TERESA SOUTHWICK MARRIOTT

A Life Sketch
Written by IDA MARRIOTT CREAMER
as told to her by her mother, Trezer

Teresa (Trezer) Southwick Marriott was born the 7th day of May, 1840 at Staffordshire, England. I am the daughter of Joseph Southwick and Ann Martin Southwick. My parents were of English descent. My ancestors on my father's side were traced back to King Alexander the Second. They were members of the Methodist Church. My father was a shoemaker and had a large shoe establishment. My parents embraced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints after hearing the Gospel preached by the first missionaries that were sent to the West Bromwich Branch in England. Later my father was President of that Branch--holding that office until we left for America. At that time, my Uncle Edward Southwick was appointed to take his place.

My mother died during the year of 1846--1eaving three children: Mary Ann, Edward and Trezer. In a year's time, my father married Ann Johnson, who had one son (George) by a former husband, and one son (Joseph) by my father.

My sister Mary Ann, left England for America in 1848 with Mrs. Bowers whose son Shadrack was to marry when reaching St. Louis. The following year, 1849, my father with his family sailed for America. It took us three months to cross the water. We landed in New Orleans and took a boat up to St. Louis. We were there two weeks when my father died. The following week, my sister's husband died--both with the cholera. Soon after my father died, my stepmother married again. My brother Edward and I went to live with my sister who had married John Kroff Taylor. They had two children--Lillie and Annie. The oldest child died. From worry and trouble, my sister took sick and contracted tuberculosis. She wanted to come out West. The doctor said that the journey overland would benefit her health. Her husband and another man bought a team. We got ready and started in the year 1854. Elizabeth Stewart was in the party. We got as far as Council Bluffs. My sister had a relapse. She feared she would die on the plains and would have to be buried there and would be dug up and eaten by wolves. She wanted to go back to St. Louis. The party came on West bringing my brother with them. We started back. The captain of the boat, who had just lost his wife with tuberculosis, said my sister should have a cabin berth--the best that was on the boat-­while going back. She soon died. Not long after, her baby followed her to the land of peace. I was left alone having no one there.

Wishing to come out West again, I met Bishop Worley who was the first Bishop ordained in St. Louis. He told me that he was coming to Utah; and if I would help his wife with the work while coming, he would bring me with them. We started the year of 1855 in the Captain John Hendley Company--the first company to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley that year. We had forty-six wagons and two hundred souls. There were quite a number of young folk my age. Before we started, the Captain gave orders for none to go ahead or stay back of the company. He warned us of the Indians and Mountaineers who had been known to steal the women and girls. There were lots of currents and plums along the road. We used to pick a great many. I never would stay back of the company, I never got as many as some of the other girls, and I got a scolding about it. One day I was where the currents were thick. I was going to get my bucket full. When I looked up, the company was way up the road. Just at that time, a big Mountaineer sprang up in front of me. I was so frightened, I couldn't speak. I saw the Captain coming back to see if anyone was left. I waved my hand, he saw me, and came sideling up. He took us both back to camp and gave the Mountaineer his supper and a bed. He was gone before morning. The Captain gave us a good lecture. He saved me from being captured.

I walked most of the way barefooted. I started with two pairs of shoes. I wore one pair out and kept the other pair, as I did not want to arrive barefooted in Salt Lake City where I expected to meet my brother. I only rode when it was storming or when crossing rivers. I enjoyed my journey. We had no deaths and very little sickness. My brother was going back to St. Louis after me had I not come that year. We arrived in Salt Lake in 1855.

After arriving, I did not know where to go, as my brother was not there at the time. Mr. Bowers took me in. I stayed there until after the October Conference. Then I went to Ogden with Thomas Howell who said he would give me a home until I could get work. Then I went to Mr. Marriott's home who had a family and two wives, Elizabeth Stewart--the later my friend whom I met when we first started to Utah in 1854. I became Mr. Marriott's third wife on November 5, 1855. Later he married Margaret Burton. We all lived in Marriottsville, which was named for my husband. We endured hardship with the other pioneers.

For four years, we never saw money. We had lots of grain and traded it for groceries. At one time, tea was five dollars a pound. At times, flour and sugar were very scarce. One year my husband raised flax to make jeans. Margaret and I spun the flax into warp. When we moved south, we went as far as Salt Lake and stayed there six weeks. We had two wagons but only one cover. The weather was stormy. We were living in a house where there were two windows opposite each other. Brother Bushforth put the warp we had spun from window to window on a wooden rod. I sat on one side and Margaret on the other. We handed the ball back and forth then beat it up, and made four widths of carpet instead of jeans. This we used for the cover for the other wagon. Then we moved south to Payson.

When the soldiers settled down, we went back to Marriottsville. I lived there until my first child was born. Then I moved to Ogden and lived on the corner of 23rd Street and Washington Avenue. The lot (afterward) was occupied by the Consolidated Implement Company. My home was a two-story adobe house. I raised a family of eight children: Many Ann, Edward, Eliza, David, Charles Arthur, Brigham, Ida May, and Israel. My oldest girl, twenty-one years and my youngest, a boy of three years, died eleven days apart. Besides rearing my own, I helped to take care of three other motherless children. Through God's blessings, I have been given strength to stand my sorrows and trouble. I lived in the old home until 1885. Then I moved to 163 22nd Street. My husband died at Marriottsville the 10th of June 1899 at the age of 82 years. I went to Evanston, Wyoming in 1894 to live with my daughter, Mrs. Lauder. Later I went to Salt Lake City, Utah, and lived there for five years with my youngest daughter, Mrs. Creamer. Then we moved to Ogden and lived in my old home on 22nd Street for eight years. Then my daughter bought her home at 453 13th St. where I am now living.

I have tried to live a righteous life and do unto others, as I would have them do unto me. I am 75 years old, and with God's blessings I hope to live to see peace over the nations again.

Tesesa (Trezer) Southwick Marriott died the 6th of December 1920 at the age of eighty years.