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| Birth Record of William Duncombe Major |
[From: J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Phillips Camp Biographies, by Leona Major Van Epps about her mother and father]
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| Virginia Faithful McMaster Major |
| Black Hawk War Veterens - William Duncombe Major on line 17 |
[From: Pioneers and Prominent of Utah, Page 278,279]
William Duncombe Major was born in Southampton, England, July 13, 1847. He was the youngest of six children. His ancestors were all English and belonged to the Church of England. While the family lived at Dorset they were rope makers, and owned rope walks. His grandfather, John Major Jr. was in the army in the Queen's Guard, His father was Robert Major and his mother was Harriet Hulbert Major. They were married at All Saints Church, Southampton, August 1, 1837 by the Rev. Thomas Mears. His brothers and sisters were Harriet Mary, born Aug. 15, 1832; Sarah Bettina, born December 30, 1834; George Henry, born June 4, 1837; Millicent Ann, born April 25, 1840; and Robert John born June 24, 1844. William's parents joined the Mormon Church in 1849, and one week later, July 15, 1849, his father, who worked as a customs officer at Southampton, died in the great cholera epidemic that swept Europe. William was two years old. The families of Robert and Harriet turned against them when they joined the Church and none of their children but William ever became a member. He was baptized by Elder Pusey in 1854. William lived in England until he was fifteen years old. During his boyhood he worked at such jobs as bootblack, errand boy and sailor boy running from Southampton to the Isle of Wight. On June 7, 1856, he and his mother and stepfather, Mr. Linney, left England for Salt Lake City, Utah. They were about eight weeks on board a sailing vessel, Hameson, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and landed in New York in the midst of the Civil War. Leaving New York in a box car, huddled in like a bunch of sheep, they arrived at Florence (Winter Quarters), Nebraska the latter part of July, then overland by a Mr. Fowler and moved to Hooper, Utah, where she died Jan. 19, 1881. William worked at various places, and as was the case, money was scarce, wages poor and prices high. He worked as a farm boy, messenger, etc. and finally settled down to what was the become his life's work. He learned to be a miller, starting that trade in the old pioneer mill in City Creek Canyon which was owned by Brigham Young. Here at different times he worked for the next nine years. During his apprenticeship he bought a home in Centerville, and ran the mill. He played the concertina and called at dances in Centerville, Bountiful and Woods Cross. He was mustered into service during the Blackhawk Indian War, and for some months helped guard the settlements of the Saints in Southern Utah. Returning to Salt Lake City, he soon fell in love and was married by Apostle Wilford Woodruff to Virginia Faithful McMaster on Aug. 30, 1869, in the Endowment House. She died April 18. 1904 at age 54. William and Virginia were the parents of eleven children: Grace, Millicent, William Duncombe, Margaret Elvina, Harriet, Albert Athol; twins - Donald Henderson and Dora Elizabeth, Robert Bruce, Leona, Frederick Raynolda and Heber LeRoy. William died in 1925.
GENEALOGICAL RECORID OF WILLIAM DUNCOMBE MAIOR OF BOUNTIFUL FIRST WARD SOUTH DAVIS BOUNTIFUL DAVIS COUNTY, UTAH
PARENTS - ROBERT MAJOR AND HARRIET HULBERT BIRTH - 13TH JULY 1847 AT SOUTHAMPTON, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND MARRIED VIRGINIA F. MCMASTER 30TH AUGUST 1869 IN THE ENDOWMENT HOUSE SALT LAKE CITY BAPTIZED 1855 IN SOUTHAMPTON ENGLAND BY ELDER PRISEY INTO THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS. CONFIRMED BY BROTHER MARCHBANK. BECAME AN ELDER ABOUT 1860 IN THE ELEVENTH WARD OF SALT LAKE CITY. BECAME A SEVENTY ABOUT 1873 KAYSVILLE DAVIS. SERVED AS A TREASURER IN THE Y.M.M.I.A. HISTORICAL SKETCH My ancestors were all English of good stock so far as I know and all belonged to the Church of England. While the family lived at Dorset they were rope makers and owned rope works. John Major Jr. was in the army in the queen's guard. Robert Major was a queen's house officer at Southampton, Hampshire, England. He heard the gospel and was converted and baptrzed at Southampton in 1849. He died one week later in the great cholera epidemic on July 10, 1849. His widow Harriet Hulbert Major was also a Latter Day Saint and her people all turned against her. I was two years of age at the time of my father's death. As I grew older I had to help earn the living by doing errands, sailor boy, etc. My mother afterwards married a man named Linney and emigrated to America. We left England June 1863 and landed in Salt Lake City on October 2, 1863. Brother Linney died while crossing the plains. I was born at Southampton, Hampshire England on July 13, 1847 and christened at All Saints Church at Southampton. I was 16 years old when we came to America. When I was a young man I learned the milling trade and ran Brigham Young's mill and later mills at Hooper, Kaysville, Arizona and Bountiful. I was a miller for 40 years. I was married to Virginia F. McMaster on August 30, 1869. We became the parents of eleven children, ten of whom are living. I filled a mission to England in 1878 -1879. My wife, Virginia F. McMaster died April 18, 1904 at Layton, Utah. I married my present wife, Mary O. Smith Findley on July 20, 1905. We removed to Bountiful on Jan. 18, 1909.
| From: Davis County Clipper Friday July 31, 1919 |
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