Monday, July 28, 2014

Edward Trimble (1815-1901) and Elizabeth Lennox (1816-1896)

Biography of Edward and Elizabeth Lennox Trimble, by Laura Morgan Trimble
Edward Trimble

EDWARD TRIMBLE, son of Robison and Mary Jefferson Trimble was born April 2, 1815, in Eastwoodside, Cumberland, Eng.  Edward learned the tailor's trade and earned his living by working in a tailor shop.

When he was twenty-four years old, he met and married ELIZABETH LENNOX, daughter of William and Elizabeth Sanderson Lennox.  Elizabeth was born May 9, 1816, in Aikton, Cumberland, England, making her twenty three years old when she married Edward Trimble, August 24, 1839.

Elizabeth and Edward had been married sixteen years when they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Edward was so filled with love for this new religion that he often preached on the street corners, and being quick tempered and a boxer, he sometimes had street fights, and since Edward enjoyed boxing, the fights made preaching very exciting for Edward.

Elizabeth Lennox
Elizabeth was an excellent dressmaker and helped supply food for the family by doing sewing for her customers.  Both Edward and Elizabeth worked diligently at their trade during the daytime but when evening came they relaxed and enjoyed visiting with members of their family.  Edward played the violin and his Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, relatives living in near villages gathered at his home and danced and sang to the accompaniment of the violin.  Edward loved to jig dance, and this talent was passed down through the generations, even his grand daughters loved to do a jig dance.

The family saved their money, and on April 29, 1865 set sail for America, on a sailing vessel named the "Belle Wood".  The Trimble family consisted of: Edward, wife Elizabeth, three sons, John, Jefferson, and Joseph; two daughters, Susan and Mary Elizabeth; together with Edward's brother, John Trimble; eight people in all, members of the Trimble Family.  They were six weeks on the ocean and when they landed in New York, the Civil War was just over and they had to travel to Florence, Nebraska in dirty cattle cars.

Edward's son, John, was offered $50.00 a month if he would drive a freight wagon belonging to Kimball and Lawrence Freight Co.  John arrived in Salt Lake a month before his family did, but he was never paid for his work.  This bitter experience taught John a lesson in trusting his fellow men.  The rest of the family arrived in Utah in October, 1865, six months after leaving England, and not without deep sorrow.  While in Nebraska, Mary Elizabeth, the nine years old daughter of Edward and Elizabeth, died of black smallpox, and was buried in the Pioneer Cemetery.

Upon arriving in Salt Lake they were assigned to go to Fillmore, Utah.  Their first home was a dug out, however Elizabeth kept the home neat and tidy.  Her tin ware was always polished and shone brightly for everyone to see.  Later when they built them a brick home, Elizabeth took delight in keeping one of the cleanest, most orderly homes in Fillmore.  Elizabeth was a gracious hostess and every one was made welcome to her home.  Guests sang, danced and played games but Elizabeth never allowed gossip or slander of any type to take place in the Edward Trimble home.

Elizabeth Trimble died March 8, 1896, and Edward Trimble died April 25, 1901, both are buried in the Fillmore Cemetery.

They buried four children before reaching maturity:  Mary, born November 24, 1839, died at age 1 1/2 years; William, born June 19, 1842, died at age 3 years; Robison, born April 8, 1849, died at age 2 years; Mary Elizabeth, born Oct 28, 1856, died at age 9 years.  The first three children are buried in England, while Mary Elizabeth is buried in Nebraska.

The Children of Edward and Elizabeth Trimble who lived to maturity were:  Mary, born Nov. 24, 1839; William, born June 19, 1842; John, born May 39, 1846, married Emma Locke; Robison, born April 8, 1849; Jefferson, born October 22, 1851, married Margaret Fortie; Joseph, born May 5, 1854, married Melissa Davies.

Mary, William and Robison died as young children.
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EDWARD TRIMBLE AND ELIZABETH LENNOX TRIMBLE
by Laura Morgan Trimble

Edward Trimble - born 2 April 1815 in Eastwoodside, Cumberland, England.  The son of Robison Trimble and Mary Jefferson Trimble.

Elizabeth Lennox - born 9 May 1816 in Aikton, Cumberland, England.  The daughter of William Lennox and Elizabeth Sanderson Lennox.

At Thursby, Cumberland, England, in a modest little home surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens, both front and back, Edward Trimble and his wife, Elizabeth Lennox made a haven of love for themselves and the eight children born to them.  Edward was tailor by trade and Elizabeth was a dressmaker.  Their daughter, Susan, often remarked, "Me father was tailor and me mother a dressmaker and they made me proud."
   
In the year 1855, Edward and Elizabeth joined the Mormon Church.  They were baptized the 19th of September.  Close to 10 years lapsed between their joining the church and their coming to America and eventually to Utah to be with the saints.  During these years Edward would spend some of his evenings preaching on the street corners.  He loved this new gospel and wanted to tell others about it.  Being a quick-tempered person -  he sometimes got too excited with the rebuffs he got from the people in his audience.

One story is told of him as he was preaching and he quoted, "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other."  This quote is from Luke 6:29.  A man listening stepped up in front of Edward and struck him on his cheek.  The quick temper of Edward flared and very quickly he struck the fellow back and said, "Begock, it didn't say that you can't  hit back."
   
Edward was also a boxer of some degree and he enjoyed this pastime very much.  I'm sure the fellow in the audience who received the slap from Edward knew he had been hit.
   
Edward spent his days in making a living for his family but many of the evenings and holidays were spent in enjoying his family and other relatives.  His uncles, aunts and cousins lived in near by townships so visiting was a regular part of their lives.  Edward played the violin and family members sang and danced to his music. (His violin is in the State House in Fillmore, Utah.)  Susan, his daughter, remarked that many times she would often hold her long skirts up and do a jig to her fathers music.  Uncle Edward Trimble, a grandson of this Edward, was noted to do a jig dance on occasions.  Could have been this jig dance was passed from grandfather to father, to son.
 
Joseph Trimble, an older brother of Edward, kept an Inn in Carlisle, England, a small town near Thursby. This Joseph was often visited by Edward and his family. They enjoyed the entertainment furnished by girls hired to sing and dance for the patrons of the Inn.
   
Edward and his wife, Elizabeth, three sons, John, Jefferson and Joseph, two daughters, Susan and Mary Elizabeth and a brother of Edward's John Trimble, left England the 29th of April in 1865.  Their mode of travel was a small sailing vessel named "Belle Wood."  This vessel had no engines for power and so movement across the ocean was accomplished by the wind blowing the boat.  Many times there wasn't enough wind to even move the boat and the vessel would float around for hours or stay still for days.  When the wind came again, the course would again be charted and the boat was off again in the direction of America.  Hours, I'm sure, were spent by these passengers wondering if they would ever see land again and that perhaps they would have been better off to have stayed in England.  Courage and faith in their Father in Heaven was not lacking.  After six weeks on the ocean they landed at the New York harbor.  Evidently Edward had prepared well for this journey - for from New York this family traveled in an Independent Company.  This means they were able to pay their expenses.  With a good supply of clothes and other items brought from England this family thought they would need very little help for their trip to Utah.  This security was not to be for someone stole their clothes while they traveled west in cattle cars.
 
 The Civil War had just ended and John Trimble, the brother of Edward, said the cattle cars was not the best - horse manure covered the floors upon which the people had to sit and sleep.  The railroad cars had been used to convey horses to the battlefront and had not been cleaned.  As the saints traveled west, many people would point fingers of scorn at them and say, "Old Brigham has got you."
   
In Missouri, they spent sometime preparing for the next lap of the journey to Utah.  They purchased wagons, oxen and other supplies that they would need.  John, Edward's son, was hired by a freighting company, known as Kimball and Laurence.  This company offered John $50.00 a month to drive oxen to Salt Lake.  He arrived in Salt Lake a month ahead of his parents and to their great dismay had never been paid by this company.  The only clothes John had were on him, a pair of worn out overalls.  The boy was 19 years old and he had learned a good lesson in trust.
   
According to the book, "Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, " the Trimble’s arrived in Utah in October of 1865.  Sorrow was their lot while in Nebraska.  Their little daughter, Mary Elizabeth, died of Black Smallpox.  She was 9 years old and is buried in Omaha, in the Pioneer Cemetery.

SOURCE
Biography obtained from the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Fillmore, Utah, Territorial Statehouse Museum.

Edward Trimble's Find A Grave Memorial
Elizabeth Lennox Trimble's Find A Grave Memorial

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