margaretcondiesharp,born1839bycsb

Margaret Condie Sharp, born 1839

By Clarence Sharp Barker and/or Lucile Barker. (See End Notes.)

Unfinished document, Written after 1928. Also, see Gibson Condie history—similar information.

My grandmother, Margaret Condie Sharp was born in Clackmannan, Scotland, November 19, 1839, and died in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 22, 1928.

Her father, Thomas Condie, was born in Dumfirmline in Fifeshire, Scotland, and moved to Clackmannan as a small child. While still a child, he began to work in the coal mines of the district. He was running an engine drawing coal at the mines when he married Helen Sharp, August 21, 1830. Soon after his marriage, he left the mines and took over the running of the Crown Inn, which included selling groceries, liquors and tobacco. Later, he rented a somewhat larger place in Alloa. There were many buildings on the place. Keeping fine carriages and horses were added to his activities.

In 1847, Elder William Gibson introduced the Gospel in Alloa, and many were converted and baptized into the Church. Among them were John Sharp, baptized May 2, 1847, the Russell’s, Hunters & Patterson’s. Helen Sharp Condie, mother of Margaret, my grandmother, was the first of her family to join the Church. Her husband was a great reader and had a fine memory. He would quote passages from the Bible to prove in his own way that Mormonism was from the Devil.

A discussion between Elder Gibson and a Baptist minister named Scott brought out many of the people to hear for themselves. Later, there was a discussion lasting two days between John Sharp and two ministers. Shortly afterwards, Alexander Dow came from Dumfurmline and reasoned with Thomas Condie. His heart began to soften toward the gospel and he allowed his children, Janet, Gibson, Helen and Margaret to be baptized. Soon after, they were making plans to leave with others to join the body of the Church.

The party that left Alloa at this time included my grandmother’s [uncle] Gibson Condie [See End Notes.] her uncle Robert Condie and his wife, Janet Hutton, with their children; her uncle John Condie and his wife Jean Russell. On her mother’s side, her uncle Thomas Strang and his first wife Margaret Sharp and family; her Uncle William Sharp and family and her Aunt Mary Sharp and family (wife of my Uncle Peter Sharp, deceased). Also, my Uncle Francis Paterson and his wife, Jean Condie and family. [This may have been a misunderstanding. All these people didn’t end up in Utah. They either got off some place on the way, or stayed behind. Also, see the same information in Gibson Condie’s document. The wording is vague about whether they came or stayed behind.]

They began to pack their belongings and bid farewell to their friends. They traveled by team seven miles to the railroad station where they boarded the train for Glasgow. There, they went on a ship that had no sleeping accommodations for the trip to Liverpool. It was very cold, and all were sleepy and tired after the trip, but very thankful to have arrived in safety.

It was Sunday—Christmas Day—when they arrived in Liverpool. Sunday to these Scotch people had meant going to Church--no ball or marble playing or going fishing. They were amazed to hear a band playing on the Sabbath. At this time, it was against the law in Scotland to shave or even blacken your shoes on Sunday.

They spent several days in rooms of the home of a Catholic woman who was very devout in her religion.

Thomas Condie took his gun apart and used Blue Vitriol (sulfuric acid) to clean the rust from its parts. He put the gun back together and was putting it away when his youngest daughter, Mary, picked up the cup containing the poison and drank it. Their landlady wanted to send for the Priest, but Thomas Condie sent his two oldest children, Janet & Gibson, to find the elders, mentioning Orson Pratt, who was president of the British mission: They went to where a group of the Saints were meeting and told what had happened. Apostle Orson Pratt appointed two or three of the brethren to go with the children. They administered to Mary and rebuked the poison from her body and promised her that she would recover. No sooner had they removed their hands from her head than she began to vomit. The skin of her tongue and throat came away also. But Mary did recover, and the members of her family joined in thanking the Lord for restoring her to health and strength. Their landlady, Mrs. O Brien, a Catholic, was amazed and wanted….

♦ Here, the history stops. There are two copies of a similar document by Lucile Barker. One, legal-size document is just one page, but the other is typed entirely on several letter-size pages, carbon copy.

Notes:

1. Clarence Barker’s document first stated that his grandmother’s Grandfather Gibson Condie was on the voyage to America. [It has been found that this was not true.] Perhaps that is why this story is unfinished. Our PAF records say that Gibson Condie (1774) was married to Jean Russell, both of Clackmannan, Scotland. He died in 1856 in Clackmannan, Scotland, and did not make it to America with his family.
2. However, another Gibson Condie couple was known to be on the journey: Gibson Condie (b 1814, younger brother of Thomas Condie and son of Gibson Condie and Jean Russell) with his new wife, Cecelia Sharp, and her two daughters by a previous marriage. (See Gibson Condie (1835) Journal. Gibson Condie History says in naming his father’s relatives: “As the ship Zetland was chartered, that Uncle Gibson, his wife, Cecelia [Sharp], and her daughters, [Cecelia and Janet], along with William Hunter joined them, along with some other Clackmannan Saints.”
3. Gibson Condie mentions other relatives by family, who may or may not have been in the Clackmannan sailing party. The two documents have similar wording, and it looks like Clarence Barker got this genealogical information from the Gibson Condie (1835) Journal. At first, the way it is stated, it is easy to believe that all these Condie relatives came with them to America, but it is not evident on our family group sheets, the ship’s log, pioneer company lists, nor Family Search, that most of these people ever came to America. Source: Gibson Condie Journal:
   1. On her father’s side: Uncle Francis Paterson and his wife, Jean Condie (b 1801, daughter of Gibson Condie and Jean Russell) and family.
   2. Uncle Robert Condie (b 1803, son of Gibson Condie and Jean Russell) and his wife, Janet Hutton and family;
   3. Uncle John Condie, (b 1809, son of Gibson Condie and Jean Russell ) and his wife, Jean or Jane Russell.
   4. On her mother’s side: Aunt Mary Strang Sharp and family, wife of Uncle Peter Sharp (1801), deceased;
   5. Uncle William Sharp, (b 1803, son of Luke Sharp and Janet White), and his wife, Cecilia Sharp (1807) and family;
   6. Uncle Thomas Strang, and his first wife, Margaret Sharp (b 1807, d 1887), daughter of Luke Sharp and Janet White) and family.

Edited twice. Dates checked, uncles and aunts checked.

Agrees with our PAF.

Source: Marjorie Cecilia Barker Sorensen