Marriage

Source: The James and Mary Murray Murdoch Family History, Pg 117
(a better picture exists in the non-digital version of the red book)

The following is an account of William Lindsay's wedding journey from Heber to Salt Lake in December of 1868 through Parley's Canyon and then a short time was spent in Salt Lake City:

"My brother Robert & his girl decided to go with us & get married also. About the 12th of Dec. we started out with 2 yoke of oxen on the wagon. Our mother went along with us & Ann Richardson & 3 children. It had snowed a few inches the night before we started but cleared & turned very cold. We got to Kimballs in Parley's Park & camped there in the camp house. A very cold night & next morning the roads were icey & slippy & the oxen could hardly stand on their feet but kept slipping & falling every little while. It got dark when we were still not more than half down Parley's Canyon. Some horse teams over took us & we let them pass. Mrs. Richardson thought it would be better for her & her children to get in their wagon. So she got in & they had only gone short distance when the horses fell down & were floundering under the tongue she got out again as quickly as she could & came to our wagon & got in saying oh the oxen are slow but I think they are more sure than the horses. So we plodded along in the dark as best we could although one ox was so lame he could scarcely walk. However we reached the home of N.C. Murdock's wife Esther about 10 O'clock that night where we fed our on hay we had in the wagon & we stayed in her house for 2 day & nights & bought hay to feed the oxen & ourselves.

On the 14th we went to the Endowment house but so many were there ahead of us we had to wait till next day. So we went & had our pictures taken. That picture we still have. In the evening we attended the Salt Lake Theatre the play was Romeo & Juliet by very good actors.

Salt Lake Theatre Orchestra, December 22, 1868

Source: http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/USHS_Class,18805

Endowment House
Source: http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/USHS_Class,5142

Temple Square around 1868
Source: http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/USHS_Class,5477

Next morning we were at the Endowment house early & found 2 other young couple from Heber who were there like us to be married Joseph Moulton & Lizzie Giles & Albert Mcmullin & Nancy Jane Ross Wm Moulton also were sealed that day. They had been married some time before. I was ordained an Elder by Abidina Pratt, I believe and we were married for all eternity by Daniel H. Wells & had our blessings & anointings according to the sacred ordinances of the gospel & I received one of the greatest blessings any man can receive in this life a good true faithful loving wife. For so she certainly was up to the end of her mortal life more than 47 years afterwards.

Daniel H. Wells

Source: http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?/USHS_Class,3968

We bought a hundred pounds of flour $10.00 2 common chairs & a rocker. A gallon of mollasses & a brass kettle. I had bought some plates & other articles while back after emigrants. That night we stayed at John Muirs & made our bed on the floor & mother slept in the same bed with us. Next day we got all our things together & started on our journey home mother came with us.

Robert & Sarah stayed in Salt Lake a week or more. One ox was so lame I chained him & his mate behind the wagon & I gave Mary a long stick to make them walk up & not hold back. And of course I drove the other yoke hitched to the wagon. Of course we must have presented a rather strange picture for a bridal tour. But I want to say we were quite happy & cheerful & there was no complaints uttered by either of us. The only trouble was that,oxen were so very slow & that we were used to. So we plodded along cheerily. We got to Jamie Lairds in Parley's Canyon & camped sleeping on the floor in his house as it was very cold nights. The days were warm right in the sun but cold in the shade. Next day we took up our march slowly as usual up the canyon & kept trudging along. I let the women ride whenever I could & I attended to the oxen that were behind & let Mary ride & whack the oxen on the wagon when the roads were good So in this way we managed to reach Hailstone's ranch about dark. There we were kindly invited to stay all night but of course we had to make our bed on the floor again. Next morning we started on to Heber & arrived about noon having been gone a full week & a day. Of course we were very glad that journey was at an end & especially to get rid of the lame ox & get a bed to sleep on. It was arranged that we would live in part of Roberts house until I could build my own. I had logs on the lot all ready to put up as soon as the spring came. So of course we moved our few articles in & started house keeping.

We had taken considerable time & expense to get properly married & we talked matters over & decided it would only proper & right to attend to family prayers night & morning & to ask a blessing on the food we ate. And I want to say that we made the start then & kept it it up all through our married life & even up to the present time. I feel it has been a great help & a blessing to us in raising our family. I would certainly advice all young couples to do likewise.

Source: Autobiography, pg 289-291

The following passage seems too close to be a different written account, but there are differences including details about what Mary Mair was wearing at the theatre and other things. Could it be that it is a modified version of his Diary/Autobiography (transcription with commentary?) or a different account all together. It doesn't seem that he would have written this twice, put without copy machines, maybe? I've highlighted some of the changes.

The story of William and Mary from here on is one story, and here it is in William's own words:

"We were planning to go to the Endowment House to be married so my brother, Robert, and his girl, Sarah Murdock, decided to go with us. Sarah was 15 years old and Robert was 23. Mary was 16 and I was 21 years of age. On the 12th of December 1868, we started out with two yoke of oxen and a wagon. Mother went with us and also Ann Richardson and her two children. The first night we camped in the camphouse at Kimball's in Parley's Park. It was a very cold night. The
next morning we started out very early, but the roads were frozen and very slippery, so we traveled very slowly as the oxen kept falling down. It got dark while we were still up in Parley's Canyon. Some men with a horse team tried to pass us and their horses fell down and one was floundering under the wagon tongue. It was very dark and Robert and I went to help. One of the men said: 'You boys stand back, you might get hurt.' Mother quickly spoke up in her Scottish brogue and said, 'They are nae boys, they are on their way to get married! ’ "We finally reached N.C. Murdoch's house in Salt Lake, where we all stayed. The next day was Sunday and we attended church. On Monday we went to the Endowment House, but there were so many ahead of us, we had to wait until the next day. So we went and had our pictures taken and bought wedding rings for our bonnie brides. In the evening we attended the Salt Lake Theater and saw some very good actors present 'Romeo and Juliet.' (Mary had a sage green dress with white dots for this special occasion. She had an engagement ring with a green stone, and the wedding rings that were purchased were made of black guterperchie buttons. Aunt Sarah says the girls felt like queens at the theater and they were very proud of their grooms in their homemade clothes.)
"On December 15, 1868, we were united in marriage in the Endowment House, by Daniel H. Wells, for time and all eternity. Of course, we had our endowments and sealings. I received one of the greatest blessings any man can receive in this life, a good, true, faithful, loving wife.

"The next day we bought a hundred pounds of flour at $10.00, two common chairs and a rocking chair, a gallon of molasses, and a brass kettle. I had bought some plates and other articles while I was back after emigrants. We stayed that night at the home of John Muir. Robert and Sarah stayed in Salt Lake a week more. The next day we started our journey home, Mother, Mary and me. One ox was lame, so I chained him and his mate behind the wagon, and I gave Mary a long stick to switch the oxen to make them walk up and not hold back.

I drove the other yoke of oxen that were hitched to the wagon. Mary walked most of the way. I guess we presented a rather strange picture of a bridal tour. But I can say that there was no complaining and we all were quite happy. This was the start of our honeymoon, and I am sure with it all we enjoyed ourselves as well or better than some do in their fine cars. From this day on Mary Mair was Mary Lindsay.

Source: The James and Mary Murray Murdoch Family History, Pg 117

Courtship

William Lindsay met Mary Mair soon after her arrival from Scotland at the home of John Murray Murdoch in the fall of 1866.

I became quite interested in them especially in the girl of which I shall have much to say as I write the story of my life.

Source:Autobiography pg 283

The following is William Lindsay's description of Mary when he first met her:

"Mary was then fourteen years of age, and she attracted my attention more than any other girl I had seen, and I visited her quite often. She had been ill crossing the plains, but soon got well and strong and was a very fine looking girl. Her cheeks were red, her eyes blue gray, and her hair was a very light yellow. And above all, she had a smiling face and a kindly sociable disposition, and a winning way that won my heart, and I seemed to win hers. There were two or three suitors who tried to win her affection, but they gave it up as they saw I was her choice. We were very happy in each other's company always, which in time, was very frequent; at meetings, Sunday School, dances, concerts and theaters. She had to work at different homes to earn her living and I used to visit her there at times. We never had any lover's quarrels as some do. Of course, I had to go off at times to work here and there, but I always got a welcome home from Mary."

Source:(The James and Mary Murray Murdoch Family History, page 113-114) *where did this originally come from, not found in journal

One of those times he had to work "here and there" was the entire summer of 1868 returning halfway across the plains to pick up fellow Mormon immigrants who could ride the railway as far as Rawlings, Wyoming. William had been dating Mary prior to leaving and at some point between finding out from Bishop Hatch that he would lead a wagon back to Wyoming (December 1867) and actually leaving (June 1868), he asked Mary to Marry him.

However before I started on that trip I had a promise from from my Dear girl that she would marry me when I returned in the fall. Source: Autobiography, Pg 284

After 4 months separation and upon safe arrival back in Heber, William said "And my Dear Mary seemed to be as glad to see me as I was to see her." (Source: Autobiography: pg 289)

There wasn't much time to continue the courtship as William felt pressure to quickly return to work. Luckily for him, he was able to find an arrangement where he could work in Echo canyon and bring his bride to be along.

Not having had a chance to earn any means all summer & still making calculations on getting married before the years was out I as quickly as possible I went out to the head of Echo canyon where most of the Heber men were working to earn some money. But they were all very much in need of someone to cook their food in decent shape. All expressed a desire that I should go back to Heber & bring two women cooks & stove & dishes. They were living in dugouts on the side of a hill & they agreed to build an extra dugout for the women & pay me for my time going after them. So on these terms I went & got my mother who had a stove & dishes & my intended wife to go also. We lost no time in getting back so we could all get to work.
There was 20 men to cook for so the women folks were kept busy & they gave good satisfaction. The men were made comfortable & got their food in good shape & I of course worked on the grade every day. We enjoyed ourselves although the night were cold it being in the month of October. Another thing we had a large dugout called Scientific hall where we gathered in the evenings & entertained each other in singing songs, reciting, speech making & reading to fill in the time. In this way we got along very nicely all being friends & neighbors & well acquainted with each other. We were there about 2 months from Oct. 1st to Dec. 1st. Of course it was very cold towards the end of our stay. The women folks were paid about $90.00 each for the 2 months work. So we loaded all our outfit into wagon & started for Heber it took 3 days to get home. As soon as we arrived we began making preparations
for going to the Endowment House in Salt Lake city to get married.

Source: Autobiography, pg 289