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History of Robert Moss
Robert Moss was born in Newton, Yorkshire, England on Oct.. 11, 1821. His father was
Hugh Moss and his mother was Elizabeth Rushton. He was the second son of ten children.
Most of the land in England was owned by the noblemen and they rented or leased it out to
individuals. He was raised on one of these farms. When he became a man he also rented
a farm. He visited his father's home each weekend and took some of his mother's cooking
back with him. She often baked several mince meat pies and put them in a small wooden
tub to keep during the week.
His grandfather was a church warden in a local English church. From all indications he
came from a religious family. When he was a young man the Mormon elders came to
Preston, England to preach religion. He and his older brother John were the only members
of his family to join. His father was the oldest of twelve children and he was the only one
who didn't join. Eight of the remain eleven came to the states.
When Robert was 30 years old he decided to come to America. He and one of his uncle's
traveled together. His brother John and some of the other uncles preceded them in
coming over here.
He traveled on a sail boat. The first day out at sea they collided with a smaller vessel and
had to be run ashore for repairs. He saw the smaller boat go down with the screams of
women and children ringing in his ears. This delay and other unfavorable circumstances
slowed down their traveling causing them to be nine weeks crossing the Atlantic.
Some of his uncles and aunts settled in the east, but others came out west. His brother
John had settled in Woods Cross. Robert crossed the plains in 1852 and arrived in Utah
in the fall just as he turned 31 years of age. Altogether he traveled for nine months before
he reached his destination. It is reported that he had made up his mind to go to California
but decided to stop at Bountiful to visit his brother. He obtained work here, increased his
dwindling supply of cash and in the meantime met Mary Buys whom he married on Dec.
25, 1853 in North Canyon Ward. The marriage was later solemnized in the old
Endowment house.
We don't have many details about the trip across the plains. He did tell about one time
when a cow was lost and he went in search of it. When darkness came he made his bed
in a lofty tree where he found protection from wild animals. However the limbs did not
shelter him from the rain and he got a severe wetting.
He did much work on the East Bountiful tabernacle and helped to build the old city wall on
Platt A. The wall started at 5th South and 4th East and ran north to 4th North, west to 2nd
West, south to 5th South, and east to 4th East. It has been said the wall was built to keep
the Indians away and it was also said the Brigham Young had it built to make work for the
men.
His first home after his marriage was on 1st North and 4th East. The land was later owned
by John Burningham. They built three log rooms in a row and carried water from a spring
on the bench about where Larry Eckman's old home now stands. There was a spring
there. He then bought 78 acres of land from the government and a three room log and
stone house just east of where I now live.
He read the Bible a lot and attended to his church meetings. He also served a mission at
Fort Hall.
Twelve children were born to them and they suffered many hardships. They raised most of
their own food and made their own clothing. He stood guard near the mouth of North
Canyon when the Indians were bad. Sometimes they would get into the watermelon patch
and grandmother would chase them out. One time when she was ironing with an old stove
iron she turned to find a bear standing the in the doorway. She drove it out with the hot iron.
Then she gathered her children together and bolted the door.
Grandfather helped to build the Temple by transporting the rock down a canal in
Cottonwood Canyon.
They were very poor most of the time. One time he went to bed without any supper
because there was not enough food. The next morning he took his oxen into the hills,
gathered a load of wood, took it to Salt Lake and traded it for a sack of flour. One time
when grandmother was ill she expressed the desire to be able to drink from a glass.
Grandfather went down town to see if he could get one, but because he didn't have any
money he had to return without one.
One time when he was gathering wood in the hills a twig hit him in the eye and he lost the
sight. The color part turned white but it was never removed. One time he got a bug in his
ear. It was alive and clung to the inside of his ear and they could not remove it.
Grandmother poured some turpentine in his ear and killed the bug and then they removed
it.
When he was 56 years old his wife got blood poisoning and died, at the age of 40. She
left eleven children, all unmarried. The youngest was two years old. The oldest girl was 17
and took over housekeeping for the family. She couldn't buy bread and butter and clothing
like we can now.
Grandfather was terribly broken up about it and had some difficulty in adjusting himself.
Sometime after grandmother died and the older boys were able to help out. They built a
brick home on 8th East. It is still standing. The boys bought a saw mill up Holbrook
canyon. It was run by steam, fired by wood from the hills. Grandfather had a large barn and
hay shed just south of where my home is now. He helped the boys to pay for the mill by
giving them hay for the oxen and helping to furnish food. He lived 18 years after Mary died.
When he died at the age of 74 of Blights disease. The Davis Co. Clipper stated that he
never left his children alone at night any time after his wife died. (It appears that this
history was written by Nora Porter Hogan or Winnie Porter Page)
Check baptism date verses endowment date.
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