Janet Aitcheson

About

Janet Aitcheson was born April 10, 1798 in Mussell, Scotland to James and Jean Smart Aitcheson. Janet is a Pioneer of Richmond.

History

The early life of Janet is unknown other than she spent most of her childhood in Masselborugh, Scotland. Janet married George Bee on May 9, 1826 in Canongate, Scotland, and made their home in Masselborugh. The family then moved to Edinburg Proper, Scotland in 1833.

On June 3, 1843, George died, leaving Janet to care for their three children. Jane married Ebenezer Hill in 1847 and he too died. In order to support her family, Janet became a maid. While doing so, she was introduced to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Richard J. M. Bee, Jante's son, wrote the following,

"...my sister brought one of their Elders, by the name of Robert Galt, to convince Mother of the truth of the gospel as revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith Jr. Mother, being of a religious turn of mind was pretty well conversant with the scriptures, relied on her own knowledge to over throw the arguments of the Elder and averred the passage in the Bible, which he quoted to substantiate his position, but by constantly referring to them she finally had to acknowledge the truth of them. She had read and reread as it were, without understanding. But merely as a child studying a lesson, not knowing the meaning of the expressions used.

"However, she finally yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."1

She was baptized on Feb 21, 1850 along with her children. Just a year later, the family immigrated to the United States to live among the Saints.

While in Winters Quarters, she met and married Joseph Dobson. The family soon moved to Lehi, Utah in 1852. Sometime in the early 1860s, the family moved to Richmond.