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Mary Bathgate and Isabella Park

  • May 4, 2022
  • 2 min read

Mary married at 29 and Isabella at 27.


Background


Mary was born on July 26, 1797 in Scotland. She was married 6 times, although not much is known about each of these marriages. The earliest document marriage was in 1827, to Thomas Hutchinson, with whom she had two daughters (7). However, they split sometime after, because when she travelled with the Handcart companies to Utah, she used her maiden name, Bathgate. She travelled with her daughter, Mary, who also used the last name Bathgate (6). In 1856, she married James Shelley, whose last name appears on Mary's gravestone (5). She died in American Fork, UT in 1884 (4).


Isabella was born in Ireland in 1793. Sometime around 1820, she married Samuel Park. He died in 1833, leaving her with six children. Two of Isabella's sons were later baptized in the 1840's. She was originally opposed to the church, but was eventually baptized, as was her daughter. Isabella began traveling with this daughter, Mary Jane, and her family to Utah (3).


Stories


Mary and Isabella were a part of the 2nd handcart company under Daniel McArthur. They were both over 60 at the time and were traveling together. They determined to walk the entire way. At some point in the journey, Mary was bit by a rattlesnake. McArthur relates that they tended to the bite by using a pocket knife to make the wound larger, squeezing out as much blood as they could, and tied a garter above the wound to stop circulation. The men anointed her and blessed her by rebuking the poison from her body. Mary was forced to travel in the sick wagon, since she could not walk. When she entered the wagon, she told everyone who could hear, "I want ye all t' witness that I'm bein' forced t' ride!" (2).


After the company had gone only two miles since this incident, Isabella decided to check on her traveling companion. She darted too quickly in front of a wagon and the driver did not see her. The front wheel of the wagon ran over her hips. Someone nearby noticed, and ran to move her out of the way of the back wheels. He wasn't quick enough, and the back wheels passed over Isabella's ankles. Miraculously, none of her bones were broken, despite the wagon being so heavy it was pulled by 4 yokes of oxen. She was also given a blessing, and had to ride in the sick wagon, with her friend Mary, until her legs were healed.


The company's captain, Daniel McArthur said of these sisters, "I know that nothing but the power of God saved the two sisters, and they traveled together, they rode together, and suffered together" (1).






 
 
 

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