Pioneer Story of the Day: Barbara Hulme Heath

Barbara Hulme Heath was one of my 4th Great Grandmothers.

(Her daughter was Jane Heath Silcock, who was the mother of Almira Heath Silcock Henderson, who was the mother of Nicholas Thomas Henderson, who was the father of Jay Harold Henderson)

Barbara was born in England to John Hulme and Lady Jane McDonald Hulme.

The vocation Barbara chose to follow was cooking. "Barbara worked for years in that profession, not marrying. She saved her money wisely. When she was twenty-nine years old Barbara met a very pious gentleman six years younger than herself, by the name of John Heath and fell in love. They were married in 1825...Both John and Barbara brought substantial savings accounts to the marriage, an unusual circumstance for the working class of the times. Barbara and John were well suited for each other, and were very happy in their marriage.”

Her husband John passed away in 1841. Barbara joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England in 1845; she was about 49 years old. She and her sons decided to come to America. In October 1845 they arrived aboard the ship “Oregon” in New Orleans and then came up the Mississippi River to the boat dock in Nauvoo. Her daughter Jane met her at the dock. On the ride home Barbara found that her long journey was not yet over. "Nauvoo would be a temporary respite" as the Saints were preparing to go West.

"Barbara, being financially sound, was able to supply capital to purchase the iron and wood for her wagon. Nicholas (her son-in-law) with the help of the teenage Heath boys, provided the labor."

Before leaving she was endowed in the Nauvoo temple on January 8, 1846.

"Barbara Heath and her sons were assigned to Bishop Hunter's company." They had planned to leave February 16th with the main group of Saints. However, Bishop Hunter was counseled to wait and see if he could sell more of his property first.

"In April, discouraged over bleak sales of his property, Edward Hunter's family and Barbara's family prepared their wagons to move across the Mississippi. By now the grass was growing and the trail west was well traveled."

"Barbara’s sons...had not yet joined the Church. Bishop Hunter had a valuable influence on them through their close association during the months of preparation. The Bishop and his wife, Ann only had one daughter...and no sons. Barbara was grateful for the Bishop's mature and fatherly example. As they were saying goodbye, Barbara's last words to Jane were, "If it was not for the salvation of my boys, I would not leave you."

"By the end of August the Hunters and Heaths had reached Council Bluffs on the Missouri River. It was now the 'sickly season.' Bishop Hunter and his family were so sick they could not continue. Bishop Hunter recorded, 'I suffered with sickness, also seven at a time.' Ann Hunter told Jane later in Salt Lake City of this trying time. She explained the Barbara was the Hunter family's life saver. Barbara (who had been sick earlier in their travels) had regained strength but was still sick. Sister Hunter explained that Barbara cooked the meals and nursed those too ill to leave their beds. Ague symptoms include serious thirst. Sister Hunter said there were times when Barbara was too ill to walk but she crawled from bed to bed of those more ill and gave them water. Finally with that devoted care, they regained health enough at the end of September to cross the Missouri River to Winter Quarters."

"Barbara developed other complications in addition to the ague...Sister Hunter told Jane later in Salt Lake City that Barbara became ill with black canker and lay ill for fourteen weeks. Before Barbara died, she told a dear Sister, Elizabeth Melroy, "Write to my daughter in St. Louis and tell her that I am no more, but I have died in hopes of a bright and glorious resurrection." She passed away at Winter Quarters, October 20, 1846 at age 50.

Text in "quotes" is taken from the book "Come After Us" by Melvin Banner (a biography of Nicholas Thomas Silcock and Jane Heath Silcock)

Text not in quotes and italic additions within the quoted text were added by Marie Arnold.