Family Memorial – Sarah Ellen Clift

This is one of three handwritten family group sheets documenting Theodore Turley’s marriages and children with Frances Kimberley, Mary Clift, and Sarah Ellen Clift. (We are not aware of any family memorials documenting his marriages and children with Eliza Clift or Ruth Jane Giles.) The original document is currently located at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (MS 7983).

This family memorial describes Theodore’s family with Sarah Ellen Clift. He notes both of their birth dates, birth places, and parents. He notes the names, birth dates and birth places of her two children from a previous relationship: “Congrave Clift Selwyn” and “George Augustus Clift Selwyn.” He gives a cryptic description of their marriage and sealing in Nauvoo. He then lists the four children they had together, along with birth and death information. Finally, Theodore notes Sarah’s 1847 death at Winter Quarters.

Comments on Theodore’s death information: At the bottom of the memorial page, someone added Theodore’s death: “Theodore Turley Died in Beaver City August 12 1871 come to his death by a cancer in the throat and Mouth.” The August 12th date on this memorial (and on the Frances Kimberley memorial) has traditionally been used by family members to document Theodore’s death. Unfortunately, historical documents have now come to light that throw that date into question.

There are also names of two individuals at the bottom of the page, but the ink and handwriting of those names don’t match whoever wrote Theodore’s death info. The two names appear to be George Wood and Nikles Wood. It’s unclear who exactly these individuals are. George Wood could be George Lymer Wood (1822-1908), a British convert baptized by Theodore Turley in 1840 and who eventually settled in Cedar City, Utah. We have yet to find any good candidates for “Nikles Wood.”

Transcription from Ann Lewis’ blog.