Discovery #4

This was a wonderful find, and got me very excited. In looking through all the old pictures of Smithfield, this one was in the "Music envelope". Here is an old picture of the Smithfield Band in the late 1800's. The man standing next to the large drum is William's son, William Thomas Ainscough. William Thomas, was one of only a few surviving sons of William. He grew up in Smithfield, married, raised a family and had a large farm. He decided to move to Canada in 1899 and homestead. He and other families from Smithfield went, including the Pitchers, and Hammers. When I was a little kid, about ten years old, I would go to Canada and stay with my grandparents Elmer and Evelyn Ainscough, just down the road were the neighbors, the Pitchers.

Discovery #3

Here is a closeup of Alfred Ainscough, son of William.

Discovery #2

Linda Gittins, volunteer worker, let us look through all the boxes we wanted for pictures.  I came across this one of the Smithfield Tabernacle Choir.  As I studied all the faces on this picture, I found a son of William, Alfred Ainscough.  The next picture I post will have a closeup of Alfred.

Discoveries in the fall of 2007, #1

On the wall of the Smithfield museum was a very large frame of multiple pictures of the early settlers of Smithfield.  The first two pictures to see in the top left corner was William Ainscough and Mary Clark Ainscough his wife.  The third picture from the left is their son, William Thomas Ainscough, my great-great grandfather.  The picture of William I had seen before, my mother has it in her genealogy.  I think it is the only picture that we all have of William.

Linda Gittens, a volunteer worker of the musuem, was very willing to help us find anything we could about William Ainscough.  What unfolded for the next two hours were some wonderful discoveries.

Fall 2007

Smithfield Utah Museum.  This is a "must see" for the history of our ancestors.  Here you will find a large framed combination of pictures of the first pioneer residents of Smithfield.

Closeup of headstone

Memorial Day 2007

On a visit to Smithfield, in the spring of 2007, I discovered that the headstone of Christianna Ainscough, William's wife, was broken off at the base.  Upon returning home, I contacted my mother, Ardath Ainscough Broadhead and told her what I discovered.  She spoke with determination that the headstone should be fixed, and offered to pay for it.

2008 History sent to William Thomas descendants

Of all of William's children, only three lived to adulthood, Elizabeth Ann born in Nauvoo, William Thomas born in Smithfield, and Cordelia Therisa born in Smithfield. Elizabeth had three children, two died as infants. Cordelia Therisa died at age 28, married though having no children. William Thomas, had a large family, 7 lived to adulthood, Mary Elizabeth, William George, Elmer Earl, Lewis Franklin, Lillian Hortense, Stanley, and Charles Owen.

I called my mother, Ardath Ainscough Broadhead, this week, now in her 85th year of age, and told her I had 10 copies of the new history left and asked her who I should send them to.  She suggested that her cousins would be interested. So I sat down and made a list of the children of William Thomas and tried to find one person from each of the children of William Thomas.

Yesterday, saturday, I packaged 6 histories to send them to Joan Francis in Taber Alberta Canada, granddaughter of Mary; Grant Ainscough, in Vancouver, British Columbia, son of William George; Bob Ainscough in British Columbia, son of Elmer Earl; Joan Anderson in Milwaukie Oregon daugher of Charles; Noreda in Vancouver, British Columbia, daughter of Stanley; Carol Palmer in Idaho Falls Idaho, daughter of Charles.  I do not know of any descendants of Frank or Lillian.  If any of you do, please let me know.

Wayne

Picture of William Ainscough

Here is a picture of William Ainscough.  This picture shows him in his later years.  This is the only picture the family has had as long as I can remember. Just last fall in 2007 I found a second picture in Smithfield, in the city museum. The city had published a book about it's history, and in it was a picture of William in the ward choir. I will post that picture soon.

Wayne

The William Ainscough History is finally done!

After two years of research and writing, the William Ainscough history is finally done! What began with a history that was a page and a half long, has been completed with a total of 37 pages and 66 footnotes. The whole experience has been interesting, fascinating and wonderful. I would rather call it a journey. I have learned so much about this English-American pioneer. Internet searches, and trips to libraries, universities, church archives, pioneer graveyards, and the towns William helped settle, have made me feel like a detective, unraveling a story that occured 150 years ago.

Even though the history is "done", I am still looking for more information to understand about his life in Nauvoo Illinois, Cottonwood Utah, Smithfield Utah, and his birthplace in Eccleston, Lancashire England. I am looking for pictures, letters, journals, anything that William or his children may have written that will add to the story about his life. Please contact me if you can help.  I would also like to hear from his many descendants. Thank you for sharing in this important endeavor.

Wayne E. Broadhead

Kaysville, Utah