Allen Family History

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.

Charlotte Paskett was a good Godfearing woman and she aimed to live the principles and ordinances of the Gospel to the letter. . . . James and Charlotte were loved and respected by all members of the community.

For more information on Charlotte Buckingham please click on the following link:

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