Letter from Martin Littlewood

The following is a letter from Martin Littlewood to his family:

August 22, 1869

Dear Wives and Children;

I take up my pen to write you a few lines, hoping to find you all well as this leaves me, for which I thank my Heavenly Father, your note of the 10th found me last night at bedtime, but I got a candle and read it and it made me feel well, but I did not sleep all night for thinking about you. Sorry you did not get my letter as I sent you all particulars. So that you might be satisfied that I am doing my best for you all. You say that you would have wrote sooner but you did not know where to send it. If you had of got the letter it would have informed you. But as you did not, I will now tell you.

Hoping that the Postmaster will tend to his business better. I'm about 100 miles West of Salt Lake City. We have no Post Office here or any traveling this way. Only when someone goes to the City on business and that is about once a month. We get no paper or any thing to read, only old ledgers. We have no meetings so you may know I feel lost on Sundays. I am at work for Porter Rockwell putting up frame buildings. I have put up three homes and two barns, but they are not all finished yet. I expect it will be another month or six weeks, before finished. I have two men to help me and the timber we have to haul 60 miles, shingle about 50 miles. My wages are $3.00 a day, board and washing. We have a good board.

I often wish that you were here to take diner with me. Porter has about two thousand acres of land here. Forty horses, three hundred head of cattle. We milk thirty cows night and morning, have plenty of milk, butter etc. I have been quite well all the time but sometimes get homesick. I keep up my prayers both for you and me, and He blesses me. I am a little lame in the left leg, but I keep up work all of the time. I am anxious to make as much as I can, that when I do come home I can make you all comfortable and happy. Last night I reckoned up my account, have earned $175.00 out here. All I have spent is $3.50 for overalls and shirt. I have mended up my old shoes that they still do. We have here five men, four boys, one woman and two girls, all hired by Porter. We have tea, coffee, bacon, sugar, and some time deer meat, that we get by the Indians thats here. All our Desert Indians are here but the Black Hawks. They tell Porter I am a Morman with all squaws, having three wives.

Porter starts for the City on Tuesday, he will put this in the Post Office for me. You say that you think I can not read your letters. I had no trouble, so write again and direct your letters to M.L. in care of O.P. Rockwell Salt Lake City and I shall get it. Give my love to all of the children and hug the babies for me, and I will bring you all the love that is in my heart when I come home. So no more at present from your affectionate and loving husband.

Martin Littlewood

To Ann and Annie Littlewood
God bless you all.

P.S. I would have sent you some money but Porter has none with him, but he will get some in the City. I will send some in next letter. Tell George to do all he can and be a good boy. William to help him, and I will reward them when I come home. Bless you all.

Martin Littlewood

Martin Littlewood

Facts I have gathered about Martin Littlewood

Martin Littlewood was born 28 Jan 1817 in Upper Mill, Saddleworth, Yorkshire, England and christianed on 6 Mar 1817.

His first wife was Sarah Elizabeth Muir. They were married August 16th, 1835 in Manchester, Lancashire, England. Martin and Sarah were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on the 9th of February, 1840. They traveled to the United States on board the Tyrian, during which Sarah bore a little girl -- Elizabeth Tyrane Littlewood. I have seen one record that indicates that they divorced in Utah and she remarried. However, since then, I can't seem to locate that record. I do know that in 1880, she was living with her son Joseph and his family in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He married at least twice more: Annie Parkes and Ann Cook -- both in Utah.

Martin Littlewood signed the Mormon Redress Petitions, p.187-188 along with Joseph Smith and Brigham Young

Martin Littlewood served a mission to South Wales:
'Elder James Palmer, who was baptized on 13 April 1840, a convert from the United Brethren, recorded in his journal some of his early proselytizing visits to South Wales. One entry (that appears to be for some date in November 1840) reads, ‘I preached at Skenfrith. Was opposed by a Roman Catholic.’ A short time later he wrote that he and Elder Martin Littlewood ‘visited Skenfrith again…We were opposed again by the same Roman Catholic who brought others with him and a newspaper and read therein a tissue of falsehood against our principles.’
-The Welsh and the Gospel by Ronald D. Dennis

He was mentioned in the journal of Jane Johnston Black:
"We had nothing to eat but a half bushel of corn meal and a half-dozen cucumbers that were given to me by Martin Littlewood."

He was a carpenter by trade.

Martin Littlewood traveled to Utah in the Appleton M. Harmon Company (1853). He was thirty-two at the time.

Martin died 20 Feb 1898 in Provo, Utah and was buried two days later in Payson, Utah.

Sources:
'The Tyrian and Its Mormon Passengers' by Paul B. Pixton
Cornelius Bagnall Emigrating Company, Journal, 1853 Mar.-Oct. Read Trail Excerpt