LIFE OF ELLEN BRIDGET GALLIGHER COTTAM

MATERIAL GATHERED BY
MARGARET ARBON AND ADA TAYLOR

REWRITTEN BY CHAROLATE JOHNSON TAYLOR

(Mrs. Fred G. Taylor)

Very few of our pioneers have had a more eventful life than Ellen
Bridget Cottam. Strong in character from a small child, she passed through
direst, poverty, sickness, loneliness, danger and sacrifice, with faith in
herself as well as great faith in God. Her father loved his peasant wife
enough to lose both fortune and title for her. She was Ellen Duffy, and was
employed as a maid in the home of the Gallagher’s and when James the son
came home to Dublin, and saw this beautiful Irish girl he fell in love with
her and after a time persuaded her to consent to a secret marriage, which was
what an impulsive Irish boy would be most apt to do. He loved her so he
could not imagine his parents resisting her charms for long, but in this he
was mistaken, for when they discovered the fact, as they did when Ellen was
not able to continue as a maid on account of her health, they wished him to
desert her. This he firmly refused to do, and was made a stranger to his
parents home. They were very kindly taken in by some of her mother's
people, who were not wealthy, but were kind at heart, and made them
welcome. They remained there until a little daughter was born in 1831, Ellen
Bridget, the subject of this story.

After a time they and a company of others seeking new opportunities,

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made their way over to England, where there were better advantages of
making a living. During an epidemic of cholera, her father contracted the
disease and left his young wife and four children, who had been born in the
meantime, Bridget, James, Thomas and Hanna or Ann. Alone in England
with no one to help her.

Life was very hard to her, and she remarried hoping to better her
condition, and find companionship, but love for her was dead and buried
with her young husband. This second husband was a tailor, Thomas Jenkins
by name, and selfish and disagreeable by nature. As soon as the little ones
could wind a bobbin, they were forced from home by the stepfather. Ellen
earned a penny a day doing this, for two years. After seven yearn, her spirit
rebelled at this cruel man's way and she left home and acted as nurse maid in
private homes, but she finally went back to the factory again where linen
was made, and here her brother Jim found her. She hadn't seen her people
for years, and although they lived only a short distance apart. She was
determined to keep hidden from her stepfather. When this brother and sister
saw each other, they ran into each others arms crying for Joy. He tried to
persuade her to return home, but she never went there again. She met her
mother secretly.

In her early teens, a white swelling came on her knee. The manager of
the factory where she worked was very kind to her and arranged to send her
to the Manchester Hospital, where she received splendid treatment. When
she recovered, there was no home to return to, and she was invited to the
fine home of the manager, but Ellen was very independent, and very kindly
refused and applied for a position at the hospital to pay for her treatment

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there.

Providence must have guided her, for she was placed in the maternity
room, carrying the babies back and forth from their mothers to the room
where they slept. She soon advanced, and stayed there for two or more
years, where she learned a great deal about babies, and delivered many
women. In her life this proved a great blessing, because later in her life, she
delivered hundreds of babies, and never lost a mother.

Before entering the hospital she met William Cottam in Lanohshire,

England. They lost track of each other, and when he found her, again,
persuaded her to leave the hospital and marry him.

She was 21 and her husband 23 years of age. She was a devout Irish
Catholic and he a Latter Day Saint. After a short time she became converted
to her husband's faith, and they longed to come to Utah. They seemed
unable to get means enough to be able to come together, and the years
passed. They had a large family, many of the children dying at birth.

They finally decided to have the husband go first, and then send for
her. There were only 3 of the 13 children living, and he arranged with his
parents to keep the two older ones, and she would follow with the youngest,
and they would send for the grandparents and two children as soon as
possible. She consented, but had-no intention of leaving any of the children.

William the husband came and worked in the mines, (his trade) at
Pennsylvania. As soon as her husband left, Bridget worked at midwifery and

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soon stocked a small store. Walking seven miles to buy her goods wholesale
and pack them back home with her. In this way she earned enough to take all
the children to America.

Another child was born seven months after her husband left, and this
was kept as a surprise for him. When the child was 9 days old she started
across the ocean. During all this time, she was opposed bitterly by her
mother who was a devout Catholic.

Her mother felt she would surely become one of the wives of Brigham
Young. She told Bridget, "I would rather poison you than have you go to
Utah". At the boat when she came to see her off, she said, "I would rather
push you in the ocean than have you go to Brigham Young". But she
comforted her mother and told her she was going to Pennsylvania to her
husband.

She was six weeks (6) on the water. A storm came up while they were
on the ocean and it was such a bad storm, they were tossed about in such a
moaner, the captain and some others were washed overboard and drowned.
For three weeks or more, their clothing was wet and food soaked. She kept
the tiny baby's clothes dry. Her boy James used to say, "Cover us up, ma,
so we won't see ourselves drown". With the exception of brave faithful
Bridget, all on board expected to drown, but she continued to pray amid
their pries and groans, they wondered at her calm, and she told them of her
faith and belief, and that she had been promised she would arrive safely.
They gathered about her seeming to receive faith from her.

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 She landed in New York on New Year's Day. Her husband had been
to meet her many times, but could find out nothing about the ship. She went
on to Pennsylvania, and you can imagine his joy at meeting them. He only
expected one child with her and to have them all together once more, gazing
for the first time on the face of the new babe, brought tears of gratitude to his
eyes.

He continued working in the mines until sorely afflicted with boils,

Seventeen on one arm, making it impossible to work. She started practicing
midwifery and tried to support the family of six.

At that time, that part of the country was invaded by a band of lawless
men, called The White Caps. They would entice people from home under
false pretenses and mistreat and kill them. One night a man came to get her
to assist his wife in childbirth. Among her gifts was the spirit of
discernment, and she felt he was an evil man. They talked a few minutes and
she turned in the house as though to prepare herself to go, and picking up a
pistol, shot in the air several times. He left very quickly, and she found out
later he was a member of this band.

Their resources were very low and she resolved to sell her hair which
was very abundant. She was offered $40.00 for it. She said she would think
it over and let them know. On returning home, she met Mr. Blackburn the
foreman of the mine where her husband worked, noting her swollen eyes,
asked her why. She told his that she was obliged either to sell her hair or go
into debt, until her husband recovered, as there were without food. He asked
her what she had been offered for her hair, and she told him, so he said he

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would give her the same amount if she would keep it on her head and take
good cars of it. As soon as she was able, she repaid him.

Her husband was soon able to go back to work again, and their son
worked with him. She took in boarders, besides practicing her profession.
They soon had enough to come to Utah. Their friends living in Utah, told her
to not bring money, but an abundance of clothes, shoes, etc.

They came on the first train (Freight) that brought cars, mail and
passenger. There were no extra men to relieve the crew, and when they
reached a station, at nightfall, engineer, fireman, brakemen and conductor
rolled up in their blanket in the station house and slept until morning.

They arrived in Morgan on October 6, 1868, and were met at the train
by Bro Deardon and friends.

They settled in Porterville, 3 miles east of Morgan, in a home with a

dirt floor, quilts were used for doors, burlap bags for windows. They were
the first people in Porterville to have a stove, and a lamp, which Bridget
brought in Ogden. She traded a revolver and a suit of clothes for them.
Being a miner, he was very anxious to settle in Eureka or Wyoming. But this
wife was determined to raise her children in a better environment.

William went to Eureka to work, but came home at intervals. While

he was away she assumed the Immigration Fund of the Adams in exchange
for the Adams firm. It was a very happy surprise for the husband when he
found thorn all settled on "An honest to goodness farm" as his daughter

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expressed it.

How thankful Bridget was for her experience in the hospital in

England. She earned many dollars to pay for the new farm. Part of this farm
was a large meadow 5 Miles up the canyon. She went to help her oldest son
pitch hay. They heard a plaintive sound and remembering hearing the
panthers call described as such, they decided that they were about to be
attacked by one. They urged the slow oxen to greater speed, and when they
arrived home, they had not a spear of hay.

She would take the children along to help pick up potatoes for the
winter months. She white washed the school house which also served as
church building and town hall. She took in washing, and did everything
possible to help.

One child was born after reaching Utah, a girl, Elisabeth. The
children's better clothing had all been traded for food. Their clothes and
shoes were so shabby that she felt ashamed to send them to Sunday school,
and at times felt very discouraged.

She was called to the horns of Henry Bowering, a Patriarch of the

church, where a now baby was being born. She received a wonderful
blessing at this time and was told that as long as she remained faithful and
trusted in the Lord, she would be equal to all occasions, and in the practice
of Midwifery for 50 years in England, Pennsylvania, Porterville and
Snowville Utah, she never lost a mother.

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 In Porterville, she usually went to the patient’s home on horse back
wading streams, and some times riding the running gears of wagons.

In two more years she gave birth to a baby girl. The snow was 2 foot
deep and it was a bitterly cold day. There was no one near to help her, and
only an ox team to go for help, she felt she couldn’t be left alone while they
were gone. So the baby was born and they felt like they imagined Adam and
Eve felt in the Garden of Eden, so they named her Eve.

Mother and child got along very Well. Eva lived until she was 33
years old, had a family of 4 children and vent as a pioneer to Big Horn,
Wyoming, among the very first women there. Bridget thought as she lay in
bed, how the Lord had helped them out of every difficulty and given her
strength and knowledge to help others in distress, and she felt that in this
new world he would open the way for them. Great faith had been exercised
for her and her family by the elders.

A Danish neighbor by the name of Hansen would come and

administer to her in Danish language. She always felt the Spirit of the Lord
when he came. She began to be her own hopeful self again, always looking
out for opportunity to help others.

William and the oldest son out cedar posts and hauled them 10 miles
to sell them, and through this enterprise, provided for his family. As soon as
they were able, they stocked a store at Snowville, and had 2,000 pounds of
flour and 3 barrels of syrup, both of which sold very quickly.

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 They were very thrifty, and soon had a better home. It was a 2 room
log house. She was now able to practice her profession and her husband
started to petition a mail route and secured the contract to carry the mail to
Kelton, Utah twice a week. Later he freighted from Kelton to Hairy, Wood
River County, Idaho.

They had never been able to help bring any of their people to this
country, and now they felt they could, so they sent money for William's
oldest brother. They had also saved for Bridget's oldest brother, whom she
dearly loved, but he died before the money reached 'England.

Their oldest living daughter, Margaret having had the advantages of

some schooling, started school teaching and among her pupils were many
older than herself. The school house was .wilt near the foot hills and a mile
from any house, the coyotes, and wild cattle made her very uneasy. In fact
she would wait until the young men came to open the house. Her little sisters
and brothers and neighbor children all attended. There was no money for this
labor, but she received cedar post; meat and flour or provisions.

The following summer, the ward organized and all this family became
active members. Bridget was a relief society teacher, something for which
she was particularly fitted. Margaret was secretary of Mutual. Bridget’s
companion was Ellen Goodliffe, a deaf lady, who used a horn. Aunt Ellen,
as the children called her, would come and have lunch with her. They would
kneel in prayer with the families before leaving their houses. They couldn’t
talk together without shouting, so they would counsel together before
leaving, home or on the bank of some creek.

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 There was a very wealthy man, Richard Crocker, who came out near
where they lived and had 14,000 head of cattle. Mr. Lamgan had 1,500 head
and Mr. Crocker tried to buy them, but finding Crocker had a great deal of
money, asked a great deal more than they were worth. William acted as an
agent for Mr. Crocker, bought the cattle of Lamgan and was paid for his
trouble $500.00, which was a fortune in those days. Mr. Crocker owned a
large interest in the railroad and was in a position to help anyone whom he
had confidence in. He planned to have his ground fenced and gave William
the contract. This was an immense undertaking, but brought work for many
men and was a great help to the country at this time.

William and Bridget took a large salt contract, they were living near
the lake he managed the store and cooked for the men, while he managed the
salt business. Store keeping seemed to be one of Bridget's vocations,
remember she could neither read nor write, but she kept track of ever-thing
anyone bought along with prices. She had a system of keeping track of
money by using whole or fourth circles. She had a wonderful memory.
When she came to Ogden for the purchase of goods, she never made a note
of what she wanted, but relied on her memory. She usually bought goods
from Scowcroft’s, having known them in England. Snowville, in the days
we are telling of was much more active than now. They used to buy hides
and pelts and pine nuts from the Indiana in the spring of the year.

At one time, she, with her two daughters was alone, all her seen folks
being on the farm, and a band of Indiana came loaded with wool and hides
end had come to trade them. She bought their hides and wool and gave

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them money which was their custom, and they in turn paid money for
provisions and store goods such as all kinds of calico she kept on hand for
the Indians.

There was an article which they wanted that she didn't have, so then �
t to the other store owned by the bishop for it. When they told him they had
sold their wool to Bridgett, he told them he would have given them l, /2¢
more a lb. They became angry and returning threw the merchandise in the
center of the floor and wanted their wool back. They went in the wool house
and took what they wanted, as she was powerless with such a band.

Connected with their store was a hotel where they set people of all
kinds who remembered them for their honesty. At one time a discouraging
paddler brought a load of fruit to Snowville, only to find three peddlers had
preceded him and his fruit was selling so slowly it became overripe and
Bridget wanted to help him if she could. She told him she had a load of
empty soda water bottles, which he would have no trouble selling, and
which would meet his expenses, this she would exchange for the fruit and
risk disposing of it. He was a poor man and could not afford to lose any
money, later telling of it, he said he blessed the day he met her.

She was very thoughtful and generous. At one time the town was
sending a delegate to a convention, but no one seemed to think he needed
money. She quietly asked him if he had any money and found out they
expected him to use his own money, so she gave him $10.00.

At one time in England, her brother-in-law came to work in the mines

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and needed a lamp to wear on his hat as the miners use, but hadn't the money
to buy it and neither did they, but she pawned a petticoat and bought it.
Another instance has been told where a convert from England was very
anxious to go the temple and hadn't the clothes. Bridget gave her underskirt
and said that would be a good start.

In this mining town offences had to be met a little differently among

Mexican people. Some times an offender was fined a box of crackers or a
keg of beer, and ever-one was invited. When the officers came to collect the
revenue they found only empty boxes and bottles, but there was peace at the
mines and not revolutions. Bridget's mother died at the age of ninety in
Wiggin, England, and the rest of the family since. One of Bridget’s sisters
died childless, one had 3 children, and Bridget was the mother of 19
children.

The stove in Snowville has been in the family every since with the
exception of six months. She died at the age of 71 years of age. It was so
hard to part with this wonderful mother and wife and they were surrounded
with loving friends and neighbors who all had some noble deed to tell of our
mother. William survived his wife by ten years, living to be 84 years of age
and his mind as alert and keen as every.

Bridget was buried in linen brought from Ireland by Joseph

Scowcroft. The pall bearers were boys she had helped bring into the world.
Just a week before she died, the Relief 'Society held their meeting in her
house and she bore a wonderful testimony.

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 Once when one of her daughters met Joseph Scowcroft, he spoke of
the great likeness between her and her mother. He told them they had a
wonderful mother and one daughter said, "If mother had only had an
education, she would have done wonderful things." He replied, "education,
why your mother was the best educated woman I know she could run a
railroad if she had the money."

And so she has not really died for her memory shall live forever and
keep her family striving after the noble and good. To make themselves
worthy to mingle again with her and her noble husband.

Written August 12, 1924 - By Charlotte Johnson Taylor

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