Elizabeth Ann Birch was born 2 November 1823 in Presteigne, Radnorshire, Wales, United Kingdom to John Birch (1775-1852) and Ann Craven (1778-1846) and died 22 October 1899 Murray, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. She married Arnold Potter (1804-1872) 10 December 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, United States. She married Francis Brown (1827-1872) 1858 in Beaver, Beaver County, Utah, United States.
Biography
British Isles
Elizabeth and her parents originated from Radnorshire, Wales. After a few years they had relocated to Herefordshire, England. Here they were part of the United Brethren Movement when contact by Wilford Woodruff (1807-1898) and missionaries of the new LDS Church. Elizabeth and her mother were joined this new church.
They desired to join the main body of Saints in America but their John Birch, stedfastly refused, leading to the breakup of Elizabeth's parents.
Elizabeth and several family members left England in early 1841 on the newly built square rigger, Alesto, under the command of Captain Henry Whiting. They were part of group of Mormons led by Elders Thomas Smith and William Moss.
Life in Nauvoo
Soon after arrival in the large mormon city of Nauvoo, Illinois, Elizabeth married a widower, Arnold Potter (1804-1872). They had one son together that must have died early, for he is not found on any records from 1849/1850 or later.
They traveled to Utah with a Mormon pioneer colony in 1849. In 1853 they were part of the large Mormon colony to settle San Bernardino, California.
Return to Utah
Arnold Potter was called in 1856 on a mission to Australia, but returned early, significantly transformed. They had one more child together, but very quickly Elizabeth took the children and left him and the colony, fleeing to Beaver, Utah. Here she remarried to Francis Brown (1827-1872).
Marriage & Family
1st Marriage: Arnold Potter
Married to Arnold Potter (1804-1872) in the Mormon Community of Nauvoo, Illinois after the death of his first wife. In 1853 they moved to the Mormon Colony in San Bernardino, California. She divorced him circa 1858 and left with all of the children, shortly after his transformation into a Messianic Preacher.
- John Potter (1844-) - died prior to 1849 family migration to Utah.
- Wallace Edwin Potter (1850-1909)
- George A Potter (1852-1909)
- Mary Adeline Potter (1854-1874)' - first Anglo-American child born at the Mormon Colony of San Bernardino. She md at age 16 and died one week after the birth of her second child at 19. Her first child, Mary Ann Chapman (1872-1973), lived to age 101.
- Elizabeth Ann Potter (1858-1931)
2nd Marriage: Francis Brown
Married to Francis Brown (1827-1872) - in Beaver, Utah sometime in 1858. They had three children.
While living in San Bernardino, Elizabeth ran a small business while waiting for Arnold to return from his mission. During that time she became acquainted with a Mormon Battalion veteran, Francis Brown (1827-1872), his Indian wife whom he had married in San Diego and together they had two children. After Arnold's return Elizabeth fled the area and traveled to Utah with Francis and his family.
Family histories suggest that both Magell and Elizabeth were both pregnant en route to Utah but when Magell died, Francis reportedly gave the baby to a family in St. George to raise although there are different accounts of the birth. No further information has been found on this third child. Francis married Elizabeth in 1858 in Beaver, Utah.
In the 1860 Salt Lake census, Francis and his wife Elizabeth and her children from her previous marriage are listed but Magell’s children are not. They are found in the Salt Lake 1860 census as ½ Indian with Thomas and Miriam Ford, suggesting Francis gave the children to another family to raise. Francis and Elizabeth had two children who were listed in the 1870 census record.
Working as a logger, Francis was killed in an snowslide avalanche in the Cottonwood Canyons in 1872 on a very wintry day after Christmas.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Potter (1844-) | |||
| Wallace Edwin Potter (1850-1909) | 14 April 1850 Millcreek, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States | 30 September 1909 Glines, Uintah County, Utah, United States | Harriett Susan Kempton (1856-1948) Olive Anderson Andelin (1868-1936) |
| George A Potter (1852-1909) | |||
| Mary Adeline Potter (1854-1874) | 7 September 1854 San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California, United States | 7 March 1874 Murray, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States | Welcome Chapman (1849-1900) |
| Elizabeth Ann Potter (1858-1931) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Francis Brown (1861-1908) | |||
| Elizabeth Rosella Brown (1863-1935) | |||
| Ellen Brown (1869-) | |||
Siblings
References
- The Family of John Birch & Ann Craven in the Nineteenth Century - by Wendel Walton with Hilary Hendricks. Publ by BYU Press, 2008.
- Wikipedia - Life of Arnold Potter
Residences
Footnotes (including sources)
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