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The Nethercott family of the hamlet of Shillingford, Oxfordshire (Warborough Parish - sometimes spelled Warboro) on the Thames River became converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in the latter 1840's.* James Nethercott and Rachel James, my great, great grandparents, in Shillingford, lived two miles north of the larger town of Wallingford, just across the river and in Berkshire. They sometimes listed this as their home area (as was later registered on the ship's passenger list), thus, causing confusion by writing "Oxfordshire" instead of "Berkshire" for the town they lived in, and came from, Shillingford, Oxfordshire. According to census records of Warborough, on 8 June, 1841, James was five years older than Rachel. They were married in 1831. She was about 18. Alfred Alexander Nethercott, my great grandfather, was born 30 December 1832. A brother, George H. Nethercott, was born 23 February 1834. James father, Edward Nethercott, of Shillingford, Oxfordshire, married three times. His first wife Mary, bore James, then died. The second wife, had no issue, and died also. Edward's third wife, known only as "Mary", had five children. Some of the surviving four may have emigrated to America sometime after James (their older half-brother) emigrated in 1850. Rachel James was born about 1812 or 1813 in England near Shillingford. The records of her death in Salt Lake City, 21 June 1900 claim she was 92 years old; that means that she was born in 1807, the same year as her husband, James. According to census records, and other places, it can be deduced that she was 89 years old when she died. The only other information we have on her progenitor is that her mother's maiden name was Rachel Stevens. James, (age 45) Rachel (age 40) and second son, George H. (age 17) registered for passage on 6 February 1850 on the "Hartly", scheduled to sail on 28 Feb 1850 for New Orleans. They departed Liverpool on 2 March for New Orleans. There is no date of arrival and no information on their further travels to reach Salt Lake City, Utah. There is no information on the first-born son, Alfred Alexander concerning his voyage and trip to Salt Lake City at a later date. He was in Utah in 1854 at age about 22. Alfred was an especially selected youth, in England, trained from his early teens to be a member of the Queen's Guards. We assume that he was a full-fledged soldier by 16 or 17, because he was known for his expertness with rifle and pistol, sword and saber and fisticuff. It appears that he could not leave the Guards for several years after his parents and brother arrived in Salt Lake City. According to his grandson, Charles Alma Wilson, he was a firebrand and engaged in duels, which were forbidden by the military forces of England. Whether he deserted the Guards, or was granted permission to leave because of several duels involving deaths of some participants, there is no record. We know he arrived in Salt Lake City at age 22 and was baptized into the Mormon Church. He kept his sword until he died. Alfred was selected by the church authorities to travel from settlement to settlement to train and organize the militias. When, where and for how long, we do not know. There was mention of this in a Provo, Utah history book. Alfred A. and Charlotte Pearce were married in Salt Lake City on 4 November 1854. From that time to about 1862 they lived in Provo and in Salt Lake City. They had five children. Alfred, born in 1856 in Salt Lake City; Joseph Henry, born in 1858, in Provo, Utah; George Heber born in 1861 in Provo. Charles James (my Grandfather was born in Sacramento, California; and Charlotte Rachel, born in 1870, also in Sacramento. Two other children died in infancy; Thomas, born 1865 in Sacramento and Moroni, born in 1875 in San Francisco, California. I mention them for the dates and family location. Alfred was one of about ten people accused of complicity in the deaths of two men of the Parish family (of Spanish Fork, Utah) and one of the potter family. Three murders in 1857! Alfred was acquitted in 1859. By 1862, he had requested excommunication from the Church for his entire family, then migrated to Sacramento, California. He was there about 32 years (spending some time in Oakland, and San Francisco), then he migrated and homesteaded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming). My grandfather, Charles, chose to stay in California (with some time spent in Utah). All of the Nethercotts were later re-baptized in the Mormon Church. Charlotte Pearce, my great-grandmother was born in Kingswood, Wiltshire, England on 5 March 1835. Sometime in the late 1840's her family joined the Mormon church, and Charles Pearce (70) and wife Mary Lacy (65) and their four children (Charles (40), Sarah (married and 26), Thomas (20), and Charlotte, about 17) planned to emigrate to Utah. Sarah had married Joseph Stay in England. Charles Senior, died before he could depart. Mary, the mother, went as far as St. Louis, and could go no further and stayed there. The rest pressed on, probably lead by Charles Jr. and Joseph Stay. A news clipping dated September 1912, at the death of Charlotte Pearce, says, "She came to Utah with a pioneer company led by Orson Pratt in the early 1850's". She was 17 or 18 upon her arrival in Salt Lake City. She was probably 19 years old when she married Alfred Alexander Nethercott in 1854. Boyd Nethercott, St. George Utah, 1998 Additional information: Branches of the Church Organized, History of the Church
in California document As the Sacramento Branch reported in the Second Period of this history revolving around the Garliek family, so the branch at Oakland, properly designated the Oakland-San Francisco branch, revolved around the Nethercott family. Alfred A. Nethercott Returns to the Fold This first branch in the San Francisco Bay region owes its beginning to a decision by Alfred A. Nethercott to return to the fold of the Church. He had a few years previously joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Chjrist of Latter-day Saints. Repenting of lthis error, he wrote to the Church Authorities in Salt Lake City, Indicating his desire to ber reinstated in his membership. Elder J. W. Pickett, then in Oakland, was instructed to call on the Nethercott family. He did so and they were rebaptized, Dec. 6, 1890. Those baptized were Alfred A. Nethercott, his wife Charlotte, his son Charles and his wife Rebecca. Later in the same month Charlotte Rachel, a daughter of Alfred A., was also baptized. Soon a young man, Norman B. Phillips, accepted baptism and was ordained an Elder in early July of 1891. The Nethercotts were influential in teaching the gospel in the San Francisco area. However, this family migrated to Utah in 1892, leaving Norman B. Phillips, the only member in the city. Information about Alfred A. Nethercotts altercation with the law in connection with the murders of three men in and around the Provo area in 1858 These selected items appear to be from the Journal of the attorney representing Alfred A. Nethercott. Tuesday 22 March. Alfred Nethercott was called as a witness today and not testifying to suit T. S. Williams and the Judge was arrested by a bench warrant previously prepared for him. This makes 4 persons arrested for the murder of Parrishes & Potter against who there is not the shadow of evidence." A reference at the bottom of the page follows: "An affidavit made out by one - Phillips - stated that he had been at a meeting in Provo where the speaker had much to say about apostates and persons desiring to leave the territory, and how they would be disposed of: "After the meeting Pres. Snow inquired if there was anybody going to Springville that day. A man by the name of Nethercott went up, and Snow handed him a letter, and told him he wanted ti to be delivered to Bishop Johnson that day without fail, and remarked that dead men tell no tales. Nethercott took the letter. And further deponent saith not." (From an anti mormon book by Cradlebaugh Utah and the Mormons, 60-61) Friday 1 April 1859 - - - After this two or three witnesses were introduced in defence of Nethercott and the court ordered the cases of all four of the prisoners to be argued against the express agreement made with the Judge - - - Information about this situation needs further research, however, it is very likely that because of this problem, Alfred A. Nethercott for some reason requested that his and his family have their names taken off the roles of the Church. (Excumication) We find the following note from Larry Jardine to Boyd Nethercott dated 8 March 1969: "Although grandfather Nethercott was discharged, he suffered severe criticism in the Deseret News. At one point he is labeled "ignorantly vain" by the Editor and his character is described as "that of a boaster, a wild kind of man, one who is fond of boasting and showing himself great in these kind of exploits." "The feeling this incident may have incited against our relative could be one of the reasons he left Utah. This also offers several theories for the conflicting baptizmal dates, on various family group sheets floating around (some state 1856 others 1894), and the two early church records index cards (#5) on file at the Gen. Soc. Library. Could it be that our ancestor alienated himself from the church and left the country because of the hard feelings over the trial? What ever the reason was we can be thankful that he did reaffiliate in 1894." It would appear that Alfred A. Nethercott died at the Joseph Stay home on Wellington Ave at age 72 years 19 October 1905. Char lotte, Charles's wife was the sister to Sarah Jane Pearce Stay, Joseph Stay's wife. Also see Deseret News Wednesday April 6, 1859 Also "From our Pioneer Heritage Vol 16, p 106 " - - - The Nethercott family returned to San Francisco with their three children when Elder Nethercott returned as a missionary. When the year ended, there were 43 members in the San Francisco Branch." Alfred A. was still in Sacramento on 11 March 1877 because he is mentioned as baptizing an Oscar Craven in the Sacramento branch. [BACK] |