john carling and emeline keaton by larron taylor

8/7/2019 John Carling and Emeline Keaton by LarRon Taylor

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Emeline Keaton and John Carling: Their Stories

John Carling & Emeline Keaton (My Great, Great, Great, Great Grandparents on my Mother's Father's Side)

John Carling, b 11 Sept., 1800, Kingston, Ulster, NY, md Emeline Keaton 1 Sept., 1830, d 2Apr., 1855, Fillmore, Millard, UT.The year 1800 began the nineteenth century with some notable events. The Italian physicistAlessandro Volta invented the electric battery, providing the first source of a continuous

circuit. John Chapman, better known as Jonny Appleseed, began scattering religious tractsand apple seeds in pioneer communities throughout the American Midwest (1). In that sameyear, John Carling was born and began his quest which would leave a legacy of his life withthousands to follow. He was the son of Abraham and Sarah Freer Carling and was welcomedinto the world by two older sisters. Two years later, his sibling inequality balanced out witha new baby brother.Kingston is located along the Hudson River about 100 miles north of New York City. It is abeautiful, green area with rolling hills and numerous lakes and rivers. As a young man, Johnmoved eight miles southeast to the town of Esopus. He learned the trade of carpentry andjoined Dutch Reformed Church while in that small community. Records dont tell us howJohn met Emeline Keaton, but we know he married her on 1 Sep, 1830. Emeline was thedaughter of Jacob and Catherine Joanna Paine Keaton, who had been in New York State forseveral generations. In fact, both the Carling and Keaton lines had been in the southeastpart of New York state for several generations. The Carling blood line is said to be from thePuriton Fathers, descended from the Huganots, who left France at the time of theReformation and went to Belgium and Holland and then to America (2). The Keaton line isreported to be of Dutch descent.John and Emeline remained in Cline Esopus, Ulster, NY until at least July, 1835 becausetheir first three children were born there and their third was born in June, 1835. Theirfourth child was born in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, NY (just a short distance south of Esopus)


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in August, 1837, so they had moved there by then. The details of how John and Emeline metthe missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have not been found yet,but the Nauvoo Seventies record shows John Carling being baptized on 5 Jan, 1840. ElaineJohnsons bibliography of John Carling states that he was in Saugerties, Ulster, NY at thetime of the 1840 Census, which was 6 months after his baptism, so he was baptized byJoseph Ball in the Hudson River in either Esopus or Saugerties. Part of his own account isrecorded in her brief record: I lost my father in early life but I was always inclined to fearGod and keep his word. I removed from Kingston to Esopus where I learned the carpenterstrade, and while a single man I joined the Dutch Reformed Church; and in 1830 wasmarried to Emeline Kaiton, and in 1838 I removed to Dutchess County, NY; and in 1840Jany.5 was baptized in the Church of Christ by Joseph Ball. In Jany. 29, 1842 I was ordainedby Hiram Smith and Elder. Residence Nauvoo (3).We can follow John & Emeline after their baptism by the record of his great granddaughterwho gave the following report in school when she was 12 years old: In 1840 and the age ofeight my grandfather (Isaac V. Carling) with his parents, sister and brother, made a tripfrom Fishkill on the Hudson River to Nauvoo, Illinois. Before leaving their home in Fishkill,grandfathers Uncle, who was a sailor gave them some sea biscuit. The dough of the

sea0biscuit had been mixed so that it could not be spoiled by the dampness. It was veryhard, and had to be pounded up and soaked before it could be eaten. As they had not yetheard the Word of Wisdom taught, they used coffee, which the biscuit was soaked in.When they were ready for their journey, they sailed down the Hudson River to New Yorkwhere they visited their relatives. While there my grandfather visited with his greatgrandmother, a privilege which very few children have now. When he was visiting hisgrandmother and great grandmother, some Elders of the Latter Day Saints Church camethere and stayed overnight. His grandmother went to show them where they were to sleep,and as they passed his great grandmothers room, she asked Is dat de Mormons and hisgrandmother said shh. Then great grandmother said well, I didnt see der horns. Aftervisiting in New York for some time they sailed back up the Hudson river to Alban, and fromthere to Buffalo, by way of the Erie Canal. Then they sailed down Lake Erie to Cleveland and

crossed over to the Ohio River. Sailing down to the mouth of the Ohio, then up theMississippi, passing the Missouri. They arrived at Nauvoo after traveling over two thousandmiles on steamboats, sloops, and canal boats (4).John was a skilled carpenter, cabinet maker, mason, tinner, cooper, blacksmith, andshoemaker. While in Nauvoo, he did a good deal of work on the temple. According to theHistorical Record, "President Smith approved and accepted a draft for the font made byBrother Wm. Weeks." His acceptance led Weeks to stop other architectural activities andbegin carving a set of twelve oxen to support the proposed font. After laboring six days, heassigned Elijah Fordham, a convert from New York City, to complete the carving. Elijah,assisted by John Carling and others, spent eight months perfecting the oxen and the fontand completing the ornamental moldings for the baptistery area of the Nauvoo Temple (5).This record does not mention John Carling, but the following is quoted from the Heart

Throbs of the West: While John Carling was carving beautiful work on a mantle in Nauvoo,Brigham Young came to him and asked if he couldnt make a pattern of an ox as they wishedlife-sized oxen on which to rest the baptismal font. Brother Carling went home and drew apicture of one of his own oxen. He then pinned planks together with hardwood pins andglue and taking his carpenters pencil, saw and drawing knife, he carved the first pattern ofthe first oxen used in Latter-day Saint Temples. John was a modest man, never seekinghonor, thus this instance is not recorded in the Church history, but this is a true storynevertheless (6).


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Life was good for a time in Nauvoo, but the Carling family ran into great misfortune in 1844.Emeline gave birth to their last child, John Warner, on 14 Nov, 1843, but the birth was veryhard on Emeline, so she suffered a great deal. Somehow, they had become acquainted withAnne Green Dutson while in Nauvoo, and she helped nurse Emeline over the next twomonths. Unfortunately, the struggle was more than Emeline could endure, so she passedaway on 1 Jan, 1844. This was a very hard time for this family.Nevertheless, life went on. Ann Green Dutson had been abandoned by her husband, so shehelped this family through their time of mourning, and eventually she and John weremarried. She became a devoted wife and mother to the young family and also brought two ofher own children into that new family. Subsequent years saw two more children added totheir family.Ann Green Dutson had the distinction of having Joseph Smith set her apart as a midwife.He told her that she would be successful if she used herbs in her work. She soon gained thereputation of herb doctor. A partial list of her remedies includes: Saffron was steeped and the tea was given to the new born babies to clear their skin. Yarrow was steeped and the tea was used in tonics. Sometimes the leaves were bruised andused for ointment for wounds.

Tansy was steeped alone or with yarrow and the tea was used by girls and women withfemale troubles. Tame Sage tea was given to people with colds and fever. Wild Cherry Bark was steeped as tea. Inner Bark of Quaking Aspen tea was used as a spring tonic. Very often it was given to ayoung mother who may have developed a fever. Wild Sage was steeped and the tea given to individuals with mountain fever or neuritis. Rhubarb Roots were dried, ground very fine, mixed with soda and magnesia, and weregiven as a laxative or for a fever. Senna Leaves and raisins were steeped together and the tea was given to children who hadthe worms. Desert Root tea made from this root was used for people who had kidney or bladder

trouble. Elderberry bark, root and berries were all used in different medicines. Dandelion Roots were used to make a tea that was given for liver trouble. Wild Grape Root was steeped with tame sage and mixed with honey and given for canker. Plantain Root leaves were bruised and were used for a poultice to draw out infection(root?) (8).When the Saints were being driven from Nauvoo, John Carling & his son Isaac V. Carlingworked at making and mending wagons for the exiled saints so they could move out ofNauvoo. The mob violence became so intense that the Carling family decided to leave withthe main body of saints. Brigham Young sent Heber C. Kimball to inform John that, if hewould stay until all of the saints had been provided with good outfits, not a hair of theirhead would be harmed. They remained as requested, though some wives complained that

they would all be killed. The morning they were to leave, they were counseled to get to theferry boats before the mobs were astir, and upon arriving at the ferry, the captain hurriedthem onto the boat and admonished them to be quick because they could see the mobscoming. Some were on horses, and others running, but all with guns in their hands, and theywere cursing and swearing. As the saints left the shore, they could hear the leader of themob ordering his men to shoot. But as the men came to the shore, they stood still. It is toldby some that two shots were fired but they missed the people in the boat. Thus the hand ofthe Lord was with the saints and they were protected.


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For some reason, their exodus carried them to Pottawattomie County, Iowa, where theystayed for awhile before going on to Winter Quarters. It is known that Winter Quarters wasover-crowded so perhaps the Carlings heard this news and stopped sooner. Nevertheless,they were in Pottawattomie county until 1850, as shown on the census records for thatcounty. They moved on to Winter Quarters and headed out with the Henry Miller Companyon 30 June, 1852. The journey took three months and records show them entering the SaltLake Valley on 30 Sep, 1852. They were a short time in Salt Lake City, then a short time inProvo, then Brigham Young asked John to move to Fillmore to help build the new statecapitol there. He and his family moved to Fillmore on 29 Nov, 1853, and remained there forthe rest of his life.John was sheriff for some time, a Judge of the Court, and a bishops counselor. In Dec, 1854,John served as a Representative of the Territorial Legislature and served on a committee onCounties. Since the new State Capitol wasnt yet complete, he attended meetings of theLegislature in Salt Lake City. On his return from one such meeting in 1855, he caught asevere cold which later turned to pneumonia and John Carling died 2 April, 1855. He passed

away quietly while the world was watching Ras Kassas, Ethiopian ruler, conqueringneighboring regions and establishing himself as ruler. John Carling was a faithful saint thatcontributed a great deal to the exiled saints who needed wagons for their journey west.Many family histories have a brighter ending because he got those pioneers on the roadwhen they were so desperate for help.By LaRon Taylor 2006 updated 2/2007

Sources:1)World Timeline, History Channel website; year 1800,http://www.historychannel.com/timeline/2)Biography of John Carling, Nauvoo Records Office, author unknown.3)John Carling 11 September April 1855, by Elaine Johnson,http://www.ida.net/users/elaine/john4)Elda Porter School Report, Biography of John Carling, Nauvoo Records Office, byunknown.5)History of the Church, Vol. 4, pg. 446.6)Heart Throbs of the West, Kate B. Carter, Vol.4, p.2607)Heart Throbs of the West, Kate B. Carter, Vol.3, p.137

john carling and emeline keaton by larron taylor

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