Mary Alexander Cleverly

An edited history of my great-grandmother Mary Alexander Cleverly (1828–1918), written by a grand­daughter, possibly Mary Louisa Cleverly Day, although there is no indication on the history itself of who the author is. The account was written sometime after Mary’s death in 1918. Mary was the mother of Henry William Cleverly (1870–1955), who was the father of Ivard R Cleverly (1915–1988).

Mary Alexander was born October 10, 1828, at Calne, Wiltshire, England, the daughter of Henry Alexander and Mary Dolman. Her childhood was spent much like other children. She told me she was taught to sew, cook, and knit, and she did a fine seam of sewing. She went to work when about twelve years old as a serving maid. She had a room to herself and said she liked the work. It paid well.

She had two sisters and four brothers, namely Sarah, Amelia, Enoch, Enos, Able, and Aaron.

She married James Cleverly, son of James Cleverly and Jane Bradford, at age 19 on November 4, 1847, at Calne, Wilt­shire, England.

When the missionaries were sent to England to preach the gospel, this good family attended the street meetings and soon began to study the scriptures. They joined the Church and then started to save for the journey to the United States to join the Saints in Utah. Grandmother was baptized in 1854.

Some of Mary's people had gone to New Zealand and others were going. Mary, her husband, and children were plan­ning on going there also. A daughter Ellen was married and set sail a few months later for America to join the Saints in Utah. She arrived in Utah in 1868. She wrote and said how lonely she was here without her people and described the country. Mary's two sons, Francis and Jesse, then came in the year 1868, a few months after their sister Ellen. By this time Grandma was more determined to come to Utah to be where her children were.

It wasn't until after the year 1871 they finally arrived in Utah. By this time she had given birth to eleven children. She knew happiness, sorrow, and the pangs of death. She buried a son just one year old. Her children: Francis, Ellen, Jesse, Worthy lived one year, Emma, Able, Herbert, Amelia Eliza­beth, Frederick, and finally twins, a boy and girl named Henry William and Sarah.

When the family came to Utah they used the Perpetual Emigration Fund, which was a loan from the Church to be paid back as arranged. The cost was $325.92 or 67 lbs and 18 shillings. Their daughter, Ellen Cleverly Salter, met them at the train, and they stayed with her until they got a place on the bottoms by the river, a shanty where they stayed the first winter. The family bought some land and built a big house, which they lived in for years before an addition was put on, being built of brick.

Mary's husband James was stricken with a typhoid fever, which nearly made him helpless. He was paralyzed for years. A daughter named Mary was born in May of 1875 and died in September 1875. This made Mary the mother the mother of 12 children. Grandmother had to work hard and take care of her invalid husband, six boys, and five girls. She had to be mother and father, and it was a big job. Her husband died in June 1879, and the twin daughter, sister to my father (William Cleverly), died in April 1879.

Grandmother was a good teacher to her children. She was very strict and had to be. She taught her children the gospel and lived it thoroughly. She was successful in that she never went in debt. Grandmother was just as strict with her grandchildren as she was with her own children. She taught us by the way she lived. It wasn’t hard to follow such a kind and patient woman. We knew when to play and when not to.

She died when she was 90 years old (on January 16, 1918) and left a posterity that will carry on her work as she would like it done.

Her youngest son, Henry William Cleverly, and his wife lived with her and took care of the farm. Grandmother was active until the last year before she died. About three years before her death I remember her saying that she would turn the work and responsibility over to my mother. Until then she was boss.

Grandma worked in Mutual, Relief Society, and was very faithful to her duties, walking many miles to do her duty. Mary used to walk to Salt Lake to sell her butter and bring back groceries. She would sell as much as 40 pounds sometimes. She was good to help the sick and had a good knowledge of how to care for sick people.

Her children lived close to where the house was. A daughter, Emma, married John David Yeiter and lived just north about two blocks. Ellen lived west of the place, the land of both places joining. Amelia Elizabeth married Stephen Henry Burtenshaw, and they moved to Idaho. In later years Aunt Bessie (or Amelia Elizabeth) married Alma Moss and lived south of her mother's place about four blocks. Her son Frederick married Elizabeth Wardle Matchit, and they lived on the northwest corner of the land. Her other sons lived in various places, Salt Lake City, West Bountiful, and then finally settled in Idaho. Francis or Frank married Sarah Jane Mills, Jesse married Mary Ann Burtenshaw, Able married Virginia Lowder, and Herbert married Elizabeth or Betsy Lowder.

Her sons and daughters came to visit with her often and brought her presents. They always took her advice when she gave it. Grandmother did a lot of temple work for her people at the Logan Temple and Salt Lake Temple. She was about 5 feet 2 inches tall, had brown hair, blue eyes, and when she died she only had a few grey hairs. You could count them.