Married Francis Astle 21 Mar 1836 in England
Felicia-John-William-Lloyd
Died 18 January 1884 in Montpelier
Buried in Montpelier
1870 Census
1880 Census
Click here for a photo of Felicia when she was younger.
Here are some accounts of their overland journey to the US in 1861. I don't think any specifically mention Felicia and Francis.
Felicia Raynor, was born at Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, England, on May 4, 1814.
In early manhood Francis moved with other members of his family to Nottinghamshire to work in the lace mills where he became an expert workman in this trade. In this shire he met and married Felicia Raynor. To them were born four sons and a daughter.
As soon as Francis had joined the Church, he began saving money for the emigration fees for crossing the ocean and going to Utah. The family income was kept by the budget system and Felicia was given a certain amount for household needs and care of the family. More than once she remarked that she was not going to America. This caused Francis to wonder and worry to some extent. One day he was counting his savings and remarked that he still lacked a certain amount for the voyage. Quietly, Felicia went into an adjoining room. She returned with a small bag in her hand and surprised Francis when she laid before him the exact amount he needed!
Now they were financially ready to leave England for America. Immediately they began preparations for the journey for which they had wished and planned so long. There must have been many fond memories—the association of loved ones, of lifelong neighbors and friends, and all the scenes of their beloved city and nation —that almost rent their heart strings, knowing that they would never see this home and surroundings again. To leave familiar things to go live in an almost unknown place which was virtually a wilderness must have been like uprooting a tree from its long-established soil. They could have hardly imagined what was before them in this complete change in their lives. However, their faith was secure in the fact that they had become members of the true church of God.
The farewells were over and on Monday, May 7, 1860, they began the trip from Nottingham to Liverpool; from there they were to set sail for America in the sailing vessel William Tapscott.
The following excerpts are taken from Francis's diary:
Monday, May 7—Arrived in Liverpool in the afternoon, three o'clock
Tuesday, May 8—Went on board, myself and wife, Thomas, James, John, Joseph, about eleven o'clock . The steam tug brought us to the sailing vessel. The tug had no fears of the water nor anything else. There is plenty else to do. Today I got completely lost in the ship. My wife and John came to find me. We got our own berth just in time. Went on the shelves (bunks) for the first time tonight. Got a good night's rest. James went back with the steam tug to buy us a few more things we wanted. He came back next day all safe and we received our provisions.
Wednesday, May 9—Received our provisions. There are 730 Saints on board. There are over 800 passengers; altogether about one hundred who are not Saints.
Thursday, May 10—The government inspector came on board to inspect the ship, and a doctor to inspect the passengers according to law.
Friday, May 11—We are very busy today, lashing our boxes, making ready to sail. The frigate came and we began to sail about two o'clock. The Saints were organized into a conference and divided into ten wards, each ward having prayers night and morning. We are in the Fourth Ward.
Saturday, May 12—Many are beginning to be sick this morning. A strong head wind. The steamer is still with us. Afternoon, a rough sea and head wind. The steamer continues with us. The people are getting very sick. They lie and sit in all directions with their heads in their hands, some falling down with giddiness. James has been very sick all day. The steamer left us about ten o'clock tonight. The wind has changed more in our favor. The people could not attend prayers in our ward tonight.
Wednesday, May 16—The people are somewhat better today, except that we have not much appetite to eat, except Joseph; he does not fail. 'Tis very cold and wet this afternoon. It has been wet almost every day.
Friday, May 18—-Wind more in our favor. Wind and sea very rough. It has broken loose the mid-top sail and the fore-top sail. It makes the sailors very busy and the people very giddy. This is the best wind we have had. James is still poor this morning. Passed a vessel close by about two o'clock today, said to be the Under-Writer Also passed through a school of porpoise. Had a good day's sail, about 240 miles in twenty-four hours.
Sunday, May 20—Sea calm. The people appear very much better this morning. Prayers were better attended. Meeting was held this afternoon on deck at half past two o'clock. The Saints were addressed by Elders Budge and Williams of the British Mission. We are 850 miles from Liverpool today at twelve o'clock. James and I are on watch during the meeting. Brother Widerburg addressed the Scandinavian Saints and the German Saints. Another meeting was held on deck at six tonight and was addressed by Elders Williams, Budge, Charles F. Jones, Widerburg, and others of the Scandinavians, Brother Widerburg speaking in the English language. The weather very favorable for us.
Wednesday, May 23—We have a very wet day. Received our provisions today. A sailor and a boatswain had a fight: the first and second mates interfered and used the sailor most brutally. The cabin cook and carpenter had a fight this afternoon. it is very rough, indeed, tossing us about very much during the night with tin pans, bottles, boxes. etc., rattling and flying in all directions. Beef today was very bad and according to what people say, most of it was thrown overboard.
Thursday, May 24—The sea continues rough, the waves rolling very high. Now we begin to see a little of a sailor's life. We not only see luggage and cooking utensils flying about, but we see breakfast and dinner doing the sailors thing; and the people falling and tumbling in all directions, but no serious accidents occurred. I know of the waves flying right over the vessel. This has been a terrible day, hats and caps flying into the sea.
Saturday, May 26—This morning it is very wet and rough and cold. Afternoon turned fine. The English had dancing on deck after which the Scandinavians enjoyed themselves with a dance. Some few children began to be ill with measles. I was called up to assist in administering to four of them in our ward.
Monday, May 28—A fine morning, and we are sailing much better this afternoon. The weather is cold, the sea rough, many of the children are ill. A poor woman from Denmark died between one and two o'clock and was buried at half past four, aged thirty-five years. She left a husband and five children. The poor creature had been ill from Liverpool of seasickness, could not eat anything; she became so weak that she sank under it. There was strange work today at the cook galley.
Thursday, May 31--- The wind has continued in our favor all night and blows a steady gale this morning in the right direction, the best we have had since we set sail. We entered on the banks of Newfoundland about two o'clock this afternoon. Much rejoicing rested on all the people for all had anxious desire to reach the banks. At three o'clock we passed an English bark. It seemed very much tossed about.
Friday, June 1—We had a very heavy shower of rain this morning about four o'clock. It tossed us about very much. The wind continues in our favor. From twelve o'clock yesterday we had sailed 204 miles, making us from New York 946 miles. This afternoon the wind is more calm, and we are not sailing so fast, yet we are sailing in the right direction. This being a fine day, the people were all ordered on deck. I again was on watch. During this time the Scandinavians are beginning to be ill.
Sunday, June 3—This morning is fine after a good sail through the night. Have sailed since twelve o'clock yesterday, 131 miles. Twelve o'clock and we are 770 miles from New York. The smallpox has broken out among the Scandinavians and seems to be increasing fast. At half past six there was a meeting on deck for the English Saints. Meeting was addressed by Elders Lowe, Charles F. Jones, and Brother Budge. The Scandinavians and Germans had their meeting this afternoon on deck.
Monday, June 4—This morning, not making much time. The captain is taking us out north to prevent disease that is spreading so fast this afternoon. They have partitioned off a portion of the ward for a hospital. Seven people have now fallen sick of smallpox. There is scarcely any wind at all. There has just passed by our vessel a large quantity of porpoise or sea pigs, about half past four o'clock.
Thursday, June 7—The fog still continues and it is very cold. This morning the captain gave some potatoes to the passengers and sold some more fish at two and one-half cents per pound. Today at twelve o'clock we were 440 miles from New York. Another Scandinavian child died this morning. This makes six deaths. There have been five marriages and three births. This is the twenty-ninth day of the voyage. This afternoon the fog cleared for awhile and we passed several vessels, some quite near. Several whales passed the vessel today.
Tuesday, June 12—(33 days of sailing) This morning is very fine and warm, the warmest day we have had since we set sail. We received orders to clean out our berths and scour our tin vessels and make everything clean. The smallpox patients are progressing favorably. We have very little wind and so cannot get along. We are now 180 miles from New York at twelve o'clock (noon).
Thursday, June 14— (35th day of sail) This morning is fine. The crew is busy cleaning the deck and vessel. At twelve o'clock (noon) we are now at Island. We are told it is ninety-five miles from New York. Sailing gently along. We had a meeting on deck tonight at half past six o'clock. Elder Calkins addressed us for the first time on our voyage, giving counsel to those who intended to cross the plains this season; also to all the Saints on board the ship, to clean themselves and their berths, that we may not be detained in quarantine when the inspectors came aboard.
Friday, June 15—(36th day) This is also a fine morning and we are sailing gently along. A steam tug hove in sight about ten o'clock. The captain of the ship Tapscott agreed with the captain of the tug to take us in for $200.00, and away we went and arrived a little before dark, or about seven and one-half o'clock. At night the doctor came on board and heard that the smallpox was in the ship and said that he would come again. In the morning bread was brought on board and sold for six cents a loaf— from one and one-half pounds to two pounds.
Saturday, June 16—This morning is fine and the doctor came and examined all on board, said he would come again before long. Accordingly he came about dinnertime and said we must all be vaccinated, young and old. We went through the operation accordingly, and all who were
inspected were sent to the hospital and there detained in quarantine to see if any more broke out. Another child died last night. It belonged to the Germans.
Sunday, June 17—This is a fine morning. Brothers Budge, Calkins, Williams and their families went ashore today. Brother Budge and family returned at six o'clock tonight. A meeting was held on deck addressed by Elder Budge.
Monday, June 18—This morning is very fine. The doctor came on board about ten o'clock and examined all. Again found no sick. Said we should be landed tomorrow. Another Scandinavian child died.
Tuesday, June 19 This is a very fine morning. The folks are up between three and four o'clock, packing up their things, ready for going up to New York this morning. The doctor came again, said we should be landed that day. The people were anxiously waiting to go ashore. Very few had anything to eat. We continued in suspense of going ashore all day. In the evening Brother Budge came on board and told us he had been very busy all the time making arrangements for our landing, but we could not land that night; but a steamer would be alongside the Tapscott by six o'clock in the morning to take us away. He also said he had purchased some bread, butter, and eggs to be sold to the Saints on board, and that some gentlemen had given one sovereign worth of bread to be given to the people. Brother Budge also said that he and Brothers Calkins and Williams had been exerting all their power to get us away, and that the doctor had done much to affect this object. I believe great praise is due to the doctor in this. Our beds being all packed, we got through the night as best we could.
Wednesday, June 20—This morning about seven o'clock a steamer came with a barge alongside the Tapscott and we all began to haul our luggage to the barge. The Saints got on the steamer and moved away to New York. Arrived safely about twelve o'clock at Castle Garden. There were at the Garden, Brother Croxall and brethren ready to receive us and give such instructions as were necessary for the present. Brother Croxall said he would see us again in the morning and thought he should be able to send us all away by the next day. We had been six weeks and two days on the sea.
Thursday, June 21—This morning Brother Croxall and the brethren made their appearance among us and began to give counsel to the Saints. He gave me and my family counsel to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and accordingly we set off in a steamer about five o'clock p.m.
for that place and arrived there about four o'clock next morning.
Friday, June 22---At four o'clock this morning we arrived safely in Philadelphia. There were brethren at the wharf to receive us. They made every preparation necessary for us on our landing. In course of conversation, I found that Elder Edwin Spencer from Arnold, Nottingham, was living at Bodine Street about two doors below Oxford. Accordingly, I and two of the brethren set out for his house and found him. He said we should go and live at his house until we could get somewhere else to be. We went there and took our luggage. In the afternoon Elder Spencer and I went up to Germantown to try to get work. We found Elder Henry George's home. He said he could find work for James, Joseph, and John at Crowson next Monday morning.
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So a new life began in America for the family of Felicia and Francis Astle, after a tedious sea voyage from Liverpool, England, the land of their birth. This was a new experience in every way. They had been told that America was a land of freedom, so the teenage sons had assumed that everything was theirs if they desired it. A brief and timely lesson came to them very soon after their arrival in Philadelphia. One time while out walking they saw some apples on the trees that looked very delicious. They helped themselves to the fruit. The owner questioned them as to why they had taken the apples without permission. The boys answered, "Well, isn't everything free in America?" Thus they learned that whatever they possessed in America was to be earned by honesty and hard work the same as in the old home in England.
During this time, Francis Astle had the privilege of visiting his mother, Rachel King Astle, and his sisters, who were living in either Lebanon or Clinton, New Jersey. They had immigrated to the United States prior to 1846. It was a joyous reunion for the family, although his father, James Astle, had died in 1846. This visit gave Francis the privilege of gathering some interesting data and genealogy of his immediate family that proved very valuable in later years.
For a little more than two years the Astles remained in Philadelphia. Francis and his sons were employed at the knitting mills in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Francis was an expert in the lace mills in Nottingham, England, and easily adjusted to the work in Germantown.
In the spring of 1862, they decided to continue their journey to Utah. Francis and his three eldest sons had worked hard in the mills at Germantown and saved every dollar possible for the trip. The journey across the plains was made with ox teams, and although it was a slow-traveling caravan, they arrived in Salt Lake City in October 1862. His family were members of the Joseph Horne company.
They were sent on immediately to Hyrum, Cache County, Utah. This was a new community just being organized and settled by immigrants from various foreign countries and of many different nationalities. Francis had been trained in the vocation of lacemaker in the mills in Nottingham, England, but of course he found no employment in this field in the new country. However, they had come with a determination to work at whatever labor was required of them in order to live in the land of Zion, where they could worship as they desired among the people of their choice.
When they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and left all former hopes and aspirations behind in their long-loved land, England, they were sure they were right in joining this church and coming to America. Many hardships were met and endured. They missed the comforts and what had seemed necessities in their former home. Here all was changed—a new land, unfamiliar surroundings, strange people. They soon rejoiced to find that the people were one in purpose, for they had the same faith and belief in their Heavenly Father.
Francis, having a liberal education for that time, became one of the first schoolteachers at Hyrum, Utah. He also worked at the business of mending shoes, so he was known as both teacher and cobbler. He did his work well.
In 1867 or 1868, Francis and Felicia decided to join two of their sons, Joseph and John, who had been called to help pioneer the Bear Lake Valley in Idaho. They were now getting along in years but had a desire for their family to live close to each other. With the other two sons, James and Thomas, they made the trip with ox teams and very few possessions. Traveling over trails and dangerous roads, they would again begin life anew, this time in a much colder climate and under more primitive conditions.
They settled at Montpelier, Idaho, an entirely new place to everyone. They became farmers, since the only way of existing was by wresting a living from the soil. The climate was extremely cold and more often than not the grain was frozen just before harvest time.
Through all this, Felicia remained at Francis's side, never complaining or wishing they were back in England. She, too, was true to the faith they had embraced. She was a very dainty, clean, and well-bred little woman. The last two years of her life were spent in bed or on a chair, with shaking palsy as it was termed at that time. She passed away January 18, 1884, age seventy, at Montpelier, Idaho, and is buried there.
Felicia was a beautiful woman. In 1900-1902, her son John was filling a mission for the Church in the old home city of Nottingham, and in 1901 John's son William was also transferred to the same Conference. William told one incident that happed when he met a lady who knew our grandparents. When she learned that he was a grandson of Francis Astle, she said, "And a grandson of that beautiful Felicia Raynor." Felicia Raynor was also a very neat and orderly person. Someone asked her why she scrubbed her floor every day. Her reply was, "To make room for more dirt."
Francis was very lonely after her death, for he lived alone except for a small grandson, James Astle, the son of his son James, who had been killed by the kick of a horse. Francis lived only eleven months after Felicia's death. He died December 13, 1884, age seventy-four, at Montpelier, Idaho, and is buried there. A courageous and faithful life came to a close so far as this mortal existence is concerned. —Sarah Astle Call
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Heart Throbs of the West
Heart Throbs of the West: Volume 7
The Mormons in Wyoming and Idaho
Lincoln County
Harvey Dixon built the first house on the town site of Afton in 1885. This was of log construction and was located on what later was the southwest corner of town survey. Bernard Parry also came in 1885 and the following newcomers in 1886: Lucius Hale, Wm. H. Kennington, Sr., Wm. W. Burton, Sam Bartlett, John Bartlett, James Kofoed, Mark Hurd, Charles Green and mother, Andrew Carlos McCombs, John Astle, Crit Williamson, Thomas Yeamans, Helon Foster, Chas. C. Leavitt, and John Wilkes, who had previously spent 1879 to 1884 west of Afton, Orson H. Eggleston and James Harmison.
Isabel Astle, wife of John Astle, was a Mormon handcart pioneer, and rode horseback from Montpelier when she came to Star Valley in 1887.
The early settlers of Grover, Wyoming, had but one source for their water supply, a spring directly east of the small settlement. The only way to get the water to the people was to plow a ditch from the spring to the town. Men with teams and plows accomplished the project. After a few years, however, they realized that a better system must be obtained of conveying the water to the people. About 1904, they decided to put in a log pipe line down the center street running east and west. A company was organized with John Miles, president, and with Joseph Hepworth, Ole Andersen, Niels Nielson, and Richard Astle as directors.
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