Official Web Site of the

Samuel Rose Parkinson

Family Organization

Last Updated: 30 May 2011

Samuel R. Parkinson

Samuel Rose Parkinson was born April 12, 1831 in Barrowford, Lancashire, England, and died May 23, 1919 in Preston, Idaho, USA. As a boy he moved with his family to Sydney, Australia, then Valparaiso, Chile, then to England again, and finally to St. Louis, Missouri, where he got his start in life as a drayman. After converting to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he drove his mule team to Utah Territory, where he settled in Kaysville, Utah, and was later a pioneer in Franklin, Idaho.

Samuel worked as a farmer, rancher, constable, storekeeper, and trader, ran a woollen mill, and had an interest in a silver mine. He served an exploration mission for the Church in Arizona, joined the United Order, had three wives and thirty-two children, and served a term in the Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise for his beliefs. He spent his retirement in the Logan Temple and did the work for hundreds of his ancestors and relatives.

Samuel's Wives

Arabella Ann Chandler Charlotte Elizabeth Smart Maria Hayter Smart

News

Did Samuel Rescue the Rescuers?

In summer 2003 I visited Devil's Gate, Wyoming, where I read about the teamsters who wintered there after the 1856 Martin handcart rescue, and where he saw, as part of the display, a shed full of "handcart goods" left behind to make more room in the wagons for the handcart pioneers. I was immediately struck with this line from Samuel's journal: "In the Spring of 1856 I put in A crop of wheat; and went on A Mission to the Devel gate for A load of ancarts goods." The teamsters who wintered here at Devil's Gate very nearly starved before they were rescued by teamsters from the Salt Lake Valley. Is it possible Samuel is a year off in his journal, and that he was one of the rescuers of the rescuers of the Martin Handcart Company?

If anyone has more information on this or Samuel's Salmon River Mission, please write Ben Parkinson, the Parkinson Family webmaster.

Photos Available

I have gathered numerous family photos in the form of high-resolution scans that I can share with any family member at minimal cost. Prints are also available.

Learn more about Samuel Rose Parkinson

Special

Cousin Clyde Parkinson got a nice mention in a recent Ensign magazine. See Douglas Springmeyer, "If Not for Clyde," pp. 68–69, October 2002. Clyde, (Samuel Clyde Parkinson, son of Raymond C, son of Samuel C.) died in 1973. Click here to read the article in PDF format or HTML format. Preston Parkinson told me shortly before his death that he had called the author, who told him he originally submitted this article 20 years ago!

Note: Please send word when family members receive honors or die—especially grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Samuel R. See the webmaster's address below.

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Contact

Contact Ben Parkinson, webmaster, at "feedback at parkinsonfamily.org" (replace "at" with "@").