My fifth great grandfather is Charles Simkins.
Harris Archibald Stephenson (1876-1942)
Susan Mariah Simkins (1853-1942)
Daniel Simkins (1832-1883)
Charles Simkins (1798-1875)
From a story posted on familysearch, I learned that he married a woman named Rachel Hawthorne. They joined the LDS church and were making preparations to immigrate when Rachel suddenly died in 1849. Supposedly this left Charles Simkins with eight sons, however, familysearch only shows that the following children were living at the time:
James Charles Simkins (1823-1897)
Daniel Simkins (1832-1883) he would have been 17 when his mother died
Charles Simkins (1834-1859)
Hezekiah Simkins (1837-1916)
Joseph Simkins (1842-1925)
The family most likely traveled to Utah in the Thomas Marsden Company, departing 4 June 1852.
Charles Simkins, 54
Charles Simkins, 17
Hezekiah Simkins, 15
James Charles Simkins, 28
Joseph Simkins, 9
Rachel Simkins, 6
In the story, supposedly, "It was decided that the father and the small boys were to go first and the older boys were to stay in England until the father could send enough money for them.
In the meantime, the older ones procured work and so the family was separated for a time. Finally, after careful planning and work, the family was reunited in America. They crossed the plains just as they could, working their way through, the father keeping the young boys with him."
Notice that there are only six living children, and one is a daughter. Daniel Simkins, my fourth great grandfather, apparently did not go on the trek with the rest of the family.
Neither, apparently, did Charles Simkin's new wife Elisabeth Johnson, who had married him only ~9 months earlier on 30 September 1851.
The Thomas Marsden Company left for Utah in June 1852. This is the approximate marriage year of Daniel Simkins to Susan Gale in St. Louis, Missouri. An exact date has not yet been found.
Missouri, Marriages, 1750-1920 showed no results for Daniel Sim[p]kins or Susan Gale ~1852
All Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002 showed no marriage results for Daniel Sim[p]kins to Susan Gale, however there is a clear record of his marriage to Ellen Howard. More on that in a bit.
Searching for the death of Susan Gale Sim[p]kins in the following databases gave no results:
Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910Missouri, Deaths and Burials, 1867-1976Missouri, Deaths and Burials Index, 1873-1976Missouri Digital Heritage Pre-1910 Death RecordsMissouri Digital Heritage Death Certificates, 1910-1961Coroner's Inquest Database
I do not believe that Daniel Simkins married Susan Gale in St. Louis Missouri. Perhaps the couple was married in England, and that is why Daniel did not come immediately to the United States with the rest of his family, although as of now, I still have no proof that the family journeyed across the Atlantic together. Perhaps the couple was married somewhere else before they got to St. Louis.
The 1850 census shows that Daniel Simkins was living in the home of James Simkins with Rachel, Daniel's 3 year old niece, and Charles, his 15 year old younger brother. They were in St. Louis at this time. It appears that he was not yet married at this time.
In the Utah, Familysearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900 which is only available by browsing entries, I found the following:
Name: Simkins - Charles
When born: 25 Mar 1799
Where born: Worcestershire, Eng
Father: James Simkins
Mother: Mary
Date of blessing: 4 June 1854
Place of blessing: Provo, Utah
Patriarch: Emer Harris
Record Historians Office, Patriarchal Blessings, Vol. 210 Page 51
Name : Simkins - Elizabeth
When born: 13 July 1804
Where born: Peltham, Eng
Father: John Freeman
Mother: Sarah
Date of blessing: 4 June 1854
Place of blessing: Provo, Utah
Patriarch: Emer Harris
Recorded Historians Office, Patriarchal Blessings, Vol. 210 Page 53
Name in full: Simpkins - James
When born: July 27, 1825
Where born: Gossy Bank, England
When baptized: April 11, 1842
Baptized by: Samuel Pricard
Father: Charles
Mother Rachael
Record No. 1C Seventies
Page 25th Quorum
Ordained April 10, 1853 by L.W. Rogers
Name in full: Simkins Charles
Born: 8. Nov. 1834
Where born: Newton, Lee Willes, Eng.
Baptized 1. Apr. 1846
Baptized by: Charles Simpkens [sic]
Father: Charles
Mother: Rachel Hawthorne
Record No. 1 C Seventies Page 217. 34. quorum
Ordained 11. June 1854 by D. W. Rogers
Name in full: Simkins - Joseph E.
When born: 27 years old
Residence and Occupation: Salt Lake City, Utah
Date of License: 17 Apr. 1901 Where issued: Coalville
When married: 17 Apr. 1901 Where: Coalville
To whom married: Louisa Ernsberg
By whom married: F. H. Wright
Marriage record of Summit County, book 1 page 356
Married 13 Jan 1862
Page 237
Genealogical Surveys of L.D.S. Members ; Autobiographies and Ancestors.
So, back to that second marriage to Ellen Howard. Yes, he married her on 31 May 1856; and then she divorced him on 2 March 1857. See the following:
Here is the index to the divorce record for Daniel Simkins, 3/2/1857
| Series: | 373 |
| Reel Number: | 6 |
| Box Number: | 04 |
| Folder Number: | 092 |
| Series: | 373 |
| Reel Number: | 6 |
| Box Number: | 04 |
| Folder Number: | 092 |
Here is a link to the death certificate of Rachel Simpkins Jones. It appears that this person was actually James' daughter, and thus Charles' granddaughter.
Here is a bio about her on familysearch. This bio says that she was born 3 November 1844 at "Nutun, Lee Willows, Lan Shire, England" [sic] to James Simkins and Jane Kirkbride. It also says that her parents sailed to America (this is corroborated by the Mormon Migration website, which lists them on the ship "Erin's Queen" leaving from Liverpool to New Orleans on 7 September 1848) and made their home in St. Louis, where her mother died in childbirth. Her sisters had also died, and so James and Rachel were left alone to travel to Utah. Except, they weren't exactly alone; they traveled with her uncles and grandfather Charles Simkins.
Aaaand...if you followed that...here's a brief timeline to make things easier:
1848
7 September 1848 - James, his wife Jane, and his daughters Rachel and Margaret Ann leave England on the ship "Erin's Queen."
6 November 1848 - James and his family arrive in St. Louis where he probably got employment and they stayed for the winter
1849
1850
10 January 1850 Daniel Simpkins immigrated with his brother Charles from Liverpool to New Orleans on the ship "Argo."
11 March 1850 - Daniel and Charles arrive in New Orleans
24 March 1850 - probably Daniel and Charles arrive in St. Louis, where they probably are united with their brother James
- Simpkins Charles, age 44, origin Newton, listed on the Argo [1850] Cannot go on this vessel on account of sickness.
- Simpkins, Rachel - dead
- brothers Hezekiah and Joseph had no notes. They were aged 10 and 7 at the time.
20 July 1850 - Jane Kirkbride Simpkins dies in childbirth
22 July 1850 - James Simpkins living with daughter Rachel and brothers Charles and Daniel.
30 July 1850 - Mary Jane Simkins, James' infant daughter, supposedly dies.
4 September 1850 - Charles Simpkins immigrates from Liverpool to New Orleans with sons Hezekiah and Joseph on the ship "North Atlantic."
1 November 1850 - Charles Simpkins and family arrive in New Orleans
1851
30 September 1851 - Charles Simkins marries Elisabeth (Freeman) Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri
1852
4 June 1852 - Charles Simpkins and sons Charles, Hezekiah, James, and Joseph, and granddaughter (James's daughter) Rachel leave for Utah with the Thomas Marsden pioneer company
Probably Daniel Simkins marries Susan Gale at some point this year.
1853
23 August 1853 - [Susana] Maria[h] Simpkins is born
1854
4 June 1854 - both Charles Simkins and Elizabeth (Freeman Johnson) Simpkins receive their patriarchal blessings in Provo, UT
1855
2 or 7 May 1855 - Susan Gale, wife of Daniel Simkins, dies at St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri.
1856
31 May 1856 - Daniel Simpkins marries Ellen Howard in St. Louis Missouri
27 June 1856 - Daniel Simpkins and daughter Susanna Mariah Simpkins leave for Utah with the Canute Peterson Company
1857
2 March 1857 - Ellen Howard divorces Daniel Simpkins
1858
1859
1860
20 July 1860 - Maria Simpkins living in the home of her grandfather Charles Simpkins, Step-grandmother Elizth [sic], and uncle Hezekiah in Beaver City, Beaver, Utah.
What I'm interested in finding out is the following:
Why did Daniel Simpkins leave Utah?
When exactly did he leave?
Who did he marry? (Mary Tait?)
Who are the parents of his California spouse?
Did he ever return to visit his daughter?
Did he remain a faithful Latter-day Saint? Was he disillusioned with the LDS church? Were his motives for moving to California centered on gold?
Why do several sources seem to indicate he died in Idaho?
Did he really die in 1883, or is that incorrect?
