The Hadwen Family of Lancashire

Life of Thomas Beck

It was a beautiful autumn in the little town of Minthrope, Westmoreland, England, October 16, 1800, when a little son Thomas Beck made his appearance at the home of James Beck and Ann Dobson.

Surroundings seemed pleasant to this young lad as he grew from childhood to boyhood. Then came trouble times, with one country warring with another.

It was compulsory for all to attend school at the early age of four years, attending so many weeks out of the year. Boys were taught a military life, so all were good soldiers. Thomas’s father was a soldier and at the age of sixteen he fought with his father in the war with France.

When about 28 years of age Thomas took for his bride a young lady by the name of Mary Parker, daughter of Matthew and Nancy Parker.

Filled with great hopes and ambitions for the future, they soon had a cozy little home. Thomas farmed a small farm and worked as a timber man faithfully working together, although wages were small they were able to make ends meet and live a happy life together.

As years passed by Thomas and his wife Mary became the parents to six children, 4 boys and 2 girls. Elizabeth the eldest born 1829, followed by the birth of 4 boys, Parker, James, George, and Benjamin. The came little Martha, and heartaches among them with little Benjamin was found to be deaf and dumb, and again when little Martha was called to leave the family circle in her infancy.

It was in 1837, the Beck family first became interested in a new religion, preached by ministers from America. Thomas was eager to listen and ready to believe, when he heard such stalwart men as Elders Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards proclaim the truths of the everlasting Gospel. In a short time Thomas and Mary were baptized. When little Benjamin’s Speech and hearing were restored through the power of the Priesthood, their testimony was greatly strengthened. How could anyone doubt after such a miracle had been performed. Thomas was willing and ready to devote the remaining years of his life in the service of the church.

For about fifteen years things skipped along nicely for the Becks, then almost unexpected Mary was called from the family and was laid in the church yard, leaving Thomas with his little family to raise alone. Wrinkles crept across his troubled brow as weary hours spent alone passed on.

In 1843 Thomas married a second time, to a young lady Elizabeth Carlisle, daughter of Robert and Mary Dinwoody Carlisle. They were joined in marriage by Elder William Stewart in Kendal, England.

18 years younger than her husband Elizabeth had a great responsibility placed on her shoulders in caring for a home and 5 children ranging in age from 6 to 14 years.

Both were active members of the Church. Thomas presided over the little branch where he lived. Their home was always opened to the Mormon Elders, sharing with them food and lodgings.

Each day brought to Thomas a greater desire together with the Saints in Zion but funds were low and it required time and patience for the way to be opened. 16 pounds were required to take each family member across the ocean to America.

After a time Thomas moved his family to the city of Preston where be obtained work in a factory. Thomas knew John Taylor well both having been born in the same town. He also became well acquainted with George Q. Cannon and spent many hours listening to the interesting stories they told about the Gospel and their conversion.

5 children was born into the home of Thomas and Elizabeth. Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Robert, and Margaret Elizabeth. When baby Elizabeth was less than two years old the family journeyed on to Liverpool, England, where after 18 years of church membership they finally had enough money for the trip to Zion, they went aboard the ship "Juventa". It was summer, so the weather proved favorable for sailing, with very little rain and wind during the voyage.

When a few weeks out to sea a new daughter was born to Thomas and Elizabeth, whom was a very welcomed addition to the Beck family.

After traveling by water almost seven weeks, the emigrants arrived at Philadelphia. After a short stay the family journeyed on by rail to Pittsburgh, where Thomas rented a small house and obtained employment to get enough money to continue their journey to Utah, and to rest until Elizabeth became stronger and able to travel.

Thomas found work far from plentiful, and with a wife and six children to feed and to clothe, they found it hard to lay much aside for the continued trip to Utah.

Two years later the sixth daughter and seventh child was born, named Selena. As Elizabeth smiled with pride at the new baby one could see her smile was somewhat sad and weary. It wasn’t the sacrifice’s and expenses, but the great struggle day after day, with little or no results towards the future.

Thomas knew how she felt, but he was doing his best. All they could do was hope for a brighter tomorrow. But instead dark clouds gathered around their humble little home in Philadelphia, when baby Jane as well as their eldest daughter Elizabeth both passed on into the land of everlasting sunshine, leaving a broken hearted mother and father.

As months passed Elizabeth became worried about Thomas, as he was losing his pep. "How much longer can he stand the hard work and sharing" thought Elizabeth, fearing a climax was fast approaching.

Thomas also worried, but he was serious, when he told Elizabeth he intended to journey on to the Rocky Mountains in the Spring. New hope reigned in the Beck home for a short time, but before nature bedecked her garden robes of green, the remains of Thomas Beck was gently laid in mother earth by the side of his two daughters. Elizabeth was left to struggle on to Zion alone, with her little family of four children. Thomas died in 1861. After his death the little family traveled with the Ansel P. Harmon Company, arriving in Salt Lake City the 5th Oct 1863. Elizabeth then married John Meyers a mason who worked on the Salt Lake Temple. She died in Salt Lake City about 1888.

Below is some information about the ship Juventa and a few details of their journey.

Ship: Juventa

Date of Departure: 31 Mar 1855 Port of Departure: Liverpool, England

LDS Immigrants: 573 Church Leader: William Glover

Date of Arrival: 5 May 1855 Port of Arrival: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Notes: "DEPARTURE. -- The ship Juventa sailed for Philadelphia on Saturday the 31st ultimo, with 537 souls of the Saints, under the presiding charge of Elder William Glover, late pastor of the Hull, Newcastle, and Carlisle Conferences. Elders Benjamin Brown, Sylvester H. Earl, Elias Gardner, Charles Smith, William Pitt, John Mayer, Noah T. Guyman, Joseph Hall, well known among the Saints in the British Isles for their distinguished labors in the conferences; also Elders George Mayer, in charge of a company of Saints from Switzerland; and Elder James F. Bell, late president of the Malta Mission, in charge of a company of the faithful from Piedmont in Italy; all sailed in this ship, and constitute the able counsel and immediate support of President Glover in the discharge of his important duties on shipboard. Most of these brethren -- elders of Israel, are returning to Zion, after an absence of about three years on missions to this and other countries. It has never been our privilege to clear a shipload of Saints containing such an embodiment of faith, and with such an entire feeling of satisfaction both in Saints and officers of the ship. An unusual number of pastors, presidents, and elders are gathering this year, and as the way to Zion becomes more difficult they will find ample occasion and scope for the exercise of their faith on the journey, that the sheaves which they bring with them may be safely delivered in the garner of the Lord, and they be found faithful laborers with the husbandman in the last time. May the joy which was manifested by the shouts sent up as we bade them adieu be increased in purity and fervor till their arrival in Utah among the people of God, and worlds without end."

"EIGHTY-FIFTH COMPANY. -- Juventa, 573 souls. The ship Juventa sailed from Liverpool, England, for Philadelphia, on Saturday, March 31st, 1855, with five hundred and seventy-three Saints on board, under the presidency of Elder William Glover. The voyage of the Juventa was a most prosperous one; no sickness, except seasickness, and a few cases of measles among the children, occurred among the passengers, and not one of the large number of emigrants found a watery grave. A child was born while a storm raged on the bosom of the deep, and the little one was named Juventa, after the ship. On the fourth of May the vessel cast anchor off Cape May, and on the fifth was tugged up the Delaware River to Philadelphia. On Tuesday the eighth, the emigrants continued to rail to Pittsburg, from which city about two hundred of the company proceeded down the rivers on the steamboat Equinox, to St. Louis, Missouri, where they arrived on the seventeenth of March, forty-six days after leaving Liverpool. About one hundred and fifty of the emigrants came from Pittsburg to St. Louis, by the steamboat Washington City. The Equinox continued up the Missouri River to Atchison, where she landed her passengers on the twenty-eighth of May. After arriving in Atchinson, the company was attacked with sickness, and a number died, among them Elder Bell, who had presided over the Malta Mission. The successful and quick journey made by the Juventa company, gave the new route, by way of Philadelphia, great prestige. As demonstrative evidence of the superior advantages of the route, Elder Glover remarked that he had three more in his company and fifty dollars more in his pocket on arriving in America than when he started from Liverpool. Thus both lives and time were saved, and the New Orleans route was discarded by the Saints never to be used by them afterwards. (Millennial Star, Vol. XVII, pp.233, 375, 490; Deseret News of August 8th, 1855)