Samuel Rose Parkinson was born at Barronford, Lancashire, England on April 12, 1831. He is the son of William Parkinson and Charlotte Rose. His father earned his living by daily toil as a twister in the cotton factory. He was also a preacher in the Wesleyan church (Methodist) and died on November 10, 1831, leaving his wife and infant son, Samuel; also a daughter by a former husband, John Duckworth, in humble circumstances. They had previously buried their only daughter, Susanna, February 6, 1831.
Samuel's mother was an educated and refined lady, being born of wealthy parents in the County of Kent near London.
Shortly after the death of his father of his father the family moved to Stockport where his mother taught school. In the year of 1835 she married Edmund Berry, a coal merchant. While residing at this place their daughters Sarah and Lucy were born. Owing to labor agitation, business became very dull in England and great inducements were offered colonists to settle Australia, which was then a comparatively new country. Mr. Berry and his family started for that far off land in the Spring of 1839, traveling from Manchester to Liverpool on the first railroad built in England and perhaps the first recorded in history. They left Liverpool in a sailing vessel, sailing down the west coast of Africa, touched the island of St. Jago and landed at the Cape of Good Hope, July 30, 1839. They had left Liverpool in April. They remained at the Cape eight days, where fresh supplies were secured including live cattle and Cape sheep. Samuel's father was the ship butcher and as such was allowed all the offal's for killing which supplied the family with meat. During their brief stay at the Cape, Samuel's sister, Ellen, was born. Many interesting instances occurred on the voyage. One evening a child was thrown from the deck into the water by the rocking of the vessel. A large Newfoundland dog immediately leaped into the water after it. Simultaneously the Captain ordered his men to the life boats to rescue the child. They were about to return without success, when the dog was seen swimming for a distance with the child in its mouth unharmed.
The party embarked for Australia on August 8th and arrived at the town of Sidney late in September.
Mr. Berry became engaged in the burning of lime from sea-shells at which he received fifty shillings a week. His mother baked hot rolls and muffins for Samuel to sell at the market place. Fruits, provisions, and green groceries were added and through Samuel's energy and natural business tact they were very successful. Eighteen months later Samuel found it advisable to close out the store to assist his father in the sealing and burning of brick in a yard which his father purchased. At this they were not so successful and Mr. Berry became discouraged and determined to go to New Zealand. They left Australia in October, 1842, and reached Auckland, New Zealand on November 15. Dissatisfied with that country, they continued with the same vessel to South America, having spent but eight days in Auckland. They landed at Valparaiso, January 15, 1843, being the first English emigrants from among the working class ever to land in that country. The governor tendered them the soldiers barracks for living quarter until they secured a home one month later. Mr. Berry secured employment as a gardener from Mr. Martin, shortly after which he was sun struck and nearly lost his life. Upon recovery he was placed in charge of the English water works.
Samuel earned his board and lodging with Reverend Armstrong, a minister of the Church of England, doing odd jobs such as waiting on tables, working in the garden, watering flowers, etc. While there he obtained the only scholastic training of his entire life, covering a period of six months. During this time he learned the Spanish language and was later engaged by a dentist as an interpreter. At the age of fourteen he obtained a position as clerk in an iron foundry. His brother, William, was born in 1843.
On one occasion a group of Spaniards, supposing Mrs. Berry and her child to be home by themselves, attacked and made an attempt to rob the place. Mrs. Berry screamed, and, after refusing to be silent, they struck her with a sword. Samuel, from another part of the building attempted to escape to gather help and was knocked down. One blow of a sword left a scar on his head which he carried to his grave. He finally escaped, however, and brought a neighbor, Mr. Sibson, back to the house. In the meantime, Mr. Berry, who had been sleeping on the lounge, awoke, and with a large iron key about two feet in length, cleared the house. Finding his son, Samuel, gone, Mr. Berry opened the door, with his weapon in hand, and prepared to strike the first man who might enter. At the same time Mr. Gibson and Samuel had reached the door from the outside and supposing the Spaniards were still inside, Gibson was armed with an ax to strike the first man to attempt escape. Samuel, seeing the mistake which was about to be made, sprang between them and prevented the blow which might have been fatal to both. The Spaniards retreated, carrying with them some who were wounded. Samuel was taken to the doctor that evening and with good care he recovered rapidly.
After having been in Valparaiso three years they concluded to return to England, where Mrs. Berry's oldest daughter, Elizabeth Duckworth, was living. They left in July, 1845, rounded Cape Horn, where they encountered a very rough sea and many icebergs. The sea was so rough and dangerous that the entire crew nearly lost their lives. They sailed up the eastern coast of South America, across the equator and on up the west coast of Africa and from there to Queenstown, Ireland. Passing through the Irish Channel, they ran between the mainland and the Sautee Islands and were shipwrecked. After losing both life boats they put up a signal of distress. It seemed so apparent to Samuel's mother that the end had come that she wrapped all her children up in a blanket in which they would all go down together. However, an Irishman, responding to the distress signal, fired a rope over to them from a cannon, and by that rope a boat was drawn back and forth until the entire party had been rescued. Mr. Berry and family were the first brought to land. They negotiated the distance from Liverpool to Stockport by rail, making the trip a complete one around the world.
When the party reached Stockport, Ireland, early in 1846 the inhabitants were suffering from a severe famine caused by a potato rot. Mr. Berry found all his relatives in destitute circumstances and that his grandfather was dead. He then had five or six thousand dollars which he generously distributed among his relatives who were in greatest need. Among them was his step-daughter, Elizabeth Duckworth, who had married James Chappel and by whom she had two girls. Both children died during the winter of 1846 and 1847. The only income received by the family during that winter was what Samuel obtained by selling milk from two cows.
In the spring of 1847 Samuel and his stepfather were employed on the Blackburn and Preston railroad, making it necessary for the family to move to Blackburn. The change was made during the month of April. Two months later they moved to Ratenstall where they were employed on the Ratenstall and Bakups Railroad. In NOvember, 1847, the family moved to Caffold for work on the Blackburn and Ackrington Railroad. In the spring of 1848 Samuel and his mother visited his Uncle Henry and family at Fort Pendlehill.
In the spring of 1848 Elizabeth was divorced from her husband and in July of the same year the entire family consisting of parents and five children, Elizabeth excluded, embarked for North America on the steamer European. They arrived in New Orleans, October 1, 1848. From there they took passage up the Mississippi river on the steamboat Josh R. Lawrence to St. Louis.
The first family they encountered while looking for a place to rent were Mormons. This family directed them to a neighboring Mormon family by the name of Clement. This was the first time Samuel or any of the family had ever seen or heard of the Mormon people. Several months later, December, 1848, Samuel was baptized in Chostoes Pond, where the Union Station now stands and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder William Clement. It being mid winter the ice had to be cut before the ordinance could be performed. He was confirmed by Nathanial Felt.
Samuel and Mr. Berry found employment for the winter in a packing house and saved enough money to send for Elizabeth. In the spring of 1849 they secured work at the Park Flour Mills. Shortly afterward the Cholera broke out, which on July 18, 1849, caused the death of his mother. By her death the family lost a wise and faithful counselor, a loving mother, and a devoted wire. Samuel's sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, William Higgins, arrived from England in August in 1849. On December 25, 1849, Mr. Berry married a widow by the name of Thurza Booth, a member of the Mormon Church.
Samuel left home in the spring of 1850 and began work for himself. His first job was driving a team for $18 a month and board. Mr. Berry moved to La Grange shortly afterward. It was not long until Samuel by his thrift and industry had found better wages, bought a team for himself and later gave on to his father. Samuel continued work on the St. Louis levy and in addition to assisting in the support of the family he accumulated means for himself.
During the summer he made the acquaintance of Arabella Ann Chandler, a very worthy and gifted young English lady who was also a member of the Mormon Church. They were married on January 1, 1852. Samuel then had a good team, about $700 in the bank, good employment and fair prospects. On February 2, 1853, their son Samuel Chandler was born. In June, 1854, Samuel and family, accompanied by his sister, Lucy, started for Utah. They traveled as far as Fort Leavenworth by Steamboat. There they purchased supplies and prepared to cross the plains by team. They left Fort Leavenworth with the St. Louis Company on July 10th and arrived in Salt Lake City on September 23, 1854. The St. Louis Company consisted of approximately sixty teams and was captained by William Field. Shortly after arriving in Salt Lake City, Samuel moved his family to Kaysville, Davis County, where he earned their living by farming. On August 2, 1855, his family was increased by the birth of twins, William and Charlott. In the spring of 1857 he journeyed east as far as the Devil's Gate on Sweetwater and hauled a load of goods left the previous fall by the handcart company.
On July 18, 1857, his son George was born. Several months later he went out to meet Johnson's Army from whence he returned late in January, 1858.
Father was called on a mission to the Salmon River in the spring of 1858 to help the people from there to Salt Lake Valley that they might have protection from hostile Indians. At this time missionaries were called home from all camped on the west side of Jordon River, opposite Lehi. They returned to Kaysville the following autumn. His son, Franklin, was born July, 1859.
In the fall of 1859 father moved his family into Cache Valley and in the spring of 1860 they settled where the town of Franklin, Idaho now stands. Peter Maughn appointed Thomas Smart, Samuel R. Parkinson, and William Sanderson to take charge of the people and distribute the land until the bishop was appointed. The land was surveyed and distributed by casting lots. Samuel planted a crop and worked on a water ditch for the summer. At the same time he sold dry goods for Parry and Company of Salt Lake City and assisted in building the first school house ever erected in the state of Idaho. During the winter of 1861 he assisted in constructing a canal from Cub River to the Bench north of Franklin. President Young appointed Preston Thomas as bishop of Franklin Ward.
In the spring of 1861 Samuel started a dry goods store and sent a team across the plains for Mormon emigrants. His daughter, Esther, was born February 2, 1862. Father continued farming and merchandising, joined the minute Company and made himself generally useful on Indian expeditions. He was active and prominent in all kinds of public work. During the years of 1861-2 and 3 and 4 he sent teams across the plains for the poor. On August 8, 1863 his son, Albert, was born. He bought and operated the first threshing machine to be used in that county in 1865. During that year and the one following, he and Thomas Smart built and operated the first sawmill in that vicinity.
Father spent considerable time on Indian expeditions, assisting in the building of a meeting house, and standing guard as town police. While living at Kaysville father lost his mules. After spending two days looking for them without success, he went with his wife to see a lady who had a peepstone and who often located animals and things lost, to see if he could be directed to his mules. She looked into the stone and saw them lying down under a tree on the side of a mountain. She asked him if there was anything else he would like to know? At that time there was a great deal said about entering the Celestial order of plural marriage. Father was anxious to keep all the commandments and requirements of the gospel and asked to see his future wife. Accordingly two young girls appeared in the stone, dressed alike, arm in arm. He asked his wife if she would like to see them? She said yes, and to her great surprise she saw the same two girls. She said, "When I see those girls, I'll consent for you to marry them but no others". In 1860 father moved to Franklin and the same year Thomas S. Smart moved from Provo to Franklin. They were thrown together in a business way and father visited his home often but did not recognize those girls as being the ones he saw in the peepstone until six years later he was on the stand in the meeting house when two girls entered, dressed alike, and arm in arm. Father at once recognized these two young ladies as the girls he had seen in the peepstone. After meeting he took his wife to a place where he knew the girls would pass on their way home; turning a corner they met them face to face. Father noticed a change came over his wife and he said, "Mrs. (that is what he commonly called her), what did those girls remind you of?" She answered with some hesitation, "They are the girls we saw in the peepstone. She was true to her promise and like Sarah of old gave to her husband in marriage Charlott H. Smart, December 8, 1866, and one year later her sister, Maria H. Smart, February 16, 1868.
Ten children, eight daughters and two sons were born to Charlott, and to Maria, thirteen, six sons and seven daughters. These two girls were the daughters of Thomas S. Smart, Sr., and Ann Hayter. They and their ancestors for generations back were among the most sturdy and substantial families in England, honest, industrious, and thrifty.
In 1868 when Conner's army was sent to fight Indians on Bear River, father assisted in the hauling of dead and wounded soldiers to Salt Lake City. He adopted an Indian boy by the name of Shem, from this battle, who remained in the family until 1881 when he died a victim of quick consumption.
The Co-op store was organized about 1868. Father was director and business manager. He did a great deal of freighting from Ogden and Corrine to Montana. While conducting the business of the Franklin Co-op store in the spring of 1872 he and William G. Nelson were called on colonizing missions to Arizona. Father was honorably release by President Young the same year. In 1874 he was reinstated as manager of the Co-op store. He had teams working on the Utah Central, the Pacific and Utah Northern railroads. On June 28, 1878 he was chosen and sustained First Counselor to Bishop L. L. Hatch of the Franklin Ward. This position he filled with honor and ability for thirty years. He was on of the chief promoters and stockholders of the first woolen factory erected in the state of Idaho, located at Franklin. Shortly after its completion the factory was taken over by the Co-op store, making father manager of both until the year of 1886 when the store became amalgamated with other mercantile interests. During all these years he owned and operated a farm and engaged in the cattle and sheep industry.
During the years of what is known as anti-Mormon crusade against the doctrine of Patriarchal or Plural marriage he was arrested on a charge of polygamy, tried at Malad, Idaho, acquitted for lack of evidence. Later he was on the "underground", as it was called for several years. He was finally convicted. After being tried in the U.S. Court at Blackfoot, Idaho, before Judge Berry, in his address to the court before sentence he told them that he would suffer his life to be taken rather than desert his wives and children. He served six months in the Boise penitentiary because of his obedience to the law of God. Before leaving the court room the judge instructed the U. S. Marshall not to shave the beard and hair of Mr. Parkinson before his imprisonment. This was an exception to the rule.
As old age came upon him, he closed out his business affairs in order to increase his opportunities to work in the temple for the salvation of his dead ancestors. Of these he secured about 6000 names with sufficient data for temple work. These have all been baptized for and over 5000 endowed, with sealings up to date. This work was a joy and comfort to father. He expressed great anxiety in his children continuing this work as he realized it was the greatest work of this dispensation. He made several trips to St. Louis to visit his relatives and sought to impress them with his testimony of the truth of the gospel. His last visit was made in the fall of 1918 when his daughter Luella joined him there on her way home from St. Paul, Minnesota, where she had just spent six weeks with her children, Laura, Edgar, and Elna. The latter were attending school at the University of Minnesota at that time. Together they visited father's sister-in-law, Elizabeth, widow of William Berry, her daughter, Winona Baker, who lived with her Mother; and his sister, sister-in-law, Elizabeth, widow of William Berry, her daughter, Winona Baker, who lived with her Mother; and his sister Sarah's two sons, John and Weston McKinney. They all treated them very kindly and Patriarch Parkinson had the joy of realizing a long cherished desire to bear to them his most earnest testimony for the last time. En-route home, they saw Nauvoo, Carthage, and Independence. They arrived in Salt Lake City in time for the October conference.
During the days of the terrible epidemic of influenza in 1918, he contracted it and was confined to his bed. Charlott, his only living wife, waited on him with a tender care and constant attention that only loving hands can give. Without any special pain, he steadily declined and peacefully went to sleep, May 23, 1919 in Preston, Idaho. The funeral services were held in Franklin, his old home, May 26. Thus a beautiful life came to a glorious sunset in the faith and assurance found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. His blessed posterity will forever revere his name.