William Campbell McGregor

Life Sketch of William Campbell McGregor

(A Compilation of LDS Church Immigration Records and Writings of Charles McGregor, Sadie M. Mitchell and other McGregor Family Members)

 William McGregor was born in Thornliebank, Renfrew, Scotland 24 July 1816 to Campbell McGregor and Jean Brown.  He was the third child and third son; he had 3 other brothers and 2 sisters for a total of 8 children born to this family.

William married Ann Hossack in Balfron, Stirlingshire, Scotland on December 28, 1841.  The “Mormon” missionaries were quite active in Scotland at that time and they both accepted the Gospel and were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints shortly after

their marriage.

A son was born to them in 1842 but he died shortly after his birth.  A daughter, Agnes was born in 1843, another son, Campbell was born in 1845 and died in 1849.  Another daughter, Jean/Jane Matilda was born in 1847.  During this time, both their families were very opposed to their membership in the LDS Church and they suffered many trials from this.  They were saving money to go to America and Zion but their earnings were meager and the relatives interfered.  They prayed to the Lord to help them find a way to pay the passage for their entire family so they would not have to leave the oldest girl with relatives in Scotland and go without her.

At this time, William was an officer on the police department.  One night while on duty, he saw a man and woman in a quarrel and he hurried toward them to see what the trouble was.  But when they saw his light, they ran away and he found a purse lying on the ground where they had been.  Ann’s uncle, Captain Smart, was also of the police department, and through his help, William was allowed to keep the money in the purse, which was just enough money to pay for the child to be taken with them.  They knew the Lord had heard and answered their prayers.

So on September 2, 1849, they sailed from the Liverpool, England docks on the ship “James Pennell” headed for the port of New Orleans, Louisiana.  They arrived in New Orleans on October 22 then continued their journey upriver on a steamboat to Missouri where they remained for a time, then went on to Council Bluffs, Iowa where their son, James Davis McGregor was born March 10, 1850.  They spent the next 2 years working and preparing to cross the plains to Utah Territory and Zion.

William did all kinds of work including making and selling candy to earn the money for their travel needs.  He bought a wagon, a cow and an ox.   Finally, they joined the company under Captain Woods and started their journey.  All walked except for the 2½ year old, James, whom they tied to the bow of the wagon.  When their shoes wore out, Ann made shoes from whatever they had.  Sometimes they were made from one of her dresses and sometimes from burlap they wrapped around their feet to keep them from being burned by the hot sand and protected from thistles and other sticker plants.  At night, she would sing her children to sleep with Scottish lullabies.  Their provisions were low and the cow, that was also being used as an ox, was milked each night and the milk shared with others who were needy.  Ann was always mindful of others who were in need.  They were in a land very unfamiliar and foreign to them but they had faith and courage to keep them going.

Finally, on a bright, sunny day in September 1852, the company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley finding only sagebrush and a few poor homes built.  They were sent to stay with a Brother William Cowan who lived on Main Street.  James, who was only 2 ½ years old, was given a piece of bread and molasses and later said that was the first meal he remembered eating.

For one year, the family lived in the First Ward, where Ann Maria was born, August 21, 1853.  The family then moved to 2^nd Ward on the corner of 8^th South and First East in an adobe room and one lay room.  After 4 more children were born there, the lay room was torn down and an addition of three rock rooms was built. This was one of the oldest houses in Salt Lake City that still stands to the present time.

 

William filed his Declaration of Intention to become a United States Citizen in Salt Lake City on July 30, 1859 and received his full citizenship the 17^th of September 1878.

William was a stonecutter and when the Temple Block was laid out, he helped build the original wall around the Block.  He was a special policeman during the Johnston’s Army occupation and was one of the men who were left to guard Salt Lake City after most of the families had been moved south.  He also served during the Black Hawk War.  He worked as a stonemason on the  Salt Lake Temple during the forty years of its construction but died just a few months before it was dedicated for use in April 1893.  He was always happy knowing that he was instrumental in rearing a House of the Lord and endured the hardships and rigors of pioneer life through his faith and belief in the Lord.

A newspaper clipping in a family scrapbook says:

"A Golden Wedding is not of frequent occurrence and when one is held there is a widespread interest to the event.  There was one in the city last evening at Eighth South and Fourth East streets, where William McGregor and wife celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding.  The house was handsomely fixed up and the old couple had the pleasure of seeing about them six children and thirty-four grandchildren.  There were numerous presents, and the old couple stood up and were married over again, amid the blushes of the bride.  The groom really tried to be gay and giddy, while the bride was coy and retiring, and it was late in the evening before the company retired.  The happy young couple who are thus starting off in life were heartily congratulated, and more than one person expressed the wish that they might live to see their diamond wedding day."

He was given a second wife in polygamy.  She was jealous of Ann and cut up a laying-in featherbed that was stuffed with cattail fuzz that Ann had made for the birth of one of her children.  The fuzz was scattered all over the house making a big mess.  William divorced the woman.

He took sick in 1892 and was dying.  All of his children wanted him to live to see the temple dedicated.  He said, “Don’t worry I will be there.”  When they went through on the Dedicatory Session they saw him sitting in a window.

He died September 10, 1892 and the following articles were in the Salt Lake newspaper:

  

Death of a Veteran

This morning Brother William McGregor, a stonecutter, who has labored on the Temple Block over thirty years, died from general debility, at the age of 77 years.  Deceased was a native of Scotland, and came to Utah in 1852.  He was much respected as an honest, kind-hearted man and faithful Latter-day Saint.  The funeral will be held at 11 o'clock on Monday.

A second newspaper clipping was in the family scrapbook:

“McGregor--William McGregor, son of Campbell and Jane McGregor, born July 24, 1816 at Thornliebank, Lanarkshire, Scotland, joined the church July 28, 1842, came to America in1849, and to Utah in 1852.  He leaves a wife, seven children, thirty-six grandchildren.  Died Sept. 10 at 8:15 o'clock.

 Funeral will be held Monday, Sept. 12, at 11 o'clock, in the Second Ward meeting house.”

A third newspaper clipping in a family scrapbook said:

                                       Elder William McGregor at Rest

The funeral services of Elder William McGregor were held today in the Second Ward meetinghouse.  The attendance was large, and many beautiful floral emblems reposed on and about the casket, which was white.  The speakers in order were, Elders A. Hill, James Leatham, James Leach, Robert Patrick, Bishop George Romney, W.B. Dougall, James Gillespie, James Hart, Fred Peterson, J. E. Talmage, D. C. Young and President Joseph E. Taylor and Bishop L.G. Hardy.  The remarks were full of comforting words, giving testimony to his long and honorable connection with the Church--over half a century--and to his many years' labor as stonecutter on the Salt Lake Temple.  He goes to his grave full of years, and ripe in usefulness.  May he enjoy the sleep of the just.