non-Mormon girls and located in Kansas. Years later, Henry one of John's sons came to Utah, joined the Church, married, and settled in Logan. Later in Salt Lake City his parents came to visit him and joined the Church before they returned to their home in Kansas.
John and Maria Oldham settled in Paradise and later moved to the present location of Paradise. Here one son Samuel was bishop for twenty-two years. He was also County Superintendent of schools. James Henry, Alice, Maria, and Ellen all lived and died in Paradise.
In England Maria's husband was a hand-loom weaver. The strictest economy was necessary to raise such a large family and to immigrate with them. Of course the children had to help as soon as they were large enough to earn anything. As an example of thrift, if a few apples were purchased, they were sized for making dumplings or other desserts. The children were not allowed to eat them between meals. Mrs. Oldham was very industrious. She was a good Latter-day Saint and raised her children to be good and loyal citizens.
She died in Paradise January 1, 1886 after being sick for two months of dropsy. Three sons and four daughters were with her during her sickness and death. Her husband had preceded her in death.
Found on FamilySearch.org.
Life of John and Maria Heap Oldham
From Autobiography of Samuel Oldham written about October 1920
My parental grandfather, William Oldham was born at Haslingden ,Lancachire, England, in the year 1783. His wife, whose maiden name, was Alice Barnes, was born at the same place in the year 1787. They were married, probably, in the early part of 1812. Their three children, of whom we have any record were John Oldham, born at Haslingden, England, on June 13, 1813. Mary Ann Oldham Heap was born at the same place on 22 December, 1815 and Alice Oldham Sharples was born at the same place, probably in 1818.
My grandfather died on the 26 August, 1856 and my grandmother on the 2nd April, 1867. I have a slight recollection of my grandfather although but a little over four years of age when he died. My grandmother I can remember quite well, as she lived with us for some time.
My grandparents were engaged in their own home in hand loom weaving. This was the only kind of cloth weaving that was then known. During the early part of their lives, power looms were invented, to run by steam. At one time, my grandfather had seven looms and employed people to manipulate them, all in his own house.
The introduction of power looms was accompanied by great opposition and destruction on the part of the people, who had been using hand looms to gain a livelihood for hundreds of years and who it now seemed would be deprived of that privilege.
My grandparents were both buried in St. James Church yard, Haslingden, England.
My father, John Oldham was born at Haslingden, Lancahire, England, on the 13th June, 1813. He married my mother, Maria Heap, a daughter of John Heap and Alice Howarth, both of Haslingden, on 4 January, 1836. They were also endowd and sealed in the Endowment Houre, Salt Lake City Utah, in November, 1868.
They had the following children:
William, born 5 June, 1836 at Haslingden, died 14 September 1862, killed in battle at South Mountain, Maryland.
Thomas, born 1 October 1838 at Edenfield, died 16 January 1916 at Atchison, Kansas.
Alice (Mitton) born 15 December 1849 at Bury Lanc. died at Logan Cache, Utah.
John born 12 May, 1843 at Bury Lanc.
Ellen (Bickmore) born 1 October 1847 at Bury, Lanc. died at Logan, Utah
Margaret A. (Crapo) borh 11 Deember 1849 at Bury, Lanc.
Samuel born 3 March 1852 at Bury Lanc.
James Henry born 2 December 1844 at Oldham, Lanc. died 26 May 1913 at Paradise, Cache, Utah.
Eliza (Remington) born 2 December 1858 at Oldham Lanc. died at Parker, Idaho.
My father and his family were most of them engaged in weaving. My father, first, on a hand loom and afterwards, he and his chidren, as they grew up, handling power looms.
He was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in 1844 in Bury, Lancachire, England and emigrated with his wife and seven children from England to Utah, starting on the 18th of May 1864. We crossed the ocean on the General McClellan, a sailing vessel and were thirty one days reaching New York. We then spent nine days and nights on the railroad cars traveling to St. Joseph, Missouri. Then two days and one night on a steamboat traveling up the Missouri River, arriving at a village called Wyoming on the Missouri in July 1864. After remaing there about three weeks, we started on our journey across the plains in Captain Warren's ox train. We traveled for eleven weeks before arriving at Salt Lake City on October 4, 1864. It was a very arduous journey. My father and mother were both sick for about three weeks before we arrived at our destination. The Indians were very hostile during the first part of our journey and during the latter part nutritious food was very scarce. As soon as we arrived, however all commenced to improve until we were soon ejoying the best of health.
After remaining two or three weeks at Salt Lake City, the family removed to Paradise, Cache County, in the northern part of Utah. As their son, John, who had emigrated the year prvious, through the assistance of his parents, had purchased a lot with a log house upon it. To this crude home they came with grateful hearts, it being more than twenty weeks since leaving their home in England. Arriving there in the last days of October, 1865.
All work that the family could do to help in gaining a livelihood was completed. The fahter and tweve year old son, Samuel, however did succeed in getting a job at husking corn on shares, one bushel out of seven husked, being the compensation.
Arriving in their new home with no means whatever, and not being able to get employment by which any means could be earned except the corn before mentioned. It was a very serious question how a long winter could be tided over. This difficulty however was considerably lessened by the Bishop David James calling the men folks of the Ward together and asking them to make such advances to the incoming emigrants as they could afford. A very liberal amount of food such as meat, potatoes, flour, and etc. was advanced. All of which was subsequently paid for by my father. This was a great help and came at a most opportune time. It stirred up feelings of earnest gratitude to the Bishop and members of his Ward.
In the latter part of that Winter, my father was invited to follow his old trade, hand loom weaving, as cloth for men and women's clothing was extremely scarce and high in price. During 1865 and many succeeding years, his time was largely employed in that work. For many years he counted as his years work one thousand yards of cloth. When that was accomplished, he felt as though his vacation had been well earned.
In the latter part of the summer of 1866, great clouds of grasshoppers flew upon the town and the fields surrounding it. They commenced feeding upon the crops in the gardens and fields. Considerable loss was inflicted this first season of the appearance, and they also laid their eggs in great quantities. Next Spring the insects hatched from the eggs and destroyed practically all the crops that were planted. Thus it continued alternately for six years. One year the insects would fly upon us rather early and destroy perhaps half of the crops, and lay their eggs. The next year the eggs would hatch and the crops would be almost entirely destroyed before the grasshoppers attained sufficient growth to fly away. This was known as the grasshopper war. It had the effect to keep the people poor, and unable to build up their surroundings with as great rapidity as they otherwise would have.
In the early part of 1867, it was decided by the Church Authorities, that on account of the hostility of the Indians, and the isolation of the community, and the limited amount of land available, it would be best to move the people to a location about three miles North. So most of that year was taken up in plotting and surveying and getting materials for homes, barns, sheds, fences, etc. and very early in the Spring of 1868 this move was accomplished.
My father and mother endured the hardships and privations of those times, not with feelings of complaint, or discouragement, but with cheerfulness and gratitude for the blessings they did enjoy. This was Zion, in very deed to them, and they were willing to plow, plant, and build, to make it an enjoyable place to live.
In the latter part of October in the same year of 1868, my father and mother traveled to Salt Lake City by ox team, their 16-year-old son, Samuel, driving and caring for the team. There in the Endowment House were sealed as husband and wife for all time and eternity. They received their endowments under the hands of the servants of God. It was a journey of 180 miles and although they traveling was slow, it was quite enjoyable as the weather was exceedingly pleasant.
On the 24th November, 1874, my father died from Jaundice, brought on by being overpowered by heat while assisting in gathering hay during the preceding August. His age was 61 years and 5 months. My mother died on the 1st of January, 1886, having just passed her 69th birthday. They had lived an honest and an industrious life. They were faithful and true to their religious convictions, and had raised a large and honorable family. None of their children died before maturity.
Contributed by Vern Deakin 7 June 2014
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