Clegg Family-14 years in Springville, Utah (1858-1872)

I visited two Daughters of the Utah Pioneer (DUP) museums in Utah County this week and was
reminded about a few family history details.   I also learned some new things I didn't know before about the Henry Clegg, Jr. family.

In an article that was published in the 1982 DUP lesson book, Susan Lucina Clark Sanford shared that Margarett (Maggie) was born to John and Margarett Griffiths in Liverpool.  Her parents were cousins.

The John Griffiths family joined the LDS church January 30, 1840, and were baptized by Elder John Taylor during his first mission to England.  About four months later Maggie was born (April 15, 1840).

John Griffiths was one of the faithful missionaries and Branch Presidents who worked so hard to build up the LDS Church in the Liverpool area.

Margarett (spelled with two t's in this Sanford article) was 13 years of age when her mother, Margarett Griffiths, died.  John Griffiths then married Elizabeth Webb.  Maggie was the oldest daughter of the five children. Her older brother came to Utah to prepare and make a home for the family to follow him.  He apparently went to Nevada and the family never heard from him again.

We know the story of the "ill fated Martin Handcart company".  Sixteen year old Margarett experienced the trials of that 5th handcart company that left too late in the season.  Two younger brothers died on the trail in Wyoming and Maggie's father, John Griffiths, died the night after arriving in Salt Lake Valley on November 30, 1856.  I had never thought about how the family was expecting to find the older brother waiting to meet them as the company pulled into the city square.

I originally thought Maggie went to live at the Henry Clegg home, but this article said Henry Clegg, Jr. was the young man who had offered his assistance when the Martin Handcart Company first arrived in Salt Lake.  Jane was sixteen years old when she arrived in the Salt Lake Valley and was placed in the John Taylor home where she worked for her keep for nine months.

Henry Clegg, Jr, was a widower with one son, Israel.  He married Ann Lewis on December 3, 1855.  18 months later, Henry married Margarett.

Endowment House in Salt Lake City around 1890

 Maggie received her endowments in the old Endowment House on August 14, 1857 and was sealed to Henry Clegg at the same time as Ann Lewis.  Henry was age 30, Ann Lewis was 19, and  Margarett was 17.


The Clegg family lived in the 19th Ward in Salt Lake until 1858 when Johnston's Army came to Utah.   The "Move South" was when the family moved to Springville with their two sons, Israel and John.   Henry joined with other men in Echo Canyon to try and hold back Johnson's Army from coming into Utah.

A map on the Springville Museum wall showed where their house location was in Springville.  They lived there for 14 years from 1858-1872   Maggie had 11 children, although two of them died in infancy. She named her first two sons after her brothers who died in the Wyoming snowstorms.


Henry Clegg was a shoemaker by trade.


There is a fine collection of shoemaking tools in the Springville Museum.


Both wives had lovely voices and they traveled with their husband who gave lectures and they would all sing together to the accompaniment of the dulcimer, played by Henry.  One dulcimer is in the Provo DUP museum, one is in the Springville DUP Museum, and one is in the Salt Lake City DUP Museum.

 (A video of a dulcimer similar to Clegg being played can be found if you type into your browser: I'll Fly Away being played on the hammered dulcimer by Martin Moore.)

One note indicated that the dulcimer was played to accompany the violin on all public occasions in early pioneer days.


The Clegg wives would sing and entertain while Henry gave lectures on Physiognomy; Phrenology, voice, walk, mental powers, and dreams.   While in Springville, Henry also organized and directed a choir of 60 voices.  

Henry's brother, Jonathan Clegg, had settled in the "Upper Provo Valley" (Heber City) and Henry felt that with his 10 children (seven sons and three daughters), he needed more opportunities for work.  They moved to Heber area on April 16, 1872.   Israel, the older son had married and remained in Springville.

Henry eventually built a home on Main Street in Heber.   His sons farmed, operated  a saw mill, and a rock quarry.  He operated a store south of the family home.  He taught some of his grandchildren to read and spell while he was working in the store.  He taught school in Heber, organized and directed the Band of Hope and played in the Martial Band.  Henry was called as the Bishop for the West Ward, was Stake Clerk, and served on the Wasatch Stake High Council.

Henry was known as an expert in mathematics.  It was said that he could multiply a number of nine figures with nine figures and dance a cotillion and still give a correct answer immediately.

Henry Clegg, Jr. was the father of 25 children; three by Hannah Eastman, eleven by Ann Lewis, and eleven by Margarett Griffiths.  Henry died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 69 while working in the Heber store.  All the children were married with the exception of Brigham and Carlie (Ann's children). Ann Lewis died in 1913 and Maggie lived another 16 years until 1928.

As Clegg Family descendants we have "received a rich inheritance from [Henry, Ann, and Margarett.]  Maybe not in worldly goods, but in talent, intelligence, pride, and integrity." -(from article by Lula Clegg found in Springville file of Henry Clegg, Sr.)