Joshua Hague Gillett

JOSHUA HAGUE GILLETT

1808-1865

Here is a story that I found about my great great great gandfather who joined the LDS church in England and came across the ocean and made his way to Utah where he settled with his family.  This account was written by his granddaughter Annie Gillett Kone in February 1938.

Joshua Hague Gillett was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, July 8, 1808.  He came to America in 1849 with his wife, Mary Butterly Gillett and six children.  One child died coming over and was buried in the sea.  They settled at Alton, Illinois where one boy died and their daughter Mary Ann was born.

They came across the plains in 1852.  Grandfather Gillett drove one of the teams across and they endured many hardships.  Upon arriving in Salt Lake Valley they camped on the square, as it was called.  It was located where the City and County building now stands.  They lived here one year and then moved to Tooele, where they lived in a dug out where the Spiers home now stands.  They had no windows and dirt floors, and they used cedar bark to lie on.  The children’s bed was a buffalo robe laid on the cedar bark.

The Salt Lake near Tooele, Utah

A scene of the town Tooele

They then drew lots and Grandfather drew the lot where the Herb Vowels home now stands.  They put up one room log home and this was where their daughter Sarah was born.  They lived here three years, then moved to Milton, Tooele County where their son Brigham Joshua was born.

They farmed and took care of stock here.  They lived there about two years when they were driven out by Johnson’s Army.  

They moved to Lehi where a daughter Emma was born.

A log cabin built in 1855 in Tooele

They lived here two years, then after the government made terms with the Johnson’s they moved back to Milton where a daughter Ellen Rebecca was born.  They lived here about eight years when Grandfather died.

Windmill and small adjacent buildings at the E.T. Benson Grist Mill.

I have heard my Father say he ran bare-footed to Milton many times with a message to his older brother Samuel, as there was no mail at that time.  He was ten years old at this time.  Grandfather died April 15, 1865, at Milton and was a true and devoted Latter Day Saint.  He worked on the old mud wall until they had it as far as they wanted it to go.  He was a leader of all church affairs at Milton, also leader of the Choir.  He and his daughter Mary Ann would entertain with singing and dancing at all their social gatherings.  Grandfather was very particular about his morning prayers, and all the children had to be up and washed, ready to kneel at the old bench for the prayer.

He died April 15, 1865 at Tooele and was buried in the Tooele Cemetery.