Mystery of the Salt Lake Property
Sarah Coles Major and Children
When I became a member of the Major family in 1973, Henry Vincen Major (1890-1981) grandson of William Warner Major, Sr. and Sarah Coles was the patriarch of the family. Grandpa Major often said to me, "I don't know why Grandma (Sarah) married that old man Ellis." Then I discovered that "old man Ellis" was born in 1829, so he was 18 years younger than Sarah Coles. There were also some talk among the older relatives of Sarah Coles's property being stolen. The "Life Sketch of Sarah Coles Major Ellis (Athene Osborne, Spring City Ward History Book, 1939) says, "Unfortuately Mr. Ellis took Sarah's property and sold it, leaving her to earn her own living. Luckily she had learned the millinery business in England so she could help herself." A history in the Church archives (author unknown) agrees that Ellis took Sarah's property and adds that Sarah made hats for a living to support herself.
A search through Salt Lake land records uncovered the following land record:
According to this land record Ellis purchased property for the sum of $130.00 from William Warner Major on 5 Sept 1855. According to family records, this is the exact day that Sarah Coles married Joseph Tickle Ellis. It obviously was not a love match; he left the wedding and went immediately to the recorder's office to "quit claim" her property and put it in his name. Obtaining the property was very much in his plan. It was impossible to purchase land from W.W. Major since he died in 1854, yet this record shows a signature of William W. Major. The recorder, Thomas Bullock, was on the 1848 Brigham Young company with the W.W. Major family and Major is mentioned in Bullock's journal many times. He obviously knew that Ellis and whoever he brought with him was not Major and that Major was dead. It was mentioned several times in the newspaper. Did Ellis get William W. Major Jr. to sign over the property? It is a mystery how Ellis pulled this theft off, but obviously he deemed the property his through marriage.
Letter from Joseph T. Ellis and Sarah Ellis which mentions Wm Clayton (1814-1879), Notary Public, dated before 1879 because Clayton died then. The first page is lost. The only known writing of Sarah Coles is a signature on her wedding certificate. It doesn't match this signature. Likely this letter was written by Joseph Ellis. The letter concerns a check to be sent "when we have signed the receipt forward by you for that purpose. Mr. Clayton will promptly return the receipt to you, and we shall thus save the Bankers Cir?ssion (circumvention?)." It also says, "Enclosed please find official certificate of our marriage as requested." This is obviously the letter sent by Joseph T. Ellis to obtain the money from the sale of Sarah Cole's Salt Lake property. He had to prove he married Sarah in order to obtain the money. Apparently, it was without Sarah's knowledge and consent and he she never saw any of the money from the illigal sell of her land.
Letter in possession of Bernard D. Major, great grandson of William Warner Major
Ellis was the superintendent of carpenters on the Manti Temple for four years. One of his projects was to help design and craft the beautiful spiral staircase in the temple. In 1888 Joseph Ellis acceptedAlthough the Major family does not hold Joseph T. Ellis in high reguard, he did obtain abundant successes during his lifetime. He procured the rank of Major in the Black Hawk War. In Spring City he served as a postmaster, Justice of the Peace, member of the City council, City Assessor, City Attorney and helped organize a call to go on a mission to Denmark.34
Copyright Jill C. Major