Allen Family History

Patriarchal Blessing given to James Paskett: (volume 49, page 913)

968 Henneferville Summit County September 17th 1877

A Blessing given by John Smith Patriarch upon the Head of James Paskett son of Phillip and Fanny Paskett born Chippingham Wiltshire England April 12th 1817.

Brother, James Paskett, in the name of Jesus Christ I lay my hands upon thy head, and pronounce and seal a Blessing upon thee, that thy heart may be comforted, for thou hast seen many changes. Thy life has been a checkered one. The Lord hath delivered thee from among thine enemies and brought thee out from Babylon to partake of the blessings in Zion do a work for thy kindred and secure unto thyself the Blessings of Eternal life with a name which shall be handed down unto thy posterity in honorable remembrance from generation. Lord hath heard the petitions and accepted thine offerings, and will reward thee for the trials through which thou hast part, give thee peace of mind strength of body and make thee equal unto every task that thou shalt fulfill thy mission. Therefor put thy trust in the Lord and all shall be well with thee. Thou art of the blood of Joseph and shall receive thy Blessings in the tribe of Ephraim which is the lineage of many of thy Forefathers who have gon behind the vail thou shalt be blessed in thine outgoings and in comings and in thy basket and store the spirit of the Lord shall direct thy mind in counsel many shall honor thy judgement. Thou shalt exhort the saints to faithfulness and thy fame as a Father in Isreal shall be known far and near. Therefor put thy trust in the Lord and be comforted for better days await thee. Thou shalt be enabled through prayer and faith to hold the adversary at bay. And health and peace shall abide with thee. This with thy former Blessings with also the Blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I seal upon thy head. And I seal thee up unto Eternal Life to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, even so amen.

Life Sketch of James and Charlotte Paskett:

James Pope Paskett was born April 12, 1817 at Chippenham, Wiltshire, England. He was the son of Philip Paskett and Fanny Pope. James grew up in a rural district just outside of town on Chavenage Lane. James father was an excise officer and was transferred from Chippenham to Tetbury in June of 1819, so James Jr. grew up knowing only Tetbury as his home. His father died when James was just four years old. James learned to be a shoemaker and kept that trade throughout his life.

James met a local girl, Charlotte Buckingham, sometime before 1839. Charlotte was born in Tetbury May 4, 1819, daughter of Francis Buckingham and Hannah Browning. The two were married in the parish church on April 21, 1839, just a few weeks shy of Charlotte's twentieth birthday.

James and Charlotte were devout Baptists, but when they were visited by LDS missionaries, they felt the message they bore was true. Charlotte was baptized into the Church in 1847 and James joined one year later. His family vehemently opposed his joining the Church. Charlotte washed, mended, and pressed the missionaries clothes. James, a shoemaker, made sure they had soles on their shoes.

Soon James was made president of two branches of the Church in that area: the Tetbury branch and the Shortwood branch. They were six miles apart and James and his family alternated between meetings, attending one branch one week and the other the next. For a while one of the branches met in a private home on Harper Street. Mobsters sometimes interrupted their meetings by knocking on the door with sticks or throwing rocks on the roof of the house. Attending meetings at Shortwood meant walking a total of 12 miles in one day. Their son, Phillip, wrote in his journal, We didn't mind it. We used to sing the songs of Zion while walking along the beautiful green lanes of England.

James worked as a shoemaker but it didn't bring in much money, and the family was often without necessities. They had wanted to join the Saints in Utah for years but were unable. Fanny Hannah, their second child, emigrated to America in 1864. Their children, Jane and John, were able to go in 1868. The rest of the family continued to pray that the way would be opened to up to them to be able to afford to go to Utah. This way was opened up when James uncle passed away and left him ninety pounds (at that time about $450). In the fall of 1871, all but one of the remaining family members came to America. Their daughter, Annie, who was a few years younger than Jane, had married a Baptist minister and joined the Baptist church. Annie and her husband, William Tunley, emigrated to Australia and remained there the rest of their lives.

James and Charlotte's children, Philip and Sarah, left for Utah in August of 1871 and then James, Charlotte, and the rest of family followed behind in October on the Nevada with about 300 other Saints. The railroad across the United States was completed in 1869, so they were able to ride the train across the plains. When James and Charlotte reached Utah, they settled next door to their daughter Jane in Henneferville.

James continued to make shoes in Utah and made many for his children and grandchildren. According to one grandchild, They were not pretty by any means and I can't say they were comfortable, but they were a covering for my bare feet and they lasted a long time. Charlotte was an expert seamstress. She hand-sewed her own clothes and her husband's trousers for many years. She helped many people in the area by mending trousers and sewing buttonholes for others. Charlotte washed her clothes with homemade lye soap with a washboard and wooden tub. According to one record, James and Charlotte opened up the first cooperative store in Heneferville.

Many years later, in September of 1898, James, Charlotte, and many of their children traveled to the Salt Lake Temple where the Paskett children were sealed to their parents. They also performed ordinances for many of their deceased relatives and attended funeral services for President Wilford Woodruff. It was a great family experience.

As they grew older, James and Charlotte moved into a small log house near their daughter, Fanny, who was still in Henneferville. They both passed away in that house and were buried in Henneferville. James obituary says he was a quiet, unassuming man of cheerful disposition, having a good word for all he met; was a good husband and kind and indulgent father.

Conversion of James Pope Paskett and Charlotte Buckingham Paskett:

James and Charlotte were devout members of the Baptist Persuasion Church. When the Mormon missionaries came to the area teaching about a strange new religion, the Pasketts listened to their message and felt that the story of the young prophet Joseph Smith was true. They joined the Mormon church; Charlotte accepting baptism one year before her husband. James' family opposed his joining those "awful Mormons," but eventually his entire family became members. The Paskett home was always open to the Mormon missionaries. Charlotte, the mother, was an expert seamstress, so she washed and kept their clothes well mended and pressed. James, a shoemaker by trade, saw to it that they had soles on their shoes . . . . Charles W. Penrose, who became a high official in the Church, made his home with the Pasketts while serving a mission in England. The close association of the Paskett children with the elders of the Church had a profound influence on their belief in the truthfulness of the Church and its principles.

Testimony of James and Charlotte Paskett:

At the age of 24 [James Pope Paskett] married my mother, Charlotte Buckingham. Before he heard the true gospel they belonged to the Baptist persuasion. Mother joined the Church about a year before Father did. He had a number of brothers and sisters who tried to persuade him not to join those Mormons. Others joined the Church until there was enough to form a branch. Father was set apart as President. . . . After a while the meetings were held in my father's house in Chavenage Lane. On Testimony Meetings the gift of tongues was sometimes manifest. Many times the sick were healed by the laying on of hands and the saints would rejoice, although they had to endure the scoffs and scorns of the world. . . . Father was appointed president of the Tetbury branch, held that position for many years and was appointed president of the Shortwood branch also. It was about six miles from Tetbury. . . . That was a twelve mile walk on the Sabbath to attend meeting but we didn't mind it.

For more information on James Pope Paskett please click on the following link:

http://sites.google.com/site/allenfamilygenealogy/home/the-paskett-family