Samuel Claridge
Encyclopedia
Samuel Claridge was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was a prominent early settler of the Muddy River Valley in Nevada and also Thatcher, Arizona
.
Samuel Claridge was at Leighton-Buzzard, Bedfordshire
, England
. In 1849 he married Charlotte Joy. In 1851 they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1853 they emigrated to Utah, settling in Nephi
. In 1868 Wilford Woodruff
appointed Claridge to preside over the Latter-day Saints living along the Muddy River in what is now Nevada but was then in Utah Territory. The eastern border of Nevada was later shifted east, and with the attempt to charge back taxes to those living there the Latter-day Saints moved away. Claridge moved to Kane County, Utah
.
In 1875, Claridge was one of the founders of Orderville, Utah
. He left his wife and children there in 1877 to serve a mission in Britain. After his mission, Claridge lived in Orderville until he moved to Thatcher, Arizona
, in 1883. He served as the bishop of the Thatcher Ward and later as the first patriarch of the St. Joseph Stake, which was headquartered at Thatcher. Among those who received patriarchal blessings from him was Spencer W. Kimball
.
Claridge's daughter, Elizabeth (1852-1924), was the wife of Alfred William McCune, Sr.
(1849-1927)and a prominent benefactor of the operations of the LDS Church in the 1920s.
S. George Ellsworth
, a grandson of Claridge, wrote a biography of Claridge titled Samuel Claridge: Pioneering the Outposts of Zion. Claridge's daughter, Lottie, married Brigham Spencer Young, a son of Brigham Young, Jr.
and his wife Catherine Curtis Spencer. One of Claridge's sons, David Claridge, was a member of the Arizona State House of Representatives.
Thatcher, Arizona
Thatcher is a town in Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 4,865. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Thatcher is located at ....
.
Samuel Claridge was at Leighton-Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1849 he married Charlotte Joy. In 1851 they joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1853 they emigrated to Utah, settling in Nephi
Nephi, Utah
Nephi is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851, and is the principal city in Juab Valley, an...
. In 1868 Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
appointed Claridge to preside over the Latter-day Saints living along the Muddy River in what is now Nevada but was then in Utah Territory. The eastern border of Nevada was later shifted east, and with the attempt to charge back taxes to those living there the Latter-day Saints moved away. Claridge moved to Kane County, Utah
Kane County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,046 people, 2,237 households, and 1,628 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 3,767 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
.
In 1875, Claridge was one of the founders of Orderville, Utah
Orderville, Utah
Orderville is a town in Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 596 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Orderville is located at ....
. He left his wife and children there in 1877 to serve a mission in Britain. After his mission, Claridge lived in Orderville until he moved to Thatcher, Arizona
Thatcher, Arizona
Thatcher is a town in Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 4,865. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Thatcher is located at ....
, in 1883. He served as the bishop of the Thatcher Ward and later as the first patriarch of the St. Joseph Stake, which was headquartered at Thatcher. Among those who received patriarchal blessings from him was Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
.
Claridge's daughter, Elizabeth (1852-1924), was the wife of Alfred William McCune, Sr.
Alfred W. McCune
Alfred William McCune was an American railroad builder, mine operator, and politician from the state of Utah. Owner of several retail and construction businesses, he helped build the Montana Central Railway in Montana and a portion of the Utah Southern Railroad in Utah, founded the Utah and...
(1849-1927)and a prominent benefactor of the operations of the LDS Church in the 1920s.
S. George Ellsworth
S. George Ellsworth
Samuel George Ellsworth was an American historian specializing in Western United States history and the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a founding editor of the Western Political Quarterly....
, a grandson of Claridge, wrote a biography of Claridge titled Samuel Claridge: Pioneering the Outposts of Zion. Claridge's daughter, Lottie, married Brigham Spencer Young, a son of Brigham Young, Jr.
Brigham Young, Jr.
Brigham Young, Jr. served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1899 until his death. His tenure was interrupted for one week in 1901 when Joseph F...
and his wife Catherine Curtis Spencer. One of Claridge's sons, David Claridge, was a member of the Arizona State House of Representatives.
Sources
- Andrew JensonAndrew JensonAndrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century...
. LDS Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 3, p. 47. - Utah State University bio on Claridge
- BYU Studies review of Ellsworth's biography of Claridge