Angeline Hodgkins History

Angeline Hodgkins History

HISTORY OF ANGELINA HODGEKINS HORNE ROCKWOOD

PIONEER OF 1848

Written by: Laura Rockwood Stephens in about 1948 (Her granddaughter) “Put in to a computer by: Carl O. Stephens Jr, her [Laura’s] son, in 2001.”

(Picture and note added by C.Val Buxton)

Note: This history was provided me by Carl O. Stephens, Jr, in 2004. He is descended from Angeline Hodgekins and her second husband, Albert Perry Rockwood. Carl’s grandfather, Moses Perry Rockwood, is the half-brother of my great-grandmother, Emeline Horne. Angeline is my great-great grandmother. Also, my record of family pedigrees for Angeline does not contain an “E” in the last name, but is spelled Hodgkins. VB)

My mother was a member of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Camp: Huntington Park County of Los Angeles, in the state of California [This is Carl’s note.] On a cold and dreary day in Friendship, later named

Noblesborough, Lincoln, Maine, on Feb. 17 or 19, in the year 1820, was born a lovely girl to Francis Hodgekins, and his wife Sally Boyd. Little did these parents know how closely this little daughters life was to be associated with a Prophet of God.

Not much is known of her father and mother, her father a farmer, her mother a very industrious housewife. Skilled in all the art of good housekeeping and mother, which indeed was an art in those days. They had no stoves, their meals were cooked in a Dutch oven. Angelina was taught to cook, card wool and spin, and to weave the cloth, also to dye the woolen and cotton that they used for their wearing apparel, and to knit stockings, mittens, sweaters, etc. Her education was mostly in readin, writin, and arithmetic, as was the limit for most girls in those days. In 1835, Angelina married Moses Horne.

After her marriage they moved to Nauvoo, going through all the trials and persecutions as did the rest of the Saints at that time. Her husband was killed about 1842, by a premature blast while quarrying rock for the Nauvoo Temple. The Prophet, Joseph Smith delivered his funeral sermon. Grandma was left with three little girls, and they were trying days, but she was always willing and with lots of courage did her part. When the Saints were being persecuted and driven from their homes. When having to leave Nauvoo, she was counseled to marry Albert Perry Rockwood for her protection and support, she did so. Rockwood was a body guard of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and a pioneer of 1847.

Angelina with her three little girls lived with his first wife, Nancy Haven Rockwood. I am sure to do this she must have been a wonderful character: how many of us today could share our husbands with another woman and live in the same house? Nancy and Angelina did for many

years, and she loved Aunt Nancy dearly.

When the Prophet was being persecuted and hunted by false accusers, he came to their house for rest. Grandpa Rockwood stood guard on the outside, and if any strangers were seen would notify Grandmother and she would awaken the Prophet, in doing this they not only gave him food and rest, but helped to spare his life many times. I have heard her tell of the night the Prophet was killed, a night of inky blackness, and everything that could make a noise did so, and she said it seemed to her that every fowl and animal was lifting his voice in protest against the foul murder of a man of God. And the story of the meeting held in the bowery in Nauvoo, - I wished many times that I had listened more closely to her as she talked of the early days of the church. But I do remember her telling us of being present at this meeting. It was at the time when they were trying to decide who should head the

church after the Prophets death, and Brigham Young arose to speak. She said the Mantle and voice of the Prophet fell on the form of Brigham Young, and the people almost with one voice explained, "The Prophet has come back to us!”

They left Nauvoo [this was probably actually Winter Quarters. VB] for Utah in early spring of 1848, her husband having crossed the plains in the same company with Brigham Young in 1847, returning with President Young for his family in 1848 as did many others. She told of

many experiences in crossing, some happy times, some faith promoting, but mostly hardships and sadness. She related how when the Saints were so discouraged and blue and President Young asked William Clayton to write a song to give courage and inspiration. She states that Brigham then sat down on a wagon tongue, with his head bowed in his hands, as though praying that Brother Clayton would be inspired. Anyone having read (or sung) that beautiful hymn "Come, Come Ye Saints" knows it was an inspiration. [This hymn was composed in 1846 between Nauvoo and Winter Quarters, which means if Angeline was present, she would have been among the first saints that left Nauvoo with Brigham Young, and suffered so greatly in the rain and mud

which hindered that company. VB]

After many hardships they arrived safely in the Salt Lake valley, then known as Deseret. She told of many privations and also of some pleasure, and some real faith-promoting stories during early settlement of Utah, one of which I will relate. It was during the time before crops

were ready, and President Young had put them all on rations, so the food would last until the crops were harvested. They had just enough bread to go around and very little flour left. There came a knock on the door, on answering it, she found and old man with long white hair and a

beard standing there. He asked for something to eat. They knew almost everyone in the valley, but this was a total stranger, and there were no travelers then as there is today. She decided to give him their portion, but not the children's, which she did, with some milk, which was all they had. He ate it and was very grateful, thanked them and went away. They watched him, wondering who he was, when he suddenly disappeared. They never saw him again, but when they went to get the loaf of bread for supper, it was just as though it had never been cut. President Young along with others decided he was one of the three Nephites.

After coming to the valley, she had two children, a daughter who died at 15 ______, and on 13 November 1852, a son, Moses Perry Rockwood, who later was to become my father. She took active part in sewing for the needy and caring for the sick. She later moved to Bountiful, Utah, to take care of a sister-in-law, Sallie Borne Loveland, and after Mrs. Loveland"s death, Grandmother went to Centerville, to live with my father, Moses Perry Rockwood and mother Mary Dana. She lived with us for ___ years, always active never idle, a good Latter Day Saint to the end. She died on 3 December 1903, [1902] at the age of 82, and was laid to rest in the Centerville Cemetery. Do we as daughters of such pioneers, live our lives so that such a heritage as they gave us can be passed on to our daughters?

The End

Other Marriages of Angelina ( Angeline ) 18 Nov. 1835 Moses Horne.

CARL’S NOTES: As I put all this information into the computer, I did notice that some of the happenings and events are not in the order of their happenings.